Max came into GRRIN’s care on January 13, 2015. He was 15 years old. He went to live with an amazing foster mom, Danielle, but he didn’t do well being alone while she was at work. After hearing a plea at a GRRIN event for a new foster home where he would have more company, my husband and I decided he could come stay with us (including our 2 Goldens). He arrived at our home on February 7, 2015. We were considered his forever foster because it’s difficult to find anyone that wants to adopt a 15 year old dog. At this point, Max was not in the greatest health (GRRIN had been told he was hard of hearing and losing his vision), so we thought we’d have a couple months with him to spoil him and love him.
Every day that my husband and I were at work, our dogs, including Max, would go to my parent’s house for doggy day care. They have a Golden of their own so Max had a lot of company and was rarely left alone. When the weather was nice they would go for walks and play outside. In the winter, Max loved to romp in the snow. We quickly discovered that Max could see just fine (chasing squirrels and rabbits in the backyard) and his hearing was just selective hearing! After some needed vet care, he got great reports about his health and Max seemed to be thriving.
As each month went by, we were pleased that he was still with us. He was always so happy, and although he liked to have quiet time to himself, he enjoyed the occasional play time with the other dogs or to go chase tennis balls. We celebrated his 16th birthday in October 2015!
We always described Max as spunky and mischievous. When we were gone from the house, he would nose through bags, boxes – anything left within his reach – and chew on what he could find. He once ate a box of chocolate covered cherries, ripped open a bag of seashells, chewed on a book…the list goes on and on! As much as we thought we’d have things doggy proofed, he always proved us wrong and we would come home with anticipation as to what we would find.
Around June 2016, we noticed Max’s hind legs seemed to be getting weak. After talking with our vet, GRRIN approved laser treatments which helped reduce inflammation and pain. He continued these regularly and in October 2016, we celebrated his 17th birthday! We had a doggy party and enjoyed cake, treats, and lots of belly rubs. People we met always commented on how young he looked and his sweet puppy face.
After 751 days in GRRIN’s care, we finally had to say goodbye to Max. As strong as his mind was, his body could no longer keep up. It was such a difficult day, but we feel so grateful for getting two years with him. We can’t thank GRRIN enough for providing the wonderful vet care for Max which gave us all that time with him and allowed us to make so many amazing memories, including having Max welcome our first born into the family. We can only hope our other Goldens will live long lives like Max did. He was such a special guy, a testament to GRRIN’s dedication to Goldens, and he will forever be in our hearts.
GRRIN lost an amazing friend on February 3rd. At the age of 17, Max 15-01 crossed the bridge surrounded by his permanent foster family. This sweet senior entered GRRIN in 2015 and celebrated two more birthdays! Despite his sensory challenges, Max didn’t slow down and he remained one of the most photogenic dogs we’ve ever known. This handsome boy will never leave the hearts of his foster parents, Seth & Erika, who gave Max the best two years any dog can hope to have.
We’ve included an article we wrote about Max last year. Enjoy!
