Duke, a gentle and shy 8-year-old golden retriever, born on February 21, 2016, Duke spent the first six years of his life outdoors in the care of a breeder. Rescued from a distressing situation, Duke found his way to Golden Retriever Rescue Resource, where we’ve been diligently caring for him ever since.

Upon his arrival in the summer of 2023, Duke was in a sorry state. His first vet visit revealed many issues, including heartworm. Duke’s journey to health has been long, but with your help, we thought we were finally there. Thanks to the dedication of our team and the support of kind individuals, Duke underwent all the essential and expensive medical treatments for heartworm, including neutering and dental work to help his teeth, completed in early January 2024 to get him ready to be adopted. Unfortunately when Duke had his dental, there was a growth in his mouth which was found to be Papillary Squamous Cell Carcinoma, cancer.

Duke had an ultrasound of his abdomen on February 26th and a CT scan to see what part of the jaw bone is involved with cancer. He went back in for surgery late February 2024 and had part of his part of his mandible and three teeth removed. Shortly after we received the great news that the doctors had removed all of Duke’s tumor with clear margins. His follow up will be that for the next year he’ll need to see the doctor every three months to have his lymph nodes checked and chest films reviewed.
Duke’s surgery was expensive, at just under $7,500. Then on May 11th 2024, he had surgery to repair life threatening bloat, which cost our rescue an additional 6,629.90 to save Duke’s life.
Duke is living out his life in his foster home. He had his three month check up in July & October with his oncologist and is doing well. He’ll go back to the doctor in January. Even though he’s had so many disappointments over his life, Duke is an amazing dog. He blossomed into a playful, well behaved companion who enjoys the company of other dogs, walks well on a leash and is housebroken. As you can see, we have a BIG and  growing medical bill for Duke, and it continues to grow as the months go by. If you can lend a hand and help us pay for Duke’s medical expenses, we will proudly list your name here as his Golden VIP Sponsor. Please donate below or by Venmo @goldenretrieverrescueresource. Thank you!