Surrounded by Love
A Story of Compassion…And a Golden Named Maggie That Stole Our Hearts
Sometimes when we say “yes” to taking in a dog, it is not entirely a logical decision.
Maggie was a 7 year old golden retriever that a typical rescue group would turn down. Her owner had been in conversation with us since September about turning her in to GRRMF. By the time they made the decision, Maggie’s appearance was remarkably different than when we were first contacted about taking her in. Maggie had a huge tumor on her nose that was unbelievable. GRRMF has been around over 25 years and we’ve seen a lot. But we’ve never seen anything like this. Maggie’s family didn’t have time for her or for the cancer that appeared on her nose.
Where would Maggie go? GRRMF is a true rescue. We help golden retrievers in all kinds of situations so we said “yes”. Maggie came to us on March 30th. Our team instantly fell in love with her.
She had the sweetest disposition. Her tail wagged constantly. She was always up for a car ride or lizard chase and she loved to carry her stuffed babies. Her foster mom showered her with love. Our hope was to give her the help she deserved.
Our specialists did thorough diagnostics and determined she had a Stage 3 Mast tumor. We turned to holistic care to try and extend her life with the best quality possible. All our best efforts were no match for this aggressive tumor. While her quality of life was good, on Sunday April 24th she took a sudden turn for the worse with many more tumors appearing practically overnight. We had to say goodbye. She was surrounded by loving GRRMF volunteers as she went to heaven. Our team was devastated, but found peace knowing that GRRMF had stepped in to help this girl. She saw several of our caring veterinarians including a specialist and holistic veterinarian. While the cost was considerable, our team felt this sweet girl deserved the best. To know her was to love her.
We hope that Maggie can leave a legacy of making all dog owners more diligent in checking for growths or bumps and taking your dog to the veterinarian. Do not ignore them – early intervention can mean a chance at life.
Run free sweet Maggie, and we’ll see you at the Rainbow Bridge……you will be missed.