APPLE: Dog Model•Canine Athlete•Therapy Dog•Golden Retriever

Apple came into my life when she was a spunky 14-month old retired show dog, who couldn’t have a bed because she would chew it up and who would pull hard on her leash in a fruitless attempt to catch a squirrel. It was her physical strength and high prey drive that led to intensive dog training classes. Through those dog training classes, we fell into training agility…and eventually trialing in agility, a sport in which Apple earned many titles and competed at the Master AKC level. More importantly, agility was our gateway canine sport. Apple also competed and titled in obedience, rally, dock diving (Apple’s favorite sport), and scentwork (my favorite sport). She also earned many trick titles. All told, she earned more than 80 titles (I lost count). Apple was a certified therapy dog, and I had the honor of sharing Apple’s talents with thousands of people. Our favorite places to visit were USC and UCLA, where Apple de-stressed many students (and faculty and staff). Apple had an innate ability to detect stress in people and made it her mission to reduce their stress through intense leaning. She did this not only during therapy visits, but everywhere we went. Apple loved the camera and did many photoshoots. She was cast in a number of commercials and twice walked in LA Fashion Week. She was on the cover of @petcompanionmagazine and was featured in several commercially sold Golden Retriever calendars. When Apple joined our family on May 2, 2014, I thought we were getting another family pet. But, Apple turned out to be much more than that. She brought so many friends into my life. We went on fabulous adventures together. Through her public appearances and social media, she garnered fans around the world. Her veterinary oncologist described her as more like a human than a dog. She’s not wrong. Our bond was so strong. She was my heart dog. Her passing yesterday has left a huge hole in my heart. CAPTION CONTINUED IN COMMENTS

My fabulous team of veterinarians and experts are throwing everything they’ve got at the cancer in my body…radiation, acupuncture, vitamin C infusions, a daily herbal protocol, and more. I am still having fun adventures and remain asymptomatic. But, hemangiosarcoma is an aggressive and deadly cancer, with no known cure. 😢 So, I’ve got one more trick up my paw. This one won’t help me, but it hopefully will help future generations of dogs. The Morris Animal Foundation recently announced the Hemangiosarcoma Initiative to dedicate resources to hemangiosarcoma research. And I’ve launched the Apple The Golden Hemangiosarcoma Initiative Fundraiser to support the Morris Animal Foundation. Link in my bio. Please consider making a donation in honor of me and all the canine cancer warriors who have faced a hemangiosarcoma diagnosis. Donations currently are being matched by the Board of Trustees of the Morris Animal Foundation, through December 31. And your donation is tax-deductible. cover 📸: @dogtographer.la #hemangiosarcomaawareness #hemangiosarcomaindogs #barkcancer #caninecancer #caninecancerwarrior #hemangiosarcoma #morrisanimalfoundation @morrisanimalfoundation

Apple and I went on a lot of road trips together. We visited 10 states, although a few of them we mostly just drove through on the way to somewhere else. One thing we did during our travels was visit independent pet stores. I liked to explore what local products were being offered; Apple liked to sample the goods. Do you seek out independent pet stores during your travels? Do you have a favorite? #dogmom #dognerd #dogfriendlytravel

Cheap sunglasses ✅ Inspired by the song, I scrolled through the thousands of photos I have of Apple to find some of her wearing sunglasses. 😎 The photos are in chronological order, from 2017 to 2023. Always fabulous, like a fine wine, it seems to me that Apple just kept getting better with age. 🍷 PS One pair of sunglasses worn by Apple wasn’t cheap…can you spot it? Bonus points for identifying the designer. #cheapsunglasses #dogmodel #dogwearingsunglasses

LONG CAPTION WARNING (continued in comments): Hemangiosarcoma is the most aggressive and deadly canine cancer, with no known cure. Many organizations currently are doing great research to find an effective treatment. I am proud that the funds in memory of Apple set up with @caninecanceralliance and @morrisanimalfoundation have raised nearly $6,000 for hemangiosarcoma research. Thank you to all who contributed! ❤️ Although there is no known cure, I am thankful that Apple’s care after she was diagnosed with cardiac hemangiosarcoma was guided by an international dream team of integrative vets and experts, as well as some talented traditional oncologists. Some distant members of the dream team are experts who met Apple before her diagnosis. Some I never met in person. While even the Dream Team ultimately couldn’t save Apple from her terminal diagnosis, they offered guidance and alternative treatments. Most importantly, they projected optimism and gave me hope. That optimism made a difference for me and enabled me to enjoy every day with Apple during her cancer journey. If your pet is faced with a cancer diagnosis, especially one that is terminal, I recommend you add at least one integrative expert to your team. Many offer virtual consults. They likely will suggest some alternative treatment options (with a focus on quality of life for as long as possible) and may help you achieve a mental space based on optimism instead of fatalism, which will benefit both you and your dog. cover 📷: @lovedogandco (at Carmel Beach, one week after hemangiosarcoma diagnosis). -continued in comments

May the 4th Be With You! Do not fear the bark side! These photos were taken last August at the @mrbrainwashartmuseum . Apple, @amazinggraciedoodle , and @allthingsellie_ had such a fun time exploring the museum. I am grateful for all the fun adventures I had with Apple! ❤️ #maythe4thbewithyou #maythe4thbewithyou2024 #mrbrainwashexhibition #mrbrainwashart #barkside

Golden retrievers are like people…but better. ❤️ Apple’s integrative oncologist gave me lots of good advice and often shared words of wisdom with me. I was surprised when she said Apple was more like a human than a dog. 🤔 Is your 4-pawed furry friend more like a human than a dog? In what ways? Share in the comments. Then go give your dog a hug. 🩷 This reel is snippets from our trip to Oregon in September 2023 for the Golden Retriever National Specialty, just one month before Apple was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma. It was a fabulous trip. This is your sign to schedule a fun adventure with your dog, while you can. cover 📷: @lindsaybaca #dogfriendlytravel #oregonadventure #goldenretrieverobsessed #favoriteaudio #dogloss #goldenretrieversforever #goldenretrieverreels

Making decisions during Apple’s canine cancer journey was hard. Anticipating losing Apple was hard. Losing Apple was hard. 💔 The grief was real. 😢 But, the healing is too. ❤️ Every pet changes lives and leaves behind a legacy. Apple left behind many legacies, and those legacies have helped me to heal. One of Apple’s legacies is the thousands of people (no exaggeration) Apple brought into my life. Some of those people became friends—some virtual and some in real life. I relied heavily on some of those people for guidance and support during Apple’s cancer journey. Many of those people supported me when Apple passed away. They sent flowers, cards, and gifts. They donated to the funds established with @caninecanceralliance and @morrisanimalfoundation in Apple’s memory, raising more than $6,000 to support hemangiosarcoma research. Sixty-three of those friends from around the world joined together to create beautiful gifts for me in memory of Apple. This weekend, I gathered with some of the local friends and their dogs to remember Apple. Organized by my good friend Sophia (@joey_4pawjay ), it was a fabulous afternoon. On behalf of the group, Sophia presented me with a beautiful oil painting of Apple painted by the talented @debsavopainting , a lovely photo book created by my daughter with photos of Apple and augmented by Sophia with photos and notes from some of Apple’s friends, and a $250 donation to @morrisanimalfoundation . I’m forever grateful for all of these gifts and for all of the friends that Apple brought into my life. ❤️. Thank you to the friends who celebrated Apple in person: @allthingsellie_ , @amazinggraciedoodle , @banditandbeau , @bev.550 , @bogartthehollywooddood , @brontethepoodle , @coopercrook , @dorygoldengirl , @joey_4pawjay , @lilkiwipie , @mary_haber_pets , and @poodlegoesshopping . —continued in comments.

Have you heard this DOG MOM song by @meghantrainor or seen the official music video? It’s a fun song and music video. I saw it this morning. It’s actually an ad for a dog food—a dog food that I wouldn’t categorize as the best (I also wouldn’t categorize it as the worst). The song raised a lot of questions for me—how do we learn what is best for our pets and what does it mean to be a dog mom. It reminded me of how much I learned about so many things during Apple’s lifetime. Apple was kibble fed when I got her at 14 months. I had fed all my previous dogs kibble and initially fed kibble to Apple. While I was feeding Apple kibble, she was getting chronic ear infections. Her vet at the time, a traditional vet, would treat the ear infection with antibiotics and the ear infection would clear up…and then come back. This continued until I eliminated sugars and carbs from Apple’s diet and began feeding her a raw diet. I believe that we learn something from every pet in our life. Apple taught me about canine nutrition, holistic pet care, canine sports, and the joy of running free at the dog beach. I can’t wait to see what my next dog will teach me! I’d love to hear some of the things that your current pet has taught you. Please share in the comments. cover 📷: @bmacpetphotography #dogmom #caninenutrition #holisticpetcare #dogtaught #dogbeachfun #rawfeddog

Apple’s passing brought many tears. Right after she passed, I didn’t want to scroll through photos of her. They didn’t bring me joy. But grief is a process, with healing as the end goal. I now once again enjoy seeing photos of Apple. I am grateful for my many photos of Apple as they recall happy times. These photos of Apple were all taken by Sarah of @dogtographer.la . I met Sarah when she was mostly doing event photography, and the first photos of Apple I have from her are from an event in 2019. Thanks Sarah for capturing Apple for almost half her life. 😍 Let me know in the comments which of these photos of Apple taken by @dogtographer.la is your favorite. #petloss #dogloss #fabulousgoldenretriever #photosbringbackmemories #dogmodel #professionalpetphotos

Apple had been to every Goldie Palooza. And, her legacy was with me yesterday at the 2024 Goldie Palooza. She was with me as the wind blew the images of her on the angel tree. She was with me in the Legacies of Love article in the special issue of Pet Companion magazine. She was with me in the smiles and tail wags of her golden friends. She was with me in my heart, and she always will be. 🤍 Thank you to @laceyslaces for including Apple in her tribute on the Angel Tree. Thank you to @petlossdoctor for overseeing the memorial garden. Thank you to @petcompanionmagazine for including Apple in the Legacies of Love article. Thank you to Apple for enabling me to make so many friends in the dog community. Thank you to @coopercrook for being my golden for a few hours at Goldie Palooza while your mom volunteered. 💛 #petloss #heartdog #souldog #legacyoflove #goldiepalooza2024 #goldiepalooza #angeltree #goldenretrieversofinstagram #dogfuriends #goldenretrieverlove

Apple was a true @dodgers fan. I lost count of how many Pups In The Park/Bark At The Park games we attended. Beginning with the first game we attended in 2018, the @dodgers picked Apple as a favorite pup. In 2018, the Dodgers welcomed Apple and a few other pups onto the field for pre-game festivities with @redturn2 and @kikehndez . At subsequent games, Apple appeared on the jumbotron, in the television broadcast, in the Dodgers social media, and in the Dodger Insider magazine. In 2020, Apple was a cutout in the stands. At the 2021 game, the Dodgers selected Apple as the most spirited fan. In 2023, the Dodgers did not have a Pups In The Park, so Apple wore her Dodgers attire when she went to a @padres game at @petcopark . Wishing the Dodgers a great home opener tomorrow and a fabulous season! 💙⚾️💙 #dodgersdog #dodgershomeopener #dodgersbarkinthepark #dodgersfan #losangelespup #abc7community #abc7eyewitness #mlbdog