Birdie
a.k.a. Abby
Birdie
a.k.a. Abby
A month or so ago, we got a call from
a local vet. A few weeks before that, a young man had come in with an older
Golden—he said her name was “Lucky”— and left her there for the day to be
treated for itchy skin. One day went by, and then another… and the owner never
came back. What’s more, all the contact information he’d given was
fictitious—including, apparently, the name “Lucky,” since the sweet old girl
didn’t pay the least attention to it. She’d been abandoned. The clinic staff was
in a bind—what to do with their unexpected long-term boarder? They asked GRR to
place her, and it didn’t take much persuading! We named her “Birdie” and brought
her in.
Here’s the report from her foster dad:
I tried out a few more names on “Birdie,” to see what she might respond to
best—I ended up trying “Abby,” and she really took to that one. So she’s Birdie
in her GRR files, but Abby here at home, and that seems to suit her fine.
Abby is an older Golden (probably about ten years of age), short, stocky, and
very sweet and loving. She’s quiet, personable, and totally housebroken (of
course), and she adores affection. One has to be a careful in giving her treats,
as she can be a little too eager, but just letting her see only a small piece of
the treat makes her be much gentler in taking it.
When Abby arrived at my house, she was overweight, out of shape, and very low on
energy—but a blood test explained that. She was hypothyroid. Diet, steady
exercise, and medication have made a big difference. She is more active and even
a little playful now! She’s very good on a body harness and enjoys walking at a
nice steady, sedate pace. Though she’s not interested in becoming a true
athlete, she HAS been seen to carry a tennis ball around, and she’ll even run a
few feet in the backyard. She enjoys water “sports,” too—in her definition, that
consists of lying contentedly in the water to cool off.
If you are interested in a calm, quiet, loving companion to keep you company and
take pleasant social strolls around the neighborhood and share a cool soak in
the shallow end of the pool, Abby is your girl!