21-046 Archer, now called Archie, was one of five purebred Golden Retriever puppies that we picked up in Queen Creek last October 2021 from a family that had found them on a dirt road; he was the only male and the leader of the pack. Although small, the pups were estimated to be 5-6 months old. All were very thin, shy and rather fearful. None had had any training and were afraid of the collar and leash, none were microchipped and most likely had never been vaccinated, and all were afraid to go inside a house. The finder posted on lost dog websites and local Queen Creek sites, but no one ever called. They were all beautiful puppies, and those we have seen have grown up into very nice-looking young adults. AGR volunteers transported the puppies to one of our partner veterinarians. Except for Archie, all the pups rode quietly – Archie growled, barked and “talked” during the long drive to Glendale. They received all their vaccines and tests for heartworm, valley fever and intestinal parasites. Archie was negative for everything except for coccidia, for which he was treated. From his vet visit at AW, Archie was transported to an adopter in Mesa. Besides two children, there were two dogs and two cats in the household. Everybody got along fine. The adopter said:

Archie is very appreciative of all he has: food (eats ravenously), toys, bed, other dogs to play with (especially our other Golden, Barkley) and attention from the humans. He has become such a homebody that he does not want to go outside.

Archie probably had enough of “outside” when he was a stray!