Dusty`s Story 10 - Golden Retriever Freedom Rescue

Non-profit org.
U.s. postage paid
denver, co
Permit No. 152
P.O. Box 9628
Denver, CO 80209-0628
(303) 749-8499 hotline
www.goldenretrieverfreedom.com
OUR MISSION
To rescue, foster, rehabilitate and
adopt abused, neglected and
unwanted Golden Retrievers into
permanent, prescreened
quality homes.
To be posted VERY LOW on the refrigerator door—nose height.
Dear Dogs and Cats,
The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that
aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.
The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me
doesn’t help because I fall faster than you can run.
I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch
to ensure your comfort. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to
each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out
the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.
For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door
shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open.
I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years --canine or feline attendance is not
required.
The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dog or cat’s butt. I cannot stress this enough!
To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on our front door:
inside
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
President’s
Letter
“Canine
Obesity”
&
“My Foster
Dog”
&
Memorial
&
Read
about our
tailwaggin’
success &
our 2008
donors
“Dusty’s
Story”
cont...
“From
Birth to
Adoption”
10
“Canine
Obesity”
cont...
11
“Summer
Picnic
2008!”
12
A note
for our
pets
To All Non-Pet Owners Who Visit & Like to Complain About Our Pets:
1. They live here. You don’t.
2. If you don’t want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. (That’s why they call it ‘fur’niture.)
3. To you, it’s an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn’t speak
clearly.
golden
tales
Summer 2008
Volume 3, Issue 3
Golden Retriever Freedom Rescue Newsletter
Dusty’s Story
Some of you may remember when Dusty was surrendered to
GRFR a couple of years ago. A woman called in and asked that
GRFR take her dog immediately or she was going to put him
down. Since I lived closest to her, I told Christine to just have
someone drop him off. When the doorbell rang, I open the door
to see a young girl standing there with this matted, smelly, overweight dog who was barely standing up. (At the time I thought
she was a transport person, which was a good thing, because
had I known that she was his owner I can’t promise she would
have made it off my property in once piece!) She handed me
the forms and then took off the collar and leash—something I
later realized was so sad as most dogs come with care packages
of toys, food and, at the very least, their own collar. This dog
had nothing and he was about nine or ten years old.
My husband and I had to carry him in with a sheet. When
I looked at him more closely I called Christine right away. His
skin was bright red and he had open sores all over his body. His
shoulder looked dislocated and he couldn’t stand up without
help. His eye were swollen shut and caked with crust, and he
had the worst ear infection I had ever seen. Christine agreed he
had to go into the vet right away. He was shaved and spent the day at Arvada West. The doctor said it was
one of the worst cases of neglect he had seen in some time. He told us that at least three, if not all four, of his
legs had been broken at one time and did not heal right. His shoulder had been dislocated and also healed
incorrectly. He had horrible pressure sores and calluses that were filled with fluid. He had several infected
wounds, an untreated thyroid condition, and severe arthritis. We left there with more medication than my
terminal grandmother was on before she died.
For several weeks, he was a shell of a dog. He had eye surgery to fix his eyes and was treated for all of
his infections and put on thyroid medicine. We treated his wounds daily until they healed. He would just lie
there, letting us do whatever we had to. Occasionally he would sit up to indicate that he needed to go out
and we would slide him outside on a little make-shift sled/bed. We had to help him stand so he could go
to the bathroom with dignity. He never once had an accident; he never once got any on his fur. I still don’t
know how he did that. He would eat lying down and he slept most of the time. One day, we came home
from work and he was waiting at the door with his tail wagging. He walked across the house by himself and
I suspect he had been waiting there all day. His eyes were lit up . . . Dusty was back! It didn’t take long for
me to realize that I wasn’t about to let him go and we adopted him. Every day his health improved through
a healthy diet, vitamins, acupuncture, and regular massage therapy. I swear he is now getting younger! He
went blind about six months ago due to SARDS, but he adapted like a trooper!
Continued on page 8
F rom t h e B oard P r e sid e nt
S umm e r P i c ni c 2 0 0 8 !
It has been an exciting year in 2008. GRFR will have a record year with over 300 dogs coming through our program in need of our
care and assistance. We could not have done this without all of the wonderful volunteers that work so hard and provide so much
time and patience. And we could not have done this without all the wonderful forever homes that have adopted a GRFR dog and
provided their new family member with well-deserved love.
What a picnic it was!! As you can see from the pictures everyone had a wonderful time. Thank you to the awesome picnic committee
of Nancy Novickis, Heather Novickis, and Megan Siegel who put the whole thing together and ran it. We also need to thank Andy
Novickis for helping to haul everything to the site and back as well as cooking all the brats that day! Thank you as well to the boy scouts
and leaders who showed up to help with set up and tear down again this year! A big thank you goes out to the owners of Hidden Valley
Ranch who so generously donated the use of their property for this event! If you missed it, be sure to leave next September open for
the 2009 Summer Picnic! Please visit our website to see all of the great picnic pictures.
GRFR has put in place a larger Board of Directors to help accommodate our growth as well. It is exciting to see so many new
faces helping out at that level. Our foster home program, telephone interview volunteers, and transportation and home visit teams
have all expanded as well.
GRFR has been in the extraordinary situation this year of not only having one mom (Daisy) give birth to eleven pups, but Lindy
(our newest mom) gave birth to twelve pups in October. You can see Daisy and her pups in this edition of our newsletter under
the article “From Birth to Adoption.” What a fun experience these two births have been. We were able to do this because of some
outstanding foster homes willing to foster for eight weeks and be grandparents!
If you ever wonder why we work so hard as volunteers and do what we do, then you have to read Dusty’s and Murray’s stories.
It breaks your heart to see how they started out, but now both are thriving—thanks to some loving foster care and new loving
permanent homes.
A special thanks to the picnic committee for putting on one of the best picnics we have ever had. It was a beautiful day, a wonderful place, and all of the dogs had a lot of fun. Doggies have already been asking if they can go back again next year!!
As we move forward into our eighth year in 2009, we will be looking for more volunteers to help with fundraising, events, fostering, home visits, transportation, and other responsibilities that are critical to the success of our GRFR family. If you have ever
wondered about volunteering, please give me a call and we can talk about it. There is room for anyone with a lot of hours to give
as well as anyone with only a couple of hours a month to give. If you have thought about getting involved, now is the time—we
expect to be just as busy in 2009 saving dogs!
Thank you for giving our dogs a “new leash on life!” I wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season!
Sincerely,
I N F O R M AT I O N & D O N AT I O N F O R M
Cindy Powell
Name:
President, GRFR Board
Address:
G uid e l in e s for t h e gr e e n b e an di e t :
Why it works?
• Green beans are low calorie and high fiber, which fills up your dog faster. Leaves them full of vitamins, feeling full with
less calories.
How it works?
• You cut back on your dogs food(I use a weight management or lite dry food) and substitute a portion of their food with
green beans(no-salt added are suggested). It should be started and stopped gradually. When used, it is recommended
that you decrease the food quantity by 10% and replace with an equal amount of green beans. After 2 to 3 days, decrease the food quantity of dog food by another 10%, again replacing the dog food for the same quantity of green
beans. You do this until you are feeding about 50% of their regular food quantity and 50% green beans.
The green beans are to help the dog feel full while supplying few calories. Once the dog reaches its ideal weight, you can
begin cutting out the green beans and returning them to a maintenance amount of food.
The amount of weight loss will depend on the portions fed, along with exercise. Be sure to check with your vet to determine a healthy goal for your dog. Your vet will also want to be sure there are no underlying medical conditions causing
the weight gain.
2 w Golden Retriever Freedom Rescue Newsletter
City:
o
State:
I would like to give: $
Zip:
to help your organization continue
rescuing Golden Retrievers.
Mail this form to:
GRFR Inc.
P.O.Box 9628
Denver, CO 80209-0628
In memory of:
Would you like to tell your pet’s story in memoriam and have it featured
in our newsletter? For a $25 donation, we will print your story and photo.
Please submit a story (100 words or less) with your donation.
Questions?
Cindy McClure
(303) 749-8499
o
I would like to receive more information about becoming a volunteer.
o
I would like to receive more information about becoming a foster parent.
o
I would like to receive more information about adopting a rescue dog.
GRFR is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. Thank you!
Golden Retriever Freedom Rescue Newsletter w 11
OBESITY continued from page 3 . . .
A
F
T
E
R
How did Murray lose the weight? And how can you help
your own dog get healthy and trim? First, feed your dog a high
quality, complete and balanced dog food. Look on the ingredients list....if by-products are the first ingredient, look to another
brand. Stay away from dog food that has by-products or fillers
that have little or no nutritional value.
Secondly, try feeding a smaller amount of dry dog food and
add in no-salt green beans. Green beans are low calorie but
high in fiber to fill up your pooch (see guidelines for the Green
Bean Diet on page 2). Green beans provide vitamins essential
to your dog’s health also. My vet, Dr Richardson, at Blue Sky
Animal Clinic in Loveland, also recommends mixing in boiled
sweet potatoes or other vegetables. It’s important to balance
the amount of calories consumed with the energy burned off
through exercise. If your dog is gaining weight the balance is
not there. Decrease the calories, increase the exercise and your
dog should begin to lose weight. Most vets recommend a steady
weight loss of about two pounds a week, but you will want to
check with your vet to determine what is best for your dog. Ask
your vet if you can stop in every week or two to weigh your
dog. That way you’ll know if you need to re-adjust amounts being fed or increase exercise—possibly incorporate a little longer
walk.
Not only is your dog consuming calories in his food, but
also in treats. We’re all guilty of rewarding our dogs with treats.
It’s not a bad thing if it’s done in moderation. But also keep in
mind that your dog loves belly rubs, walks, and other attention
as reward too. It’s important to have everyone’s cooperation in
restricting your pet’s intake. Usually someone in the household
or a visiting friend or relative will feel sorry for your dog being
on a diet and sneak a little something extra to him. What if
more than one person’s doing this? How many extra calories
could he be consuming?
First, ask your family and friends to be on board, explain
how your dog’s weight loss will keep him healthy and around
longer! Secondly, stock up on training size treats, or break larger
biscuits into small pieces. Your dog will be happy to get a treat,
no matter what the size, but will consume less calories. You might
try slicing sweet potatoes and baking them until they’re crunchy,
or try giving baby carrots as treats. My elderly golden girl, however, will only eat them if they’re par-boiled. Fruit makes a good
treat also, but do NOT give your dog grapes or raisins as they
can be dangerous to your dog. Try frozen apple or pear slices, or
blueberries even. Fruit has a higher sugar level than vegetables
so don’t overdo it!
In addition to monitoring your dog’s diet, be sure to add
in exercise. If your dog is obese or has not had much exercise,
start slowly. Try throwing a ball fifteen minutes a day, a halfhour walk, or even three ten-minute walks, and build up as he
begins to get in better shape. Take him with you when you walk
to the mailbox, walk around the block, anything to get them
moving. Swimming is a great way to burn calories and is easy
on joints too. Take your dog to a dog park. If they don’t want to
interact with the other dogs, walk the perimeter along the fence
with them. Not only do these activities burn calories, they also
increase your dog’s stamina and they will surely love spending
more fun, active time with you. Once your dog is in better shape,
consider short hikes and work up to longer ones. Take longer
walks, or consider if your dog is able to jog alongside you.
Murray’s weight loss is successful because his family, Bob,
Debby, and his lovely Dalmatian sister, Molly, knew the importance of his weight loss and remained dedicated to helping him.
When they adopted Murray, they knew he had “thin, healthy”
Murray hiding inside. They kept him on the Green Bean Diet,
played endless games of fetch, and weighed him regularly. Now,
at a healthy 115 pounds, he can happily run at the dog park
with the others, swim in the lake, and roll over and over for belly
rubs. Debby and Bob are modest when it comes to talking about
them helping Murray get healthy, but their persistence has truly
paid off. When I thanked Debby and Bob for taking such great
care of Murray, and being so dedicated to his weight loss, this is
what they said:
“Everyone says we’ve done a wonderful job with Murray, but
all we have done is loved him the way he deserves to be loved.
He is so easy going . . . he doesn’t get upset when Molly steals
his tennis ball, he just watches her like a hawk and will swoop
in the minute she loses interest! This ‘adoption’ has worked out
better than we ever could have imagined. We are so grateful to
everyone who made it possible to get Murray to us.”
Murray is a role model for all of us! When your dog barks
and wants to go out to play, instead of saying “later,” get up, go
out, and enjoy your dog! After all, we love our dogs and want
them to stay happy, healthy, and be part of our families for good
long time.
10w Golden Retriever Freedom Rescue Newsletter
Canine Obesity . . .
A Growing Problem
I
rescued and adopted my first golden, Pierce, when he was
eleven months old. I knew he was overweight but I did
not realize how overweight he was, nor all of the health
complications it may be causing. He weighed over 120 pounds
and his vet records said he was “grossly obese.” He was on medication for hip pain and inflammation—all of this at not even a
year old. Those first few nights I watched him struggle to get up
from the floor and when he did he walked slowly, hunched over
like an old man until his joints loosened. His skin was dry and
his fur was dull and coarse. When we went for walks he could
barely make a half-mile before he was out of breath. He would
plop down in the middle of the path to rest. People would stop
to pet him and say “Oh, he’s old, isn’t he?” And so, my education on canine obesity began!
U.S. statistics show that more than 40 percent of pet dogs in
this country are overweight. Surprisingly, many of their owners don’t think they’re overweight. This suggests that many pet
owners don’t know how to tell if their pets are overweight (or
some may be in denial).
How can you tell if your dog is overweight? Run your fingers
along your dog’s rib cage. Try to feel the ribs. If you can’t count
the ribs, even with pressure, then your dog is most likely carrying extra fat around its middle. Then run your fingers along
your dog’s lower side. Can you feel a tuck in between his hips?
Can you feel an indentation of the waistline? If your dog has
little or no definition and there is a straight line from shoulder
to hips, your dog is overweight, and possibly obese. Regular vet
visits not only keep your dog up to date on vaccinations and
such, but will also track your dog’s weight. If there is weight
gain it can be caught early, before obesity, and before potential
health problems set in. Be sure to alert your vet if there is an
underlying medical condition causing the weight gain.
So, what’s the big deal if your dog is a little plump? You say
he’s a good eater, and he is often rewarded with lots of treats
since he’s such a good boy. Although we have good intentions,
did you know that overweight dogs are prone to diabetes, heat
intolerance, skin conditions, digestive problems, and increased
surgical risks? Obese dogs also have lower resistance to viral and
bacterial infections. That extra weight on your dog, as is the same
with people, places extra demands on virtually all organs of the
body. Many overweight dogs develop serious joint complications.
If a dog is carrying extra weight the joints, tendons, muscles, and
ligaments can become damaged. Arthritis commonly develops
and pain and joint changes associated with hip dysplasia can
become more severe. The anterior cruciate ligament is prone to
strains and tears. In most cases, surgery will be needed to correct the damage. Along with added strain to joints, lungs may
not function properly. The extra fat in the chest restricts expansion of the lungs. Your overweight dog will probably have less
endurance and stamina, making it less fun for those retrievers
that actually retrieve, to play a much-loved game of fetch! Recent studies have also shown a link between obesity and cancer.
Overall, our plump pets may have decreased quality and length
of life. We owe it to our dog’s to help them stay fit and trim and
spend many happy, healthy years with our families!
So, now that you’ve determined your pet is overweight, how
can you help? First, let me tell you about Murray! I had the absolute privilege of fostering six-year-old Murray before he was
adopted by the most wonderful family who continued his diet
and exercise regimen. Murray is the biggest golden ever to be
rescued by GRFR! He came to GRFR weighing 170 pounds . .
. yes, that’s right,170 pounds!! When he was weighed at the vet’s
office, we had to ask if their scale was broken.
Poor Murray was obviously fed too much and probably poor
quality food. Along with little or no exercise, Murray packed on
the pounds.
B
E
F
O
R
E
We don’t think Murray realized how obese he was! His
first day at his foster home he ran as fast as his legs would take
him and chased tennis balls, one after another! He had trouble
breathing and would have to rest often, and got extra hip and
leg massages those first days while he got used to all that running and playing. He seemed so excited to have all that exercise
that he didn’t know when to stop! He had been shaved and his
skin was a dry, scabby mess. After a good vet checkup, the beginning of a healthy diet, some rosemary oil on his dry patches,
and daily exercise, Murray was on his way to losing all that
extra weight.
Continued on page 10
Golden Retriever Freedom Rescue Newsletter w 3
My Foster Dog
My foster dog stinks to high heaven.
I don’t know for sure what breed he is.
His eyes are blank and hard.
He won’t let me pet him and growls when I reach for him.
He has ragged scars and crusty sores on his skin.
His nails are long and his teeth, which he showed me, are stained.
I sigh. I drove two hours for this.
I carefully maneuver him so that I can stuff him in the crate.
Then I heft the crate and put it in the car.
I am going home with my new foster dog.
At home I leave him in the crate till all the other dogs are in the yard.
I get him out of the crate and ask him if he wants “outside.”
As I lead him to the door he hikes his leg on the wall and shows me his stained teeth again.
When we come in, he goes to the crate because that’s the only safeplace he sees.
I offer him food but he won’t eat it if I look at him, so I turn my back.
When I come back, the food is gone.
I ask again about “outside.”
When we come back, I pat him before I let him in the crate, he jerks away and runs into the crate to show me his teeth.
From Birth to Adoption
G
olden Retriever Freedom Rescue received a call from
a shelter about a two-year-old golden in need of our
help. She was brought to the shelter because she was
pregnant and the shelter does not like to work with pregnant
dogs. If a we had not stepped forward they would have put her
down. Daisy is a pure Golden with beautiful golden red hair
and a wonderful personality. GRFR put the call out to our foster homes and asked if anyone was willing to foster mom and
pups for the next eight-plus weeks. You see, Daisy was thirty
days into a sixty-day gestation period. Our volunteers stepped
forward and Carolyn Shipman agreed to take Daisy and pups.
The day that Daisy was transfered from the shelter to the
vet clinic in Hays, GRFR received a surprise phone call. . . .
Daisy was having her pups! So much for only being thirty days
along!! When all was said and done, Daisy had eleven beautiful pups and GRFR volunteer Kevin Struck agreed to drive
to Hayes and pick up Daisy and her pups. For the next eight
weeks Carolyn and her family took care of Daisy and pups while the rest of us had the wonderful experience of watching them
grow and develop their own personalities. Carolyn’s dog Chance became the surrogate Father and helped with the cleaning duties
as well! As you can see from the pictures they grew very quickly!
It is because of our wonderful volunteers and the donations received that GRFR was able to save not only Daisy but her
eleven wonderful pups as well. Today, all are thriving in their new homes and are leading wonderful lives. We can’t thank all of
you enough.
The next day I decide I can’t stand the stink any longer.
I lead him into the bath with cheese in my hands.
His fear of me is not quite overcome by his longing for the cheese.
And well he should fear me, for I will give him a bath.
After an attempt or two to bail out he is defeated and stands there.
I have bathed four legged bath squirters for more years than he has been alive.
His only defense was a show of his stained teeth,
that did not hold up to a face full of water.
As I wash him, it is almost as if I wash not only the stink and dirt away but also some of the hardness.
His eyes look full of sadness now.
And he looks completely pitiful as only a soap covered dog can.
I tell him that he will! feel better when he is cleaned.
After the soap, the towels are not too bad, so he lets me rub him dry.
I take him outside. He runs for joy.
The joy of not being in the tub and the joy of being clean.
I, the bath giver, am allowed to share the joy.
He comes to me and lets me pet him.
4 w Golden Retriever Freedom Rescue Newsletter
Golden Retriever Freedom Rescue Newsletter w 9
AFTER
BEFORE
Overweight,
neglected
Dusty shows
his sores
Here (and on
page 1) Dusty
thrives after
receiving the
veterinary
care and
love he so
desparately
needed
[author unknown]
One week later I have a vet bill.
His skin is healing. He likes for me to pet him. I think.
I know what color he will be when his hair grows in.
I have found out he is terrified of other dogs.
So I carefully introduce him to my mildest four legged brat.
It doesn’t go well.
Two weeks later a new vet bill for an infection, that was missed on the first visit.
He plays with the other dogs.
DUSTY continued from page 1 . . .
A few months ago we learned we had to move back to Hawaii to care for a sick family member. The vet told me that, due to
his age and blindness, putting him in cargo on the plane was not recommended. I was devastated at the thought of leaving him
behind. I wrote to several private jet companies and asked if there were any philanthropist dog lovers going to Hawaii soon. I even
wrote the executives at Fed Ex and UPS. To my surprise, I was contacted by a VP who read my story and saw Dusty’s MySpace
page and was touched. She tried to secure approval for us to piggyback on one of their planes but the FAA shut us down. I thought
all was lost until I got a call from someone at United who was a friend of this VP. She was not only able to help us set it up so Dusty
could go with us on the plane in the cabin, but she also got us in first class bulkhead!
When we got to the airport, we were greeted by a manager who escorted us, with two other people, through the airport. Dusty
had to be on a flatbed due to his mobility issues and blindness. You have to picture us in the airport with this cute oldie goldie
lying on his special bed on a flatbed with his little toy and blankie and flower lei! The flatbed cart read “DUSTY—HAWAII OR
BUST.” Everyone must have thought we were celebrities, as we walked with these people in suits who were talking into radios,
with porters carrying our bags while they brought us through security. They cleared out the whole front of the airport tram for us!
Everyone stared, smiled, and said hi to Dusty. His little ears were perked forward the whole time. I am sure he wondered, “How
does everyone know my name??” When we got to the gate they let us pre-pre-board. We wheeled Dusty to the door and he walked
into first class by himself. They had a bed for him, a crystal bowl with water, and a little plate with doggy treats and garnish that the
flight attendants had set out for him. The captain came out to meet him and even welcomed a “celebrity guest” in his announcement. Everyone came to meet him, but at that point he had passed out and was snoring so loud I had to wake him up to get him to
stop! When we landed, there was a representative that picked us up at the gate and took us to a waiting van where we were driven
across the runway to the quarantine station. Dusty’s paperwork was there along with our two other dogs. They cleared us in less
than ten minutes and we were at our new house in under an hour.
As we speak, he is lying at my feet sleeping, happy as can be. We have been here over a month now and he has been to the
beach already. He enjoys lounging under our banana tree in his little baby pool. I still look at him in amazement and think about
how far he has come—and how happy he has made us. I can’t thank GRFR enough for what they did and what they do. Dusty
would not be here today if it wasn’t for this organization. He went through a lot and has come a long way . . . and we are making
sure that the rest of his days will be full of happy and loving events.
“Thank you for my best friend, GRFR. Aloha!”
—Daniela and Dusty
8w Golden Retriever Freedom Rescue Newsletter
Three weeks later his coat shines, he has gained weight.
He shows his clean teeth when his tongue lolls out
after he plays chase in the yard with the gang.
His eyes are soft and filled with life.
He loves hugs and likes to show off his tricks, if you have the cheese.
Someone called today and asked about him,
they saw the picture I took the first week.
They asked about his personality, his history, his breed.
They asked if he was pretty. I asked them lots of questions.
I checked up on them.
I prayed.
I said yes.
When they saw him the first time they said
he was the most beautiful dog they had ever seen.
Six months later, I got a call from his new family.
He is wonderful, smart, well behaved, and very loving.
How could someone not want him?
I told them I didn’t know.
He is beautiful.
They all are.
I N M E M O RY
Bailey
Tina and Donna had to make the difficult decision to let
their little girl Bailey cross to the other side of the Rainbow Bridge. Her fight to survive, and maintain her dignity and independence, was valiant but in the end her body
could fight no more and the battle was lost. Tina, Tyler
and I will miss her dearly. She was a kind and gentle spirit
who touched our hearts. She preferred people to toys, and
cheeseburgers to dog food.
Golden Retriever Freedom Rescue Newsletter w 5
Adopted: Ginger = Owners: Paulene Meyer
Adopted: Max = Owners: Williams family
I adopted Ginger (a.k.a. Gingersnap) back in May of 2006. She’s 13
1/2 yrs old now but is still going strong. When I first adopted Ginger,
she seemed so sad. After a couple of months, I think she realized that
she was finally home and didn’t seem so sad anymore. Ginger loves attention from anyone . . . it just makes her day whenever someone pets
her while we’re on a walk. I love her and all of her silliness. She has
added so much to my life. Thanks for saving Ginger!
Max has been a great success and we really enjoyed working with
Shereen! He has a wonderful temperament and we couldn’t have
asked for a better young lab. We are looking forward to adopting
another one just like him soon!
ginger
tails
of success
carson
Adopted: Carson = Owners: Debbie Smith
Max
Adopted: Jefferson
=
Owners: Gunther family
gracie
Adopted: Gracie
=
Owners: Fink family
Just wanted to let you all know how thrilled we are that Gracie
has joined our family. The excitement overflows! She doesn’t
have a bad bone in her body and we can’t wait to take her on
her first camping trip this weekend. Rumor has it that Jake’s
owner might want a family reunion with Gracie and her five
pups. We’re looking forward to that and also starting obedience classes next week. Thanks for bringing us our perfect forever friend in Gracie!
Beau
Cassidy
Adopted: Beau & Cassidy
=
Owners: Gayla & Doug Kraus
Cassidy is about 33 pounds now at a little over
five months. It is hard to believe that Beau is
the same dog we adopted in March. He looks
so much better.
Our whole family saw the pictures of Jefferson posted on
your website at the shelter in Arkansas and knew he was
“the one”! We waited anxiously for approval to adopt him
and then brought him home. He still has weekly visits to the
vet for his skin condition, and he is somewhat anxious about
loud sounds, but he has settled into the family and now follows us to whatever room we are in to see if he can join in!
We have not pushed him, just let him get comfortable being
a part of our family.
He is a funny sweet guy, and just loves to play with the
children by laying flat on his tummy with legs splayed behind
him. He will sneak up on them by “crawling” toward whatever game they are playing on the floor! He loves his tummy
rubs and is slowly gaining some weight and getting taller!
A few months ago we thought it would be fun to foster two cute little
puppies. We were kind of hoping to add another dog to the family
but it didn’t seem like either of these pups were what we were looking for since neither of them looked much like a golden. Right away
though Carson stole the hearts of our entire family and my daycare
families. We think he is a lab/beagle mix and he is probably the
goofiest dog we’ve ever met. He can just sit there and do nothing, yet
people smile at him or even laugh because he has the most endearing expressions on his face. He is wonderful with everyone and the
star of the show wherever he goes.
Our favorite story with him so far had to do with one of my
toddlers that was making the transition from his crib to a nap cot.
Carson couldn’t stand that he would cry when I laid him down on
his new bed and kept trying to sleep with him. Finally two days later
my daughter put the kids down for a nap and let him sleep with our
Jacob. He spent the whole two-hour nap right by his side and Jacob
hasn’t complained about nap cots since! He’s a great addition to our
family and we thank GRFR for allowing us to meet so many great
dogs through fostering and especially for our two, Suki and Carson.
They have brought so much joy to our lives!
2008 DONORS
Ms. Barbara Blandin
Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Bohl
Mr. & Mrs. Brian Cahill
Mr. & Mrs. John Cahill
Mr. & Mrs. Kelly Carter
Susan Chenoweth
Mr. & Mrs. R.P. Chiarella
Mary Christenson
Charlene Coddington
Mr. & Mrs. Ron Cohen
Community Shares
Connie Conerly
Mr. & Mrs. John Cunningham
Denver Foundation
Carrie Eggleton
Chris Eichorn
Mr. & Mrs. Jack Ellis
Nathan Estep
Beth Feresten
Betty Flemming
Ms. Linda Fox
Barbara Frare
Caroline Gaty
Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan Gear
Mr. & Mrs. Tom Giles
Ms. Marilyn Jo Goddard
Mr. & Mrs. Steve Goodwin
Nikki Hart
Kevin Henry
Kathy Holen
Katie Hoster
Judith A. Howard
6 w Golden Retriever Freedom Rescue Newsletter
Carol Hurby
I-GIVE
Lisa Jablonowski
Marion Jordon
Mr. & Mrs. Bill Joyce
Tinyee Jue
Karen Keeler
Ms. Darby Kelly
Andrea Ketch
Mr. & Mrs. Doug Kraus
Mr. Tom Lamar
Mr. & Mrs. John Lee
Craig Liedell
Ms. Sarah Linton
Terry Lloyd & Diane Hartnett
Mr. & Mrs. George Long
Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Mapps
Susan McBratney
Mr. & Mrs. Mike McCafferty
Charles McElwain
Julie McKay
Mr. & Mrs. Rick Mendelsberg
Deborah Momeyer
Mr. & Mrs. Adam Moran
Mr. & Mrs. Timm Mullen
Blair Neece
Barbara Nelsen
Marilyn Niemeyer
Mr. & Mrs. Tony Nowicki
Elizabeth Paranhos
Petsmart Charity
Jala Pfaff & Sanjay Rajan
Mr. & Mrs. Mike Polacek
Qwest Foundation
Patricia Raucci
Lorraine Robbins
Mr. & Mrs. Gerald Roberts
Karen Rodgers
Mr. & Mrs. Tom Rompies
Y.M. Linthwaite Rooney
Mr. & Mrs. Raymond Rura
Melissa Safran
Michele Sanguine
Ms. Lisa Santos
SAP
Marcia Schafer
Mark Seekins
Susan Sender
Haylee Shaver
Mr. & Mrs. Scott Shaver
Elizabeth Sherman
Mr. & Mrs. Don Showalter
Mr. & Mrs. Hugo Sillau
Linda Simmons
Stephanie Skulley
Mr. & Mrs. Kent Smiley
Mr. & Mrs. Nolan Smith
Mr. & Mrs. George Somma
Mr. & Mrs. Troy Sprister
Mr. & Mrs. Scott Stelter
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Stillman
Susan Stover & Alan Ruud
Ms. Judith Strafin
Mr. & Mrs. Matt Stueve
Suncor
Elizabeth Thomas
Mr. James Thomas
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Thomas
Ms. Lisa Tracy
Vivian Tran
Andree Warden
Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Warden
Heather Weinhaus
Mr. & Mrs. Gary Whitney
Ms. Donna Wicker
Golden Retriever Freedom Rescue Newsletter w 7