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Golden Harley's story is a very special one. His San Antonian mom,
Andrea Hanssen, contacted us in October 2006 about his tragic tale. The recent
discovery of a brain tumor had been a devastating one, only compounding those
difficulties she was experiencing due to being a widow, single mother, and
nursing student. Wanting to do all that was being recommended by the veterinary
specialists, the huge costs of treatment took her entire savings and more.
But,
Andrea continued on, her positive spirit continuing to be present as she and
Harley continued with his therapy visitations to wounded soldiers at the Brooke
Army Medical Center. |
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When Golden Harley no longer could help others, Andrea spent her days and nights by
his side comforting him. Harley's brave fight was
beautifully detailed in the San Antonio Express-News. Want to learn more
about Harley and the Land of PureGold Foundation's efforts to help? Well,
then, just click below for . . .
Andrea's & Harley's Story
Story Updates
Helping Harley Fund
Harley Happy Times
Valuable Resources
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story
In the Beginning
Harley was born on May 6th 1995 in Columbus Georgia, and eight weeks later he
became a member of our family. My 15-year-old daughter, Stephanie, was reading the
classified section of the local paper and she insisted that I take her to see
some Golden Retriever puppies that were advertised. As we drove to the location
I reminded her that we were going there just to look.
After we arrived and I took one look at the twelve
beautiful Golden Retriever puppies, I knew that one was
destined to become ours. I told my daughter to pick one
out and she chose Harley.
Harley is a very
special boy. As a puppy he was always well behaved and eager to please us and as
an adult dog he has proven that a dog truly is man’s best friend.
After
we took him home Stephanie would carry him around like a baby, which she
continued to do until she moved away in 2005. She called him her “pudding boy”
because as soon as she picked him up he would go limp like a bowl of pudding.
The three words that best describe Harley are loyal, loving, and a gentleman.
Harley, Man's Best Friend My husband
Ralph (Ernie) was also very fond of Harley. He never
owned a dog of his own and considered himself more of a cat person. That all
changed when we got Harley. Robert Benchley wrote, “There is no doubt
that every healthy, normal boy should own a dog at some time in his life,
preferably between the ages of forty-five and fifty.”
Ernie was
forty-five when we got Harley. After Ernie retired from the Army, He was gone from seven to fourteen days at a time. Harley knew when his
Daddy was coming home from one of his long trips. When Harley heard Ernie’s
truck he would get so excited and I couldn’t open the door fast enough for him
to get out to greet his Daddy. The bond between these two was evident and it was
heartwarming to watch them together. Ernie became ill in 1997 and was
diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy. The only chance for survival for him was
to have a heart transplant. We moved to San Antonio in 1999 for him to be placed
on a heart transplant list at the Brooke Army Medical Center. During his workup the doctors found a malignant
melanoma on his ear. We were devastated to find out that this diagnosis
disqualified him to be on put on a transplant list. As I accompanied
Ernie to his doctor’s appointments, we noticed a lady with a German Shepherd at
the hospital. Ernie inquired why the dog was there
and the woman told him
that she was with
Paws for Service and he was a therapy dog. Ernie looked at me and said
“Harley would be a great therapy dog.” Little did I know that this statement
would affect my life in such a positive way. In June of 2000 Ernie was
admitted to the hospital. He was dying. He wanted to see his dog and asked me to
bring Harley to the hospital to visit him. The nurses helped me “smuggle” Harley
into the ICU so he could see his Daddy. It was hard not to be inconspicuous
because Harley is quite tall and weighs over 80 pounds. When I brought Harley
into the room, Ernie’s eyes sparkled and his face lit up. He was so happy to
have his dog near him; and even if only for a short while, he forgot his
problems. Ernie did not want to die at the hospital, so a few days later
he came home. He told me that he wanted to be cremated and wanted some of
Harley’s fur in his hand while he was being cremated. He wanted to have a little
piece of Harley with him. Ernie died on June 14th. Within moments of his death,
our daughter Stephanie went and cut off a handful of Harley’s precious fur and
we put it in their Daddy’s left hand, because it was closest to his heart.
Harley, The Therapy Dog Ernie knew that Harley would be a great
therapy dog so I took Harley for training with
Paws for Service to become a therapy dog. I was told that he was one of the
best dogs that had come through the program, and he passed with flying colors.
In memory of Ernie, Harley and I have been visiting patients for the past five
years.
Harley is well known by the way as he
carries his “baby” with him everywhere he goes. That is what any one of an
assortment of stuffed toys, his favorite one at the time always having to be in
his mouth. Harley also knows how to speak quietly in the hospital—it is a
whisper of a bark. One patient said he was the Elvis of dogs, because his quiet
bark resembled Elvis’s “uh huh.”
Harley also knows when it is time to leave.
When he is ready to leave, he picks up his leash with his mouth and gives me a
gentle tug. The first hospital that I took Harley to work as a therapy
dog was
Methodist Children’s Hospital. We were assigned to the oncology unit. I
remember the first little girl that we went to visit. She was so excited to see
Harley and spent quite a while with him. He was very gentle with her and enjoyed
his visit with her as much as she did with him.
She did not want us to leave and
asked me if she could buy Harley from me for five dollars because that was all
the money she had saved. It was very touching to know that something that seems
so insignificant to some can mean the world to others.
In August of 2001, Harley
started his therapy work at the
Brooke Army Medical Center.
At first, our visitation was primarily with retirees and service member’s
families. After the war in Iraq, we have seen many wounded soldiers.
It touches
my heart when a soldier thanks me for bringing my dog to see them. Knowing that
I can help them forget their problems, even if only for a brief moment, makes me
realize how special the work that Harley and I do is.
When we arrive at
the Brooke Army Medical Center, we are required to sign in at the Department of Ministry. It takes us at
least half an hour to get from the entrance of the hospital to the Department of
Ministry located on the lower level because we are continually stopped by
patients and visitors who want to pet Harley. They smile as they see
Harley carrying one of his stuffed animals, his "baby," throughout the hospital.
He is always carrying one of his babies in his mouth, it is his personal
trademark. Harley even has his own name tag with his picture on it
identifying him as a therapy dog with the Brooke Army Medical Center. People are always amused when they
notice it.
Harley takes wearing his badge and cape seriously. He knows that when
he dons his cape he is working and is on his very best behavior. He knows to
"speak quietly" while at the hospital.
Once we sign in at the Department
of Ministry we accompany one of the chaplains as he visits the patients on the
wards.
We see many wounded soldiers from Iraq. Many of them are hesitant and do
not want a visitor, but when the chaplain tells them he has a visitation dog
they change their mind and are open to a visit. It is amazing how the
presence of a dog paves the way open for communication.
One chaplain told me
that if it weren't for Harley he would never have been able to have such lengthy
conversations with some of the patients. It is heartwarming to see them interact
with Harley. I am unable to take many photos of Harley at work because of
the privacy act. However, John, who is shown below, personally gave me
permission to share this photograph here at the
Land of PureGold.
John was injured in Iraq in July of this year. He
was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED), and suffered multiple bone
fractures—mainly on his legs and ribs.
A wonderful young man, John is from south
Texas and is currently (November 2006] staying at the
Fort Sam Houston Guest House
while he undergoes physical therapy.
Below, I have a photo of Harley with Audrey, a BAMC Red
Cross Volunteer. Audrey has a lot in common with Harley because she, too, has a
brain tumor. As you would expect, Audrey bonded immediately with Harley and
remains encouraged when she sees how well he is doing. And, Poppie is an elderly
gentleman who is a friend of ours. He had undergone hip replacement therapy and
was in rehabilitation. My friend asked me to bring Harley to see him. Poppie was
so excited to have Harley visit him. He said it really made his day, and he
couldn't thank me enough for bringing him.
Harley, a Pal to All
Harley is a favorite to children and animals alike, having a calming effect on all those who meet him. Where we
live there is a courtyard where people congregate with their dogs. Harley
usually finds himself a comfortable spot to lay down with one of his stuffed
toys. One day, the other dogs were exceptionally rambunctious and were barking
louder than normal. After a short while, to all of our surprise, all of the
other dogs were quiet. They had surrounded Harley and were lying down
peacefully.
This peaceful aura that he exudes is not
limited to dogs. I rescued a feral cat and the only dog that he will let get
near him is Harley. Sometimes I find him sleeping within a few inches of Harley.
He is also very gentle with my pet bird, which is against his natural desire to
hunt them.
This is Harley and Maddie, my friend's 7-month-old daughter. She
just loves Harley and he loves her. This October 2006 photo here features my
Shar-Pei Teddy and Harley. Teddy can often be found using Harley for a pillow.
They are big buddies, Teddy just so LOVING his Harley. But, then Harley has been
the perfect canine brother to all of our family's dogs and cats through the
years.
Don't you just love the photo below of big guy Harley cradling his
new kitty sister? This adorable little guy is Favi, my male Bengal cat. Favi is
very special because I got him the year Ernie died. And, believe it or not, Favi
is named for him. Ernie's real name was Ralph, but when he was a little boy he
couldn't pronounce Ralph, instead, saying "Favi." COOL I have
additionally entered this sweet photo in the
Images of Cattitude Photo Contest,
so please do support my two guys by voting on their entry. Voting begins the
second week of November. All of the entries can be found by
clicking here.
A Brain Tumor is Discovered In June of 2006 Harley began to stumble a
little while he was walking. The veterinarian thought that he might have some
slight hip problems and started him on Cosequin. On the 2nd of July Harley
started to high step his right front paw and was slapping it down while walking.
I took him to the emergency vet and he thought Harley might have a problem with
his shoulder. The following day I took Harley back to my vet and he took several
x-rays of Harley’s shoulder and ran some blood tests. He told me to come back on
the 5th of July. Harley deteriorated drastically within the next 48 hours.
When I took Harley back to the vet he told me that it was possible that Harley
may have a brain tumor and Harley needed a CT scan immediately. He referred me
to the Texas A&M University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, approximately
200 miles from San Antonio. I
immediately took Harley there and was told by the veterinarian neurologist that
Harley needed an MRI. He referred me to Animal Imaging in Dallas.
I took Harley to Dallas on the 10th of July for an MRI which confirmed that
he has a brain tumor. I was devastated and heartbroken. Harley has given his
family only the best and I felt that I could not do any less than the best for
him.
I knew that Ernie would have wanted me to do everything for Harley as long
as he did not suffer. I consulted with three different veterinarian neurologists
and they all concurred that the best treatment for Harley was to have radiation
therapy. On the 17th Harley started his radiation treatments at
Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists
in Houston. The treatment protocol was going to be three
times a week for seven weeks. The drive to Houston takes about four hours and in
order to be there by 8 am we had to leave San Antonio at 4 am.
By the
end of the first week Harley seemed to be tolerating the treatments pretty well.
Then, on July 23rd around 10 pm, Harley started to have clusters of grand mal
seizures. I rushed him to the emergency clinic. Once the seizures were under
control the attending veterinarian referred me back to Texas A&M.
I drove there
while my friend, Carol, sat with Harley in the back seat of my car watching over
him, and ensuring that he received his Valium through an IV drip. We arrived at
the hospital shortly before 4 am. After they took Harley into the ICU, I
did not think that I would see my beloved dog alive again. However, on the 26th
he was released, and to my amazement was walking. He took his leash in his mouth
and couldn’t get out of the hospital fast enough!
Unfortunately our happiness
did not last long and Harley had another setback. When he was released from the
hospital Harley had aspiration pneumonia. I brought him back home to San Antonio
for treatment and during the night he had another seizure. The veterinarian
controlled the seizures with Phenobarbital and Harley’s pneumonia cleared up.
Harley’s radiation therapy resumed on July 31st. During the remainder of his
treatments, he did not experience any additional setbacks. He has not had any
more seizures and has been progressively doing better.
I knew Harley was ready to start his
therapy work up again when I took him for a follow up visit to the veterinarian,
as he grabbed his “baby” because he thought he was going to the hospital to
visit patients.
Throughout this whole ordeal Harley had been so brave. All of his treating
veterinarians commented on what a good boy he is! I am hopeful that Harley will
continue to do well; he is a survivor and has a strong will to live.
We are
taking one day at a time. The only comfort that I have with Harley’s illness is
that when the time comes and he passes away he will be greeted by Ernie in
heaven and will once again be in his Daddy’s loving arms.
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up
Story Updates and More
From Rochelle (Mar 13,
2007)
I
do not get out much these days due to illness, so it was a GReat surprise to get
to the post office and see that donations were still coming in for Harley. There
is no question that folks are truly concerned about the plight of our special
furry companions.
And, the fact that Harley, and his work with our wounded soldiers, will be remembered and
utilized to help other working Goldens is inspiring.
As a special educator before becoming a school psychologist and graduate school
instructor, I am always thrilled when children become involved at our
family-oriented site. I had worked at one of the schools in Maryland that had a
large military population, so I can easily understand how a teacher at such a
school in Texas would be touched by this story.
Keri Robertson's class is very lucky to have such a
GReat teacher. I will be sending a Golden plush pup to the class along with some
other special Golden goodies.
I also received a donation to our
Helping Harley Fund
from Nancy Orth of Seaman, Ohio. It was bittersweet, though, as Nancy enclosed a
photo of her Therapy Dog International certified Golden girl, Marriet.
She had
worked with Nancy for seven years doing therapy work, but sadly succumbed to hemangiosarcoma on December 3, 2005. Marriet was only
10-years-old at the time.
Nancy also enclosed a second photo of 9-year-old Golden
Oscar. This handsome boy was adopted from an Ohio rescue organization in April
2006. And, even with his senior status, we all know it is never too late to
learn.
Oscar started in January 2007 in a special therapy dog class at the local
dog school. He has already made two visits to a nursing home, doing very well at
his new job!
I lost my dearest friend today, No finer could be found. My love for you is utmost true,
It has no endless bound. So hard to say, "Good bye" to you,
Forever, trusting friend, I'll keep you in my memories, I promise till the end.
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He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your
dog. You are his
life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last
beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such
devotion.
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From Andrea (Jan 25,
2007)
With great sadness and a heavy heart I write this
email. Harley lost his battle with his brain tumor Tuesday morning. I am
devastated, he was the love of my life. He will always hold a special place
in my heart and I thank G-d for giving me Harley, he was my precious boy.
I have
composed an album
at webshots and would like to share it with you.
From Andrea (Jan 23,
2007)
Harley had a really bad night and was suffering. I did all I could to help him.
I took him to the vet and she told me that it is time. I also saw it up again
as fast as when he was diagnosed. He was at peace this morning around 10:45 am.
I can't write much now. I miss my boy and my heart is aching for him. I will
write soon.
From Andrea (Jan 18,
2007)
I would like to thank everyone for their prayers, well wishes, and donations for
Harley. Harley's diagnosis was very devastating and came at a difficult time in
my life. I truly appreciate all the support that I have received. May G-d bless
all of you for what you have done for me and my Harley.
From Rochelle (Jan 9,
2007)
We made it everyone! We reached our goal and are in the process
of sending Harley and his mom a check for $10,300! The
Helping Harley Fund,
however, will remain a special part of our foundation. We are generating the parameters for a program in which
we direct monies for cancer treatment. Applicants will need to be working dogs,
such as, in the areas of assistance, enforcement, search & rescue, therapy, etc. Please do
continue to donate as your monies will be directed solely to Golden working dogs
in need of cancer treatment.
From Rochelle (Dec 15, 2006)
On December 1st, I shared the news
about having our winner for the huge Golden plush, Dr.
Nora Wilcox having made a
generous $200 donation! Here is the letter I recently received from Nora: "I got
a call from the Children's Librarian today, and big plush Harley is a HUGE hit.
He is the first thing all the kids, and many adults too, greet when they come to
the library. The kids spend time petting him, talking with him, and posing him
in various positions.
It will be great publicity for the real Harley and also for our local
R.E.A.D.® Program. Plush Harley has found the perfect home!
From Rochelle (Dec 14,
2006)
A very special friend from Austin, Texas, Greg Korycki, did a
wonderful thing. He took the time, along with his wife, to drive several hours
to San Antonio to visit with Andrea and Harley. Greg is a tremendous supporter
to and very much involved in Golden Rescue, and has similarly dealt with having
medically compromised seniors.
Things have been very sad as Harley seems
to be suffering more. He is having severe reactions to the massive steroids that
are being administered, and Andrea is wondering if the current regimen is too
much for him to bear. Of course, no one can answer those kinds of questions. It
is just one of the most painful aspects of loving these furry Golden souls.
Well, back
to Greg. Here is the letter that he sent to me about the visit (along
with a photo of Andrea and her two furry boys, Harley and Teddy) shown below.
"I drove
down to San Antonio and visited with Harley and Andrea this past Sunday and what
a wonderful visit. We met the whole family, Harley, Teddy (dog), and Favi (cat)
and Richie (bird). We even met the neighbor's cat who Andrea is caring for while
the neighbor is away! Andrea is a very humble and modest lady who just
wants to help people. She and her furry/feathered family live in a small one
bedroom apartment and she has been working part time jobs while attending
nursing school, and taking care of Harley (her #1 concern right now). Harley has
good days and bad, but his spirit is definitely here. He talks for his treats
(his ears perk at the mention of "cookie") and is very alert. You guys would
fall in love with him. Please send (tierlieb5 at yahoo dot com) Andrea a
letter of encouragement. She appreciates (and needs) the support."
From Rochelle (Dec 1, 2006)
First, for one lucky
person, a donation
of $200 or more to the Helping Harley Fund earned him/her this
luscious plush Golden Harley. This plush dog has a
retail value (including shipping) of $60. The giant,
soft and cuddly, dude is so lifelike and lovable, you
will think he's real. And, he is perfect for play or
display. The dimensions are 29 inches wide x 13 inches
deep x 33 inches high. This Golden
Harley donation
has been made by Mary Jane Rizzella.
We have our winner for the huge Golden
plush, Dr. Nora Wilcox having made a $200 donation! And, we
couldn't be happier with where this special guy will be and the job he will be
performing in Pensacola, Florida. Here is the letter I received from Nora
yesterday: I received my beautiful giant plush Golden, whom we’ve of
course named Harley in honor of the true hero, in the mail today. Oh my he is so
beautiful! The picture does not do him justice. And he is lifesize! I
immediately drove him (sitting in the front seat of my Volvo) to our local
library. He will help advertise our
R.E.A.D.® Program, which we do every month there. I have plush Harley
outfitted in the red bandana and on his collar is a little case of R.E.A.D.®
appointment reminder cards with Molly’s (my Therapy Golden) picture.
Harley is proudly sitting at the front desk now near the sign up sheet, and even
in the first 15 minutes he was there, about 10 people have come up to comment
and learn about the real Harley and his heart wrenching story. We printed out
all the information about Harley from your
Foundation Blog and it is on
display with stuffed Harley there at the front desk. We are a military town, so
I know there will be a great deal of interest in Harley. I do hope this will
help publicize the story and bring in more donations to the Harley Fund. Many
thanks for the opportunity to help this sweet hero, and the gift of this
incredibly wonderful giant plush Golden.
From Rochelle (Nov 30, 2006)
Happiness and fulfillment
in our lives always revolves around our family members, furry and non-furry
species both. So, with cancer robbing us of our loved ones and a war killing &
crippling so many of our brave young soldiers, it is hard not to succumb to a
pervasive sense of loss. I received the following message from Andrea yesterday
and just sobbed. I just cannot get it out of my head.
Hi Rochelle, I wanted to thank you for the plush golden retriever, it is
beautiful and I will always cherish it. Harley is doing fine. He is still weak in his back legs due to the
medication he is on. We have not been able to visit for the past few weeks. I
did go today by myself so I could give a plush Golden Retriever that Lauren from
San Antonio donated specifically for a soldier at BAMC.
I gave the pup to soldier named Frank. He was injured in Iraq a few days
before Thanksgiving. His vehicle was hit by an explosive and he lost both of his
legs. He is a remarkable young man. I told him about Harley and about the
donation. He was genuinely touched. To see the smile on his face that this gift
brought was priceless. He held the pup and I asked him if I could take a picture
to share with your website and was happy to agree. Along with the pup I gave him
a card with Harley’s paw print which said “Get well soon, Love Harley”.
From Rochelle (Nov 21, 2006)
Some people have wanted
to communicate their good thoughts and prayers to Andrea. So, at Andrea's
permission I am sharing her email address here (tierlieb5 at yahoo dot com).
Andrea also relayed the following to me to share: "I wanted to give a
heartfelt thank-you to all those who are donating to Harley's fund. I was
touched to read about Lawrence and his donation (it made me cry). What a
precious young man."
From Rochelle (Nov 20, 2006)
Although the response continues to
dwindle, it was wonderful to receive a donation from a San Antonio youngster
named Lawrence. The long-ago elementary school educator in me immediately
recognized the all-upper case, penciled address, and was thankful that the extra
digit in the zipcode did not affect delivery. Inside, there were seven
one-dollar bills, accompanied by a torn scrap of paper with this message: "FOR
HARLEY".
Most of our donations have come from big-hearted folks in San Antonio. Many
who have made very generous donations have opted not to receive a gift as thanks
for their contribution. One person suggested it be given to a soldier at the
facility where Harley works. I will be sending it to Andrea who wrote this to me
about her plans: "I would like to give the pup to John (the soldier in the
picture with Harley). I am also going to put the picture of him and Harley in a
frame and have Harley autograph it with an original paw print."
From Rochelle (Nov 17, 2006)
Sadly, there has been limited response to Harley's story. Andrea and I have both
contacted the local television stations in Texas and some national media, but no
one seems interested in picking up on the story. If anyone has any media
contacts or ideas about how the local folks in Texas or even National media can
learn about this story, please do try to make something happen for this guy. The
following letter is what I have sent out to the media. Anyone wanting to make
further contacts can extract any or all of the information.
A recent article in the San Antonio Express-News [http://www.mysanantonio.com/salife/stories/MYSA111406.1P.harley.200c571.html]
has detailed a very special boy who has been cheering up wounded Iraq
soldiers at the Brooke Army Medical Center, despite the diagnosis of a
brain tumor.
The Land of PureGold Foundation, a non-profit
charitable organization, has set up the Helping Harley Fund [http://landofpuregold.com/harley/],
but attention to it has been very slight despite the news article and
the foundation’s best efforts. I feel this inspiring story desperately
needs television exposure in order for it to make a difference.
An article in the December 2006 issue of Scientific American: Cancer
Clues from Pet Dogs: Studies of pet dogs with cancer can offer unique
help in the fight against human malignancies while also improving care
for man’s best friend [http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa006&articleID=C9F7F979-E7F2-99DF-3D97694D2A702FED]
details the importance of cancer treatment for our canines and how
comparative oncology (study of cancers that occur similarly in humans
and companion animals) is an important key for all of us, 2 or 4-footed.
The Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists [http://www.gcvs.com/oncology/index.htm],
who provided cutting age therapy for Harley, are among the top
veterinary oncologists in the country, also offering very valuable
clinical trials as part of a network of National Institutes of Health
[http://ccr.cancer.gov/resources/cop/] researchers.
Although
Harley’s tale may seem to be merely a human interest story about a
ailing Therapy Dog, it is truly so much more. For it can bring attention
to some information that is valuable to all as statistics currently
indicate that one in three persons, as well as small companion animals,
will be diagnosed with cancer. It also details how some very special
people, no matter the adversity, are trying to do their part to help
assist our returning wounded soldiers. |
From Andrea (Nov 16, 2006)
I have been busy getting
the word out on Harley's story. I would like to thank
all those who have donated to Harley's fund. It is
heartwarming to know that people care.
Dr. Randall called me today concerning Harley's blood
work. She was pleased to say that it was normal. Harley
is doing well. I try to take him for a 'ride' in the car
almost everyday. It is one of his favorite things to do.
From Rochelle Lesser (Nov
15, 2006) I have been
hoping for greater interest and for Andrea's local
television stations to pick up this story, but in the
meantime want to thank the few folks who have donated.
Not surprisingly, almost every contribution has been
from Harley's fellow, big-hearted Texans!
From Rochelle Lesser (Nov
14, 2006) I have already
had a couple of truly caring responses to this most
inspiring story. One of our first donators asked that I
give his stuffed puppy to someone in need of cheering
up. And, Greg Korycki, a very special (Texan) friend who
has done so much for Golden Rescue, wants to go down to
San Antonio for a Harley visit.
From Andrea (Nov 13, 2006)
I take Harley tomorrow for his blood work since he is on
chemo. If it is normal, the doctor is going to reduce
his steroids. The photo here is of me with
Harley after he was diagnosed, and I thought I was going
to lose him. That was July and here we are in November
and the little guy is doing so much better than I ever
imagined he would be. I saw Harley's other vet
(Dr. Hanna) on base today, and he told me that when he
saw Harley a couple of weeks ago it was heartwarming for
him to see Harley with his duck.
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Valuable Foundation Resources The Land of PureGold Foundation
became a 501(c)(3) charitable and educational nonprofit corporation
in February 2005. The formation of our organization follows a span of
almost 10 years that the
Landofpuregold.com has been a presence on the
web, supporting and engaging in various charitable endeavors and providing numerous
educational activities to promote the human-canine bond. We have personally seen this special healing power, time and time
again, and have felt such joy as we continue to celebrate the wonders of The Bond.
And, this 1,000+ page website is clearly testimony to this celebration.
Please
check out the following comprehensive sections and pages
Land of PureGold Foundation
— Home page
Foundation Mission Statement
Goals and information on Board membership
Gotta Dance Documentary Film
Film exemplifying the human-canine bond
Ways to Support our Foundation
Detailing of several giving programs and holistic &
gift items
Canine Cancer Awareness
Comprehensive 40-page section, including support
resources
Learning How to Say Goodbye
Comprehensive 14-page section, including nationwide
resource map
Four-Footed Therapists
Comprehensive 11-page section, including nationwide
group listing
My Name is Buddy Book
For children, a Golden helps children understand
brain tumors
Therapy Dogs: Why Go Golden
Rochelle's 5 Golden Rings of Reason
Helping Harley Fund
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happy
Harley Happy Times The following are some photos that capture Harley's
favorite things.
I call it photo Southern
Comfort because it is
Harley's favorite spot and he is my southern boy.
This is my
favorite picture of Harley frolicking in the ocean at Corpus Christi.
Can you see the seashell in his mouth? He's getting ready to toss it in the air. He looks so
happy.
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