January: Shiloh

In early November 2019 Shiloh arrived from Mexico. He had been found, abandoned in an old brick factory. Shiloh had a fracture injury to his right front paw, infection had set in and so the lower portion of his right front leg had to be amputated.

Shiloh’s arrival was just a few weeks after my sweet golden boy Murphy had gone to the Rainbow Bridge. I had not been without at least one golden in my life since 1981, so Shiloh began to fill that empty space in my home and heart.

Shiloh fit right in with my other 2 dogs and 3 cats, which was a huge relief. Unfortunately, his surgical site was infected, but with daily treatments it is now all healed. He has loads of toys and stuffed animals to entertain him and he loves when people come to visit, he gets so excited.

I have fostered several hundred dogs over the past 25 years and he has tested me in areas I didn’t know existed. He has separation anxiety and he is still adjusting to his new physical disability. I know in time his past will be just that, his past. He is showered with love and plenty to eat and every day I keep reassuring him he will never be abandoned or hungry again. My heart breaks when I think of how frightened he must have been, before he was rescued.

RAG of AZ thank you for bringing sweet Shiloh into my life.

February: Sophie

By a miraculous twist of fate, my destiny changed from breeder of puppies to RAGofAZ calendar girl. WHEW! How’s that for a miracle? Now life is such fun. Who knew?

My favorite trick is barking with a big ball in my mouth. Dad calls it my muffler. I sleep in bed with Mom and Dad and spend lots of time as a lap dog.

I have two big Golden brothers. Morgan mostly ignores me and tries to stay out of my way when I am feeling feisty, so I don't knock him down.

However, every dog has a purpose. Jake is the reason I am here. He desperately needed someone to play with since the loss of his companion several years ago. We have such fun frolicking around with lips curled, teeth bared, and growling, but we don't mean it. Jake is 13-years-old, and I am only two years old, so I try not to get too rough.

Paying it forward as an ambassadog at RAGofAZ events to help rescue other Goldens is my favorite activity. Woofs and tail wags to everyone who saved me from a hard life and helped me fulfill my purpose.

March: Rosie

Rosie was rescued from Turkey where she was kept in a cage and was used as a breeding dog. When she arrived in the US she was skin and bones. She was taken to her initial vet appointment at Crossroads Veterinary Hospital, where the vet told us that she had multiple litters of puppies and was approximately two years old.

She also pointed out how Rosie’s skin was black from malnutrition. She was also very scared of everything and would hide in my bedroom between the bed and night stand.

Rosie has come a long way with the help of her two brothers, Baxter and Tucker. Rosie and Tucker, another Turkey rescue, play all the time. Baxter is her big brother who makes sure Tucker does not get too rough with her. Rosie has also put on weight and her skin is now pink as it should be. She is very happy and no longer hides in the bedroom.

April: Sedona

Sweet Sunny was my first RAG of AZ Golden and she was a Therapy Dog at the VAMC.  When Sunny died of cancer of the spine, Anne Marie Hoff, our Animal Communicator, promised that Sunny would come back to me.

Seventeen months later, Sedona, age 17 months, was rescued from a back-yard breeding situation.  She was born the same month that Sweet Sunny went to the Rainbow Bridge.  I spokewith Anne Marie, reminding her of her promise that Sweet Sunny would come back to me.  Anne Marie said “She has”.

My Sedona is “Sweet Sunny Reincarnated”, with the same loving Golden personality and disposition.  Sedona is also a Therapy Dog, registered with Therapy Dogs International and AKC Therapy.  Shealso has her AKC Canine Good Citizenship award.  She has visited the same two Nursing Homes for overten years, and everyone knows and loves Sedona.  When not working Sedona enjoys walks, her frizbee,and “Pup Cups” from Starbucks. Sedona is the perfect Golden, with no faults, and withouta doubt the “Love of my Life”.

May: McCain

McCain is named for our late Arizona Senator and war hero, John S. McCain. He loves people, other dogs, cats, tennis balls, crinkly plastic bottles, and stuffed toys.

McCain’s hobbies include agility class, puppy kindergarten, retrieving, playing in the water and walks. He aspires to be an ambassador for the Golden Retriever breed. He hopes to follow in the paw prints of his big sister, Greta, who accompanies her Mom on home visits for Rescue A Golden of Arizona.

McCain lives in Phoenix and Flagstaff with his two canine sisters, Greta and Teva, and his four feline siblings, Keegan, Palau, Fiji, and Dominica, all rescues, and his loving parents.

June: Tripp

Shortly after Tripp’s mother and her litter were surrendered to Rescue a Golden of Arizona, they came to the veterinary hospital I work for. Tripp plopped right next to me and rolledover for a belly rub. I instantly fell in love. The mother and pups were brought in for concerns of a possible neurological disorder.

As it turns out,though, momma and her pups have congenital eye issues and they are visually impaired.

It’s been a rough start for them. Tripp and his siblings also became ill with Parvo. They were very sick and hospitalized for 5 days. They are fighters!

Aside from it taking a while to put on weight, you wouldn’t know he had been sick. Not being able to see well doesn’t seem to bother him either. He loves wrestling with his housemates, Willow and Wyatt.

He also loves nothing more than pigging out at mealtimes, carrying around any socks he finds lying on the floor, bellyrubs, nap time and swimming.  He has such a sweet, docile temperament and has been the perfect addition to our family.

We are grateful for Rescue a Golden of Arizona!

July: Sunny

We adopted Sunny June of 2019, following the loss of our 6 year old Golden Retriever, Dodger Blue Boy, to brain cancer. At the time, we had our senior Golden, Shelby and felt she may like a companion.

Sunny came to us from Guadalajara, Mexico. He is one of the sweetest dogs and just fits right in with our family. As a result of being a stray and living on the streets, Sunny needed a lot of dental work which included two root canals and 15 teeth pulled! Sunny underwent two surgeries in a matter of weeks. The amazing volunteer staff coordinated all of Sunny's veterinary care and Rescue A Golden of Arizona paid for all of Sunny’s care which was in the thousands!

Sunny loves going for his daily walks and laying in the sun. He gets playful running all around the house, but spends most of his day relaxing.  We suddenly lost our Shelby on 08/20/2019. We miss Shelby every day, but having the love of a Golden such as Sunny eases our grief.

We are thankful to all of the staff at Rescue A Golden of Arizona and are so happy Sunny is part of our family.

August: Barkley

As long-time Suns fans, we named Barkley after Sir Charles and fondly refer to him as “Bark!” 

Over the past 30 years, Barkley is the second of our three golden retrievers. And, like our first golden, Barkley is a rescue dog. Thanks to RAGofAZ he came into our life in August of 2009.

While we had no real understanding of his background, it was pretty apparent from the first day that Barkley had been well cared for. He was loving and very well trained. He also has the innate ability to understand what we are thinking.

Barkley is a living example of the saying; “we don’t rescue a pet, the pet rescues us.” From the day that we brought him home, Bark has gone everywhere with us; from family trips and dining out, to the smallest of errands. His favorite activity may actually be going on golf cart rides and sitting shotgun. He will do anything to be by our side, and we will do anything to have him by ours.

At 13.5 years old, Barkley is settling into the elder statesman role, providing a great example for our golden puppy. Barkley is the consummate gentleman and such an important part of our family. We didn’t know what we were missing before he came into our lives and we are beyond grateful that RAG of AZ blessed us with him.

September: Abby

Meet the Abbster! Abby is an eight year old rescue, a sweet Golden mixed with Border Collie. She’s my “wild child.” A retriever and a herder. And small at 39 pounds.

She’s my buddy, my walking partner. We easily do a few miles in our neighborhood plus we’ve done mountain hikes. My daughter-in-law “borrows” her occasionally to “take a hike”!

Her vet records seem to indicate she was abused or rehomed numerous times. Why?

Abbs is very protective of me, her home and those she is comfortable with. I call her my “barking beauty,” as she lies at the front window and watches her world go by. My kids think this is great, since she is “on alert.” But on a walk…she’ll “size you up” and continue on or lie down, expecting a belly rub!

Once a huge boxer burst from his gate and attacked her. She fought back, protecting me! I knew not to come between them. As I’m yelling, a neighbor came out and we chased the bully back to his yard. Abby had three bites on her tummy. What if I had my young grandson with me??

She puts her toys away at day’s end, likes kitties, isn’t fond of the rain but will sit out on the patio, soaking up the sun!

Abby sleeps on Charlene, a large stuffed dog, is not a bed sleeper but will hop up in the early hours for snuggles.

As Paul Harvey was known to say ~ “Now you know the rest of the story!” of my Abby.

October: Buddy

This is Buddy B Dawg! We got Buddy at 6 months old from northern Arizona. He had only been around other dogs and the breeder. So bringing him home we had a lot of work to do on socializing. He was very shy around people.

We got him into training and we bring him everywhere! He is quite the socialite now! Buddy is smart, adventurous, an avid swimmer, and loves to run in the park.

So how are we involved in Rescue A Golden? After our beloved golden Daisy passed away with cancer at 10 1/2 years old, we knew we wanted to honor her and this great breed. We love volunteering for Rescue A Golden! It has helped mend our hearts.

November: Isabella

On September 10, 2008, I was born in Scottsdale, Arizona along with my sister and seven brothers and, shortly thereafter, we were all surrendered to RAGofAZ.

In November I left my foster family in Scottsdale and went to my forever home in Tucson.  After adjusting to my new pack I went to work for RAGofAZ.  I helped other goldens by donating blood and filling my vest pockets with money by gift wrapping, playing in front of PetsMart and doing what I do best--LOOKING CUTE.

We lived in Tucson when I was a puppy and spent our summers on Cape Cod where I played in the grass and explored the beach and the ocean, making the long car ride back home to the southwest each fall.

Just before my third birthday, we made our last ride northeast and over the bridge to Cape Cod to live forever in our beach house.

I’m getting whiter now.  The chipmunks are no longer so easy to catch and running on the beach is now a fond memory.  I do have a few health problems but everyday I’m lucky enough to wake up to hear the seagulls and smell the ocean.  We have all retired now and are taking it easy but, I am still doing what I do best--LOOKING CUTE.

December: Ripley

Ripley was born on May 6, 2019. Ripley and his big brother Ollie were the only survivors from a litter of ten pups. Toby and I had the pleasure of fostering Mom, Ginger and her two boys. Ginger was a loving mom and gave her all to her boys! It didn’t take long before we realized Ripley was born blind and also had some neurological issues.

Toby and I decided since Rip was learning our house/yard in amazing speed, we needed to keep him with our family of three cats, 17 year old Ladybug and 9 year old Spirit.

Spirit loved Ripley, she was his “seeing eye” dog, he followed her everywhere and they played non-stop.

We lost our precious Spirit suddenly in January, a shock to us all. Despite Spirit’s loss, Ripley was enjoying life. Grumpy Ladybug seemed to tolerate him more and even the cats allowed more Ripley tormenting. Off to puppy school, where he did very well, in fact he was the only pup out of seven that received his AKC Canine Good Citizen Award!

Most people will think he can see by the way he gets  around with his nose, ears and mouth, but when they see him run like a Gazelle, they always chuckle…..he’s quite the character. In honor of his best friend Spirit he will become a wonderful RAG ambassa-dog. Thank you RAGofAZ for saving this precious pup and  allowing us the honor of caring and loving this very special boy!

Oldest Golden: Lola

HI THERE, WANNA PLAY?!?! That’s how Lola (Toffee) greets everyone and that’s how she greeted us the very first time we met her back in September of 2007.

Lola came to Arizona with a group of other Goldens from Oklahoma, looking for a fresh start and we were looking for a confident girl to help our other RAGofAZ rescue, Coop (Sedona) come out of his shell.

She was definitely up for the job, she taught our boy everything he needed to know and then some!

Lola has been a wonderful addition to our family. She endears herself to everyone she meets with her effervescent personality and she is always up for a game of fetch and a swim - even better when she can do both at the same time!  She is strong willed and powers through any potential setback like Valley Fever and a ruptured ACL, coming back stronger than before.

We have learned patience and an appreciation for the small moments from her. Lola turns 15 this year and we cherish every day we continue to have with her as part of our family.

Oldest Golden: Honey

Honey came to us as Sasha at 2 years old. She'll be 15 in October. She had been adopted out twice and returned before we got her.

She had separation anxiety and chewed through 2 door casings, chewed door knobs etc.

Was not socialized. We went to some training for aggressive/fearful dogs off and on for about 3 years. Did some obedience and rally classes. Then at about 7 we found agility! She blossomed. Got her first championship at 11 1/2 and the second at 12 1/2.

She's a great hiking buddy, loves to swim. After our boy golden, also a RAG dog, Gamer died she became Daddy's girl. Daddy says she's 14 going on 2.

She's still playful, loves walks, and will still do a perfect agility course! We are so glad we got her, she's our baby girl. Tiny Za Za Za