From 2011
Redheaded Katie, so loving and nurturing, taught Mary and her family to be devoted dog lovers.
Arriving just as their daughter Amy began her 6-month convalescence at home from a traumatic brain injury, Katie was content to keep her fellow redhead company, quietly watching TV all day, and taking breaks for pets and hugs.
“A spry senior, Katie loved to wake up our 10-year-old son Bryan every morning by bounding up the stairs, jumping into his bed and smothering him with kisses,” says Mary. “She helped him celebrate his high school graduation. She had a very motherly instinct towards Bryan, our cats, kids and other dogs.
“Several years after adopting Katie, we discovered another Golden for adoption on a community bulletin board, and welcomed Joshua into our family. Although he outweighed Katie by more than 20 pounds, she ‘mothered’ him and taught him how to be a dog. Joshua wasn’t leash trained and couldn’t walk more than a block when we got him. He also didn’t bark or play with toys or chew sticks. Katie showed him the ropes and Joshua blossomed. Sadly, we lost Joshua to cancer at the end of 2015.
“My husband and I retired in 2017, and as our sweet Katie’s health and mobility declined, we were able to give her the time and attention she needed. She’d bark once when she needed to get up and bark a few times when she wanted to go out. Although she had lost most of her hearing and her eyesight was poor, she still enjoyed being outdoors, chewing branches and sniffing everywhere.
“Katie passed away at the age of 14 in June 2019 after blessing us with 8 1/2 years of love and devotion. She is forever in our hearts.”
