The baby, affectionately known as Augie, turned 20 years old, making her the oldest known Golden Retriever.
On April 24, Augie celebrated her twentieth birthday with her humans, Jennifer and Steve Hetterscheidt, and their three furry brothers at their home in Oakland, Tennessee.
While the coronavirus pandemic canceled Augie’s human-planned 100-person party, they still made sure that Augie felt loved.
“I had a dog-friendly carrot cake, the interior of the house was completely decorated,” Jennifer Hetterscheidt told CNN. “She got all her favorite foods like blueberries, bread and pasta, of course, in moderation.”
Augie was adopted by the Hetterscheidts when she was 14 years old after being relocated twice. Jennifer Hetterscheidt worked at a golden retriever rescue organization in Nevada as director of admission. As soon as she saw Augie, she fell in love, she said.
“She is simply loved. There is nothing I do not want from her,” said Jennifer Hetterscheidt. “She is happy doing something and happy doing nothing.”
“I can’t imagine life without it,” he added.
While Augie was already an older dog when she was adopted, that didn’t stop her and her family from taking trips across the country and spending entire summers in the pool.
Today Augie is slower and a little more wobbly.
“She will stumble from time to time, but as long as she can control where she is, she can get up,” said Jennifer Hetterscheidt. “Although she is easy to care for, we see her as a hawk every time we are awake.”
It is unknown how much longer Augie will have to live, but Jennifer Hetterscheidt said they are already looking forward to her 21st birthday.
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