ABOUT GRREAT

AUSTIN was about 6 months old when found hungry and wormy on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. He now enjoys playing with the horses, cats and visiting dogs which populate his new family's farm.

GRREAT is a non-profit. all volunteer staffed organization active in the Baltimore and Washington D.C. metropolitan areas. Our primary goal is to find qualified new homes for unwanted, stray or abandoned Golden Retrievers. We place approximately 300 Golden Retrievers each year through our foster care program.

The majority of our dogs are turned in to us by their previous owners, but we also work in conjunction with area shelters and local SPCAs. Each dog is placed into a volunteer foster home where the temperament, energy level and habits of the dog can be evaluated. This allows us the opportunity to select a home for each dog that meets its individual needs. The dogs we rescue are spayed or neutered, updated on vaccinations, tested for heartworm and intestinal parasites, and started on heartworm/intestinal worm preventative. The average stay in foster care is two weeks. We request a minimum donation at the time of adoption  to help defray our costs, based upon the age of the dog:

GRREAT rarely receives puppies under one year of age. however, many of our dogs are under five. Many times young dogs like these are given up because the owner was unprepared to live with a young Golden Retriever. Goldens are large, active dogs that often display puppy-like behavior until they are three or more years old.

We are able to continue this service due to the dedication and support of our volunteers. We are always in need of dog lovers who have an hour or more to spend helping a Golden Retriever. We have various needs, and depending on your skills or interests, you may choose to volunteer for a variety of tasks. The majority of our volunteers are not dog professionals, just dog-loving families who enjoy helping a furry friend. We also have opportunities which do not directly involve handling dogs.

The donation we request when a dog is adopted covers only a small part of our expenses. Your donation to GRREAT is tax-deductible. We can always use donated office supplies, crates, Nutro's Natural Choice dog. Another of GRREAT's goals is to educate the public about Golden Retrievers, the rewards of adopting an adult rescue dog, as well as general responsible dog ownership. We work with the Potomac Valley Golden Retriever Club's puppy referral service to assist families who prefer to adopt a puppy, and GRREAT has printed our own recommendations on how to select a responsible breeder. We often have information tables at local pet fairs, dog shows and pet supply stores. food, etc.

If you become a member of GRREAT you will receive our bimonthly newsletter. In the GRREAT News you will find information about dog training, nutrition, upcoming activities, stories about our rescued Goldens and other fun topics.

Here's a GRREAT Membership Application!