‍It is with a heart full of gratitude - tinged with sadness - that I announce the retirement of Scottie McGowan from Rescue A Golden of Arizona.Â
Most of us cannot recall a time when Scottie McGowan and Rescue A Golden of Arizona (RAGofAZ) were not one and the same. Her decades of leadership have included years of service on the Board of Directors, exceptional achievement heading up various rescue teams, and flawless execution of countless fundraising events, especially in Southern Arizona.Â
Scottie has given us many mottos and tag lines to live by over the years. First there was “on the road again” as Scottie became our famous road warrior, driving hundreds of miles to rescue and deliver Goldens in need. There is not a freeway west of the Rockies that has not been visited by her “dogmobile.”Â
Then, the day came when Scottie could not look away from the tragedy of desperate Golden Retrievers, trapped in horrendous and life-threatening conditions in other countries. Despite an intimidating series of challenges, Scottie founded our international rescue program, enabling RAGofAZ to welcome scores of Goldens from Mexico, China, South Korea, and Turkey.Â
Why was she compelled to take on this difficult task? “Because,” Scottie would answer, “hunger, sickness, and despair know no language, no culture, and no boundary.” A mantra that enabled RAGofAZ to save an untold number of Golden Retrievers that would have otherwise met a horrible fate.Â
Scottie’s RAGofAZ friends and colleagues were not the only people to marvel at the innovation and scope of her accomplishments. In 2020, Scottie was recognized by the Golden Retriever Foundation’s National Rescue Committee with the prestigious Starfish Award. The name symbolizes the "starfish" concept of making a profound difference in the life of even one dog, as seen in the story of the person throwing a starfish back into the ocean. Is there any better way to capture Scottie’s dedication to rescue?Â
To simply say thank you does not begin to express how grateful I am - we all are - for Scottie’s contributions to RAGofAZ. Rather, I will think of the hundreds of Golden Retrievers who have lived lives they could not have imagined because she chose to be a rescuer.
We will remain inspired by Scottie in the coming years every time we reach out to save a Golden Retriever who is waiting desperately for rescue and reprieve.Â
Â
Kerri Crabtree
Director of Golden Rescue
Â
Â
