Golden are hands down my favorite breed but I will never get one for the reasons outlined in this article (and that they never made it to the shelter to be adopted)
I've watched too many suffer at "old age" - which, as reported, happens entirely too early for them. It'll be a mutt for me unless a purebred stray wanders into my yard.
Proud doggy papa of 3 mutts.
15 year old lab mix, 5 year old pit mix, 1 year old shepherd mix
10/10. Wouldn't adopt a pure bred unless it adopted me.
The condo I've lived in for 15 years doesn't allow pets but I'm moving soon... And my pretty much first purchase will be a shelter dog and a dog bed. Before I even get a new couch.
I'm in the same boat! I ended up adopting a mutt from a friend of mine who was fostering the litter, and she grew up to have some surprisingly golden features despite looking nothing like one as a puppy. A pleasant surprise!