With a prognosis of 6 months to live, after surgery to remove her malignant chest tumor, we adopted sweet Abby.  And now, one year later J she’s still chasing lizards and barking at birds with the other three Goldens in her home.  Abby has brought more joy to our lives in her one year with us than we could ever have imagined.  We’re convinced she is surely an angel, straight from heaven. 

~ Al & Kathy M.

Greta was abandoned at a local groomer's business. She came into the rescue at nearly 100 pounds and possible thyroid problem. Her new Mom and Dad have been walking her daily and Greta gets lots of time to play outside. She has dropped weight to 73 pounds and has no thyroid problems. Tom and Barbara just love this gal and enjoy having her around!

Thinking we would only be a foster family for Sandy because of our already full Golden household, after 2 months, we realized that we could not let her go.  We fell in love with her white sugar face, her sweet disposition, and her desire to follow us around everywhere, all the time.  We now know the true meaning of a Velcro dog!  Sandy is a lovebug.

~ Al & Kathy M.

I couldn’t let this occasion pass without dropping you a note about our Lucy.  Today, 9/29/2009 marks the two year anniversary of when we brought Lucy home with us and from the moment she jumped in the car it was as if she had been with us forever.  She has been an incredible blessing to our family and I can only hope that we are to her what she has been to me, Robin and our boys.  What a precious little child she is!

Robin and I have been wanting to write to you for the longest time but we just never seem to get around to it- but this anniversary just couldn’t pass us by (since we don’t know Lucy’s birthday, 9/29 IS her birthday) without saying something- including THANK YOU FOR BRINGING LUCY INTO OUR LIVES! 

I’ve attached a couple of pictures so you can see our little dear!  She is our love!
Thanks so much!

~ Mark H.
 

Jack and I are officially in love!  Jazz is absolutely the best puppy ever!  He's very laid back, loving and not really needy…He knows which bed is his and has settled in easily.  Last night he went shopping repeatedly where Augie keeps all of his toys, bringing one at a time out to the living room for a little lovin'.   

I wanted to let you know that Jazz is perfect for us and for Augie.  He's such a lovey-dovey and pretty funny too.  This afternoon he stole the slipper right off my foot and took it back to his bed for a little chewing.  After I took it back he sauntered over to chew on it while it was still on my foot.  He's a sweetie! 

Thank you so much for the perfect match.  We are spreading the word about G.R.E.A.T. in hopes of finding more homes for our favorite breed.  Thank you for all that you do.

~ Karen & Jack M.
 

TAFFY...

As promised here are the first few pictures of our BABY. We love her so much
and she is finally on her way to a GREAT life….Everybody just loves her and she has brought so much joy into our life. I love to take her to work and she is so good….Thank you so much in putting so much trust in us and letting us have her, we will always love her.

~ Ulla L

~ MJ

Here's a pic of Reuben in the pond.  He's great, he has been enjoying chasing lizards, swimming in the pool and pond, and socializing at the local dog park. We start training next week, so i will keep you all updated as he grows and matures. Will send pics soon. Thank you guys very much for everything,

~ Josh S.

Chasing lizards and getting to know each other…Bear and Sammie were a bit possessive of their toys the first few days, but with patience and a bit of work, they are doing so well…

Bear is an absolute love….a true “sweet golden boy”….He is visibly gaining weight…….I always sneak him a couple extra treats when Sammie isn’t looking….I just love him plain and simple!!!

Thank you both for all you do….

~ Connie J.
 

The girls and I are going to take him to PETCO after school today to pick out some things, and he is scheduled to go see our vet tomorrow.  He is getting lots and lots of love and attention! 

~ Linda S.
 

Wanted to drop you a note and let you know how Caroline (now Lilly) is doing.  We definitely made the right choice.  She is such a doll.  Lilly has really taken to us and has made herself right at home in our house….She has made friends with all the other dogs on the street.  She is not afraid of them at all - even those bigger than her - and loves to play.  She's also great at fetch and loves to chew a stick. 

I just wanted you to know that she is happy and so are we!

~ Wendy B. & Family

~ Pete M.

~ Lisa H.

~Dora & Rob G

JENNIE - a Golden/Lab, Mom of 10 G.R.E.A.T. puppies!!

We are approaching 5 months with Jennie and she has brought so much joy to our lives. We completed our first obedience class – we are proud to say that she graduated THIRD in her Class of 37 dogs.  She has adapted very well to being an only dog, movie time and popcorn is one of her favorite times of the week, she also loves to ride in the car and go for a walk in the park.  She has learned not to lunge at others that like to walk in the park or their dogs.  We look forward to many wonderful years with her and possibly adopt more dogs.  Thank you GREAT for this opportunity!

~ Jennifer T.

CHASE...

Chase is working out perfectly.  He is so much like our previous golden that even our cat didn’t bat
an eye….Chase is well mannered and has created a bond… As you can see Cleo accepted Chase…Chase just smelled Cleo and walked right by. Amazing. Everyone is getting along. Perfect fit.

~ Rich & Kathy W.

“Sam is spectacular and growing at a surprising rate… Sam will now sit on command 99.9% of the time, come on command 90% of the time, and stay 50%.  He seems very smart, so smart that – he likes to drink from the spigot out side.  He has decided that he wants to turn it on himself and has gotten close… He has great fun with the boys before school each morning.  They run him so hard he is napping by 9.  Sam has found that doorstops are great fun to pounce on and growl back if hit just right.  The most interesting thing is that he finds TV captivating.  I have never seen a dog intentionally sit and watch TV as Sam does.” 

~ Paul T.

“Sulley is doing great he has adjusted well and is showing more personality each day. Jackson (our other dog) has accepted his presence and is tolerating him well. Sulley’s new playmate is the neighbor’s 80lb German Shepherd. The shepherd is very gentle with the puppy and Sulley gives it all, he has which makes for a good nights rest for us. He has grown to like his kennel and freely enter it to sleep during the day. This weekend we will be taking Sulley camping and anticipate him learning to swim, however this is up to him. My feeling however is we will have a harder time keeping him out of the water given he keeps crawling into our fountain and tipping over the water bowl. He has been a great addition to our family and a source of a lot of fun.”

~ Mike and Lesley S.

We adopted Tess on August 24, 2007. Tess and her sister, Maize were put up for adoption at the same time. We were originally looking to adopt another Labrador Retriever when we came across your web page. This was about the same time that Tess and Maize appeared on your available page. We fell in love with Tess from the photos that were posted. She was a little down for about a week or so after we brought her home, probably because she missed her sister. She is very happy now. Tess has been a very affectionate addition to our family and has adjusted well to us and her new Labrador brother, Trooper. She was a little over weight when she came home with us, but had lost about 8 pounds after going to Great Rescue and has lost about 7 pounds since she came home with us. She is more active now and is looking very trim. You can tell she came from owners that loved her very much. She is very well-mannered and very obedient. We feel very blessed and can say she is the best dog we have brought into our family. Thanks to Sheri and every one else at G.R.E.A.T. Rescue for what you do for these magnificent dogs!

~ Tom & Cheryl

"Here are some pictures of our Sunshine. She is now 48 pounds and full of life. We are so blessed to have her as a part of our family now. Thanks!"
 

"Hannah is just a wonderful dog!  She has grown into herself now and is about 80lbs.  She is very
active and keeps us busy!  She loves to run in the soccer park with my 3 kids and chase them and their soccer balls around.  We had her trained, so she is quite a well-behaved lady, which is a good thing since she is so big.  She also loves to go to the Jax Beach dog park and meet new friends.  We have a hard time getting her to leave.  And, of course, she loves the beach- jumping in the waves is her favorite thing to do.  Hannah has brought such joy into our house.  We are thrilled she became part of our family.  Thanks GREAT Rescue!"

"Nelson is a wonderful dog, loves his brother O.J., and now weight 70lbs, with lovely blond hair. His favorite thing is the world is water, and the only time he will be slow to come when called is when we are at the beach, and he doesn't want to leave...no matter how tired he is.  We are grateful for him every day!"

“An update on Jasmine….. Well, first of all we changed her name to Lucy. She is doing very well adjusting to her new life with us. Libby is learning her boundaries and has accepted Lucy as her little sis. At first Lucy was very quiet and reserved, but by the end of the evening she was defending her toys and playing tug-o-war with Libby. Today they played and napped together. She is doing great and getting lots of attention.” 

“Maddie is growing like a weed and LOVES the water!  She has her own little pool and will completely submerge herself in it.  She has definitely added excitement to this house!”

Luna is such a sweetheart and having so much fun.  She and her sisters Mellie (golden mix) and Tux (cat) and her brothers Sam (golden) and Tiger (cat) all play together and pile up and sleep together.  She has fit into our home so well.  There is nothing in her world she wants more than a belly rub, a day at doggy day camp, and a cuddle with Mommy or Daddy. 

"The Adventures of Riley” - Riley has been doing great since we got him. His favorite things include long walks, chasing lizards with Athena (our cat), and hanging out during Navy football games. He even has his own scarf which he wears on game day!  We look forward to many long years with him and hopefully adopting more dogs from GREAT!" 

"Old Gold IS the Best Gold"....We absolutely feel like WE are the  luckiest people ever to have made Lucky a part of our family.  It was so easy to have her move right in and already know just what to do...no training  necessary, and she made it so easy to love her from the first moment we met her.

She "talks" regularly, walks faster than I could ever imagine and this is a good thing for both my husband and myself....and loves not only Duke, the black Lab who has been with us for 6 years, but also all the neighbors and neighborhood dogs.  Finishing her heartworm treatment was easy and she seems quite healthy and happy. Let's hear it for the Seniors!!!
~ The White Family
 

Angel is such a wonderful girl – her name fits her so well! She is quite a clown and keeps us laughing at her antics. She really brightens our life and we love her so very much! We play ball, go for walks, have indoor games with her toys, and of course the hugs, smooches and tussling! She is a wonderful companion for John who is disabled and home all day, and when I get home it’s so great to be greeted with her enthusiasm. Thanks to G.R.E.A.T. we have an Angel with us…thank you so much for rescuing her!

 

Goliath (right) and Walter are both GREAT Goldens... AND cousins too! Goliath was turned over to GREAT by an older couple who realized he had more energy than they were prepared for in their retirement years. He soon found his new home with a young family that enjoys the outdoors, camping and going to the beach. Goliath loves attention, enthusiastically greets everyone he meets, and is always up for a good game of football out in the yard.

Goliath also enjoys spending time with his GREAT cousin, Walter. When not posing for the camera, these two handsome boys enjoy chasing lizards in the back yard and playing keep-away with their toys.


 

Mulligan is doing wonderfully! He is our first Golden and what a treat he is. Everyone that meets him says that he could be a show dog. This is how Mr. Mulligan cools off after a day of chasing squirrels (which always beat him to the tree). That is his very own float which he allows no one to get near. If you come near him, he actually splashes his paws in the water to keep you away. It is very funny. He is a "Great" success story and we feel very lucky to have become his forever home.

They really do love to be together.  And Spencer is just a mush-pot.  All he wants to do is cuddle and curl up at your feet!

As you can see, Chance now has the companionship of his 5lb Chihuahua sister "ZZ" who uses him as her own personal chaise lounge. Chance's new home also includes lots of land (for running and playing!), chickens (to steal eggs from!), and an older Lab brother (who likes to sample his food when he's not looking!). Chance is enjoying "the good life" with his new owners who adore his mischievous, Golden personality.


 

SANDY . . .

Sandy was a 1 1/2 yr old female Golden who was turned over to GREAT because of family allergies. They were heartbroken to give Sandy up, but knew GREAT would find her the best possible home. ... "Sandy is adjusting to the quiet home life," says her new owner. "The cats and her get along, nothing crazy, she will chase Lucy and Lucy will chase her but generally they all walk around each other. She really likes to greet people and dogs. During the week it is pretty much two walks in the morning. When I get home it is the same way. On the weekend we go to the dog park or a local park and we just went for the second time to the beach. She loves it. She really is all around really a good minder. She is always happy to see me. She is a great dog and I think she is sooo cute, and so does everyone else."