Payton's

Payton and Dakota, both female, were litter mates. They were given up by their breeder/owner when they were six-years old. In the photo, Payton is on the left and Dakota is on the right.

These girls were surrendered to As Good as Gold and needed a mentor dog. Though Alice hadn’t intended on taking in two dogs, they stole her heart. She had a dog at the time who would be a great mentor, Lexi, so Payton and Dakota found a loving family.

Seems Dakota and Payton were frightened of men. So, Alice sought the help of her brother-in-law. He would come to the house, simply sitting at first, but ever so slowly the sisters got used to him. This helped to relieve their fear.

Almost six years later there have been many changes. Sadly, Dakota was lost to cancer. Lexi also passed and that left Payton. Payton was lonely after she lost her siblings, so not only did Laurie arrange many dog play dates, she also enrolled her in various training classes. At 9-years old, Payton became a member of a national pet therapy organization and began visiting hospitals. On one occasion, Payton and Alice visited a young woman in the hospital who was under serious emotional stress. Payton sat next to her, the woman began touching and petting her and thankfully started to relax. Nurses said that if Payton hadn’t come in, the woman would likely have needed medication in order to calm down. Hospital employees have grown very fond of this comforting golden; they shower her with love and valentines! (See photo.)

Payton is known as a sweetheart in the neighborhood too. One day Alice got a knock on her door, it was the mailman. He said, “This is the nicest dog in the neighborhood, and I want you to know that.” And he presented a specially made cookie to Payton.

Alice says Payton can differentiate between “good” and “bad” sounds. She must have heard sounds she wasn’t familiar with early one morning, 2:30 a.m. to be exact. She barked. Alice woke up and saw two men trying to break into the school across the way. Payton wouldn’t settle until she saw two police officers escorting the burglars away in handcuffs.

At home, Payton loves to be with her mom. She follows Alice inside and out. The story of Payton, Dakota, Lexi, and Alice truly is a Success Story.