Adopted 4/19/14!!!
4/6/14 Update from foster dad - Charlie is adapting perfectly. Just a short time into the "foster period," neither Lauren nor I can understand why someone hasn't snatched up this awesome dog sooner. The shelter staff kept telling us that he was their favorite, and we understand why! While he was a bit reluctant to get into the car, he settled in nicely for the 1.5 hour ride home and seemed mostly concerned with being able to snuggle with Lauren and lick her face as much as possible. As soon as we got home we took him on a long walk in our neighborhood. Charlie made fast friends with two pit bulls, a fellow Golden Retriever, and several pint-sized neighborhood dogs. He greeted all the dogs with a wagging tail. And while he isn't leash trained, he was so focused on making sure we were nearby that even when he pulled he immediately turned back to check on us. Charlie is a true "people dog", who wasn't fazed at all by the crowds. He is a Velcro dog, bouncing back and forth between Lauren and me.
Charlie figured out quickly what to do with his bed, right next to ours, and settled in for the night after a bit of coaxing. I was hoping to get up early this morning to get in a dog-free workout, but those plans were quickly scuttled. As soon as I got out of bed Charlie looked at me and followed me out the bedroom door. I think he'd been awake for some time, but was waiting patiently for one of us to get up. We learned, just as they told us at the shelter, that Charlie is "remarkably" house trained. He waited until we were about 50 yards away from our apartment before going this morning. Charlie also passed the "Starbucks" test with flying colors. For those of you who aren't familiar with urban Starbucks, they're generally populated by a gaggle of dogs waiting outside (some with their owners, others without, as their owners are inside getting coffee). Against my better judgment we stopped by on our walk. Charlie got along with everyone (canine and otherwise). He is also almost broken of the habit of jumping up to lick faces. He realized that when he does, we will walk away. But if he stays calm, he can generally get a purr-inducing belly rub, and thus, jumping up became much less appealing. He really is a great dog and someone is going to be very lucky to adopt him!
Charlie's Story: Charlie is a handsome 3-4 year old Golden/Lab mix who lived on a farm in NJ for most of his life. A new family purchased the farm and sadly, Charlie was "thrown in" as part of the purchase. This family did not really want Charlie so they brought him to the local shelter where he quickly became a favorite of the shelter staff. They found him to be “a very social dog who loves attention! He is outgoing and friendly! He even keeps his kennel clean, which is a good sign that he is housebroken! He would be a great family dog!.”
Having lived most of his life on a farm, Charlie is accustomed to having other animals around and he pays little attention to the cats at the shelter. He does like to be the “top dog” though, so he would do best as an only dog. A volunteer from SGRR, who is a professional dog trainer, went to meet Charlie and shared, “I had him sitting and easily taking treats from my hand. He came over to me each time that I called him. He jumps up, but that is an easy fix. He does not seem to have ever been walked on a leash so he will need some work with that. He just needs someone who is willing to take the time to work with him – he is well worth it!”
Charlie is up-to-date on vaccinations, heartworm negative, and neutered. When Charlie first arrived at the shelter, he weighed 59 pounds but he has dropped down to 55 pounds, a sure sign that he is feeling down in the dumps and wanting to “go home.” He is headed to a foster home and will soon be ready to begin his new life with a family to call his own. Due to his happy exuberance, we will seek to place Charlie in a home without very young children. If you have room in your heart and a ton of TLC to give, please consider giving Charlie his forever home. He does not want to worry about being "thrown in" as part of a real estate transaction ever again!
If you have already been approved for adoption through SGRR, please contact
Donna to be considered to adopt Charlie.
If not yet approved, please visit our website to lean more and to submit an online application.
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Please contact us with any questions regarding your application status.
PLEASE APPLY by submitting an application via this online link:
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About Our Rescue
Before being approved to adopt, all potential adopters need to complete our online application and participate in our pre-adoption review process. The process includes the completion of an online application, a reference from the applicants' vet, a phone interview, and a visit to the applicants' home. The application process helps us determine what type of Golden would be best suited for the applicants' life style. In some cases, the specific dog you are interested in may have found a home before this process is complete or further assessment may find that this dog is not the right match for your family. We are regularly getting new Goldens in need of a home, so we encourage you to apply and get approved so that when the right dog comes along you will be ready.
A contract is signed the day of adoption. Under the terms of the contract, all adopters are required to bring the rescue to a vet within 7 business days. The dogs receive basic veterinary care prior to adoption. If your vet identifies an illness that an adopter is not willing to treat, then the dog is returned and a full refund is provided.
The information provided on each dog is based on observations of our vets, volunteers, fosters and when available, trainers. While we do our best to report any and all issues, SGRR does not make any guarantees as to the health or temperament of any dog. Dogs evolve differently in different environments and we cannot predict with any certainty how the dog you adopt will act in your home.
Many of our dogs are fostered in private homes and we do not have a facility to visit. We are committed to our dogs before, during, and after adoption! The rescue retains title to the dog and can never be released or sold. Should the adopters no longer be able to keep the dog, SGRR must be notified so that we can take the dog back into rescue and place it into another home. We reserve the right to remove a dog at any time should we find the adopter is no longer caring for their Golden in a way we see fit. Adopters then have to agree to follow up visits as needed.
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