Marigold came to us from HART as a very frightened Golden Retriever/Corgi mix in September of 2004. We always called her our little 'diamond in the rough' and nothing could be more true. It just took some time for her true personality to come out - but what a personality! She looked like a Golden, but had more of the Corgi personality, I think. She was so striking, that on walks, people would occasionally pull their cars to the side of the road just to ask us what kind of dog she was. Marigold was oblivious to this attention. She just wanted to have fun, whether it was chasing squirrels and bunny rabbits in our yard, or de-stuffing her latest favorite toy, or going for a walk. Over time, she learned that belly rubs and cuddles are a good thing and regularly jumped up on the couch next to me or my husband in order to get some attention.
In August 2011, my friend noticed two large lumps on Marigold's throat. She was diagnosed with lymphoma and we started chemo immediately. Unfortunately, the treatment was not effective and we elected to discontinue it about a month and a half after starting. Her decline after that was almost immediate and heartbreaking. On Sept. 26, 2011, when she no longer had energy for her favorite activity (walking) and had stopped eating we decided that it was time for a trip to the Rainbow Bridge. She was at home, and surrounded by people who loved her.
Although we still have her big sister, and have since brought another rescue dog home, we will never stop missing Marigold (or 'Sweet Marigold' as Charlene called her the day she called us to ask if we were still interested...), she was a once-in-a-lifetime dog.