Sad, but hopeful, news

This email came from Karen Orr, the President of Foothills Golden Retriever Rescue, yesterday. Scott and I have talked about it, and if they need us, we're going to open our home to foster for however long they need us. Our fostering experiences have been very positive. I have had three now, I think, with Splash being the one I kept the longest. She was here for a month, last summer (at the old house). I told Scott, when I forwarded this email to him, that I would like to offer to transport, bathe, offer financial support, etc. But I didn't think he would be too excited about fostering. Bless his heart, he said, "if they need us to foster, then we should". So, I have let her know that we are available if needed. That man never ceases to surprise me. I think I grabbed myself a keeper, for sure.

Foothills Golden Retriever Rescue has a website, www.fhgrr.com .

This is a very sad situation, folks, so get the Kleenex ready, as I did, when I read the email.

Over the weekend, 25 goldens were found in awful conditions at a grooming business north of Asheville, NC. Six of the dogs were dead in crates and one died in-route to the shelter. The owner was arrested and jailed. The dogs were her personal dogs, many with impressive pedigrees. There are currently 18 goldens in protective custody at the shelter and receiving much needed health care. As we are the closest recognized golden rescue, FHGRR has contacted the shelter director, DA and animal control office and offered our assistance. The shelter is currently reviewing our documentation and accreditation while they complete all court requirements for gathering evidence. As the owner has relinquished ownership in an effort to reduce criminal charges, there is a good chance that these goldens will be released to FHGRR in the near future.

If that happens, we will need help, ad we will need it fast! Our biggest need will be emergency foster homes. Also needed will be transportation volunteers, dog washers & groomers, holders for tattooing and scribes or paperwork volunteers (as dog information will have to be recorded and membership and foster home contracts collected). If we intake these dogs, we will also need financial assistance and donations of food, toys and equipment.

All of these plans are tentative at this time, but, as in the past, when it breaks loose, it happens fast. If you are available to help in any of the above mentioned areas, please contact me at [email protected] so that I may compile an email list of volunteers to contact. At this time FHGRR has a list of approved applicants that are waiting on dogs and many other rescue groups have offered to take the "overflow", so I do not think that it will be a long term fostering commitment, maybe on a few nights. Many volunteers indicate that they are available in case of a Life-or-Death emergency, and this is it. Time to roll up your sleeves.

:mad: :mad: what is wrong with people???

Logan,
how wonderful of you to want to help--this is a sad situation indeed.
Keep us updated--I hope all of these precious goldens are saved and placed into loving homes.

The first of NC Golden Refugees will be released to FHGRR on Thursday
May 8. These were the ones at the home and removed by a friend before
police intervention and are not as "bad" as the ones at the business.
The release of the 18 survivors confiscated from the business and still
at the shetler has not been set. I have sent a private email to the
folks that offered "physically" help with the dogs and gave them a list
of volunteer tasks. One of the things that I'm asking is that we create
at "team" of helpers for each dog, so that the single foster home is not
overwhelmed. I would like to add more people in this role. Please
consider and email if you can help for a few hours.

And secondly, these dogs, as well as the 18 still at the shelter are
going to need alot of expensive rehabilitation and vet care. I did not
reply to any of the prevous offers of donations becuase I was not sure
that the dogs would be in our hands. For anyone that would like to make
a donation for their care, it can be sent to NC Golden Refugees Fund,
FHGRR, PO Box 9077, Greenville, SC 29604.

The Haywood County shelter also deserves donations for their care and
those can be mailed to: Care for Seized Golden Retrievers, Hayood
County Animal Sheleter, 245 Hemlock St., Waynesville, NC 28786

permission to cross-post

Karen Orr

You don't know how much this breaks my heart. Why??

Thank you so much for volunteering to save lives again!! You are their angel, their chance for life.

Good luck to these poor furbabies!

OK folks, HERE IT COMES.

You are receiving this email because you responded to an earlier post and offered to assist with the current emergency. Here is the first email and the first influx of dogs. Read carefully and let me know how you can help.

I need foster homes, people that can help relieve those homes for a few hours and assist with the care of those dogs, and help with handling the dogs in transit tomorrow.

On Thursday May 8, FHGRR will bring in 5 of the dogs that were taken from the home of the owner before her arrest. These dogs were removed by a friend before the police arrived and are in "much" better shape than the ones that were at the business. All of the five are in bad shape as far as grooming and hygiene, but are not extremely skinny. All are extremely food aggressive because they were some that survived where others did not in the same situation. They were removed from a house with 6" to 8" of excrement in all areas and have lost all natural inhibitions to relieving themselves anywhere and everywhere. Once they
were show dogs with bright futures and well trained. Now, they are not. These dogs have problems and fostering them will be a challenge. Not that I want to scare you, but I want heads as well as hearts operating.

I need the following:

1. Someone that can ride with me, leaving Greenville at 6am and returning at 7pm. We are picking up the dogs from the friends house in Clayton GA, carrying them to the spay/neuter clinic in Asheville, having them "processed" and then bringing them
back home to my house in Easley.

2. Scribe/paperwork person to coordinate paperwork, at my house at 6:30pm. To make sure all incoming dogs have paperwork copies on file with rescue and a set sent to foster homes and all foster homes have a current membership and foster contract.

3. Donations of food, grooming supplies and leashes, equipment and $$$$.

Equipment can be delivered to:
FHGRR, c/o Karen Orr, 478 Pistol Club Rd., Easley, SC 29640.

Money donations (tax deductible) can be sent to FHGRR,
PO Box 9077, Greenville, SC 29604.

4. I need five foster home volunteers that can pick up a dog from my house at 8pm Thursday evening.

5. I need backup people, such as groomers and dog walkers that can assist each foster home. Fostering is going to be a big commitment and an "afternoon off" once or twice a week is needed. Also, help with a
bath and basic grooming is going to be extremely helpful.
Here are the dogs coming in tomorrow - all will be neutered and vetted in Asheville before coming back to
my house. Remember, there are 18 more at the shelter.

1. Oak - 2 yo male, already neutered.
2. Drifter - was owner's favorite - top male, most food aggressive - intact male - born 4/96.
3. Zack - 2nd top male - born 7/94
4. Shadow - male - will be 7 in July
5. Cassie - female - will be 7 in June - is not eating well, probably bad teeth, has appointment in Simpsonville at 2pm on Friday with vet for dental exam.



I have consulted with the Cat Perry at Dog Trainer's Workshop for some general guidelines in dealing with the problems. Cat recommends the following:

These dogs have been operating as a pack and have exhibited some basic pack behaviors over territory and food. They need to be separated from the pack mentality. They do not need to be coddled and pitied, and bullying and food/toy protection should not be tolerated. However, the FOSTER HOME should do as
much to control the environment and not allow the dogs to be put in a situation where they feel threatened or the need to protect.

1. Create a very nice and comfortable area for the dogs to settle as "their own", such as a crate or exercise pen.
2. Feed them in their pen.
3. Spend quality time with them without other dogs around, do not force them to mix with your dogs in
your house.

Some tips on training simple things - from me. Use as much positive reinforcement as possible. They
were once very well trained and need to be "reminded". Again, no coddling, but try not to put them in a
situation where they will "fail".
3. Use very simple rewards, and reward each behavior. Eliminate outside - "what a good dog, have a
cookie", let me cut one toenail - session over - "good dog, have a cookie", go in your crate - "have two
cookies".


Karen

I'm scared. I want to do the right thing and help, but we have lots of "skin people" , dogs and cats to be concerned with. Here is the email I received in regards to our fostering:

Ooops!! That didn't come out in the order I intended!!! :o

Well now, either they are extremely food aggressive/possessive or they are just being very cautious by putting out an extreme warning. I don't blame you for being worried. There are too many in your household to consider. Maybe you could help in another way? Then, if there is one that is more laid-back, you could consider fostering that one.

I doubt I could offer a good foster home for any of these poor, older/pack dogs with the 7 I already have but I will send a donation and can try to help with any transportation needed along the mid-Atlantic. I don't mind long drives. My pick-up truck wouldn't be very good for this but I can get a good deal on rental cars from right up the street. My dogs adore pups and get along well with most other dogs that are even somewhat social. Let me know if you need me.
Laurie

Logan,

You are truly amazing. Wish I was closer ......

Logan...what you do is really amazing..Your a great person:) :D

We had a similar situation in our area several years ago, a breeder/trainer let her dogs (who were also Goldens) get in the exact type of predicament. Many were dead or very near death but quite a few were saved through the type of intervention offered here. The Animal House Veterinary Hospital provided much needed medical services for several of the dogs.

Karen Orr is amazing. What organizational skills and how desparately they will be needed in this situation. I like the idea of a *team approach* for each dog. One thing I wonder about though is the neutering at a time when these dogs are in such bad shape. I would think that would be one thing that could wait until they had regained their health.

Logan, you are a jewel. Any help you provide will be appreciated and of benefit in this situation. Just don't put yourself in a situation that is more than you are able to handle. (I speak here both for your mother and myself.) ;)

Thanks, everyone, for your kind words. We just feel the need to do something, and whatever happens, we just want these Golden beauties to be ok.

I believe that in this situation, the word "owner" is not a good one. I can't understand, for the life of me, how something like this can happen, and no one notices! I'm sure we'll get more details as the story unfolds, but it sure sounds horrible right now.

They are picking up the 5 dogs in Georgia this morning that were in the woman's home. The details of this woman's home are horrifying, as you know if you read my earlier post. We will not be fostering any of the five because they are apparently all quite aggressive, and understandably so, after what they have been through. As much as we want to help, we have to be careful for the sake of our own dogs, who are all so gentle. Believe it or not, Murphy is our most aggressive!!! She loves to eat. But they will find a fit for us. Apparently there are puppies too!

Anyway, if you like, I will keep you posted on how things go. I noticed they haven't even had time to update the website yet with all of this happening so fast.

Logan

You will find a way to help. Fostering the aggressive ones is not the way to go. Someone with the time and special training need to work with those poor guys. :(

Please keep us updated!!! Prayers are with them!

Here are a couple of links to updated information. We are not getting one of these dogs to foster, as she was able to fill the slots with much more experienced foster teams. We'll be on standby for any others they might take in during normal business. If you read to the bottom of these links, you will see the sex, weight and age of these dogs. The "heaviest" one was 38 pounds. Based on the article in the newspaper (there is a link to it in links I posted, they had probably not been fed in a long time). This is the saddest, but most hopeful thing I have seen in a long time.

http://www.dogstuff.com/cruel.htm

http://www.fhgrr.com/NCgoldens1.html

There are no words...... :( :( :(