A senior golden retriever in Tennessee celebrates her 20th birthday, becoming the oldest-known dog of her breed in the world.
August, called by her family as Augie, has turned 20 in April 24 and has outlived many dogs of her breed; a golden retriever’s average lifespan is believed to be between 10 to 12 years old.
The GoldHeart Golden Retrievers Rescue honored Augie on their Facebook post, which says:
“Its official. Let it be known that Golden Retriever, “August”, is the oldest known, oldest living Golden Retriever! She turned 20 years old on April 24, 2020. Augie, as she is affectionately called, lives in Oakland, Tennessee with Jennifer and Steve who gave her a furever home at age 14.”
The now record-holding retriever celebrated her birthday with a dog-friendly carrot cake and some quality time with her golden retriever siblings, Sherman, Belle, and Bruce.
According to the Golden Hearts’ blog, Augie have been rehomed twice before Jennifer and Steve Hetterscheidt of Oakland, Tennessee took her in.
The couple has taken her on RV trips all around the country, gets to play fetch in the pool, and got several canine and feline siblings.
Jennifer said that despite her age, Augie is “surprisingly healthy”, can still move around well and continues to enjoy daily walks around the yard.
At 14, Augie was diagnosed with a certain kidney issue, and now eats a mixture of wet and dry Hill’s Prescription Diet k/d, along with some supplements for her kidney and joints.
The elderly dog also gets SQ fluids twice a week, helping her to perk up a little bit.
Augie is believed to have lived long largely because she’s got great genetics, and that her owners did a great job taking care of her.
“We care for them as long as we have them, and love them forever,” Jennifer said.