We are thrilled to share our volunteer of the quarter with you. Take a minute to get to know Lindsey King. She has volunteered with Rescue A Golden of Arizona since 2012, and today serves as our Membership Coordinator. Our organization’s work is 

only as good as our volunteers, and Lindsey makes RAG better by keeping the Membership wheels turning, and we are super grateful for all she does, and for the heart she has for this work.

 How long have you been a volunteer with RAGofAZ?

• Have been volunteering with RAGof AZ since the fall of 2012.

What volunteer positions have you held and what role(s) are you currently in?

• Started as a coordinator for our PetCo “Meet & Greet” events, then as coordinator for our Christmas Gift Wrap events at Barnes and Noble and currently as Membership Coordinator.

What part of AZ do you reside?

• My husband and I and our fur babies live in Scottsdale.

What do you do for work?

• I am a pilot

Tell us a little bit about your family, including any current pets.

• My husband, Jason, and I are both pilots. He flies helicopters and I fly for a charter airline, XOJET. We have three fur babies, our RAGofAZ babies, Finnegan and Khaleesi and our Siamese cat, Kitty.

Tell us a little bit about any past/current rescued Goldens (from us or otherwise):

• My first golden baby was Oliver, whom I got from a breeder in Canada, where I am originally from. Oliver and I moved to Arizona in 2012 where we began volunteering for RAGofAZ. After losing my Oliver to cancer at a very young age, my fellow Rescue a Golden volunteers felt that Finnegan would be a great addition to our family and would help me in my grieving after the loss of Oliver. Finnegan came to us at 15 months old, with a partially recovered broken tibia, that RAGofAZ ensured healed perfectly, through multiple surgeries and follow up care. He captured our hearts immediately and has been the best boy a family could ever ask for. Khaleesi, our second RAGofAZ dog came to us at only 9 weeks old, and riddled with health problems. She has healed from all of those ailments, and is now a healthy, crazy, fun loving girl who adores her big brother. We say Finnegan came into our lives to heal our broken hearts after losing Oliver, and Khaleesi came to us to remind us to laugh.

Tell us a bit about why you wanted to volunteer with us.

• Goldens are truly the best dog, and for my husband and I, the best kids ever! I love being a part of an organization that not only rescues and cares for abandoned Goldens, but that also matches this amazing breed to families who will forever be changed by their love.

What’s the most rewarding experience you’ve had so far as a volunteer with us?

• Would have to say the Christmas Wrapping events. My Finnegan and Khaleesi absolutely love meeting the shoppers and spreading their love, and at the end of the day, they come home exhausted and happy.

What advice would you give to someone who hasn’t volunteered with us before but may be thinking about it?

• Do it! Even if you are concerned about it fitting into a busy schedule, or if your skills match our need, just reach out. Volunteering not only helps RAGofAZ Goldens, but it will also bring immense joy to you as well.

What else would you like us to know about you and your volunteering?

• Love this organization and the amazing group of volunteers I get to work with. We are a very dedicated and passionate group, who all love our Goldens and want to ensure that every Golden in need finds a loving forever home.

Discovering Goldens that are in need of rescuing and preparing them for their potential new adopters takes a village of talented people every step of the way. One of those important steps is to become the connection between the adopters and any possible veterinary help the Golden may need in order to become healthy and happy in their new home.

One of those amazing people is Barbara Klink, who has done this critical work since 2009 in Tucson and has helped hundreds of Goldens and their families come together with the best possible future in mind.

Recently, Barbara has worked diligently with one family, the O’Briens and their new Golden, Daniel as they experienced some health concerns soon after his arrival. The O’Briens contacted RAG to tell us that Barbara has been extremely responsive, calling them promptly, regularly, and organized Daniel’s care with knowledge and understanding. “Barbara has demonstrated great humanity and kept us informed all along the way. We would be lost without her support.”

Barbara is called “The Energizer Bunny” and believes in going the extra mile in getting these wonderful dogs along the road to their great new lives. She won’t overlook a thing and isn’t hesitant to act on behalf of the Golden and their adopters as long as needed.

We think Barbara exemplifies the mission of Rescue A Golden of Arizona and we thank her very much for her contributions over the years. The Goldens thank her too!

Every great team has someone they couldn’t do without, and Rescue A Golden is no different. This quarter, we are thrilled to shine the RAG spotlight on Margie Karow. Margie works tirelessly for the rescue, often behind the scenes, and often seven days a week.

Margie has been keeping our website going for years – she’s a whiz. If not for her, we would have lost the entire site last year. She took it upon herself to research new host vendors and was able to work with them to transition everything seamlessly. Margie also manages our member communications, including formatting and sending emails to thousands of people. She’s instrumental to our quarterly newsletter process, and manages all of our distribution lists. Margie is a big part of so many things we do, including the annual calendar, fundraising campaigns and the Cutest Golden Contest.

But, it’s not just about what Margie does, it’s how she does it. She is the most caring person. Margie is always available and responds so quickly to every little thing we ask of her. She’s “all in” on Rescue A Golden and we’d be lost without her.

With all the work she does, you’re probably thinking she needs an assistant! Well, she got one earlier this year when she and her husband John adopted DaSan (now MiMi) from China.

Please tell us why you volunteer for Rescue A Golden of Arizona (RAG). 

Margie: I’ve been a member of RAG almost since the beginning in 1998. That’s when my husband, John, and I got our first Golden puppy, Sadie, who was a gift from friends. My two kids, Brian and Allison, absolutely adored this dog, we all did. I had only recently become aware of rescue groups in general and knew there was an urgent need for volunteers, so I just jumped on board.

What kinds of volunteer jobs have you had during your years as a RAG volunteer?

Margie: Well, I’ve worn many hats during my volunteer career, and like it says on our logo, I do it all for the love of a Golden … from approving applications (I received the faxed ones!) to serving on the Vet Care Team when it had only two members, to taking on the role of Vet Care Coordinator, and eventually becoming the Webmaster. I also served on the Links of Gold Golf Committee and volunteered at Gift Wrap and other events year after year. And I’m a longtime member of the Annual Campaign Committee where I collaborate with a small team to develop the messaging and graphics of the appeal, prepare the website, and deliver our marketing plan through weekly e-blasts and other media. Frankly, I can’t imagine not volunteering with RAG! I love playing even a small role in helping these beautiful sweet dogs find their forever homes.

You’ve been our webmaster for a number of years. Tell us about that.

Margie: As Webmaster, I maintain and update the website, and also edit and send out our e-blasts and newsletters. I knew absolutely nothing about what went on behind the scenes of website management when I started assisting our “webmaster emeritus” Dean Mills, but he was an excellent teacher. Eventually, I inherited the position when Dean was ready to step back. The most challenging part of the job came when we moved to a new web host last fall. There were many sleepless nights for a couple of weeks until it was finally up and running … but it was all worth it, of course. I have to say, the program I enjoy the most as Webmaster is running the Cutest Golden Contest and working with the Calendar Committee to produce our annual Hearts of Gold calendars. The photos really are adorable, and the final vote night is very exciting!

Have you adopted a Golden Retriever from RAG since you began your volunteering career?

Margie: Oh yes!  We adopted our beautiful Scooter from RAG in 2007 following Sadie’s passing.  We loved Scooter so much, and after he went to the Bridge last year we felt we just were not ready for another dog.  But … when we learned that a group of dogs from China were “coming to America” this past January, we decided to open our hearts to another Golden.  And we were fortunate to be able to adopt sweet little MiMi.

You’ve dedicated so much of your time to RAG’s rescue efforts – what do you like to do in your free time?

Margie: I love aerobic dance classes, reading, and playing the piano. As soon as I sit down to play, MiMi comes over and lies down at my feet and squeaks her ball in time to the music. Seriously, she is my very own little metronome!

Congratulations to Bob Wood, Rescue A Golden of Arizona Volunteer of the Quarter and an incredible leader! Bob and his wife joined RAG of AZ three years ago as members of the Transport Team.

Today Bob serves as Director of Golden Rescue. He leads RAG’s International rescue efforts along with the Home Visit team and the Transport team. He formed a partnership with Goldens without Borders a couple of years ago to help RAG of AZ save more dogs in unfortunate situations from other countries.

Over the last eight months, Bob has also become the face of the rescue for our new volunteers. But to Bob, bringing new members onto the team doesn’t mean simply signing them up. It means showing them the ropes, spending time with them, and ensuring they have the “right seat on the bus” and that they are comfortable in their new roles, and that they have a great first experience with our organization. If you’ve ever thought about volunteering for RAG, Bob would love to talk to you about what we do, and how we do it.

Bob served in the United States Air Force (thank you for your service!) and had a fascinating career. He is retired now, but you wouldn’t know it. He is often the first to raise his hand on almost everything.

Bob has driven close to 4,000 miles for Rescue A Golden in 2021 alone, and he’d drive another 4,000 before year-end if it meant saving a Golden Retriever or helping a family get united with one. Bob fosters dogs too. Whether for a few weeks or a few hours, he and his family say yes, and their Golden girl Echo is “all in” when it comes to helping her “pawrents” help dogs in transition.

To sum it up… that line from the Ghostbusters theme song, “Who you gonna call…. GHOSTBUSTERS” If you replace the word Ghostbusters with Bob Wood… that is how we feel about Bob Wood and his contributions to Rescue A Golden of Arizona.