All living creatures have different lifespans. Yet it seems cruel that dogs, man’s best friend, have such short ones. So, when a particular canine from Tennessee lived long enough to celebrate her 20th birthday, she became the world’s oldest golden retriever. And this fact gives her owners all the more reason to celebrate.
August “Augie” turned 20 on April 24th, 2020. And just recently, her owners decided to throw her a late birthday party to celebrate her record-breaking feat. With a large bone-shape cake and a huge banner, Augie celebrated her 20th birthday together with her owners and three canine siblings Sherman, Belle and Bruce.
Meet August, The Oldest Golden Retriever At The Age Of 20
GoldHeart Golden Retrievers Rescue / Jennifer and Steve Hetterscheidt
Augie’s owners, Steve and Jennifer, recalled that they adopted the gorgeous dog when she was 14 years old. This is ‘old’ for a dog since golden retrievers typically live an average of 10 – 12 years. But the couple adopted the aged dog anyway. Not to mention, Augie was also diagnosed with kidney problems at that time. Her age and medical issues are probably the main reasons why her previous owners gave up on her. Thankfully, she still found another chance for a loving home in Steve and Jennifer.
GoldHeart Golden Retrievers Rescue / Jennifer and Steve Hetterscheidt
GoldHeart Golden Retrievers Rescue / Jennifer and Steve Hetterscheidt
The Tennessee couple knew Augie didn’t have many years to live considering her age. But they still showered her with love and care to make her remaining years happy. They gave her a good balance of wet and dry food along with some supplements to mitigate her kidney problems. She started to show signs of improvements over the years. And her owners were rather surprised to see that she’s still healthy at the grand age of 20.
GoldHeart Golden Retrievers Rescue / Jennifer and Steve Hetterscheidt
When she turned 20 on April 14th, GoldHeart Golden Retrievers Rescue made an official statement that Augie is the world’s oldest golden retriever to date. Furthermore, she is the first of her breed to reach the age of 20. After her birthday celebration on June 20th, 2020, the rescue organization greeted and congratulated Augie on their Facebook page, along with some photos of the celebration.
GoldHeart Golden Retrievers Rescue / Jennifer and Steve Hetterscheidt
GoldHeart Golden Retrievers Rescue / Jennifer and Steve Hetterscheidt
Her owners revealed that Augie is surprisingly healthy for a 20-year-old dog. Although she has been manifesting mobility issues, she still enjoys daily walks in the yard with her younger siblings. As the oldest golden retriever, Augie is a living proof that tender loving care and healthy lifestyle contribute to a longer life. But still keep in mind that even if you keep your dog as healthy as possible, it’s a wretched truth that they simply cannot live as long as average human. Just like many animal species, dogs grow faster than humans, hence, their entire lives are more accelerated.
People online are sending their love and greetings to the beautiful 20-year-old dog
Source: GoldHeart Golden Retrievers Rescue / Jennifer and Steve Hetterscheidt