(An update from Hunter's wonderful foster family follows his Golden Angel story.)
Hello to all my special new friends at GRRR. I’m Hunter, the newest Golden to have the distinct privilege of becoming a GRRR Golden Angel for the newsletter. I know what you’re thinking, “Oh my, what a handsome, friendly looking fellow. What could possibly be wrong in his life that he would become a Golden Angel?” First of all, thank you for thinking I’m handsome (everybody does). I think it’s the charming Mohawk that runs from my nose up over my forehead and, of course, my beautiful red coat. But if you study my photo, you’ll notice there’s a certain sadness in my eyes. I’ve been through a lot in my short life of only 18 mos. There wasn’t much to smile about until I was saved by a Good Samaritan and brought to GRRR. There have been many wonderful new people in my life who have helped me along the way. GRRR says it’s not often that we receive true “rescues” and that most of the Goldens who come into GRRR have been loved and cared for…….but I’m an exception.
I found my way to GRRR through two wonderful people -- a groomer with a big heart and a wonderful foster family. I was in very bad shape when my owner abandoned me at my Good Samaritan’s grooming shop. I weighed only 42 lbs. when I should have weighed at least 65-70 lbs. I was emaciated and terrified of people. I had been physically abused and severely neglected. My owner was afraid she would be prosecuted if she took me to the Humane Society or a shelter, and the groomer realized she was my only hope. She took me under her wing and found a loving foster home for me.
My foster family worked very hard with me to try and get me to gain weight and be healthy. My stomach was so sensitive from poor diet that I had a hard time keeping food down. But the real challenge was my mental health. I didn’t trust anyone and hadn’t been socialized with people or other dogs. It was hard for them. They felll in love with me, but they already had three dogs, including a Golden they adopted from GRRR, and they realized that I needed more medical help than they could give me.
My wonderful foster mom, Lori, contacted GRRR. She knew that GRRR has all the resources to provide me with medical care, foster care and most importantly a well-screened and loving forever home. When I was brought to GRRR, Kristen and Alvaro took me in to be their special new foster. They had been wanting to help a Golden who need extra special care, and that was definitely me! I qualified in many ways. I’m very lucky Kristen and Alvaro are experienced Golden lovers who instinctively knew what I needed and how to help me.
I arrived at their home skinny and frail. They experimented with various foods until they found one I was able to tolerate. Dr. Carpenter placed me on medication for my seizures, and I even gained enough weight so that I could increase my seizure medicine to the right level for my new body size. Kristen even charted my seizures. This is when I started to realize what unconditional love is. Then they tackled my lack of social skills. I’m a fantastic fellow, I really am. It’s just that I was so lonely and unsocialized in the past that now I can get too joyful (they call it “over stimulated”) with all the new friends and activity. They helped me learn to control my exuberant greetings and also how to play nicely with other dogs and interact well with people. Whew, I had a lot to learn. I had never seen a ball before and still haven’t quite figured out what toys are for or what “fetch” means. In spite of all my challenges, Kristen and Alvaro saw the good in me and worked to bring it out.
After my health stabilized, it was time for me to move in with my new foster, Karen Martens. Karen has very special things to say about me. “Hunter is so trying to please me to make sure he is an okay dog. I just love him and my heart breaks because of what humans have put him through. I think he is happy to have found a place where he can be a dog and enjoy being LOVED. I think our heart and minds should follow that of a dog’s and enjoy life one day at a time. I know Hunter wakes up every morning with a SMILE. And I know I love him for that very reason... thank God for dogs and bringing them into our lives. Hunter is so special, and he is just one of the dogs that have gone unnoticed until now. We can see him in his true light giving hope to us all.”
There is no doubt Dr. Carpenter, Lori, Kristen, Alvaro, Karen and the many GRRR people I’ve met love me. Because of all of the GRRR volunteers and donors (all angels to me), the bad memories of my past life of neglect and abuse are slowly fading and being replaced by wonderful new experiences of love, help, comfort and safety. I feel very special and very grateful. I know that soon I will find my forever family. I’ll end my story with the biggest THANK YOU I can give you from the bottom of my toes to the tip of my adorable fuzzy Mohawk. You have truly made my life worth living.
All my love,
Hunter
Hunter Update
Zoryana & Kent Homchick
Hunter has settled in with his new foster family, going on two months now in his new surroundings. We have learned that with care and attention, a Golden like Hunter gives back multiple times the affection and pure happiness that dogs like him have to give. At almost two years old, Hunter thrives on his daily walk, helping his humans to tone up with a couple of brisk miles a day.
One of his highlights this summer was the arrival of a plastic "swimming hole" all to himself. He, like most Goldens, has "this thing" about water that, while unexplainable, makes for hours of unbridled fun. He would take his little pool over a dip in Jed Clampett's "cement pond" any day. At the end of a hectic day of aquatic gyrations that would make Ester Williams proud, Hunter is most likely to fall asleep with his paws and chin resting on the leg of his foster dad, curled up on the couch. This is a dog filled with love for life and the people who watch over him. As you may know from previous stories, Hunter has a history of seizures, the cause never fully known. But his new foster parents are pleased to say that we have not seen him have a seizure and he has not shown any signs of having had a seizure in over a month now. From all appearances, this is a normal, healthy, loving puppy that has a thirst for affection and doggy life. He's about to complete his 8 weeks of obedience school and he is getting a good grasp of his human commands. Commands like "feed me now" or "open the door for me" or it's "doggie pet time" get the attention of his humans. But seriously, he seems to be getting a grasp of "sit," "down," stay," and a few others. He is highly trainable, it is just a question of when he feels up to executing a given command. If the command suits his needs at the moment, he is glad to oblige his humans. If he is told to sit at doggy obedience school, he doesn’t seem to be able to make the connection, having what could be construed as a convenient doggy "senior moment". But at home, with food in his humans’ hands, he reacts as a dog would who possessed finely-honed discipline and manners. Hunter is a wonderful dog, intuitive, smart, responsive, manipulative and like most Goldens, a sponge for affection.
Because of all of your donations, Hunter is on his way to having a great life. One’s life should be so blessed so share it with this great boy. If you're interested in adopting Hunter, please see our website: www.goldenrescue.com.
