Meet Nina & Haley
The following story, which we are retelling here, was written by Kristi Littrell. Featured in the Best Friends magazine's March/April 1999 edition, it was entitled "Golden Love: For these three pairs of senior sweethearts, love will surely never pass away."

Nina & Haley, the two rascals above, have been the perfect partner for each other for 10 fun-filled years. Haley came to Best Friends as one of a litter of puppies. Although his littermates all went to good homes, Haley was just too tough and ornery for that. He didn't get along with other dogs or people as he was simply too obnoxious!

Things changed, though, when four-month-old Nina arrived. Well, "Haley the Handful" was instantly in love. And, he had met his mischievous match in naughty little Nina. Soon, they were the "Daring Duo of Dogtown," breaking out of their runs together and stealing bones. After that, the "terrible twosome" were put in the doghouse. Here, they had their own doghouse with a big outdoor enclosure so that they could settle down and enjoy each other (and not terrorize the rest of the neighborhood residents).

Age has now crept up with these two old rascals. Haley is on medication to treat his occasional seizures. And, they'd never missed a day together until last fall, when Haley almost lost his sweetheart Nina. Not feeling well one morning, she was taken to the clinic for tests. It turned out to be very serious and she was now battling for her life due to a severe case of pancreatitis. Poor Haley! Back at home all alone, he was so lost. Barely touching his food for days, he merely stared into the distance and paced his fence by the hour, anxious for his loved one to return. Finally, his silent watch was rewarded when he saw his Nina return to him.

Haley immediately barked and began smothering his sweetie with kisses. But, he suddenly noticed that she still wasn't well and his rowdy greeting then softened. The smart Golden that he was, Haley understood how weak his Nina had become. So, he now worked on gently and carefully nursing her back to health. Since then, Haley's and Nina's infamous past together is all but forgotten. Rather, this imperfect pair will now be remembered forever for their unbreakable Golden Bond & sweetness for one another.