Our family thought we would never have another dog after losing our eight-year-old goldendoodle, Dunc. He suffered from significant auto-immune issues for several years before succumbing to cancer in 2019. He had been our one and only dog, and we remain heartbroken by his loss. We were afraid to open our hearts to that feeling again. But then our son sent us the As Good as Gold newsletter featuring Winston.

Winston, a seven-year-old goldendoodle, has special needs and will require medicine and special food the rest of his life. That might put some people off, but after caring for Dunc, this didn’t bother us at all.

Winston started calling our home his on January 5th, 2025 and our family has loved him every moment since. Since coming to live with us, Winston has adjusted well and has even gained 6 pounds, bringing him up to his optimal weight.

If you come to visit, be ready for him to gently borrow one of your shoes for a short time as his way of greeting you. He also likes to borrow our grandchildren’s stuffies, but in return, he lets them hug and love on him whenever they want. Our three-year-old granddaughter has exclaimed more than once, “I love Winston so much!” a sentiment we all share.

Winston loves his morning and afternoon walks and has already made friends in our neighborhood, both human and canine. He loves to run and play chase in the yard. He especially enjoys fetching, no matter what toy or ball we throw.

While we were thrilled to adopt Winston and take good care of him, Winston has already taken care of us. In his kind gentle way, he is helping us heal from the loss of Dunc. The first night he was with us he did something completely unexpected . . . he jumped on the couch and licked a photo of Dunc hanging on the wall! He has never done this again, and we have decided it was his way of letting Dunc know that he is here now, and he will take good care of us. We are so lucky to have found Winston and love him very much. Thank you, As Good as Gold!

Penny and John

Share your story! If you’d like to share the joy of your adopted As Good as Gold golden/golden mix, please send a few lines and a few photos to [email protected]. Thank You!

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