Celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the oldest Golden Retriever in history, based on some reports.
A golden retriever named August celebrated a very special birthday this year: She turned 20 and is now believed to be the oldest golden retriever alive ever.
While her actual birthday was back in April, it was just revealed she surpassed that milestone. (Goldens typically live for 10 to 12 years.)
“She had a dog-friendly carrot cake, the interior of the house was completely decorated,” Jennifer Hetterscheidt of Oakland, Tenn. told CNN. “She got all her favorite foods like blueberries, bread and pasta, of course, in moderation.”
The Hetterscheidts rescued August, affectionally known as Augie, when she was 14 from the Golden Retriever Rescue Southern Nevada, after being returned twice.
“She’s just darling. There’s nothing to not love about her,” Hetterscheidt told the outlet. “She’s happy doing something and happy doing nothing.”
As Augie got older, the Hetterscheidts started doing research to see if she was the oldest dog to live. While an Australian Cattle Dog named Bluey holds the official Guinness World Record at age 29, the family believes Augie is the oldest Golden to be living.
“When she hit 19, I came across Goldheart Golden Retriever Rescue, and on their FAQ, it said one golden retriever had just passed away, just under the age of 20,” Hetterscheidts told AOL.
After doing “internet searches for months trying to find an older golden retriever,” the Hetterscheidts reached back out to the rescue.
“Now we have the oldest golden retriever, because she’s over 20 years old,’” Hetterscheidt said.
The GoldHeart Golden Retrievers Rescue in Maryland shared the news on Facebook, writing that Augie is the “oldest known, oldest living Golden Retriever!”
When she isn’t making news, Augie enjoys walking around yard with her family, or hanging out with her four-legged siblings, three Goldens, ranging in ages from seven to 10, and a cat.
For the Hetterscheidt, they are already planning her 21st birthday.
