ADOPTED

Riley

Yippee! Yippee! I just had my birthday on December 2nd, and I turned one year old. Don’t expect me to act all grown up and mature, though—I am still a big puppy and I am so happy about that. Mom says I am a really, really good boy, absolutely gorgeous, and the very best big puppy she has ever seen! I am house-trained and don’t wreck anything in the house. I love rope toys and chew bones. I love to play fetch and go swimming. (I can’t wait until the weather is warmer again so I can trick mom and dive into the pool for a few laps when she is not looking.) I am happy all day long and just can’t get enough attention. My only bad habit is that I sometimes get too excited to see you and jump up. I guess I am a bit too large and happy of a dog to have around little toddlers. I love everybody in my foster family and really like to play with the other dogs here—I just have tons of energy! My last house had a cat and I really enjoyed chasing her, but I would never hurt her. It WAS pretty fun to chase her, though! My mom says I have such love of life and such a happy-go-lucky attitude that absolutely everything is fun for me to do.

NOTE: The paragraph above describes Riley to a T: a typical big, goofy, loves-everyone Golden Retriever puppy. What isn’t so typical about this boy is his severe heart murmur. This serious congenital defect means that Riley has a very limited life expectancy, but his actual lifespan is unpredictable: he could live for a few more weeks or a few more years. Riley doesn’t know a thing is wrong with him; he’s a very energetic, happy, loving puppy. We do restrict his activity slightly, but it’s not difficult or time-consuming to do so. We are looking for a very special permanent foster family for him, a family willing to enjoy him for whatever time he has left, knowing that time may be short. Of course, he might always surprise us and live much longer than expected.

If you are interested in hearing more about Riley, his foster mom will be glad to talk to you, brag about him some more, and give you further details about his heart condition. He is as full of puppy charm and pep as any other young Golden, and he’ll bring joy to your household as long as he is with you.
 

View Pictures Here