Download the July/August edition of GRREAT News here.
 

The 2009 Funny Faces of GRREAT
Desktop Calendar is now available in
The GRREAT Store

And the 2009 GRREAT Wall Calendar should be here soon!

Forever Friends Fund

We are pleased to announce a new fund to honor your special pet that has gone on to the Rainbow Bridge. This memorial fund will allow you to pay tribute to your dog, cat, or other special critter, and at the same time help our GRREAT Golden Retrievers find their forever homes. Please visit the Forever Friends Fund to read about Gus 06-212, the first forever friend, and find out how to list your special forever friend.
 

A Message from New GRREAT President Robin Heinecke

Dear GRREAT Members,

 I am so excited at the opportunity to serve GRREAT as its President.  I realize that I have HUGE shoes to fill, as I follow Sandy in this position.  I’ve been a GRREAT volunteer for several years as a home visit volunteer, application coordinator, foster home, foster home POC, Vice-President, and with Sandy’s departure President.  Each job teaches me something about people, dogs and volunteering and I love doing all of them.

I live in Maryland on the Eastern Shore with my husband, our two Goldens - Duke is on my right in the picture, Grissom our GRREAT adoptee is on the left and Hopper our foster, is as he usually is, in the middle.

I look forward to meeting many of you in the coming months at GRREAT events.   I hope to get to know more of you as you find time to continue, or begin as a GRREAT volunteer.  Many of our volunteer jobs take only an hour a week, some are more time consuming.  The current GRREAT volunteers, as well as the dogs we bring in, need everyone’s help.

Please feel free to e-mail me at any time, with your thoughts and suggestions.  I check my email several times a day.

GRREAT is a fantastic organization, our mission and the way we accomplish it speaks volumes about our volunteers and members.  I thank all of you for what you do, and hope more of you will join our volunteers and feel how rewarding it is to help our beloved Golden Retrievers.

Robin Heinecke

A Message from Retiring GRREAT President Sandy Diamond

IT’S A GRREAT DAY FOR A WALK!

Planning is under way for the Fifth Annual GRREAT 3K Walk and we need your help.  GRREAT has taken in over 250 stray, abandoned and unwanted dogs with veterinary costs averaging over $185,000, so we depend on contributions and fundraising such as this one.  In order to continue to keep up with the rising costs of veterinary care and continue this high level of commitment, your participation and contributions are needed.  To participate in this fun and worthwhile event, please become a sponsor.

 The following sponsorships options are:

• RESCUE ANGEL: $500 or more- Your name, or company name and logo, will be listed prominently on the event T-shirt to be given to all participants.  Plus you are invited to have a table at our event that you can use to raise awareness of your products and/or services. 

• RESCUE PARTNER:  $300- Your name, or company name and logo, will be listed on the event T-shirt. 

• FRIEND OF RESCUE:  $100- Your name or company name will be listed on the event T-shirt.

• DONATE DOOR PRIZE:  We welcome any items you can donate (gift cards, etc.) that can be awarded as door prizes.

The sponsorship information will also be listed on our flier, website, newsletter and also be featured in any publicity for this event.

This year, the walk will be held on Saturday, November 8, at Weber’s Pet Supermarket – 11021 Lee Highway, Fairfax, Virginia.

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please email Carolyn Beyer at events@grreat.org or call  703-254-4843 no later than September 15, 2008.
 

It Takes Dozens of Volunteers to Keep
GRREAT Operating

GRREAT has no paid staff.  Everything we do to help homeless Goldens in the mid-Atlantic area is done by volunteers.  Some of our volunteers spend several hours a day and others much less.  Can you afford some time each week to be sure all of our dogs find new homes?  Check out our updated volunteer page to see if there isn't something you could do to help.
 

Virginia "Golden Retriever Rescue"
  License Plates

GRREAT and our partner to the south, SEVA GRREAT, are gauging interest in a Golden Retriever Rescue license plate for Virginia drivers. The basic program requires 350 prepaid applications. As 501(c)3 organizations, our rescues qualify for Revenue Sharing. With our combined memberships, we should be able to meet this criteria. Plates authorized for revenue sharing cost $25 annually. Personalization is an additional $10 annually. Revenue sharing provides $15 of every $25 paid to the DMV to be shared with the qualified organization after the sale of the first 1000 plates. If you are interested in this program, please contact Louise Davidson.  (Note: Golden Retriever Rescue plates have been available in Maryland for several years.  Here's how to get one.)

Your Donation Dollars at Work

Peaches 05-140 came to us at the young age of 2. Her family loved her but they had learned that she had an expensive digestive condition and they realized they could not afford or handle the treatment. GRREAT committed to her care and began the medical regimen necessary to help her. Shortly after she came to GRREAT however, it was discovered that her condition was much worse, complicated by a poorly functioning autonomic nervous system. She was taken to a specialist in August 2005 and again in October 2005 who was able to help us come up with a system of medications, special diet, and feeding schedules in order to manage Peachey's conditions. He warned us that it might not matter how hard we tried, that Peaches might succumb to her illness sooner than we hoped, but we endeavored to try as long as she had a high quality of life. And she did. Peaches lived, and loved, and romped, and played. For almost a year, we managed to keep her condition under control. In November 2006, Peaches suddenly became ill and was rushed to the animal hospital where they were forced to perform emergency surgery to save her life. Always a danger with her condition, her intestines had become impacted. Peaches quickly recovered from her surgery and bounced back to her exuberant self where she has remained for several months. As we learn more about her condition and ways to manage it, we hope to avoid this terrible crash from happening again. We know that we are racing against time but Peaches has a strong will to live and a joyous energy that touches everyone around her. Until there is no hope, until her quality of life is diminished, we must keep trying. Because of your past and continued support, GRREAT is able to offer sanctuary to Peaches and to other Goldens like her. Goldens who might otherwise have suffered or been put down long ago. Every little bit helps so please consider making a donation. One-time or even small monthly donations go a long way. And please, don't forget to renew your memberships or become a member to ensure that we are able to continue our good work. Thank you for reading and hope to see you at the Bark-B-Que where Peaches will be ready to greet you. Read about more of our Special Dogs.

Xylitol Warning
By Jo Bighouse

In a recent press release, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center provided the following warning for pet owners about the sugar substitute xylitol: According to Dr. Eric Dunayer, veterinarian and toxicologist for the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, dogs ingesting significant amounts of items sweetened with xylitol could develop a fairly sudden drop in blood sugar, resulting in depression, loss of coordination and seizures. ‘These signs can develop quite rapidly, at times less than 30 minutes after ingestion of the product. Therefore, it is crucial that pet owners seek veterinary treatment immediately.” Dr. Dunayer also stated that there appears to be a strong link between xylitol ingestions and the development of liver failure in dogs. While it was previously thought that only large concentrations of xylitol could result in problems, this appears to no longer be the case. ‘We seem to be learning new information with each subsequent case we manage,” says Dr. Dunayer. “Our concern used to be mainly with products that contain xylitol as one of the first ingredients. However, we have begun to see problems developing from ingestions of products with lesser amounts of this sweetener.’ He also says that with smaller concentrations of xylitol, the onset of clinical signs could be delayed as much as 12 hours after ingestion. Therefore, it is important to keep in mind that even if your pet does not develop signs right away, it does not mean that problems won’t develop later on.” Xylitol is a sweetener found in certain sugar-free chewing gums, candies and baked goods. If your pet consumes any amount of xylitol, contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435. (reprinted from the November/December edition of GRREAT News)
 

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