Our Inspiration- Rusty- Jim and Carol Butts' Golden Angel

Rusty

This is an authorized biography of one of the greatest creatures God has ever created.

April 13th, 1999 till present.

In March of 1998, I relocated to South Louisiana and Carol followed in August of that same year. We lived in a rental house in the middle of Houma, LA. After being here for about a year we decided on where we would purchase our house and made an offer that was accepted and we begin to make plans to move. We had a couple of cats, Kissy our bird which if you ever has spoken to us on the phone you have heard and Dancer Carol’s pony. Carol wanted a dog and I had discussed dogs with my boss and he told me we should get a Golden Retriever. He had his Lucky then and described how intelligent he was. He went on to try to capture what we who have Goldens try to describe and that is the bond which they have with us. The time frame was April 1999 and little did I know that my life was about to change forever.

I began researching dogs on the internet and for the first time in my life became acquainted with rescue groups on the internet. I applied to a couple of groups but they were out of state and were not interested in adopting to us. It was now the last of May we were getting ready to move as our closing was going to be on the 1st of July. Carol was reading the want ads and found this advertisement in the paper for a Golden Retriever puppy. I made the call and they finally returned our call and we scheduled a time to go “visit” the pup. We were only going to meet him because it was still over a month to closing and we could not have a dog in the rental house.

As we pulled up in front of the house little did I know what would happen over the next several years. We were taken thru the house into the backyard and were introduced to a Golden and her two pups. There was one female and one male. Of course they were little balls of fur. The mother was not an attractive gal but the pups were ever so cute. There were only two left we were told that the mommy had laid on them to protect them from a storm and the rest did not survive. The lady of the house told us she did not know why her husband wanted to keep the female pup as the male had all the personality. That would turn out to be an understatement of great proportion. I looked at Carol and she looked at me and I said are we taking him and she said yes. I would learn later that Carol always says yes when it comes to dogs. We really did not have the money getting ready to close on the house and all that entails. She wrote out the check and we scooped up this little fur ball and headed to the car. I can remember thinking what have we done. I had had a few dogs in my life but they were always for the kids. We did not have any kids and why were we taking on this pup and why am I paying for it. Where would I keep him and how could we hide him from the landlord but God he was cute and why was he snuggling up to me already. He did not smell too good and we had no food to feed him.

On the way home, we were passing by a new Pet Supply Store and it was just opening so we went him to buy him some food. We took him in and purchased a lease and food and he went to the bathroom on the floor. That would become one of the few times in his life that would happen. Pat the owner every time he sees Rusty remembers that day. That is only the beginning of what Rusty has meant in my life and what he has meant to so many people that have come into contact with him.

Rusty’s life with us began with crate training. We go to bed at night he would cry for hours and I would want to go into the living room and scoop him up in my arms but Carol would not relent and his training began. I did not work too far from the rental house and I would come home at lunch and let him out and feed him. I really think that is where our real bonding began. He seemed to sense when the time was for me to come home. We took him everywhere with us. We went to the beach and to parks so he could run and play outside. I had not had a lot of dogs in my life but Carol has had many. She would comment about what a special puppy Rusty was. He was so easy to train and immediately picked up on his potty training. He always just loved to please. We moved into our new home and Rusty now had a huge back yard to play in. He would run up and down the yard but always wanted to be with us. This little guy was growing so fast and wow is it normal to feel this way about a dog. My day was starting to revolve around him. We would not go anyplace we could not take him.

When Rusty was about 7 or 8 months old we enrolled him in a basic obedience class with 19 other dogs. We would meet once a week and Rusty and I would practice everyday for an hour or so. He loved working with me and he excelled in his class. The class was taught by a local Golden Breeder and Trainer. I remember her whispering in my ear that she expected a bit more out of Rusty because he was a Golden. He surpassed all expectations and was awarded a certificate for best in class. There is nothing that I ever asked Rusty to do that he did not respond to and excel in whatever he has done. He continued to grow and develop into an adult and was now sleeping with us in the bed and never being crated. We continued to take him every where and he loved it. Rusty has never met a stranger and is always ready with that big smile, wagging tail and wanting a head rub.

Rusty was now a year old and I thought it would be great for him to meet his mother, sister and father. We loaded up and began the trip. We arrived at his mom’s house. His sister still lived there also. The were both outside dogs and pretty wild. They both tied into Rusty and were pretty rough. I inquired where his dad lived and we began our journey there. Rusty as usual is just happy to be in the car. We arrived at his dad’s house and he was a beautiful blonde male. All he wanted to do was to mount Rusty so I took him to the car and we started back home. As we pulled out of the lane I told Rusty and that he was just going to have to forget about his real parents that Carol and I were now officially his parents. I think he understood and has been the best son any parent could ever have had.

Rusty is now well entrenched into my heart and life. In a reflective moment I remembered where I first learned of Golden Retrievers and that was on the internet and rescue groups. I searched our local area and I found a local Golden Retriever Rescue and contacted them about becoming a foster home. After what seems to be a long time someone finally contacted me and we scheduled a time for her to do a home visit and we were approved as a foster home. In about a week we received our first foster dog. The reason I had wanted to get into rescue was because I thought that all Goldens would be just like Rusty. Well let me tell you Brodie, our 1st foster dog almost got me out of rescue before I could get into it. We finally found a home for Brodie in South Carolina and we were on our way. Carol was going by the local shelter and called me about a Golden that was in the shelter and she pulled him out and after being vetted and treated for heartworms Casey became the 2nd member of our family. Over the years we have added Kate, Chyna, Pockets, Megan, Trey, Cowboy, Angel, Gidget, Quigley and Misty who has gone to the bridge and Rusty has accepted them all with open paws.

Slowly over the years furniture disappeared from our living room and crates started appearing. There were times right before Katrina when we had as many as 50 dogs being cared for. We have evacuated a couple of times and we load the up and hit the road. About 4 years ago we help start on own Golden Retriever Rescue and also a mixed breed rescue. Through the years we had assisted in placing almost a 1000 Golden Retrievers and about 300 mixed breed dogs. What has motivated us to do all this?

Rusty is the reason. He has taught me more about life, more about love and more about devotion that I would have ever imagined. The countless hours that we spend in the car picking up and delivering dogs all over this area, there is that sweet gray face looking up at me telling me over and over how much he loves me. I have spent hours reading articles of people trying to describe the bond that exists between Goldens and their human companions and here I am trying to do the impossible. The only way you can possibly understand the relationship that I have with Rusty is for you to adopt a Golden and start living your life like you could have never imagined. Sleeping next to my leg all night, lying at my feet when I am setting at the computer, getting excited and turning flips when I mention the “bye, bye” words, looking at that sweet face when he is laying on the seat beside me and his face flat on the console looking up telling me how much he loves me, sitting there in the seat looking out the window and me wondering what in the world is he thinking about, or no matter how bad the day has been knowing as I open the front door that beautiful black nose looking through the small crack at the door as it opens widely and I see his loving face and the excitement he shows that “me” the most important person in his life has returned home to see him and that is all in the world he cares about.

Maybe this April 13th can pass and to you it is just another day but to me it will always be a day that changed my life. Rusty the greatest dog their ever has been was borne into this world in a cold damp back yard and he has been warming hearts ever since. There is nothing that has ever happened in my life that is any more significant than the birth of Rusty. In your busy schedule today join with my joy and please wish Rusty a “Happy Birthday.”