01/19/2026
Seeking advice.
Yesterday we lost Dex at the age of 7 to Hemangiosarcoma, causing his spleen to rupture which lead to us bringing him for X-rays. Dex was my first dog. I got him in my sophomore year of college. I had no idea what I was doing as an owner and thus he tore my apartment to shreds. I learned about how important it was to tire him out. We then learned that the dog park was the best thing for him. Going to the University of Kansas we were only 20 minutes from Clinton Lake Dog Park. The combination of trails, lakes for swimming and many other dogs made this the perfect place for a young dog. Over the next two years, we grew up a lot. Dex no longer felt the need to be destructive and became very obedient and trustworthy.
Several moves later, due graduations and optometry school, we went on new adventures and new apartments. Dex met so many of my friends who at some point became aunts and uncles for him whenever I was gone on weekend trips. My mom’s house was a second home for him—converting her from dog-agnostic into a full blown dog lover. We made almost daily trips to the nearest dog park and longer trails on weekends no matter the weather.
During optometry school I met what would later become Dex’s mom, Lauren. After school we moved to Kansas City into an apartment. Much of the same ensued, but now with another loving parent. 4 days ago, we bought a house with a big backyard, for Dex. It was something we have always daydreamed about doing and it felt so good to know Dex would live out his final years with his own backyard. Just 2 days later, Dex was unable to get out from under the bed, a spot in which he enjoyed laying. We took him to the vet and was given his diagnosis. We left the vet, went to McDonald’s and to the park for him to enjoy a cheeseburger and ice cream before heading back to the vet one final time.
We are heartbroken, mad, upset and above all miss Dex. The emptiness and constant reminders of Dex in our home, our cars, and even our clothes has overcome us. We move into our new home in a month, without Dex. It crushes us to know he never got his yard. We’d love any words of advice, suggestions on how to proceed as we begin these new chapters in our life. We’d love to hear from others who have rescued/adopted/golden another golden—or even another dog breed for that matter. Resources of possible rescue/adoption of golden retrievers in KC are also very much welcomed as we sort out our emotions.
Sorry for being long winded, but I wanted to take another moment to remember Dex. ❤️
Post Credit: Aaron Cheng
