Winter 2013

Winter 2013 Christofer Michaels, Publisher Paulette Lerman, A sst. Editor Lyn Baumann, A sst. Editor 2013 WINE TASTING FUNDRAISER By Lyn Baumann The Sylvan Lake Community Center provided a lovely setting for our annual wine tasting event and although the view of the lake was a draw for all who attended, it came in 2nd place next to the spectacular tuxedo ensemble worn by Dennis Nollen, our bartender extraordinaire! Dennis' popularity brought in record "tips" for the evening -­‐ all donated back to GRRoM, of course! Scott's expert wine pouring was nothing to sneeze at, but it seemed the ladies lined up for a close-­‐up of Dennis in his tux. Auction table Susan Vogel & Dennis Nollen Christopher Mian once again volunteered to be our "emcee" and auctioneer for the evening, providing a masterful and truly enjoyable orchestration of "getting the audience to feel especially generous to the Goldens"! We are very grateful to Christopher for giving his time and talent to us again this year. Dennis Nollen & Scott Baumann Jen Chirpka, Nancy & Bob Hoffman ~ 6 Salon -­‐ Birmingham ~ Amy Hernandez ~ Ann Williams & Frank Adams ~ Arthur Murray Dance Studio -­‐ Royal Oak ~ Bed, Bath & Beyond -­‐ Sterling Hts. ~ Costco -­‐ Shelby ~ Dana Petty -­‐ John Yuma Studios ~ Dave & Shelley Bauer ~ Dean Koontz ~ ESBI International Salon ~ Frank Yanke -­‐ Yanke Designs ~ Green Mountain Coffee ~ Kate Lochnere -­‐ Invisible Fence of Shelby ~ Kat-­‐Ku Photography ~ K-­‐Dub Designs ~ Link Wachler ~ Lyn & Scott Baumann ~ Michele Saulson Designs ~ Michelle Jackson -­‐ Paws N Play ~ Premier Pets -­‐ Franklin ~ Three Dog Bakery ~ Todd's Room Salon -­‐ Birmingham ~ Total Health Systems ~ Trader Joes -­‐ Bloomfield THE GRRoM VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT GRRoM is exceptionally grateful to the kind heart of Pat Dolowy who graciously took in Gracie last September and gave her a loving and compassionate home for the "rest of her life.” We're not sure how long that is, but one thing is certain... Pat's home seems to have worked a miracle for which Gracie and GRRoM will be forever appreciative. We're sure you'll enjoy Pat's heart-­‐warming story of Gracie's new life. – Lyn Baumann I am Gracie's foster mom. I picked up Gracie on 9/29/13. It's hard to believe it has been 2 months since she came to live with me. She was so weak when she arrived that she would sometimes lose her back feet on the floor. I could count every rib in her body and she did not have much energy. Gracie was not hungry either until I would hand feed her human cooked food. She was warm and As always, it was a wonderful evening -­‐ time to relax, visit with friends and hug a few beautiful Goldens. We certainly hope you will be able to join us again next year! We wish to gratefully acknowledge our auction donors this year: 2
comfortable and spent a lot of her time sleeping. I truly thought she was in her last days. Pat & Gracie Gracie in September out of town about a week ago for an overnight visit with my sister and came home to Gracie jumping onto my shoulders as welcome home. Gracie – photo by Dee Maggi0 Photography I have been a fan of Goldens for over 15 years; I raised puppies to become future service dogs. The 1st golden I raised came to me when he was 6 mos. old and was totally out of control and would steal the groceries out of your hand; he ate the inners out of my couch also. I cried! Over the next many months, he learned how to behave and became a service dog and saved his person more than once. I cried when I had to give him up, but went on to raise 12 more pups to become service dogs (most were Goldens). Somewhere in that time, I also took on a breeding stock golden to produce future service dogs. She has been retired for years, but she produced 39 future service dogs. Then I started to work for the service dog organization and started training teams of clients and their service dogs. I did this for 6 years and decided to retire when my mom's health was failing. When my mom passed away, I thought her dog was in a safe place.... only to find out things did not go that way and I could not find her. I was so frustrated and upset and saw a dog (a beagle) whose face drew me to him. I ended up fostering him and about 30 other dogs (including a few pregnant moms and whelping). Then one day, I saw Gracie's face on FB and I fell in love. Did not seem like anyone was stepping up to foster, so I offered. My 4 Goldens are getting older and It was probably close to 3 weeks before I saw her blossom and become the girl she is now. The good news is Gracie has no idea she has mammary cancer and that it has spread to her lungs. All of a sudden one day, she started barking with excitement when my husband came home from work. Then she would grab a bone to greet him...we were so excited to see this side of her. She started anticipating breakfast and dinner and I kept adding more food and she was actually eating it all! I knew she was part of the "gang" when I saw her run into the yard and grab an apple that had fallen from the tree and started munching on it. This was the day I quit feeling sorry for Gracie and started to embrace her one of my "girls"! I went 3
unfortunately death is part of the process and I think with Gracie's dignity; it will help me get through this with my girls. Gracie – photo by Dee Maggio Photography apartment that did not allow pets. I could tell she was very upset, as she did not know what to do with the dog. She said there would be no problem getting the dog into the country as the UK is a rabies-­‐free country and all he needed for entrance was a rabies shot. We talked it over that night and I called the next day and told her, as we had raised 5 children, 1 dog should be no problem. He would be our grand doggie! They made arrangements to fly to Detroit Metro International from Heathrow, England as it was a direct flight with no stops and would be an easier trip for the dog. On March 6th I met them at Detroit Metro; they came out of customs with Wrigley in a crate that he had been shut in for 10 hours. Was he glad to get out and find a tree and a drink of water and some dog cookies. Wrigley was a good boy and we took a walk every morning and I was in better shape than I had been for years. He got to see his first snow here, as they don't get snow in London. He went every place with us, up north to swim in the lake at Harbor Springs and to all the gun clubs I frequented here and around the state. We became quite attached to him. GOLDEN TALES OF GOLDEN TAILS THE BEST DAMN GOLDEN RETRIEVER IN THE WORLD -­‐ A Success Story By Leonard Anderson My wife, Lillian and I adopted our golden" Bear" on March 10th of 2000. He was a scrawny little 52-­‐pound almost-­‐1-­‐year-­‐old puppy, born on March 23rd 1999 who became a fully-­‐grown 85-­‐
pound dog. This whole story really began in the spring of 1998, and you must hear the whole story to understand it completely. -­‐ In the spring of 1998 our oldest daughter Linda and son-­‐in-­‐law Tad, who were living in London, England at that time, told us that since they now had a house with a yard, they were getting a dog. They bought a very blonde golden retriever in the south of England with a very impressive bloodline of show champions. They named him "Wrigley "as they had lived near Wrigley Field in Chicago before moving to the UK. Wrigley was born in early April of 1998. In early February 1999, Linda called and told us that Tad had been transferred to New York City and they would be living in a company owned When our daughter and son-­‐in-­‐law moved into a different apartment in November she came to take him home. I never thought dog leaving would bring tears to my eyes. We missed him a lot ...maybe we needed a dog? Linda called me one day and said she had been talking to someone in rescue in NY State that told her to have me contact Paulette Lerman, which I did. I filled out the forms, mailed them in and soon met Bev Fillmore, who was my interviewer. I looked at several dogs at Bev's house, but the right feelings just were not there. We looked at dogs from Auburn Hills with Ann Heilbronn to Indian River with Cindy Eckhart. Finally one day I had stopped at Bev's to look at yet another dog, but the chemistry just wasn't there yet and I was becoming undecided about whether I really wanted a dog or not. 4
Then Bev said, “Len, look at this little guy we just got in from the Genesee County Animal Shelter.” This little guy came out of his pen and I bent down to pet him and look him over. He gave me a snooter kiss on the ear and then I knew this was my dog! He had just picked me as his friend. Bev explained that he had to be neutered yet and I could come back and look at him in two weeks with his foster family Greg and Diane Mikolaski. It was Saturday, March 10th when I went to their house to see him. I asked if I could take him a mile away to my gun club to see if the gunfire bothered him. It did not! I called Greg and told him to get the papers ready because “this is my dog!” The following Thursday I was able to run him without a leash at my club while I shot sporting clays. He never got out of sight. Why the original owners did not want him, I have never been able to figure out. Somebody paid a lot of money for this dog. That is their misfortune and my good fortune. He was a very intelligent dog and learned most anything rapidly. He would point grouse and woodcock at my club, even though I don't hunt. I could have a very well trained dog if I wanted but we just go for walks and a run in the woods and play "old man and dog" because it's fun. He worked with voice; whistle or hand signals and behaved admirably. My wife and I think he was the" BEST DAMN GOLDEN RETRIEVER IN THE WORLD"! And now you've heard the rest of the story, as Paul Harvey would say. Bear crossed over the Rainbow Bridge on Wednesday afternoon, November 5th. His hind legs had been getting weaker for the past year or so finally just quit on him. He had bad cataracts and could not see too well and also had a large tumor on his left belly. He did not seem to hurt or suffer. We took him to Riverside Animal Clinic and his regular vet and I held him and hugged him until he crossed the bridge. Then I kissed his little snoot a last goodbye. Bear and the Oldman SPARKLE – A BEFORE AND AFTER TALE By Amy Hernandez One of the best things about volunteering for GRRoM is getting to see each dog go through its before and after transformation. It’s like those makeover TV shows, we all love a good before and after story. For some dogs that come to us relatively healthy and well adjusted, the transition is minor. But then there are cases where the transformation is amazing, and it is one of those cases we’d like to tell you about. In late summer of 2012, a gentleman who had been feeding his neighbor’s Golden/Lab Mix over the fence for several months because the dog was clearly not being taken care of contacted GRRoM. Her coat was dirty and dry, her nails were an inch long, and she was very overweight due to not getting any exercise or stimulation at all. She was left outside for days and nights at a time in a small fenced in yard. She had no bed, dog house or shelter. Thank goodness it was summer time, but what was going to happen to her as the nights started getting cold? And her owner, when approached, refused to talk to anyone about Sparkle. Here is Sparkle’s picture before GRRoM took her in… So GRRoM stepped in and asked the owner if we could take Sparkle off his hands. Thankfully, he said yes, and Sparkle was on her way to a better life. In her GRRoM foster home, Sparkle seemed 5
to come to life even just after a bath, a nail trim, and a few weeks of good food, regular exercise and love… Margaret. How’s that for a happily ever “after” picture? GOLDEN FUNDRAISING A GRRoM SPECIAL EVENT Luis & Tuesday -­‐ Coming in March, 2014 GRRoM is very pleased and proud to announce a special fund-­‐raising event to be held on Sunday, March 16th from 2:30-­‐6 pm at the Troy Community Center. This event features special guests Luis Carlos Montalvan, a former army captain and disabled veteran and his faithful service dog, a beautiful golden retriever named Tuesday. Luis Carlos Montalvan, New York Times bestselling author of Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him (Disney-­‐
Hyperion), has become a well-­‐known speaker and public advocate for veterans suffering from PTSD. Luis and Tuesday were brought together in 2008 But her transformation wasn’t done yet. She was still very tubby and needed some work on her leash walking. Then Sparkle hit the jackpot of adopters – Sister Josephine! Sister Jo had recently lost her Golden and was looking for not just a companion for herself, but a dog with the generous spirit who could accompany Sister Jo on her regular visits to the Motherhouse Health Care Center where she volunteers her time to visit the resident sisters there, many of whom have health challenges. Over a number of months, Sister Jo invested her love, patience and faith in Sparkle, helping her lose weight and taking her to obedience classes to improve her leash walking and to get her ready for Motherhouse visits. And now Sparkle is really shining in her role as companion to Sister Jo and in her job of bringing joy to the many nuns she visits each week. Below is Sparkle as she visits Sister 6
through a service dog program. That union of two "wounded souls" changed both of their lives forever! "The pair have been together for five years, and each year their bond grows stronger. Tuesday isn’t just a dog to Montalván. He’s his caretaker, best friend, confidante and an uncanny space heater." Quote from article by Somer Breeze-­‐Hanson -­‐ Northwest Guardian. Ground, is scheduled for release late this year. Please visit this link for more information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBvWA5YhdC
U Tuesday and Luis IT'S 2014 GRRoM CALENDAR TIME! By Paulette Lerman Our 2014 GRRoM Calendar is now ready to order from our store! The only way GRRoM will receive a $10 commission per calendar is when you order it directly from our store at www.cafepress.com/grrom. You can find it for less in other places, including cafepress.com, but GRRoM will not receive our full commission. Don't miss this incredible opportunity to meet two amazing Americans and to hear their life-­‐
changing, inspirational story. Details and ticket information will soon be available on our website: www.grrom.com. By the way, a major motion picture based on Until Tuesday is currently in development and an independent documentary titled, Buried Above As this is one of our biggest and most popular fundraisers, please order it from our store 7
ONLINE -­‐-­‐ not by phone and not from other sites! So basically, you are paying $15 for a high quality calendar and making a $10 donation that will help the many Goldens in our care. Speaking of which ... we are caring for many more Goldens than the few you see on Petfinder. We have retired seniors, hospice Goldens, and some who are in various stages of treatment and recovery/rehab from other conditions and surgeries. When they become adoptable, you will find them on Petfinder as well! The calendars make great holiday gifts, especially for your veterinarian. But be careful when ordering because CafePress has a crazy system now! You have to choose the starting month for your calendar from a pull-­‐down menu. It could go from January-­‐December or March-­‐February, etc. Of course, if you select a starting month other than January, you may end up with Easter in August!!! Thanks, as always for your Golden support! on the Kroger link: www.grrom.com. Your 5 minutes or less and will mean the world to our rescued Goldens! Thank you so much!! MUST RENEW EVERY YEAR: Also, as a reminder... you must re-­‐register and re-­‐
designate your charity every April so please check that your registration is current. Thanks again. SOCK GRAMS KROGER REWARDS & CHARITY DESIGNATION EASY... NO COST TO YOU... GREAT FOR GRRoM We want to thank all who sign up for Kroger's Community Rewards and designate GRRoM as their charity. Kroger gave us $2900 in 2012 and has given us $1700 so far this year. This is a great source of funds for our rescue that doesn't cost anyone anything but a few minutes of their time. WE BOTH BENEFIT: We'd like to ask that if you have not yet registered, that you do so today and GRRoM will benefit from holiday grocery shopping at Kroger. And just so you know... YOU still get your full rewards and gas points! . TO SIGN UP: Please visit the home page of our website and click FROM GRRoM’s PRESIDENT Amy Hernandez As of October, 2013, GRRoM has taken in 33 Goldens and found loving homes for 27 of them. And, we're seeing a shift in the types of dogs that come to us. While we still take in many dogs needing significant health care (from vaccinations and heartworm preventative to surgery and cancer care), we are also seeing more and more dogs being turned in because of behavioral issues. So, in addition to working with our partner veterinarians, we're also working more 8
with trainer partners to evaluate and prescribe a training program for these dogs to overcome the lack of training or poor training they've received in the past. This also requires training for our fosters so they can provide the right support to prepare these dogs for adoption. Volunteers do all taking in, caring for and adopting out these dogs — we have no salaries or facilities. And as you can see below, donations are where most of our funds come from and vet expenses are where most of the money goes. That is why your help is so critical; your donations directly impact the number of dogs we can help. very grateful to Colleen for offering to "take over the torch" from Ro and keep this long-­‐standing GRRoM tradition going. Also our heart-­‐felt thanks to all who attended and marched in the parade to represent GRRoM! GRRoM GOLDENS MARCH WITH SANTA 2013 GROSSE POINTE SANTA CLAUS PARADE Our special thanks & appreciation to Colleen Kelley for heading up this year's GP Santa Claus parade! This year marks the 14th year -­‐ I may be off by a year or 2 -­‐ that GRRoM has participated in this event under Ro Arabia's leadership. We are 9
GRRoM WANTS YOUR DOG...stories GRRoM LINKS Be a contributing writer with the quarterly GRRoM Newsletter! Our readers’ and supporters’ input is what makes the GRRoM Newsletter what it is. I especially want articles & photos from the volunteers who attend and work the many events. Please send via email to: grromnewsletter@comcast.net no later than February 28th for the Spring 2014 GRRoM Newsletter due out around March 7, 2014. Articles can be emailed in any format. Photos can be dng, jpeg, tiff or psd and as large a size as your email program allows. The following dates are the approximate publishing dates of the GRRoM Newsletter: September 1st, December 1st, March 1st and June 1st. www.cafepress.com/grrom Get GRRoM clothing, hats, calendars, pins and more! www.facebook.com Yessireebob, GRRoM has a Facebook page! Connect with other Michigan Golden lovers for laughs, great advice from others, hear about fundraisers to help GRRoM continue in its’ mission. Click on the link and search for Golden Retriever Rescue of Michigan. www.grrom.com Our website offers deals that not only saves you money but helps GRRoM in its’ mission, links to the GRRoM Petfinder page for Goldens looking for their furever homes, fund-­‐raising events, info on how to adopt a GRRoM Golden and more! 10