Mama Gray and her puppies

When it comes to birthing little ones, the popular British television series “Call the Midwife” cannot begin to challenge the dedicated members of Rescue A Golden of Arizona (RAGofAZ)!

Mama Ella and her puppies

There is not a scriptwriter anywhere who could have imagined that within a period of just one week, three Golden Retriever mommas would help 23 beautiful puppies make their way into this world. When these females were brought into rescue this past spring we soon learned that they were very much in a family way. Lady Gray – then Ella, followed immediately by Sunny – delivered puppies of every color and shade during a fun-filled week in May.

Mama Sunny and her puppies

Director of Golden Operations Bob Schillaci simply could not believe it was happening. “In 2023, we were all shocked and delighted that three female rescues – Pearl, Sasha, and Freya – delivered a total of nearly 30 puppies during the course of the year,” Bob observed. He added with understandable naivety “Thank goodness that will never happen again.”

Fast forward to May 2024 when the “puppypalooza” began. Thanks to the collective efforts of our own “Call the Midwives” club, Kass Black, Becky Buck-Wetzel, and Julie Corcoran, these new families began life in a safe and loving environment. Vet Team Manager Judy Smith worked tirelessly to supervise the dogs’ medical care and provide supplies (can you say pee pads?). While there were a few issues of concern (worms, yuk!), in the end everyone survived and thrived.

In preparation for the births, our volunteer teams sprang into action at breakneck speed.

As the adoption applications poured in, our Woof Line, Intake, Home Visit and Placement teams worked tirelessly to ensure the pups would go to wonderful “forever” homes.

The Vet Care Team oversaw appointments and medical care for the pups, and will make certain this continues in their new homes.

Director of Golden Rescue Kerri Crabtree rallied her Transport Team members to “give these golden nuggets a Lyft” to their new homes (affectionately referred to as the great puppy dispersal).

Behind the scenes, volunteers assisted with paperwork, contracts, social media, microchip tracking, behavioral support, and anything that needed doing.

And here we are, tired but filled to the brim with puppy cuteness overload – also with gratitude for the extraordinary leadership and teamwork of the volunteers who helped make this “puppypalooza” successful and unforgettable.

Finally, we say to the Sisters and midwives at the fictitious and much-loved Nonnatus House on our favorite PBS series … hold my beer!