Make a Pledge by using the pdf form called "Pledge Form" above or click here and THANK YOU for helping us build our own facility!
Contact Us if you know someone who might be interested in making a significant contribution to this campaign. Email us at grrrinfo@gmail.com or call us at 303.279.2400. You can remain anonymous if you'd like.
Apply for a GRRR Visa Card and earn $50 for GRRR with your card activation, and a percentage of every purchase. Click here for details. Tell your friends and family to apply for, and use, the card too! There are 5 wonderful GRRR Golden images to choose from. This one is of Kendall, the "face" of our capital campaign. Click here to see the other images available.
Donate to the Campaign via Paypal here
"What are you waiting for? There are so many
of us that need to be rescued!"
Why Does GRRR Need A Facility?
The future of GRRR - and rescued Golden Retrievers - depends on it. Over 3,500 Goldens have come through GRRR’s program since 1996. The number of dogs rescued and re-homed each year has continuously grown to the point where GRRR now rescues and re-homes just under 400 dogs each year, and while our network of volunteers, donors and foster homes has enabled us to provide excellent medical care, training, hospice and foster care, physical constraints and strained capacity of volunteerism finds us stretched to the limit. With the demand for our services being greater than ever, we need our own facility to make sure the good work of GRRR continues forever.
GRRR has a remarkable foster family network, a few of which take “risk-prone” dogs right out of shelters or take care of dogs that need rehabilitation after medical procedures (paid for by GRRR with the help of a veterinarian discount). But, most of GRRR’s foster homes are only able to accommodate healthy, well-behaved rescues. The majority of the rest of these rescues are either very sick, injured, old (thus less adoptable), traumatized or have negative behavioral issues. Because those dogs are often not appropriate for our volunteer foster homes, they are most often placed in a nearby kennel (at a minimum cost of approx. $22K/year) where the training and help they need in order to be adoptable is often non-existent or delayed, which in turn delays their adoption (and increases kenneling costs and causes other complications, e.g., kennel cough, etc.). The Golden Retriever is the 2ndmost popular dog in America, and they are “people dogs” that need socialization to thrive, and in some cases, to survive, i.e., kenneling a Golden often makes the dog’s circumstance much worse. In extreme circumstances where there is nowhere else to put a rescued dog, GRRR’s president personally takes them in to her own home.
GRRR volunteers take care of grooming needs, exercise and interact with rescues, process donations, buy dog food and other supplies, buy and sell GRRR merchandise, thank each donor and provide tax documentation, maintain a current membership database, mail out quarterly newsletters and other materials including educational and training information, organize and conduct fundraising and special events, transport rescues for all necessary travel including medical appointments, conduct home visits and follow-up contacts, approve applicants and place our precious dogs in their forever homes. GRRR’s amazing volunteer network operates out of a 200 sq. ft., pre-fabricated building and (in addition to fostering) makes extensive use of volunteer homes. GRRR also rents an expanded parcel of land for events, and uses a small trailer to store and transport merchandise. Every aspect of GRRR’s operations is accomplished using these undersized and fragmented facilities. Every year since 1996, GRRR has grown in size and popularity so much so that its ability to help Goldens, at the level we want and that the dogs deserve, is being hindered by our lack of a suitably-sized, centralized location with appropriate facilities for daily operations.
GRRR is limited in terms of how it can afford to reach out to educate the public with lessons on how to treat companion animals as well as with its own lack of facilities to train those dogs it has in its possession (in order to transition those dogs to loving homes). With its own facility, GRRR’s ability to educate and train would be greatly enhanced … a result that would benefit society as well as GRRR. An uninformed public contributes to the number of unwanted pets in this country as well as the extent to which these animals are damaged, and in turn the extent to which their rehabilitation/placement impacts results and cost. With financial support for its own facility, GRRR is in an excellent position to do more to reduce these numbers and these impacts to society. GRRR is also in a position to collaborate with other animal rescue groups or other organizations that promote similar ideals, including offering GRRR’s facilities and cooperative operations.
The Vision
We imagine a “dream facility” with a senior living center, isolation for dogs just coming into GRRR from shelters, a rehabilitation area for dogs who have just undergone surgery, and an event center where we can hold fun events and training. We imagine a home for Goldens who desperately need to figure out how to live inside because they’ve always lived alone in a backyard. That steady stream of sweet Goldens that we know are on their way to us will have play areas and will finally know what it’s like to fetch, play tug-of-war and just have fun.
Our vision is not novel. Like GRRR, Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue (YGRR) in Hudson, Massachusetts also had a vision, and with lots of hard work, YGRR saw their vision become reality. In March of 2010, two of the CCC members visited YGRR and came away with practical advice on how to raise funds and move the GRRR project forward.
The Goal
To make the vision a reality, the CCC has determined that GRRR will need $1.2 million. This amount contemplates that the property may include some or all of the structures GRRR needs already on the property, or those structures will have to be built after the property is bought. The structure(s) and facilities will accommodate:
Caretaker Residence - Also Used for “Half-way House” To Socialize Dogs and Seniors & Isolation Areas
Adoptions & Surrenders
Grooming
Membership Events, Training & Education
Special Care for Medical Needs
Administrative Offices & Meetings
Storing & Displaying Merchandise
Supply Storage
Parking
GRRR intends to purchase the property outright (and we are confident we can raise the money to do this, avoiding a mortgage). Based on the research conducted to date, the property we purchase will need to be no less than 2.5 acres. GRRR has an annual operating budget of approximately $200,000 that yields approximately $60,000 in net annual cash flow (i.e., after all regular, non-property operating expenses are paid), which we believe is more than adequate for the added operating cost. This available cash flow does not take into consideration any cost savings realized from not having to pay a kennel, rent on space for events, etc.
GRRR is not depending on any particular organization or grant for the success of the initiative. All indications are that there are donors willing to step up. To date, the CCC has raised over $600,000 in pledges and donations.We have already received one very large pledge of $250,000, and some of our pledges are matching donation. Using the advice and help of professional fund-raising consultants, our plans to raise the remainder of the funds include approaching large potential donors within and outside our own very large GRRR community (which itself includes approximately 1,800 current members), along with potential corporate sponsors. We also plan to hold fundraising events specifically tailored to this initiative.
Thank you for your support of this very important mission.
Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies :: Phoebe's Place :: 15350 West 72nd Avenue :: Arvada, CO 80007 (303) 279-2400 GRRR is a registered 501c3 charitable organization
