Charly
Posted on October 17, 2011
What is it about Golden Retrievers that tugs so hard at the hearts of all who own them? We lost our beloved Charly ( AKA Grrace's Charmer) in the early morning hours of July 7th. A biopsy done the previous morning was finally proof that a very aggressive form of cancer had rapidly taken over. To say we were devastated doesn't begin to describe the pain of losing her. We had her faithful companionship for only 7 years, and like all those who've lost a dear friend, we wish we could have had many, many more.
We got "Charmer" from Grrace in 2004, after losing our 13 ½ year old golden, Tess. We will never forget that first meeting during a Grrace visit at PetSmart. We went with the intentions of looking at another dog, but it was love at first sight with Charly. When they informed us that she was ours to keep, we were overjoyed. We had to adjust to her quirky ways of hanging out in the corners of a room or the tightest spaces she could find. Needless to say, we eventually had a comfy dog bed in a corner of every room in the house! Charly was CRAZY about tennis balls, but loved her other stuffed toys and bones as well. She was always content, whether lounging on the patio in the spring or curled up by the fireplace in the winter. A packed suitcase, or any extra movement toward the car meant one thing to Charly; a trip to Lake Monroe, where she spent many weekend afternoons watching deer from the balcony or sniffing out new scents on a long walk.
Her illness was short lived, but any suffering at all is too much and as much as we tried to deny it during the last 2 weeks of her life, the cancer took its toll. She was, undoubtedly, the epitome of a true golden...smart, affectionate, loyal, quirky, and beautiful! We will miss Charly everyday and we'll love her forever. We truly appreciate everything Grrace does to make sure these abandoned or surrendered dogs find their forever home. Thank you, Grrace.
Kim, John, Spencer, Meg, Ryan, and Pax (and 4 legged friends, Kolby and Wally!)
