Dusty GH-835

Dusty came to me through Goldheart in July 2013 at almost 10 years old. I was looking for a dog that would not chase my elderly cats. Dusty was over 100 lbs, his coat was entirely shaved down due to matting, and he had some anxiety issues, but in my eyes he was perfect. From day one, he was a complete gentleman with my cats and he had perfect house manners.  Over the first several months, his hair grew back so full and beautiful, and with diet and regular exercise, he lost about 25 lbs. He loved his daily walks so much he would grab his collar off the back doorknob and bring it to me as if to say, “Let’s go!”

With positive reinforcement training and frequent outings, he also overcame his anxiety of going to new places. He came with me to several career days where he would interact with children. We also participated in an organization called Wags for Hope where we visited Alzheimer’s patients at a local nursing home. He loved people and always had a huge tail wag for anyone who stopped to pet him. Dusty was a true ambassador for the breed.

One of his favorite things to do was to chase the squirrels and bunnies out of the back yard, and he loved to pull stuffing out of his favorite toys. Dusty passed away in March 2016. I miss my sweet, huggable boy, who always greeted me at the door when I came home. Thank you to Goldheart for rescuing Dusty and giving him a second chance at life, and thank you to his foster mom Lynn for picking me to be his person.

Becky Arthur