SPECIAL GOLDEN RETRIEVERS NEEDING EXTRA CARE

What a Long Strange ‘Trip’ It’s Been

His first name was Lucky. At just 12 weeks old, this sweet Golden Retriever puppy had already found himself on an unexpected path. A birth injury had left one of his front legs badly damaged and unusable. While the rest of his litter grew without complication, Lucky’s future was filled with uncertainty. Lucky, as we’d soon discover, didn’t seem to share those concerns.
When his breeder realized the medical care he needed was beyond what they could provide, they made the decision to surrender him to a rescue equipped to give him the best possible chance. That’s when GRRR got the call. When Lucky arrived at GRRR, he romped around the Meet & Greet yard with Cooper, charmed every volunteer and stole hearts almost instantly. He was simply a happy Golden Retriever puppy, living life the only way he knew how.

As we got to know him, Lucky became Casey, named in hono of another remarkable three-legged Golden Retriever who had come through GRRR years before and whose resilience left a lasting impression on everyone who knew him.

This Casey had plenty of resilience of his own. Dr. Carpenter with Homeward Bound Animal Hospital took x-rays, and we consulted with specialist vet, Dr. Briggs at Canine Orthopedics to explore every possible option. While reconstruction was possible, it would have required multiple surgeries, months of recovery and no guarantee of success. More importantly, it would have required a growing puppy to endure multiple surgeries, months of rehabilitation and an uncertain outcome, all during a time when he should have been chasing balls and simply enjoying being a puppy.

Everyone involved wanted the same thing: the happiest, healthiest future possible for Casey. Mary and the medical team at Homeward Bound reached the difficult, but compassionate decision that amputation would give him the greatest chance at a full and active life.

While awaiting his surgery, GRRR matched this incredibly happy puppy with his new family. His new family welcomed him home before surgery, giving him time to settle in and showering him with love before bringing him back for his amputation. It was there they gave him his new name: Trip. The name was chosen in memory of the adopter’s beloved father who recently passed, a lifelong Grateful Dead fan, inspired by the famous lyric, “What a long strange trip it’s been”.

Trip’s surgery was a success, and afterwards Trip returned to Phoebe’s Place to recover, where he could be closely monitored and remain just minutes away from his veterinary team if any concerns came up.

That first night after surgery was extremely tough on Trip. He whimpered. He cried. He struggled to get comfortable. Mary stayed close, comforting him and keeping a watchful eye on him throughout the evening. Even after he finally settled down, she couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe…just maybe…they had made the wrong decision. Had they asked too much of such a young puppy?

The next morning, Mary quietly walked to the recovery room, fully expecting to find a groggy puppy still feeling the effects of surgery.Instead…Up popped Trip’s little golden head. Bright-eyed. Tail wagging. Ready for breakfast and ready for whatever came next! Mary was in shock!

Watching him run around and play quickly made her forget he just went through surgery and only had three legs. The truth is, we’re not entirely convinced Trip ever realized he was supposed to have four.

We tend to focus on what’s missing. Dogs focus on what’s possible. While the humans in  story worried about his future, Trip was busy living it.

You don’t see a three-legged dog. You see Trip.

Trip represents so much more than a successful surgery. He represents every dog whose story starts with heartbreak, takes a few strange twists and ends exactly where they belong…into a loving home. He also reminds us why the Golden Angel Fund exists…to give dogs facing extraordinary medical challenges the opportunity to discover what comes next.

For Trip, his challenging journey has included difficult decisions, extraordinary compassion, a family who saw everything he could be, not everything he was missing, and countless people who refused to let his story end before it truly began.

And if Trip has taught us anything, it’s this:

Life isn’t defined by what happens to us.
It’s defined by what we do with the next step.
Or, in Trip’s case……the next three.
And what a Lucky dog he is.