Traveler 016

Surgical correction of Hypospadia

Breed: Golden Retriever
DOB: 2006
Sex: Neutered male
Foster home: Dale T.
Could you say NO to this face? We couldn’t, either! Please help with Traveler’s surgery expenses!

Traveler came to us from an animal control in northern Michigan. He came to us by a relay of great volunteers from Clare to Flint to Brighton and finally to Eaton Rapids – hence the name “Traveler”.

He was rescued by an unknown kind soul from a breeder who was going to put him down because he is not the “perfect” Golden puppy. Due to a hormone deficiency his tail is short and a little crooked and he had a defect called hypospadia.

Hypospadia is a congenital anomaly of the external genitalia, in which there is fusion failure of the urogenital folds and incomplete development of the penile urethra. The condition is rare and the etiology is unclear. A recent episode of Emergency Vets on Animal Planet featured an operation on another Golden to correct this defect. Hypospadia can lead to problems if not corrected.

Thanks to APB he had the expensive surgery required and he is now fine. He is a typical Golden. He is playful, yet very, very loving. He plays with his buddies, a Standard Poodle and a Labradoodle. They play tug-of-war with their toys and every once in a while they stop to come to me and be petted. He is a super, super boy. What a shame it would have been for him to have been put down! He is a joy to be around. He has had all his shots and is neutered.

Traveler is housebroken and crate trained and seems fine in the crate here as long as he has had some outside playtime. He gets along well with other dogs and loves to play in the yard and with his toys. He is fine with my 5 and 10-year-old granddaughters.

His new home would, ideally, be one with a fenced yard for him to play in and maybe a companion dog for him to play with. Also, since he has to go outside a little more often than normal, maybe a home with someone who works out of their home or a retired person so he is not crated all day. This condition may get better and it may not. After all that he has been through, he really deserves a special forever home!

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