24-054 Apollo came to AGR as a 4-year-old neutered and very over-weight (at 127 pounds) purebred Golden. Apollo was the dog of the surrendering owner’s grandmother, who passed away in April. The grandson, now the owner, was not able to care for Apollo any longer. Apollo needed training and exercise, as the grandmother had been confined to a wheelchair, and Apollo just stayed by her chair for pets. He was described as loving and loyal. In her transport report, Connie called him "a walking coffee table" and said: 

When I got him from the SO, I didn’t want to try to get him into my traveling crate, so put him loose in the back. Before I could even get belted in, he was up in the passenger seat and there was no going back from there. He was an immovable object at that point. Fortunately, he rode well to the veterinary office. Unfortunately, his weight triggered my passenger seat belt alarm and I had to hear the constant dinging the whole way. 

Oh, what our transporters sometimes have to deal with! Apollo was fully vaccinated and had our standard tests for heartworm and valley fever, both negative. Placement had a difficult time placing him because (1) he was so overweight, (2) he was food-aggressive and (3) he was not leash-trained. Finally, after trying numerous families and experiencing a couple of failed meet-and-greets, Placement found an adoptive couple in Paradise Valley. They were willing and eager to work with him, and renamed him Bear. By December (5 months after intake), Bear had lost 40 pounds and was down to 86.4! The adopter reported: 

On occasion, he has counter-surfed and got down some sausages. First month we had him he was silent without barking. He now barks at any and all noises. I feel he is protecting his new family. Bear is like Velcro with my mom. Bear is the perfect dog and we can't imagine not having him. When they took him to one of our partner veterinarians for a follow-up on the kennel cough he'd developed at the boarding facility before he was placed, the adopter related: 

He was sitting on the chair in the vet’s office like a little human. He did not like getting his ears cleaned, but all in all he has been a very good boy. We love him!