Many of you may ask why we are engaging in overseas rescue.  The reason is due to the lack of Golden Retrievers who need our help domestically.  COVID has changed most areas of our lives and the Goldens have been no exception.  With the dramatic increase in working from home, the commercial breeders now are selling the breeding dogs that are no longer productive to the general public.   The demand for puppies is at an all time high with prices surging since they are in demand.   People want puppies!  GRIN has a long list of approved adopters and have closed our applications due to lack of available dogs.   We are working through our list prior to reopening applications.  

We were involved in the rescue of Goldens who had “lost their Golden luster” in Turkey several years ago and brought many of the Goldens to safety.   Due to the change in import process and airlines, our resources to assist there became minimal.  The dogs had to fly as accompanied baggage and GRIN did not have the resources or people who were flying overseas to bring them back. An urgent need to help save the Goldens from the meat market trade in China became clear.   The internal structure was in place to assist with the immense amount of logistics and documentation needed to import the Goldens.  They are fully vetted in China to assure no diseases will be imported to the US.  They arrive as cargo at major international airports from China through China Dog Rescue, who has long standing relationships in China to rescue dogs.   GRIN works in conjunction with China Dog Rescue and Ragom, a large Golden rescue to bring them to the US.  China Dog Rescue has been key to our success and we are very grateful to be one of their partners.  

The Goldens we are saving are significantly healthier than the ones we rescue locally.  They are typically younger and without behavioral issues.  While we save on their vetting needs which are typically $1800 or more for a local rescue, the cargo costs are anywhere from $2500 - $3500 per dog. The cost for cargo has dramatically increased due to COVID and the massive amount of exporting China does.  To offset the costs is why you may have noticed an increase in our fundraising efforts.  We are so very grateful for your support of our mission.   We will never jeopardize our mission of saving any local Golden who needs us.  An important fact of our rescue is to note that we always are amenable to taking a senior or a dog with a disability.  Avalanche who is young and blind is a prime example. 

As we move into 2021, keep watching our website and FB pages to see what we’re doing to help Goldens who need us.   Please continue to help us in any way you can to continue our mission of rescuing our favorite breed, the Golden Retriever.  And, don’t forget, “Love Has No Borders”.