Losing our beloved golden, Willy, this summer was hard for us.  We had forgotten how much rhythm Willy brought to our lives.  The daily play sessions, the walks that absolutely had to occur at a certain time, and a warm presence to cuddle with while watching a movie or reading.  A few months after he was gone, our friend, Lise, started gently nudging us to consider another golden.  At first, we felt like we were betraying Wilbur and we weren't sure if we wanted to have the responsibility again. 

Luckily, a picture is worth a thousand words and we became entranced by several of the goldens on MAGRR's website.  We spoke with Conway's foster parent, Doug, and his loving words about this special dog made us confident that this was the dog for us.  Conway arrived and has brought nothing but joy to our house.  We love the outdoors and Conway (now named Baxter) has become a confirmed trail dog.  He loves wandering in the woods, jumping in streams and snow is his favorite weather!  He's made best buddies with neighbor dogs, our friends and best of all our cats.  He's funny, well-behaved and shows his gratefulness through his devotion to us. 

People often express concerns about behavior problems when adopting a rescue golden.  Having owned a golden from a breeder, as well as a number of rescue dogs, I can assure you that all dogs have quirks in their behavior.  A rescue golden is no different in that it needs to know it is safe, loved and won't be abandoned.  The reward with a rescue dog is their love and joy, but also the knowledge that you've helped an animal that would otherwise have a harsh life. 

We renamed Conway to Baxter after he arrived in Maine.  We are very involved with the care of the Appalachian Trail which ends at Baxter State Park in Maine, a very beautiful and special place.  Baxter started his journey in the south and ended it here in Maine, just like the Appalachian Trail and we felt this was the perfect name for him.  He has already joined us for several trail maintenance trips and has become the perfect trail dog.  We are very grateful to MAGRR and to Baxter's foster parents Doug and Linda.  Oh, yes....and thank you, Lise, for being the pushy friend that we needed!

-Ginny Lawson

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