Brandy

Brandy, age 7

Updated 9/20/11

Brandy is ready to go home with the right family. And… how lucky that family is going to be! This nice girl is healthy again, and she’s sweet, gentle, good-natured…. everything a Golden should be. The only little disadvantage to that complete Golden package? Like many another GR, she’s scared of thunderstorms. “We had our first T-storm.  Brandy was frantic. She and her GRR foster sister Wheeler both tried hiding under the bed.  Brandy was quivering and her teeth were chattering.  Fortunately I had an extra Thundershirt, so I wrapped her up in it nice and snug.  This definitely helped calm her down. And of course the music was turned up and the lights were turned on!  We snuggled on the floor.  Wheeler on one side and Brandy on the other.  Once the storm was over, life got back to normal.”

… and what “normal” means is:
* Getting along great with the other dogs in the household – foster sister Wheeler, brother Mason, and blind Zoee. In fact, Brandy and Wheeler are pals now and sleep with their feet touching. She’d barely settled in herself before Wheeler arrived—but she at once took Wheeler under her wing and helped her relax, too.
* Retrieving! Brandy likes to retrieve tennis balls and braided ropes.  She will bring them back and release them to you on command. But she also likes to tote her tennis balls around from place to place.
* Snoozing like a champ. She sleeps right through the night, with the most ladylike of little snores. (:
* Looking prettier all the time. Brandy does not have a full coat of fur yet, but it’s growing in nicely after her surgery. She has nice curls! Also, she’s had her blood panels done, and her thyroid is normal—that’s great news, as it tested a bit low before her surgery. (Vet suggested a retest in one month, and all is well now.)

Yes, thanks to her caring vet and GRR, Brandy got a new lease on life, in the most literal sense…and she’s making the most of  every new and carefree day. She feels good and she’s got great spirit.  She has a very soft yet social personality and greets you happily at the door. She would be great with as an only dog, but she’d enjoy the companionship of other dogs, too. She'll be your best friend forever. She's waiting for you!

Updated

Brandy is all set to meet her forever home, but keep checking for more sweet dogs like her!

The owner arrived at the vet’s leading a droopy, panting Golden who was clearly very ill. “She’s been in heat for three whole weeks. Whatever the matter is, I can’t afford to fix it. Please put her to sleep.” A quick exam revealed that Brandy wasn’t in heat at all – instead, she was suffering from pyometra, an infection of the uterus that causes pain, lethargy, inflammation, and a purulent vaginal discharge. The exam also revealed that Brandy was a sweetheart despite her dire condition! “Just sign her over to me,” said the vet. “I’ll find someone to take her.” Before the ink was dry, Brandy was whisked into emergency surgery to remove her massively infected uterus. And two days later, she came to GRR. For the first day or so, the poor gal was very sore and tender, needing help getting in and out of the car and a boost in her pain meds. But a few days after that, her foster mom came home to find her happily nestled on the couch. Clearly feeling better! And now:

She is doing great, we get her stiches out later this week.  She is sweet with my 6-month-old poodle, but I keep her separate from my 3-year-old male Golden: they just don’t like each other when they’re too close!  Part of that might have been just that she felt so bad when she first arrived.  Mostly she wants human attention, though. Everyone she meets is a new friend! She doesn’t jump up, but she likes to sneak up on the sofa next to you and lie on the floor at your feet. She goes willingly in to her crate or baby-gated area when asked, too.  She is a good "guard dog" as she barks loudly when she hears noises or the doorbell! She loves to roll on her back in the grass and tote around her rawhide chew bone. She’s gentle, calm, good, and sweet. She’d love to be the center of attention in her new home.

What a turnaround for Miss Brandy!