Tonight I’m sending my sweet Barney my 18 1/2 year old golden to the Rainbow Bridge. He was doing ok until the last few weeks he has really gone down hill and having a tough time. I do this with so my heaviness in my heart but not one regret about the the life he has had since I met him four and half years ago.

When he came here 4 1/2 years after my friend Carol from our rescue (The golden rescue I had started but was not very active at the time because of my own old dogs) called and said this old dog had a lot of issues and would I take him.

When I met him he was wacked. All over the place. I had never seen skin so bad. The stink was wicked.  I couldn’t even get him in the car.

I brought him home and he came in and he sat on the dog bed and looked at me and I told him he would never have to worry about anything again. That he was safe and he was home. He looked at me and sighed and he never looked back. He totally embraced life here and all our adventures. He loved vising all the friends and relatives and he showed that pleasure by peeing in their house. ” Barney was here!”

I’ve had a lot of foster dogs and all of them went on to great homes. I have probably fostered about 200 goldens.  I have no doubt I could have found a great home for Barney who after 6 months had awesome skin, his fur had grown in and he went from being freaked out and pooping in my car to loving the car, loving road trips, loving his food, loving his life.

He became my foster for life and eventually I adopted him. He had already adopted me. We made official.

I saved him. He saved me.

Last December I took him to Sarasota for Christmas and I totally thought it would be his last road trip but it wasn’t. We have had multiple trips back and forth and a trip to Orlando.

Today I won’t even attempt to put him in the car. It’s too much.

Today we will sit quietly and just  be. I kept my promise to him that he would be loved and safe and that every day would matter and when the day came I would know it was the day.

Today is the day my sweet boy. Thank you so much for all you have given me.

I think that’s my lesson. Do wonderful things when you are able. Don’t put things off. Eat with gusto. Enjoy life everyday. Mud is a good thing. If you have to urinate in the middle of the night so be it at least your alive.

These photos directly above it the day he came and he walked in. So tired. So confused.

His body leaves here today. His spirit stays. The love stays.

Both of us say thank you so much to everyone who has loved him.

Godspeed my sweet Barney Godspeed