About Us

Spread Hope.

ParkerPup was a once-in-a-lifetime dog that started the movement dedicated to cementing a better future for all. Founded in 2007 with a furry little 8-week old puppy, we have worked to generate smiles, provide entertainment, and spread hope to those who need it through therapy, crisis response, entertainment and cancer awareness. 

​

Parker began his journey as an extremely smart and motivated golden retriever puppy. He excelled in everything he attempted. We took him to multiple dog events around our area and by chance met with an animal agent who quickly took him on board. As a result, he began his career with professional modeling and animal acting. After a few years and a growing platform on social media, we decided to use his online presence to try to make a difference for a cause near and dear to our hearts -- cancer awareness. In 2006 his human dad battled an aggressive cancer and won. We began fundraising and over the years raised close to $100,000 for various cancer nonprofits. Parker also began work as a therapy dog when he was 6 years old through Pet Partners, visiting schools, hospitals, libraries, jails, juvenile services and courthouses, as well as hospice. He also worked as a crisis response dog with Cascade Canine Crisis Response Team and the Washington County Sheriff's Office and responded to various call-outs including Umpqua Community College after the devastating mass shooting in 2015.

Over the years Parker appeared on stage in live theater, in commercials and on television, including Animal Planet and National & International News. He was on the billboard in Times Square, on dog food packaging, and in Vanity Fair Magazine. He modeled for Target, Subaru, Toyota, Hanna Andersson, Norm Thompson, and for various other companies. In 2016 he became the beloved mascot for the KGW Great Toy Drive, our local NBC affiliate news station, and was known as Wonder the Dog.

We lost Parker in 2020 to the very thing he worked hard to eradicate - cancer. Nasal cancer took him in the end, but we continue the work he began through Gill and Walter.

​

Our other Golden Retriever and Parker's best friend, Reser, was one of 3,000 Goldens in the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, a study aimed at finding out the causes of cancer and other health issues in our beloved pets. Reser passed away in 2023 to hemangiosarcoma, but not before providing his final gift to the study. Hopefully one day we will be able to say he helped to find a cure. 

​

Through Parker and Reser's legacies, we continue the work they began with Gill and Walter. We hope you'll join us.