Hartsy

Hartsy was more than a dog; Hartsy was an icon. She added unlimited joy, comfort, and warmth to the world. She loved food, the beach, hiking, and instantly won the hearts of strangers. She was stately, stubborn, sassy, and silly, and brought a smile to all with her shenanigans. She felt entitled to belly rubs and attention, and she somehow conveyed a great sense of humor without uttering a word. We truly believe Hartsy could understand English fluently-which made it all the more insulting when she pretended to not hear you call her to come inside (especially during inclement weather). 

In her early years, Hartsy's unwavering love of the dog park meant that even after spending hours there, it took 15 minutes to leave-in which time she would flop down in protest, much to the enjoyment of those watching. In fact, her entertaining antics gained such a reputation at the dog park that she garnered a fan group of regulars that gathered to watch her leave each time and cheer her on. Additionally, Hartsy's favorite prank was to convince new friends that she was whole-heartedly 100% motivated to go and fetch a random tennis ball they held, and then simply stand and stare at them with sheer bewilderment once they threw it. Her sassy sighs and stubbornness were legendary. At one of her first vet appointments, upon being told not to lick the waiting room floor, Hartsy locked eyes with her owner and made it a point to slowly and deliberately lick the floor again-this time without breaking eye contact. Young Hartsy also gained high accolades by graduating top of her training and behavior class (1 of 1), but this honor may have been slightly overshadowed by her pooping on the floor on the day of graduation. Though she was highly decorated in achievements, unfortunately, she maintained an embarrassingly dismal record of retrieving absolutely zero gold or other precious metals in her lifetime; a fact that some argue did a disservice to the Golden Retriever breed, while others felt this was too literal of a translation.

Hartsy had an immense fear of missing out ("FOMO") and the endless stamina of a much younger dog. Even up to age 9, her high energy and excellent health caused her to be constantly misidentified as a puppy. She once swam for so long during a vacation at the Finger Lakes in NY, that she somehow managed to sprain her tail; her yearly visits to the dog beach were met with equal enthusiasm. She was well-traveled and went hiking all over DE, NJ, NY, PA, VA, NC, TN, MA, and beyond. Hartsy boldly led the way on every new adventure and loved everyone she met during the journey.

Although she resided in the suburbs, Hartsy loved the city life, and held a particular soft spot for Philly. The craft beer craze that hit during the mid-2010s was not lost on her. Though her favorite beer was Yuengling, she also frequented local breweries all over the east coast of the U.S. where she met new adoring fans and tried to steal their beer while they fawned over her. She became incredibly adept at staring down the bartender and convincing them she deserved multiple rounds of treats, all through non-verbal communication. It was fitting that she celebrated her 10th birthday at a local brewery; ever the gracious host, she greeted everyone -including complete strangers- as though they had arrived to celebrate her big day. 

Hartsy had many dog and human friends, and would jump with joy when they visited her. One of her owners would frequently state that Hartsy was her best friend, after which begrudgingly admit that this was not reciprocated (she wouldn’t even make Hartsy’s top ten). Hartsy's absolute favorites were her Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop, who would hide treats like an easter egg hunt when she visited-and she would find them all. Most knew her as a complete and utter goofball, but at times, many were astounded by her emotional intelligence which seemed to have unprecedented depth. She helped her owners through the toughest of times, including the deaths of several family members, and provided emotional support as they made intimidating life choices, like making the bold decision to quit their stable jobs in order to pursue a graduate degree or start their own business. 

Hartsy was truly unique; it should not be surprising that traditional chemotherapy treatments to manage her Lymphoma were unsuccessful. Though she bravely went through several courses of three different “gold standard” treatments, the cancer was starting to progress aggressively only 4 months after diagnosis. She never reached remission, yet during her treatments Hartsy radiated boundless energy and kept a high quality of life-until suddenly, one day, it became clear that maintaining her health would no longer be possible in the future. She had been living on precious borrowed time, and it was time to make that painful but inevitable decision by her side.  

At the very end, with nearly her final breath, Hartsy raised her head to comfort her owners, even though it was her who should have needed assurance. 

She is survived by her two heartbroken humans, her biggest fan/sister, Sunny, and her loving and doting brother, Monsieur Antoine Lavoisier.  We will miss you Hartsy, every. single. day. You were the bestest and goodest girl, and we take solace in the fact that we will never, ever, be able to get rid of all of the hair that you shed in our house. It will serve as constant treasured memories of you, our goofball princess puppy furry butt.

Hartsy was taken too soon by Lymphoma on May 6th, 2024, a common and terminal cancer in dogs. Canine cancer research is far behind where it should be, and high-quality research is needed to help develop better prevention and treatment options, and ultimately, a cure. Your donation will fund cancer and longevity research for animals and could ensure that well-loved, exceptional dogs like Hartsy would continue to make the world a brighter, happier place.