by Jennie Lloyd | Photos by Linda Earley
“Do you wanna …?” That’s how Kim
and Steve Bruno start off a question to their bright, sunny Golden Retriever girls. The Brunos don’t have to complete the sentence about whether the dogs would like to go somewhere — the answer is always a resounding yes.
Piper and Scout love going on adventures — so no matter what the question, they definitely wanna do that.
“They stay at home with Dad during the week,” Kim says. “And on the weekend, they explore with me. Every Saturday and Sunday, they get in the car with me. I just have to say the words ‘Do you wanna,’ and they perk up. Doesn’t matter what else I’m going to say.”
Typical adventures include weekly walks for miles at a time. The dogs definitely want to do that. They love car rides anywhere. “Even just to the gas station or to the dog park or to my office, they are always available to go for a ride,” Kim laughs.
They also like to go to the Brunos’ place on Grand Lake. The girls enjoy exploring the lake and the surrounding area on foot or via golf cart, with ears blowing in the wind.
Piper and Scout are also experienced fliers. Steve is a pilot, and when the Brunos had a plane, the Goldens traveled with them. “They aren’t crazy about going on the plane,” but they nap and doze during the entire flight, Kim says.
Dogs of Choice
The Brunos are longtime majority owners of United Mechanical, a mechanical contracting business in Oklahoma City, and Donohue Commercial Service of Tulsa. The two have been together for three decades and have always kept Golden Retrievers.
“They’re our favorite dogs of choice,” Kim says.
The Brunos love flying, photography, art, sailing, traveling, and all animals. Kim is on the board of trustees of Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center in Oklahoma City. They have another home in Newport Beach, California, and an apartment in New York City. The Goldens have traveled with them to California but not to New York.
Before Piper and Scout, the Brunos had two previous Goldens, two girls named Robert and Robert Jr.
“I don’t know how or why,” but Steve ditched the dogs’ feminine names immediately, and the Robert monikers immediately took their place, Kim explains. Summer became Robert, and Carrie became Robert Jr.
The Brunos’ journey with Goldens began 30 years ago when they weren’t certain yet about dog ownership.
“We fostered one, and we weren’t sure,” Kim says. But it took only about 48 hours for the Brunos to decide they definitely wanted to provide the forever home for their new Golden puppy. They adopted her through Sooner Golden Retriever Rescue.
It turns out Steve might be a bit of a softie when it comes to puppies. Five years ago, Kim’s friend Louisa McCune, executive director of the Kirkpatrick Foundation and a well-known advocate for animal well-being, was seeking homes for a few of her Golden puppies. Kim was interested.
But Steve said, “No puppies.” Finally, Kim suggested just bringing home a few so the couple could spend a little time with them.
Steve relented and said, “Go ahead and bring two.” After a few hours, they decided to keep only one puppy and send the
other back. They thought they had made a decision and started to load up the other one but just couldn’t stand to give it up.
Affectionate and Affable
The Brunos kept the pair, and the dogs have been a part of the family ever since. Piper and Scout’s mother is a darker American Golden, and their dad is an English Cream. The dogs look very similar, but Piper definitely favors her mother’s darker hue, whereas Scout is lighter like Dad. To keep their coats fresh and healthy, the girls are groomed regularly at Bubbles & Bows in Oklahoma City.
Because Steve is a pilot, he and Kim decided to give the pups aviation-related names — Piper for the aircraft manufacturer and Scout for an airplane model.
The girls just turned five years old. Piper is more vivacious and spirited, and Scout is the chill one — until a squirrel comes into sight, when Scout becomes eagerly determined to catch it. Piper jumps right into the car for adventures, but Scout has to be hoisted up.
“She won’t hop up,” Kim says. “She has a little princess in her — she has to be handled.”
Both girls are very affectionate and “love to slobber you with kisses and such,” Kim says. For the most part, the affable Goldens are similar in temperament.
“They’re different but the same,” she says.
The energetic Goldens are a full-time job, Kim laughs. Steve is retired now, so the man who once said “No puppies” is now a loving stay-at-home dog dad. He makes sure the dogs spend plenty of time roaming and investigating squirrels in their one-acre yard.
As for eating, Piper and Scout have a special daily routine. “They’ll eat anything, that’s for sure,” Kim says. But the Brunos keep the canines’ diet healthy and their weight on point. In the morning, each gets a can of sardines with breakfast.
“It’s just kind of a ritual, and it keeps their coat nice and shiny and soft,” Kim says.
In the middle of the day, Piper and Scout get a bully stick each. When Kim gets home from the gym at about 6 p.m., she “isn’t even allowed to pour a glass of wine” before Hot Dog Happy Hour has taken place, she jokes. The Goldens cheer Kim with half of a turkey hot dog each before dinner in the evening.
At night, Piper and Scout like to sleep in their respective crates.
“That’s their happy place,” Kim says. “I leave the crates open for them, they come and go, and they’re in there every morning.” Waiting, it would seem, to see what adventures the day might hold….
