Age

8 months

(born 1/27/24)

Sex

Female

Energy

Typical puppy energy

Fast Facts

  • Sweet and smart

  • Loves all people

  • Gets along with dogs and cats

  • Mostly house-trained

  • Crate-trained (but hasn’t need one for months)

  • Special needs adoption fee of $200

Bio:

Introduction As told by Stevie Nicks

Yep, I was named for songbird Stevie Nicks, a beautiful, spirited blonde just like me!

I ended up in the care of As Good as Gold when my first owners realized I had mobility issues. Turns out my hips had endured some kind of trauma as X-rays revealed healed femoral head fractures and bilateral hip dysplasia. Veterinarian also had concerns about my lower spine. So, I had double FHO surgery, an MRI to check the spine (nothing concerning was found) and then months of physical therapy to help strengthen my hind end. I should also note that there’s concern I might have luxating patellas (knees), but nothing definitive was found via X-rays. My initial strange gait may have been because of my hips. Bless my foster parents for getting me through all of this; they’ve been marvelously patient and supportive!

Thankfully, that’s behind me now. I am done with physical therapy and currently on 200 mg of Gabapentin twice daily to manage any pain I still may have.

Things you should know about me: I am house- and crate-trained and comfortable in a restricted area. However, I am not destructive, so my foster parents no longer crate me. I enjoy playing with my canine foster brother (my canine foster sister is not big on playing and I respect that), taking walks twice daily – sometimes we go the forest preserve and that’s the best! – and splashing in the baby pool in our yard.

Foster mom says I have a sweet, playful personality and that I love attention; in fact, she says I am not shy and will let you know when I need attention. I cannot lie. That’s all true!

So how about it? Like my namesake sings: Are you willing to say you love me? And let me be with you everywhere?

Behavioral observations

  • Stevie exhibits typical puppy energy and behavior; a special condition of Stevie’s adoption will be taking one series of positive reinforcement obedience classes.
  • Stevie can be a little guardy about things like bones but has been taught to trade them for high-value treats.

Medical concerns

Stevie will likely need pain management throughout her life. The vet who oversaw Stevie’s PT says her new owners should consider “joint protectants (Adequan), NSAIDs if/when needed for pain, continuing rehab if practical (or having an at-home exercise plan relayed) and consider biologics (stem cell, PRP) in the future if the OA progresses.” Her neurologist recommends a recheck of her spine in December 2024.

Adoption Process
ADOPTION REQUIREMENTS, NO EXCEPTIONS:

  • Be at least 23 years of age

  • No children under 6 years of age living in your home

  • We primarily adopt goldens to families living within Illinois, Northwest Indiana, and the southern most counties of Wisconsin

  • If you do not own your residence or live in a condo, you will need a letter from your landlord or property management company

  • Provide excellent vet care for your dog(s)

  • Do not use an invisible fence

  • Are not over your town/county's pet limit

  • Have the knowledge and agreement of all adults living in the household

  • Be prepared to make a lifetime commitment

  • QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR POLICIES? All your answers in our Frequently Asked Questions section.

If interested please fill out our online adoption application form; please make sure you fill in every required field/question or your submission will not go through. Please note that we take time to learn as much as we can about each dog in our care and our bios are our current observations; we are unable to make any guarantees on the future health or temperament of your adopted dog. Most dogs in our care come with unknown pre-rescue history and as such breed and age estimates are an educated guess.

Available Goldens for Adoption