BAILEY

Dear Bentley,

My name is Bailey and I’m a HBGRR boy myself. Things went bad for me down where I used to live in Clovis or somewhere around there… I don’t know how it happened but I found myself wandering all by myself through the streets alone at 4 months old. I didn’t know much and became very very hungry and very scared. I heard the HB people say that I had been out on my own long enough to become too hungry. I ended up at the pound and had to stay 10 days in case my first owners came. I waited and watched but they didn’t come and I don’t know why because I never did anything to them to deserve being forgotten. The pound is a scary, scary place Bentley. 

At the pound is where this lady I had never met before picked me up and took me to a Vet school where they “fixed” me, whatever that means. I knew things weren’t going great but I didn’t feel broken. Anyway, after all of that I thought maybe one of those people would keep me but they didn’t, instead they called HB. Best thing that could have happened. See pretty soon the Golden Taxi came all the way down to Clovis for me and took me all the way up to Sacramento. I met all these nice people along the way, all these different people that all loved me and said things would be okay as we drove and drove. Up in Sacramento is where I met Jodi and Mike and Carla at the HB Headquarters. These guys decided that I should meet this man and lady that live in Pollock Pines, Mike and Mo. They had lost their beloved Carson, a beautiful red boy, to cancer and were still so incredibly sad inside. They had done everything they could to save him but nothing worked. I was pretty nervous because I know I could never completely fix their broken hearts, never in a million years and if I didn’t I was afraid they may not want to keep me. Well a funny thing started to happen, when I would fall asleep I would dream of this big, beautiful red dog, he said his name was Carson. He told me everything I needed to do to help soothe their hearts. I did everything he said and now Mike and Mo say that Carson gave a piece of himself to me to continue being with them. This has helped them slowly stop crying and be able to remember Carson with smiles instead. Wow, what a special job I have!!

Well, after about 6 months something terrible began to happen. Mike and Mo were teaching me how to become a search dog and everything was fine, everyone training us said we, or at least I, would be great and it was so much fun! It was just that after our search games my hind legs began to hurt so bad. I would lay still for long naps and become so stiff when I got up. Then one day I slipped on a cement floor and CRIED out in pain. Mike and Mo were so worried, they rushed me to our vet and she x-rayed my hips. That’s when the bad news came. She said I had something called hip dysplasia and sent us to a doggie orthopedic surgeon in Sacramento. Mike and Mo were so scared and sad, I heard Mo cry and that worried me so much. 

So we went to the vet and he said I would need bilateral hip surgery. He explained how I would have to stay the night in the hospital and how when I got home I would only be able to walk “5 car lengths, 5 times a day” to do my daily business. This would go on for 6 weeks and then I would have the other surgery and it all would start over again. Well, Mike and Mo talked to everybody they knew and studied up on all of our choices but it looked like the surgery would be the best way for me to live a long and happy life with them. So, they signed me up. 

Oh the next 12 weeks were hard Bentely, but with all the help from Mike and Mo, I made it! The first week after each surgery Mo would sleep on the floor with me to be sure she would wake up if I needed her. Mike built me a ramp outside to get up and down the stairs and he even talked the local flower nursery man into loaning us one of his garden carts. They put a piece of no slip carpet on it and I could ride on it down to the end of the yard where I do my business. Mike and Mo said I could have done my business on the closer patio but I just couldn’t…too embarrassing, after all I still had my pride.

Each week I would get stronger and stronger and eventually Dr. Richardson said I could start to increase my activity. So, Mike and Mo started to do exercises with me in our garage and eventually we were taking short walks through the neighborhood. Wow, those new hips felt sooo good. No more pain! 

Now, I have big, strong muscles covering my new hips. I can run and jump and chase balls, and the occasional cat. My most favorite thing is to jump up on the bed and surprise Mike and Mo to wake up. They grumble a bit at first but then I always get a smile out of them. Works every time. 

Please Bentley, you must tell Harley about our story. He must know how much better he will feel after surgery. It will give him his life back, he will play again and be happy. He will no longer hurt with the everyday things like getting up when he wants to just go love his human companion. You must encourage him. 

Also, Bentley you must please tell every human about our story. Without their extra help, Bentley will never have a chance. He is so close but without their help he will have to face pain and depression as his young life is quickly shortened and its quality wasted away. People everywhere must understand that HB does miracles for so many of us Goldies everyday and will be there to help Harley through his long recovery which is so key to him healing successfully. Without others helping by donating to Harlely’s vet bills, poor Harley will never even see the chance for this life saving surgery and to start the road to a better life. 

HB needs help from everyone in order to help poor Harley. There are lots of bad things in this world that humans can’t fix, but this is something terrible that they CAN if they will only send some extra donations to poor Harley. They will be giving life to Harley who will then return his gratefulness by forever loving unconditionally all the humans in his life. Maybe he will help heal a sad hurt, or find a missing person, or keep an old person company. Maybe he will play and play with a child or keep a young person company and out of trouble. Maybe he will make the humans in his life laugh out loud at his silly antics and make the destructive stress in their human lives wither away. All those potential gifts he is now forced to keep quietly stowed away because his legs hurt so bad as he patiently waits for their help.