Last Updated
Sunday, April 13, 2008

Unfortunately most pets, including Golden Retrievers, are often abandoned due to health concerns.  Almost every Golden we rescue needs medical attention of some kind - whether it's vaccinations, a spay or neuter, tick or valley fever medicine, cancer removal, or more. Your charitable donations go directly to ensuring the health and well being of every Golden we rescue.

Here are some examples of how your donations help.  
 

Lewis, 9 year male
		funds raised: $1,325
Lewis lives according to the philosophy “seize the day.” And seize the stuffed animal. Seize the treat. Certainly seize the tennis ball. Sometimes seize the sock. And, always, seize the opportunity to lean against someone, just to get a bit closer. Lewis may not have time on his side, but he has character and spirit. Cancer can’t touch those. He was dog No. 345 at the shelter, an old, sick Golden. Who would want him? So he was on the list to be put down. A tumor the size of half a grapefruit gaped from his back. An		Make a donation for Lewis
oozing growth on his left ear stunk of decay. His time was up, right? Wrong, said AZGRC. Whisked from death’s door to the veterinarian, Lewis got a chance. His tail began wagging. The tumors were removed during surgery at Four-Legged Friends Animal Hospital, and the wait for lab results began. With a stitched ear, a stapled back, a dozen medications and tail still wagging, Lewis arrived at his foster home. His foster mom was grieving, having said goodbye to her two old Labs within the last six months. Lewis got to work, brightening the house and showing his wary chocolate Lab brother that other big boy dogs can be friendly and fun. Lewis the sickly 9-year-old  transformed into Lewis the puppy. Lewis’ friendly, white face, alert eyes, curly golden locks and trademark bowlegged stance make him stand out wherever he goes. He can’t imagine a person or dog who wouldn’t want to meet him. He became the star attraction at the weekly Wine & Wags in Scottsdale, where he oversaw the courtyard. His schedule is busy, but in his spare time he chases tennis balls and loves to visit Kara and Bob’s house to hang out with the Brady-Chelsea-Ben pack. The lab results confirmed Lewis has two kinds of cancer. Operating again was considered, but the chances were not deemed high. Putting Lewis through another major surgery would be hard. In January 2008, he was given two to five months.  Lewis is named for Capt. Meriwether Lewis, of Lewis & Clark. Thomas Jefferson described Lewis the explorer as thus: “Of courage undaunted, possessing a firmness & perseverance of purpose.” As well it describes Capt. Lewis the Golden, whose purpose is to seize every minute.
Jackson, 1 year male
		funds raised: $75
When Jackson ended up in the caring hands of AZGRC, he was a 1-year-old who knew nothing of romps in the grass, or long walks, or ball chasing, or any of the other carefree, good times of a typical puppyhood. All he knew was pain, a pain so intense it made him cry. To go to the bathroom, he leaned against a fence to brace himself as he tried to lift his leg. Sometimes he couldn’t get up and would relieve himself lying down. Jackson had severe hip dysplasia, a crippling condition. Unfortunately, the only option his owners could afford was amputation. They knew he was suffering and deserved better, so they did the right thing and surrendered him to AZGRC. Jackson would get that puppyhood after all.		Make a donation for Jackson
Jackson’s journey with AZGRC began with three months in a foster home, where he learned there was more to life than searing pain. Love and pain-relieving medication revived his spirit. His inner puppy began shining through. Still, surgery was inevitable to replace his left hip. As often happens with rescued dogs, just the right people came to AZGRC in search of a special-needs dog. Mark and Abby had been through a lot themselves, having lost their Lab to sudden illness and being in the final weeks with their elderly Golden. They needed Jackson, and Jackson needed them. Although the left hip’s condition was even worse than expected, the operation by Dr. David L. Bone was successful. Most importantly, handsome Jackson was off to a fresh start. Mark and Abby put Jackson’s crate in their bedroom after the surgery so they could be near him. Such tender care, along with Jackson’s young age, have aided his recovery. In fact, Jackson deemed himself recovered a month after surgery, but Mark and Abby have been careful to make him slow down. “He’s very playful,” Mark says. “He has about 20 toys in the house, but he doesn’t tear them up. He leaves the squeakers intact. He’s also practicing with the ball.” The Golden who used to have to brace himself against a fence now happily bolts around the dog park with the pack. Another of Jackson’s hot spots is the Starbucks patio. “Every single person stops to pet him and tell him what a beautiful dog he is,” Mark says proudly. May Jackson enjoy a lifelong puppyhood.
Freckles, 5 year male
		funds raised: $495
The story of Freckles has had many new chapters since the day at the shelter when he weakly lifted a paw to greet an AZGRC volunteer, his last hope on earth, and was saved from euthanasia. The chapters might have titles such as “Salvation,” “Perseverance,” “Hope,” “Courage.” For Freckles has asked for so little, fought so hard and given back so much. Freckles’ first, and urgent, battle was against a type of mange rarely seen in the United States. He suffered from severe hair loss and itching, having scratched his skin raw and bloody. The AZGRC volunteer saw beyond Freckles’ sores and sadness, and he was immediately taken to a veterinarian and treatment was		Make a donation for Freckles
started. Then it took a special home to embrace Freckles and help him mend. A family with two boys had been looking for a Golden. They envisioned an energetic, full-of-life playmate. Freckles was none of those things. Not yet. Freckles had a sadness about him. He hurt. He was trying to heal. The family looked at the pictures of poor Freckles and said they’d think about it. Then they met the special Golden. “We immediately bonded with him. He went up to each us, played ball and was very comfortable,” his new mom, Annie, says. Her younger son, Ryan, asked to take him on a walk. “Freckles went with the boys and never looked back.” In his new home, Freckles knows to get on one, and only one, piece of furniture: the bed of his best friend, 9-year-old Ryan. The family installed a doggy door for Freckles, and he was using it before it was even finished. He never leaves the house without a toy and stops to grab one from his special bin. He loves to toss toys in the air and play catch. He grew a nice coat; so nice that he was shedding! Then another chapter, the toughest one yet, began. Is it fate that Annie is a pediatric cancer nurse? Freckles was diagnosed with the dreaded disease. “It was very sudden. One day he was breathing hard,” Annie says. “The lymph nodes around his neck were swollen.” Ryan stayed by Freckles’ side, lying down with him. Chemotherapy began immediately. After many trips and weeks of chemo and blood work, Freckles is doing well. No more cancer has been found. His courage earned him a PAC911 Hero Award. “For all us,” Annie says, “Freckles has been an incredible, life-changing experience in this house.”