Riley came to us in June 2017 at age 9. He was our eighth Golden Retriever and our third rescue. His foster dad, Jeff, brought him to the door as we walked up. He was already smiling like he was happy to see us. We fell in love immediately. Riley was the best-behaved dog we’ve had. He was fully house trained, never got on the furniture, didn’t chew on anything, and wouldn’t cross the threshold until invited. He also didn’t seem much like a retriever since he showed no interest in fetching a ball or playing with dog toys. He helped us get acquainted with many of our neighbors, and their kids loved petting his soft fur. He had his routine which became ours – a long walk after breakfast and supper and a milkbone at noon. His internal clock was amazingly accurate.
Eventually he showed signs of laryngeal paralysis, and he began to have difficulty getting up off the floor and keeping his legs under him. He still loved to eat and take walks though they were much shorter and he had to rest frequently. When he lost the ability to support himself when “doing his business,” we knew it was time. Dr. Heidi and her staff at Lakeway Veterinary Clinic euthanized him on December 11. He was eating treats all the way to the end. Riley was just a few weeks short of 16 years – a record for us. We miss him terribly and still think we hear him chasing rabbits in his dreams. It will take some time before we can talk about him without getting teary-eyed, and we will always think of him as “The Best.”
Jim and Jan Parrish
