Tale of Wayward Dog’s Missing Mate Ends Well With Reunion, New Home

A Denver construction worker who vowed to reunite a wayward golden retriever with its missing mate and then find a good home for both dogs has succeeded in bringing the tail-wagging couple together.

But the happy ending came only afTer James Gambow had given up all hope.

Deciding he could no longer keep Rovey, the abandoned dog he found last week, Gambow brought the female retriever to the Denver Dumb Friends League animal shelter last week.

It was there he found Rovey’s mate, who had been turned in a short time earlier, and learned that both dogs already had a new home.

Humane Society officials told him that a couple with a young son had heard stories about the two dogs and planned to adopt both of them.

“That’s great,” Gambow said. “She was real quiet without him around. When she saw him she started barking and licking and wagging her tail. They definitely belong together.”

Gambow’s humanitarian mission began last week when he found Rovey with a plastic bag around her neck and a note inside that read:

“My mate and I have been traveling on the road. Give us some food and water. We need a home together since we are good friends.”

But her “mate” was nowhere in sight. So Gambow took in the golden retriever and vowed not to give up Rovey without first finding her companion.

“If I wind up with two dogs, I’ll keep them both until I find them a good home,” he said. “Maybe God has put me on Earth for this.”