Quite a few years back, I received a Golden Retriever puppy that was destined to be put to sleep due to all his problems. 

His whole underside was bared open, and he didn’t have a penis. He had one kidney and a nubbed tail off to one side.

The little fella stole my heart, and I made it my mission to do all I could to help. I named him Lil Bear, which was later changed to Mojo. Mojo went through thousands of dollars in tests, operations and fosters.

Finally, I got word from the University of Tennessee that they would take him on pro bono, for they had had some successes with similar problems such as Mojo’s in the past. 

Today, Mojo runs around with a Border Collie on a ranch in Colorado. His leaking problem is almost totally subdued, though he does wear a diaper around the house.

Mojo left a smiling heart at every place he went. His joy and love of life was contagious.

The last foster that had him before he went to Colorado sent me this email:

“Dear Mr. Rizzo, I have been fostering and rescuing Goldens for many years, and none has touched my heart deeper than Mojo.  I believe God has made sure that you were the right person and the right time to save this special creature. Thank you for allowing me to know him.”

As you can imagine, I was tearfully moved and grateful for all the angels that were with me along the way. One of those angels was Danielle Scruggs, who breeds champion Goldens and who has worked on other cases with me before. Danielle fostered Mojo for months, and it was she who gave Lil Bear his new name.

A one-and-a-half-year-old female Golden named Sophie has similar urinary problems that Mojo had. Not quite the same but the sphincter control is similar. 

Because she’s a female, Upstate Veterinary Specialists believe they can make things right. Danny and I spoke when she first took Sophie on from another breeder (I won’t go into that). 

She knows a young girl that has cerebral palsy and if I could handle the medical bills, she’d handle the training to make Sophie a therapy dog for this young lady. I’ve met sweet Sophie and, of this writing, she is being sent upstate for evaluation. I did learn that there are some kidney issues also.

Keep all involved in your prayers, I firmly believe that God sends them to us for a reason.

Bless you all, see you at my gala.

Thanks for listening.