My wife, Pat, and I are on the Golden Retriever Rescue Committee of the Kansas City Golden Retriever Club. In March 1997 we got a call about a dumped Golden running loose in a farm area and crying at night. Some nice folks picked him up, but were unable to keep him so they passed him to their daughter who called us. I went to check him out and saw about a seven-month-old unaltered male Golden. He was not housebroken, afraid of stairs and cars, and had no idea what a toy was.
     We brought him home and started work. We fostered him and some people came to talk about adoption, but he was a little off the wall (active) and they all passed. We named him Bailey and he never left us.
     After a couple of trips to the vet, he was ready for training. In 1998 he was in the parade of rescued Goldens at our specialty. He was a quick learner and eager to please.
     Pat trained him to a CGC and an AKC CD with scores in the high 190s. I took over his training and he became Severson's Bailey Boy UDX OA OAJ CGC with several OTCH points. Folks called him Mr. Reliable and he earned eighteen UDX legs before retiring. After he retired, he wanted nothing to do with any work; he just wanted to play Kong.
     He had so much empathy for people. If someone was upset he'd snuggle with them. He was the most loving dog ever. And we loved him back.
     In the car he'd either sit up and look out the windshield or stretch out on the seat with his head on my lap.
     In June 2008, after chasing his Kong, he collapsed. The vet said a cancer burst inside him and we had to say a tearful goodbye. His ashes and Kong are buried in our backyard and we talk to him often.
     A dog can go from an unwanted, dumped stray to a hero to all who know him. We miss him so much.