Holiday Greetings from GRCGLAR!

2016 was a year of tremendous change. We've seen the need for animal rescue grow significantly in several distant outlying areas of Southern California, particularly in the northern and eastern regions.  We have had the most volunteers join our ranks since 2012 and have seen the growth of social media playing a large role is getting these messages out.   With 2017 on the horizon, we see our Rescue providing hope and encouragement to communities we serve.  Animal rescue has become a mainstream social issue and more corporate entities are becoming involved in this activity. We're also continuing to seek volunteers in the northern and eastern outlying areas to provide support and conduct home visits to our ever growing communities. Overall, we are pleased with the number of placements this year and see education as a key area around the Southland in 2017.

To all our rescue volunteers who make this time of year truly amazing for all the Goldens we rescue, I would like to offer a sincere, heartfelt thank you. Without your generosity, the statement of caring and support we offer our dogs would be impossible. In the midst of these challenging times, your graciousness has removed despair and restored hope for the dogs we rescue and the families who adopt. 

Finally, we at GRCGLAR want to extend a warm holiday greeting to all our donors, corporate sponsors and adopters past and present for their support of GRCGLAR. Your constant support is greatly appreciated.

Seasons Greetings, 

Gerri Monohan

President GRCGLAR

December 23, 2016

Holiday Wishes from @GRCGLAR and @PetcoFoundation

The @Petco Foundation annouced its Holiday Wishes Campaign, giving animal rescue organizations, including @GRCGLAR, the change to be awarded financial grants to continue their efforts in their communities. GRCGLAR needs your help TODAY!

If you have EVER ADOPTED your golden retriever from us, please share your story about how your pet brings you more joy each day. We in the Rescue have heard so many heartwarming stories since 1998. But NOW is the chance you get to tell your story to the world. With over 4000 golden retrievers adopted throughout the Greater Southern California area, we KNOW you have a story to tell.

If your story is selected as a winning entry, GRCGLAR will receive a grant and YOU WILL receive a Petco gift card up to $1000. 

So put your memories to pen and ink and tell us your story!
HURRY! The deadline is Oct 15, 2016. 

Submit your story to: http://holidaywishes.fluidreview.com  

And on behalf of ALL the volunteers of GRCGLAR, we thank you for adopting and participating. 

#grcglar #rescueagolden #holidaywishes #lifeisbetterwithadog

Summer Love and Your Golden

Happy Goldens + water = lots of LOVE!

We're in the heart of Summer and the weather has been continually hot in Southern California. Our annual fire season is well underway with sever major fires having burned key areas up and down the region. During this summer there are steps you can take to ensure your golden's safety during this hot dry summer.

1. Hydrate, Hydrate, HYDRATE! Water is essential for keeping you healthy and it's no different for our beloved goldens. Please make sure there is plenty of water available for them during the day. If you decide to go on a hike, please make sure you have at least one gallon of water for you and your pet during your outdoor jaunt. Also, goldens sometimes enjoy ice cubes to keep themselves cool.

Mommy, I want a GRCGLAR Golden....

2. Exercise in early morning or later evening - By walking or exercising during these times, you can take advantage of relatively cooler weather which will make your walk more enjoyable as well.

3. Hot pavement means your dogs pads can get burned - Dogs have thicker surfaces on their paw pads. However, this means they are also susceptible to burning those pads during extreme sunlight or heat. Try and limit the time your golden is walking during the day or on a hot sidewalk or surface.

4. NEVER LEAVE YOUR DOG in a CLOSED CAR - In many states, this is against the law. The internal temperature of a car can exceed 150 degree in a very short time.

5. Kiddie Pools offer a great summer oasis for your pet - Filling your kiddie sized pool with water can provide a quick solution to beat the heat and provide for some great doggie pictures too. But do remember to refill the water if necessary. A shallow pool can heat up quickly if left in direct sunlight.

6. Bring your dogs inside where it's cooler - By keeping your dog inside, you make them comfortable and stress-free. Plus you get plenty of golden loving in the process.

7. In the event of a brush fire in your area, make sure you are prepared to evacuate YOUR PET TOO. Ensure you bring adequate food and necessary medicines with your pet during your evacuation and listen to the news and or social media sources for the latest of the brushfire's progress.

One last word regarding summer and your dog is needed: Heat Stroke is possible for your pet during this time of year. Symptoms of possible heat stroke include: heavy noisy breathing, lethargy or sluggishness, or trouble swallowing. If you suspect your golden is suffering from heatstroke, bring your dog into a cooler area immediately and place cold towels on their head and body to cool their body temperature down. If you do not see signs of improvement, please see your veterinarian IMMEDIATELY.

Keeping your pet cooler during these summer months is not a hard thing to do but requires you to check in with your dog to make sure they are not in distress. By keeping them comfortable, you're ensuring another summer of happy memories for both of you.

Statement from GRCGLAR President - Time to be Thankful

GRCGLAR is thriving.   As we close 2015, we look back on our successes and continue in our mission to rescue, rehabilitate, and re-home Golden Retrievers in the Greater Los Angeles area.  The Golden Retriever is the most beloved canine breed in North America if not the world. Often, this popularity also poses a different set of challenges and quite often GRCGLAR is called on to remedy a difficult situation.  2015 proved that we are always ready for that challenge.

I'm appreciative of our volunteers who provide endless hours of commitment to the Goldens we help. I'm appreciative of our foster families who, while behind the scenes, provide a very valuable service to the community. They bring dogs into their homes to facilitate rehabilitation so they can be successful in their new adoptive homes.

I'm appreciative of all of our permanent foster families for the love and care they continuously give to our most challenging Goldens.  I'm appreciative of our adopters for the commitment to welcome into their home a rescue Golden Retriever. And finally, I'm appreciative for the opportunity to serve our communities and raise awareness of animal rescue.

2016 is becoming a stronger economic time for Southern California and GRCGLAR is excited to face the challenges of the new year.  Our rescue outreach program is expanding through our Speakers Bureau around the region, increasing the visibility and awareness of golden retriever rescue. We have also seen our volunteer base grow in regions like San Diego, and the Inland Empire due to our event participation. And we have seen larger grassroots efforts at the local level interested in helping the pet rescue community in an ongoing basis. Looking forward, we hope these trends continue as our Rescue grows and succeed in its mission.

In the coming year, we are committed towards the goal of making our rescue financially strong and stable and continue to serve the most needy rescue Golden Retrievers who are often neglected by all. On behalf of the Board and all of our volunteers, we thank you for your continued support of GRCGLAR.

Warmest Regards,

Gerri Monohan
President, GRCGLA Rescue

Year in Review - 2015

2015 was a year of great growth for GRCGLAR. The US economic downturn of '08 had shown a steady downturn in both adoptions and an steady increase in owner turn-ins. Thankfully, these 2 rescue indicators are heading in reverse directions which means GRCGLAR is in a stronger financial position heading into 2016.

This past year, GRCGLAR placed 90 dogs for successful adoption throughout our 6 county area. More than half of our adopted goldens were placed in Los Angeles County (50) and we also experienced larger adoption rates in San Bernardino County (7) and Orange County (21).

Our Shamrock program is a program dedicated to those golden retrievers who need extra medical care for their recovery. We had 18 golden retrievers rehabilitate through the Shamrock program during 2015. We were able to save nearly every Shamrock golden and we want to thank our 99 special donors for their extraordinary donations throughout the year that support this important program.

Shamrock Retrievers 2015
Merry, Casey, Kassandra, Ursula, Mikey, Beau, Tahoe,  Wilson, Rogan, Sassy, Snowden, Kopper, Randall, Banjo, Aggie, Charlie, Chloe, Chrissy.

We experienced a surge in volunteers in the Inland Empire and San Diego due to our annual event participation, which included Strut Your Mutt (Los Angeles), Holiday Pet Expo (Pomona), Holiday Bone-Anza (Long Beach), Doggie Street Fair (San Diego), and the OC Pet Fair (Costa Mesa). We hope to see you at one of our booths during 2016.

We also launched a new outreach program to raise awareness on golden retriever rescue. Our Speakers Bureau has made presentations to many civic organizations, discussing the challenges of pet rescue and showing off many of our rescued Golden Ambassadors. If you are interested in having GRCGLAR speak to your organization, please contact us through our website. 

On behalf of all the volunteers who keep this Rescue working, we thank you for your continued support and we look forward to continuing to serve the communities we live in. If you are in need of a wonderful pet, please consider GRCGLAR.

Strut Your Mutt 2015

A special thank you goes out to ALL who participated and donated to our fundraising effort at Strut Your Mutt last week. We had many people walk with their favorite pets during the hotter than normal temperatures in Downtown LA. Exposition Park was the perfect backdrop as these pictures show.

GRCGLAR also was called into action in rescuing a Labradoodle during the event as well.  A visiting family to the event was unaware of their canine going into heat distress. Luckily our volunteers noticed the situation, stepped in and took the necessary action to cool down the dog. Well done, GRCGLAR!

Overall, We are still one of the leading rescue organizations at this event as GRCGLAR raised over $15000 dollars during the event and was the FIFTH highest fundraising group of all the partner groups in attendance. Combined with our tremendous effort last year, GRCGLAR has raised an astonishing $84000 in two years for GRCGLAR and Best Friends.

Special recognition goes to Jo Anne, who diligiently organizes the event annually. Without her leadership, GRCGLAR would not be as successful. Other attendees included Elaine, Nancy, and Kathy (who helped rescue the dog in heat distress).

In case you missed the event, you can still donate for the next few weeks.

http://support.bestfriends.org/site/TR/Events/General?team_id=1400&pg=team&fr_id=1126

Thank you again for your support. We will see YOU at next years event!

Permanent Foster Program

Samantha

Do you have the qualities of a great foster parent? Do you love golden retrievers? If so, then our Permanent Foster Parent program may be a place for you.

The Permanent Foster program provides a home to our rescued goldens who have a low probability of being adopted, perhaps due to a medical condition or disability. This program gives these dogs the opportunity to live in a loving home and still obtain the medical care they need for the rest of their lives.  In these special cases, GRCGLAR will pay for the medical costs, whereas the permanent foster family provides the food, care, and love.

Our volunteer Alice from Orange County became a permanent foster by fate. As a regular foster, Alice made the commitment to help our goldens find their forever home. However, one particular dog Dash had no interest for 2 years. "After becoming a permanent fixture here, Dash became more confident and always wants to do right" says Alice.

Her advice to future permanent foster parents comes from the heart. "Being open to the idea (of a permanent foster role) helps both me and the dog. Sometimes it takes time to know the history of a dog and I'm willing to make that commitment to see the dog become his/her true self. "

Maddie

Since 1998, GRCGLAR is committed to providing a home to all golden retrievers who come into our Rescue, especially the sick, old, or injured. If you are interested in becoming a Foster Parent to a wonderful golden retriever, please check our website here.

You can read more about our the goldens we have saved through Permanent Foster program here. You may also make a donation to this valuable program here

. And you can start your Foster application here.

As always, GRCGLAR thanks you for your continued support of our Rescue. Your donations are greatly appreciated.

#rescueagolden #grcglar