What is Rescue A Golden of Arizona? Rescue A Golden of Arizona, RAGofAZ, is a volunteer, non-profit, charitable [501 (c) (3)] organization which is dedicated to maintaining a rescue program for abandoned, mistreated or unwanted Golden Retrievers.
How long have you been in business? RAGofAZ was incorporated on October 15, 1998, with 15 members. Membership is now over 600, and we have rescued over 1600 Golden Retrievers.
What area do you cover? RAGofAZ rescue efforts are concentrated in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. However, we have an active group in Tucson, as well as members in northern Arizona areas and in Parker, Lake Havasu City, and Kingman, AZ. Most of our adoptive families are from within the Valley, but we have sent several Goldens out of state to new adoptive homes. One of our Rescue dogs was even flown to a new family in Alaska and one is now a resident of Hawaii!
How do people contact RAGofAZ? RAGofAZ has a Post Office box (P.O. Box 31894, Phoenix, AZ 85046-1894), a business phone (602- 404-WOOF [9663]), an e-mail address (ragofaz@golden-retriever.org ) and a website (www.golden-retriever.org).
How can I become a member? Membership is open to anyone desiring to support our rescue efforts. Membership dues are $25 per individual or $40 for a family and are good for one year. Membership application forms can be obtained by calling or e-mailing us or downloading one from the website. As a member, how can I help RAGofAZ? Members can help with any of the various committees: Intake, Foster Homes, Adoptions, Fundraising, Shelterwalking, Membership Recruiting and Publications. "Wish List" donations and financial contributions are tax-deductible and are gratefully accepted! If you are interested in volunteering, be sure to get a copy of our Volunteering for RAGofAZ brochure.
Other than "business", are there any activities? Members of RAGofAZ have done gift wrapping at Barnes & Noble Bookstores during the holidays.This is a fun and profitable event with many opportunities for public education. We have regularly participated in Scottsdale's Parada del Sol, the Glendale Firemen's Parade, the Phoenix St. Patrick's Day Parade & Irish Faire and in the 1999 Fiesta Bowl Parade. We have had educational booths at numerous all-breed dog shows, at AJ's Fine Foods, at the Paws In The Park event in Fountain Hills, and at the AZ Family Women's Expo and Big Boys & Their Toys events at the Phoenix Civic Plaza. We have also had information booths at the Flagstaff Kennel Club All-Breed Dog Show and at several different venues in Tucson, including the Sabha Home Show and the AZ Animal Fair. We host two major fundraisers each year: the Hearts of Gold Wine Tasting and Auction in the spring and the Golden Days of Summer Golf Tournament in the late summer. We also participate in Pets911 adopt-a-thons and in their annual Bowl-a-rama. In January, we have an annual members' (and dogs, of course!) potluck picnic and funday. We have sponsored special raffles to raise money to pay for the significant medical costs of several of our rescue dogs. We have appeared at Chase Field and US Airways Plaza. Some of our members have even been on TV!
How can I learn about what RAGofAZ is doing? Members receive a quarterly news magazine, interim news bulletins, regular e-mail messages, telephone calls, and meeting Minutes. Events and raffles and our Golden Shoppe items are featured on our website.
What groups or clubs is RAGofAZ associated with? We are members of CABRA (Coalition of All Breed Rescue Association). We also work closely with the Greater Scottsdale Golden Retriever Club. Some of our members are members of the Golden Retriever Club of America. We cooperate with Maricopa Animal Care and Control Services, Pima Animal Control, the Arizona Animal Welfare League and the Arizona Humane Society. Because of the Golden temperament, many of our Rescue dogs are used in hospitals for pet therapy. Many of our members also belong to the Companion Animal Association of Arizona and Therapy Dogs International.
Where do you get your Goldens? About 61% of the Goldens that we rescue come from private owner turn-ins; 21% are rescued from county shelters or from the Humane Society. Some have come to us through veterinary referrals, others from Good Samaritans who have found wandering dogs.
Why would anyone need to "rescue" a Golden Retriever? I thought everyone loved these dogs. There are numerous reasons why some Golden owners give up their dogs. The least common reason is that the dog has become aggressive, which is good, because RAGofAZ will not take an aggressive dog into Rescue. Some couples divorce and neither the husband nor wife wants to keep the dog. Relocation to a home where a dog cannot be kept is a common reason. Sometimes a family member will develop an allergy to dogs. Occasionally, when a new human member is added to a family, the parents find they do not have time to properly care for the dog. A dog may be given up because it is ill or has a medical condition that will be expensive to treat. We have also heard families say they think the dog is "too big", "too rambunctious", " too expensive to feed and maintain", "too hard to train", "it sheds too much", "it digs up my backyard when I leave it tied outside", "it gets nervous during thunderstorms", or just that "it's too old."
Are all rescued Goldens healthy? No, not all Goldens that RAGofAZ takes into Rescue are healthy. When first accepted by RAGofAZ, each dog is given a medical examination by a licensed veterinarian. If the dog's vaccines are due, or if the vaccine history is unknown, vaccines are given. If the Golden is not spayed or neutered already, this procedure is done. If the dog is ill with a treatable condition, medicine is provided by RAGofAZ. We do not usually do any blood testing except for valley fever and heartworm, unless the doctor feels such is warranted. Some Goldens we have taken into Rescue have valley fever. Since the medication for this treatable condition is expensive, we provide it for six months. Potential adoptive families are always told about any medical problem that is known about a Rescue dog.
Why are the dogs spayed or neutered? RAGofAZ believes that there are already too many homeless and unwanted dogs. We also believe that breeding of Golden Retrievers should be done only after careful evaluation of the dog's temperament, physique and genetic history; the vast majority of people who would adopt a dog from us just want a family pet. If a show dog or potential breeding dog is desired, RAGofAZ recommends going to a licensed, reputable breeder. In addition, it is better for the long-term health of the dog for it to be sterilized. Testicular and ovarian cancers are common causes of death in older, "intact" dogs.
Are Rescue dogs housebroken? Most Rescued Goldens are housebroken. However, sometimes a dog has been kept in the backyard for an extensive period. In such cases, some housetraining will probably be necessary. It is rare that puppies will be housebroken before they are 6 months old. Even a dog that has been housetrained may have "accidents" when placed in the unfamiliar environment of a new home.
How do you match dogs with potential adopters? Potential adopters must fill out an extensive questionnaire, which includes information about all family members, other pets, family habits, place of residence, and why they want to adopt a Golden Retriever. Each Rescue dog is placed in a foster home for a minimum of two weeks. The foster family evaluates the dog for temperament, behavior and idiosyncrasies, and determines, if they can, whether the dog gets along with other dogs, cats and children. Then, our Adoption Team very carefully matches what is known about the potential adopters with what is known about the rescued dog, so that we can place the dog in the very best possible, permanent, adoptive home.
Is there a fee to adopt a dog from RAGofAZ? RAGofAZ usually charges an adoption fee based upon the Golden's age. Pupppies up to 6 months of age are $375; dogs 6 months - 4 years of age are $325; dogs between 4 and 8 are $275; dogs over 8 are $175. The fee includes a one-year ($25) Individual membership in RAGofAZ; if the adopter desires a Family Membership, $15 will be added to the adoption fee.
Why does it cost so much to adopt a dog that someone else doesn't want? When RAGofAZ takes a Golden into Rescue, we incur some veterinary costs. Sometimes these costs are minimal, as when only a general physical is done. In other cases, we have significant medical expenses. What little money we might make on the adoption of one dog will go to offset the medical expenses of the next dog. Adoption fees by themselves will never cover all our expenses with rescued dogs. In 2004, the average cost to RAGofAZ to rescue a Golden was over $600.
Can I get a puppy through RAGofAZ? Although we have taken in several Goldens that were 3 months old or younger and have even taken in pregnant females, generally puppies are not given up to Rescue. The most common age we see coming into Rescue is the 4-8-year-old.
Won't I have trouble "bonding" with a dog that isn't a puppy? All we can say to this question is the majority of our foster families end up adopting the dog they foster, regardless of its age! Golden Retrievers are such loving, wonderful dogs that one of any age will steal your heart and become a member of your family within a very short time. In fact, families who have adopted senior Goldens rave about what incredible and mellow dogs they are and how quickly they just fit right in to the family routine.
Where can I go to see your rescued dogs? All of our Goldens are fostered in members' homes. We do not have a kennel or other boarding facility yet. All Goldens currently available for adoption can be viewed on our website (this feature is currently being updated, and is unavailable at this time). In addition, arrangements can be made through our Adoption Coordinator to meet with the family which is fostering a particular dog.
Rev. 1/03/06