Golden Retriever goes viral for his “priceless” stick collection
Bruce is a 4-year-old Golden Retriever with a hobby he’s passionate about – collecting sticks.
He and his dad, Leo Icenhour, love spending time in the great outdoors, which is part of the reason Bruce became such an avid collector.
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Bruce began collecting sticks when tragedy struck during a winter storm not too long ago. His favorite stick had gone missing, presumably buried under the snow.
He dug and sniffed and it was nowhere to be found.
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“He started his stick collection after a massive snow came into our area and left about 12 inches of snow on the ground,” Icenhour told Bored Panda. “At the time, he only had one stick and it was his absolute favorite. Well, it started snowing one evening and he left the stick out in our field. Over the next couple of days, he was in an absolute frenzy every time we went outside, relentlessly searching for his stick. He would dig like a madman and even bury his head in the snow trying to find it!”
Luckily, Bruce was reunited with his best stick after the snow melted.
But the pup clearly doesn’t ever want to be in that position again, so now he collects ALL the sticks.
“After a few days of sunshine melted enough of the snow, he finally struck gold while digging and found his precious stick. I believe from that moment on he never wanted to be stick-less again, so he started the collection,” Icenhour said.
Ironically, Bruce isn’t actually allowed to play with the sticks he collects. So his stash is more of a museum-quality display.
That’s because on his 2nd birthday he was playing fetch with a wooden stick and it perforated his esophagus (wooden sticks can indeed be dangerous and aren’t recommended as toys). From then on out, the only toy stick for Bruce is a plastic one.
He’s also not allowed to have sticks in the house either, which is why his collection stays outside, right near the front door.
The photos of Bruce and his collection are going viral all over social media. But Icenhour is not surprised his cherished pup is getting famous.
“Am I surprised that Bruce has become an internet sensation? Absolutely not. He is the light of my life and truly a unique pup so I am more proud of him than anything. He is the moon to my stars, the cheese to my macaroni, and the peanut butter to my jelly,” he said.
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The playful pup now boasts a collection of roughly 50 sticks of all shapes and sizes.
He does not judge – all sticks are good sticks to Bruce.
“Bruce doesn’t seem to discriminate as he loves sticks of all shapes and sizes. We live near a creek that floods often, so he always has a wonderful selection of driftwood to choose from outside,” said Icenhour.
These two are quite the pair of besties and it’s clear Bruce’s dad goes out of his way to give his pup the best life possible.
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“As a dog, Bruce can be summed up by the phrase ‘happy-go-lucky.’ I am a bit biased, but I do believe he is the goodest boy in the world,” said Icenhour. “He’s always so eager to please and loves for the spotlight to be on him. He goes everywhere with me and our favorite time of the day together is nap time (other than fetch time of course.)”
Bruce even gets a double cheeseburger every year on his birthday!
If you’re interested in following Bruce’s adventures, you can follow his dad on Instagram here.
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Source: Bored Panda, Instagram – @leoicenhour, Facebook – Leo Icenhour