The Premier Golden Event of the Summer is Coming!

Bring the whole family (2-legged and 4-legged) to the Annual GRREAT Bark-B-Que at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis on June 29th.  Food and beverages will be provided.  There will be all kinds of activities, games, prizes and fun for all.  Register for this GRREAT event today.

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 Liz Haransky.  (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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