Venus wore a mini pink cowgirl hat and a bandana to match. Blanche was dressed as Cupid, complete with wings. Libby, in her mermaid fin, paused to scratch an itch.
No matter how their humans dressed them, a full range of golden retrievers was on display in Golden, Colorado, this weekend. The city-run “Goldens in Golden” event (get it?) – billed as the “world’s largest unofficial gathering” of the breed – convened thousands of dogs and people on a sun-drenched day.
“Favorite day of the year,” said Kim Kenney, whose dog Libby rocked the mermaid outfit.
Why We Wrote This
Thousands of dogs and people convened in Golden, Colorado, recently, to bask in the joy of what’s billed as the “world’s largest unofficial gathering” of golden retrievers.
For Americans feeling worn down by a relentless – and often grim – news cycle, Saturday’s festivities offered a welcome break, as dog owners basked in the unconditional joy of man’s best friend.
Golden retrievers “bring a lot of warmth and happiness to our family,” said Eli Amaya, who has a dog named Miso and another named Soup.
With some 20,000 residents, Golden is a quaint former gold-rush town in the Rocky Mountain foothills. On Saturday, Main Street buzzed with barks, collar jangles, and the crinkle of plastic doggy bags.
Leashes crisscrossed and tangled as goldens made new friends. Tufts of fur rolled down the sidewalk like tiny tumbleweeds.
Launched in 2019, the annual Goldens in Golden event runs close to International Golden Retriever Day in early February. While tough to fact-check that “world’s largest” claim, organizers estimated some 16,000 people and 5,500 canines attended Saturday.
Rizzo, a therapy dog, carried his leash in his mouth as if walking himself.
“He loves people more than dogs,” said Alicia Gillespie, a Nebraska school principal.
Asked for comment, a tail-wag was Rizzo’s reply. He declined to give his last name because he does not have one.
Elsa, a crisis response dog, has deployed to places like California to help flood and wildfire survivors. Dogs like her are “so smart. They find the people that need them,” said Wendy Guy from Arizona, who works with a nonprofit called HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response. Elsa, calm, sniffed the air.
The event was a welcome study break for some students at Golden’s Colorado School of Mines. Noah Rupp, who studies mechanical engineering, bent down to pet a copper coat.
“I think I need to get a golden retriever,” he said.
Some other breeds joined the gathering, including a small, shivering Italian greyhound and a husky disguised as a golden – with a faux pair of floppy ears.
Despite the lively mix, the pooches all seemed to get along, commented Joe Erio, next to his white-muzzled golden named Sam. Maybe politically polarized Americans could learn a thing or two from their furry friends.
“Not a single dog fight yet,” Mr. Erio says.