{"id":22333,"date":"2013-04-11T22:54:31","date_gmt":"2013-04-12T02:54:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/?p=22333"},"modified":"2013-04-11T22:54:32","modified_gmt":"2013-04-12T02:54:32","slug":"a-golden-mission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/2013\/04\/a-golden-mission\/","title":{"rendered":"A \u2018Golden\u2019 Mission"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Rescue group passionate about golden retrievers<\/p>\n

BY CATHY COTTRILL<\/p>\n

For a group of Southwest Florida dog lovers, it\u2019s all about the golden ones. Retrievers, that is.<\/p>\n

Four years ago, a group of golden retriever devotees banded together to start a rescue organization to save homeless goldens. Their efforts have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams, with 399 dogs rescued so far, a network of dozens of volunteers and a Facebook page that is followed by nearly 3,000 fans.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u00a0\u201cWe are so proud of our rescue and of the work we have done,\u201d said Alesia Mata of Naples, president of Golden Retriever Rescue of Southwest Florida. \u201cOur volunteers, our vets and our foster homes work so hard for these dogs. It is so rewarding to be able to help them have a second chance at life.\u201d<\/p>\n

GRRSWF is based in Lee and Collier counties, but serves Charlotte, Sarasota, DeSoto, Hendry, Glades, Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Orange and Polk counties as well. The organization is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit and relies on donations and fundraisers like its upcoming golf tournament in Lehigh Acres to help its dogs.<\/p>\n

The organization takes in homeless golden retrievers and golden mixes from shelters and from owners who can no longer keep them, and finds them new homes. Many dogs come to the rescue with medical problems, including heartworms or hip dysplasia, and require veterinary treatment before they can be adopted.<\/p>\n

Veterinary fees are the rescue\u2019s biggest expense, even with sizable discounts given by veterinarians including Pegah Gillette of Bonita\u2019s Angel Animal Hospital. It can cost from $300 to more than $1,000 to bring a dog into the rescue, once spaying\/neutering, microchipping and vaccinations are done. If a dog is heartworm positive, which is frequently the case with dogs from shelters, the cost can be even higher.<\/p>\n

The cost to adopt a dog from GRRSWF starts at $200 for mixes and goes up to $500 for young purebreds.<\/p>\n

Meet the rescuers<\/strong><\/p>\n

For GRRSWF President Alesia Mata of Naples and Vice President Dennis Guyitt of Bonita Springs, rescuing goldens is a labor of love.<\/p>\n

Guyitt is a professional photographer who has owned goldens for more 30 years. He and his wife, Kathy, currently have five dogs of their own.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are just too many dogs that need help,\u201d he said. \u201cThey will be put to sleep if good people don’t step forward and help them. The thought of that haunts me. I want to save them all and I know I can\u2019t personally, but through an organization like GRRSWF perhaps I can help others to help and thereby save more than would have been saved otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mata has had goldens for a decade and has been saving dogs for nearly that long.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love dogs and always have,\u201d she said. \u201cI was raised with dogs and feel they are a blessing in our lives and deserve the best.<\/p>\n

Guyitt and Mata agree on one thing: They are committed to saving as many golden retrievers as possible.<\/p>\n

Difficult cases<\/strong><\/p>\n

While some goldens come into rescue healthy, well-trained and ready for adoption, others face serious hurdles. Surgery for hip dysplasia and treatment for heartworms are two of the steepest costs for rescue dogs.<\/p>\n

Rescue officials look back with pride at several cases where dogs were rehabilitated despite the odds<\/p>\n

Mata shared the bittersweet saga of Ruby, a senior golden who was saved from a kill shelter and arrived at the rescue\u2019s vet on a stretcher because she was too weak to walk. Abandoned in the twilight of her life, Ruby had an invincible spirit that touched people\u2019s hearts. As her story unfolded, the rescue\u2019s Facebook fans heard about Ruby\u2019s efforts to walk again, cheered as she perked up after getting free acupuncture treatments, and rejoiced when she went to a loving foster home. Even though Ruby only lived for two more months, rescue officials believe they gave her the best two months of her life.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have no regrets with Ruby,\u201d said Guyitt.. \u201cWe took away her pain, gave her a home, and didn\u2019t care what it cost. We will do the same for any senior dog that we save.\u201d<\/p>\n

A memoriam on Facebook drew dozens of responses when Ruby died of kidney failure.<\/p>\n

Via Facebook, fans also followed the story of Brooke, a young dog who was abandoned by her owners and subsequently suffered a stroke that left her paralyzed. Via Facebook and ChipIn, the rescue raised thousands of dollars for Brooke\u2019s neurological workup and veterinary care. Fans cheered as the plucky dog rallied and regained her ability to walk. Many wept at the news that Brooke had found her forever home with a retired school teacher .<\/p>\n

For Guyitt, a dog named Hunter will never be forgotten.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe came to us as a frightened, injured owner-surrendered dog,\u201d said Guyitt. \u201cOn the day of his surrender, he escaped and ran terrified through the neighborhood, seriously injuring his paws. I’ll never forget that scared little boy with bandaged paws in my living room, refusing to move for two days. I had to pick him up and carry him outside to do his business. He was afraid of everything. The slightest sound caused panic.<\/p>\n

Guyitt credits his own dogs with helping Hunter in ways Guyitt and his wife could not.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got him to come out to our lanai where he saw my dogs enjoying the pool. He came over and tested the water and in no time he was in the pool with them and having the time of his life. They played with him and made him one of the gang. The shell was broken and he was suddenly a fun-loving puppy again,\u201d he said. \u201cHe was adopted by a wonderful couple and has never looked back. His is the story of what rescue is all about.\u201d<\/p>\n

And by the way, his new family renamed Hunter. His new name is Denny, in honor of the man who saved him.<\/p>\n

The future<\/strong><\/p>\n

The rescue will celebrate its fourth birthday with a \u201crescue reunion\u201d for volunteers, adopters and foster homes on May 4 in Charlotte County.<\/p>\n

As far as Mata is concerned, the organization\u2019s future is bright, with money being its biggest obstacle. That\u2019s why fundraisers such as the upcoming golf tournament in Lehigh Acres are vital to the group\u2019s success.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to continue rescuing as many as possible each year\u00a0and getting them into loving forever homes,\u201d said Mata.\u00a0\u201cI also hope for a great public\u00a0awareness\u00a0of the importance of heartworm preventative and regular vaccinations through GRRSWF.\u201d<\/p>\n

Guyitt hopes spreading the word will get more people in Southwest Florida to open up their hearts and homes to needy goldens.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also hope we can find more generous souls to help underwrite the costs of caring for the dogs that come through our organization,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is a never-ending struggle to find the resources to keep our efforts going.\u201d<\/p>\n

The group\u2019s greatest need is for donations and volunteers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have offices, or facilities where we can board and keep our intakes,\u201d said Guyitt. \u201cWe have to rely on foster homes to nurture and care for our dogs during medical treatments and until forever homes can be found. Without them, we simply can\u2019t take in all the dogs who need our help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Benefit event<\/strong><\/p>\n

The third annual golf tournament benefitting GRRSWF will be held at the Mirror Lakes Golf Course in Lehigh Acres on Saturday, April 13. The Suzanne Hewitt Memorial Golf Tournament honors a rescue volunteer who gave an enormous amount of her time and talents to rescuing golden retrievers.<\/p>\n

The event will tee off at 8:30 a.m. at the Mirror Lakes Golf Course, 670 Milwaukee Blvd., Lehigh Acres. Reservations can be made by calling 369-1322. The event includes cash prizes, hot dogs and hamburgers, raffles and door prizes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe thank the Mirror Lakes Golf Course for holding this great event that honors Suzanne Hewitt, one of our most dedicated volunteers. She had an incredible passion for golden retrievers,\u201d said Mark Dahlberg, a GRRSWFL board member and owner of three golden retrievers. \u201cThis is a fundraiser for our rescue which not only rescues goldens and golden mixes, it provides veterinary care for sick, abused and abandoned dogs. This is a large expense and the golf tournament will help us care for them and find forever homes for them.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThis rescue meant everything to Sue,\u201d said her husband Bob Hewitt, of Lehigh Acres, who helped organize the first two tournaments when his wife was still living. \u201cShe lived and breathed it every minute of the time from when we formed it until she was stricken with cancer. She was all about the dogs. They came first in her order of priority.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even when she was no longer able to play golf, Suzanne Hewitt still hoped to have another tournament to benefit the dogs, her husband said. \u201cCombining two of the things she loved best \u2014 GRRSWF and golf \u2014 was Sue\u2019s greatest pleasure. For this tournament to be in her memory makes me very proud \u2014 proud to be a member of such a wonderful organization, and proud to have known and loved Suzanne,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

How to help<\/strong><\/p>\n