button
for the dog you wish to sponsor.Special Needs Goldens Who Need Your Support
Because of your generous support, GRREAT has never had to close our doors to Goldens who need extra medical attention. Some of these dogs with special needs can be adopted into their forever homes once their treatment is completed. Many others have ongoing medical problems and/or advanced age and are deemed to be not adoptable. These dogs become long term fosters and will always live with a foster family and have their medical needs met by GRREAT. If you would like to help us give these dogs their happy Golden lives, please consider:
If
you would like to provide for the care of a particular special needs
dog, you may sponsor that dog. As you read about the dogs featured on
this page, you will have the option of selecting a dog to sponsor. To get started, simply the click the
button
for the dog you wish to sponsor.
Please click to read more about:
Charlie, the Golden with a Big Heart Riley, The Eyes of an Angel
Stevie, the Indomitable Little Blind Pup Beeker, The GRREAT Medical Dictionary
Bailey, Movin' and Groovin' in His Own Way Rhett, Cool, Calm, and Collected At Last
Rufus, aka the Comeback Kid Clover, Blind, but Bold and Bubbly
Belle, Helping Other Dogs as We Help Her Gracie, the History of her Name
Trooper, He Lives Up to His Name Maggie Mae, Sharing the Golden Years With Mom
Rhett, Cool, Calm, and Collected At Last Comet, Locked in our Hearts
Coming Soon: Bubba, Fred, Max, Holly, Gunny, Dusty, Hunter, Leah, and Maddie
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COMET
Comet was turned over to GRREAT in early January at the age of 8. His family was moving and couldn't take him along. Comet's circumstances turned into a blessing for him. His ear's were so damaged after so many years of neglect, that they hung from his head like hairless thickened heavy lead flaps. He also had skin infections covering most of his body and was prone to scratching himself bloody. He found himself in a very loving foster home, complete with a few golden girls, who welcomed him into the pack. He enjoys the perks of having his humans home all day and loves always having someone to hang out with. He's especially fond of his Long Term Foster brother Riley, a young golden who found his way to the same foster home. They can often be found kissing each other or laying together offering an abundance of love, comfort and support. Comet has had intense dermatological treatment, including many trips to see his buddy Dr. Bernstein. He eats prescription food, takes multiple daily medications, and follows a very strict regimen to ensure his skin stays healthy. He gets weekly baths and often has to wear a T-shirt or a comfy cone to help protect certain areas from his intense desire to scratch. In September 2011, Comet had an irritation on the bottom of his left eyelid. This wasn't the first time he had damaged his eyelids from scratching but his concerned foster family took him to be checked. His vet prescribed some topical eye medication, but after a week there was no improvement. To be safe, he was taken to ophthalmologist; Dr. Isherwood. She thought it was probably a sebaceous cyst and that he would improve from a combination of warm compresses and medication. However she erred on the side of caution and set him up for surgery to remove the little bump that was growing underneath the sore on his eyelid. A week later, Comet's foster mom got a call from Dr. Isherwood with news that no one anticipated. The little bump turned out to be a grade 3 mast cell tumor.. grade 3 is the worst kind. Comet's family was devastated. This poor boy cannot seem to catch a break! After the initial shock, many tests were conducted including chest x-rays, abdominal ultrasound, bloodwork, urinalysis and aspiration of the eye area and lymph nodes. To everyone's delight, all of these tests came back with normal results. The sad truth is that the odds of long-term survival are not in Comet's favor. A grade 3 tumor is akin to being stamped with an expiration date, but Comet is oblivious. He scoffs at statistics and continues to enjoy life to the absolute fullest. His foster family is so thankful for every day with him and they feel blessed that fate brought him into their lives, and mutual love locked him into their hearts. Comet is in a permanent foster home and will be cared for by GRREAT for the rest of his life. Click the button below to Sponsor Comet, he would be most appreciative of your support
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RILEY
Riley is in a permanent foster home and will be cared for by GRREAT for the rest of his life. Click the button below to Sponsor Riley, he would be most appreciative of your support
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Unfortunately, after a year and half with his new family, Rhett came back to GRREAT in January 2010. It was reported that he suffered from increasing, severe separation anxiety that triggered “destructive” behavior. After a short stay in a temporary foster home, Rhett found his way back to his original GRREAT foster family. But Rhett came back to GRREAT with another problem. During his time with his adoptive family, Rhett had developed a cancerous mass, which had been removed. The surgery left margins of about 1 mm, where 2 mm and greater are much safer for his particular cancer, so additional treatment and careful monitoring of his condition are required. Currently, Rhett is on a chemotherapy regimen until October of 2010, which is intended to slow the spread of the cancer, and he must have x-rays every 3 months to assess whether the cancer has spread to his lungs. Rhett’s prognosis is uncertain; his particular cancer is expected to return. However, if no masses are detected in his lungs by October, then he may have as long as 3 years left; if masses are detected, then he’ll have significantly less time. Rhett’s foster family has agreed to provide Rhett with the loving permanent home he so deserves.
Rhett is in a permanent foster home and will be cared for by GRREAT for the rest of his life. Click the button below to Sponsor Rhett, he would be most appreciative of your support
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Charlie was turned over to GRREAT in July 2008 after being kept outside all day and in the garage at night. A serious medical condition was immediately detected during the standard medical evaluation that GRREAT performs on all our rescued Goldens. Charlie was found to have a grade 5/6 heart murmur, but further evaluation by a cardiologist was performed to determine the exact nature of his problem. The technical terms that describe Charlie’s heart are: subaortic stenosis; severe left ventricular outflow obstruction; thickened aortic valve leaflets and borderline moderate aortic insufficiency; mild mitral, tricuspid and pulmonic insufficiencies; and slow sinus arhythmia and ventricular bigeminy. This was a very grim diagnosis, but the family that was fostering Charlie adored him and decided they would keep him comfortable and happy for as long as he would be theirs to love. Charlie is treated with oral medication that he takes twice a day, and he makes occasional visits to the cardiologist. Because of his heart problems, Charlie is more susceptible to infections, so his foster family must always be ready to deal with any injury that may occur. Charlie also has a muscular weakness in his rear legs, for which he takes joint supplements.
Charlie’s family
must monitor his activity level to keep him calm, but he’s a
laid-back loving dog who doesn’t have much energy for more than just
brief play time, both with other dogs and with his human brother and
sister. While his condition is getting a little worse, he still
enjoys a good quality of life, and he continues to bring joy to his
foster family as well as the many neighbors who know him. Charlie
is happy just to be with people, and he shows his appreciation to
the family that cares for him by bringing them sock gifts, as many
as four at a time and sometimes in the midd While we feel that Charlie is a very lucky boy to be loved and cared for by his foster forever home, the rewards of caring for this special needs boy have led Charlie’s family to conclude that they are the lucky ones. They would like you to know that having this special dog in their lives has been so worthwhile, even though they know their time with him will be shortened. Charlie has done remarkably well for a dog with his medical condition. The generosity of our contributors and the kindness and love of his foster family have all helped to prolong the life of this deserving Golden boy. We certainly hope he will continue to defy the odds. Charlie is in a permanent foster home and will be cared for by GRREAT for the rest of his life. Click the button below to Sponsor Charlie, he would be most appreciative of your support
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Stevie came to GRREAT in November 2008 as a very small, 9 wk old puppy. She and her littermates, along with their Mother, were dumped at a shelter when the puppies were only a few weeks old. One by one, all were adopted except for Stevie. She was obviously the runt of the litter but that wasn’t the problem. No one wanted Stevie because she had been born blind. When the shelter realized that they weren’t going to be able to find her a Forever Home, they called GRREAT and, almost that same day, a volunteer picked her up and transported her to her first foster home. Through a wonderful vet at Palisades Veterinary Clinic, Stevie got an appointment with a world-renowned doggie ophthalmologist, Dr Seth Koch. After her examination, we received the news that Stevie’s blindness was due to a congenital birth defect, and there was nothing that could be done to correct it; her eyes just never developed properly. From there, Stevie arrived in her current foster home as a 12 wk old, 13 lb youngster, and promptly tinkled on the living room rug. Ahhhh puppies. In fact, the most challenging parts of living with Stevie have nothing to do with her blindness. Most are simply the everyday challenges of raising a young dog. Her foster home prepared for her arrival by reading Living with Blind Dogs, by Caroline D. Levin, which is a wonderful guide to the rewards and realities of sharing a life with a blind companion. Once Stevie was settled in, she was taken to visit the Coventry School for Dogs and Their People to meet the owners, Ruth Chase and her dog Robbie. After an initial assessment, it was determined that Stevie could join Puppy Day Camp and enroll in Puppy Kindergarten class. Since then, Stevie has graduated from both Puppy I and Puppy II, and she continues to attend day camp to play with all her young friends. Stevie also attends the Canine Fitness Center where she spends time swimming laps and playing in the pool. So many people and businesses have opened their doors to Stevie, regardless of her differences and, because of this, she has grown into an outgoing, sweet, and confident young dog. Often, new people she meets have to be told that she is blind, it’s just not obvious. She uses her heightened senses of hearing and smell to help her negotiate the world around her, and she bravely forges ahead though she cannot see a thing. Unfortunately, her story does not end here. In April of 2009, it became apparent that Stevie’s housebreaking progress was falling behind other puppies her age. After several tests and procedures, we were given the terrible news that the congenital birth defects that affected her eyes and small stature, also affected her kidneys; they never developed properly either. The vets sadly informed us that this condition is life-limiting, and they gave her 3-6 months to live. It was an incongruous diagnosis. How could this young dog, so full of life, so precious and precocious, have only months to live? It was absolutely unfair.
The values are nowhere close to normal, and the possibility of complete kidney failure is ever present, but we are hopeful that we can buy some quality time and keep Stevie feeling happy and healthy for as long as possible. This indomitable little spirit has proven time and again that she will meet every challenge in her life with courage and determination. She won’t give up and neither will we! Stevie is in a permanent foster home and will be cared for by GRREAT for the rest of her life. Click the button below to Sponsor Stevie, she would be most appreciative of your support
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MAGGIE MAE
But sometimes even knowledge and experience aren't enough. That proved to be the case with Maggie Mae. She was moved to a second foster home after engaging in unlady-like behavior towards the other canines at the first foster home. However, in less than 5 minutes of arriving at the second foster home, it became painfully apparent that Maggie Mae didn't like these dogs either. What now? It's rare to find a foster home that doesn't have one or more canine household members, and Maggie Mae just didn't play well with other dogs. But adversity can beget creativity and this predicament required a creative fix fast. The transporter that day was GRREAT's Foster Home Application Coordinator, Denise, who witnessed her behavior and returned to the car with her. She called an elderly dog-loving relative from her car saying, “I don’t know what I am going to do with this girl,” and the reply – immediate and sight unseen – was, “Bring her here, dear.” And so began a happy pairing. Twelve year old Maggie Mae, the Golden who barks at everybody and everything and who does not like the company of other dogs, found her peace with her 82 year old foster Mom who doesn’t hear so well and is not bothered in the least by the barking. Maggie Mae and her foster Mom quickly developed a loving bond and Maggie’s life was back to being idyllic. But her foster Mom was not in a position to adopt her, and in a year’s time only 2 calls were received by potential adopters. Maggie Mae’s behavior made her a less than ideal companion for everyone who met her, except her devoted foster Mom. So GRREAT decided she could stay right where she was.
Finally after 3 long months, Maggie Mae’s foster Mom was well enough to have her special companion returned to her. Now this senior Golden and her senior human are back to living the idyllic life - spending their golden years together. Maggie Mae is in a permanent foster home and will be cared for by GRREAT for the rest of her life. Click the button below to Sponsor Maggie Mae, she would be most appreciative of your support
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BEEKER
Heartworm treatment began for Beeker as soon as he came to GRREAT, just before he arrived at his foster home. But he had a really bad reaction to the treatment and the vet did not expect him to live through his first night in foster care. But Beeker is a fighter, and not only did he survive the first night, but he's come through numerous health problems since! While it was not initially known, it was later determined that he had an extremely advanced heartworm infestation that had cut off the blood supply to his kidneys, permanently damaging his renal function.
As soon as he started to feel better, about a month after heartworm
treatment, Mr. Beeker was quite a handful! He had a little too much
machismo and he acted like a Mr. growly-pants. After four long
months, the vet finally gave the go ahead that Beeker was healthy
enough to neuter, and Mr. Beeker has been a mild mannered gentleman
ever since. But the pre-neuter surgical blood work showed that
Beeker’s kidneys were not functioning properly, so he was put on a
special low protein diet for dogs with kidney problems. After
numerous ear infections, hot spots, and hair loss, it was discovered
that Mr. Beeker is allergic to the special kidney diet food! Poor
Mr. Beeker can't eat protein or grains, so now he is on an
extra-special diet of all veggies. Additionally, he was sometimes
crying and having difficulty getting up when he was lying on the
floor. X-rays showed severe hip dysplasia, which had gone untreated
and had become arthritic. The x-rays also showed bee-bee pellets in
his tail, and several missing teeth as well as some teeth that
needed to be extracted! Poor
Mr. Beeker reads like a
medical dictionary. Beeker is so special and everyone who comes to his foster home to meet one of the other foster dogs falls in love with him! Mr. Beeker is the sage patriarch of the house, always keeping the other dogs in line with his gentle but firm presence; he has the regal disposition of a lion. Beeker’s favorite thing to do, aside from eating, is to rock back on his hind quarters and "hold" people’s hands. He takes his numerous medications out of his foster Mom’s hand like treats, no cheese or peanut butter required, but always appreciated. We don't know how old Beeker is or how much longer he’ll be here, but his loving foster family feels privileged every day to have him in their lives! Beeker is in a permanent foster home and will be cared for by GRREAT for the rest of his life. Click the button below to Sponsor Beeker, he would be most appreciative of your support
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TROOPER
Trooper’s life is as good as it can be now, with two canine buddies and two people who have fallen in love with him and want him to have the best of everything for as long as he is with them. They love him dearly, and he is very happy in their home. Trooper is also fortunate to have the unfailing support of the GRREAT community, without which he may have had considerably less time, in a much less idyllic environment. Trooper is in a permanent foster home and will be cared for by GRREAT for the rest of his life. Click the button below to Sponsor Trooper, he would be most appreciative of your support
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GRACIE
Gracie was picked up as a stray in Roanoke, VA in June of 2010. GRREAT accepted her into the rescue, gave her the name “Rose,” and immediately transferred her to a vet hospital. During her examination, the vet determined that she was approximately 8 years old, was significantly underweight at 57 lbs., and had likely been used as a breeding dog given the appearance of her mammary glands. In addition to having worms and a case of Demodectic mange, “Rose” was also found to have two masses on her left side. The cytology on the masses revealed mast cell tumors – cancer. The tumors were removed while “Rose” was spayed. Her prognosis is uncertain; the cancer has a 50/50 chance of reoccurring, and if it does, will likely spread to the lymph nodes.
A scared and shaking “Rose” was picked up by her GRREAT foster
family. After a brief stay it was determined that, given her health
issues, “Rose” was not an adoptable dog and would be a long-term
foster. Her foster family graciously agreed to provide the forever
home she needed. She was renamed GRACIE, for several reasons, not
the least of which is her aura of “grace” and kindness in the
aftermath of a terrible, neglectful upbringing. A new name
symbolized a new start, too – and Gracie’s new family couldn’t help
but be reminded of a book called “Saving Gracie,” by
Gracie is in a permanent foster home and will be cared for by GRREAT for the rest of her life. Click the button below to Sponsor Gracie, she would be most appreciative of your support
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CLOVER
Clover is in a permanent foster home and will be cared for by GRREAT for the rest of her life. Click the button below to Sponsor Clover, she would be most appreciative of your support
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We needed to find out what was wrong with Bailey so that he could be treated appropriately. After a spinal tap ruled out disease, and an MRI ruled out a degenerative condition such as a brain tumor or lesions, Dr. Walker of DC Vets concluded that Bailey’s disability was caused by a congenital structural problem in the brain. The technical name for Bailey’s condition is “cerebellar ataxia”, which means that the signals from Bailey’s brain to his body are not being translated properly. The good news with this diagnosis is that Bailey’s life expectancy and quality are not adversely affected. Bailey displays all the classic symptoms of a dog with ataxia - a staggering gait, “goose stepping” of the front legs, a tendency to lose balance, wobbling back and forth, and tremors. Fortunately for Bailey, his condition is not degenerative and he is not in pain.
Because of his
physical problem, Bailey has special exercise needs. He swims once
or twice a week at the
Canine Fitness Bailey is not in pain, he is a sweet happy Golden with a normal life expectancy, and he is not even aware that he moves differently from any other dog. Except for his unusual movement, he is indistinguishable from any other Golden - he wiggles when happy, he prances and leaps across the yard, and he loves to try to chase balls and play tug-of-war with his Golden sister. The only thing Bailey really can’t do is climb stairs, but fortunately he lives in a single-story home. Bailey is in a permanent foster home and will be cared for by GRREAT for the rest of his life. Click the button below to Sponsor Bailey, he would be most appreciative of your support
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With a very heavy heart, we let you know that Peaches has crossed to the Rainbow Bridge. This beautiful girl withstood every indignity of her condition with grace and verve. She never gave up and therefore neither did we. About life and the drive to persevere and thrive no matter what, there are few greater teachers than she. She is deeply missed. 2003-2011
Soon after coming into GRREAT, Peaches was found to have another serious medical condition. Her digestion was sluggish and food tended to collect in her intestinal tract causing damage to her colon. This secondary problem meant more medicines, more procedures, and much closer vigilance. Peaches needs to be given small meals at least four times a day. Her food must be very soft to move easily through her intestines, but without causing diarrhea. And there’s a strict schedule of about eight medicines every day. The exact combination of medicines and daily re-evaluations is critical to Peachey’s well-being. Peaches is not easy to live with - she frequently has an odor associated with her condition, and she also needs “wipey-butts” each time she produces a bowel movement. This unpleasant task is actually made fun by her sweet and playful nature and help from our friends in the baby-wipe industry.
Despite the
suffering Peaches has endured, she is a happy girl. In her mind,
she is no different from any other dog. When she’s feeling too
happy to contain herself she chases her tail, and she’ll even try to
catch it when she’s lying on her back with her feet straight up in
the air. She loves playing with her rope toy, prancing like a lion
with a kill and dragging it between her front legs. Peachey also
loves to sit as close as she can to anyone nearby, scootching in as
much as possible. While waiting the 30 minutes needed for her food
to sit before she can eat it, she lays quietly in front of the
counter; We don’t know how long Peaches will be with us. Because her condition is so difficult to treat, most dogs with her problems do not get the expensive and time-consuming care that’s needed, and sadly these dogs are usually let go by their owners. The dedication of Peachey’s foster family and the generous contributions of Golden lovers around the world have allowed her to live a happy life. Her sweet disposition, playful nature, and soulful eyes tell all who meet her that she’s deserving of every Golden day. Currently, Peaches’ food and medicines cost about $600 a month, and she visits the vet regularly for special procedures and check ups. But this Peach is worth every penny! Peaches is in a permanent foster home and will be cared for by GRREAT for the rest of her life. Click the button below to Sponsor Peached, she would be most appreciative of your support With a very heavy heart, we let you know that Peaches has crossed to the Rainbow Bridge. This beautiful girl withstood every indignity of her condition with grace and verve. She never gave up and therefore neither did we. About life and the drive to persevere and thrive no matter what, there are few greater teachers than she. She is deeply missed. |
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RUFUS
This so-sweet 3 year old boy was found in Tennessee in the summer of 2003 by a GRREAT member, George Stanley, who was transporting some rescued cats. Rufus, who was named by George, was being kept in deplorable conditions along with a number of other dogs. There were cement pens with trash strewn everywhere, little food, and obviously no medical care being given. Rufus was tied to a lean-to shelter made of tarps. While local rescue groups were making efforts to help the dogs, their attempts to transport Rufus to an out-of-state shelter were stalled. George contacted GRREAT and was immediately given approval to bring Rufus home and into our rescue. When George arrived at his front door step with Rufus, his wife Becky found herself looking at a Golden like none she had ever seen before. Rufus was seriously underweight with prominent bones sticking out, he had no fur, his skin was black and full of itchy scaly patches, and he was covered with fleas. Despite his obvious neglect, Rufus was a well-mannered sweet-natured guy whose greeting consisted of tail wags, his special Golden smile, and a hopeful look in his eyes. Because they would soon be going out of town on business and vacation, Rufus’ stay with the Stanleys was brief. He went to his foster home and soon began his medical odyssey to improve his health and bring back his Golden looks. During his initial vet visit, Rufus was found to be 20 pounds underweight, and had severe heartworms, Ehrlichia, and demodex mange. Treatment for all these conditions was difficult and prolonged. Many trips to the animal hospital were made, there were consultations with an internal medicine vet, and Rufus was heavily medicated for a long time. His arsenal of pills included as many as 40 a day, and he endured many intense dippings for his mange problem. As a result of his Ehrlichia condition, Rufus had suffered kidney damage, which then led to chronic high blood pressure. He is treated with 2 types of blood pressure medications, one canine and one human, and examinations are needed every 6 months to monitor his blood pressure, and to perform full blood, urine, and stool analyses. In the beginning, Rufus’ foster Mom made every effort to make him an adoptable dog, but eventually it became apparent that his medical needs would make it very difficult for GRREAT to find a new family that could continue the treatments he needed. His foster family was dedicated to helping Rufus and agreed to keep him as a Long Term Foster and provide him with his forever home. This sweet Golden who had been so terribly neglected would stay with the family that had helped to bring him the good life he deserved. Rufus has also developed a thyroid condition, for which he takes daily medication. Because of chronic ear infections he must have his ears cleaned every week, and he is treated with oral antibiotics and/or antibiotic ointment when flare-ups occur. The serious malnutrition he suffered before coming to GRREAT makes it essential for Rufus to be fed a high quality dog food with no additives, and to be given vitamins and supplements for increased well-being. Although he’ll never get all his hair back and he’ll always have black skin, Rufus aka “The Comeback Kid” is living his happy Golden life in his wonderful forever foster home. He’s a very laid-back friendly guy who spends most of his days lounging on the couch, or pushing the two other Goldens in the home aside so he can be the center of attention. He loves to keep in close physical contact with his foster Mom or any other person who is nearby, and of course he sleeps on the bed at night with a body part touching the human he loves most. When the grandchildren and young nieces and nephews visit, Rufus is the object of all their adoration and affection, which Rufus finds to be the most fun ever! Understandably, Rufus would prefer to be indoors all the time, but he’s managed to get over his initial reluctance to go outside at all; he’s learned he’ll always be able to come back inside to enjoy all the creature comforts. The cost of Rufus’s expensive human blood pressure medicine is covered by GRREAT, but his veterinary care and the rest of his medicines have been donated by Dr. Sue Maturo and the Animal Medical Center of Watkins Park. And Dr. Mark Hitt, Internal Medicine specialist at Atlantic Veterinary Internal Medicine has donated numerous veterinary consultations about Rufus. Rufus has won a very special place in the hearts of these caring vets, and GRREAT is so appreciative of their generosity in helping this deserving Golden boy. Rufus is in a permanent foster home and will be cared for by GRREAT for the rest of his life. Click the button below to Sponsor Rufus, he would be most appreciative of your support
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Close
your eyes and picture an angelic golden who encompasses all of the
wonderful characteristics that Goldens are known for. Open
your eyes and you will see Comet. He is the most laid back guy; he
never complains about anything, never demands anything and is as
quiet as a mouse. Well, except when he's dreaming.. those dreams
must be amazing because he howls and chats up a storm while he's
sleeping! This boy loves to be hugged and could ride in the car for
hours on end. Riding in the car or truck, with the wind in his face,
is literally his favorite activity on the planet! 
Riley
has the heavenly eyes of an angel and the good looks of a golden
retriever super-model. His outward perfection is unfortunately a
stark contrast to the myriad of issues that lurk beneath. Riley came
to GRREAT at the tender age of 18 months. His family thought he was
a pretty good dog until the day Riley had back-to-back grand mal
seizures and his owner became fearful of him. Riley was put on
medication for the seizures but his owner just didn't want to take a
chance that it might reoccur. He considered euthanasia but opted to
give Riley to GRREAT instead. Thank goodness for that! Riley was
welcomed into his foster home by two resident golden girls, and a
golden foster boy who had also just recently arrived. He was
delighted to learn that his foster mom was home all day - NO MORE
CRATE!! Riley was convinced he had hit the doggie jackpot! To see
him interact with his golden siblings; you would never know he had
ever been an 'only dog'. It was clear he'd found a sense of
contentment and belonging that was previously missing from his life.
There was not an idle moment when he wasn't touching one of the
other dogs in some way and he followed them constantly; an eager
student who hungered for their knowledge, wisdom and companionship.
He's a large comical, clumsy clown; beautiful beyond words but
equally as silly. He snores like a bear and hugs like a long lost
friend; grunting with glee. He's seemingly strong, yet so needful
and dependent upon his family. 
Riley
continues to struggle with severe intermittent seizures. His foster
family is not fearful of him or the episodes, rather they sit with
him each time, lovingly stroking him and reassuring him through the
awful ordeals. They feel the pain he must feel with each powerful
seizure and their concern is always great that this one will be THE
ONE which will really hurt his brain or cause some other form of
irreversible damage. The doctors continue to work to get Riley to
the optimum level of multiple medications. He will be fine for a
while and then, for no apparent reason, he'll have seizures again.
When this happens, the doctors increase his medication and hope for
the best. Seizures in goldens are just so puzzling. Riley also came
into GRREAT with a positive result for Lyme Disease and Rocky
Mountain Spotted Fever, as well as a thyroid deficiency and frequent
ear infections. If that wasn't enough, he has the most sensitive
tummy you can imagine and subsequently, he's very limited as to what
food he can tolerate. He has the appetite of a mighty lion, so this
limitation is incredibly difficult for him to comprehend. His
happy-circle-dance at every meal is a telling indication of his love
affair with food! 
Ten-year-old
Rhett has lived a nomadic, unstable, and distressed life the past
few years, but finally he’s found his comfortable Golden life, and a
serenity that he has likely spent his whole life searching for.
Little is known about Rhett’s early years, when he lived with a
veterinarian until the age of six, reportedly as a
“Golden-in-residence” at the vet’s practice. When the vet left the
area, he could not take Rhett with him, so a new home was found.
Less than a year later, in the summer of 2008, Rhett’s new owner
surrendered him to GRREAT due to reported separation and
thunderstorm anxiety. But these problems were not observed while
Rhett was in his GRREAT foster home, and he was adopted to a family
in September of 2008.
While
Rhett’s longevity is doubtful, one thing is definite: he will live
out the remainder of his time with his wonderful forever foster
family and their three other Goldens, a home that has offered Rhett
a level of stability and comfort that he hadn’t felt in his previous
homes. Rhett is a docile sweetheart, who likes to follow his foster
Mom around, roll around on the rug, and lounge around the house. He
gets along well with his Golden siblings, and remarkably, does not
demonstrate any separation anxiety at his forever foster home, even
when left alone for several hours. The use of a calming medication
helps Rhett cope with any situation that might raise his anxiety
level. With the love of his foster family, and careful medical
supervision and treatment made possible through the support of
GRREAT community sponsorship, Rhett can enjoy a stable, peaceful
existence as he lives out his Golden years, however many he is
blessed to have.
Maggie
Mae's life was idyllic ... until her world was turned upside-down
one day in December of 2008 when her humans brought home a new puppy
to join the pack. Maggie Mae's reaction in response to the distress
she felt towards the pup resulted in Maggie's one-way trip to the
local animal shelter. Thankfully she soon found herself among
friends - the experienced and Golden-loving humans at GRREAT.
But
then things got topsy turvy for Maggie Mae again. After spending a
year in her heavenly Forever Foster Home, Maggie Mae’s Mom fell and
broke her spine. Now where would Maggie Mae stay? Denise came to
the rescue again. With some sacrifice and maneuvering Maggie Mae
was transported to Denise’s home, and Denise’s dominant Golden boy
went to live with a relative. But Denise was still fostering for
GRREAT, so some difficult times lay ahead. Mostly Maggie Mae had to
be kept away from the other dogs. Even when they were friendly and
wanted to play with her she would not tolerate them. After a lot of
effort on Denise’s part, and the use of lavender oil as a calming
agent, Maggie Mae’s behavior improved around other dogs, but
Denise’s constant vigilance was needed.
Beeker
came to GRREAT in early February 2009, after a kind woman tried to
help him overcome his past neglect. He had been chained in a
basement and was not being fed before his rescuer found him.
Because she already had too many animals of her own, the woman tried
for a year to find a forever home for Beeker. She loved him, but
was not able to properly care for him, so she contacted GRREAT. The
woman’s hope that Beeker would find a loving home where he would
receive the basic care that every dog deserves became a 
As
if the list of his medical issues wasn’t long enough, Beeker started
having seizures in March of 2010. After a variety of tests, the vet
was unable to determine the cause. After a month on the standard
seizure medication, more blood work showed that his liver enzymes
were five times the normal level! So the medication was stopped
immediately to allow his liver to heal, but this led to more
frequent and more severe seizures. Now, Beeker is on a brand new
medication; it’s allowing his liver to function better, and there
have been no more seizures! In addition to the seizure medication,
Beeker takes numerous
Trooper
is a 6 year old boy who has had a hard life, but he lives up to his
name and is a real Trooper! He came to GRREAT from a disreputable
breeder who kept him outside in a small caged area. He has hip
problems and arthritis, and it was recently determined that he also
has cataracts. But Trooper’s biggest problem was discovered by his
foster mom. She found a lump on Trooper’s neck and immediately took
him for a visit to the vet’s office. 
What’s
in a name? A great deal, in the case of our Special Needs Golden,
Gracie, whose transformative identity from nameless (as a stray), to
“Rose” (upon GRREAT intake), to Gracie (as a long-term foster dog
with her forever foster family), tells of her life’s journey in a
somewhat poetic way. 
Carol
Bradley. The book tells the story of one dog’s rescue from a puppy
mill, and her transformation from a tired, world-weary animal
exhausted from a life of birthing puppies, into a healthy member of
a new family. Like the Gracie in the book, the GRREAT Gracie is
the ultimate mother figure in her forever home’s new pack, a Golden
who carries herself with more age and acumen than her modest 8 years
would suggest – barking control of the other dogs when their playing
becomes too rowdy, and watching over her people by following them
around to make sure they do not leave her care. Gracie demonstrates
her newfound happiness with enthusiastic tail-wagging, and an
enormous appetite! She loves walks, and simply being in the company
of her humans. A petite, sweet Golden, with a gentle, white face
that shows the trials of her life, Gracie’s journey ends happily
with her forever family – from a discarded breeding Golden with no
name, to a “Rose” on the brink of blossoming into a colorful life,
to “Gracie,” her colorful life realized with a family who will need
the support of the GRREAT community to manage Gracie’s health
issues, but who will freely offer her the long-awaited love and
comfort deserving of this special Golden Retriever.
Little
Clover is a 3-month-old Golden/Yellow Lab cross who came into GRREAT
at 6 weeks old, along with her sister, Piper. In addition to being
blind, Clover also was diagnosed with Chondrodystrophic Dwarfism
(CD), characterized by congenital blindness, petite stature, and one
or more organ failures. In Clover’s case, her primary weakness is
her liver, which is simply not functioning at a level sufficient
enough to keep her intestinal flora in balance. She will always
struggle with this condition, and the challenge will be finding a
diet that doesn't tax her liver too much, but still gives her the
protein she needs. She is on two antibiotics and a flora powder to
help rebalance her insides, and she will need to get high-value
protein with every meal such as yogurt, cottage cheese and eggs. Her
secondary weakness is her kidneys, which are performing adequately,
but are not concentrating her urine, and her BUN levels are quite
low. The next year is going to be critical for Clover; as she grows,
her metabolism will change too, which presents a challenge in terms
of keeping her delicate system balanced. She will need monthly blood
work and likely numerous rounds of antibiotics and flora enhancers.
Rufus
just might have the most unusual appearance of any Golden you’ll
ever see, but just beyond his outer skin is a quintessential Golden
Retriever. His story shows how a rescued dog can come a very long
way from a horrendous start to a very pampered existence.