June 3, 2011

Update from Rita's Lucia, now Ruby Tuesday

Ruby Tuesday is doing great! She is such an amazing dog and is loving her new life in Venice. Here are some pictures of the little lady!

Libby







June 1, 2011

Update from Rita's Gary

These wonderful-gorgeous Goldens have been a part of our lives for many years. In recent years we have adopted mostly senior Goldens, five now through GRCGLAR, usually have two at a time, but we were so smitted by Gary that we decided we had to include Gary in our family. Don't know how many pictures you have seen of Gary - he's like this big lumbering, white bear, and such a fun and loving big fellow. And he gets along so nicely with our other two fellows Moof and Buddy. I will include a few pictures and we are working on getting a couple of pictures of Gary's new parents (us) so that the Taiwanese rescuers can see who we all are. When you see these guys and gals you can't help but have a moment of wonder about their history but it is probably just as well to stayed focus on the new lives we are giving them. My blessings to all who made it possible for Gary to enter our lives. I can assure you he will have the lovingest of homes - we are devoted to our Golden guys.

- Paul


Happy 2-Year Gotcha Day, Kai!

Today is Kai's 6th birthday and his 2nd year with us. Because no one knows his actual birthdate we chose 5/31 since it was the day Kai came into our lives.

He is very much loved, and spoiled. He is so very smart when he wants to be... He loves being here in San Clemente, although this past winter was hard on his bones. He continues to surprise all of us with his sudden outbursts of speed and his ability to jump into a chair and out again. Kai has trained me so that if he sits at my feet and barks at me, I know he wants to sit in my chair.

We are so thankful to Maggie and Joseph of ARTT for not letting him die in the hospital, and to you and everyone else at GRCGLA Rescue for allowing us to make Kai a very much loved member of our family.

David and Sonsee

May 30, 2011

Rita's Gary adopted!

Congratulations to Rita's Gary, who has found his forever home with failed foster parents, Paul and Leslie.

Rita's Gary is our most recent arrival from Taiwan, coming in several weeks ago. Gary is 5-6 years old and is just a wonderful, well-mannered dog with a beautiful cream coat (I still want to know what kind of shampoo they use on these dogs to get them so soft!). We had some new volunteerrs come out to join the Welcome Waggin, including Paul who agreed to take Gary home overnight. Right off the bat, Paul and Leslie's pup, Buddy, and Gary started playing very nicely. And although Mufasa wasn't ready to wrestle, he got along just fine with the new guy. Paul dropped off Gary at CP the next day (Monday) for vetting, but when he returned on Tuesday for dog walking duties he realized how easy Gary was and asked if he could foster him.

Its been a busy year for the Paul and Leslie. In January they adopted Mufasa (now known as Moof) and a few days later they lost their Golden, Rudolph. In late February they adopted Ready, who went back to his original name of Buddy. They certainly weren't planning on adding a third pup to their household. But Gary had other plans. He fit in so well with the other dogs, and Buddy has so much fun playing with him, that when I asked Paul for some help in getting Gary's bio ready for the website he was hemming and hawing a bit. Gary came in with some hip x-rays which we needed to have evaluated and, after his appointment, Paul said he and Leslie wanted to keep this affectionate fellow. (He does have hip dysplasia, but doesn't seem to have pain or symptoms so Paul will just keep him on glucosamine, keep his weight down, limit high-impact activities and hope surgery isn't needed in the future.)

Gary is so very thankful to Rita and MJ for finding him and getting him healthy to travel. He thanks Barbara D. for approving his trip to CA, and he was so happy to see the Welcome Waggin' at LAX. Fate brought him together with his new dad that night - he can't imagine a better home than the one he chose. And he thanks Denise P. for doing the paperwork to make the match legal. We are waiting for a full family portrait, but in the meantime here is Gary with Buddy and Moof and a couple of other shots.

Welcome home Gary!


May 29, 2011

Update from Rita's Melissa, now called Nora

Nora is doing just great. Today we are going to an obedience class. Not sure how she'll take to that but only one way to find out. She's really settling in. She knows how to sit when we ask her. She "asks" Alan to take her for a walk by standing in front of him when he's watching TV and wagging her tail. Of course, Alan takes her out. She has captured our hearts. So sweet, so pretty and so endearing. We'll get those pictures, asap. Nora says, "Woof, woof, and thank you to everyone who helped her."

Jane


May 25, 2011

Update from Rita's Millie

She fits into our home life perfectly. We have taken her camping 3 times now and she seems to have a great time. She follows my son everywhere he goes. Millie plays with the 2 small dogs and the cat has even accepted her into our family.

Jana





May 18, 2011

Rita's Nina adopted!

Congratulations to Rita's Nina, who has found her forever home.

Nina came to us from Taiwan where Rita & MJ found her in a shelter. She had been adopted and returned several times, and to prevent this from continuing to happen, these wonderful ladies said they'd take her. She was very skinny after not being treated for parasites for a long time, but was brought back to health and put into a foster home where she gained weight and waited for her trip to the US. She came to CA in early March, and Brad offered to take her home overnight. Like so many of our wonderful foster homes, once she was there, Brad and Melissa said she could stay until adoption. They had some "adventures" with Nina - she was a bit possessive of her food and toys with the other dogs at first, but slowly learned there was plenty to go around and she adjusted quite well. There was the chewed remote control and missing battery - did she eat it? It never did turn up (or come out)! There was the day Brodie (formerly Jeffy) taught her to go in the fountain and then they and all came back in to turn the master bed into a water bed. And how about discovering she liked to watch the horses on TV - and when they ran off the screen she ran into the next room looking for them? She's a very entertaining young pup!

Sarah and Troy are a young, engaged couple who have been wanting to get a Golden, and found the time was now right. Sarah works at a stable and can take her dog to work. They said they wanted a male dog and we talked to them about several, but none seem to be the right fit. When Melissa was telling me more about how Nina enjoyed visiting the horses at their ranch, and then the story about watching them on TV, we thought this might be a great match. PA Eva talked to Sarah about Nina and she agreed Nina sounded like a fit - and being a girl dog was okay! We put her in touch with Brad and Melissa on Saturday morning, and Sarah and Troy made the drive from Oceanside to Santa Clarita that day to meet her! Of course they took her home and she is settling in great, going to work with Sarah and enjoying hanging out around the stables.

Nina is so grateful to Rita & MJ for rescuing her from the shelter and sending her to California. She thanks Barbara D. for approving her trip west, as well as the Welcome Waggin' who was there to greet her on her arrival. She has enjoyed her time with Brad and Melissa and sends sloppy kisses for all they did for her. She also thanks Nancy A. for scouting out this wonderful family for her. Attached is a picture of the new family.

Welcome home Nina!

Happy Gotcha Day, Pang Pang!

Can you believe that today marks Pang Pang’s first anniversary in the United States? What a year it has been for our princess and what a year for us as well! As I looked over the photos of her arrival at LAX I was overcome with emotion. This beautiful girl has come so far and given so much. We celebrated her anniversary at a luncheon hosted by our local Apartment Association, where Pang Pang was recognized for the impact she has had on many area seniors. The story of her rescue captivated the audience. Thank you again for the amazing partnership with Project Taiwan that brought Pang Pang home to us!

Sharron

Welcome Rita's Gary!

April 21, 2011

Update from Maggie's Willy

GRCGLARescue certainly goes above and beyond the "call of duty" in making sure that the Goldens that they rescue find the new lease on life that they so richly deserve.

When our beloved Lucky passed away a few weeks ago at the ripe young age of 15, we were heartbroken; but knew that we wanted to adopt another Golden from GRCGLARescue as we had done with Lucky. We have two sons, one of whom is severely autistic, and so Goldens are the perfect dog to have in our family. Because of Matt's special needs, not every dog would be suitable for our home. We were blessed with finding Maggie's Willy, and even though he only joined our family last Saturday; he has already made his place in our home and hearts.

I am sending you a picture of Willy from when we picked him up, as well as one that I took in our backyard, and will send you more in the future.

Please give our deepest thanks to everyone at Golden Retriever Rescue. From Colleen who checked our home to Jo whom I corresponded with to determine the right dog for us, to Sandy and Cindy who were the dog placement and foster mom everyone was wonderful, and obviously this is a labor of love for all involved. We deeply appreciate everything; and we are all in love with Willy already!

With best regards,

Lisa

PS: Please let Jo and Cindy know that contrary to what they thought; Willy does bark! We had a get acquainted play date with a neighbor's dog (who is quite a barker) and Willy barked right back at her!

April 17, 2011

Maggie's Willy adopted!

Congratulations to Maggie's Willy, who found his forever home with the Cali family.

Willy came to us from ARTT, where he had been found suffering from ehrlicchia and ear infections. After getting the treatment he needed, Maggie asked if GRCGLAR would take him - of course we said yes! He made the trip to the US in March, and adjusted quickly to living in sunny CA. He's a happy, friendly guy who loves to play fetch and get lots of love. He came in on a Sunday, and since there were no vets open and I had all the puppies at my house, he stayed overnight with my sister Cindy, who is also fostering Coquette. He fit right in and is such an easy dog that he was welcome to stay until his forever home was found.

The Calis recently lost their GRCGLA Rescue dog Lucky (formerly Cloverleaf) and the whole family missed having a furry guy around the house. And they had all the qualities Willy was looking for - lots of people to love him, some boys to throw the ball for him, a loving home with good food and people around most of the day. Ms Cali told me that before they left to go meet Willy, she wasn't sure if she was ready to let another pup in her heart just yet. But, as soon as they met Willy the whole family knew he was the perfect guy to help them over their sadness of losing Lucky. He is quickly training his new family to walk him, play with him, feed him and love him, and they are quick learners!

Willy will be forever grateful to Maggie Chen & ARTT for finding him, getting him well and sending him to us. He's thankful to Barbara D. for accepting him into the rescue. He was tickled to meet the Welcome Waggin' despite it being a cold, rainy night. He thanks Cindy L. and Coquette for making him so welcome while he was waiting for the Cali family (and we know he was waiting for them - there were two other families that had scheduled meetings with this wonderful boy and cancelled at the last minute). And he thanks Colleen and Gabe for doing the Cali's home visit.

Welcome home Willy!

April 10, 2011

Welcome Maggie's Alexander!

Friday night, which was very unseasonably cold for April, the Welcome Waggineers were happy to meet the newest arrival at LAX, Maggie's Alexander! Our small group of volunteers were all ready for this beautiful boy as he exited through the doors of the Bradley Terminal to begin his new life in the United States.

We quickly noticed that Alexander's crate was marked as "Alexandra", and thought that he was a girl instead of a boy. A quick check by Colleen for "boy" parts determined that he is indeed Alexander! He had the chance to meet all of the Waggineers, stretch his legs, pose for a few pictures, and then everyone was on their way. Alexander stayed with Nestor and myself on what was a very cold evening. Our pups said he was the most perfect guest!

After a walk this morning, it was off to Culver Palms to for vetting.

Alexander wishes to thank team leader Ira, Colleen, Nestor and Bobby for welcoming him; Maggie and her team in Taiwan for sending Alexander to the United States, and of course, Barbara D. for making Alexander's trip possible.

Click here to view Alexander's pictures. Take a look at the last picture..what a killer smile!

April 9, 2011

Arthur finds 'green' in New York concrete jungle

Rita's Millie adopted!

Congratulations to Rita's Millie, who found her forever home with foster mom Jana and Spencer!

Millie is one of our most recent arrivals from Taiwan. I don't know her history in her former country, but she went right to work showing off her charm as soon as she stepped paw in the United States. The Welcome Waggin' team were smitten with her (team lead Ira said if his better half Bailey wasn't such a princess he would have taken her home!). So, its no surprise she wiggled her way into the hearts of Jana & Spencer, along with their two Yorkies and cat - the male Yorkie is complete in love and follows Mille everywhere! Millie has been a wonderful guest, with impeccable manners and she can't wait to jump in the pool (she's recovering from an ear infection so has to wait a bit longer).

Jana and Spencer were recently recruited as a new foster home by Kriss. I was so grateful when Jana agreed to take the 3 remaining Breakfast Bunch puppies when I had to go out of town, and she had them for a week until Kriss was able to take them back. We didn't give her much of a break, putting Millie in there as soon as the puppies were gone. They weren't planning on adopting, but Millie has made herself such a member of the family they realized she had chosen to stay there. She looks forward to going on the many camping trips Jana and Spencer take. Jana promises to keep fostering once Millie gets acclimated.

Millie would like to thank Rita and MJ for finding her, getting her healthy and sending her to the US, and also Barbara D. for approving her trip. She's grateful to the Welcome Waggin' team and to Nestor and Bobby for having her as an overnight guest after her long trip. Finally, she is so happy to have found this terrific family!

April 1, 2011

Welcome Rita's Millie!

Millie arrived at LAX last night. She was greeted by several volunteers. She is an adorable little girl, ready for the next chapter of her life in the US. View more photos here.

March 31, 2011

Rita's Millie is on her way!

Rita's Melissa adopted!

Congratulations to Rita's Melissa, who will be known as Nora, has found a new home with Jane and Alan.

Jane and Alan are a retired couple, who recently lost their girl, a 14-1/2 year old Lab, Scout. Alan likes to take frequent walks, and would take Scout for three 30-minute walks each day. After Alan and Jane met Melissa, we sat down and went over Melissa's allergies and the special diet she requires to keep the allergies in check. As we were talking, Alan wanted to take Melissa out on a walk, and she did great. While going over her known history and how she became such an amazing girl during her stay with us, Melissa let it be known that she wanted to go outside again. So, off Alan and Melissa went. At this point Jane said to me, Melissa's the one and this was confirmed by Alan upon their return from the second walk.

Melissa also gave the paws up sign, and took no time in telling me, 'Bobby, it's ok to go, I've found my new forever home! Hurry up and take my picture!'

Jane and Alan were so proud to let me know that their son and his family adopted a Golden from us about two years ago. Then, Jane pulled out the 2011 Fields of Gold calendar, proudly beaming and sharing with me that her son's boy Gus (Mr. G) is Mr. October 2011! He certainly is a beautiful boy. So, what a neat story here, son adopts, and now Mom and Dad, too!

We know that both Jane and Alan will provide a wonderful, loving and safe home for this girl who has been through so much during her previous life in Taiwan.

During Melissa's stay with us, it has been wonderful to watch and see this sweet girl blossom into a beautiful dozen roses, compared to when she first arrived from Taiwan as a very shy and timid girl. We were able to manage her allergies with the proper food, and her scratching had practically stopped. Her hair grew back in the many places where it had come off due to her scratching, and her coat now looks very full, shiny and beautiful. Melissa had the respect of our pups who were so kind to her, while careful not to play with her too rough. While on our walks, Melissa learned to leap after lizards, chase after birds (that were too far away), and see and smell the new and different surroundings she has probably never experienced before. Nestor even taught Melissa how to navigate going up and down the stairs, which comes in handy in her new forever home.

Melissa sends a big thank you to Rita, MJ and everyone in Taiwan who found and took such great care of Melissa, putting her on the road to recovery, and sending her to California. Melissa was happy to have been warmly received by the Welcome Waggin crew. She thanks Bethany for finding this great home! Nestor and I were very thankful for the opportunity for Melissa to have stayed with us as she begins her new life in the United States. A big thank you to Sandy for everything you have done and all the support you have given Melissa! Also, this wouldn't have been possible without Barbara's help!

Welcome home Melissa, now the Irish rose, Nora!

March 25, 2011

Maggie's Macy loses her housemate, Morgan

Just wanted to let you know that I "helped" Morgan cross the Rainbow Bridge today. She deteriorated rapidly the last few days and hadn't eaten (except force fed a bit of baby food) for a week. This morning when she didn't wag her tail or raise her head and didn't even want me snuggling with her - I knew it was time. I could tell she was absolutely miserable and had no quality of life left at all. I think she probably would have passed by herself either later today or tomorrow and I did not see any point in "prolonging" her obvious discomfort (even so they said she was not in pain - you definitely cannot feel great when you haven't eaten for a week).

So she is with Molly now - and IF there is a heaven - I know 100% for sure they are both there. They were both such amazing, loving and sweet dogs - and even so I adore Macy - she doesn't replace either Molly or Morgan - they each have their own individual personalities and are completely different. Nevertheless - Macy is a joy and will now get my undivided attention. I did feel bad because Morgan did require extra attention since she got sick (which I found out 2 weeks after getting Macy) and I have not spent a lot of one-on-one time with Macy playing with toys, teaching her to fetch etc. I now look forward to doing that - she is just an absolute delight and I am soo grateful I have her right now to help me thru this difficult time. She sure is a great "snuggle bug."

Anyway - hope your four-legged family are doing well. I haven't decided yet if I will get a "buddy" for Macy. I think she deserves to get my undivided attention for a while. I haven't had just one dog for 12-1/2 years now - it will be "different."

Anyhow - I will try to get some pics of Macy to send you in the near future - she is looking gorgeous - you should see her coat now - I get so many compliments on her - and everyone who meets her adores her - she has the cutest personality and is very "well mannered and cute" when meeting and greeting people.

I'll send some pics soon and keep in touch,
Denise and Macy

March 24, 2011

Happy Gotcha Day, Otto!

Wow, time really flies when you're having fun, because today is Otto's (formerly Rita's A-Fu) one year anniversary here with me. He's now 7 years old with the bounce and energy of a pup half his age. I'm so thankful to have this 90 pound bundle of love in my life. Thanks GRCGLA Rescue!

Janey

March 23, 2011

Welcome Maggie's Willy!

Willie arrived on Sunday. It was raining quite hard and we had to open the crate in the parking garage. He was very happy to arrive and is doing great - he's a wonderful dog!

March 14, 2011

Happy St. Patrick's Day from PangPang

It looks like Pang Pang found her Pot of Gold! Our fashion princess now has her bandannas (for every holiday & occasion) made especially for her by a staff member’s mom. She is a natural 'attention-getter' who knows how to pose, coax behind-the-year rubs and willingly smiles for the camera. She calmly and sweetly offers her paw, if for one second she is not the center of attention. She knows how to say, 'Look at me' without uttering a sound. There is no way to describe how much our seniors love her! Being able to take our golden girl to work where she brings so much joy, and then home again is such a blessing. Thank you again - Rita and all of you for making this possible.

Sharron

March 1, 2011

Update from Coco (Rita's Lecca)

Well what can I say about Coco other than she is perfect for us and absolutely wonderful. We think she is by far the best dog out there anyway (no offense to other dog families, if your dog was ours we would say the same about her too).

We have all gotten comfortable, some of us more than we should (meaning Coco). We bought Coco this huge fabulous dog bed, big, soft and perfectly comfortable. Does she use it? No, of course not. She prefers Charlie's favorite chair and takes full advantage of it when he is not home. She seems to understand that when he walks in the door she needs to appear as if she has been on the floor all day long. She has also taken an affinity for the couch which we do let her on as long as a sheet is on it. In fact, I think she is so smart that she seems to know when the sheet is not there she can't get on it.

Coco loves, loves, loves the pool. Unfortunately we have not been able to get a photo of her in the pool yet because she bounces in and bounces out as fast as she can. Its like watching a tennis ball bounce on the tennis court. She found the wading pool step the first day she was with us and will lie down on it, roll around and then bounce back out. Its very cute but can make it difficult to dry her off when it gets a little cold at night and its 10:30.

We have started training classes. Her food aggression has really improved. We can now put her food down, ask her to sit, and stay until we say OK you can eat. She is very smart. :-) However, we have not made much improvement in walking on a leash, or learning the phrase "no pool".

We took our first extended car ride up north this past weekend. She was a perfect dog. A great car rider and a very good guest. She loved playing with her "cousin" a black lab mix of some kind, and I do know she misses playing with the dogs at your house, Tom. So when we have a better handle on listening we will set up play dates.

I've attached two photos. Let me know if I need to resize them. One of the photos shows her stealing Charlie's chair. I love that one!

Thank you so very much for the opportunity to have Coco. She is a huge part of our family and its hard to imagine our lives without her. We love her so much!

We will keep updating you!

All our best
Mindy, Charlie, Chelsea, and Coco

PS Did I forget to say that she is so smart that she only "knows" her name when she wants to? Too cute and frustrating at times. lol


February 28, 2011

Update from Jenny (Rita's Puffy)

We have renamed Puffy, Jenny, and she has been with us for 5 weeks now. She has settled into our home and is acquiring skills like stairs, leash walking, sit and stay. This is a picture of her lounging on the grass by a golf course last weekend. She always has a tennis ball close at hand. She loves her walks and is very interested in small animals that she is coming into contact with like birds and squirrels. She is very playful and enjoys life.

Sharon

February 26, 2011

We have renamed Rita's Mitchell Bo due to his bow legs! He is a real character! - Not quite housebroken but we're working on it - Love's to eat - but too fast so I'm working on that too - He doesn't seem to like the cold or the rain much - He hops something like a rabbit - He doesn't just run - He and one of our other rescues, Russell, like to run around the house in circles disrupting all of the throw rugs with Bo sliding across the the floor with legs splayed! He talks - or should I say has kind of a howl - When our daughter & grandaughter were here last week he slept in the bed between them - He does like teenage girls ! Typical male! We are really enjoying him and will be very happy when all house training is done - The first picture is in the kitchen with him chasing an ice cube.

Kathy






February 19, 2011

Update from Rita's Alice

Good Morning,

We just celebrated our 2 year anniversary with Buddy, and our 1 year anniversary with Alice, and didn't want it to pass unnoticed!

I knew exactly what I wanted when I first came to the GRCGLA website. I needed a loving, older soul to help teach my little dog to be calm. That same week, Buddy was turned in and brought to Culver Palms (which just happened to be my vet's office). It was absolutely love at first sight. He was 9 years old, and unflappable! I brought my little pup over and he didn't bat an eye. I brought him home to foster him, but turned in the adoption papers that same week. It didn't work out quite as I planned, because instead of him calming the little dog down, she taught him how to bark and chase everything! He is the perfect Golden.

Then I tried my hand at fostering, again. I was fairly successful at being an interim house for pups who were at CP a little longer than desired.

When we got the notice that a group was coming in from Taiwan last January, I was happy to go to the airport for the Welcome Waggin. It was determined that 2 out of the 3 dogs had a place to stay, and could I possibly take one of the dogs, just for the night...

Sandy took one and Kriss brought the other two over to her house, while I attended my son's soccer game. I made my husband come over afterward so HE could pick out the pup that we would foster (thinking that he wouldn't notice that I took this on without asking him if I pretended it was his choice!). I was sure that he was going to pick Evan (beautiful, sleek, healthy young male), but much to everyone's surprise, he fell in love with Alice right then and there (older, overweight, ear infections, heart condition...).

After the doctors determined that even though her spleen was larger than anything they had ever seen, her heart seemed strong, so we were allowed to officially adopt her.

The love affair continues, each day more precious than we could have dreamed.

We are truly appreciative for our pups and grateful to everyone that works so hard to make this group what it is - AMAZING!

Thank you!

Sincerely,

Chevy & Dave