I’ve always wondered why they werecalled the “dog days of summer” … until Istarted doing rescue. Then I figured it out— summer is when rescue is FILLED withdogs!

You see, the yearly cycle of rescue intakebreaks down into three periods ofexcuses:11.. AAfftteerr NNeeww YYeeaarr:: the turning in of thedogs they have been holding on tobecause they cannot dump them duringthe Holiday season;22.. SSpprriinngg:: the turning in of the pup theygot as a Holiday gift who is now chewingthings, digging holes in the yard orescaping from the back yard because he isnot allowed in the house — Oh, andbecause he never learned any obedience(taking him to a class was never evenconsidered).33.. SSuummmmeerr:: the turning in of the dogs theycannot keep because they are moving orgoing on vacation, and the dog cannotgo. Usually these are the “come and gethim NOW or else” turn-ins.

Of course, Spring and Summer are whenour volunteers and foster homes aretaking vacations, moving, and adoptingtheir own foster dogs— further reducingour volunteer workforce and list of fosterhomes.

Given this pattern, it is no wonder thatrescue is completely full and begging forfoster homes and volunteers. Withoutpeople to field the calls; do theinterviews; make the home visits; andfoster the dogs, we cannot get the jobdone. This means that we cannot pick upthe goldens dumped at the animalshelters— the ones who will be put down.This means that we have to make theowners who want to turn in their dogswait— and then they take them to theseshelters because they cannot wait anylonger. And, this means that the dogs infoster care linger without a forever homebecause we cannot get homes approved.

In this time when belts are tight anddonations are down, placing our dogs isthe best way to get money coming in sothat we can afford to save more goldens.So that we can give these wonderful dogsthe wonderful life they deserve. So thatwe can make a family happy by providingthem with the dog that fits their life. Sothat we can take in the older dogsdumped by their “loving owner” becausethey have aged. So that we can take in theyoung pup whose only crime was wantingattention and not being trained. So thatwe can cure that perfect dog who wasdumped because the owner would notaddress a chronic ear or skin or eyeproblem and get him healthy. So we canget those healthy dogs into a forever,loving home. So we can educate peopleabout Golden Retrievers and proper dogcare. So we can make dogs andpeople happy.

Please think about taking in a foster orvolunteering your time or talent. In thisissue of the Gazette, we have listed a“Golden Classified” section to help youfind the task that fits your talents best.The more volunteers we have, the morewe can share the workload and relieve theburden placed upon our dedicated coregroup of volunteers.

Take a look at your wonderful Golden.Think of how your efforts can saveanother just like him and make someoneas happy as you.

HELPING GOLDEN RETRIEVERS AND THEIR OWNERS IN CENTRAL TEXAS

JUNE 2003 12TH EDITION

Letter from GRR’s President — Maura Phelan

Dog Days of Summer are Upon Us

Shake, Paddle & Roll!That’s right, we said “Shake, paddle and roll”.

You can save your ‘doggone soul’ and join us for GRR’s inaugural summer swim fest

on SSaattuurrddaayy,, JJuullyy 1199tthh ffrroomm 1100aamm ttoo 11ppmmat the Happy Hour Farm in Manor. (Rain date July 26th.) The Goldens can romp and

swim in the 2 acre pond while their humans enjoy a wonderful breakfast for only $7

per person. All proceeds will go directly to help our Goldens with medical needs.

We’ll have a Golden wet t-shirt contest (for the dogs only!), plen-

ty of games and a raffle. Bring a beach chair, your appetite and

don’t forget a towel or two for those shakin’ Goldens! Come

enjoy the morning with the GRR family — you and your Golden

are sure to have a ‘rockin’ good time! Get directions to Happy

Hour Farm and RRSSVVPP by July 11th at www.GRR-tx.com (ahhh, thank you, thankyouverymuch— Elvis has left the building)

GGRRRR IS CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR WAYS TO

REDUCE COSTS.. IIF YOU WOULD PREFER TO

RECEIVE YOUR GGAZETTE VIA EMAIL,, PLEASE SIGN UP AT::

WWW..GGRRRR-TX..COM//ON-LINE..HTM

BBE SURE TO UPDATE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS..

Editor’s Note: Summer in Central Texas canbe brutal to say the least. It’s hard enoughon us humans who can crank up the airconditioner or at the very least turn on afan. But for our four-legged, hairyfriends— summer can be deadly. As the heatindex rises, the risk of heat stroke, earinfections, and skin allergies also rises. Thefollowing articles do a wonderful job ofproviding tips to help keep our Goldenshealthy and cool.

NNeevveerr,, NNeevveerr,, NNeevveerr........SShhaavvee aa GGoollddeennAs you travel around Austin in the summer,you’ll doubtless see plenty of shavedGoldens and other thick-coated dogs. Andit seems logical: get rid of all that heavy fur,and your Golden will be cooler, right?WRONG.

Many people mistakenly believe thatshaving or severely clipping their Golden isa wonderful way to keep the dog cool andcomfortable in warm weather. What theydon’t realize is that they’re actually puttingthe dog at greater risk of health problemslike skin cancer–and the dog is NO cooler.Here’s why:

A Golden’s coat is made up of twoparts— the long and smooth outercoat andthe soft and fuzzy undercoat— which worktogether throughout the seasons toprotect the skin from sun, heat, cold andmoisture. To understand how the two coatswork together, consider what naturallyoccurs in a Golden’s coat as the seasonsprogress ...

The undercoat thickens in cold weather tokeep the Golden warmer and dryer. It alsobegins to come out in big clumps in warmweather, when the Golden no longer needsas much of it. (You probably know all aboutthose hair balls floating around on yourkitchen floor!)

If the dog is shaved, the undercoat willimmediately begin to grow andthicken— often to double or even triple thenormal thickness-— in an attempt to restorethe protection which has been lost.The dog winds up as hot as if not hotterthan before.

That’s why the key to keeping your Goldennot only cool but safe in warm weather is tokeep the protective outercoatintact— something shaving or severeclipping DOES NOT do— and to remove theundercoat on a regular, weekly basis.

To do this easily and effectively, invest in anUndercoat Rake. Once you use one of thesehandy grooming tools you’ll wonder howyou ever got along without one! It makesvery quick work of brushing, particularlywhen the goal is to remove lots ofundercoat. And you’ll significantly reducethose floating hair balls in your home!

They’re available at most pet supply stores,and through pet supply catalogues andweb sites. Or you can help support GRR byordering one directly from our websiteboutique at GRR-tx.com. You’re Golden willthank you!

BBeewwaarree ooff HHeeaattssttrrookkeeFor many dogs, hot Summer days pose aserious health threat — heat stroke— whenthey are left in cars, or yards or anywherewhere temperatures rise to dangerouslevels.

Temperatures inside a car can soar to over150 degrees in a matter of minutes, turningthe inside of your car into an oven. Leavingyour dog in a poorly ventilated car with thewindows partially open will probably resultin heat stroke, a life-threatening conditionthat CAN and should be avoided.

Gold Ribbon Gazette June 2003

GRR Health

Keep Your Golden Cooland Healthy This Summer

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Gold Ribbon RescuePO Box 956

Austin, TX 78767-0956

Non-Profit 501(c)(3)

24-Hour Hotline:

(512) 659-GOLDwww.GRR-TX.com

Board of Directors:Maura Phelan, Kathy Burton, Becky LaBrum, Tim Tierney, Beth Freeman, David Mills, Dana DeVoe

Advisory Board:Margo Biba, Cindy Moss, LindaWillard, Katie Harris, Monique Lenczycki

Adoption Director:Dana DeVoe

Intake Directors:Kathy Burton/Becky LaBrum

Hotline Coordinator:Becky LaBrum

Event Director:Susie Schaffer

Boutique Coordinator:Sandy Nordstrom

Foster Coordinators:Kristi Kessler, Kelly Hay, Beth Freeman, Maura Phelan, Brenda Forsythe, Becky LaBrum

Newsletter Editor:Brenda Forsythe

But be aware— heat stroke doesn’t onlyhappen in cars. It can also happen right inyour own backyard, just by leaving yourdog outside in the blazing sun with noaccess to shelter or shade. Another goodreason for our “Inside While Gone” policy.

Signs of heatstroke include weakness,glassy eyes, dehydration, vomiting,diarrhea, pale gray lips and bodytemperature in excess of 107 degrees (adog’s normal temperature is 102.5degrees).

You must act quickly to reduce the dog’stemperature below 103 degrees. Move thedog inside to an air conditioned room or toa cooler, shady area and get the dog somecool water to drink or rinse its mouth withwater to aid the cooling process. If the dogis unable to drink or is unconscious, DONOT try to pour the water down the dog’sthroat. You don’t want to add choking tothis medical emergency. Apply cool waterall over the dog’s body. Apply ice packswrapped in a wash cloth or towel to the topof the dog’s head, the back of the dog’sneck, and the dog’s chest.

AND GET THE DOG TO THE VET ASAP! Heatstroke ALWAYS requires immediateveterinary attention.

GGoollddeennss LLoovvee tthheeWWaatteerr——TThheeiirr EEaarrssDDoonn’’ttThose hairy, hanging ears on a Golden areespecially sweet when they’re perked upwith their doggie head cocked to one side.But one of the reasons that Goldens areprone to ear infections is because of thosefloppy ears. The ear canals (which are Lshaped) are shut off from air and can staymoist and warm— an ideal environment forbacterial growth. Untreated ear infectionsoften develop into chronic conditions whichare very painful to the dog and can even

cause deafness. In some cases, surgery isnecessary to rectify the problem.

It’s generally a good idea do an “ear check”once a week, but if your Golden likes tospend the Dog Days of summer in thewater, then their ears should be cleaned atthe end of each day they swim. A few dropsof a half and half combination of distilledwhite vinegar and isopropyl alcohol in eachear after swimming often prevents yeastgrowth and helps to prevent bacterialinfection. There are other cleaningsolutions that you can make at home orpurchase from a pet store, but in all cases, check with your veterinarian to see which‘recipe’ they recommend for your dog.

The most common reason, by far, forrecurrent ear problems in Goldens is

underlying allergy. All sources of allergy(flea, inhalant, and food allergy) canmanifest as ear problems— but that’s awhole other article!! Be good to yourdog’s ears.

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Gold Ribbon Gazette June 2003

GGoollddeenn TTiippss ffoorr aa CCooooll SSuummmmeerr......Tip #1: Take your dog out for exercise early in the morning and in the evening, beforethe sun is up and after it has begun to go down. Do NOT make her come jogging withyou at lunchtime or right after work! She’ll try to keep up to please you, but it’sdangerous for her. How would YOU like to go jogging in a full-length fur coat in a Texassummer?

Tip #2: Before walks, try installing this primitive doggie air-conditioning system. Get ahand towel sopping wet with cool to lukewarm water. Now rub your dog all over-head,face, back, sides, tummy. Now walk on out the door with your damp and fragrantbuddy— and be sure to stop for a minute in any running sprinklers along your route!

Tip #3: If you like to take your dog along on errands, be sure he can go into the store,cleaner’s, etc. WITH you. Don’t leave him in the car— even with the windows crackedopen— and even if it’s only for a few minutes. A few minutes can unexpectedly turn intomore, and dogs overheat FAST in closed cars. (How much help would cracked-openwindows be to you if you were wearing a heavy coat? )

Tip #4: Dogs like ice cubes! Put a few in the water bowl or just give them a chunk of iceto lick. Or try combining a couple of mashed bananas with a cup of plain yogurt. Spoonthe mixture into small, flat-bottomed ice-cream cones (like Comet Cups). Freeze andgive to your dogs for a special treat.

Tip #5: Freeze your water bottles for day trips. They work great in the cooler to helpkeep your food and drinks cold and when they begin to melt— Oh yea, ice cold water foryou and your dog!

BBaannaannaa RRaammaa KKoonngg For a refreshing frozen treat on asizzling Texas summer day try thisrecipe:Mix together:1 fresh banana (mashed)2 tbs wheat germ1 tbs plain yogurt (or favorite flavor)Stuff into Kong and freeze for 4hours. Double recipe for large kong.

Mikey’s StoryMikey is an adorable 2-year-old male thatcame to GRR from Town Lake AnimalCenter. A little on the small side for amale at 55 pounds, Mikey is as friendlyand playful as he could be. He is friendlywith children and very playful with otherdogs. And, oh what a face!Shortly after he arrived at his new fosterhome, Mikey had a short episode ofdizziness. He was taken to the vet and thevet noticed a heart murmur. Blood workwas done which revealed a low thyroidlevel, so Mikey is now taking thyroidmedication. And, his heart murmurneeded to be evaluated, so he was takento a veterinary cardiologist for aspecialized ultrasound. The results of histests were good and showed only a verymild aortic stenosis (narrowing ofthe aorta).

Mikey’s veterinary workup is nowcomplete and he is waiting patiently forhis forever home. See more pictures ofMikey on the website at wwwwww..GGRRRR-ttxx..ccoomm//aaddooppttaabblleessThe cost of vet care for Mikey - $500.

Dakota’s StoryEar problems in surrendered dogs are notuncommon, but in Dakota's case thecondition was so severe it requiredsurgery. He had suffered from so manyuntreated ear infections for so long thathe had developed a mass in his left ear

that was blocking the ear canal.

It was so bad that he had to have theentire canal removed and resectioned sothat he would be able to receive themedication effectively and moreimportantly–relieve him of the pain he’dhad to live with for longer than we’d liketo think about. Dakota has had hissurgery and we’re happy to report that hisears and quality of life have greatlyimproved and he hears just fine. (SeeDakota’s picture on page 8.) Cost ofsurgery and meds for Dakota– $1,200

He’s a Golden ofMany Names— BeauThere are some Goldens that come intoGRR care that remind us why we do it.Why we spend the time we do to savethese wonderful dogs and help find theirforever home— where they can live outthe rest of their days giving love andreceiving the love they so deserve. Beau’sstory is one of those. For all the GRRvolunteers involved in his rescue— this iswhat its all about.

Kelly Hay, our volunteer in the SanAntonio area received a call on Friday thata Golden in a small shelter in Live Oak wasscheduled to be euthanized on Monday.He’d been at the shelter for two weeks,and no one had showed up to claim thisbeautiful boy.

We named him Oakley, gave him a GRRnumber and got him out of that shelter!Kelly brought him to San Marcos on thatTuesday and Pam and Dean Phillips, whojust recently had one of their fostersadopted agreed to take him in. Dean wasout of town, but Pam stepped up to thetask. Breaths were held as he met the catsfor the first time.

Pam and Dean decided that the name of“Oakley” just didn’t suit him so theyrenamed him Kerbey (for the Kerbey LaneCafe in Austin). Kathy Burton describes itlike this, “If he hadn’t had such goodkarma we would never of known abouthim”. His forever family was soon toappear and take him into theirloving home.

We received this update from his family:

Well Kerbey is now Beauford (Beau for

short). Here’s my long winded update-he’s

awesome! All is well with everyone. Well

that’s not totally true. I’m having one battle

with him that I’m losing. Beau is the world’s

worst fishing partner. Keeping Beau out of

the water is like well…keeping a golden out

of the water. The picture was taken 2 days

after we adopted him. Think he fits in?

Oakley, Kerbey, Beau... reminds us all thatthis is why we do what we do. We literallysaved his life— with quick actions and caring people who werewilling to do what was necessary to savehim. Our dog team does an incrediblejob— day in, day out— from intake calls; tocoordinating transport teams; to pleadingfor foster homes; to handling our specialmedical needs dogs. A tremendous effort!And to our foster families, like the Phillipsand so many others. You receive thoselast minute calls and respond with a“yes”. Oh, the joy felt by our Dog Teamwhen that wonderful word is heard on theother end of the phone line. To all fosterfamilies— thank you, thank you!

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Gold Ribbon Gazette June 2003

Extraordinary Golden Fund and Success Stories

Very Special Goldens

Beau with his baby sister.

by Becky LaBrum and the GRR Dog TeamWhat’s one of the best feelings in theworld? For me, it’s seeing a rescue dogsnoozing in my living room— safe, clean,well-cared-for, loved. It’s knowing that he’sbeen saved from a dangerous life on thestreets, death in the animal shelter, or asad, lonely life as a yard dog, that he’s onthe way to finding a great new home wherehe’ll never have to worry about a thing. It’sseeing a skinny, scruffy girl get sleek andglossy, watching a timid boy turn confidentand playful, seeing a dog who never evenknew what a toy was falling asleep eachnight surrounded by tennis balls, plushsqueakers, and Kongs.

So many callers to our Hotline, so manyadoptive homes tell us how much theyappreciate GRR’s foster system, how muchit means to them to get a temperament-tested dog. And we’re committed tomaintaining that system— but we simplycannot do it without your help. It probablyseems to you that you see this plea in everynewsletter, and receive it betweennewsletters, too. But the fact is that wehave a constant, chronic shortage of fosterhomes. Foster families get tired and needto take breaks between dogs;circumstances change, making itinconvenient for them to foster at all; or-understandably!— they fall in love with theirfoster dog, adopt him or her, and end upwith a two— or three-dog household thatmakes it hard to take in yet another Goldenin need. That’s why we are always lookingfor new families to open their homes to thedogs that come our way. And the stream ofdogs never ends! Each week we get callsfrom desperate owners, from Good

Samaritans who have found strays, fromanimal shelters— all telling us about Goldenswho need our help. We know those guysand girls would be perfect for some familyout there, and we don’t want to tell any ofthem “no.”

If you have a GRR dog now, you know howmuch his foster family did for him. Won’tyou return the favor now, and help anotherGolden find his or her way to a foreverhome? And even if you don’t have a GRRdog— or even a Golden Retriever— won’tyou try fostering? We will give you plenty ofhelp and advice, and we’ll try our best tofind a foster dog that suits your household.Fostering can be challenging at times— butit can be one of the most rewarding thingsyou’ll ever do. Please help us help all theGoldens who need us so much! If you haveany questions at all, feel free to get in touchwith any one of us. We’ll be so happy to talkwith you.

Thank you from the GRR Dog Team!Kathy Burton (kathy@grr-tx.com; 512-353-4135)Becky LaBrum (rwrabota@uts.cc.utexas.edu;512-453-6703)Beth Freeman (beth@grr-tx.com; 512-301-6171)Dana DeVoe (dana@grr-tx.com; 512-301-6831)Maura Phelan (maura@grr-tx.com; 512-659-3647)Teresa Szostak (teresaszostak@aol.com; 512-527-0599)

CCAANN''TT FFOOSSTTEERR BBUUTT SSTTIILLLL WWAANNTTTTOO BBEE OONN TTHHEE DDOOGG TTEEAAMM??Would you really like to help with ourincoming dogs, but you can’t foster rightnow? You can still help us enormously byworking as a Foster Coordinator. FCs arefolks with good dog knowledge who take afoster home or two and work with themthrough the fostering period. You answerany questions the foster home may havealong the way (usually in consultation withother Dog Team members, so you won't beall on your own), keep up with any vet workthe foster dog may need, remind yourfoster family to file weekly reports on thedog's progress, and prepare the adoptioncontract when a forever family is found. It’sfun knowing all the details about some ofthe dogs you see up on the website— andbeing an FC is rewarding, too, since you’llbe working alongside your foster families tohelp a GRR dog find the perfect foreverhome. If you’d like to volunteer as an FC,just e-mail or call any of us on the DogTeam. We’d love to hear from you.

Gold Ribbon Gazette June 2003

Save a Life— Foster a Golden

Fostering just feels good!

Better Homes and Goldens— Decorating Tips?Dog crates, when stacked three high, can add height to aroom and pull the eye upward. If fastened securely to thewall, the top can provide a dramatic setting for exotic plantsor statuary that might otherwise be molested by yourpets..... What?!! Decorating with crates is probably not thebest advice we can give. But there must be plenty of unused

crates out there in the GRR family that would be bettersuited for our foster homes than as an eclectic piece in yourliving room or collecting dust in your garage. If you have a36” to 48” wire mesh crate, please consider donating it toGRR. Call our Hotline at 512-659-GOLD or emaildonations@grr-tx.com.

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Editor’s Note: The following story has made afew rounds via email so the original author isunknown. And, for lack of print room, it hasbeen edited— but just a little. Those of you with“Glutton Goldens”, like mine, will completelyrelate! So sit back and enjoy a good laugh!

Author UnknownWe have a fox terrier by the name of Jasper.He came to us in the summer of 2001 fromthe fox terrier rescue program. The dogcame with his own idiosyncrasies. He willonly sleep on the bed, on top of the covers,nuzzled as close to my face as he can getwithout actually performing a French kisson me. Lest you think this is a bad case ofno discipline, I should tell you that Perryand I tried every means to break him of thishabit including locking him in a separatebedroom for several nights. The new doorcost over $200.

But I digress. Five weeks ago we beganremodeling our house. Although the cost ofthe project is downright obnoxious, it gotme out of cooking Thanksgiving for family,extended family and a lot of drunk friendsthat I like more than family most of thetime. I was however assigned the task ofpreparing 124 of my famous yeast dinnerrolls for two Thanksgiving feasts. I am stillcursing the electrician for getting the newoven hooked up so quickly. It was the onlyappliance in the whole house that worked,thus the assignment.

I made the decision to cook the rolls onWednesday evening to reheat on Thursdaymorning. Since the kitchen was freshlypainted you can imagine the odor. Notwanting the rolls to smell like SherwinWilliams latex paint #586, I put the rolls onbaking sheets and set them in the livingroom to rise for 5 hours. After 3 hours,Perry and I decided to go out to eat,returning in about an hour.

An hour later the rolls were ready to go inthe oven. It was 8:30pm. When I went tothe living room to retrieve the pans, muchto my shock one whole pan of 12 rolls was

empty. I called out to Jasper andmy worst nightmare became areality. He literally wobbled over

to me. He looked like a combination of thePillsbury dough boy and the Michelin Tireman wrapped up in fur. He groaned whenhe walked. I ran to the phone and called ourvet. After a few seconds of uproariouslaughter, he told me the dog wouldprobably be OK, however, I needed to givehim Pepto Bismol every 2 hours for the restof the night.

God only knows why I thought a dog wouldlike Pepto Bismol any more than my kidsdid when they were sick. Suffice to say thatthe dog was black, white and pink. He wasso bloated we had to lift him onto the bedfor the night.

Naively thinking the dog would be all betterby morning was very stupid on my part. Wearose at 7:30 and as we always do firstthing; put the dogs out to relievethemselves. Well, the damn dog was asdrunk as a sailor on his first leave. He wasrunning into walls, falling flat on his buttand most of the time when he was walkinghis front half was going one direction andthe other half was either dragging the flooror headed 90 degrees in another direction.

I endured another few seconds of laughterfrom the vet (second call within 12 hours)before he explained that the yeast hadfermented in his belly and that he wasindeed drunk. He assured me that, notunlike most binges we humans go through,it would wear off after about 4 or 5 hoursand to keep giving him Pepto Bismol.

Afraid to leave him by himself in the house,Perry and I loaded him up and took himwith us to my sister’s house for the firstThanksgiving meal of the day. It’s about a10 to 15 minute drive. We were off.

Now I know you probably don’t believe thatdogs burp, but believe me when I say thatafter eating a a tray of risen unbaked yeastrolls, DOGS WILL BURP. These burps werepure Old Charter. But that’s not the worstof it. Now he was beginning to f *rt andthey smelled like baked rolls. God strike medead if I am not telling the truth!

Once Jasper was firmly placed in her garagewith the door locked, we finally sat down toenjoy our dinner. The dog was the topic ofconversation all morning long andeveryone made trips to the garage towitness my drunk dog, each returning witha tale of Jasper’s latest endeavor to walkwithout running into something.

Of course, as the old adage goes, “whatgoes in must come out” and Jasper was noexception. Granted if it had been me thathad eaten 12 risen, unbaked yeast rolls, itmight be days before I visited the porcelainbowl, but alas a dog’s digestive system isquite different from yours or mine. Idiscovered this was a mixed blessing whenwe prepared to leave. Having discovered his“packages” on the garage floor, we loadedhim up in the car so we could hose downthe floor. This was another naive decisionon our part.

The blast of water from the hose hit thepoop on the floor and the poop on the floorwithstood the blast from the hose. It waslike Portland cement beginning to set upand cure. I (obviously no one else was goingto offer their services) had to get on myhands and knees with a coarse brush to getthe remnants off of the floor. And as if thiswasn’t degrading enough, the damn dog inhis drunken state had walked through thepoop and left paw prints all over the garagefloor that had to be brushed too.

Well, by this time the dog was sobering upnicely so we took him home and droppedhim off before we left for our secondThanksgiving dinner at Perry’s sister’shouse.

I am happy to report that as of today(Monday) the dog is back to normal both insize and temperament. I am also happy toreport that just this evening I found 2 risenunbaked yeast rolls hidden inside my closetdoor. It appears he must have come to hissenses after eating 10 of them but decidedhiding 2 of them for later would not be abad idea. If any of you have a suggestion asto how I can remove unbaked dough fromcarpeting I would certainly appreciate yourfeedback.

Gold Ribbon Gazette June 2003

6

Tail Wags

Another Golden Afternoon has comeand gone— and what a very special timewe had! The GRR Goldens brought theirhuman families to enjoy a warm springday filled with fun, games, and food!

A loud BARK of applause to SusieSchaffer (and her Bunny, Gary) and ahost of volunteers who made this picnicpossible. It was such a wonderful

opportunity for the foster familiesto see their ‘babies’ with theirforever families, and to catch upon all the Goldens whose storieswe have followed so closely on thewebsite.

And, very special Thanks to thefollowing people and businesses fortheir donations to the GRR GoldenAfternoon. Your support and generousspirit helped make the day a Goldensuccess.Texadelphia— 3- $10.00 certificates Starbucks –3 pounds coffee Arbor Car Wash — car wash certificates Vance Sack — Four Seasons Massage giftcertificate (Checkers thinks you are thegreatest!)

Groovy Dog Bakery— gift basket Source Menagerie— golden retriever rug Z Tejas — $30.00 gift certificate Ed Stapleton— author of signed book"Calico Buffalo" Any Kind of Costume— discounting BunnyCostume (who was that masked man?!Thanks, Gary.)Suzanne Espe— face paintingmaterials.

Gold Ribbon Gazette June 2003

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GRR Picnic Brings Golden Families Together

Military Families and the Goldens Left Behindby Kathy Burton

Rescue got very busy when America wentto war. The troops were deploying out ofFort Hood in Killeen and found noalterative but to surrender their belovedGoldens. We were asked to take a total of5 dogs, all in a short period of time sincethe military waits on no man.

Kovu was our first military surrender, bothmom and dad were being deployed. Thencame Missy, her owner was beingdeployed leaving a young wife with smallchildren and this 5 month old pup. Weagreed to take her and find her a goodhome where she would get the attentionthat a Golden this age needs. The nexttwo were a pair of Golden guys, Bubbaage 5 and Bo age 8. We simply had nofoster space available but just couldn’tturn them down. We asked DFW/MetroGRR if we could do the evaluation, get vetrecords and help with transport couldthey possibly take these two sweet dogs.

Richard Woodmansee, President ofDEW/Metro GRR did not hesitate. So withthe help of our volunteers in the Killeenarea we were able to get all five dogsplaced in care.

Kovu hassincebeenadoptedby a GoldRibbonFamily,Missy is in in foster with one of our fosterfamilies and can be seen on our web site.Bo and Bubba went into foster in Dallasand have also been adopted. And therewas Sandy, her owner had madearrangements for her but that fell thoughat the last minute just as he was leavingfor overseas. His sister called and asked ifwe knew of a rescue group that wouldtake her, she’d have to go to a shelter.I called Richard again and again he said

“Yes”. The soldier’s sister was so gratefulshe drove the golden girl all the way toDallas and Sandy has also been adopted.We would like to express a special ThankYou to our volunteer in Copperas Cove,SSuussaann KKiinngg, who went out in the thatawful ice storm back in March andbrought Bo and Bubba home for safekeeping until transport was arranged. Forholding on to Missy until she could getinto a foster home. Also a very specialThank You to our transport volunteersNNiicc NNiicchhoollss and his wife who not onlytransported Kovu to us but transportedBo & Bubba half way to Dallas to meet upwith the transport volunteer fromDFW/Metro GRR.

Five dogs safe and sound in family homesand their previous owners knowing thatthey are well loved and cared for. Withoutour dedicated volunteers it would nothave been possible to save them all,which one would have been lost?

Gold Ribbon Gazette June 2003

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Adoptable Goldens

Dakota 5-1/2 yrs old

Jake 7yrs old

Mikey 2yrs old

Gabby 1-1/2 yrs old

Maggie 10 yrs old

Missy 6 mos. old

“The day I walked into the armsof GRR, I knew my life had taken

a turn for the better. My earshad been so neglected that I

needed surgery just to be able to take my meds and to hear.I’m so much better now and can hear just fine.” — Dakota

“I’m not like most two year olds— I’mcalm and confortable just being a goodlistener and constant companion.”

— Mikey

“I love to retrieve, I love thewater, I love people. I evenlove to watch the AnimalPlant!” — Gabby

“I really like to see the look on humans’ faceswhen I catch the frisbie in mid-air! What ahoot. I’m a smart, sweet guy. Got room inyour heart for more love?” — Jake

“These pictures are greataren’t they? Makes it look

like I sleep all the time. HA!I’m a happy-go-lucky pup,

full of life, full of fun andfull of love.” — Missy

“My forever family must be reallybusy because I’ve been waiting a

long time. If you see them, would you let them know thatI’m ready to comfort them? I like cats, and even goats, butI’m kind of afraid of the roosters around here— they keeppecking my butt! Bad roosters!!” — Maggie

“When I was left outside— all bymyself— no one was around tosee what a people-pleasing guyI am. I need a family that knowsbetter.” — Cibolo

“I’ve been told that my face and dispositioncan melt a thousand hearts. My magnetismis what they call ‘Golden’.” — Moses

“It’s true blondes have more fun— especially whenthey’re all moved into a great foster home and not living stray on the streets any more.” — Tempest

Gold Ribbon Gazette June 2003

TThhaannkkss ttoo oouurrVVeettss!!

Gold Ribbon Rescue wishes to thank

the following Animal Clinics for their

continued support of our dogs and

rescue efforts.

Animal Trustees of AustinPets First — San AntonioHighway 30 Vet Clinic —College Station Central Texas Vet. SpecialtyHospital — North and South locationsCentury Animal Hospital —So. AustinDeerfield Animal Hospital —San AntonioGriffith Small Animal Clinic —Central AustinPrairie Creek Animal Clinic —PlanoWhite Rock Veterinary Hospital —PflugervilleEmergency Animal Hospital ofNorthwest Austin —North & South locations

Please give them your business and support!

AAtttteennttiioonn VVeettss aanndd GGRRRRFFaammiilliieess:: We are in desperate need ofOtomax!! If you have left-overs in labeled containers,please consider donating toGRR. Other meds needed:Rimadyl, Drontal Plus,Cephalexin, Doxycycline,Baytril, Cipro and Etogesic.

To get the complete story on these adoptables and more, visit

www.GRR-ttx.com

Cibolo 3yrs old

Moses 2 yrs old

Tempest 6 months old

Lola 8 yrs old

Ace 10yrs old

“I’m not gettingolder, I’m getting

better. Swim-ming, walking, or just snuggling up for a

quiet evening.” — Lola

“I have a serious heart condition and there’s notelling how long I would have lasted if a Good Samaritan hadn’t brought me to GRR.Now I’m getting the medicine I need— and lots of love, too.” — Ace

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Gold Ribbon Gazette June 2003

10

Arthur RossiterJack Gomez

In Honor of our daughterBarbara Bennett’s birthday

Jerry & Betty Culhane

In the name of “Rocky”Connie & Dave Stulman

“Keep up the wonderful workyou do for all our Golden

friends.”Dave & Patti Tietjen

In honor of “Grandpa’s 65thbirthday”

Cayo & Isla Saenz

GGoollddeenn NNuuggggeett MMeemmbbeerrsshhiipp LLeevveell$$110000--$$224499

GGoollddeennMMeemmoorriiaallss

GGoollddeenn GGiiffttss &&HHoonnoorrss::

You may remember in the last issue ofthe Gazette, a new membership levelprogram was introduced (see www.GRR-tx.com for details). Pleasecheck your address label on this issue fora gentle reminder of when yourmembership renewal is due and considerrenewing right away. Thank you to thoselisted below that have renewed and doneso beyond the minimum required fee.We appreciate you all!

Donations to GRR have droppedsignificantly— considering the economy,it is not surprising. But unfortunately it’sa double edged sword for GRR. We havean increase in owner surrenders who

cannot afford basic veterinary services.It’s a real shame as we see more andmore of these dogs come in to GRR carewith severe ear infections that could haveeasily been prevented, but now requiredrug therapy and in some casesexpensive surgery.

All Goldens that come into our care arespayed and neutered as well as broughtup-to-date on their vaccinations. Moreand more are in need of heartwormtreatment— again, another verypreventable but deadly condition.

Won’t you open your wallet today to helpsave a Golden? Thank you.

A Sign of the Times...

Mark BrelsfordMargot BurrellKelly Condon

William F. KeithMike & Kay Keliher

Marla McClainDavid & Sharon Mills

Max PloegerBruce Rossiter

Emily Tuczkowski

GGoollddeenn FFrriieenndd MMeemmbbeerrsshhiipp LLeevveell$$4400--$$9999

Mary FaloonJanis GoodmanPeter Grudzinski

Becky LaBrum

You can make your donation on line at wwwwww..GGRRRR-TTXX..ccoomm via a check orcredit card or you may mail your donation to:

GGoolldd RRiibbbboonn RReessccuuee,, Attn: Golden Honors

PO Box 956, Austin, TX 78767-00956

In Loving Memory of“Lancelot”

and In Honor of“Kenya Ten Eyck”

Tracey Ten Eyck

In Loving Memory of“Audrey Biba”Brenda Forsythe

Century Animal Hospital

Please check out our Boutique onthe website for some wonderfulitems for you and your Golden.Every purchase made from ourboutique helps increase our funds.

Gold Ribbon Gazette June 2003

Golden Classified — WHERE GRREAT PEOPLE FIND GRREAT JOBS

There has been a re-occurring themethroughout this issue of the Gazette— we needyour help! Dollars are tight, and the rescue workwidens. Unfortunately the number of Goldensthat need our help doesn’t match thedownward trend in today’s stock market. Butthere is a way that each of us can help and thesum of many can lead to GRReat things for thesedeserving animals. There is a job listed in herefor YOU! Take a look into the loving eyes of yourdog and ask yourself if you can spare 1 hour amonth, 5 hours a month or more. The amountof time it takes can be minimal— but the impactcan be huge. Remember, we provide all thetraining! We invite you to attend the upcomingtraining session on June19th.

No resume required. No prior experiencenecessary. And the pay is GRReat! It’s bringing arescue Golden and loving family together for life.How’s that for a bonus!

Do you have experience with Excelspreadsheets? The “Keeper of the DogList” tracks all incoming and adopteddogs, notifies webmaster via email andprovides weekly updates of thespreadsheet to the Dog Team. No fancygraphing, just plain ol’ Excel columns.email beth@grr-tx.comTime commitment— 1 hour a week.

Keeper of the Dog List

Oh those photographic Golden faces. Welove to see them on the website and weneed people throughout the AustinMetro that can visit foster homes in theirown neighborhoods to take digitalphotos of the Goldens awaitingadoption. Smile–ahh, I mean “Sit”.Time commitment— >1 hour a week.

Digital Diva or Don!

This is where it all starts— with a call toour Hotline. Everyone should try this jobout at least once. It really paints a pictureof GRR. You sign up for one week tomonitor and return calls from ourHotline. Step-by-step instructions makethis job easy. email Becky@grr-tx.comTime commitment— 5-8 hours a week everycouple of months.

Hotline Helpers

The adoption team is looking for peoplethat can help broaden the circle of GRRfamilies. We want to ensure our Goldens’second chance is the best one. There aretwo ways to help in this area; phoneinterviews or home visits. No experiencenecessary— and training is FREE!email Dana@grr-tx.comTime commitment— 3 hours a month.

Meet the Families

Does your dog need a playdate? Howabout hosting a visiting Golden for a dayor two? Often we have rescue dogs thatneed a temporary home until theirFoster Family is ready for them, or whenthe Foster Family needs to go away for aweekend or on vacation. email Becky@grr-tx.comTime commitment— it’s up to YOU!

Respite Care Providers

Can’t foster, drive, file or take a pictureworth a thousand words? Never fear,Foster Coordination is here! It’s awonderful way to follow the rescuedGolden all the way from Foster Careplacement to adoption. Highly rewardingand essential to the team. Time commitment— 2 hours a week.

Foster Coordinator

We have many events throughout the yearthat are fun and educational. We’re lookingfor folks with a flare for PR and marketingto help promote the events and even morefolks to just help with the basics— like set upand clean up. Time commitment— depends on the eventand how much fun you’re willing to have!

GRR Event Elves

Have a fax machine and a scanner? Thenwe need you! You can work with a teamto track the vet appointments andtreatment of incoming dogs, and thedogs in foster care. You’ll fax “to-do” liststo vet offices and match up invoices toservices received. You’ll get to know thedogs that need us the most and thefoster families that care for them. email Beth@grr-tx.com today!!Time commitment— 2 hours a week.

Vet Work Assistants

Do you want to meet some of thewonderful Goldens that appear on ourweb site? Would you like to give a dog achance at a better life? Are you a lovethem and leave them (at foster home)kind of person? Then volunteer for ourtransport team! Pick up and/or deliverycan be arranged within your work/playschedule. Most transports are within theAustin, San Marcos , San Antoniocorridor and surrounding Hill Country.We need you–the Goldens need you!Can you give a golden a lift?email: kathy@grr-tx.comTime commitment— >2 hours a week.

Doggie Drivers

Want to do your part to keep Goldensfrom being abandoned, mistreated? Youcan make a difference by simplycoordinating the appointments for ourincoming dogs for spay/neuter, faxingrabies certificates to clinic when neededand facilitating the payment for services.Time commitment— 2 hours a week.

Oh yes, this is a charmer of a position.Filing. That’s it! If you’ve got theroom— we’ve got the files. Once one ofour beauties is adopted, a file is sent yourway to file away. email Beth@GRR-tx.comTime commitment— >1 hour a week.

A.T.A. Coordinator

Prince(ss) of PaperThe Rescue Business is Booming!Interested in any of the positions?Or want more info? email:

Volunteer@GRR-tx.com

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Gold Ribbon RescuePO Box 956Austin, TX 78767-0956

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

NON PROFIT

US POSTAGE

PAID

AUSTIN, TXPERMIT #82388

Can you spare 5-8 hours every other month? Hotline volunteers return phone calls received on the hot-line. Can you spare 3-5 hours a month? Home visitors spend about an hour with new families helping

them learn to care for their new golden. It's fun, easy and all training is provided. It really only takes a fewhours from a pool of volunteers who love Goldens as much as you do. Please take a look at the “Golden

Classified” on pg. 9 to see where your talents may fit best.

Gold Ribbon Rescue offers regular orientation/training sessions for new volunteers. The training is funand practical, and provides an all-around view of how Gold Ribbon works. Join us, won’t you?

Saturday, June 21, 1pm - 4pmCrestview United Methodist Church

1300 Morrow, Austin, TX 78757Room 8, Education Building

Visit www.GRR-tx.com to RSVP so we can send your training materials to you in advance.Directions are on the website, or you may send an email to volunteer@grr-tx.com.

Call 512-659-GOLD for more information.

Join the GRR Team — Training Class in June!