Bear (Red 09-492)

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        December 17, 2009:  I would like you to meet Red, a new member of the RAGOM family. We picked him up on Sunday after a long ride from South Dakota, He had the company of Buddy on the ride along, and we were told that they made the trip just fine. Thank you Ellie and everyone that helped get these boys to safety.  

Poor Red was found tied outside a shelter that was closed for the day. He had spent the night there all alone, and whoever dropped him off, put a note with his name and age on it, so we do know that his name is Red, as he does respond to it, The note stated that he was 2 1/2 years old, but we thought he may be a little older than that, and after a trip to the vet, he thinks that he is closer to the 4 1/2 year old age. After spending  a few days in the shelter a very nice lady came to his rescue. She took him home and gave him a wonderful home until he was able to come into RAGOM's care. Thank you Susan.

I have the Christmas stocking that you sent for Red hanging on the fireplace, already for Santa on Christmas Eve.Red has a very thick heavy coat, that indicates that he has probably been an outdoor dog. He has adjusted  to living indoors very nicely. He is respectful of his foster sisters, and shares toys and balls nicely. He is totally a velcro dog. Wherever you are - he wants to be with you. I can't say enough, "what a good boy he is". He thrives on praise, and responds easily to correction. The only thing that we need to work on, is the fact that Red is about 15 pounds overweight. He is not tall at all, and is carrying too much weight. so we have started him on a lite food, and a strict regiment of several walks a day, which is fine with him. He loves to go. I am very surprised that he isn't at all food motivated, and eats his food slowly, with very good manners. He is very handsome, and likes it when I tell him so. Red wants to say a few words:
Hello - Red here. I just wanted to tell everyone that I will be making my debut on Saturday at the Leashes and Leads event. I know that there will be a lot of other RAGOM dogs there, and I can't wait to see all of them. Please come on out to Byron, and meet me, I will be your friend forever. Oh yeah, if someone has time, could you fill me in on this guy they call Santa. I understand that people leave plates of cookies out for him. "I would like more details".  

 

At a Glance #09-492

Golden Retriever Born: May 2005
Male 100 lbs

Status: Deceased

Profile

        December 17, 2009:  I would like you to meet Red, a new member of the RAGOM family. We picked him up on Sunday after a long ride from South Dakota, He had the company of Buddy on the ride along, and we were told that they made the trip just fine. Thank you Ellie and everyone that helped get these boys to safety.  

Poor Red was found tied outside a shelter that was closed for the day. He had spent the night there all alone, and whoever dropped him off, put a note with his name and age on it, so we do know that his name is Red, as he does respond to it, The note stated that he was 2 1/2 years old, but we thought he may be a little older than that, and after a trip to the vet, he thinks that he is closer to the 4 1/2 year old age. After spending  a few days in the shelter a very nice lady came to his rescue. She took him home and gave him a wonderful home until he was able to come into RAGOM's care. Thank you Susan.

I have the Christmas stocking that you sent for Red hanging on the fireplace, already for Santa on Christmas Eve.Red has a very thick heavy coat, that indicates that he has probably been an outdoor dog. He has adjusted  to living indoors very nicely. He is respectful of his foster sisters, and shares toys and balls nicely. He is totally a velcro dog. Wherever you are - he wants to be with you. I can't say enough, "what a good boy he is". He thrives on praise, and responds easily to correction. The only thing that we need to work on, is the fact that Red is about 15 pounds overweight. He is not tall at all, and is carrying too much weight. so we have started him on a lite food, and a strict regiment of several walks a day, which is fine with him. He loves to go. I am very surprised that he isn't at all food motivated, and eats his food slowly, with very good manners. He is very handsome, and likes it when I tell him so. Red wants to say a few words:
Hello - Red here. I just wanted to tell everyone that I will be making my debut on Saturday at the Leashes and Leads event. I know that there will be a lot of other RAGOM dogs there, and I can't wait to see all of them. Please come on out to Byron, and meet me, I will be your friend forever. Oh yeah, if someone has time, could you fill me in on this guy they call Santa. I understand that people leave plates of cookies out for him. "I would like more details".  

 

Updates

Friday, December 16, 2016

 

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of our beautiful Bear (Red #09-492). It has been months since we helped him cross the Bridge, and sometimes I wonder if it will ever become easier to say those words.

Bear came into our lives 7 years ago this upcoming New Year's. We had recently lost our very first RAGOM adopted boy, Murphy, at the very young age of 5 1/2 to cancer. Though I really didn't feel that I could take another dog into our home, our kids felt differently, and our then 2 year old Belle really needed another dog. The kids started scanning the Available Dogs page, and immediately latched onto a very sweet boy, who had been left tied up outside of a shelter on Thanksgiving evening. His story, his face, and most of all, his beautiful eyes, grabbed us all, and shortly thereafter, he came "home." I will be forever grateful to his fosters, Janet and Dale F., for choosing us to become his forever family.

I learned a lot from Bear over the years, but one of the very first things was the art of forgiveness. It pained me deeply that this dog with the soulful eyes had been tied up outside in the cold and dark, watching his family drive away. I was furious that someone could do this to him. Yet...in very short order, we realized that Bear was a dog that had been very loved. He was uncomplicated, sweet, and forever loyal. His life revolved around walks, food, and tennis balls. He didn't care about his past, he only cared about "now." It made me realize that people need to surrender dogs for all sorts of reasons, and this realization helped me become a much better foster and adoptive parent. Bear's people made sure that he would be found, and that he would be cared for. I hope that someday they will know that life turned out just fine for Bear.

Bear was the best brother ever to a very dominant Belle, and accepted her authority in his perpetual good natured way. Over the years, he became an adoptive brother to two additional RAGOM boys, Duke and Nugget, and was perpetually a calm and soothing influence to many foster brothers and sisters, including our special hospice boys, Red and Wilson, who lived out the rest of their lives with us. I find comfort in knowing he was greeted by many beloved friends when he crossed the Bridge.

The years passed by oh so very quickly and happily with our Bear. I always meant to write updates about his life with us, but always thought I had more time. But then in a heartbeat, everything changed, with the onset of a small bloody nose. With barely any time to process or prepare, his condition deteriorated rapidly, and it was unbelievably time to let him go. We held him tight, fed him ginger snap cookies and kissed his sugary face, and then told him how very much we loved him. He was our "heart" dog. There will never be another Bear.

Bear was known to those of us who loved him most as "Hank the Farm Dog," as without a doubt, his favorite place on this earth was the farm up north. I smile and feel some peace as I realize what the Rainbow Bridge is for our Bear/Hank: It is one vast, beautiful farm, with cool, sparkling rivers to paddle around in to his heart's content; with gardens that he can rest in with nobody telling him to get out; with unlimited tennis balls that never get lost or stolen; with plenty of bacon that doesn't always need to be shared with other dogs; and of course, that one big pick-up truck, that he can strongly leap into, and joyfully tell the world who is boss.

We will always love you, Bear, and will never stop missing you. Until we meet again, run strong and free, and take care of that big farm across the Bridge. It can't help but be an even better place with you there to watch over it.

 

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Two years ago, just prior to Christmas, we lost our first RAGOM boy, Murphy, to cancer. I was absolutely devastated by his loss, but before I knew it, my husband and kids had convinced me that the best thing to do to honor his memory was to adopt another RAGOM dog. My daughter promptly zeroed in on a beautiful dog named Red, who had recently been added to the website, after having been abandoned outside a shelter on Thanksgiving evening. His sad story caught my attention immediately, and his beautiful, soulful eyes did the rest.

On New Year’s Day 2010, we met his incredible foster family in Rochester, and on 1/4/10, Red, whom we shortly thereafter renamed Bear, moved into our home, and immediately settled in as if he had lived here his entire life. I know his foster family had a difficult time giving him up, and I once again want to thank them from the bottom of my heart for letting us adopt him. We love him with all the love our family can give – and that’s a lot!

I haven’t been very good about updating my own sweet Bear’s bio, but for those who watch closely, he has appeared in numerous updates over the past 1 ½ yrs, as we started our wonderful journey as a foster family the summer after adopting him. Bear always has to make it clear to new arrivals who the tennis balls in the house belong to, but once that is done, he is the sweetest and most gentle foster brother imaginable. Besides being a foster brother, Bear has also volunteered at a RAGOM event as an ambassador, but we learned fairly quickly that he really didn’t like the commotion, so we will leave that job to other lucky dogs in the future!

Bear continues to be bossed around mercilessly by his fur sister, Belle, but he is attached to her beyond belief.  She’s the first to steal a tennis ball from him and prance around waving it in front of his face, but she is also the first to stick up for him anytime he needs it.  They’re a perfect pair, and I love it when I see them pressed contentedly up against each other. Bear also had his very own brother for a time, as we became foster failures this past winter and adopted 11 year old Dukie. Unfortunately, Duke’s time with us was very short, but the memories we have of all three dogs together are precious.

Bear’s favorite things remain exactly the same – tennis balls, tennis balls, tennis balls. We sometimes think his brain may have been eaten by a tennis ball. J There are usually an even dozen within his reach at any given time, and he is often found sleeping with several near his mouth, and several under each paw. He also loves his people heart and soul, and is usually found directly beneath our feet, or on the couch right next to us. He loves to go for his walks, loves going to the dog park, loves to go for car rides, and beyond all else, loves to swim.

Bear’s favorite place to go is the “farm” in northern MN, which we own with another RAGOM family and several of their family members. His behavior there has led us to believe that he was perhaps a farm boy in the past, and has earned him the nickname “Hank” – and believe me, it totally suits him. He can swim there, walk in the woods, roam in the fields, sniff down (and gobble down – ugh) all sorts of weird stuff in the woods, and when he’s all done with that, he is happy to spend some time relaxing upon on the couch! Thanks to Bruce and Rhonda J. for these wonderful pictures of Bear at the farm shortly before last Thanksgiving.

Thank you RAGOM, for the work you do to bring these wonderful dogs into our homes. We love our Bear very, very much, and are so incredibly thankful that we added him to our family! Happy “Gotcha Day”, Bear!

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Well, it's time to send an update on Red.  He has been with us for a bit over six months, and he is now definitely a part of the family.  We do not know anything about his background, but we are beginning to have some educated guesses.  Before we go any further, though, we must announce his new name - Bear.  And it fits him perfectly.

We think he may have been a rural dog (we know he came from the middle part of S.D.)  We recently became co-owners of an old farmhouse in northern MN with another RAGOM family.  We had four goldens up there a week ago, and Bear seemed very at ease.  He is not afraid of loud noises or storms.  He loves swimming!  He loves fetching.  He likes exploring in the woods.  He is still not a big fan of being brushed (but is getting better.)    He seems more content hanging around with his human pals than playing with other dogs, although he is socialized and docile with other dogs.

Here are some pictures:


Walkin' back from the field


Swimming with his RAGOM friend, Josie (formerly Lacey 09-048) -
he has the ball as usual


Swimming alone.  No, he is not an aircraft carrier.


Down by the river with his alpha sister - Belle.
He is trying to teach her how to swim.


Time for a nap with his ball after all that exercise.


The drive home - Belle makes a pretty good pillow.


On a sad note, Bear just lost his oldest forever home sister, Lucky.
She ruled the roost and taught him the ropes of his forever home.
She was 12 1/2, and it was her time to cross the Rainbow Bridge.
She will have to teach him the ropes another time when they meet again.


Time to go to the dog park - we will update you again as things develop!

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Well, it’s hard to believe that Red has been with us for only two weeks!  He has fit into the flow of things so well, that it seems like he has always been here.  It is clear that he was well-loved before we got him, both by his original parents and his foster parents.  He has good manners, walks very well, is fully potty-trained, and gets along with everybody (people and animals.)  He is a bit overweight, but he is on a strict diet and is getting lots of exercise. 

Here are some of the things we have learned about Red.  He is tennis ball obsessed.  We’re not talking that he likes tennis balls or enjoys chasing tennis balls.  We are talking full-bore obsession.  He walks with them, chases them, fetches them, plays tug of war with them, and sleeps with them.  He and his new sister, Belle (a golden), are starting to learn to play together.  Red lets you know when he wants to play with the ball by holding it out in front of him with his front teeth.

He is very loyal and wants to be near his mom, dad, and brother at all times.  He has no problem making himself at home on the furniture, which is just fine in our house.

Sleeping is becoming an adventure, particularly for dad, who comes to bed a little bit later. Mom crawls in and the three dogs take their positions (two goldens and a yorkie).  Dad inserts himself where possible.  Looks like a King size bed is in order.

Red loves being outside and particularly likes rolling in the snow.  He is enjoying his daily walks.  His mom has taken him to the dog park a few times, and he really likes that, as he can chase tennis balls a long way.  He is getting used to longer walks with dad on the weekends, and as he loses weight, those will get easier.

Red thanks RAGOM for rescuing him and his foster parents for taking such good care of him before he found his forever home.  See you around!

Monday, January 4, 2010

I am so happy for our lovable Red, he has found his forever home. I know he is going to be so happy living with the N family. He will have lots of playtime with Belle, 2 yr old GR, and Lucky 12 yr old Yorkie.  He also has a 14 yr old brother, and an 19 yr old sister, who is home from college, and got to spend some time with him. Red only ever wanted someone to love and care for him, and now he will be living a life that he truly deserves. We will miss you "big guy", but we could not be happier for you. Here is a picture of happy Red with his new family(of course, he is the one with the ball in his mouth).

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

This is big Red checking in. I want all of you to know how much fun I am having. I really had a great Christmas, and I think that it should happen more times a year. I got to celebrate with my foster sisters, and a little foster cousin named Zelda, and 3 grand kids who got to open a lot of presents. I tried to help by standing on the boxes, but really I just wanted to be near them.

We have been taking a lot of walks since I got here. I really like to go. As soon as I hear the leashes being moved, I come running, and sit without even being told, so I can get my leash on and get going. I like to run thru the deep snow, but sometimes I get a little stuck, because of my size, but I have managed to plow thru without any help. My FM & FD think I walk really nice on the leash.

Another thing that I really, really love is BALLS. I almost always have one in my mouth. Aspen and I play with the balls a lot. We share them nicely, and allow each other to take them out of our mouths. A very nice lady bought me a bag of balls at the Leashes and Leads event. Thank you Kelly!!

Here is what my FM&FD think I need for my forever home:

  • I can go to a home with or without children (but I really like kids)
  • I need to go to a home that is active, and will continue to make sure that I get the exercise that I need, so I can lose the weight.
  • I need a home that is committed to keep my weight off
  • I do not need a fenced yard.
  • I would like to have another playmate to play with, but I am happy with people as long as they give me a lot of attention.
  • I am ok with cats
  • I am completely house broken
  • I LOVE to ride in the car, and am very well mannered when I get to go.

As you can tell, I am just about perfect (so I have been told). If you would like to meet me, please let your placement advisor know. Thanks for checking my update, and enjoy the new pictures. Red (sometimes my FM calls me Clifford the big red dog)


Aspen, did you put that ball under the chair again? 

Will play ball with me?

PLEEEEEESE???

Sunday, December 20, 2009

 Andy 07-406