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February: Meet Thunder
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Thunder came charging through our door and into our hearts 7 years ago. I had just gotten a fortune cookie saying “A short stranger will soon enter your life with blessings to share.” How true it was! Thunder was born with a short right front leg. She never let that stop her. When she came to us at age 6, she loved to run and chase balls. Thunder is one of the happiest dogs we ever had. Her original name was “Thumper,” maybe because as a puppy she looked like a little bunny hopping on three legs. We felt “Thunder” was more appropriate because her very loud bark rivals a 747 at takeoff!
Eating is Thunder’s favorite activity. She once ate a bowlful of chocolates, foil wrappers and all! She then visited the emergency vet.
Now that she is 13, arthritis has slowed her down but she still insists on her daily walk, lots of treats, and tummy rubs. In return she gives us Golden smiles and love. Thunder is still sharing her blessings.
Thank you RAGofAZ for bringing this short stranger into our lives!
January: Meet Cooper
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On December 23, 2022 my wife and I were informed that a Golden named Helsinki was available for adoption. We met with the members of RAG of AZ at the vets and we saw the most beautiful dog we had ever seen. For us it was love at first sight.
We were informed that this poor boy had been through two operations, one for a growth on the inside of his leg and one to remove a bug that was embedded under his skin. The first thing we did, after petting for 37 hours straight, was to change his name to Cooper. Cooper had to have an additional operation for another growth. During this operation we almost lost him, but thanks to the skillful surgeons at Academy West, his life was saved.
Cooper is now a very healthy and happy member of our family and has been giving us more love and happiness than we could have ever expected. My wife and I thank RAG of AZ for giving us the privilege of raising Cooper and for all the joy he will bring into our lives.
Cover Dog Carly
Cover Dog Carly
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Introducing our 2024 Calendar Cover Dog
Carly!
Carly, rescued from South Korea, arrived at our home in April of 2018. In 2014 we adopted a pair of Goldens June and Cash. We lost June to cancer and Cash was very lonely until Carly arrived.
Carly is sweet, happy and loving. She is smart, can solve intermediate-level dog puzzles with treats in seconds and she can count! She knows exactly how many treats she gets at bedtime, and will not let me rest until she’s had every one!
She is afraid of the water, except for the tiny creek that sometimes runs behind our cabin in Show Low. She loves to run through it, get all muddy and track it into the cabin. She LOVES going to the cabin, and when she realizes that we are packing she will bark and howl until we finally put her in the car.
At the cabin, she loves chasing tennis balls, watching the squirrels and birds and going for long walks. The cabin is her happy place.
Carly knows when the doorbell rings early in the morning that the Groomer has arrived. She will hunker down in her bed and pretend she’s invisible. Once in the groomer’s van, she loves the blow dryer and falls asleep while they dry and brush her.
She falls asleep when I read a bedtime story to her. Carly and Cash both had the same favorite bedtime story. “Harry the Dirty Dog”. At the end of the book, Harry gets a bath. Maybe she can relate to that.
Zazzle RAGofAZ Logo Items
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Are you a proud parent of a RAGofAZ dog? Maybe you’re an admirer from afar? Either way, we have made it easy for you to show everyone that you support our rescue!
Feel free to browse our new shopping site where you’ll find plenty of logo items for purchase. Every penny of profit goes directly to the rescue, care and placement of Goldens in need.
Check back often as we will continue to update and add more variety of items. Thank you for your continued support!
Please note: you can still find other items for sale including our Golden note cards, bandanas, and calendars by clicking “Shop” in the top menu of any page on our website, or by clicking here.
Meet Pearl & the Golden Nuggets!
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Many of you may remember Pearl. We posted about her being lost in North Scottsdale in April 2022, asking people to help her new owners locate her. At that time, she was not a RAGofAZ dog but once she was found, her new owners realized she was a bit too much to handle. You see, Pearl was not used to being around lots of people or out in public as she was a breeding dog. When the breeder rehomed her, Pearl didn’t know what to make of this great big world and got spooked a lot.
Enter RAGofAZ! Once the new owners surrendered her to us, we took her to the vet for our routine “Gold Standard” checkup. Low and behold, Miss Pearl was pregnant! But not just pregnant…VERY pregnant and would be giving birth at any moment! Sure enough, a few days later, she delivered eight healthy babies- four boys and four girls! Of course Pearl knew exactly what to do because this was not her first rodeo…but it will be her last!
Once the puppies are at a healthy age to go to new homes and Pearl has had a chance to fully recover and get healthy again, she will be spayed and placed into her forever home to live out the rest of her days never having to worry about giving birth again!
Check us out on Instagram and Facebook to see updates as the sweet babies grow!
Many of you may be wondering if the puppies will be available to adopt and the answer is yes! … but the families who are on our existing approved list will be called first. Many of whom have been waiting a very long time!!
Pearl’s puppies are growing quickly! They’re strong and healthy and cute as can be!
All of the puppies have been placed. They will start going to their new homes in late July. Families who have active, fully approved applications in place are considered first but if you’d like to be considered for future rescues, we encourage you to follow the application process on our website here. Thank you!
Enjoy this cute little video of the puppies giving Pearl a short break while they chase their foster dad.
July 19th update: Our little Golden nuggets are growing so fast!! They will start going to their new homes later this week and we will be sure to post some happy “gotcha day” pics! These lucky pups have some fantastic families lined up and we couldn’t be more excited for them (and the families!)
P.S. Mama Pearl is doing well and she will head to her new home shortly as well!
¡Hola! Meet our newest arrivals from Mexico
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Each of these dogs has a story that tugs at your heartstrings, some will make you cry. But they all reinforce why we do what we do, saving dogs’ lives and giving them a second chance. Watch for their special stories to unfold as they are immersed in a Golden life with a home, family, and lots of love.
Before they begin their journey to America, all international dogs are placed with pre-approved families. If you want to be considered to adopt future dogs, international and domestic, please submit an Application to Foster/Adopt found on the website, and someone will contact you. If you are already approved, please contact .
We have puppies!
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It’s a Thanksgiving surprise!! Eleven puppies joined the rescue just before Thanksgiving and we sure could use some donations to help make sure they all grow up healthy and strong! Sasha and her “friend” Milo were surrendered a few weeks ago. Low and behold, we found out that Sasha was pregnant at her first vet visit. This week she delivered eleven healthy babies— six girls and five boys!
Milo has gone into hiding and retained a lawyer. He’s refusing to pay puppy support so it’s all on us!
Can you help us raise these beautiful babies? Any and all donations make a difference! Thank you.
Happy 13th Birthday, George & Gracie!
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Our long time RAGofAZ members Laura and Leigh adopted George and Gracie in 2017. This adorable twosome are celebrating their 13th birthday this week on May 19th! Join us in wishing them a very happy birthday!
Volunteer Spotlight: Dianne Nevius
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This year we’re bringing back our “Volunteer Spotlight” section. We appreciate each and every volunteer because without them, we could not rescue any Goldens. Our volunteers handle everything from fund raising to home visits to transports and all things in between! It really takes a village to keep our rescue alive and healthy. This quarter we’re featuringDianne Neviuswho has been volunteering with us for 10 years! We interviewed Dianne to get a better idea of who she is and why she loves rescuing Goldens with RAGofAZ.
What volunteer positions have you held and what role(s) are you currently in?
I have been the coordinator for the Happy Valley Barnes & Noble gift wrapping for the past 8 years, Microchip manager for 9 years, Woofline Coordinator for 9 years and I have been on the Home Visit Team for the past 8 years.
Tell us a little bit about your family, including any current pets.
My husband and I have been married for 34 years. We blended our family and added a baby to make 5 children. We now have 8 grandchildren and one great grandchild. We currently have Meg, a 13 year old English Setter and Toby our 5 year old Golden Retriever (non-RAG).
Can you tell us a little about your own experience with rescued Goldens?
We have had Goldens for over 20 years. Duke and Duchess were our first and they each lived 13 yrs. old before Cancer came along. Teddy, our RAG dog, came into RAG with a litter of 6. He had an amazing soul. He was epileptic. A second medication caused him to have Megaesophagus. For a year he would aspirate, get pneumonia and then recover. We finally had to let him go to the Rainbow Bridge. Unfortunately, he only lived 4 years and passed away 6 years ago. He was an amazing RAG volunteer as is Toby. Toby is a large Golden with a heart to match. He loves volunteering. If he isn’t coming with me, I have to put my RAG shirt on in the garage because he gets so excited when he sees it. Like all Goldens, he is so gentle and loving.
How did you get started as a volunteer with RAGofAZ?
I saw RAG at gift wrapping one year at B & N after we had lost our Duchess. The following September we adopted Teddy. I saw the need to educate people about all rescues and was so grateful for Teddy. I feel so honored to be able to volunteer with such an amazing, giving group of people.
What has been the most rewarding experience as a volunteer so far?
I think being a part of each team is amazing. However, being on the Home Visit Team I have the opportunity to meet a family and see how much they want a Golden. Then I hear they had a dog placed with them and know they are so excited. I know how hard it is when you have to wait for a Golden. The very best is when I get to see the family with their dog at an event.
What advice would you give someone who’s thinking about becoming a volunteer?
I always tell them we have needs to be filled requiring an hour a week, everyday, or once a month. Find what their passion is and try different teams if necessary.
We thank Dianne for her years of dedication to our rescue and look forward to many more! Let’s give a round of applause for Dianne!