|
Vol 11 No 2
Features in this Issue:
Fond Farewells
GRRI-NJ's web site
design and maintenance is made possible entirely by donated
services.
|
Letters to GRRI-NJ
Dear GRRI,
Love and thank you for our latest bundle of joy and energy, Kassie. I recently lost a Golden and a St. Bernard. My 11-year-old Golden has been depressed. Kassie is a real puppy at 18 months and keeps us on our toes. I cry every time I look at her and picture the life she had before wonderful Olivia fostered her. We do not get much sleep or rest yet and spend our days playing ball, learning to walk on a leash, wrestling (the dogs) and giving and receiving plenty of kisses. Please know that Kassie is and will always be an integral and well loved member of the family. Bless you for the work you do for our wonderful Goldens.
Wendy Paskin
Dear GRRI,
Here is another picture of our beloved Kassie who is not only a beauty but also a loving, energetic and adorable girl! Thank you so much!
Wendy
GRRI,
Hi- It is just a month that my Kassie is with me. She is a big teddy bear who looks like Marilyn Monroe. She is playful, devilish and most of all loving and loyal. Leash walking is difficult so I hope to get a private trainer. She goes to manners class but sometimes new situations are stressful for her. She enjoys the security of her home and yard. Kassie pretty much gets what she wants. She is my gorgeous queen with a gentle nature and huge heart. She is my HEART! After 1 month it is hard to imagine life without her-despite the work!! Her eyes melt right through me. Enclosed is the latest picture of the queen! I am always checking your website and just ordered the ear powder for my 11-year-old Golden -who is now young again!
Thanks so much to all of you.
Wendy
GRRI,
Hi, just an update on my beauty queen. She just graduated from manners class (I think the instructor favors her). While everyone else was doing their tricks, Kassie was drinking the trainer's coffee and kissing him!
Nothing in life has prepared me for the joy and sometimes sorrow my relationship with these Goldens has meant to me. Kassie is full of life and love and I treasure her as if I gave birth to her. I am the lucky one and hold her in my arms every time I am with her. How dare someone not care for this loveliest, sweetest of creatures, even though she is a devil-from pulling up the tree roots from the yard to coming to the door with a dead bird in her mouth!!
Life will never be dull and I reap the joy I receive from her every day. We are going on to advanced manners school since Kassie refuses to walk on a leash and the trainer wants her to be a therapy dog even though she jumps right in the wheel chair and cuddles with whoever is in it!! She even drags my 11-year-old Golden by his ankle and he lets her!
Life is just grand we are all happy!!
Thanks for all you do and who you are.
Wendy
Wendy, thank you for giving Kassie such a wonderful home! We love receiving your updates and photos.
Dear GRRI,
I love looking at your photo gallery. It is heartwarming to see Goldens placed in the loving homes they deserve. I have a 13-year -old Golden myself, so I feel for Disney. I wish I could have helped her family to keep her, but I'm glad she now has the love and comfort she deserves.
Please accept this check to help the Disneys.
Susan Iannarelli
Thank you so much for your donation. Disney is still hanging in there and her foster parents say each and every day is a blessing for all of them.
Dear Eileen (GRRI volunteer),
Wishing you a very Blessed New Year. Bonnie is fine, still the spoiled "Golden" in the family. I can't imagine life without her. Please accept the enclosed donation for all the fur babies in need. I still look at the website and available Goldens, wishing I could adopt all of them. Thank you again for all you do for GRRI and for being there for me so many times.
Love and blessings,
Deb
Happy New Year, Deb. Bonnie grew up to be a gorgeous girl. Thank you so much for the donation and for sending her picture!
Hi Eileen (GRRI volunteer),
I'm sending a small donation in memory of our three GRRI Goldens, Malibu, Harley and Jake. Thought you'd like to see our new boy. We decided that 3 funerals in 4 years were more than we could endure so after Jake died we looked in the paper and found a family that was selling their 6-month-old Golden! Enclosed is our Dash; he was 6 months when we got him and is 2 1/2 now. He's been mellow since the day we got him. We thought that Malibu was the biggest mush ever, but this guy is actually a bigger mush. We just didn't want to forget GRRI since you have supplied us with so much love in the past.
Sincerely,
Tom & Paula Ford
Dash is one handsome fella! Thanks so much for your memorial donation and for advising us of your new address.
Hi Olivia (GRRI foster mom),
Oakley is an absolute dream! As you know, he loves to cuddle, and on these very cold nights we've been doing just that! He is such a wonderful dog ... a gorgeous boy, too! He's gained some weight and looks great. The doc is very pleased with his hind legs and his eyes have been good, too, except for some goopy stuff.
Hope everyone is doing well on your end. Are you fostering anyone? Enjoy the wonderful snow ... the dogs are certainly having a great time playing in it!!!
Bobbie
Thanks for the update, Bobbie. We’d love to see some new pictures!
Dear friends at GRRI,
We adopted Becky (aka Tammy) on Saturday and she's happily settling right in! She's getting along with her "fur sisters", Sophie and Bear (a GRRI rescue). She's still skittish and probably will be for a while, but she seems willing to try things that are new to her. She's catching on quite well to our routines. She has no appetite problems what-so-ever (so Golden-typical)! She's very happy to bring me, Bill or the other girls a toy to play with and is always up for a game of fetch or tug-of-war (when they're all not napping). She seems to be Bill's snuggle buddy, crashing on the couch to watch TV. We love her and even though it’s been only 3 days, she's already a part of the family! I've attached a picture that Bill took...that's me on the couch with Becky; Bear's on the left and Sophie's on the right. Next time I'll send a picture with Bill and the girls. I still owe you a picture of Bear with her devil horns (and her angel wings, if I can muster it)!
We'll keep in touch!
Love,
Lisa and Bill Barkenbush, Sophie, Becky and Bear :)
Lisa, you have NO IDEA how thrilled we are over how well Becky has settled into her new home. We were so sure she would have a small set back in her emotional behavior, but that doesn’t seem to be the case at all. Thank you both so much for giving her the love and solitude that she needed in her forever home.
Hi Everyone!
I just wanted to send along some pictures of Liberty. He is enjoying the winter and loves the snow!
Our neighbor gave Liberty a holiday headband which Liberty gladly wore around the house! We have been placing a tennis ball in his food bowl so he eats around the food, and not so quickly. Liberty loves to give kisses! He also enjoys the sunshine & happenings at the front door!
We hope everyone is doing well!
Irene, Joe & Liberty
Liberty looks great, thanks for the pictures!
GRRI,
I am in receipt of your Annual Adoption Follow Up form. I am writing to inform you that the Golden I adopted through your organization, Dante, has passed away. He contracted mast cell sarcoma last summer and died in early September. I am still devastated from the loss of this angel and will miss him for the rest of my life. I will be eternally grateful to GRRI for matching me with this wonderful boy who brought such love and devotion into my life. I have adopted a Labrador Retriever through a local shelter here in St. Louis but, having owned other Goldens, will forever be a Golden lover. Keep up the great work you do.
Thank you again,
Pat
Pat, we’re so sorry to hear of Dante’s passing. We all agree with you – once you’ve shared your life with a Golden Retriever you’re committed for life. Good luck with your new Lab.
Hi Pamela (GRRI foster mom),
Sorry this is so late. We loved your Christmas card! Great picture! I have sent along some pictures of Reese, most of which are from our visits to my parents in North Carolina each spring. She just loves having the chance to swim and do flying leaps from the dock after her jolly ball. The one with the Boxer is at Charlie's mom's place in North Jersey and the two dogs can't get enough of each other.
When we aren't visiting grandparents, Reese gets her exercise either running with Charlie, on walks with me in the woods each day, or a play date with a Golden down the street. I'm hoping for more snow because it is such a riot to watch her burrow in it and see just her tail sticking up. She is very fit and healthy. Even the vet commented on how fit she is! She has boundless energy and many people think she is still a puppy. She is also sooooo playful and coordinated. I am going to find an agility class for her to try. I swear, she thinks she is a Border Collie and not a Golden. She is so agile.
Reese is also very sweet and mindful. She sleeps with me and Charlie every night right in the bed with us. We wouldn't have it any other way. She is so comfortable with everyone in the family that we can literally pick her up and cradle her like a baby in our laps. She naps this way with Emma (now 15) nearly every afternoon after she gets home from school.
It's hard to believe Reese has only been with us for 3 years, it seems like always!
Thank you GRRI!
The Reese’s: Beth, Charlie, Sam, Emma, and Betsy
Thanks so much for the update and photos. We LOVE the dock diving ones.
Hello,
My name is Bosco Geller. My mom, my sister (Duchess) and I would like to make a donation towards your organization. I am a very lucky fellow to have been brought up in such a great home. Both my sister and I have a loving mom that is always taking care of us with “TLC”.
My mom read us the story of Maverick (Winter 2009 newsletter) and I have to say, he is very lucky to have a second chance to live the rest of his life with such a loving family. We will be praying for him that God watches over him!!!!! With all this being said, please get back to my mom as to where we can send our donation.
Kindest Regards,
Bosco, Duchess & Maureen Geller
Thanks for your letter, Bosco. You’re right, Maverick’s guardian angel was watching out for him that day. He’s doing great and we hope he and his forever family have many, many happy years together.
GRRI,
In the 6 years since we adopted Chrissie, I have never ceased to be amazed by your organization - the kindness and compassion for both the dogs and the adopters is wonderful.
We sent adoption announcements to friends & family with the information about Chris that was on the website; my 93-yr-old aunt still has it on the refrigerator and during our visit last fall, I re-read it. It was so accurate that I could have written it! And one of my cousins read it at my aunt's as well and used it as the re-assurance that she needed before she adopted her dog last year.
As an aside, a friend recently attempted to adopt thru her local shelter and the results were disastrous - they included a dog fight, stitches, lots of blood and trauma and rabies shots. They weren't given an accurate assessment of the dog's temperament. It had been caged for months, they didn't know how it interacted with other dogs, kids or old people. When I heard how bad the process turned out, I knew how blessed we were. While they didn't have to fill out the forms & go through references & interviews, they also didn't have the confidence in the dog or adoption process just hours after they brought the dog home. So keep up the great work - keep asking questions; they protect the dogs that have suffered enough, losing their original families, and protect us too. If someone balks, they don't want a dog bad enough.
Please know that every day, my mom, Chrissie and I thank you for putting us together.
Sincerely,
Pat Bean
Congratulations on your recent retirement, Pat. Chrissie Belle must love having you home! We couldn’t help but shudder when we read about the adoption ordeal your friend recently experienced; how sad for the dog and everyone involved. We hope that none of our adopters will ever have to go through a situation like that. As you know, we try to be as thorough as we possibly can, and match our Goldens to the perfect home for them. We feel that we owe it to them and based on feedback like yours it sounds like we’re succeeding!
Judy (GRRI foster mom),
Sorry we have not contacted you sooner - Chewey is doing great
The attached photos were taken today at the dog park in Highland Park. The snow had melted and the park was a sea of mud. Chewey had a great time (as he always does); he is so much more social than the other Goldens we have had.
My daughter moved to Atlanta last September and we will be following her at the end of this month. The condo we were contracted to buy would only take dogs weighing 35 lbs. or less. We walked away from it rather than give Chewey up. We found a nicer, bigger and better place for less money and are on track to move by 2/28/09. It allows two dogs - so we may get Chewey a friend after we move.
Goodbye for now - we will send you pictures and let you know how Chewey is doing down south.
Vincent Sindone
Thanks for the pictures of Chewey – he looks great! Good luck with your move. Please let us know your new address, phone number(s) and email address so we can update our records.
Dear GRRI-NJ,
Thank you for contacting us and forwarding the Annual GRRI-NJ Adoption Follow Up for Rory, formerly Belmont. Since he joined us last May, we have been delighted at how well he's settled in and how quickly he has become a much loved member of the family. We are grateful for this opportunity to express our appreciation to Linda Schnorrbusch, Rory's foster mom, and to all GRRI-NJ volunteers who did such a fine job in making a match that truly surpassed our expectations as first-time adopters.
Please accept the enclosed contribution in memory of our beloved Golden, Kitt, whom we lost in December 2007, and in celebration of Rory, who brought Golden sunshine back into our lives. If a picture is worth a proverbial thousand words, we hope the enclosed photos bear witness not only to the joy of adopting a wonderful Golden, but also to the important work that GRRI-NJ does on behalf of so many Goldens in need.
With best wishes,
Eileen & Ed Burchell
Thank you so much for your generous donation. We’ve placed the money in our Joann Smith Special Needs Fund so that we can continue to help our wonderful rescue dogs with extraordinary health issues. Rory looks wonderful and so happy!
Dear Robin (GRRI sunshine lady),
Please forgive me for not having written but I went into the hospital a year ago and have just been able today to climb upstairs to get to the computer. I have a wonderful caretaker from Nigeria who believes Buttercup is the only reason I'm still around.
You may know I have had two males Goldens from GRRI in the past. Now I don't want to start WW III or nuthin' but this little female is smarter than both of them together. She is quicker, more intelligent, and prettier than any dog I've ever owned. In fact, I have to throw my body across her to keep people from trying to abduct her.
Thank you for your kind words and I hope Butter gets her picture into the GRRI newsletter.
Priscilla
Hi Priscilla, thanks so much for your entertaining letter. As you can see, Buttercup’s photo made it into the newsletter! We’re sorry to hear of your hospitalization; hopefully you’re back to your old spry self.
Hi Anne (GRRI foster mom),
Hope everyone is well, how is Marcus doing? We are dog sitting for friends for one month now. We were not sure how Sasha was going to get along with these other dogs, but she is doing amazingly well. She plays tug o war with the 2-year-old and all 3 sleep together. It's amazing how far she's come. We took some pix of her and thought you would like to see them.
All the best,Vicky and Fonda
What a great shot of Sasha in her bonnet!!! You’re right, she’s come a long way since you and Fonda adopted her. She’s one lucky girl.
Hi Anne (GRRI foster mom),
We wanted to let you know how easily Rusty joined our home. He seems very happy and is enjoying the new neighborhood. He has found our cat but so far so good. She knows how to hide so I don't think we will have a problem. Here are two pictures. Thank you for taking care of him. I think that has helped him make a smooth transition
Betty and Mary
PS The pictures in the background is our beloved Nugget.
Rusty looks wonderful! The picture of him lying with his plush toy says it all. He had a tough life before he came into rescue and we know he’ll have the pampered life that he was meant to have with all of you.
Hi Olivia! (GRRI foster mom)
Here are a couple of pictures of our gorgeous boy Oakley! (His full name is Oakley Shea - all our dogs have middle names!) He is so incredible... a total snuggler, and such a goofball!
I've thrown in a bonus picture of our newbie, my handsome guy Quincy (Quincy Benjamin!). I can't thank all of you at rescue enough for these two special boys. They have brought such love and fun into our home, especially after such a difficult and devastating couple of months that we had last summer.Enjoy the pics... I'll be sure to send more!
Take care... hugs to your pups!Sue
What a face! There’s nothing like a powdered sugar face on a senior Golden. Thank you and Bobbie for adopting two of our wonderful seniors.
GRRI,
The Young family wanted to update you on our new addition, Miley. She’s settling in very nicely. We all love her. She's adjusting to the cats, kids, and having another dog around and just being exposed to all life has to offer. There is something so special about Goldens; I know you all know that. You have all helped heal my sadness after losing Cody. When I look at her she makes me smile. Miley has some of Cody's same little quirks like finding the biggest stick possible and dragging it out of the woods. We will be signing her up for basic obedience and for the Invisible Fence Company to come out and train her. We all wanted to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for doing what you do!!! I will send pictures and keep updating you!!
Thanks again,
The Young Family
Thanks for the update, Sue. We’re so glad Miley has settled in so easily. We’d love to see pictures!
