As a volunteer for GRRRR of the Midwest, I had done many shelter walks, and had fostered well over 75 dogs by 2004. One day, in our own city shelter in El Dorado, Ks, I came across a lovely young red Golden Retriever, who was full of life, and energy. No one claimed this young boy, so I pulled him for the Rescue.
     I didn’t have room at home for “JD”, as we named him. The JD came from Jack Daniels, as this young dog would drive you to drink with his energy! He was placed in another foster home in Wichita, where he was housebroke, and started on some manners. He was also renamed to “Morgan”, for Captain Morgan rum! The theme of this dog driving us all crazy continued!
     Not long after Morgan was moved to Wichita, his foster dad fell, and broke his knee cap. Morgan had discovered fence jumping, and my dear friend Bill simply couldn’t handle him on crutches. An email, a phone call later, and Morgan came to my home, instead. I would make room for him somehow. As with most foster homes, there is always an empty crate somewhere.
     Something happened when Morgan came here, something that had never happened before in our household. My husband and I finally failed Fostering 101. After a few weeks, on a Sunday afternoon, we were talking, and my husband expressed his desire to keep Morgan, perhaps for his own hunting dog.
     We had discovered that Morgan loved to swim and retrieve, and after quick trip outside with a gun, we decided that Morgan was not gun shy. Once again, an email and a phone call were made, and Morgan was ours!
     Life got very busy, and Lynn still has never hunted with Morgan; instead, the dog’s talents have been directed elsewhere. I became his trainer, and train we did. Morgan is the classic “who needs a light bulb” Golden Retriever; always happy, always ready for the next adventure.
     My daughter, who is also involved with rescue and training, started Morgan in agility training. She discovered, however, that while Morgan loved the obstacles, he didn’t like the training.
     I am involved with TDI, and have an old gold that will, at some point, have to retire from her work, and so making Morgan a therapy dog became very high on my list of priorities. He was maturing, granted, but still so full of energy; I simply didn’t know if he would ever settle into being a calm quiet dog in a nursing home.
     The first time I took Morgan to a nursing home, he went barreling in the door, and I wondered to myself…oh, my, what have I done! He stopped at the first wheel chair he saw, and carefully buried his head into my friend Eva’s lap. I knew then, he did have what it takes.
     Our training continued, now that I knew he could do it. He is now a Hospice volunteer, with his own badge, and his own circle of friends, as my old Gold has.
     The drive you to drink, throw away shelter dog is now GR Midwest Morgan, CD, CGC, TDI.
     And he still jumps fences.

* Eighth Place Award Recipient