Sophie and Bailey, both adopted through Golden Rescue
By Cecilia Nasmith
Dog-rescue organizations targeted to a specific breed are not uncommon.
But in the Northumberland community, Golden Rescue does inspire an uncommon passion among its volunteers.
Grafton resident Sarah Holland (who, with her husband Richard, are a local foster family) has done a webinar for them on what rescue dogs might make good therapy dogs, as a result of which the local St. John Ambulance has acquired several new ones.
Joe and Cynthia Howe of Brighton patiently kept Buddy (a puppy-mill rescue) in diapers for 11 years when an inoperable bladder condition meant that he leaked when he sat or lay down.
John and Joan Stalker of Cobourg, in addition to fostering duties, volunteer in other ways – transporting dogs from Point A to Point B, making behaviour evaluations, evaluating dogs about to be surrendered, visits to prospective adoptive homes, and post-adoption visits.
Being a breed-specific organization is part of their success, Sarah Holland said. It's a level playing field for everyone with everyone working with the same breed.
Golden Rescue co-chair Viive Tamm noted that greyhounds, for example, often need loving homes after they retire from racing. Pit bulls are what she termed a misunderstood breed, and need homes where they will not be trained to be aggressive.
Tamm find that those who gravitate to golden retrievers appreciate their special qualities.
“The word we use for them most often is, they are goofballs,” Tamm said.
Her Oakley lives for only two things – food and to get petted. And he's quite typical of the breed.
When they are younger, they definitely want more exercise and play time, she said. But once they get older, they are just as happy to snuggle on the couch with you as they are to take a walk.
Their big hearts are well known. They are gentle by nature, and the soft mouth means they are less likely to be nippy than other breeds.
“And goldens are in the top-five smartest breeds as well,” Tamm added.
Since Buddy died, the Howes have adopted Jenny, who is now one of those therapy dogs Holland helped recruit. Jenny is the third golden they have adopted out of the half-dozen they have fostered over the years. It's a term GR calls a foster failure – when a a golden goes into a foster home and ends up adopted.
When the Stalkers were car shopping, they made a point of checking out a Subaru, since that company is a St. John Ambulance sponsor.
Talking with Bay Subaru manager (and golden owner) Troy Dolan in Belleville, Cynthia offered to introduce him to an actual therapy dog. Dolan was so charmed, he set up a photo shoot and organized an annual car wash and barbecue as a Golden Rescue fundraiser.
“Golden Rescue is such a great organization, because they really check out the dogs before they come over,” she said.
“They already have these very stringent policies in place – and the nice thing about fostering is that the bills are covered.”
The Hollands have their own foster failure. That would be bright-eyed six-year-old Lucy, who came to them about a month after they lost their beloved Corduroy.
Each dog they have fostered has a story, and sometimes the story is obvious, Richard said. The dogs who are comfortable around the horses and cows on the farm next door obviously once lived on a farm, for example.
Every dog they take on is examined and its medical issues dealt with. And people wanting to adopt are carefully vetted.
“Nobody is getting a free dog,” Sarah said.
Fostering volunteers may choose to adopt if they wish – or they can keep it on the foster level, and even return the dog in case issues arise (such as the death of a spouse).
“They send us profiles of families who may want to adopt. We review them, and they come to meet the dog,” Sarah said.
This is a valuable opportunity to observe how the would-be adopting parties interact with the dog, and they do so with a sharp eye. Some voluntarily step aside – for example, if the dog is more feisty than they had hoped – and Sarah said the whole process is worked out very carefully.
“There are good dogs who need good homes, and there are people like us who would never consider a puppy,” she said.
It's an international organization, all volunteer, with an extensively circulated magazine and a very good website, as well as an annual fundraiser whose prize is dinner anywhere in the world.
And adding to the joy of having a golden around, volunteers are invited every year to the big Golden Rescue picnic at Viamead Resort on Stoney Lake. It's back this year, after two years being called off due to COVID, and 300 to 400 dogs always attend. Joan Stalker described approaching the resort on that day and looking at a solid sea of gold. She also enjoyed the feature Rick Mercer did on this annual event on his weekly TV show.
The Stalkers brought a golden with them, when they moved from Toronto to Cobourg a quarter-century ago because of John's job with Weetabix. Then they learned about Golden Rescue at a fair in Markham, where the organization had a van and several dogs.
“And you know dogs and babies are magnets,” Joan said.
The Stalkers were definitely attracted when they found out how well-run the organization is.
“They have been doing it 30 years, they have their way of doing things and they don't deviate. When we take in dogs and agree to find another home for them, we don't want that dog ever to come back,” Joan said.
She recalls how a fellow GR volunteer put it - “we are working for the dog.”
“We are trying to find the best home. We are not trying to find you a dog. We are trying to find a dog the best home.”
Joan keeps a diary for each dog they foster so, when a prospective home pops up, she can go back through the record and share all the things she has learned.
“We are trying to put the dog in the best scenario, where they will succeed and not be returned again.”
Their newest foster is two-and-a-half-year-old Kevin, who has been with them just a matter of weeks.
“He's still very much a puppy,” she said.
“He is super-super-sweet, but if he sees anything that moves – anything – he is on full alert. If a chipmunk or squirrel runs across the yard, he's in four-wheel-drive.
“But he's good. He will get a good home. He needs some work, and he needs to burn off a lot of steam.”
They normally would not take in such a young, vibrant dog, but foster homes are badly needed just now – and this is true of other rescue groups and humane societies, she added, now that COVID is not the threat it used to be and people who adopted pandemic puppies are resuming their regular lives.
“That cute little puppy is now two-and-a-half years old, maybe getting a little bit out of control, and it did not learn how to socialize back when we were all homebound.”
Kevin was an only dog in his former home. In the Stalker household, he joins goldens Bailey and Sophie (who was surrendered to Golden Rescue when her owners could not afford the leg surgery she badly needed).
Kevin is their 28th foster dog, four of whom were foster failures.
In a way, Joan says that finding that forever home for a golden is the hard part.
“You fall in love, and it's hard to let go. But by the time you have talked to the potential owner, you know their situation. Pictures have gone back and forth. You are pretty sure that dog is going to a pretty good home, and you are happy for the dog. And you know there is another dog you can help.”
