Heber 10-08

Greetings from Heber, “Ah-bear”. I can now say ahhhh with a new meaning. As you remember, I had been living a good life with my best buddy when he died. My buddy’s family had the great idea of surrendering me to GRRIN so they could help find the perfect home for me. I worked hard in foster care practicing my manners and adjusting to life without my constant companion, when along came Drew & Annie. They both grew up with dogs and thought it was time to have a dog be part of their family. I’m telling you it was love at first sight for all three of us. We spent time wiggling, petting, playing and hanging out. By the end of our first meeting we were gazing into each other’s eyes and there was no question that we were meant for each other.

As I write this I have been with Drew & Annie for a couple weeks, and am not looking back. I love that I am home alone for only short periods of time. When we are together we walk and play outside or just be together with me by their side. We’ve also gone to a local pet store for a play date and I got good marks on the “plays well with others” section of my report card. I continue to practice my manners, because I don’t always get that “sit” or “stay” in foster care means the same thing in my new home. Annie & Drew say I’m learning fast and am a smart guy. I have met this cat that also seems to stay at my house. I promise I’m being nice, but a cat will take a while to adjust to. Cats are such strange creatures, don’t you think?

Thanks to all the great folks at GRRIN, including my foster family and especially Drew & Annie for the great life I have again.

Sammy 09-47

When I came to my foster home, Patty and John didn’t know I was going to be so charming and smart. They decided they wouldn’t want to have me adopted by anyone else. Hey! I’m a fun guy to have around! I figured out the “in house” rules quickly, and I showed them how well I could obey commands. I taught them new behaviors, too! John learned that bread should be put in the cabinet, and Patty discovered a trash container can come with a pop-up lid. I’m not sure why they were concerned about bread disappearing from the counter (burp!) and my curiosity for what was in the kitchen trash. My new sister, Maddie, came from GRRIN 4 years ago, and we have a lot of fun together on walks, trips in the car, and sometimes just sleeping close to each other. I don’t know why the people are so amazed at my high energy and love of Frisbee-fetching. I’m well-practiced at it after 12 years. Yup! I turned 12 in March. Patty and John say I’m the best “poster boy” for adopting an older dog. I’m not sure what that means, but I do know that every day is the very best day of my life! I make sure everybody knows it too when I decide to howl in excitement!

Beau formerly Red 10-06

Hi from Beau! You’ll probably remember me as Red, but when I was recently adopted my new owners decided I looked like a “Beau.”
Just to recap my story, I was found as stray by some very nice folks who decided GRRIN would do a great job of finding me a forever home. Boy, were they right! Of course, I made it pretty easy. My foster owners, Cindy, Everett and their Corgi, Hailey, knew from the get-go that I was going to be adopted quickly because I was so easy-going and friendly with everyone I met, including other dogs and even cats.
When Sandy and Steve met me it was a done deal. They were looking for a companion for their resident Golden, Savannah, who is also a GRRIN success story, and I was a perfect fit.
I love my new family, and the feeling is mutual. I settled in with them right away, and it has been wonderful. Thanks to everyone who helped me along the way. GRRIN is the best!

Tessa, Beau, Steve and Savannah

Ginger Honorary GRRIN Dog 2010

If you’re familiar with GRRIN, you probably know that it can take months to find the perfect match for a family. Lynn and Danny had their home visit in September of 2009 and patiently waited to meet a young female Golden. Of course, at that time GRRIN was fostering numerous young dogs–all male!
Finally, after the holidays, they got a call that more than one female was going to be surrendered, but it was too late. They had already heard about a dog in Wisconsin that needed a new family, and plans were made to go meet Ginger and bring her home.
A new member of GRRIN, Danny brought their pride and joy to the 2010 Annual Meeting a few weeks ago. It was such a joy to see the love this sweet little girl will receive.
We hope to see Danny, Lynn and Ginger at future GRRIN events!

We asked Danny for a picture and story. He wrote:
Ginger justs loves to play with her favorite Frisbee and my dwindling supply of tennis ball she sometimes forgets to retrieve.
Her injury was nothing serious, just a large cyst we had removed. However, I might need a rotator cup replacement from all the throwing she puts me through.
I don’t need an alarm anymore, as she wakes me up very early with that same Frisbee in her mouth. After losing our beloved Maxie 2 years ago, Ginger has made our family “complete again.”
Thanks for all you “special volunteers” do.
Danny

Dolly 09-25

Hello, GRRIN folks, Dolly here! I finally have a forever home. I’m a very sophisticated girl, so it took me a while to find my forever home once I got to GRRIN. I interviewed many candidates and decided to adopt Svetlana and Jon. I’m a little shy around people and good at playing hard to get, but Jon just wouldn’t stop chasing me! I was afraid Jon, Uncle Tim and the GRRIN rescuers would get hurt in the cold snow so I let myself get caught. My forever home is a dream come true and a perfect match for me. We go together like the Three Musketeers! My new Mom and Dad spend a lot of time teaching me cool things to help me be more confident. My forever Dad is gentle but firm with me and I like that in a man. I didn’t have much of a puppyhood so I need a lot of structure, but I get to play a lot, too, and boy do I like to run and jump. My favorite thing to do is ride around in the car with my family and feel the wind in my fur like I’m sailing. We go to the dog park where I can run as fast as I can but I don’t let my Dad get out of sight. Then at the end of the day I just want to cuddle with my forever Mom and Dad. After all, I am a World Champion Cuddler. Thank you GRRIN for helping me find my forever home.

Brewster aka Buddy 10-02

Hi, everybody! This is Brewster. My foster family named me Buddy but my wonderful new forever family already have another Golden named, you guessed it, Buddy! My new Golden brother and I have a lot in common besides the name. He’s also a GRRIN dog who was lucky enough to be adopted by Amy and Joe. For the record, I’m the dark red Golden in front posing with Joe and their kids. I’m doing great in my forever home and I think it shows in this photo. And, I can’t forget to send a big thank you to my foster family: Carol, Jim and kids. We all love GRRIN!

Sage 10-09

Sage is a one year old Golden surrendered to GRRIN because her original family could no longer keep her. She went to foster care with Terry and his two grown-up dogs, Maggie and Harley. She kept Terry busy because she lived up to her breed name - Retriever! Terry frequently searched for slippers, shoes and socks! Sage is very smart and quickly learned the house rules, so Terry said that she could meet a family. Within a few hours of an initial phone call, Adam, Nikki, and Hannah were already meeting Sage and it was love at first sight! It was later obvious that Sage and Tate (the resident German Shorthaired Pointer) were a perfect match and the adoption became official. Sage’s new family has said that despite the fact that she likes to counter surf and jump up for hugs, she’s really quite well-behaved for a 14-month old dog. That is a pretty accurate account of what to expect from a young Golden, and Sage is very lucky that her family is committed to making her a well-mannered girl. Keep watching for a picture of both Tate and Sage - those two won’t sit still long enough to get a good shot with the camera, so for now we’re using one from her foster dad!

Rusty 09-50

My name is Rusty, and I’m a little over 1 year old. I could also be called Lucky Dog, because that’s what I am! Before I came into GRRIN, I had a life with no exercise, no structure, and no affection. All that changed when I was fostered in the home of Tim, Nikki, and Joel. They pointed me in the right direction, and their dogs taught me how to act like a Golden Retriever! I have a very high energy, so it took me awhile to know what was expected of me. After I got the hint, I started to relax and enjoy my new life. One day I met a great family, with a young man that really liked me. Before I knew it I was going on playdates to see if I fit in with this family and their pets. Panda the Husky accepted me right away, Shaggy the Shitzu was a little hesitant (but I’m sure that we’ll be friends), and Skitzi the cat hissed. I’m told that the hissing will go away when she gets used to me. Until then I’ll just give her some space. After a few playdates, I was told that I’d be staying, and this would be my forever-home. WOO HOO! I loved my foster home, but I now have a permanent family! Every day I get exercise, structure, and affection. I get to sleep in the same room as Brian. I get to play with the whole family (except Skitzi). Who could ask for anything more? I truly am a LUCKY DOG.

Casey 10-04

2010 started out to be an ever changing year for me. It all started last fall when my owner had to move to another state far away. We had a great time hanging out with each other for those first few years. But, for some reason, I couldn’t go with him when he moved: I missed him and I know he missed me. So, I stayed with his extended family for a few months. I was outside most of the time which was OK until it got cold and snowy. Sometimes I could come inside the house to get warm and sleep, but soon the family felt that they couldn’t keep me any longer. So, I came to this great organization…named GRRIN, and I soon was in a foster home that was soooo cool and so much fun: I had all these toys to play with, kids that loved to pet and wrestle with me, other 4 legged friends to play with, and foster mom and dad, Danya and Pat, that took really good care of me and loved me. But, everyone knew, that I would find my forever home real soon. Just a short two weeks later, a couple saw me and knew instantly that I belonged with them in their home. I was adopted February 20, 2010. My new mom and dad, Karen and Dan, take me to the park where I’m learning more behavioral commands, I get to go to the store with them and pick out my food and toys, we walk in the neighborhood where there are big hills and lots of trees, and I can lay one the floor and look out my window and see eye-to-eye my squirrel friends. They really enjoy having me and they love me very much, and I enjoy and love them very much. So, 2010 is a VERY GOOD YEAR for me with more good years to follow in my new home!

Bo 09-55

My name is Bo, and I’m about 20 months old. When I first heard the word GRRIN, I thought that it meant what humans did when they met me! After awhile I learned it also meant an organization where I would be part of a new family. My first stop was in a super foster home with Bruce and Rebecca, and their Goldens Jazz and Dexter. I loved the structure, training and love that the humans provided, combined with playtime from my canine foster siblings! Even though I didn’t show much pain, my hind-legs had some stability issues, so Rebecca took me to a doggie-doctor to have me examined. A specialist diagnosed me with a severe case of hip dysplasia. The doc said that he had a lot of experience dealing with my type of condition, and instead of jumping the gun and insisting on surgery, he prescribed diet, exercise, and medical management until I showed discomfort or lack of mobility. That was fine with me, because I could get right back to smoozing with my foster buds! One day I met Rob and Lyn, and they paid a lot of attention to me. I heard them say that they’d like to have me be part of their “pack”. Before long I was saying goodbye to my foster humans and canines. I hooked up with Rob and Lyn, and met Maggie the Australian Shepherd and Casey the GRRIN Golden! WOW! Within minutes it was apparent that our group energy was perfect. I love hanging out at home, playing with my adopted siblings, and riding in the truck (with my head on a human shoulder, or hanging out the window, catching all the scents). I’m told that my new humans will keep a close eye on my hips as I navigate through life. I miss both my original owners and my foster parents, but I feel really good knowing that I’m now part of a great forever-home. Thanks, GRRIN, for my doggie grin!