I got such a nice email from the gal who adopted 'Pumpkin' I just have to share it...

Hi Lynn, Thanks for the info materials - the "caring for your homeward
bound golden" document was included in the adoption folder, but the "basic care
and maintenance" wasn't (well, maybe it was... but I don't remember seeing it)
so that is especially useful. He's definitely Pumpkin now :) He's such an angel!
He's doing really well, he and Sasha are getting along great, he is impressing
everyone with all his good training (100% housebroken and he knows the commands
sit, down, and stay!). My 7 and 9 year old cousins met him last night and he was
very sweet with them, he let them pet his ears and rub his belly and he didn't
even bat an eyelash. Shockingly, he is even staying away from Sasha's food and
water (once I told him NO and he has continued to remember that!) although we
are certainly going to be careful about not leaving Sasha's bowl with food in
it... since he'll be on a strict diet. But it doesn't look like it will be a
huge problem.

Since you've had experience with doggie dieting, I have a
question. The folks at the sanctuary suggested one cup of food in the morning
and one in the evening, mixed with a little bit of pumpkin puree and possibly
some frozen green beans. And no treats during the day, of course. Is that advice
also what you would recommend as well? Pumpkin can get up the stairs to my front
porch just fine, and for now he's hanging out on the first floor until he takes
some weight off and feels more confident about getting up to my bedroom on the
third floor. Plenty of room for him on the first floor, so it's fine.

Something that is really interesting is that he LOVES car rides. He is very very eager to jump (well, waddle) right into the car and then he sits calmly and happily
throughout the car ride. I have to coax him (just slightly) to get out of the
car -- if I just open the door, he sits calmly until I encourage him to get out.
This characteristic, together with his weight problem, leads me to think he
might have belonged to a truck driver or somebody else who spent lots of time in
the car -- that would explain his lack of exercise! He was picked up as a stray
in Santa Barbara, but there is absolutely no way that he spent very much time
out on the street. I bet he's spent lots of time in the cab of a truck and has
seen more of the US than I have! Anyway, just wanted to let you know that he's
doing wonderfully. Thanks so much for your help with the adoption. I really
couldn't be happier -- as far as I'm concerned, I got the perfect dog! Shellie

This just makes me feel great! I wish I could find a regular job that I like doing as much as this! Love to all, Lynn