OUR MISSION:

GRIN's mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome Golden Retrievers and Golden Retriever mixes in need. We are committed to helping dogs that come to our organization whether it is via shelters, puppy mills, breeder relinquishments, strays, or owner surrenders. Our rescue efforts focus on helping local dogs, but also international dogs when possible. We are a fully volunteer run organization that is dedicated to saving as many dogs as we can; where every dollar raised goes to ensuring our rescues have the medical care and training necessary to ultimately result in a successful adoption. We are a passionate group of dog lovers that strive to educate the community on responsible dog ownership & dog advocacy. 

GET TO KNOW GRIN:

Golden Retrievers in Need Rescue Service, Inc., also known as GRIN is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, incorporated in 1992 by a group of Golden Retriever enthusiasts who recognized the need to find good homes for the countless Golden Retrievers euthanized each year for lack of a loving home. Thirty years later we are proud to continue the work they began.

The number of unwanted Golden Retrievers and Golden Retriever mixes is staggering. These dogs come from local shelters, dog wardens, strays, owner relinquishments, and puppy mills or backyard breeders. At the forefront, GRIN’s focus is to rescue local dogs within our service area, but when there are resources and space to rescue internationally GRIN has stepped up to the challenge. To date GRIN has rescued Golden Retrievers from Turkey and China with the help of other partner rescues. A majority of our rescues are purebred Golden Retrievers, we get everything from senior dogs, to pregnant dogs, puppies that didn’t sell in time, and retired breeding dogs. We do also welcome dogs that are Golden Retriever mixes to our rescue, with a majority of these dogs being doodles (golden retriever, poodle mixes) due to their increasing demand and over breeding, these dogs are more and more prominent in rescue. There is an overwhelming amount of dogs that come to GRIN from puppy mills in Ohio, puppy mills/backyard breeders are dog breeders that place profits over the health and happiness of the dogs, these dogs are bred irresponsibly, a majority with health issues contributing to the overpopulation of unwanted dogs. Ohio has over 600 puppy mills, at GRIN not only are we devoted to saving dogs from these cruel places but also place importance on educating about puppy mills and backyard breeders. 

For three decades GRIN has been supported by a community of dog lovers who are also passionate about saving dogs that deserve a second chance. At the core of GRIN’s success is our foster homes, GRIN  doesn’t have a kennel or facility to house the dogs, all of our rescues are in foster homes. Without our foster homes we can not save dogs, so they are of the utmost importance to us and we are thankful for all of those who have answered the call for help. 

GRIN services counties in Northeast Ohio, Central Ohio and Western Pennsylvania, our service area is dependent on vet partners and volunteers. As these resources grow and expand, the service area has the potential to grow too, a closer look at this service area can be found in the map below. GRIN has a strong presence on social media where we keep our followers updated on the work that we do, currently we are on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, give us a like or a follow! 

Each year continues to bring challenges as there is an increasing demand for rescuing Golden Retrievers but the GRIN family is committed to being there to provide the love and care needed for each dog that has come into our care.  We continue to welcome dogs that in many cases require extensive medical care beyond the typical spay/neuter and vaccinations.  Additionally, a number of the dogs coming into our care have behavior issues, which require professional behaviorists and trainers to bring these dogs to their full potential and adoptability. 

On average GRIN spends over $1,400 per dog & to date GRIN has placed over 4,500 Goldens in their forever homes.  GRIN is proud of the work we do each year, both in caring for our GRIN dogs and in maintaining a top-quality rescue organization. We remain grateful to our loyal membership, volunteers and supporters who make all of this possible.