River's

The third time is a charm! My name is River, and I just turned ten. I met my third (3rd) and final “Forever Family,” in May 2022, and now I’m living the dream. Retirement is good!

It’s fair to say that I’ve been around the block a few times and experienced more than a few ups and downs. When I lived with my second family, I went after a couple of visiting small dogs who made me nervous. I lived with my first family for six years. I know they loved me because they trained me so well. I don’t remember what happened that made me leave them, but I’m grateful for the years I was there.

Luckily, I was returned to AGAG and stayed with a fantastic foster mom named Lori. When I arrived, I was very overweight; I weighed almost 100 pounds! Lori loved me and helped me start to lose weight. She, Kristin, and everyone at AGAG worked to make the perfect match with me and my current family. They found me the family I was always meant to have, and I knew it as soon as I met them. In fact, after meeting them for the first time, I jumped right into their car to go home with them. I haven’t looked back since.

I now have two homes; one in a residential area with neighbors who love me almost as much as my mom and dad and where I get to have regular visits with my human brothers and sister; and one in the heart of the Indiana National Dunes where I walk forest trails, go to the beach, and – my absolute favorite – take rides on the golf cart.

Within 3 months of joining my new family I had lost nearly 30 pounds. It felt great to go for daily 3-mile walks and play fetch for hours every day. No treats for 3 months was tough love, but I know I needed it. Other dogs still make me anxious, so we keep our distance. But I have never met a person I didn’t immediately love.

I have fully trained my new family to give me what I like most: constant “Velcro” attention, belly rubs, and adventures wherever the rest of my pack goes: to the park, beach (I’ll plop right down into Lake Michigan with a big smile and a wag of my tail even on the most frigid January days), golf cart rides, and drives to visit my 96- and 88-year-old grandmas who adore me. I even want to come along when mom or dad takes the trash out. I hate being left behind.

I love to go out in public and meet people. I look so happy, lean and “floofy” that I make friends with everyone. My new dad calls me “Marylyn Monroe” since I flirt and make “goo-goo eyes” with so many strangers. My new friends then ask my mom or dad if they can pet me. Well, of course, you can pet me! That is the whole point of my flirting.

Just like my mom and dad, I am starting to slow down a little; walks are a little shorter and games of fetch a little less rambunctious. But I still have loads of charm, personality, and good manners. I’m so grateful to AGAG for offering me the opportunity to live my best life.