Walter

After losing our first Golden Retriever to cancer, my late first husband and I adopted Walter on December 3, 2005 from a rescue organization near Sacramento, California. He was approximately one and a half years old when he was brought to the United States from Taiwan, where he had been abused, chained and beaten, his leg broken. Walter was afraid of children and the rescue group was looking to place him in a home with adults only. At the time I was caring for my husband, who had suffered a brain injury, and our son was away at college. I enlisted the help of a professional obedience trainer and together we worked with Walter to help him overcome the fear and insecurity that so often is a result of abuse. In just a few months, with continued training, patience and love, he became a more well adjusted dog and continued to improve. Not only did he no longer fear children but enjoyed playing with them. Walter became a poster child for "The Power of Love" and taught me so much about trust, love and forgiveness. Walter was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma in late spring and then a brain tumor in June. He passed away peacefully at home on July 28, 2016. He will be missed, always loved, and never forgotten.