Acts of Kindness Are not Forgotten

A Woman Befriends a Lonely Golden Retreiver

One early June afternoon, Annie was working in her garden when a Golden Retriever came over and watched her picking strawberries. She later discovered that the dog would jump the fence which separated the two yards just to see her.

The dog visited Annie at least once a week watching as she harvested strawberries. Every time the dog came, Annie noticed how thin he was. One day as he watched her harvest fruit, the dog gave her the saddest look she ever saw from a Golden Retriever. What is wrong with this dog, Annie wondered. Maybe he needs some food and some love.

She then decided to give him some treats. The next day when she went outside, Annie saw her friend. She then tossed a dog biscuit toward him.

The dog backed away from the offer, but after a while he overcame his fear and ate the treat. Over the ensuing weeks, Annie would look forward to seeing and feeding her friend. A month later, she visited the dog’s owner. She found out that the dog’s name was Goldie, and that his doggie companion Jackie would eat most of their food, leaving Goldie what little was left.

Fall turned into winter. The snow was deep. Goldie no longer came over. It was not until mid-March when Annie saw her dog friend again. Snow, now much less, was still there, but that didn’t stop Annie from tossing dog biscuits from her deck down to the “puppy” sitting below. Goldie jumping over the fence, and Annie tossing treats to her waiting friend became a daily routine.

Goldie’s companion, Jackie, wanted to get in on the fun. Annie tried to toss the treats over the fence, but the deck was just too far away. By April the snow was gone. It was easier for Annie to walk toward the fence to feed both dogs. It was summer when Annie found out that Goldie and his family were moving away. Goldie came over to say goodbye to his friend. Annie was sad when Goldie didn’t come the next day. However her sadness turned to joy a week later when she saw her friend jump the fence once again to visit her.