Golden Guardians - FootHills Golden Retriever Rescue

Golden Guardians
Mission Statement: FHGRR is a full-service rescue dedicated to
providing rescue and necessary veterinary care for unwanted,
neglected, abused, homeless and displaced Golden Retrievers.
Letter from the President
SPRING 2016
Hello Golden Lovers,
Contact Info
I thought we'd recap the Goldens of 2015 that have needed our help this past year. In
2015, FHGRR took 45 dogs into our program. Twelve of those dogs were treated for
heartworm disease, two needed surgery for hip disorders, three required removal of suspicious masses, two were diabetic, and one needed surgery to remove a foreign object.
On top of that, four Goldens were treated for chronic skin conditions.
The breakdown of ages for the dogs we took in last year was: 13 dogs between 0-2
years, 8 dogs between 3-5 years, 13 between 6-8 years, 8 between 9-11 years, and 3 that
were 12 years and older.
People turn their dogs in to rescue for many reasons. We are still seeing the majority of
dogs released to us for financial reasons (owners can no longer afford to care for their
pets). Second to that, people give up their dogs because they have no time for their pets.
Others report that their dog is too much for them. The last reason is illness or the death
of the owner. At year’s end we had three senior Goldens in permanent foster homes, as
no one wanted to adopt them given their advanced age.
Now that you see the breakdown of the ages, medical issues, and reasons for release to
rescue, I'd like to talk about the typical dog that gets released to our rescue organization.
Approximately 55 percent of our dogs are six years old and up, meaning we get lots of
wonderful seniors that, through no fault of their own, are in need of re-homing.
P.O. Box 9077
Greenville, SC
29604
Voice mail:
864-234-9739
Fax:
800-660-8554
Inside This Issue:
Recent Donations ……. 2
Adoption Updates &
Success Stories …... 3-6
The typical applicant is looking for a younger golden that has moderate energy, but this
is not normally the combination we see. The younger ones tend to have high energy and
need a lot of exercise. They are often pups that ended up in the backyard because no one
had the time to train or exercise them.
Rainbow Bridge ...… 7-9
I'd like for those who apply to adopt a
dog from FHGRR to understand these
are rescue pups/dogs who come to us
because their owners could not give
them what they needed. Please know
that as an adoptive family you will
need to give of your patience and time
with these deserving rescued Goldens
in order to help them become the wonderful family members we know they
can be. If you wish to adopt a rescue
Golden, we ask for your understanding
and support.
Donation Form ...… 11
Jeannie Herrmann
FHGRR President
and Foster Coordinator
Upcoming Events ….. 10
FHGRR Board Members
and Staff …….…... 10
Recent Donations
Recent Donations
A big paws-up to the following
donors for their generosity!!
FHGRR truly appreciates your
unflagging support!
Carol Ann Andrews, in memory of Bill
Andrews and his best buddy Rowdy
Jason and Rebecca Arledge
Audrey Love Charitable Foundation
Benjamin Baker
Heather Baker and family
Karen Bjelland
Linda Beesley
Lynda Black
Jan and Roberta Blasenak, in honor
of Jenna
Arlene and Jerome Blumenthal,
in memory of Wolfie Blumenthal
Robert and Michelle Blumenthal,
in memory of Wolfie
Mona Brandon
Kurt and Mary Brendstrup
Grant and Tiffany Brittain, in honor of
Dusty, Kirby and Georgia
David and Linda Brown
Leslie and Ronald Brown
Lee Bruce
Mindy and Jeff Buckalew
Ashley Byrd
Marc and Lynn Caenepeel, in honor
of Samantha
Salvatore and Teresa Campanaro,
in honor of Luna
Tudda Carpenter, Mary Alice Ingram
Charitable Lead Unitrust
Tari Carter
Martha Chapman, in memory of Hannah
Jeffrey Allison Collier
Cynthia Connolly
Patricia Cook
Sharon and Nathan Crosby, for the
White Face Fund
Linda and William Curran, in honor
of Autumn
Linda Dobson
Joseph and Darlene Drake, in honor
of Nell
Patricia Dunham, in honor of my Dad,
“Skip" Dunham and Angel
Kathryn Edwards
Steve Eggleston and Jeff Stoecker
William and Christine Ehlies
Page 2
Robert and Linda Eishelsderfer
Diane Eldridge, for the White Face Fund
in memory of Abby Eldridge
Karen Fluharty
Laura Fraser
Carol Fultz, for Sammy
Mr. and Mrs. H. F. Gallivan III
Harriet Gibbes
Linda and Jim Gilkinson, in memory
of Mellow
Golden Retriever Foundation, Issaquah,
WA, for Rocco and Cooper
Michael and Margaret Goode
Anne Greer
Lee and Kathryn Hagglund
Hale Pet Door, courtesy of Michelle York
Mr and Mrs. Wesley Hammon, in memory
of Sandy Brown Warlick
Jerry and Paulette Handegan
William and Joanne Heider
Linda and Ronald Helm
Connie Hennis, in honor of Marjorie
Cleveland
Patricia Hodur
Bob and Melinda Hoover
Kathleen Huey
Richard and Nancy Hughes, for the White
Face Fund
David and Bonnie Hutchison
Michael Johnstone
Reverend Michael Jones
Kitty and John Keith
Wendy Kimbel, for the White Face Fund
Monica Koronkowski
Sandra and Dennis Lamb
Peter and Lisa Larocque
Joseph and Jill Lawrence
Robert Ling
Jamie Linn, in memory of Dan Randall
Mrs. Edgar Lyngholm
Susan MacDonald
Sarah and Christopher Markwell
John and Nancy Mathewson
David and Theresa Maurer, in honor
of Snickers and Lucy
Therese McGlone
David and Margaret McGrath
Susan McNamara
Lynn Million
Lawrence and Iris Minette, in honor
of Marjorie Cleveland
Mt. Nittany Dog Training Club, in honor of
Tony Hinson, who judged their AKC
tracking test near State College, PA
Dennis and Pamela Murdock, in memory
of Piper and with gratitude for Molly
Kevin and Valerie Murphy
Christopher and Barbara Niedzwiedz
Philip and Elizabeth Newman, in honor
of Bentley
Jim Nunziato
Fran and Bill Oken, in memory of
Wolfie Blumenthal
Carol and Don Palmer, in memory of
Dan Randall
Curtis and Betty Parsons, in honor of Lacie
Duane and Catharine Penson
Petco Foundation, San Diego, CA
Barbara Pharr, in memory of
Kylie Workman
Michele and Mark Pilon
Joe and Mary Poole, in memory of
Dan Randall
Robert and Heather Provost
Roy and Sandra Rockman
Eugene and Rita Rogers, in honor of Zach
Joe and Kathy Satterfield
Jim Saxon, for the White Face Fund
Raymond and Danielle Schneider
Kinly Sturkie
John Sturman
Lori Suit, in honor of Riggs
Chris Sparrow, in memory of
Marley Sparrow
Russell and Suzanne Sweeton
Marcia and Bill Szerlip
Laura Thomason
Paige Thornton, in honor of Chloe
Nancy and Larry Turner
United Way of Central & Northeastern
Connecticut
Gordon and Sheila Urquhart
Kelly and Jack Valetti, in honor of Gracie
Victoria's Closet
Valyrie Walter, in honor of Casey
Thomas and Leslie Washburn
Barry and Heather Washik
Barb Watkins and Peter Rodgers
Bert and Susan Webb, in honor of
Jim and Cherry Johnson
Jane and Jeffrey Weisner
Patrick Wilkie, for the White Face Fund
Susan Wolf, in honor of Dudley
Golden Guardians
Adoption Updates & Success Stories
Reggie
GG
Who knew you could be so crazy about a dog after
only four weeks?! We immediately fell in love with
our Reggie when we picked him up a week before
Christmas. Reggie walked into our home and made
himself comfortable, as if he had lived with us for
years. Even our cat, Tillman, welcomed Reggie as his
new brother.
I got my first Golden, Honey, for my 8th birthday.
After Honey passed a few years ago, I knew I wanted
another Golden, but the timing never seemed right.
After I married my husband in 2014, we decided we
would wait and figure out our work and travel schedules before we brought a new fur-baby into our home.
Last fall we began talking about getting a dog because
we felt something was missing in our lives. We finally
decided that when the opportunity came along to adopt
a dog, we would be ready.
One day I was checking the available Goldens on the
FHGRR website, and Reggie’s face captured my heart.
We now have our Golden boy!
This is our golden girl, GG, who we adopted in September from FHGRR. We originally wanted to name her
GG because we said it stood for Golden Girl. Now we
alternately say it stands for good girl, goofy girl, glamorous girl, and gobbling girl (when she scarfed down a
whole pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving!).
With the exception of getting really excited when he
sees friends on our walks, he is perfect! All is right in
his world as long as he has frequent walks and one of
us is nearby.
Thanks to FHGRR for all that they do!
– Jordan and Helen Truesdale
GG is our sweetheart! She is definitely a dog for our
golden years. She never barks, she walks well on a
leash, loves to shake paw, and has a very sweet disposition. She is very good with our toddler grand-children as
well. She wouldn't even get on the furniture, until the ice
storm when we finally coaxed her into bed with us to
keep us warm since our power was out for almost two
days. Now there is no going back—she snuggles inbetween us every night, which is fine with us.
Thanks to FHGRR, we got a gem! Marjorie Cleveland
has been wonderful during our adoption process. Like
many rescued dogs, GG had heartworms and had to be
treated. Marjorie checked in with us frequently during
the process and has helped us understand our new addition to our family. We absolutely love GG!
A big thanks for finding us the best girl around!
– Jan and Bobbie Blasenak
Spring 2016
Page 3
Adoptions and Success Stories
Star
Madison
Almost five years ago, Foothills Golden Retriever Rescue found us the love of our life, Star McAninch. I just
want to tell you what a fine dog Star is!
Her foster mom, Elaine, said she had not been in a car
except to go the vet (how sad is that?), so she didn't
know if she liked riding in cars. Here is one of our first
pictures of her. I'll let you judge whether she likes it or
not! This is my background picture on my cellphone,
and my husband's too.
When we got Star, we immediately took her to Asheville obedience school, where was in fact a star, whizzing through her lessons and passing her Canine Good
Citizen test with flying colors. She then aced her
Therapy Dog test as well. Less than a year after we got
her, she became a therapy dog for Mission/St. Joe's,
where she regularly visits the cardiology, renal, trauma
and general surgery wards; and also the Asheville Specialty Hospital for acute long-term patients. The staff
loves her too, and Star loves her work.
Star and my husband, Bill, have also been regulars at
Hall Fletcher Elementary School, where the Golden’s
gentle presence has helped lots of struggling firstgraders learn to read.
Thank you so much for bringing Star into our lives. She
has made so many people happy—most of all, us!
– Jerry and Bill McAninch
We adopted Madison six years ago, after her owners
turned her in to rescue as they did not want her any
more. When she came to us as a foster, she was sick
from the stress of being bounced around to different
foster homes and very distrustful of us.
Our younger Golden, Jasmine, taught Maddie the ropes,
and eventually (it took a good year), she came to trust
us. She did try to escape several times, but thankfully,
never found her way out of the neighborhood.
Today, she is a loving member of our family, who is as
excitable at age 10 as she was at age 3 when we adopted
her. In fact, no one believes how old she is when we tell
them her age. She still runs like a puppy, despite the fact
that she has had surgery to repair torn ACLs in both her
back legs.
Our white-faced Maddie is wed to her routine, and loves
her daily walk and being with Joe all day, now that he is
retired. She and her sister, Jasmine, play tug every
morning. They are best buddies who have never had any
squabbles over food, toys or bones.
We love to see how Madison has blossomed. She can’t
get enough love and now even rolls over for us to give
her tummy rubs—something she else she learned from
Jasmine and never would have done years ago!
We are grateful to FHGRR for trusting us with this
beautiful Golden Girl!
– Linda Lee and Joe Augello
Page 4
Golden Guardians
Adoptions and Success Stories
Big Ben
Dogs Welcome!
We decided to become fosters through FHGRR and
fostered Big Ben in June 2015.
When we brought him home, he seemed so sad,
which broke our hearts. Within two weeks, however,
he had firmly planted himself within our family and
our other three dogs. He became perkier, happier,
and got in the habit of following my husband everywhere and anywhere!
My husband and I knew then that there was no way
we could let Ben go. After a few months of fostering,
it became clear to us that Ben was a permanent addition to our household.
Ben now spends his days lounging on his comfy bed,
digging holes in the backyard, and playing with his
little brother Beaux, our other Golden Retriever.
We are proud to be foster failures, because this is the
first time we failed at something that gave us so
much love in return!
– Hollie Escobar
A man wrote a letter to a small hotel in a
Midwest town he planned to visit on his
vacation. He wrote: “I would very much like
to bring my dog with me. He is wellgroomed and very well-behaved. Would you
be willing to permit me to keep him in my
room with me at night?"
An immediate reply came back from the
hotel owner, who wrote:
“Sir: I've been operating this hotel for many
years. In all that time, I've never had a dog
steal towels, bed clothes, silverware or steal
pictures off the walls, or use the walls as a
coloring book.
I've never had to evict a dog in the middle of
the night for being drunk and disorderly,
and I've never had a dog run out on a hotel
bill.
Yes, indeed, your dog is welcome at my
hotel! And, if your dog will vouch for you,
you're welcome to stay here, too.”
Page 5
Golden Guardians
Adoptions and Success Stories
Fin
Charlie
In September 2015, I began my search for a new companion on the Foothills website, where Jim Bear caught
my eye. By September 18th, Fin (formerly Jim Bear)
was delivered to my home in Sanford, NC, by his foster mom. From his picture on the website, he looked
like a small golden mix, so was I surprised when he
arrived a tall, long and skinny 63 pounder! I had agreed
to foster Fin until he made it through his heartworm
treatment. I am so thankful to FHGRR for allowing me
to foster Fin through his recovery! On December 5th,
Fin’s bloodwork came back heartworm-negative, and I
was able to make it official and adopt him. A big
THANKS to Jeannie Herrmann for all her work in
making this adoption possible.
Fin loves the outdoors, going on long walks on the
Greenway, and enjoys riding on his boat at the lake or
beach. During the week, he plays with my mom’s twoyear-old lab mix while I am at work. In the evenings,
he enjoys couch time with his mommy. He runs and
hides at the sound of the icemaker and will make grunting noises if he feels he is being ignored and wants
attention. I am grateful to have Fin in my life and to
call him my new best friend.
– Tonya Wicker
I wanted to let you know what a wonderful family
member we adopted from FHGRR about two years
ago. At the time we adopted Charlie, he was 18 months
old, underweight, didn’t know how to walk on a leash,
and had a lot of energy.
Charlie is very sweet boy, loves everybody and everything. Since we adopted him, Charlie has worked hard
and has become a Certified Therapy Dog. He now goes
to Middle School on a regular basis and spends lots of
time with his “classmates.”
Thank you very much for Charlie!
……………………………………. – John Wagner
Spring 2016
Page 6
Rainbow Bridge
Memorial for Mellow
Mellow crossed over the rainbow bridge on
February 8, 2016.
First, I have to say she was most appropriately
named by FHGRR. She was the most laid-back dog
I have ever met. Jeannie selected my husband and I
to be her forever family.
A good friend once said to me, “If you don’t like
Mellow, there is something very wrong with you.”
Absolutely everyone loved our Mellow. We were so
fortunate to have rescued her 8 years ago from
FHGRR.
She was simply the best! She was beautiful, loving,
compassionate and she loved our family. She gave
more to us in 8 years than anyone could ask for.
Every hurdle concerning her health she conquered,
never complaining (if she could talk). Mellow went
along with everything, did what she had to do. She
trusted us and knew she could count on us no matter
what. And we could always count on her. We never
Page 7
heard her growl and she didn’t have a mean bone in
her body.
The best vets took care of her. We had total and
complete trust in them and she did too. She knew
everyone that took care of her loved her so much.
Whatever she needed, we made sure she had the best
care available.
We miss her more than we can say, but always knew
we would make a good decision when it came to her
health and well-being.
Mellow deserved respect, and in the end, we respected her for the dog she was. She deserved dignity in
the end, and with the help of her doctors, she had it.
When she crossed to the Rainbow Bridge, she was
surrounded by her family and others that loved her.
I know you are not supposed to have favorites when
it comes to children or dogs, but we make a huge
exception in this case. Mellow was probably the
most loving dog we could have ever wished for. She
was definitely one in a million.
We want to end by acknowledging the work FHGRR
does for the rescue dogs. This is a fine group of individuals, devoted to the animals, working long hours
and placing dogs in forever homes. You are the best!
Also, to the doctors and staff at Upstate Veterinary
Specialists and Foothills Vet Hospital, who were
always there for us, we salute you.
And to Pam, our groomer at Foothills Vet Hospital,
who treated Mellow so well. She was always so
careful with our girl, and we never had to worry.
– Linda & Jim Gilkinson
Golden Guardians
Rainbow Bridge
Memorial for Teddy
Memorial for Wilbur
In spring 2013, Foothills Golden Retriever Rescue was
contacted about an 8-year-old golden with chronic skin
issues who needed to be rescued, as his family felt they
could no longer care for him. He came into our program a
thin boy with very little fur, his skin was red with inflammation and full of fleas.
Immediately he was seen by our vet, given special baths,
antibiotics and a good-quality food. Wilbur needed weekly baths, which he learned to tolerate, plus medicine periodically. That and exercise revitalized this boy.
Wilbur was with us for close to three years. Although his
skin needed regular managing, he enjoyed those years
knowing he was loved, well cared for, and a true family
member. His favorite activities were long hikes in the
forest and fetching sticks in the water.
It is with great sadness that I tell you that Teddy
crossed the Rainbow Bridge. He had heart problems
and a brain tumor. He was a wonderful boy, and he is
missed greatly.
Thank you for giving me one of the greatest gifts I have
ever received.
– Cate Egan
Wilbur was also a wonderful foster brother and fatherfigure to the many dogs we fostered after adopting him.
He never let us get too far ahead on our walks, as he'd
stop to wait for the new girl or boy lagging behind. He'd
share his beds, toys, bones and sometimes even allow a
rowdy youngster to nibble playfully on his ears.
We may not have had Wilbur in our lives for a long time,
but he made quite an impression on us all. We will sadly
miss Wilbur.
– Jeannie and Norman Herrmann
Spring 2016
Page 8
Rainbow Bridge
Memorial for Hershey
Memorial for Max
Hershey was always happy and everyone loved her.
She went everywhere with me. I could never keep her
out of the water. I love you forever, Hershey.
– Rich Antinozzi
Our beloved
Max went to
the rainbow
bridge on Monday, August 31,
2015.
Words cannot
express the
emptiness in
our home now.
We will always
be grateful to
FHGRR for
matching us
with Max, as he
was our first
rescue. We love
him so.
We adopted
Max on December 17, 2008, when he was approximately four years old.
– Julie & Joel Addis
Memorial for Honey
We lost Honey
on September
12, 2015 to
cancer. She
brought us so
much love and
happiness for
four years.
– Robin Fogler
Page 9
Golden Guardians
Upcoming FHGRR Events


Education Day at PetCo
first Saturday of every month from 10am
to noon.
Bring your Goldens and fosters to highlight
our rescue at the PetCo at Cherrydale, for
their monthly adoption day.
3270 N. Pleasantburg Drive, Greenville.
Check the FHGRR website for more rescue events, including news about the
FHGRR Golden Reunion in October.
FHGRR WOULD LIKE TO THANK
ALL OUR FABULOUS
VOLUNTEERS:
Those who donate their time to bring
in, socialize, transport and work at
events for our Goldens.
A special debt of appreciation goes out
to our loving foster families!
Without the efforts of all our
wonderful volunteers, FHGRR could
not have saved more than 1,250 dogs
to date!
FHGRR Board of Directors
and Staff
Rescue Director/Adoption Coordinator –
Andrea Beeler
President/Foster Coordinator – Jeannie Herrmann
Vice-President/Intake Coordinator – Cheryl Parker
Treasurer – Kim Burdette
Communications Coordinator – Barb Watkins
Intake Team – Logan Bagley; David & Linda
Brown; Marjorie Cleveland; Carol Fultz; Cathy
Lagerman; Sandy Teevan; Barb Watkins
Web Master – Jim Nunziato
Newsletter Editor – Linda Lee
Spring 2016
Page 10
FOOTHILLS GOLDEN RETRIEVER RESCUE DONATION FORM
An acknowledgement will be sent for tax purposes
NAME: _______________________________________________________________________________
STREET ADDRESS: _____________________________________________________________________
CITY, STATE, ZIP: ______________________________________________________________________
AMOUNT DONATED: __________________________________________________________________
IN MEMORY/HONOR OF: _______________________________________________________________
Please return this form with your check or money order to::
FHGRR, P.O. BOX 9077, GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA 29604
Post Office Box 9077
Greenville, SC 29604
Phone: 864-234-9739
www.fhgrr.com