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Golden Beginnings
THANKS TO YOUR
DONATIONS, SUCCESS STORIES LIKE THIS ARE POSSIBLE. PLEASE DONATE
TO GOLDEN RESCUE IN NAPLES, INC. SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO SAVE
SPECIAL DOGS LIKE THESE!
BERNIE
Wanted to send you Bernie's Birthday Card this year, our Sweet
Boy turned 8 today! In the past we've sent you his first
birthday with us, a vacation at the beach on Captiva, last year,
he got a fence and this year he made a friend! We are so proud
of him and wanted to share the news. As you both know, Bernie
was aggressive towards other dogs in his past life, we've worked
hard the last 2 1/2 years to help him with that. Well, he's
done it! See picture below of Bernie with his friend, Teddy, a
cockapoo who lives across the street from us. Teddy is also a
rescue:)
Thanks again for everything you do to take care of our special
goldens and for helping us find our boy!
Always,
Denise, Erik & Bernie S.
BERNIE, GRINinc dog # 351
came into our rescue a few years ago. Bernie was surrendered by
his owner. The owner basically had Bernie as a yard dog...he
lived in a dog house . Bernie never got a chance to see what the
inside of a house looked like. Of course Bernie never really
got attention either or good care and love. He was fed and
thats about it. Bernie had some adjusting to do when he ended
up being a "house dog" in one of our foster homes. He loved
the attention and of course loved being inside! Bernie was
never socialized in his previous home so adjusting to other
"four footed friends" was difficult. He did not want to share
attention or love. He felt it was his time to catch up for all
that he had missed during the first 4-5 years of his life. We
needed to find a forever home that would accept the fact Bernie
should be the only animal in the household and we needed to find
a family that was committed to positive reinforcement training
. Enter Denise and Erik who had just lost their beloved golden
Max. Max was a sociable golden boy, was a pet therapy dog and
he used to visit schools . We explained to them about Bernie's
unsocialzed behavior ...that didn't' t deter Denise and Erik one
bit...they wanted Bernie! Bernie immediately fell in love with
them and they fell in love with Bernie. It was a great match .
As you can see by the following excerpt Bernie has a wonderful
life and after almost three years of dedication, love , and
training Bernie now has a "doggie friend"! We applaud Denise
and Erik and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for
adopting Bernie. He is one VERY lucky golden boy!
BAXTER
I lost my Golden Retriever Chipper on Monday
4/20/09. My heart was broken. After some time, I
filled out the paperwork and e-mailed the Golden
Rescue in Naples (GRINinc) to adopt another Golden.
I received a call about a dog in Sarasota. If I was
interested I needed to act quickly. On my drive to
Sarasota I asked for a sign. I wondered if I would
be the right person for this dog. He was a 7 year
old male Golden Retriever. I walked in and sat on
the floor with him. He was so friendly. I asked a
little bit about Baxter and when was his birthday.
I was taken back with the answer. His birthday was
February 22nd. My mother past away 4
years ago and that was her birthday. I thought that
was my sign (02/22/02). I thought Baxter was sent
to me by my mother. As I loved on Baxter on the
floor, I noticed a large mass under his arm. I
couldn't take a dog with cancer.
I spoke with Mary Ellen from GRINinc the next day
and mentioned the large mass. She asked me if
Baxter and I made a connection. I replied, oh yes!
She then asked me if he was healthy would I still be
interested in adopting. I replied YES! GRINinc
took Baxter to a vet in Sarasota and had him checked
out. I got a call the next day and got wonderful
news. Baxter was ok and the vet said that he had a
fatty mass. It wasn't cancer. I was so excited to
go get him. He was overweight and had a large rash
all over him. I started to feed Baxter one of the
approved foods from the GRIN website and we began to
walk each afternoon. He lost 14 lbs., his skin
cleared up and his coat thickened. He began to act
like a puppy. When we would meet people, they
couldn't believe he was 7. We played every chance
we got. We went camping, hiking, swimming, boating,
canoeing and on many road trips. Baxter is still
teaching me how to meet all of his needs.
 As
time passed, I was still concerned about the large
mass under his arm. It was continuing to grow. It
started to affect our walks each day. I talked to
Mary Ellen about my concerns. She mentioned that
GRINinc could possibly help with the removal of his
large mass if I took him to one of their network
vets. I took Baxter to meet Dr. Stacy from the
Oasis Animal Hospital of Naples. She was wonderful
to Baxter and he really liked her. I thought the
entire office staff was warm and welcoming to Baxter
and I. Dr. Stacy felt the mass needed to be
removed. GRINinc approved the surgery and we set a
date. I took Baxter for his surgery and it was so
successful. Dr. Stacy said the mass was one pound
and it was the largest one she had ever removed. He
recovered so quickly. I was supposed to keep him
calm so he could heal. I told him "no" times more
in the two weeks he was recovering than I did the
entire previous year I had him. Baxter has
completely healed and plays like a puppy. We have
started our evening walks again and he is doing
wonderful. Baxter and I are so grateful for
GRINinc, Mary Ellen and Dr. Stacy for making this
possible. I'm so lucky to have Baxter in my life.
I have recently realized my whole world revolved
around my dog. I truly believe in a dog picking his
owner. Thank you GRINinc for helping Baxter pick
me.
MILES
Do you believe in fate? I
didn’t always. I could not believe I was destined to be roaming
the streets, scared and lonely. I certainly didn’t deserve to
be in a high kill shelter. That was just a little over one year
ago and my life has changed forever.
My name is Miles. My Aunt
Yvette, my godmother, named me after she rescued me from the
shelter. She said that Miles meant soldier in Latin, peaceful
in German, and that she knew in heart that I wandered miles and
miles before I found her. Once I found her, I was forever safe
and destined to reach my potential. We had a good talk that
night.
Aunt Yvette interviewed several
families before she picked mine. She only wanted the best for
me – the hard times were over. I promised her I would make her
proud. She promised me that I would be forever loved.
I just celebrated my third
birthday. The past year in my forever home was amazing. . Mom
and dad took me to school so I could meet friends that play as
nice as I do. I did really well in school and passed my Canine
Good Citizen test with flying colors! I also aced my therapy
pet test two weeks later. Mom and dad take me to visit a
neighborhood nursing home every Sunday afternoon. The ladies
there say I’m handsome and a perfect gentleman.
Zoe & Miles
My best friend is my little baby
sister, Zoe. Mom, dad and I adopted Zoe from GRIN CCC just a
few weeks ago. Zoe is always at my side and is ready to play.
She is beautiful, loveable and all puppy. She’s my little girl
and I’m going to teach her to be a Canine Good Citizen one day.
Since Zoe came into our lives,
our family is truly complete. We share everything from squishy
toys to daddy’s lap. We swim, play tug, hug big time, and turn
heads when we walk side by side together. We ruff each other
and every day is a golden blessing, just like us.
MILES
GRINinc dog # 334
BERNIE
Do you believe? Easy question but often times
difficult to answer. So was the case with Bernie. Our Bernie
came to us as an owner surrender. He spent most of his young
life, living outside in a fenced in yard with no view to the
outside world and its wonders. His owner rarely brought him
inside and when he did he said that Bernie was much too rowdy
and directed him outside yet again.
When the owner contacted GRINinc. to surrender him, our
volunteer found him living in a room in an empty house; his
owners had actually moved out and left him. He was dirty, ear
infections, and starved for human contact.
Do you believe? Apparently his owner did not.
We took Bernie immediately to one of our network vets where he
was brought up to date on shots and tested for parasites,
treated for his ear infection, and when ready, was taken to his
foster home.
His foster parents began at once to shower him with love,
attention, quality food and found their first training challenge
was to teach him that it was okay to live and play inside the
house with them.
One day, while taking him for probably his first real walk
outside on a leash, he was confronted by two small breed barking
dogs. Bernie was startled, frightened and lunged at the dogs
attacking one. Although the dog was not injured, the fosters
knew they had a new challenge to work with. While the
fosters were diligent, Bernie’s fear of other dogs escalated.
We were asked: Do you believe he can ever be helped?
Knowing full well the options if he could not, the fosters
continued to work with Bernie to help him in every way they
possibly could.
Upon their first meeting with Bernie, Denise and Erik fell in
love with this big, Velcro golden boy and he with them. Denise
and Erik never stopped smiling and never blinked ONCE when the
fosters went on about the "aggressive" behaviors...they pulled
me aside later and told me that they had no worries.
They told us, in no uncertain terms, WE BELIEVE.....
Click
HERE
to enjoy Bernie's Birthday Celebration!
CASEY
Rescued Golden given a second chance for a quality life now
"gives" to others and improves the quality of THEIR lives!
The story of Casey Metro begins when I visited him in his
current home after receiving a call that his owner no longer
thought Casey should be part of her life. She was gone long
hours and he was left alone in a dark, closed up home. No
socialization, no walks, no happy dog feelings …. sad and
withdrawn instead. I have been to hundreds of homes before to
“evaluate” the soon- to- be displaced Golden Retrievers and
although each and every dog is special … very few captivated my
heart as Casey did. I knew immediately that I needed to
“rescue” him and keep him for my very own, but I couldn’t take
him that night. As I drove home, tears streamed down my face.
I needed to help that sweet boy who cowered in the corner … I
needed to get him soon. The next week my friend and I met his
owner and we whisked Casey away. He came home with me. He
happily explored his new surroundings and freedom, he enjoyed
his walks down to the lake, but he was also frightened of
noises, of my husband, of new places and experiences. Slowly,
very slowly, he began to feel less threatened. It took a lot of
coaxing and patience on our part to encourage him not to be
afraid. He found strength and security being with my other
goldens and being always by my side. In his eyes I saw a special
“something”. I knew Casey would be an extraordinary dog…his
deep brown eyes were pools of love and devotion and kindness.
Casey and I decided to attend classes for socialization and
obedience; he even did a little agility to boost his
confidence! He liked being active and having a “job” as long as
he was with me. I realized that Casey could heal another
person’s heart just like he did mine after loosing my golden
Alfie, and I wanted to “share” him with anyone I could. What
better way to do this than to pursue a “career” as a therapy
dog! After 10 months, Casey is now a registered therapy dog
with the Delta Society and, as you can see by this photo, he is
“giving” to others through the Brody Project for Animal Assisted
Therapy. Everyone that meets Casey falls in love with him…his
deep brown eyes cast a spell….he truly is a very special
golden.
Mary Ellen Metro
Photo: Giovanni Photography
TEDDY BEAR
GRINinc. Dog #364
In
January of this year, We found a large tumor in the groin area,
in the left leg, of my beautiful Goldie Ann. She was 11 years
old, and had been with us since she was a puppy, found as a
stray. She was a beautiful girl, my shadow, my companion, my
best friend. I am retired, so she has been with me, 24 hours a
day .Our vet scheduled surgery, as early blood tests did not
show cancer. The tumor was growing rapidly, and her left paw was
turning outward, when she walked. The day of the surgery, I
dropped her off, and just prior to the surgery, they did x-rays,
and found that cancer from the tumor was also on her lungs. The
vet called my wife, as they determined that it was best that
surgery not be done, and the Vet knew what she meant to me. I
was devastated by the news, and she was brought home to spend
her final days with us.
I didn't take care of her; she always took care of me. She was
my rock, and during so many tragic events that happened to our
family, she helped me through. We had a tornado destroy our home
in 1998, and she was beside us. In 2006, I had major back
surgery, (4 discs replaced in my back) and was in the hospital
for 6 days, and my wife and daughter snuck her into the
hospital, and the nurses were shocked, when they found Goldie
Ann in bed with me.
5 days after leaving the hospital, our son in law committed
suicide, leaving a wife and 3 children. We also learned that
our youngest daughter, (age 21) had cervical cancer. So many
days, Goldie Ann was my comfort when I cried, and she would
cuddle to me, and lick my tears. She was a trooper until the
end, when we lost her. It tore my heart out, to say the least.
I did my best to hide it, but was having chest pains, and was so
depressed.
My wife and daughter decided that they were going to find
another Golden, not to replace Goldie Ann, but another friend
for me.
Teddy Bear came out of no where, from GRIN, who needed a foster
home, and they had none available. It was like someone, maybe
even Goldie Ann, was looking out for me? I felt Guilty, I felt
like I was betraying Goldie Ann! The minute Teddy Bear stepped
out of the volunteer’s vehicle, in our driveway, I knew he would
never leave our household. He was beautiful, and the bond began.
So many strange things have happened since his arrival. Goldie
Ann always slept by my feet, and after I was asleep, she would
sneak up alongside of me, and share my pillow. The first night,
Teddy got in our bed, and cuddled up to my feet and went to
sleep. I used to tell Goldie to give Mamma (my wife) kisses and
she would always run over and do it. The following morning of
Teddy's arrival, I told him to give Mamma kisses, and he ran
over and did it!! We were shocked, to say the least. When I
would leave to do my errands, Goldie Ann would lay in the
laundry room waiting for my return ,,, Teddy does this? All so
eerie. We truly believe Goldie is part of him.
 Teddy
is so much fun, he sees me in my swim suit and runs and gets in
the pool to wait for me. He is awesome. I will never get over
losing Goldie, and have tried to put her pictures back up, but I
lose it, when I see them... Teddy comforts me... He lays not by
my feet, but on them!! I love him!!
Some people say "It's just a dog" and I get so angry, it isn't
just a dog, they are part of our family, part of our life, so
much compassion, so much love they offer, and they ask nothing
in return.
Teddy Bear saved me, GRIN saved me, and as soon as we can afford
it, we want to adopt another beautiful, loving Golden
Retriever. It will be soon!!!
Walt S.
KASEY
KASEY – 11 year-old blind
Golden Retriever female
with Diabetes and Seizure
Disorder
It is almost
impossible to even imagine what the dogs may have witnessed.
Sarasota County Sheriff’s deputies were called out on a Sunday
morning to an isolated home in rural Venice by a neighbor who
saw a trespasser on the property. There deputies discovered the
murdered bodies of a woman and a man concealed in the woods on
the property.
What did the dogs
see, hear, and smell? We will never know. But we do know that
four Golden Retrievers belonging to the female victim were
immediately displaced and one of them was Kasey. Due to her
health situation, she was taken to the Animal ER and then
transferred to a local veterinarian office while awaiting a
decision by the owner’s next of kin.
When the release was
signed by the next of kin turning all the dogs over to Sarasota
County Animal Services, GRINinc worked with the staff on placing
the healthy, younger dogs with local Golden Retriever Rescues
and moved Kasey to a network veterinarian clinic. When she
arrived at the clinic, she could barely stand or walk. She
appeared confused and depressed. GRINinc assumed the cost of
treatment and she was monitored very closely.
Gradually over
time, the knowledgeable and skilled staff at the clinic was able
to get her blood sugars down and Kasey was on her feet and
wagging her tail. She was eating well and greeting staff when
they approached her run. In the meantime, GRINinc was searching
for the forever home she needed, knowing it would take a special
family to monitor her glucose levels, deal with her occasional
seizures, guide her as she learned the blueprint of a new home
and, most importantly, love her and care for her the rest of her
life.
Sometimes
things just work out the way they need to work out, and for
Kasey… this was one of those times. One of the adopters of a
2008 GRINinc golden emailed that there was a family he knew that
had known the owner/victim of the dogs from the homicide case.
They even had two offspring from Kasey as well as an older male
that wasn’t related to her. They were trying to find out where
the dogs were and he thought that GRINinc might be involved in
their rescue so he contacted us. The family is in the medical
profession with full knowledge of diabetes and seizures and was
willing and eager to offer Kasey a place to live out the rest of
her life. An interview was done, along with a home visit. Once
Kasey was considered healthy enough to be discharged from the
veterinary clinic, the adoption was completed and Kasey got to
go home to her forever family where she will enjoy going to work
with her “Dad”, lying around on comfortable beds in air
conditioning, and walks around several acres of lawns. She is
adapting well in spite of her blindness. She hugs the legs of
her parents or her golden offspring as she navigates the
property and she has infrequent seizures. Kasey is a very lucky
girl….she has had a second chance to live a happy life!
ALLIE
Allie was
rescued from the shelter in November of 2008 – a scared and
shaking bundle of anxiety. She was terribly neglected and
emotionally damaged. At that time her skin and coat were
indicative of chronic skin allergies due to very poor nutrition
and most likely poor or non existent housing - like many outside
dogs. You can see the loss of coat from the lower jaw, neck, and
belly all the way to her rear end. The black skin around her
eyes in another sign of lack of care, poor nutrition and severe
neglect.
Allie is a very
small golden about 1-2 years old who was extremely thin,
malnourished, and weak by the time GRINinc rescued her. She had
had pups not too long ago and her bark was very raspy –
indicating possibly abusive damage to her trachea or the
possibility she was de-barked. Our belief is that Allie was a
“puppy mill” breeder dog….used every time she could be bred to
produce puppies to provide her owner with money. Of course,
none of that money was spent on her care – not even given
heartworm preventative to save her life. She came into rescue in
terrible condition and was, of course, heartworm positive.
The
emotional/mental damage has been the most heartbreaking to watch
and overcome. Scared of movements and noises, she was even
fearful of the leash. The foster parents were carefully chosen
for Allie as we knew she was going to need lots of patience,
perseverance, and love. Ron and Elaine were a perfect match as
they were committed to giving Allie a comfortable and quiet home
environment with lots of love and dedication to her needs. They
knew it was going to take some time and they were willing to
stick with her and help her blossom into the girl they were sure
was hidden inside. GRINinc is indebted to our volunteers who
give so much to the rehabilitation of these dogs.
With their
guardianship and gentle, patient care Allie did begin to blossom
into a lovely young golden girl with a sparkle in her eye and a
joy of life. She was able to overcome pneumonia and survive
heartworm treatment. She was spayed. Even though her veterinary
bills mounted up as she overcame the physical ills, she
continued to win our hearts with her emotional growth, increased
confidence, and other successes. She would howl at her foster
dad to say hello and would come to each of her parents, but
continued to be shy around strangers. She was very anxious
around cars and noises, but with patience and love, her fosters
were able to help her gain confidence as the weeks went by. She
gained weight, her eyes lost the bad mascara look, the skin
healed, the coat began to grow in and she was looking and acting
more and more like the beautiful golden we knew was there.
As months went
by, Ron and Elaine continued to lavish love and attention on
Allie while working on extending times away from her, teaching
her what toys were about and helping her continue to gain in
confidence and security. She flourished with their pats and
scratches, so different from the dog that was fearful and
cowering when she first came to them. Their nurturing care was
an integral part of taking Allie from her once neglected
condition into the confident, spirited young lady who
exemplifies the life and breed of the Golden Retriever. After
several months with Ron and Elaine, Allie was transferred to
another foster home for a short period of time where she was
further socialized and learned to live with other goldens and
cats. She is now in her forever home with another Golden and a
family that adores her. Allie has come a long way and GRINinc
is proud to have been able to rescue her from a shelter where
she would most likely have been euthanized and fund her recovery
from so many diseases [pneumonia & heartworms] and ailments
[skin allergies & malnutrition] to see her become the poised
golden female we knew was there.
HARLEY
Harley David
happy with his new Family
We've always been a
family of four. In May, our oldest golden retriever, J.D.,
unexpectedly fell ill and had to be put to sleep. We all found
ourselves at a loss - including Cody Beau, our 2 1/2 year old
golden.
After much thought, we decided we would adopt a rescue dog
instead of raising a puppy - as we've always done in the past.
We found a golden on the GRINinc website that seemed like a
perfect match for our family. We woke up early one Sunday
morning and began the 3 1/2 hour drive from Pompano Beach to
North Port, Florida. The door opened at his foster home and
there we met Harley - a handsome golden retriever, wagging his
tail, then rolling over for a belly rub. His wonderful
foster family had nothing but praise for Harley. As soon
we were sure that Cody Beau and Harley got along, we headed home
with our new pup.
Harley David (his new middle name) has made our family complete.
The photo above shows us with the "boys" - Harley David in blue
and Cody Beau in red. We are very grateful for all the
help and support from Mary Ellen and GRINinc. They made
Harley's adoption and forever home possible.
ABADOO
Earlier this year, GRINinc took
in a golden from a
shelter who was in
absolutely pitiful
condition.
The golden boy was almost
totally bald, had numerous
sores on his skin, crusty
growths around the periphery
of both ears, ear
infections,
had a thyroid level so low
it was not registering on
the test, hips so painful he
couldn't climb into a car,
was a good 15 lbs
overweight, and
had so little energy and
life in him that he could
barely hold his head up or
walk more than a few feet.
He was also incubating a
really wicked
upper respiratory
infection. We understand
that Animal Welfare League's
position would have
required to elect euthanasia
for a dog in such
bad shape; instead they were
kind enough to contact us
and, on April 16, John
M. collected a very sad
freight for transport to
Dominic
and Brad S's home.
BEFORE April 2008
"Abadoo" got a name, lots of
antibiotics, Soloxine,
salves, drops, you name it.
For the first weeks he was with Dominic and Brad they honestly thought he
wasn't going to make it.
They would get up several
times during the night just
to make sure he was still
breathing
- but make it he did.
Today he is a happy,
healthy, handsome, and very
hairy boy.
AFTER December 2008
EXTREME MAKEOVER ... thanks to
our very dedicated,
loving, foster parents
Dominic and Brad and thank
you to John M. and the
Animal Welfare League
for moving quickly to give
GRINinc a chance to help
this boy before it was too
late.
One more bit of happy news.
Abadoo has gone to his
forever home.
Maryanne and Jeff L. are
his new "parents"... and
everyone is EXTREMELY happy!
MAGGIE
This is my beautiful guardian angel Maggie. I have always wanted to
write a book about “me and Maggie” and our journey through life
together….past, present and future. She is the most amazing
Golden Retriever I have ever met. I can say so much about
Maggie, but what I would especially like to share is how Maggie
entered my life and brought me to GRINinc.
Maggie is not a GRIN dog, however she is the reason I am a supporter and
volunteer for GRINinc today. Maggie was 9 weeks old when I got
her from a horrific breeder in Naples. I went there only to
rent a puppy for a commercial that the company I was working for
was shooting. I picked the perfect “all American” Golden
Retriever puppy out of a litter of 11. She was the perfect
color, precious face and her personality was on the calm side.
As I walked with her in my arms to my car, a beautiful adult
female (her mom) walked beside be with her wet nose on the arm
that held the puppy all the way to my car. I looked down and
said to her “I promise, I will bring her back, don’t worry.” I
noticed something very distinct about the adult female, she only
had one eye.
Well this adorable puppy that I “rented” was the star of a carpet
commercial! When her job of debuting was finished, she was to
return to the horrible breeding place she came from. My heart
just could not allow this to happen. I was not in a position to
have a dog at the time, so I worked on finding this puppy a
home. First she went with a co-worker and after two days I
walked into my office to find this puppy curled up on a soft
blanket in a basket on my floor. That home was not the home for
her after all. She then went to another co-worker and that did
not work out either. Finally she ended up with a friend of mine
for about three weeks and within that time she spent most of it
with me because of the traveling my friend was doing. I loved
this because I developed a love for this puppy, now named
Maggie. She seemed to be having a problem with housebreaking
and that was too much for my friend and once again, I got Maggie
back. This time, Maggie wasn’t going anywhere. I knew this was
a divine sign telling me that this puppy was to be mine all
along!
Maggie did not end up having a housebreaking problem at all..after
several tests and xrays, we found that Maggie was born with a
birth defect called ectopic ureters (her ureters were connected
to her uterus instead of her bladder) . Now almost 5 months
old, she underwent a very special surgery in an effort to
correct this birth defect. She came through the surgery just
fine and I visited her every day for the next three days in the
Veterinary Hospital, sitting by her and petting her and holding
her paws while I would pray for her.
From there, Maggie and I were always together…everywhere I went, she went
(as long as she was allowed). She became the ambassador of the
neighborhood and friends to every dog and human she came in
contact with and continues to do so. She is a social butterfly!
How was it that Maggie brought me to GRINinc.? Maggie was about 2 years
old when I found GRINinc. I was shopping in Coastland Center
Mall one day when I was entering Burdine’s (now Macy’s) and
outside the entrance was this small table, a couple of people
with t-shirts on that said “Golden Rescue in Naples” and a
beautiful Golden Retriever sitting beside them. As I walked
into the store I looked down at this beautiful dog and noticed
something very distinct about her…she only had one eye. I
continued into the store and thought “that dog looks so much
like Maggie’s mother.” How could I ever forget that day I
walked my puppy to my car and her mother walking along side me
with her wet nose on my arm? How could I ever forget that one
eyed girl? I turned around and went back out to see her again.
I started talking to a woman (it was Mary Ellen Metro) that was
there with her and I was asking questions about where the dog
came from and Mary Ellen was being quite vague with me. I
finally said, she looks just like my golden’s mother. At that
point Mary Ellen asked me where I got my golden, so I told her.
Just then, she opened up to me and told me that Rose (formerly
Hope) was that same dog I thought she was. My heart fell to my
feet and I just wanted to cry (with tears of joy).
MAGGIE and ROSE
The most important thing that has happened is that my promise to Rose
came through…her puppy, Maggie, WAS brought back to her! Rose
and Maggie are always very happy and proud when Mary Ellen and I
tell people that they are mother and daughter
J And so are we!
ROXY
Our family is so very happy to have adopted Roxy. She is
such a treasure. We love her so very much. When we go on our
walks, Roxy must have a tennis ball in her mouth at all times.
She insists on hitting the ball back to you with her teeth and
she jumps and pounces on the tree trunk to chase the squirrels.
She is constantly on the hunt for rabbits and moving objects.
If Roxy wants to play, she brings her toys to you and
communicates by talking in a low growl; all the while she is
wagging this insatiable tail, which the children have termed the
“living drum stick”.
One of Roxy’s favorite games is tug of war and she really
enjoys it when you throw the ball and she can retrieve it. But
good luck in her relinquishing the ball; she stands over the
ball and gives you a look like “come and get it”.
Roxy is a wonderful addition to our home and we love her very
much. She gives us unconditional love and constant
companionship. The children, my husband and I enjoy having her
and she has immediately stolen our hearts in a very special way
that only a golden retriever like Roxy can do.
Our warmest thank you to Alesia for making our dreams a
reality with our newest addition – Roxy.
Terry, Jerry, Christina (10) and Chad (7)
SIMON
 Like
many GRINinc dogs, Simon was a puppy with special needs. When we
met him in 2006, he had spent most of his young life chained in
a back yard without love or companionship and often without food
or water. We had hoped to adopt a mature female dog, but agreed
to meet Simon anyway, and we couldn’t deny this depressed, thin
young dog the love and companionship he had missed for his first
year of life. We took Simon home with us, and we realized right
away that we had quite a challenge ahead! He had no house
manners. He thought our furniture was indoor plumbing. He chased
anything that moved and chewed through three leashes and two
shoes his first week with us. He had a strong fear of cars and
we had to push and shove him into the back seat just to get him
home.
Like most
Goldens, Simon was eager to please and he soon house-trained
himself and learned which toys were his. He began to make eye
contact and to seek our company. He gained 15 pounds and a
charming doggie smile. He passed Basic Obedience class at Dog
School and eventually learned what the sound of the doorbell
meant. Since this rejected, dejected, shy dog has joined our
family, his Golden spirit has surfaced and shines through. He
shows the neediness of his breed, following family members
around, insisting on being a part of everything, resting his
head in our laps, and greeting us at the door with a sleepy
smile, a retrieved toy, and a tail wag! He shows touching
gratitude to us for giving him a Forever Family, and his heart
seems to know that this new security and happiness make life the
way it was meant to be for him. He responds with golden
unconditional love and loyalty.
After learning
about Delta Society’s Pet Partner Therapy Dog program at the
February Reunion, we began studying to become Pet Partners.
Delta’s program has very tough requirements, but we worked hard
as a team, and in June we passed the screening testing and are
now a registered Pet Partner Team. We plan to visit nursing
homes and Assisted Living Facilities. Simon has shown a talent
for bonding with people with special needs, as he himself had
special needs. He is a true success story of the success of
GRINinc’s Mission!
MAGGIE
 Meet
our Maggie…our sweet redhead that goes out of her way to please.
Maggie came to us in a round about way. We were asked to
foster this 120 pound over weight girl, but unfortunately we
were going on vacation for a couple of weeks and were unable to
take her. Several months went by and her foster family was
going to move out of state so we were once again asked to foster
Maggie. This time it worked out and Maggie joined our
family. Soon after she came into our home as a foster dog
we became very attached to her loving, sweet nature so we
decided to adopt her. With proper diet, exercise and
thyroid medication she started loosing those unwanted pounds.
Maggie has completed
her training classes to become a pet therapy dog. She’s
currently waiting to have her evaluation before she can
officially do therapy work. Several months ago she passed her
Canine Good Citizen test, so you can see she’s been working very
hard since she became a part of our family. She gets along
great with her sister Goldie. Now that she has lost almost half
her body weight she enjoys running and chasing balls…what all
goldens love to do. I know she only wishes her sister would
play a little more, but she realizes she’s a senior.
Maggie is always by
our side. She always greets us at the door with a smile and a
wagging tail. She’s so happy to see you even if you’ve only
been gone for a little while. There’s so much love and devotion
in those big beautiful brown eyes. She kind of reminds us of
some lyrics from an old James Taylor song titled You’ve Got A
Friend…”You just call out my name, and you know wherever I am
I’ll come running to see you again….You’ve got a friend”.
That’s our Maggie!
Greg & Virginia L.
CHARLIE
Charlie is a special dog,
Who likes to walk, eat, and SWIM!
Charlie is so special,
No other dog is just like him.
Charlie does what Nana and Grandpa say,
In Charlie’s unique kind of way.
But sometimes he will give you this cute little face,
To make him swim in the Naples swim race!
I
Love you Charlie Brown!!!
- Hannah
NOAH
Here is a picture of my "alarm clocks" who
get me up whether I want to or not!
Angel and Noah are great buddies. She has
taught him how to chase (and sometimes
catch) lizards. I think they just like to
feel the wiggles in their mouths because the
dead bodies are usually intact, and somehow
some even manage to get away!! She's also
taught him how to open the sliding glass
doors with his nose. He's managed to perk
her up and get her running more. He's still
not the slightest bit interested in the
pool, which is a good thing.
The trainer has been coming to the house
training Noah to walk on a leash and improve
his other "tricks". He's doing MUCH better.
I do remember that Noah will only be as good
as I make him by constant reinforcement and
while I'm not exactly the most consistent
person when it comes to practicing
regularly, he is still making good
progress. Angel is also learning (or
relearning) as well.
We look forward to seeing you at some of the
upcoming events. Best wishes to your
excellent organization that does so much for
these terrific dogs.
Barbara K.
TRACKER
 My
name is Tracker and I am one of the four “special needs” dogs
you have read about on the GRIN website. I am about 3 years
old, and until several months ago, my life was full of abuse and
neglect. I really am a very good boy. I just can’t understand
why someone would adopt me from a shelter, promise to treat me
for my heartworm, and then return me to the same shelter two
months later along with my new brother and two sisters. I was a
wreck. The heartworm was really, really bad (the treatment was
bad, too…but I just finished up today and I feel like a new
“person”). We were all emaciated and dehydrated. I had lost
over 10 pounds in 2 months. I could have spent my last days in
that shelter, but Mary Ellen and Alesia rescued all of us.
I moved into my
foster home with Sheila and Chris and their big dog. I was
pretty sick with the heartworm treatment, but they kept me quiet
and took such good care of me that I gained weight and started
to have energy again. Meanwhile, people were reading about me
and making donations to help with my veterinary expenses. One
of those people was Laura. At that point, neither one of us
knew that I would be adopting her, Bill and Goldie.
Finally, I was
well enough to go to my forever home. Laura and Bill had wanted
an older dog because their Golden, Goldie, is 9 years old. They
were afraid that I might have too much energy for her. I
pretended to be really calm and Mary Ellen and Alesia thought I
would be perfect for them. And, you know what? I am.
I am a
gentleman. I sit, lie down, shake, and walk nicely on the
leash. Goldie and I have the run of the house and we always
behave. What can I say? In spite of my abuse, someone took the
time to train me. I think I might have gone hunting because I
love to swim….and you should see me retrieve the noodles out of
the pool….unfortunately, I take them when Laura and Bill are
floating on them.
Goldie and I
are great friends already….in only a week. We go for walks
together, we get treats (I always wait my turn), we share all of
Goldie’s toys (we both love to eat the stuffed ones), we sleep
side by side or on top of Laura and Bill (that is if I let Bill
have his side of the bed), and we get all the attention and love
we both need. It does get a little crowded in the bathroom at
times.
Life is good.
I never knew I deserved to have a life like this until I heard
Laura telling someone what a wonderful dog I am and how amazing
it is that I never lost my golden spirit. She said I touch her
heart when she looks into my beautiful brown eyes. She sees all
the love I have to give and the appreciation for the love she,
Bill, and Goldie give to me. I’ve certainly won them over!
They don’t even mind that I’m not quite as calm as I pretended
to be.
It’s time for
me to go for a ride in the car. I love car rides, and I am
perfect in the car if I do say so myself. I owe so much to
Golden Rescue in Naples, Mary Ellen, Alesia, and Sheila and
Chris for saving my life. I’m planning to spend the rest of it
making sure that my new family is as happy as I am. If my story
made you cry, that’s okay…just make a donation to GRIN, foster
one of us, or fill out adoption papers.…you’ll feel lots better.
With love,
Tracker
BANDIT
 My
husband, Fred, and I were so happy to become foster parents to a
wonderful senior, white-faced, red Golden named Bandit. He came
to us after we lost our red Golden, Holly, and he fit in right
from the beginning. Bandit was close to 14 when he arrived and
his only handicap was a large and growing tumor which was
inoperable. It was really love at first sight and it soon
became evident he was not going to be adopted so we became
permanent foster parents. Bandit always gave us such love and
devotion and he really loved everyone. His tail was always
wagging and that smile would show up throughout the day. We
lost Bandit in early September when the tumor finally got him
shortly before his 16th birthday. We still miss him greatly
but he will always be in our hearts. If it were not for a
wonderful GRIN volunteer who helped us so much at the end,
everything would have been much more difficult for us as we are
also seniors. The GRIN organization is to be commended for all
of the wonderful work they do for these remarkable Golden
Retrievers.
Virginia and Fred Best
BUDDY
 My
son and I feel very fortunate that Buddy came into our
lives and forever home a couple months ago. We think
he's about 3 years old.
He had a few issues at first; because he came from a shelter in
Lakeland, Fl, and then the organization's vet in Ft Myers. He
had kennel cough and he had been altered. There was no history
or background information. He was found by an animal control
officer wandering around Lakeland and he had no collar or
microchip. He was afraid of people, noises, cars, everything.
It was felt that he could have been abused. I like to think he
had a nice family and somehow got loose, wandered far from home,
couldn't find his way back to them and suffered traumatic fear
of no where to go and no one to love him.
 He's
now adjusted to his forever home very well, loves to be petted
and wants attention, is getting much better about being left
alone while I run errands. He loves his walks on his leash
around the neighborhood but is disappointed because he is told
not to try to chase lizards and rabbits. He dotes on attention
neighbors give him because he's such a handsome dog. I had a
trainer come to my home to give obedience lessons and she said
that he already knows how to walk on a leash - she worked on
giving me various commands to use instead of NO and said she
didn't think she needed to come back - just for me to reinforce
commands each time I walk him. She also said that she thought
he'd make a great dog to visit nursing homes and brighten up the
lives of people living there.
I thank Naples GRIN Org for giving me the opportunity to meet,
foster, and adopt Buddy.
Jane B., Sarasota FL
CHANCE
“GRINinc rescue dog takes a leap of faith on finding love with
new family and the Chance pays off”
EMMETT
This is an update on Emmett. He and his mom,
Laurie, have been very busy this summer. They
have been going to school and learning a real
lot. Laurie decided that Emmett needed to have
a job, so they went to class to become a therapy
dog. They have been invited to join the Therapy
Dog International Organization after he passed
their test, which was on July 28. They will be
doing community service work, like going to
hospitals and nursing homes to visit the
patients and residents. Emmett is real excited
about that because that means he will get to
meet more people. He loves people.
 Then
last Tuesday Emmett passed the Canine Good
Citizens course and became a canine good citizen
dog. We really didn’t need to take Emmett there
because we knew he was a good dog but now it’s
official. Some of you saw Emmett when we adopted
him and saw he just wanted a chance to become a
good dog but never was allowed to until Golden
Rescue In Naples saved him. We owe them so much
because Emmett is a special dog.
Bob, Laurie and Emmett
A TRIBUTE TO MY MORGAN
 We
recently lost our 14 year old rescued Golden
Retriever. All our goldens are special but I
would like to tell you why Morgan was so very
special. If you believe that just ONE golden
can dramatically change your life, please take a
few minutes to read Morgan's story. Morgan was
our first rescued golden. I never even knew
that rescues existed but a friend of mine told
me about a great organization in Ohio so I
applied. After one week I got a call about a
dog a little older than what I wanted (sound
familiar?!!), but we decided to go see him. I
wasn't sure I was ready for another dog after
loosing my beloved Flat Coat, Merlin. We saw
Morgan and immediately knew he should come home
with us. Morgan came from a family that
mistreated and severely neglected him. They
took his Golden Retriever spirit away and taught
him to mistrust....hence when we adopted him he
was extremely aloof, mistrusting and very
depressed. It took my husband and I over 6
months to win his trust...he began to show only
a small amount of that neediness that all of
us love about the breed but still no kisses, no
following to the bathroom, no head on the lap,
but at least some tail wags and carrying of
toys. That was a start and he continued to get
better everyday. Over the 91/2 years that we
had him, Morgan became a loyal, loving dog, but
even to his last day he would not go through a
door first and he did have some separation
anxiety. During the first 6 months of his life
with us I was consumed by my goal to make him a
"normal" Golden Retriever...my life became
Morgan and my life became filled with rescue. I
thought that if I could put this much time and
effort into helping one dog, there must be
others out there that need just as much, if not
more, help...so began my interest in the breed
and rescue. It was because of Morgan and my
love for him that I continue to have goldens and
rescue in my life. My life is empty now without
my Morgan...he was my foundation, but my goals
for rescue have not changed...we need to help
all the goldens that we can for as long as we
can....it is a necessity .
"We need to honor that emptiness as a marker to
the soul that resides within"
Sue H.
Morgan will always have a very special place in my heart.
Mary Ellen Metro
DEWEY
 Dewey came to GRINinc almost a
year ago. His previous life was a sad
one...tied to a tree for most of his 6 years, he
was finally rescued by a lady and he thought it
was a beginning of a great life but he was
wrong. Enter a pit bull that pushed his way
into Dewey's life ... they didn't get along so
Dewey had to go. Turned into the shelter, he
was very depressed. He also was labeled as "dog
aggressive" so his days at the shelter were
numbered. One of our volunteers got a call from
a concerned employee at the shelter. This call
was a last ditch effort to save Dewey as he was
a great golden and he was soon to be PTS.
After evaluating Dewey, GRINinc did save Dewey
and he was soon put into a wonderful, loving
foster home. His new foster "parents" were Earl
and Debbie K. Over the many months, Earl and
Debbie vowed to turn Dewey's life around. He
was walked everyday, he had lots of toys
(especially at Christmas time!), he traveled to
car shows, and most importantly he had
acceptance, love and great care. Dewey stayed
month after month in his foster home...still
waiting for a forever home. Placing a 'dog
aggressive' dog is not easy and it takes time.
Enter Kelly and Richard T. Their application
stated they were interested in Dewey.
GREAT...WONDERFUL, but it wouldn't work as they
had a golden named Costa and, despite the fact
that Costa was 14+ and probably would never
bother Dewey, we couldn't take the chance. So
again, Dewey was passed over. In the meantime
Kelly and Richard decided not to get a second
dog until Costa had passed on. Two weeks ago
Kelly and Richard again contacted us and asked
about Dewey. This is the bittersweet part of
the story. Costa had passed on and now they
wanted to welcome Dewey into their home. He
would be the only dog that would receive all
their love and attention. This was Dewey's
lucky day and the beginning of a new life in a
loving forever home.
In rescue....we realize that
there are certain rescue angels that watch over
us and our dogs...and nothing is left to fate
but rather everything has a reason and a
plan....Dewey's story shows us just how real
those rescue angels are.
Thank you Earl and Debbie for
your dedication to Dewey ... and thank you Kelly
and Richard for not forgetting about our Dewey.
It was meant to be.
ROSE
(formerly Hope)
 I
met Rose when she was 4 and got adopted by Jim and Ken. Then Ken
passed away and Jim gave Rose to my Nana and Grandpa.
Rose had to have surgery on her eye. She
is a one eyed Rosebud. I love her so much!!! If I did not have
this wonderful golden in my life, my life would not be the same.
She is more precious than gold to me
because, she is always at my side when I need her and she always
gives me kisses and makes me feel happy. If I have ever had a
rough day, and I see or think about Rose, I feel a lot better
inside.
She is my Rosebud.
By, Hannah 
10/25/201110/19/2011
Golden Rescue In Naples, Inc. is a 501c3 Non-profit organization.
For more
information, please call 239.514.2715
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