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Vol 12 No 1
Features in this Issue:
Fond Farewells
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Letters to GRRI-NJ
Hi Linda (GRRI foster mom),
I wanted to let you know that our Jasper has died. He was doing great and just last week vacationed with my daughter and me in Martha's Vineyard at the same place we went right after I adopted him. He loved it and seemed to return to his puppy-hood for the week. He went to work with me Monday and Tuesday and woke me up last night with labored breathing. I took him to the Vet who felt sure he had Lymphoma and probably 10 days at best to live. I brought him home, hoping the Vet was wrong. Jazz's breathing was labored for the next few hours and then I left the room for a moment and when I returned he seemed asleep but as I walked around him he lifted his head, looked at me, took a deep breath and passed away.
I am completely crushed, I adored that boy. But, through my tears I thought of you and had to thank you on this day for taking him in, caring for him with so much love and passing him on to me. He made life wonderful-I just wish it could have lasted a little longer.
Pat
Pat, we were so sorry to hear your sad news. Jasper was a very special little guy. We know he had a wonderful life with you and that he enjoyed your vacations on the Cape together. Our sincere sympathy.
Dear Eileen and GRRI,
I can't begin to tell you how happy we were that the Golden Re-union was finally moved back to a Sunday. Since Doug works on Saturdays, we have been unable to come for the last few years but yesterday's re-union makes up for all the missed ones. I'm not sure who had more fun, our kids or our pups. It was just terrific. It was also great seeing so many old friends and meeting so many new ones. Each of our three fur kids won a contest and were thrilled with their prizes. And of course, all the Goldens are the highlight for us.
By the time we came home, the pups were exhausted (a good thing) and all the boys slept on the way home! The weather was picture perfect and as you know, seeing Gretchen, now Sadie, again was a highlight for all of us. I am attaching a photo that seemed to sum it all up for us. This was how Rascal's ice cream sundae was left when he was finished and I kid you not.....none of us touched it!!!! The photo says it all!
Thanks again for including us,
Stephanie Glazer and family
Hi Steph, we love the photo and were happy that you could join us this year.
Hi Eileen, Amy-Jo, and Linda (GRRI volunteers),
Just an update from Len and me, that Charlie is doing great. We were on vacation last week in the mountains and he and Bess of course had the greatest time. I attached 2 pictures. You can see their "smiling" faces! It's hard to believe that Charlie is almost 3 years old. He is such a fantastic dog - he's come such a long way with his training (he has his "figure 8" heeling down and just now starting a directed fetch), and yet he still hasn't lost his puppy enthusiasm for life. We've discovered that he is a good Frisbee dog - he tracks it in the air to catch it and he's actually caught a couple by flipping his body around mid-air- I never thought he could do it with his "stocky" body type but he's quite agile (and fast!) Thankfully he has no problems at all with his eyesight. He is really a happy guy! He and Bess continue to get along as "bff's"! Bess is going to be 7 at her next birthday and I know that having Charlie around is keeping her young.
So glad we found GRRI-NJ.
Thanks again!
Helen and Len
They look wonderful. The contrast between their two colors is striking. We’re not sure if you noticed, but the photo of them in the field together was the photo featured on our home page on the website this past autumn.
Dear Friends at GRRI-NJ,
It is with a very deep sad heart that I write to inform you that we lost our sweet Daisy on Thursday night. An ultrasound confirmed that she had a mass. Fortunately, she did not suffer and only showed signs of "something wrong" a week before. We adopted her from you on August 14, 2000. She was approximately 1- 1/2 years when we got her, and we were her 4th home. Daisy was a joy and a sparkle in my heart every day. She did exceptionally well in her obedience training, earned her CGC, was off-leash trained, and the past 2 years she and I were a pet therapy team. She also raised five Seeing Eye puppies! We miss that "roo-roo" bark when waiting for her food, and of course we miss everything about her. Our home and hearts are empty, but we do rejoice in the wonderful 9 years she spent with us. I have to tell you that your dear Joanne was the person who matched Daisy and me, and I will always be grateful to her and GRRI-NJ.
Thank you for finding Daisy and allowing me the privilege of living life with her.
Best,
Peggy & Steve Grow
Daisy’s wonderful legacy is going to live on in all those puppies that she helped to raise. You know she’s looking down from heaven and reminding them of all that she taught them. We’re so sorry for your loss.
Dear Mama Lilli (GRRI foster mom):
Thank you so much for taking me to the Deubler's and their wonderful yard. You can see I have a lot of fun playing ball with Daddy Lee. He is teaching me a new command called "Drop" and if I drop the ball I get a treat and he chucks the ball for me over and over again! There are lots of good smells in their yard and I spend a lot of time exploring and sniffing - I think they even have a groundhog under their shed. Gerri plays with me now but she's older so if I get too rambunctious, I get a time-out in my crate. But that's ok because you know I like my crate anyway. Mama Mary also likes to play with me and thinks I'm a star - at least I heard her say "I'm seeing stars" after I ran into her in the backyard once. She's really glad I lived with you for a while because you taught me a lot of good behaviors and I understand that was difficult when we first met.
Thanks again, Mama Lilli,Jazper
Jazper, you look wonderful. As we say over and over, there is a special home out there for each and every one of our dogs; we just have to be patient and wait for them to come to us.
Hi Judy and Jack and the Gang.....(GRRI foster mom and her dogs)
I have been so swamped.....but I needed to tell you, Judy, I just love this girl! She is my buddy and we do everything together. She makes me smile - she makes us all smile. She is the sweetest soul. Our home just wouldn't be the same without her.
Of course, Belle's number one enemy is the W-I-N-D !!!! She is still so terrified of it - especially yesterday. We had sustained winds of around 50 mph all day. She did the "sack of potatoes" routine twice and never pooped all day!
Today, however, she was back to normal and made up for yesterday! LOL
She is smart and funny. She thinks that anything that walks through our yard should be tracked with her nose. We were just outside in the dark (me with my flashlight) and when she heard the rustle of leaves and then a dog bark in the distance, she froze and waited and watched and thought she was the almighty Big Brave Belle! Then a neighbor put a lid on a garbage can and she made a bee line to my side....LOL.
She's so obedient, Judy. She knows sit, down, let's go, come, she can "bring it" and of course, every dog's favorite....."Wanna cookie?" She loves the smell of cooking in the kitchen, that's our dinner-Belle, and she even flirts with the toaster for a whiff of rye toast! People who visit are so impressed with her manners. Once she gets to know them, she sits patiently while they pet her head. No jumping-ever. She sits by me always - chewing her bones. Every night I still lie on the floor with her and rub her belly before bed. I tell her what a beautiful girl she is and she just LOVES that.
She just picked up a stuffed turtle and started de stuffing the poor fella. We were talking about her tail tonight. When she walks through the house her tail wags back and forth so that it hits her on each side of her body.....then it will waggle up and wiggle down.
We walk to the corner - but she still watches over her shoulder every other step to make sure the house doesn't disappear behind her. I think she would follow me anywhere....I'm so lucky!
Alright-enough about us....how are you? Jack? The rest of the gang?
xoxoxo
Brave Belle and NancyWe just love hearing Belle stories, Nancy. Thanks for keeping us so well informed of her progress!
Dear GRRI,
Today is Cody's 12th birthday and we want to thank rescue for allowing us to adopt him.
Cody has been a member of our family for six wonderful years. When we think back to the scared abused dog that we and Theresa did the evaluation on it doesn't seem possible that that dog could now be the politician that he is glad handing everyone he sees. (Instead of hitting the dirt every time some one came near him.)
A special thank you to Theresa for being his first foster Mom, her unlucky break of her arm was our very lucky break.
Barb & John
Cody sure has come a long way. It’s a tribute to what a patient, loving home can do for these wonderful dogs. Thank you, Barb and John, for adopting him.
Hello Terry and Curt (GRRI foster parents),
Just saying hello and letting you know that Sonny is doing well. He is getting whiter in the face, and much of his coat has white hair too, so he looks lighter overall. He is a complete hedonist about being brushed; one only has to say the word “brush,” and Sonny is on the floor/ground, stretched out and waiting. He has always been this way about the brushing ritual, and I thank his previous family for this.
He still has lots of spunk, energy and enthusiasm, and probably contributes greatly to our own health. He doesn’t quite know how to handle the recent overtures from the cat about “friendship.” The cat rubs his head on Sonny’s neck, I am sure, wanting Sonny to do some grooming of the cat, but Sonny just ignores this.
His devotion, loyalty and constancy continue to completely capture us through and through. We adore him.
Hope this finds you both well.
Warm regards,
Charlotte
Thanks for the update, Charlotte. We’d love to see some photos of him!
Hi!
I hope everyone at GRRI-NJ had a Happy Halloween! I had a fun time watching my brother and sister dress up in their Halloween costumes. I've even sent you a picture of us so you can see how great I look!
I did want to let you know that I had surgery a couple of weeks ago to remove a very large cyst from my neck and a small cyst from the top of my head. The cyst on my neck was about the size of a tennis ball and really bothered me. I came home from the surgery looking pretty silly with a big shaved patch on my neck and the top of my head, but my fur has been growing back really fast and my incisions have been healing very well. My family gave me lots of hugs and cuddles, and I think that helped me to get better so quickly. Everyone at the vet told my dad that I am such a good boy!
I celebrated my 11th birthday at the beginning of October and can't believe that I've been at my "forever home" for over 3 years now. My family tells me that I act like a puppy! I love to lie under the kitchen table during dinner ... it's a great spot to catch any food the kids drop. I like my naps a lot, but also like playing catch and getting pets & hugs from my family. Life is good!
Hugs & Licks,
Eli Feiner
Hi Eli, thanks for writing. We’re sorry to hear that you had to have surgery but we were happy to hear that everything went well. You’re probably feeling much better now. Happy belated birthday! May you have many more.
Dear GRRI,
Enclosed is a small contribution to continue your good work in loving memory of my dear grand dog, Daisy, CGC TD. She came from GRRI-NJ in August 2000 and brought us much joy and happiness.
Daisy helped raise five puppies for the Seeing Eye and made therapy visits to cheer patients. She was that rare combination of great pet, creative teacher, and caring therapist.
Condolences to Peggy and Steve.
Dear Daisy, wait for me at the Rainbow Bridge.
Your Gram
Thank you so much for your donation in memory of sweet Daisy. We’ve written to Peggy and Steve, informing them of your donation.
Hi Everyone,
Just wanted to send some new pictures of Liberty. We passed by this old fire truck in Monmouth Beach. Liberty actually hopped up the back afterwards! The other picture is Liberty resting after the reunion. We love the Hollywoof black tie!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Irene, Joe & Liberty~
We’re glad you enjoyed the reunion. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect. It was a really fun theme, wasn’t it?
Hi Judy (and Jack and the gang)
Every day I think - I need to write Judy and update her about Belle. Errrr...need I tell you how life runs away from you and before you know it, it's tomorrow!
I just finished my weekly argument with Belle about nail trimming. She still isn't thrilled with nail trimming and we play tug-of-war forever. I take the little paw and rub the belly - look at a nail and as soon as I pick up the clippers......Gone! There goes the paw. I take it back, rub her belly, whoosh, the paw disappears! LOL. I’m starting to think that it has nothing to do with the actual clipping of the nails, but she hates the sound of the clippers. Since she prefers the yard to walking on the street her nails grow quickly. Ah, the challenges of motherhood!
Yesterday she found an old, weathered soccer ball in the neighbor’s yard. She actually plays soccer and uses her legs to kick it along. It really is quite comical.
She has been trying some of the raw diet foods. Need I tell you she loves it? Especially the green tripe and chicken. I went to pick up an order Thursday evening and Diane Mellon has 10 golden puppies! I got to peek at them from the doorway - they are only about 2 1/2 weeks old and they were eating. Darn they are cute! Expensive though - $1,700. My neighbor and I were laughing about it yesterday as Belle is so attached to me. I'm sure some day she will be ready for a puppy but not yet. She is still learning and growing and there is no need to upset her quiet little world here - after all - she is the princess, you know. Princess Belle.
I am not feeding her 100% raw...she still loves her sweet potato and venison and I know she is just fine on that. It is interesting though to try some raw stuff and see how she naturally loves it. She followed me around the house for 2 hours the other night because I bought her some beef tracheas. Just the smell of them in the house and she wouldn't give up until I gave her one! Good Sniffer Belle.
Everyone just loves her. My niece came home from college today for the night. As soon as she heard Emily come in the back door she got up and peered around the corner....."Hello? Look! Here I am!" Of course, everyone then says "Awwww....come on, Belle!" and she eventually musters the courage to come into the kitchen. Sometimes I call her "B" and Luke thinks that sounds like a Mafia name so he'll say to her in a funny Brooklyn accent "Yo B, get ova hea!" and she comes! LOL
She still sleeps down in my office in her nice comfy bed. She will wander upstairs on occasion with me but shows no interest in sleeping up there. Someday. In the meantime though I still lie on the floor with her every night and rub her belly before I go up to bed and pet her pretty face and tell her how special she is and what a beautiful girls she is. Beautiful Belle.
She has learned a new trick in the morning. She used to sleep in until I feed her. Now she waits until I pour a cup of coffee and then she'll come sit next to me at the kitchen table. I scratch her head and her chest and massage her back. I think she would stand there all day. I guess I would too if someone did that for me. Smart Belle.
Your soup story was hilarious and the comments from the gang were priceless. I roared laughing - all at your expense, of course. And sadly, I look forward to your next cooking adventure to see what your gang will do. LOL So what will you cook next? Roast Beef? A leg of lamb?
I hope you are well and Jack is doing better. Let me know if I should send the fixings for soup up and you can try it again. I have a wonderful recipe (and it's easy) for a white bean soup. One of the girls I work with made it and brought it in and now I make it every other week or so. I am NOT a good cook, Judy. This is easy enough for me to pull off so if your interested, let me know and I’ll send the recipe.
xoxoxoxoxo
Nancy and Brave Sweet BelleYeah, we tend to tease Judy a great deal about her culinary skills.
Hi Terry and Curt (GRRI foster parents),
I just received your note of changing your e-mail address...hope it works!
Our Becky girl is doing just fine! I've finally figured out her "poop needs" and have created a routine around that!
She had a physical setback about a month or two ago where she was throwing up for over a day and needed a vet's visit ($!). They re-hydrated her, took blood work (fine), x-rays (ok) and wanted to check her bacterial levels in the triad area (where the stomach, upper intestines and pancreas all meet)...the bacterial level was high, so they put her on probiotics and an anti-inflammatory/anti-biotic. One day after starting those, she had a seizure (epileptic)...really scary! The doc said it was the anti-inflammatory/antibiotic and to stop it's use...the reaction is actually more common in cats because of the way their nervous system is set up. She was fine by that evening, bouncing around like a puppy with her fur-sisters (whew)! She's doing really well. We have one more weekend of going up to the Catskills to our trailer, and then we have to hang it up for the winter.
I'll send pictures hopefully the weekend of Oct 24th or so.
Hope you both are doing just fine...getting ready for the colder weather? I was going to say "COOLER" weather, but it seems we've gone from summer to winter already! Hope for a nice long Indian summer!
Talk to you soon!
Love,
Lisa and Bill, Sophie, Becky and Bear :)
We’re glad that Becky has recovered from her ordeal. We’d love to see some pictures.
Dear Friends,
Earlier this afternoon Sylvia and I had to help our dear sweet "Lucky" go to the Rainbow Bridge. We went to see him at Red Bank in Hillsborough and we were met by Dr. Ward. She had done the repeat echocardiogram on him today and what she found was not good news. Lucky had a large growth ( most likely a cancerous tumor) in his atrial valve. This was not allowing him to get the required oxygen to the rest of his body. He also had pneumonia in one of his lungs. They brought him to us and we could see that he was having a lot of difficulty breathing and his heart had to work so hard due to the growth restricting output.
Lucky was Sylvia's shadow and our gorgeous red headed boy was a pure delight. When we went to Lancaster, PA. to pick up Lucky 7 years ago he was all skin and bones. He weighed around 60 pounds. He was either a puppy mill stud dog or some family’s pet that was not wanted anymore.
On the ride home he was such a good boy we said to ourselves that we were very "Lucky" to have him. From that moment on his name was forever changed from Rusty to "Lucky". Lucky was our "schlepper"!!!! For those of you who do not know the word he was our Linus.
Whenever we came home he would grab whatever size dog blanket (large or small) and schlep it to the front hallway to greet us along with his wagging tail.
We know he is playing with Muffin, Bear, Misty, Pepper and Duchess and is no longer in any pain at the Rainbow Bridge.
There is a very big hole in our hearts today and we miss our "Lucky" so much.
Please light a candle and say a prayer for him.
He is sorely missed by his Mom, Dad, Josh, Marnie, Buddy, Teddy, and Dixie, but he will live in our hearts forever.
Sylvia and Philip Mogerman
What a joyous reunion there must have been when Lucky joined all his pals at the Rainbow Bridge. We know how much you miss him; sadly, our time together with these wonderful dogs is never long enough.
iHi Jody (GRRI foster mom),
So great to hear from you! We're all doing great, including Stella! It's amazing to think how we ever lived without her.We took Stella with us to Cape Cod for a week in August and she loved the water!
It sounds like you had a crazy summer. I think I saw a picture of Riley on the GRRI website, he's real cute. Adriana keeps dropping hints of us having one more Golden but right now it would be tough...Maybe down the road :).
How's life as a newlywed? I think you and your husband just had your 1 year anniversary right?Hope everyone is doing well. Thanks again for checking in.
Have a great Thanksgiving, Holiday season and New Year!
--JRIt sounds like Stella loved her vacation! Did Jody tell you she and Anthony were expecting a baby? Their beautiful daughter, Ella, was born December 3rd. Everyone is doing well.
Dear GRRI,
On this glorious Thanksgiving morning, I just wanted to Thank You for one of the greatest gifts my family has ever received. Almost 3 years ago we adopted Boomer from you and he has been a blessing ever since. He is a beautiful (inside and out) gentle giant who has no idea of his size - he thinks he is a lap dog! He is a very happy boy and loves playing with his siblings - both 2 and 4 legged!! He looks forward to his morning walk to the school bus stop with my sons and anxiously waits at the front door for their return. It warms my heart to see him so happy and content. So this morning as I give him a big hug and thank him for entering our lives, I also want to thank you for rescuing him and allowing him to become a part of our family. We are all forever grateful.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Love,
The Daniluk Family
We’re so very thankful for all of our wonderful adopters that open their hearts and their homes to our rescue dogs. We’d love to see pictures of Boomer.
Hi All,
Wishing you a blessed day spent with family & friends creating memories of laughter, love & smiles!
Have an AWESOME DAY!
Celeste, Joe, Sadie May, & Emma
Thank you for the photo of the girls. Have a wonderful holiday.
Dear GRRI,
I just received the "Tales of Gold" newsletter today. I was so sorry that we missed the picnic.
There's a photo of me in the adoption section, but it fails to mention that the other person in the photo is my father, Walter McConnell, who is nothing less than Sophie's grandpa.
I've attached a photo of our girl sound asleep on the couch. She continues to work her way into our hearts. I've never gotten so many kisses before. Hopefully we'll continue to work on our family and be so very happy!
Patti Jo McConnell
Sophie looks adorable!
Hi Shayne, Lynda and all of you wonderful volunteers at GRRI-NJ:
I'm sorry this took so long. Here is our first complete family picture...including our sweet Carter. We're actually using it as our Christmas card this year! :)
He's a sweet boy, who needs a soft touch, and lots of guidance. With the help we've gotten from Urban Dawgs/Red Bank, we are all doing great.
We've decided to keep in house decorations to a minimum, with the exception of the Christmas tree, since he's still a chewer if we leave things around. He's got lots of chew toys, so it's all good.
With great appreciation,
Ginny Sisolak
Hey Lynda (GRRI foster mom),
We finally got a family picture including our boy, Carter.
He's doing well. We decided to decorate in doors minimally for Christmas to keep from getting things chewed up. Carter has plenty of toys, but at this point if I leave new interesting things around, he may decide they are new toys. :)
I don't remember if I told you that he's been out of the crate for quite some time now. He goes to Sandy-Paws day care on Monday, and I take him on the beach 3 out of 5 days, and he loves it.
He's very happy. He loves the water, (as you know) and he showers with my son when needed. He put on some weight, and is keeping that balanced with his exercise.
Thanks again,
Ginny Sisolak
That’s a great family photo of all of you. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Hi Jody (GRRI foster mom),
The girls have had a great week getting to know each other. Abby is so happy to have a playmate and Maddie seems to be having a grand time. They play in the house and outside together plus with us and the kids. Both girls have enjoyed the weather and going for long walks, Abby's breakneck pace and Maddie's smell the roses pace.
The invisible fence training starts on Saturday. They do not recommend starting until the new dog has been in the home for 2 weeks. We have been doing supervised time outside as Maddie adjusts to our yard. She has two training sessions planned and we will let you know how it goes.
Maddie has been a great holiday gift for us. Thanks so much.
Jeff & ChristaYAY Madison. It sounds like you fit right in with your new family. We wish you many, many happy years together.
Hi Eileen (GRRI volunteer),
I can't tell you how excited Bobbie and I are to be able to give Flit a loving forever home in his "golden" years. We're in love already and we haven't even met him yet! I'm sending you a picture of Oakley waiting for Santa... notice how there's a spot on the mantle waiting for Flit's stocking! : )
We heard from Jean Huesmann this afternoon and we will be making plans to bring Flit home on the 13th. I will be making a quick trip to the shore on Thursday to visit my brother in Wall Township, and if all works out, I hope to stop by to visit with Jean and Flit first before heading over to my brother's house. We'll keep you posted. Please let us know what else we need to do to complete the adoption process.
Thank you so much !
Take good care,Sue
AWWWW…how cute is that photo? Sue and Bobbie, we can’t thank you enough for adopting a 15-year-old dog. Seniors are such wonderful animals. While it’s true that our time together would not be as long as it would have been with a younger dog, it’s the quality of that time that is so important. And that you’re giving a wonderful dog a loving home, something HE deserves.
Dear Friends,
It is with broken and devastated hearts that we write that our beloved Cody went to Rainbow Bridge tonight. He was his usual self this morning, playing bite-y face with Mac and Traveller. When we came home this evening he was a little lethargic. We took Mac to his first obedience class and when we got home Cody seemed a little bit better, then he collapsed. We called our vet Dr. Hodes, but Cody died before he got to our home. Dr. Hodes said he couldn’t feel any kind of mass in his stomach, but felt that perhaps a tumor in his lungs had burst.
He was the ultimate Rescue story. Abused, terrified of people when we first adopted him and with the help of all the wonderful Rescue volunteers he blossomed into the most outgoing, loving animal we’ve ever known. He loved working events and Goldstock was his ultimate party.
We know that he is now playing with Tucker, Max, Sparky, and his dog park buddy Angelo, and all of our other loved fur kids. They are all healthy, young, strong, and free of pain and they wait for us at the Bridge.
Cody brought sunlight into the lives of everyone he met, no matter how gloomy the day. He will be sorely and deeply missed. Please light a candle to help him find his way. Sleep tight Cody man. We’ll see you at the Bridge.
God speed my friend,
Barb & John
Barb & John, we were stunned when we read your email about Cody’s sudden passing. He was such a wonderful ambassador for us, he’ll be greatly missed.
To All Our Friends at GRRI & Elsewhere,
It’s with heavy hearts that we inform you of Murphy’s (Tiger’s) passing. The end came early Tuesday, Dec. 1st sometime between 4am and 8am.
He seemed fine on Thanksgiving and the subsequent Friday, even visiting with dad’s sister, niece, and nephew on Friday. Then on Saturday, we noticed he was ignoring his food, eating just a half a bowl. Sunday seemed a little better. He ate more, and seemed content to watch “A Christmas Carol” with his Dad on Sunday. But on Monday he did not want to even take his snacks. His Dad came home later that day, and Murph’ did not want to get up to go out. His Dad got him to his feet, but instead of walking, he wobbled a bit, than laid back down.
Dad immediately called the vet and brought him to emergency. Mom was out of the house, and met him there. After evaluating him, including an ultrasound scan, the vet advised that he was running a fever, was a dehydrated, but no signs of internal bleeding or fluid around his heart.
They gave us some Clavamox, and sent him home with Mom & Dad. Dad decided to sleep in the den with Murphy to keep an eye on him. He got up several times during the night to try to get him to drink some water, or to make sure he wasn’t in any discomfort. After checking him around 4am, his Dad fell asleep. Around 8am, his Mom came in to check on him, and saw he wasn’t breathing. Our best friend had slipped away quietly, his head still on his favorite “drooly” pillow. Later, the vet said it could have been organ failure, based on his age, coupled with the fever. We are still in shock at how quickly he passed with few symptoms.
We’d like to thank GRRI-NJ for letting us know and love Murphy, and especially Terri Veiga for doing such a fantastic job of getting his health back during his fostering. Also to both the Emergency staff at RBVH Hillsborough in general, and Dr.’s Schwirck and Steinberg for keeping him well through these last 5+ years, despite all his health issues.
We will miss him terribly, his big smile, the way he responded with his paw if he needed any help, the way he got that 82 lb. frame to roll in the grass. He was extremely intelligent, very loveable, and loyal dog. He will be cremated Sunday, Dec 6th, and will come home once more to share a spot with Sandy.
With much sadness,
Bob & Nancy Collins
There are some dogs that are so special and “Tiger” Murphy was one of them. We were all so saddened to learn of his passing. We share in your grief and offer you our sincere condolences.
Anne (GRRI foster mom),
It was just 2 years ago this Thanksgiving weekend that we adopted Lucy and picked her up from you. We now have much to be thankful for because of that. Lucy is healthy and happy and has become a cherished family member. And yes, she is very spoiled. We are very grateful to GRRI-NJ and you for providing such a caring service.
Happy Holidays to all!
Dennis, Sandy and Lucy Craig
Happy Holidays to you. Lucy asked us to tell you that she’s not spoiled, that’s the way life is supposed to be.
Dear GRRI,
Message from Chloe: Thank you GRRI for rescuing me! Here I am wearing mommy’s pearls on my 5th birthday.
Love,
Chloe
Happy Birthday, Chloe. It’s hard to believe the Dolly puppies are 5 years old already. Your brother Tazo’s photo is included below.
Hi,
I just wanted to wish Dolly's pups a Happy 5th Birthday! Time has flown by, making Dolly's pups old news now, but I often wonder how they are all doing.
Thanks GRRI for allowing us to bring Tazo into our household almost 5 years ago! He is a loyal, loving dog and a wonderful step-brother to Sanibel. He is doing great!
Any updates on the others would be appreciated.
Thanks,Denise Holtz
Thanks for the update, Denise. Tazo’s sister, Chloe, sent us a note and a photo too. See above!
We get updates quite often from Shylow, another Dolly puppy. They’re published frequently in our newsletters. In fact last quarter he sent a photo of him with his new kittens.
Dear GRRI,
Sorry we could not make it to the reunion but Culver (another Dolly puppy) is doing great. We just inherited my brother-in-law’s golden retriever, named Hobbes, because he is getting divorced. Hobbes and Culver are playing great together. Hopefully we can attend next year.
Wendy Smith & Kevin Wilkening
Congratulations on your newest family member and thank you so much for your generous donation. We would love to see a picture of them. As you can see, we’ve gotten updates on three of the Dolly puppies this week. Happy Birthday to you too, Culver!
Here are some pictures of Chase... we love him so much! He is funny and lovable and loving... he has fit right in. We had him in to see Dr. Fischer today and everything looked great! (Besides the fact that he made so many new friends!) The one girl we work with is a trainer and she worked with him a little bit... let's just say that our boy is a genius too besides being so handsome! He loves his food and he loves treats... and we love how he woofs when he wants to eat. He's such a clown!
Thank you again for this wonderful boy! Talk to you soon... we'll send more pictures.
Golden hugs,
Sue, Bobbie, Jake, Elle, Oakley, and Chase
Merry Christmas Chase. We love the photo of him laying on the bed in front of the fireplace with the lights behind him; it’s so peaceful. All is calm, All is bright…..
Dear GRRI,
Please accept this small donation to help with the care and re-homing of this loving breed.
Regards,
Jo-Anne Frank
Jo-Anne, thank you so much for your donation. No donation is ever too small when it comes to helping our wonderful Goldens!
Dear GRRI-NJ,
Our handsome boy Marco had his picture taken with Santa! We adopted him from you in 2005 and he's doing great!
Thank you again for choosing us to be Marco's family.
We're thinking of you at the holidays and of all the wonderful dogs like Marco that you have placed in forever homes. Enclosed is a donation to help you continue to rescue Goldens in need.
Merry Christmas!
The Brower family
What a wonderful picture…Marco looks fantastic. Merry Christmas to you and your family as well. Thank you so much for your donation!
Hi Pat (GRRI foster mom),
Just wanted to send you a picture of the girls from the snowstorm yesterday....Hope you weren't snowed in today. I will send you another one after I take some of Crystal in front of the tree. I wanted to send you one of her outside but she kept sitting next to me and I couldn't get a good picture. They were exhausted last night but were back to guarding this morning. How did you make out in the storm? Did you get as much as we got (24").... It was beautiful, but I know it ruined a lot of parties. Be careful....talk to you soon.....
Mary Lou
The snow really was beautiful, wasn’t it? We love the photo of the girls “on guard”….yeah, right…Golden Retriever guard dogs.
Dear Anne (GRRI foster mom),
Just wanted to wish you a Happy and Healthy Holiday and a Wonderful New Year.
Sadie is doing unbelievable...she has to be the most lovable dog. We just finished some classes with St. Hubert's. Eventually I would like her to be a therapy dog; she has the perfect temperament for that.
Sadie is weighing in at 115 lbs. from 147 lbs.! She had a great time in the snow and endless energy. She really is the "perfect" dog and we all love every inch of her.
Sadie now jumps into bed with us and loves to sleep between Neil and me, giving both of us lots of kisses and nudges us with her nose to pet her or have our arms around her. She cannot get enough love from us and she never tires of showering us with licks, hugs and paws.
Susan & Neil
Sadie looks absolutely gorgeous! It still scares us to death knowing how close this dog came to being euthanized simply because her family didn’t want her anymore. This is what rescue is all about. Thanks for the update and Happy New Year to all of you.
Dear Eileen (GRRI Adoption Coordinator),
Happy New Year from Glenda!!
xo
Cindy Adams & Family
It looks like Glenda is thrilled with her Christmas gift! Merry Christmas sweet girl, may you have many more with your family. Happy New Year!
Dear Judy (GRRI foster mom),
Well, well, well, Blizzard Belle certainly has had an adventure these past few days.
The snow started early, early Saturday morning, before we got up. As you can see in the first photo, Belle thought it was lovely. She played and ran and had the time of her life.
But as the day went on the wind picked up and the snow kept falling, harder and harder and harder. By Saturday night Belle wanted no part of venturing outside with the howling wind and the drifting snow. I thought, "Oh, she'll be better in the morning."
Sunday morning we woke to 26" of fresh snow. Poor Belle - she took one look out the door and heard the wind howl and said "Nope, not for me. I'm a warm weather gal." Of course, we got her outside and as you can see poor Belle was swimming in snow. "And I don't know how to swim!"Matt made a path with his legs and she followed but she was not happy. ("Didn't I just tell you I was a warm weather gal?") Matt took the snow blower and made a path all the way out to the back of the yard and it looped around and came back to the house. Belle could walk freely without swimming. But nope, Blizzard Belle was not a happy camper. The wind still howled and she was perplexed by the sea of white around her. "I'm not pooping in this stuff!"
Sunday came and went and I actually resorted to dragging her bed to the back door (remember those days?) She'd get up and go out when I got the bed to the door but she'd look around at the white cold snow and adamantly refuse to poop! "Not me! Too cold, too windy!" One of my office mates told me she needed the smell of the grass to poop - so home I ran and dug a nice 10' x 10' section in the yard and uncovered the G R A S S! "C'mon Belle - let's go - there's grass!" Out we went and she looked at it....."You expect me to go in that ?" Aww jeez, I was at my wits end.
Last night, I had a revelation. A bottle! She needs a recycling bottle to play with. The wind calmed down a bit and I took her out and threw the bottle in the dark down the path that Matt had made......off she went! Back and forth "Bring it, Belle!" and low and behold, eventually she pooped! LOL I made such a big deal out of it that you'd have thought she spoke! In we came and I let her take the magic recycling bottle to her bed to lick off the snow. "Look, Mom, it's a dog slurpee! See how far I can get my tongue in here to lick out the snow?" Need I tell you that since then it is a big game and she waits for me to grab a bottle for the yard. When we come in I fill it with snow and let her lick it out. Look at that tongue!
And tonight - well, she was practicing for her sleigh ride on Christmas Eve so she tried on her antlers. Now, I know she doesn't look all that happy...but boy is she cute. When I put the antlers on her she won't move as they jingle and she just looks at me like "PUH-LEEZE! get these off! " LOL She is precious. Just too darned cute and we love her to pieces.
She is sleeping next to me as I write......feels like I have had her forever. Thank you, Judy, (and all of the GRRI folks) who made saving this sweet girl possible. She is a gem, a diamond in the rough .... or is it ruff?
Merry Christmas to you and Jack......I hope he is feeling better soon. I put something in the mail to you. You should get it by Christmas but you never know. Know that we love you and are thinking of you and your gang.
xoxoxo
Brave Blizzard Belle and Nancy
(and Matt and Luke and Nick and Yoshi, too)
Life has so many interesting and exciting things for Belle to experience now that she’s out of the puppy mill and in her loving home.
Dear Lynda (GRRI foster mom),
Jersey is fantastic...
He just loves the snow and got a lot of outside time this weekend, both helping to bring firewood to the house and then to play in the snow for a while. I always worry about his paws getting frostbite because he loves the snow so much, so we keep him outside for short stints, then bring him in to warm up.
Mike
Hi Mike…you forgot to attach the photo!
Dear GRRI,
Please accept this donation from the Estate of our dad, Kenneth J. O’Brien, in memory of our beloved Goldens who gave us their unconditional love and immeasurable hours of joy over the past ten years:
Fletcher
Brodie, GRRI
Seamus, GRRI
Annie, GRRIThank you for all you do for this extraordinary breed.
Janis, Vincent, Max and Jerry O’Brien
Janis and Vincent, thank you so much for your extremely generous donation. In such tough economic times, we’ll be able to use this money to help several of our rescue dogs. Please give hugs and kisses to Max and Jerry for us. We’d love to see pictures of them!
Dear Judy & Eileen (GRRI volunteers),
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring not even Brave Belle,
All the stockings were hung by the chimney with care
In the hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.The brave little rescue was nestled snug in her bed,
While visions of flying Goldens danced in her head.
And Nancy in her kerchief, and Matt in his cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap.When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what had my wondering eyes had beholden,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny Goldens.With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his Goldens they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On Brave Belle! On Cupid! On Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the Goldens they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St Nicholas too.And then, in a twinkling, I heard over head
What sounded like Belle who I thought was in bed,
The prancing and pawing of her little feet.
And there she was pulling with Santa’s fine fleet.Santa was dressed in fake fur, from his head to his feet,
And he asked Belle to join him in leading his fleet,
He needed a leader to guide his fine pack,
When they dashed through the night in the deepest, dark black.But Belle gave a shrug, a dismissive sigh,
And said, “Santa, please don’t make them cry!”
“If I leave my family, they will be lost!
They need me to stay at any cost.”Well, Santa, he got it, he understood,
That taking a rescue just wasn’t any good.
He’d ruin a family and steal their poor Belle,
And the family would miss her and fall into a spell.You see Belle is an irreplaceable girl
Like opening an oyster and finding a pearl.
She keeps them all laughing and gives love that’s so pure
If Belle went with Santa there’d be sadness for sure.His eyes-now they twinkled. He smiled so merry.
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry.
His droll little mouth drew up in a bow,
And he patted Belle’s head and said “I know”“Go back with your family, you’re needed here,
To keep them safe and fill their hearts with cheer.”
He climbed on his sled and gave Belle a quick wink,
And a tear fell from his cheek, as he’d miss her, I think.I noticed a sign when the sleigh left its stop
In big bold letters “adopt – don’t shop!”
I knew in a moment this was the real St Nick,
As each pup turned and gave him a wink and a lick.He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"Oh Belle, what a lucky girl you are to have your mommy write such a lovely rescue poem for you and all the rescue pets everywhere.
Wishing our rescue Goldens and their families a wonderful, healthy New Year.
-The volunteers of GRRI
