One Special Dog. Golden Retriever/German Sheppard Mix. Me and my father found Duke outside of a Carl's Jr. Restaurant January 6, 1997, He was lost and people felt sorry for him and were buying him hamburgers. We returned home, but, went back. We tried to put a leash on him, but he must have been abused by one because he hated it, and my Dad a man with a beard. Someone had obviously abused him. We took him to my Dad's Aunt Pauline had just lost her dog a few years before, and agreed to keep him until we found the owner, but as time went on and no one claimed him, she fell in love with him. We had him fixed a month later and the vet said he lost his year and a half molars. We do not know just how old he was. He lived with Pauline 5 years, only leaving for a brief time when she was hospitalized in 1999. He enjoyed treats of hard-boiled eggs, and loved to play papers (a newspaper rolled in a sock he would catch). Pauline was put in an assisted living home in 2002, and Duke moved in with us and our four small female dogs, Maggie, Ginger, Patches, and Phoebe. We loved him and when Pauline died in 2003 it was like having a reminder of her. He was very sweet and loved people, and they loved him back. He had arthritis is his legs and had an attack in June. We thought he was having another one, on August 13th, but it was worse. His eyes were glassy and he did not want any attention. We were waiting until morning to take him to the vet. They were supposed to call at 7 am. At 5 I went out and he was turned on the bed, alive but breathing hard, and it was apparent he had a stroke. I told him to let go and be with Pauline, and our next-door neighbor Addie, who loved him very much. As the sun rose I went back out and he was gone. He is now with Pauline in Heaven playing papers.