Peaches is gone.  Cancer stole her away from us this past 4th of July after a diagnosis of cancer of the spleen last September. Having lost two other Golden’s to cancer and having then opted for exploratory surgery then but only to add weeks to their lives, we chose to just let her live out her life with quality of life while working to build her immune system to fight the onset of the cancer with sardines and fish oil.  She lived happily enough and eating well for 10 months and went the beach three times to surf the waves before she became to weak and fragile to go.  She was approximately thirteen and a half assuming her age at 14 months when we adopted her from the Amanda Foundation in Los Angeles.  Peaches was the sweetest, most beautiful dog, fit and a joy to live with, hike with, run with, hunt squirrels with, swim with and take to the beach so she could body surf the waves at Zuma Beach.  Always sitting in her front chair in our van, head pointed out chin on the window sill whenever we drove anyplace.  She waited countless invaluable hours by the front door for us to get home from work every work day for over twelve years.  We had lost our last female Golden “Sunshine” in January of 2000 to cancer and did not want another dog.  Then six months later we saw a promotion for the Amanda Foundation on a Sunday TV news show and left a voice mail asking if they had a younger, female Golden…and they did!  We named her PEACHES because of her peaches and cream ice cream lush puppy like coat.
What an empty feeling now especially after wrapping our lives ever closer around her care as she declined.  Suddenly now- nothing to manage…except our other 6 year old Golden-Tiger, another rescue. He’s an awesome dog also but Peaches will always be La Unica to us and hold a most special place in our hearts.  Sometime down the road we will find another dog to make it two again.  And so the circle of life continues.
Love them and be with them for every moment you can because dogs live for the moment and life is short especially for them.

— David from Thousand Oaks, CA