Golden Retriever Club of Greater Los Angeles Rescue: Senior Pet Adoption Assistance Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
The Senior Pet Adoption Assistance Grant from the Petfinder Foundation allowed us to reimburse the adopter for the application and adoption fees ($325) as well as two months of medications and prescription diet food ($675) for the senior rescue golden in our care. This grant allowed us to adopt out this senior who may not have been adopted and would have to remain in boarding. The grant offered a new lease on life for a lovely senior golden.
How many pets did this grant help?
One
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
Rosie is a sweet senior, cream-colored golden retriever. Rosie’s owner had been in a rehab facility for a year. The tenant who lived in the garage ADU at the back of the property was “watching” Rosie during this time. Then the house faced foreclosure, requiring the tenant to move at once the following day. This started a hotline call to our rescue in June, and we answered the call by rescuing Rosie from this very neglectful situation.
Our first impressions of Rosie were not good. She was over 12 years old, clinically obese, could hardly walk, and her rear end had patches of fecal matter. The backyard had dozens of piles of poop everywhere. We took Rosie in and got her cleaned up, examined, and x-rayed. Numerous blood markers were out of range, her blood pressure was high, and she had spondylosis and nerve pressure on her back. But her personality was all sweet, despite obvious neglect.
On her intake, she would take a few steps and then turn back. But on successive days she occasionally crossed the parking lot to pee and poop, although she would usually only walk a few yards to the small yard and plop down in the shade. We started her on prescription diet food, but without exercise she would not lose weight, which she desperately needed to do. Rosie received prescriptions for thyroid medicine, pain relief, joint supplements, and blood-pressure medication.
Although there was no interest from the community in adopting this sweet and loving senior girl, we were incredibly grateful to receive the Senior Pet Adoption Assistance Grant from the Petfinder Foundation, which helped support Rosie’s adoption. After we received this grant, an adopter came along who had adopted from our rescue in the past and had three goldens. The adopter took Rosie home at once and continues to provide the exceptional care that Rosie needs to live her best life.
Upon adoption, not only did Rosie continue to receive healthy food and her medications, she was also getting tons of love and companionship from her new siblings. The adopter coaxed Rosie across her quiet street to a little park and, little by little, Rosie walked farther each day. Recently Rosie took her first walk around the block! Rosie has lost over 10 pounds with her new dog mom. She loves her new siblings and she will never be neglected or lonely again. Rosie was also voted to be the cover girl of our holiday card this year!
Rosie’s new owner says, “I thought that my life was already full with my rescue pups that I currently have. Then along came Rosie. With her sweetness and love for life, she now completes my pack. Her favorite pastime is going to the park and chilling under the trees, greeting fellow pups and humans and taking slow strolls along the path.
“She has lost a little over ten pounds in three months and has about 20 more to go. Slowly but surely, she will reach her goal weight (60 pounds) with a healthy diet and exercise. She was neglected for more than a year, but now she is with her new family 24/7 and will never be alone. My sweet angel was meant to be in my life. My heart is full. Rosie is the most amazing, loving dog. She is a true gift in my life.”
