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Vol 10 No 4
Features in this Issue:
Remembering With Fondness
GRRI-NJ's web site
design and maintenance is made possible entirely by donated
services.
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Letters to GRRI-NJ
Hello Again GRRI-NJ,
Please accept my donation for Angel or other Golden Retrievers needing special care.
Thank you for helping Angel.
Irene Kennedy
Irene, thank you for your generous donation to help us care for wonderful dogs like Angel. We were very pleased to learn she did not have Cushing’s and she’s now ready to go to her forever home!
Dear Friend,
A donation is being made in loving memory of Jack Daniel. Jack will always be remembered as the friendly greeter who met us at the door. He would share his toys for playtime and made all our visits enjoyable.
Please send an acknowledgement to Brian and Robin.
Sincerely,
Mary and Douglas Bausback
Thank you for your donation in memory of Jack Daniel. We’ll certainly notify Robin and Brian of your thoughtfulness. Jack Daniel was a wonderful Golden and he’s greatly missed.
Hi Anne (GRRI foster mom),
Hope you and your family are well. Any new fosters? Sorry we haven't written in a while, work has kept us pretty busy. Today is Sasha's 3rd birthday, can you believe it? She's getting to be such a good dog. I thought you would like to see some pix from recent trips that she's taken. This year she's gone to Florida, Martha's Vineyard, Boston, Lancaster PA and some places I've forgotten about! She is learning new tricks, like rolling over and closing the cabinet doors when asked. Soon we hope to resume agility training. We love her more each day.
Take care,Vicky and Fonda
Happy Birthday Sasha! It’s amazing how time flies, isn’t it? Sasha certainly looks like she’s enjoying her life with both of you!
Dear Eileen and all of GRRI,
Thank you for your donation to Eva's Village in Sig's memory. He was dedicated to the human "rescue" work they do. Thank you for all the kindness, caring, flowers and cards. It's meant so much.
Love,
MJ
MJ, words can’t express how sorry we are that you lost your beloved Sig. Eva’s Village sounds like a wonderful organization.
Hi Debbie (GRRI foster mom),
Just wanted to let you know that Maggie is doing well. She doesn't bark as much as she used to. She has a few nicknames - Ms. Barks a lot & Mag Pie. She loves to sleep on our bed between Jim & I & she will bark around 1:00 a.m. to let us know she is coming on the bed. She is a character! We could not be happier with her.
Karen
Hi Karen, we’re happy to hear that Maggie’s barking is decreasing. And that’s so thoughtful that she gives you a “warning bark”, alerting you to the fact that she’s planning to get on the bed. It’s like she’s telling you - here I come, ready or not!
Hi Smiths!
We’re all ok here in Hawthorne and survived the 3 days of heat wave and the storms of last evening. How are all of you doing? Good, we hope!
Bear is doing wonderfully! Her blonde cotton candy fur behind her ears, at her shoulders and on her hips continues to grow and spread. It remains controllable as long as I keep it brushed. I’ll take the fur behind each of her ears and (gently) twist it so it ends up looking like little devil horns, appropriate for the little devil she can be for constantly going through my bag I bring back and forth to work and home. Sometimes she’ll luck out and polish off the rest of my cookie snack if there’s any left. I can’t get mad at her because she’s made it her schtick, besides, there’s nothing in the bag she can really get in trouble over or get sick on! The sun was backlighting Bear the other week and Bill said “Look! Bear’s got angel wings!” Sure enough, because I hadn’t kept up with the brushing, her unruly shoulder cotton candy was sticking out and up and sure as shootin’ did it look like angel wings! I have got to take a picture of her as the devil, as the angel, and as both at the same time. It’s sooo her!!!
Gracie is still kickin’ it up, though she gave us a scare about 3 weeks ago on a Sunday…she was breathing about 3 times as fast as the other two (she’s been doing double time for months now) and she just couldn’t get comfortable, grunting each time she lay in a different position. Bill and I figured we’d be taking her in to see the vet (for the last time – sniff, sniff) on that Monday or Tuesday morning. On Monday when we all woke up, she seemed to be breathing better, gave her breakfast, and she was bouncing around the house like a 75-lb puppy! She’s incredible – she’ll end up outliving us if she keeps giving us scares!
Sophie is just very happy that she has Bear to rassle with now that the warmer weather is here, Gracie’s really not up to it, except for rare occasions.
All three doggies love our 5th wheel trailer. The other two taught Bear that when the “big, blue box” (our cooler) comes upstairs, to start bouncing like a kangaroo, because that means “we’re going for a ride – oh boy – oh boy – oh boy!!!” We’ve got a seasonal site at Peaceful Valley campground in Shinhopple, NY in the Catskills, a 2 hr ride. Bill and I got the girls a doggie playpen like we saw at the Golden Retriever Rescue picnic last September. We actually put two together, so they have a decent sized area. There’s plenty of room to lay around (the majority of their time...just like cats) or play, tangled! They love being outdoors! If you’re into a 2 hr drive, you’re welcome to come anytime on any weekend (after July 4th weekend) for a day, for a weekend, doesn’t matter – we’ll grill up some dinner, sit by the fire, there’s enough sleeping space, Bill does fly fishing, I read….pretty lazy stuff!!! It’s pretty easy to get to. Let me know if you’re interested and I’ll give you nice concise directions.
Well, that’s it on this end! How’s little Cleo doing? Been swimming a lot? Write back!
Love and hugs,
Lisa and Bill, Gracie, Sophie and Bear J
Now Lisa, you can’t tease us with images of devil horn ears and not send us a picture. We’d love to see them! Thanks for such a positive update.
Hi Eileen (GRRI volunteer),
I just wanted to tell you that it's an honor to be part of such an extraordinary group like GRRI-NJ. I am truly happy to be a part of this group even though its just a small part compared to all that you and all of the other volunteers do for these wonderful Goldens.
I am sending you a donation from our company in the amount of $1,000.00 to help put a small dent in the vet costs.
Thank you again
Nancy Torti, GRRI volunteer
Nancy, thank you and your company for sending us such a generous donation! And thank you for joining our volunteer ranks.
Dear Ms. McFadden (GRRI volunteer),
“Every time you see someone in distress, you have the opportunity to work as a team with Heaven’s angels. You become the channel to provide loving care to those in need.”
Doreen VirtueThis is exactly what you do for all those who come to Eva’s for help. The hungry, homeless, addicted and sick find you to be the channel of loving care for them.
The motto of Eva’s Village is Where hope begins. Your generous gift (in loving memory of Sigfried Roethlin) shows us that you are on that special team of “angels” who believes that the poor and defenseless deserve a ray of hope in their lives. We, at Eva’s Village, work diligently to help provide both opportunities and support to the unfortunate souls who cross our paths daily. By your generosity, you partner with us in this wonderful mission. I am happy to claim that we are all on the same team.
We are so very grateful to you for your generosity and kindness. I am sure that God will bless you and your loved ones because of your goodness to others.
Sincerely,
Sister Gloria Perez, Executive Director
Sister Gloria, Sig was a special person and a wonderful foster dad. We were honored to make a donation in his memory. For more information about Eva’s Village, visit their website at www.evasvillage.org
Ruth (GRRI foster mom),
Sorry it took me so long to get this picture to you! I kept forgetting and then when I would remember and the camera would be dead, etc. Lexie is doing great! It feels like she's been here forever. She is still crazy about the boys! She loves playing outside with them. She has a toy box for all her things and she somehow knows what belongs to the baby and what belongs to her! She has found her voice too. She has turned out to be very protective of the house and barks like mad whenever anyone comes to the door! I actually like it, Killian was the same way and it always made me feel safe. (She is super friendly the minute we open the door though!) She has made lots of dog friends in the neighborhood. She actually pushes tennis balls under the fence to our neighbor’s dog! The only odd thing that we've noticed is that she doesn't enjoy going certain places. She hated Petsmart and she didn't like Zach's t-ball game. She actually put her leash in her mouth and dragged me back to the car at the game! But she absolutely loves going for walks so we get her out and about that way. Lexie is definitely a success story for us! Anyway, hope all is well with you and yours!
Jill Holzberg
What a wonderful picture Jill. There’s nothing better than a picture of a dog with her children!
Hi!
We adopted Merlin on Saturday and we just wanted to say, "THANK YOU!" He is such a wonderful dog and has already fit so well into our family. He is a perfect match for us and we are so blessed that he has found his forever home with us. We'll continue to send pictures and updates. Thanks again!
Jill & Vin Scafaria (and kids)
Hi Jill & Vin, we felt that your family was the perfect match for Merlin as well. We’re so happy to hear how well he’s settling in. Definitely keep those pictures and updates coming!
Dear GRRI,
Buddy is a 9 yr old rescue Golden and Sadie is his new 9 month old sister who live with Debbie and Dave in Teaneck, NJ.
Deb & Dave Reiter
Thanks for the photo Deb. It looks like Buddy likes having a baby sister around!
Dear GRRI,
Just a short note of thanks here for hosting such a wonderful and informative website.
We are a family on our second generation of Golden Retrievers and will be contacting you in the future when our very much loved “Goofy” crosses to the other side... some day. Goof is currently coming up on his 14th birthday and although he has been through six surgeries, he is doing quite well for his age.
Photo attached is from Father’s day 2008. It may be difficult to tell who is who in the photo with our swim goggles on, but that is my son Christian on the left, Goofy in the center, and me (Ed) on the far right.
Be well,
The Lowden family of Sea Girt, NJ
What an adorable photo. It sure looks like Goofy is one of “the guys”! Love the goggles.
Dear Eileen (GRRI volunteer),
I would like to thank you so very much for keeping me up to date on the progress of Valarie and Maddie, previously known as Gordy and Baby. I am so happy that they are doing well. It hurt me a lot when I had to give them up, but when you find 6 Golden Retriever pups in one shot it is hard to keep them all. At least I know they are happy with their new families.
As you well know I kept 2 of the six. They are doing just fine and are growing very fast. I named them Daisy and Gigi. Daisy is the calmer of the two. Gigi is more hyper. Gigi is also the larger of the two. They like to run after one another in my yard. Gigi does most of the chasing. One of these days I plan to take them for obedience classes so they can learn the basic commands. They are very good dogs - they are sweet, playful and very energetic. I have enclosed several pictures of Gigi and Daisy for you to keep or pass along to the parents of Val and Maddie.
In one picture they are in my yard. Gigi is on the left and Daisy on the right. In almost all their pictures Gigi is usually on the left for some weird reason. There are a couple of pictures where they are looking out the window from their room. They love that window.
I would like to finish off by thanking you again for keeping in touch with me. I hope to hear from you again and hope we can stay in touch for a long time to come. Say Hi to Val, Maddie and their families.
- Gus
Gus, thank you so much for your letter and the pictures. The “girls” are adorable!
We’ve forwarded your letter and the pictures to Valarie and Maddie’s families. Maddie’s mom commented that now she feels like her family is complete, seeing pictures of Maddie’s sisters!
Dear GRRI-NJ,
Enclosed is a donation of $25.00, please use it in a capacity that will help your organization.
We just received our e-mail copy of your summer newsletter which included the story of Angel. Angel’s foster mom at present is Pam Patton, who is a friend of ours and belongs to our Golden Retriever Forum family. Pam is one of the most caring individuals we have ever met and her love of animals knows no bounds.
We have been following Angel’s story from Pam in our forum, and this is our small contribution to the wonderful work that you do.
Supporting Rescue has become very important to us. Goldens have been in our lives since 1971. Hamish, and our first rescue, Sophie, are our fifth and sixth Golden loves. Our plan is to continue to adopt rescues as long as we have the ability to do so.
We have also included a matching gift form from Choice Point, Sheila’s employer. Please complete section “B” and return to Choice Point within 90 days and they will match our donation to you.
Thank you for all the wonderful work you do to help Goldens in need.
Sheila and Bob Johnson, Sr.
Aurora, IL.
Thank you both so much for your donation and the matching gift form. It went back in the mail the same day your check and form arrived! Angel has had a lot of wonderful Rescue “angels” helping her along the way: GRRI volunteer Sandy Liebfried who first brought her to our attention and into rescue and helped with her transportation needs; Janet Loprano, Sandy and Anita and Rick Ringen who visited with her while she was in the hospital; her first foster parents, Anita and Rick who cared for her after her tail amputation surgery; her second foster mom, Pam Patton, who cared for her after her ACL surgery and has seen her through all her current tests; the Board of Directors who approved all of her excellent medical care, and to the veterinarians who provided all her care. And of course all of our loyal supporters who made this care possible. Angel is one very lucky Golden girl and someone is going to get a wonderful dog when she’s ready to go to her forever home. We have placed your donation in our Joann Smith Memorial Fund so that we can continue to help other Goldens in our care with extensive medical issues.
Hi, Eileen (GRRI volunteer),
I am finally attaching photos of Maddie. She is getting very tall and her face is changing. She looks nothing like a Golden except for the slight feathering she is developing around her butt!
She has sailed through obedience training and now gives high fives. But we still have to work on her penchant for tearing across the room, jumping on Dennis while he's sitting on the couch and washing his face with her tongue. She loves her Daddy. The other dog in the photo is her neighbor, Bruno, who is part St. Bernard and part Mastiff. He was adopted in early March by my neighbor and they have become best friends. They play several times a day and she really holds her own with Bruno.
The shaved belly in the photos is the aftermath of her spay in late May. Her fur is growing in very slowly.
Maddie's favorite thing to do is give kisses and she loves blueberries. She loves being with us everywhere and has a favorite place to lay in every room of the house. She actually prefers her big Orvis tempurpedic bed to our bed, lucky for us as she is getting big.
Thank you so much for the letter from Maddie's savior and the photos of her littermates. I hope we can meet Valarie at the reunion. (I have no info on the reunion but assume it is coming up maybe in September?)
Terry Blake
Hi Terry, thanks so much for the great pictures. Maddie is growing up to be a beautiful girl. She’s so sleek and clean cut looking! By the time this newsletter is released you’ll have already attended the reunion! It was held September 27th at North Branch Park.
Dear Eileen (GRRI adoption coordinator),
It will be almost two years that I adopted Buddy; time went by so fast. He's so spoiled that I cannot leave the house without him; he is my shadow.
Buddy is a joy in my life; he took the place of Candy, my other Golden, which I loved very much. He has a wonderful life.
I am enclosing a few pictures of him; some with his two best friends...Pest and CK, our two cats. I am also enclosing a donation for the joy you brought into my house.
Thanks again GRRI,
Pat and Buddy
Hi Pat, time really does pass quickly, doesn’t it? I can’t believe it’s been 2 years since you adopted Buddy. He looks wonderful!
Dear GRRI,
When I first saw Red, I was amazed at his beauty and his quiet soul. Little did I know that his soul was not only quiet, but deep and so loving and that he would be my dear friend for many years.
As time went on, we moved to Virginia and rented a home on 900 acres. He enjoyed his new home with his new friend, Sheena, who belonged to my other half. And Red was happy which made me very happy. A couple of years later Sheena went to Rainbow Bridge and all of a sudden Red went blind. Was it the shock of being alone with Sheena when she died? We will never know, although there were signs of it coming. And all along, Red had hip dysplasia, which he stoically lived with. I gave him whatever meds and supplements I could to help him.
In the last two years or so, Red became disoriented and lost his sense of smell. Yet with all his problems, he still smiled and loved to be with us.
I knew the end was near. I've known it inside for a while now. But I don't think one is ever really prepared for it. It turned out he had a brain tumor. I didn't want him to live in any pain and decided his time had come.
Red was loving, gentle and good. He was everything anyone could possibly want in a Golden companion and I feel so lucky to have spent nine years with him. I love you Red. And thank you Golden Retriever Rescue.
Susan Schlenger
Susan, we’re so sorry to hear about Red’s passing. It’s always difficult to lose a wonderful friend who has shared so many life experiences with you. We hope that your wonderful memories of Red will bring you comfort and peace; he was a wonderful Golden.
Dear GRRI,
My heart is breaking as I tell you that Buddy is no longer with us. He has been fighting cancer for the past 4 months. He completed five rounds of chemo about 5 weeks ago but we knew we were just buying as much time as possible. Yesterday morning he started to bleed out again and my gift to him was to let him go. I can't even begin to tell you how much he was loved by not just me but all the customers that came in the store. He had quite a following there as people would stop in not to shop but to visit with him and Pumpkin.
Pumpkin is handling it well- as well as can be expected but will be showered with extra love from us and all of her friends.
He has left us with so many memories- I can't believe it's only been 3 years, how time flies! It just never is long enough.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you - for bringing us together to share our short time together.
Sadly,
Marie and Rich
Marie & Rich, we can’t thank you both enough for opening your home and your hearts not only to a pair of Goldens, but to a pair of senior Goldens. Life is always too short with these wonderful dogs. Our prayers are with you.
Hi Jody (GRRI foster mom),
Thanks again for doing so much for us during the transition.Best of luck with the wedding, I'm sure it's going to be fantastic! And be sure to send some pictures when you get back from the Honeymoon!
So...once we got home and read through the group's material we noticed a section on changing names. We never even knew changing a rescue dog's name was an option so following the training guide on name-changing we decided to rename her "Stella"! And so far, she's responding well to Stella and seems to love her new name!
Stella is doing great - She's adapted well to us and our house and it's hard to imagine how we ever lived without her! She still loves the elephant toy and running down tennis balls in the backyard. She is so funny (as you know) though; she won't leave my side when I'm home and always wants to play or cuddle up!I do have a question for you on the Frontline - we ordered it last week and should have it sometime today or tomorrow but when was the last time that it was applied to her? Only reason I ask is we couldn't remember exactly and I didn't want to apply it again if you had done so right before we picked her up.
Our daily walks have been great but she's been a little hyper when we come across other dogs. Did she pull with you or act a little crazy around other dogs? Do you have any simple suggestion on how to better train her or get her quickly adapted to other dogs? :)Thanks. Other than that, we're doing great and so happy to have her with us! Good to hear the group liked our little photo; we'll look out for ourselves in the next newsletter.
Congrats on the wedding, best of luck and enjoy yourselves!
Best,JR
Hi JR, thanks for the positive update on Stella. We’re happy to hear that the information we provided to you in the adoption manual was useful!
Dear GRRI,
I just wanted to let you know that our dog Dolly, that we adopted from you has passed away. She had cancer. Dolly was 10 years old. She was such a great dog.
She was a great friend and we will miss her!
Jackie Cronin
Jackie, thank you for notifying us about Dolly’s passing. Our condolences are with you and your family.
Dear GRRI,
Seamus is one happy camper! A great big basket of dog treats was delivered yesterday from Fat Murray's...courtesy of GRRI-NJ. It was his prize for the photo contest. Even with his somewhat toothless grin, he has already devoured a dog cookie in the shape of a friendly crab.
Paige
Aw….thanks so much for the photo of Seamus and his goodies! We’re thrilled that he loved his prize and we appreciate his mommy participating in our photo contest fundraiser! It was a win-win for everybody.
Dear GRRI,
We’re so sorry we can’t make this event. We still have Daisy, adopted August 2000. She and I just became a certified pet therapy team! She is wonderful! Daisy loves to be petted so this is a perfect job for her! She has helped us raise four Seeing Eye puppies, with the 5th coming tomorrow. Daisy has been a true joy. We have loved watching her grow and mature and enjoy life. We hope to have many more healthy years with Daisy.
Peggy & Steve Grow
Hi Peggy, congratulations to you and Daisy…that’s wonderful news! Sorry we won’t see you at the reunion.
Anne (GRRI foster mom),
Just wanted to let you know Lucy is enjoying the summer just fine. Here she is in the convertible.
She’s the best. We are really enjoying her and she’s happy as can be.
Dennis and Sandy Craig
Looks like Lucy is saying put on my harness, hook up my seat belt and let’s go for a ride!!!
Dear Eileen (GRRI adoption coordinator),
I am writing to let you know that our foster-to-adopt, Lily, is doing great. We have now had her for 4 weeks. She went to the Vet for her Rabies shot and is scheduled to go for her Parvo and Distemper shot on Saturday, August 9th.
Lily is an absolute pleasure and has made herself at home very quickly. She gets along great with our other Golden, Sadie. She loves to go for walks and behaves very nicely on the leash. She is completely housebroken. She also loves to cuddle and enjoys playing with her toys. She is however a very clever thief. She likes to gather souvenirs and bring them to you. She doesn't chew but likes to be near any piece of clothing that belongs to my husband or I.
She gets fed twice a day. I give her a half cup of dry food in the morning and a half cup of dry food plus a half can of no salt string beans at night. We have discovered that she likes watermelon, tomatoes and cucumbers. She also gets fish oil capsule and her thyroid medication every day.
All in all, Lily is a great dog and we have come to love her very much. She is the perfect addition to our family.
Hope this letter finds you well and we will see you at the picnic in September.
Sincerely,
Maureen Rowe
Hi Maureen, it sure sounds like Lily has made herself right at home. We were so happy when we heard you wanted to adopt another one of our rescue dogs. That’s such a positive reinforcement that we’re doing something right! We can’t wait to meet all of you in person!
Hello everyone,
How is everyone doing? We are all doing great running around & playing, tearing up the back yard, etc. My Dad got a new toy, a new camera so I think you will be seeing more pictures of us.
Love Shylow
Thanks for the pictures Shylow. You know how it is….parents get a new toy and the kids have to suffer, posing for all those pictures. We love seeing them though. Sunny sure has gotten big since the last time we saw him! We hope to see you all at the reunion.
Hi Judy (GRRI foster mom),
Thanks for the card ... it was fun to do!
How are you? Have you recovered from your surgery? And, how are all the animals?
Sad week in our house - we had to put down our cat on Tuesday. We've only had him since January and he was barely a year old. He had FIP. We loved that little boy!
Amber is going in for surgery on Monday for a growth on the back of her leg. It's not cancerous, but suspicious. She was just treated for a hot spot on her back and of course, an ear infection. This weekend we're going to visit my sister on Long Island. We bring the dogs - it's such a hoot watching them in the water. After we returned last year a lot of Amber's little bumps on her legs went away for months. Got to love that salt water. I think of this as Amber's therapy weekend. Last year she also ate a dead fish at the water's edge ... gross!!
Now that we have Maya who is 3 years old Amber seems so quiet and calm! She still gets all excited about tennis balls and food. Maya and Amber are both more beta dogs than alpha. However, when Maya gets too nutty, Amber lets her know.
Can you remind me what day the picnic is?
Hope all is well,
DonnaHi Donna, we’re sorry to hear about your kitty…such a shame to lose a pet so young. It sounds like Amber is enjoying being the “big sister” to Maya. Hope to see you at the reunion!
Hi Shayne (GRRI President),
Just an update for you on our dog Sandy. We adopted her in Jan. 2008. She is now almost 1 year old. We just love her so much. I have been taking her to obedience school. She will be graduating next week. It has definitely helped but I think she needs some more work. We have a pool and Sandy loves to swim. I have sent a few pictures. Isn't she beautiful?
Jan Davis
Hi Linda (GRRI foster mom),
Just wanted to give you an update on Sandy. She will be 1 year old next week. I think she has adapted to our home and family quite well. We have a pool and she loves to swim. I have sent you a couple of pictures so you can see how she has grown. She is a wonderful dog and we all love her very much.
Jan Davis
Jan, Sandy grew up to be one pretty little girl! Thanks so much for the pictures and the update.
Hi,
Next month my Jasper will be with me for 4 years. In ways it feels like a minute yet hard to imagine life without him. I am so happy that he rescued me! I had just lost a Golden boy after 11 years and was lost wandering from shelter to shelter trying to fill a huge hole in my heart when Jazz stepped in.
I have enclosed a photo from a day at "work" and as you can see he has few teeth. His mouth was terribly infected when he was rescued by you wonderful people and while he has no interest in getting dentures :) he has no problem eating anything he wants. His skin was also in bad condition with many allergies and clearly he has a super golden coat now. So unlike a Golden, Jasper was terrified of water when he joined me. He now walks to the bathroom and stands by the tub when I mention getting his bath. He plays in the sprinklers in the yard!! So far he has not chosen to enter water at the beach but last year at Cape Cod he laid at the edge of the water getting wet. He will be going again for his vacation in 3 weeks and who knows!!!
He DOES work. I work as a regional nurse in nursing homes and Jasper goes to work with me every day. He makes the elderly residents smile from ear to ear and they can pet him endlessly (which he surely does not mind). He will approach residents who are almost un-responsive and bring a smile to their faces as he licks their hand. Because Jazz goes to work each day 3 other employees bring their dogs daily also and Jazz plays with them with great joy. Interesting aside-2 of those dogs had behavior problems with other dogs and after "play dates" with Jazz they are now well-behaved. He is an amazing being.
And, Jazz does something I have never seen before-when he gets overwhelmingly happy his tail doesn't just wag, it spins like a propeller!! I try to make sure that happens as often as possible.
To say that I thank you for rescuing him and Linda for fostering him is simply enormously inadequate. He is worth his weight in gold.
Thank you-
Pat McQuaide
Hi Pat, thanks for the adorable picture of Jasper – he looks terrific and it sounds like he’s enjoying his life to the fullest. His luck certainly changed when he was accepted into our rescue program and it became complete when he was adopted by you. Jasper certainly wasn’t the prettiest Golden at the time he was adopted and we can’t tell you how grateful we were that you could look beyond his physical condition at that time and see the wonderful dog that he is.
Dear Judy & Eileen (GRRI volunteers),
Dakota is in his new home, and we wanted you to know he is doing great. He was calm and alert on the way home from NJ. On arrival, he followed us around the house to explore things. We threw the tennis ball a few times, and he retrieved it for us. He loves tennis balls, but does not seem to be interested in soft toys. In the evening, he got to meet Amy's sister and family who were stopping by on their way back to Maryland from Cape Cod. We heard his loud bark for a few minutes when they arrived, so we have an inkling that he will be a great watch dog. Other than that, we have not heard him bark.
He is walking well on the leash (really, Judy) and already has discovered that he can see deer outside our house. Also, rabbits seem to peak his interest. He ate dinner nicely, did all his business, and when we went upstairs to bed, he followed us. He quickly got comfortable, sleeping on the floor in the doorway so nobody would be able to pass by without his knowing. He has not tried to get on the furniture at all.
This morning, he put his face on the edge of the bed to wake David, but when David pretended to ignore him, he went right back down to sleep. His tail is up and wagging all the time. He already knows that he will get a treat if he sits nicely outside the kitchen door while we are busy. He takes his meds easily. As I am writing this, he is rolling over for belly rubs.
We will keep you posted.
Fondly,
Amy and David
PS We will probably call him Cody.
Hi Amy and David, we’re so happy to hear how well Cody is adjusting to his new forever home…he’s such a sweetheart, isn’t he? He’s one very lucky boy.
Greetings!
Liberty has brought many smiles to our neighborhood over the summer. He is very proud carrying one of his sticks on our walks. We have a collection by the back door! He is always ready to lounge on our deck!
Liberty loves to sit on our deck at the shore also, which has a great view of a creek, birds, and ducks. He loves to just people watch too. We go for long walks there and meet several other friends and dogs.
We are looking forward to the reunion next month.
Many thanks again for all your efforts in helping our wonderful Golden breed!
Irene & Joe
Liberty is no dummy – he knows how to enjoy the dog days of summer!
Hi Eileen, Amy Jo and Linda (GRRI volunteers),
It's hard to believe that one year has gone by since Charlie became a part of the Vinci family. Thanks to GRRI-NJ, Len and I (and Bess!) love and enjoy Charlie more each day! I remember one of the first things Amy Jo said about him was "he loves life" and it is SO true. He's ready to play ALL the time, and all we have to do is look at him and he wags his tail.
His health is perfect (including his eyes). He weighed in at 79 lbs at his well-visit this week. His training has also come along VERY well; he's totally on a light-line and his off lead recalls and heels are just great. Bess and Charlie are really best friends now too; they walk, run, swim and chase together on our daily hikes, and enjoy a nice nap when the fun and games are over (see the attached picture - I think they're actually holding hands!).
Thanks to you all for making this happen!
All the best,
Helen & Len
Hi Helen & Len, what a terrific update and a fabulous picture…Charlie and Bess look wonderful together!
Dear Eileen & Drew (GRRI volunteers),
Just a little note to thank you for all you do for Goldens. We love our Ben without reserve. He is so much a part of our lives. He watches out for Lars, our 16-year old Cocker, who is deaf, dumb and blind but not in pain. We just received our invitation to the reunion but are unable to attend due to previous commitments. We hope everyone enjoys themselves. Please accept our contribution to GRRI-NJ and keep up the great work on behalf of Goldens.
Sincerely,
Edmee & David Cassidy
Thank you so much for your generous donation! The boys look great…I can’t believe Lars is 16 years old and that Ben is 8 already.
Dear GRRI,
Today we received a package in the mail from Sylvia and Philip Mogerman and it contained 2 goodie bags for the boys from the Treasure Hunt. We had to miss the treasure hunt due to the boys’ soccer schedules. They were thrilled to get these treats. Even my strapping 12 ½ year old, 7th grade son was wandering around with an eye patch on!
I cannot believe the kindness of everyone in your organization! Thank you so much for a wonderful day, but especially for the gift of Riley!
Liza DeBlis and family
Hi Liza, it's too bad your sons missed the "hunt" but we understand about sports schedules in the fall; it seemed to be the biggest reason why our adopters with children didn't make the reunion this year. We're glad you were able to come after their games, and we're happy they all enjoyed their goodie bags!
Dear Shayne, Linda and everyone involved in GRRI,
It has been over a year since we adopted Pinot from GRRI. I don't know where the time goes as I should have written much sooner.
Pinot has been absolutely perfect for our family. She gets along great with all the grand dogs and grand kids. She really loves the children. She spent a large part of the summer at our beach house with the kids coming and going.
She is the sweetest dog and truly the most affectionate Golden we have ever had.
She goes for her Percotin shot every 28 days and everyone at the Vet is thrilled to see her. Her Addison's disease is perfectly under control and we have managed to keep her weight around 83-lbs. She looks great!
Unfortunately we lost her sister, Maggie, about a month ago. It has been very hard on us, but we are so grateful that we have Pinot.
Maggie was adopted 10 years ago from a family in CT who couldn't take her with them when they were moving. She was about 3 years old at the time and just a great dog. Please accept the enclosed donation in Maggie's name.
We're not quite ready, but in time we will contact you to find a new friend and sister for Pinot.
Thank you for all the wonderful work you do for Goldens.
Roni & Ernie Larini
Roni & Ernie, we’re so sorry to hear about Maggie’s passing. Thank you for your donation in her memory. Pinot looks absolutely wonderful! We can’t tell you how happy we were when you welcomed her to your family.
