Brady Stevenson
April 2010

Memorial_PG_Brady_Stevenson_Apr2010

This is our golden boy Brady, aka The Amazing Mr. B.  This spirited fellow left us after 16 of the most wonderful years I have ever known with any dog.  His spirit was unmatched to the last day and I feeling so badly that I did not recognize how he had aged.  With help he would still step to the yard for a “hurry” and than check to see if a ball game was in order.  We did not tell him that he had grown so old and he preferred it that way.

He came to us as third owner and was determined to be a house dog from that life he once lived.  I mistakenly thought he should stay in the garage and get used to things the first night.  He would have none of that, howling until he was in the bedroom with us finally content with his arrangements.  He gave back more love than we could give.  Sitting with him, he would put a paw on your hand and squeeze down with his nails if you tried to take it away.  He would gaze into your eyes trying to tell you his inner most secrets.  Always in a good mood, always ready for a game or a swim in the pool.

Of course he had a few moments too.  Helping himself to a large bag of candy, wrappers and all.  We came home to my dog sitting neighbor on his knees cleaning up multiple problems.  Brady was standing in the pool with his tummy in the November cold water trying to relieve the burn.  Or the time he lost site of his precious tennis ball in the Sound and I had to go retrieve him from the cold December water.  He was indeed all retriever.  And finally a situation we never figured out.  A fresh apple pie on the counter when I left.  When I came home the pie was gone but the pie tin was on the table.  And this happened, not once, but twice he put the tin on the table after having desert.  Or snoozing in the chair he was not supposed to be in and always out of it by the time we came home.  How did we know?  The chair was still warm and a nose print was starting to show on the arm.  It later became his chair with his personal blanket.  We were slow, but he was patient as we learned to do it his way.

We feel that our present rescue was sent to us by Mr. B.  He probably sat down with the big dog upstairs and said, “Hey my people are really hurting.  Can we send someone in to help them out?”  And than Jackson miraculously showed up in our life to help fill the tremendous void.  I sit and tell Jackson all the things Brady used to do and the antics he would pull.  Jackson listens intently.  Then I tell him, “Tell Brady we love and miss him.”  I think he might have a line to him and the big dog.  Jack has done a good job of distracting us.  But he looks at us with deep golden eyes and we wonder, Brady?

Brady Dog glued a somewhat dysfunctional family together and taught me how to treat a Golden.  Obedient, smart, friendly and of gorgeous apple pie crust brown color.  He will be forever missed.

Robert, Kathy, Alex and Daniel Stevenson

“There is great pain we must endure for the love they give us.  I embrace that pain and love them like they will be gone tomorrow.”