The Sweetest Sound

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

I'm sharing this article written by Robin, the executive director of Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue because as much as it made my heart hurt, it also made me smile.  DK members and the DRC made a positive impact on this pure breed rescue a couple of years ago and now the rescue takes in golden doodles as well as their beloved goldens.  Robin's "pack" now includes one handsome golden doodle boy. I'm not soliciting donations, just letting you know how the love we shared way back when, keeps on giving.  Happy Saturday! The Sweetest Sound I've Ever Heard   There are a lot of noises around Golden Gateway.   There is the high-pitched, excited greeting each morning at 7:00 a.m. when the dogs greet their staff slaves. Smiles are everywhere - dogs and humans. Both seem to have missed each other overnight. As the coffee brews, first turnout of the day begins and then the dogs' breakfast is served.   While the dogs are eating, the kennel is once again silent. The staff has a quick cup of very strong coffee as they review notes from the night shift and share overnight antics, which can include a smart dog jumping over a half door and greeting the staff in the hallway upon arrival.   Then, it's playtime. The bark pitch is a bit lower. After a few weeks, we know which voice belongs to which dog as they chase each other around the field, nipping at legs and tails.   By 2:00 p.m., it's nap time, and the kennel is silent once again.   Yesterday, this Golden Doodle arrived. It's hard to believe there is a dog under this feces-infested and knotted sweetheart... and he is sweet. He apparently never whimpered or cried as his rescuers managed to shave as much as possible before bathing him. They told us that after the process was complete, he stood on his hind legs to hug, and without his feet touching the floor, managed to move to the next person to give a hug. Surely, this had to be painful.     Judging by his condition, we think he was a breeder dog who managed to either escape or was turned loose. As I held his head in my hands and looked into those huge doodle eyes and long  eyelashes, my anger was hard to control.   Especially in light of what had happened a few days earlier:   When the call came, we thought it was a full-moon joke.   We were told a man was selling four-day-old Golden Retriever puppies, mother and father (a purebred) out of the back of his car for $200.00 each.   Alas... it was true and real, and the Good Samaritan who managed to get the mother, father, and puppies told us that, allegedly, three of the puppies had already been sold. This is tragic news. Perhaps the purchasers didn't know any better and thought they were helping to save a life. (We are continuing to try to find those puppies, so they can be reunited with their mother and siblings for the critical socialization period of their lives.) Another rescuer kept the male as the mother became agitated when he got near her.   The DVGRR "ambulance" was already in use as Marie had taken Leroy for a cardiac consult. (If you remember, Leroy was the puppy from the farm with the heart murmur. Unfortunately, that diagnosis is poor - sub-aortic stenosis. Leroy will not have a long life.) So, Dennis and Inza jumped in my van and made the three-hour trip to north Jersey. The rescuers were great people and had done well providing for mom and puppies. Still, it was obvious that she would need to get on a good diet fast so that her nipples would fill with milk.   The mother is named Blossom, and her spring litter consists of four females and two males. Their names are Iris, Dandy, Clover, Violet, Poppy, and Tiger (as in lily). She is a great mother, and we know why - this was her third litter, and she's only about three years old. We moved mom and babies into Haley's Haven, the lower level of The Lynne Glennon Sanctuary for Senior Goldens and Puppy Mill Survivors, cranked up the heat, and brought in extra staff and volunteers for the first critical weeks of care. We're happy to have gotten the call for this rescue, but having them throws expenses in crisis due to the extra help needed to ensure Blossom is eating enough to support milk production and that all puppies are nursing uniformly and being handled to promote their socialization.   The puppies will be ready to move to their new homes in May. Until then, it is effectively "all hands on deck" for intense handling and socialization.   If you are interested in adopting one of the puppies, and you have an approved application on file, please  [e-mail]. As always, priority will be given to qualified, approved applicants. If possible, please help with a donation to offset the added expense of ensuring that these puppies get a second chance to get off to the right start in life rather than being sold as four-day olds where that prospect was impossible.   So, what, do you ask, is the sweetest sound I've ever heard? It is the long sigh that every dog gives as they lie down, perhaps for the first time in their life, in a warm bed, clean and with a full belly.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Heroes for sure and we have so many of them here on DK!

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Thank you for posting Cheryl.  I will be so glad when stores like this do not have to be written!  A huge thank you to all the rescue angels out there!

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

I feel the same, Linda.

[Janie, Jackson and Jilly]

Just unbelievable. Thank goodness for all the rescue groups.

[BG and Gavin]

Wow, I hate stupid people!  Thank goodness for this wonderful organization was there to help their beautiful dogs.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Tell us how you really feel BG ;) I'm with you.  How I feel is not fit to print.  

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Absolutely agree that is the sweetest sound ever! Thank you to everyone involved in helping these poor dogs and puppies. At least the pups didnt have to suffer at the hands of the previous owners like the mother/father and the doodle did. That poor doodle just made my heart break for him.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Yes.  It's an awful story but seeing those little pups together in a clean comfy warm bed with mom  there and their toys warms my heart.  I'll try to follow up on the doodle boy.  

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Thank you for sharing this, Cheryl! It always make me sad to hear how some animals get treated! Thankfully, there are kind people who help these dogs.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Yes :)  I just saw that this rescue just opened up a "Shy Dog Park" for puppy mill survivors and timid dogs that they adopt out so owners can bring their dogs back and work with them on designated days under guidance. I wish I lived closer because I would like to volunteer there since I can't foster right now (with all my extra time lol).  But I'd find a way.  

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Thanks so much for sharing this, Cheryl.....there certainly are some amazing and inspiring people in the animal rescue world.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Yes, there are … angels all around us. You're one too, Jane :)