Golden retriever who "lost her goldenness" after suffering from seizures gets paired up with the cutest rescue duck, and the two become instant best friends: 'She started smiling again'

Mariel Ruvinsky • Writer and Editor

Aug 9, 2026 2:45 PM EDT

Sometimes, a good friend is just what you need to get your spark back.

As you all know, Golden retrievers are known as some of the goofiest, kindest, most full-of-life dogs that exist. It's part of who they are. It's part of what makes so many people love them so, so much. When we think of golden retrievers, we think of joy. Plain and simple. But goldens can have crises too. They go through things too. It's not all treats and wagging tails all the time. Golden retrievers, just like any other dog, can get sick. And that can change you.

The sweet golden we'll be talking about today got unlucky. The dog started having seizures. That is, of course, terrifying to any dog owner, but it's just as terrifying to the dogs themselves. Suddenly, everything changes about their lives. And although Barley was lucky in some ways - the medication that was given to him worked, and his seizures stopped - still, something in him changed. He had lost some of that golden retriever spark. The family didn't know why it happened or how to help, until one day, they adopted a duckling. And that duckling changed everything.

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“I never thought I would own a duck. I never expected him to stay long-term,” the mother told CBS. The family adopted the duck after he was hatched in an elementary school. And although he wasn't meant to stay with the family forever, it quickly became obvious that he was needed there, for one family member especially - the golden retriever Barley.
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A few years beforehand, Barley started to have seizures, and although the medication the family gave her helped and the seizures stopped, Barley never quite returned to what she used to be. “She just lost her spark. She lost her goldenness," the mom explained. But one thing started bringing her spark back, and that was her friendship with the family duck - Louie. “She started smiling again,” the mom recalled. “She started wagging her tail. She started… having personality again.”
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via @cbseveningnews, CBS
Today, the two are inseparable. Louie pecks at Barley. Barley chases Louie. They play, and they cuddle, and Barley is acting like a whole new puppy. “She wanted to be friends with Louie and hang out with him a lot, so… she kinda stretched her joy and fit in with her," the son explained.
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Golden retriever who "lost her goldenness" after suffering from seizures gets paired up with the cutest rescue duck, and the two become instant best friends: 'She started smiling again'

Sometimes, a good friend is just what you need to get your spark back.

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