Normy was the sweetest dog ever. He had a heart of gold and loved everyone he met. He was always ready with a wagging tail to meet any person, dog, or cat even if they didn't want to meet him!! He was a beautiful golden retriever who we got from the corner store when he was about 6 months old. They weren't able to keep him so we took him in and have loved him ever since.

Normy and me were best pals since I was 15. He stayed with me even after I left home at 18. There was a litle park we used to walk to that he loved to run around and play at. One day he got overly excited and chased after his ball after the wind rolled it onto the road. I yelled at him to come back because I saw the car, but Norm didn't have time to think of such things when there was a ball to catch. The car managed to slow down enough that it only tapped him and I was so thankful. But I'll never forget how for weeks afterwards when walking on any sidewalk with parked cars Norm was on the other side as far as his leash would allow him to go on the sidewalk away from those cars!!

He loved to pick up branches from the ground and carry them just incase we had time to stop to play catch. and bigger was Always better. If he found them he'd carry whole trees 6ft long (but thin!) in his mouth with his furry head held high with pride!!

He loved water and swimming, he also loved snow and would pounce with little bunny hops through the fresh fallen snow. When I first moved out my only furniture was a large blow up armchair that I would sit in to watch TV. Norm would climb onto my lap and try to curl up with me. His philosophy was to be as close to those he loved as possible. Why lay at the foot of the chair when he could be on it with me. I'd try to hold him, but eventually we'd both slide off!

One time I was walking him and a butterfly startled him by flying near his face......he took off in the other direction so fast and jerked the leash so hard I almost got dragged away!! 

A few years ago I had to have my mother take him in temporarily because I couldn't find an apartment that would allow him and then she gave him away. I was devastated, but then a couple years later those people contacted her to say they were going to put him to sleep because they were selling their house. Luckily my mother took him back and we were so happy to have him back in our family. We had visited him a few times and that only reminded us how much we loved and missed him.

He came back to us horribly overweight and we put him on a healthy diet to get him back to tip top shape and like a trooper he did it in no time!! I thought this meant he'd be with us for many more years. I live 400 miles away and haven't been able to see him for a long time, but he was always doing excellent. Then a couple weeks ago my mother told me that on Saturday morning he couldn't get up and they took him to the vet who said it was just old age. Then on Monday she decided to put him to sleep since the vet didn't think he'd improve. I didn't get to say goodbye to him, not even over the phone. And no one tried to wait to see if he'd improve. I wish I could have hugged him and petted him. Even though I wasn't able to keep him with me as my pet he never forgot me and was always ecstatic to see me. I was planning on visitng in April, but wasn't able to because of work and was planning on seeing him this summer. Now he's gone forever. 

I will always miss you Normybaby!!! I was so looking forward to seeing you again, and now I never will...but I will never ever forget you and there are a ton of people who were all devastated to hear that you've gone. I'll miss you forever and will never ever forget you and what a comfort you always were to me especially when it was just you and me on our own. Bye baby