Meet Bruce — a happy-go-lucky golden retriever who loves his sticks more than anything in the world.

And he’s a bit of a collector.

Bruce is only allowed to play fetch with rubber toys after a freak accident with a stick landed him in the hospital two years ago. But he still appreciates the real thing.

“Despite his injury, his love for sticks was not tarnished, but instead it has only grown into a beautiful collection,” Leo Icenhour, Bruce’s dad, told The Dodo. “He prides himself in collecting sticks of all shapes and sizes from our backyard and plants them right in front of our front door, checking on them daily when we go in and out of the house.”

Bruce’s stick collecting started after a winter storm hid his favorite stick under a foot of snow. He was heartbroken when he woke up and it was gone.

“He had left his favorite stick outside the night it started snowing,” Icenhour said. “The next day, Bruce was in an utter panic because he obviously couldn’t find his stick or even see the ground.”

Bruce searched all over the yard for his prized stick — digging holes and sticking his head in the snow. Finally, the dog caught a break when the weather warmed up.

“After the snow partially melted, he was able to finally dig around and find his stick,” Icenhour said. “I’ve never seen him more triumphant than that moment.”

“I believe he started the collection because he never wants to feel the panic of being stick-less again,” he added.

Bruce knows he’s not allowed to bring his collection inside, but that doesn’t stop him from trying to sneak one in whenever his dad is distracted.

For Bruce, sticks make him happy, and he loves to show off his growing collection. “He just likes to add to his collection and is very proud of it,” Icenhour said.

source THE DODO.