Katie
GRROWLS-NY

Katie was found tied to the door of a shelter in October 2007.  She was estimated to be 5-6 years old and she had a 30-pound tumor on her  left front chest.  The tumor was so large, her front leg was turned  in.  Golden Retriever Rescue Operated With Love Statewide - New York  (GRROWLS-NY) was contacted by the shelter and we took her in.  We had  her evaluated by a surgeon and he determined that the tumor was  benign, but that, if it wasn't removed, she would die. Katie had her surgery in late October  and, within 4 days, had improved enough to go to her foster home to  continue her recuperation.  She went to her forever home a week ago  and, thanks to a $400.00 grant from The April Fund, she now hopefully  has a long and happy life ahead of her.
 

Rocky is a beautiful 4-year old boy who was turned in to Golden Retriever Rescue Operated With Love Statewide - New York (GRROWLS-NY)  in March of 2007 because the wife was too busy with the kids and the  husband was allergic.  Rocky was blind in one eye because of glaucoma  and was going blind in the other eye because of cataracts.  After  being examined by an eye doctor, it was determined that the cataracts  could be removed and Rocky would then be able to see well out of that  eye.  His operation was performed in early July 2007 and he 
recuperated with his foster family until late August 2007 when they  decided Rocky was already in his forever home and they adopted him.   He will need drops in his eye daily for the rest of his life, but,
thanks to a grant from The April Fund, Rocky has regained the sight in  one eye and has a long happy life ahead of him.

Dallas
Golden Rescue South Florida

Dallas came to Golden Rescue of South Florida to be diagnosed with heartworm.  A donation from the April Fund helped to cover Dallas' treatment.  Dallas now finds himself in a wonderful forever home and in his own words, "Thank you soooo much for giving me the opportunity to be healthy and happy again! I love my new forever home! In fact, mommy feels bad that we couldn't go running today, so after our swim at grandma's house, we are goint to visit daddy at the fire house!  I love to go there sooo much!!! I'm definitely a daddy's boy!  Mommy says we even acdt alike!

An Owner turn in, Ben came to Golden Treasures Rescue weighing 135lbs. He was unable to stand for any length of time and could only walk a short distance. He had uncontrolled, life threatening Grand Mal seizures which had been ignored by his previous owners. Ben was only 2 years old but was acting like a 14 year old, constantly falling and stumbling. Because of his weight, both his knees needed corrective surgery. Over time, Ben lost weight and his epilepsy came under better control. Ben is now an affectionate, playful, curious, and gentle Golden. Thanks in part to the April Fund, Golden Treasures raised enough money through donations and grants to give Ben the surgery he needed to repair one of his knees. It was a long recovery. A wheel chair was donated to help him get around as well as the use of a pool for therapy. Ben recovered from his knee surgery and at 4 years of age he continues to reside with his original foster family. Ben has not had a seizure in over 1 1/2 years and he is also nearing his goal weight of 80 pounds.
 

Kayla
Wisconsin Adopt A Golden Retriever

Before she came to rescue, 11 year old Bessie lived in a pen on a farm with only infrequent visits from her owners who lived in town. When Bessie came to rescue, she needed medical attention for a large hot spot which almost covered one hip. She also had a number of lumps in her mammary glands. Bessie’s chest xray and bloodwork looked good so we hoped that if the lumps were cancerous, they had not spread.  Bessie recovered very quickly from her extensive surgery. A grant from the April fund helped to defray some of the expenses. Then came the bad news---a lab report indicted that Bessie had a cancerous adenosarcoma, but the good news was that it was "low grade." In her foster home, she fit right into the routine with her new foster family and doggie buddies. She is eager to lead the life of a well-beloved dog in a family home. All she wants is a tummy rub and somebody to tell her what a good girl she is.

Bessie
Love A Golden Rescue

Mindy
Neuse River Golden Retriever Rescue

Mindy was surrendered by her owners to Neuse River Golden Retriever Rescue (NRGRR). Several weeks into foster care, her foster family noted a lump in her jaw. This lump turned out to be an infected or impacted tooth, which had to be removed. April Fund grant helped pay for this surgery. After spending so much time healing under foster care, the foster family realized they had fallen in love. Mindy had her forever home all along and NRGRR had another "failed" foster family.

Mindy

Jackpot

Jackpot's owner suffered financial setbacks, sent him and another dog to a family member, but he ultimately ended up in the Neuse River Golden Retrieve Rescue (NRGRR) program. He was thought to be a healthy dog until his foster noted him limping. April Fund Grant dollars helped NRGRR pay for surgery for a torn cruciate ligament followed by extended physical therapy. During that time a young family wanted to adopt a rescued Golden and happened to hear about Jackpot. Jackpot has proven to be the loving protector of all of the children in his forever home. He insists on accompanying the Mother in to all the children’s bedrooms to be sure they are safely tucked in at night before he will go to his own bed. He has found a wonderful home with a family who adores him.

Eight-year-old Teddy came to MAGRR as an owner turn in. He came with two big problems: severe separation anxiety and vague physical symptoms of lethargy, on and off eating patterns, and a warm dry nose. Over a four-month period he went through extensive testing. A $400 grant from the April Fund helped cover some of this cost. With the elimination of other alternatives, the vets were able to diagnose an auto-immune disorder that is now treated successfully with prednisone.

Teddy & JoJo (both from MAGRR)

In the meantime, MAGRR was able to handle his separation anxiety problem by filling the request of The Villages of Germantown (a new $40-million retirement community) for a resident golden retriever. Teddy lives permanently at The Villages where he is in the company of staff and/or residents 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. He is loved beyond measure by the many residents there, he never has to worry about being alone, he is living a healthy and happy life, and he has become the star of local media. Pictured above is Teddy with girlfriend JoJo at the Villages of Germantown.

Rodney

Rodney
Memphis Area Golden Retriever Rescue

Rodney is another Memphis Animal Services dog who came to Memphis Area Golden Retriever Rescue (MAGRR) because he had eye problems and was, thus, considered unadoptable and would be put down. He, in fact, was diagnosed with entropion eyelids by vets who did surgery on both eyes to correct the problem. He recovered completely and was promptly adopted. He is happily living in his forever home with no more constant irritation to his eyes. An April Fund Grant covered the cost of Rodney’s surgery.

Porter

Autumn

Autumn
Golden Retriever In Need Rescue Service

Autumn and Arrow landed in a shelter after being found without collars and on the road to fend for themselves. Autumn appeared to have a gunshot wound to her back right leg for at least 4 weeks. She needed surgery to remove the head of the femur and the rerouting of muscles was necessary due to the location. Her recovery time was 4 weeks of reduced activity, massages and stretches. Her surgery and recovery were a success and we found a wonderful family to adopt both Autumn and Arrow. They were happily re-united with each other after Autumn’s quiet recovery period. The adopters wrote in and said “Autumn has virtually no limp now, even at the end of the longer walks when she is tired.” Their adopter loves them both very much. Thank you April Fund for supporting GRIN and helping us save this poor little girl and her leg. All of us at GRIN, her adopter, Arrow and Autumn thank you!

Kringle

Ellie Mae

Ellie Mae
Grateful Goldens Rescue of the Low Country

Kristy

Alley

Alley was left on the side of the road to die after being hit by a car.  Rescued by a  policeman, she was taken to a veterinary hospital where surgery was performed on her broken leg. Thanks to assistance from the April Fund, Alley is now on the road to recovery.  Now in foster care, Alley is enjoying life as a golden retriever---playing with tennis balls, giving kisses to her foster mom and engaging all the other goldens in the house to play.

Sam

Daisey

When Daisey first came to Rescue, she had difficulty standing and sitting. It was soon discovered that she had both a dislocated knee and shallow hips. A generous grant from the April Fund helped to pay for  both knee and hip surgeries. A sweet energetic two year old golden that loves to run and play, surgery has not slowed Daisey down. She loves to run outside and go for long walks. And even better news,  Daisey has been adopted by a fabulous "Golden Family."

Doc

Jazz

Rudy, approximately 2 years old, has just been
adopted and has blossomed into an especially sweet and trusting dog.  He's come a long way from
his early days, when he would back away from the TV in fear when he saw fire or heard loud noises.
Jazz, meanwhile, is a happy and playful year-old dog who's thriving in foster care.  His forever home can't be far away.

Rudy and Jazz were displaced by Hurricane
Katrina, and Rudy in particular was in very poor
health when he arrived at Golden Retriever Rescue in Nebraska (GRRIN).  Both these young dogs were originally taken in by a shelter in Mississippi, but the facility was quickly overrun by animals. Once in Nebraska, the boys required neutering and vaccinations, while Rudy was found to be malnourished and suffering from heartworm, fleas and three varieties of intestinal parasites.  Vet bills for the two dogs totaled nearly $1,000.
Fortunately the GRF was able to lend a hand with
a generous grant of $720.  

Rudy

Nick
Keystone Golden Retriever Rescue, Inc  

Zoie
Rescue A Golden of Arizona (RAG of AZ)

Anyone who has the pleasure of meeting Zoie, a 6-year-old female, who came into RAGofAZ in August 2005, will say that it’s hard to tell by looking at her that she has special needs. Zoie has diabetes, a thyroid condition and was blind. But Zoie was a good candidate for cataract surgery once her meds got her diabetes under control. In the meantime, she has lived with Connie and Nick, experienced RAGofAZ fosters who have helped to bring out the wonderful Golden that she is. In October after the RAGofAZ vet had spent months adjusting Zoie's insulin dosage and testing the result, Zoie finally was ready to have the surgery to restore her sight. At first she could only distinguish between dark and light due to the inflammation after the surgery, but her sight gradually and dramatically improved. 

Connie reported: We have seen tremendous progress every day since Tuesday’s operation. Those who have not been through this have no idea how wonderful it feels to see this blind dog be able to see her surroundings for the first time. This is the first time I have been able to watch her walk around things without any bumps at all! And she is so HAPPY! You can tell that this means the world to her. Again, thank you to everyone who made this possible. Without diligent fundraising efforts and a $400 contribution from the GRF's April Fund, this certainly would not have been possible.

Sampson
Golden Retrievers in Need (GRIN)

Rescued from a from a shelter where he was dropped off in a night deposit box, Sampson arrived extremely thin, matted and in poor condition.  After several months in foster care, Sampson was diagnosed with chronic ear infections as a result of allergies and is now receiving allergy shots and medication. From the April Fund, the GRF contributed $400 toward Sampson's care. According to his new adoptive family, Sam's arrival was just what the doctor ordered.  As they had just recently lost another golden, Sam has been a joyful addition both for the family and their other golden Jade.  Jade still can't believe she has such a great buddy. 

Gracie
Golden Bond Rescue of Oregon, Inc.

Gracie came into Golden Bond Rescue with hip dysplasia. The owners had her just five months when they realized she had a problem and had her hips x-rayed.  They found out she had hip dysplasia.  When they heard this diagnosis, they called Golden Bond to see if we would take her in, as they could not afford to help her. Brought to the orthopedic surgeon, Gracie was diagnosed with bilateral hip dysplasia requiring bilateral, triple pelvic osteotomies.

 We are fortunate that the sockets themselves are fine and there is no arthritis in the joints, so she is an excellent candidate for this TPO surgery. She will also need therapy to build up the muscles and strength in both legs. She could be in foster care as long as five to six months. The total bill for both hips will be between $4300 to $4700. From the April Fund, the GRF is contributing $400 toward Gracie's care. Once both hips are operated on and healed, she will be good as new.

Rescued by Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies, Chance is a darling little 9 week old Golden Retriever puppy that suffers from Persistent Right Aortic Arch.  His condition is caused the right heart valve wrapping around the throat and constricting it so that food does not pass normally into the stomach and causes persistent vomiting.  Almost no food gets into his little belly.  The vomit can be aspirated into the lungs and potentially cause pneumonia.  This is a life threatening condition in several ways, but just looking at him, you would never know anything is wrong.  He's a roly-poly puppy who thinks he's a big boy and will play with other dogs non-stop.  

A correctable condition, a specialist was found and Chance surgery was completed in May 2005.  Chance cannot be guaranteed a life free of regurgitation, but he will live a basically normal life. The surgery went smoothly and his recovery is ongoing, but the cost to save this little guy's life has grown to over $3500.  The Golden Retriever Foundation was able to contribute its maximum per dog grant of $400 to help defray the costs associated with little Chance's new "chance at life."

Savannah came to GRIN on November 11, 2004.  Although she has normal bone structure, her pads on three feet are fused together and her back right foot was clubbed (the tendons have contracted so she doesn't walk on her pad, but on the side of her foot.  At 12 weeks old she was relinquished to a shelter because the owner could not handle her deformity.  When she purchased Savannah from an Amish breeder, she was told that Savannah was the "runt" of the litter and she would outgrow her awkward legs.  Instead of outgrowing her deformity, Savannah started to become inhibited by them---not walking on her pads and not using her clubbed foot at all.  After consulting with a couple specialists, it was decided to do a tendon lengthening procedure performed in January, 2005.

Five days after surgery the staff reported that surgery had not slowed her down in the least!  She was just as energetic and playful as she was before her procedure.  However, her foot had not relaxed as much as the vet's would have liked and a second surgery was required. Savannah's expenses totaled over $1800 and the GRF was able to provide a maximum $400 grant to help defray the costs.

The vet decided it was in Savannah's interest not to separate her pads.  With some rehabilitation and a few follow-up appointments, Savannah will be leading a normal life.  A special education teacher adopted her who will be taking her new fur kid to school to interact with her classroom.  Savannah's spunk and tenacity has lessons in it for everyone--her deformity has not compromised her quality of life.