9/12/15 Foster Mom Update: As I type this all six dogs are napping, even Smitty. I actually wore him out. He has learned to walk nicely on a leash using an Easy Walk Harness. What a useful tool! He is now giving signals when he has to go potty. I think we may work on using a bell on the door. This boy is so smart I bet he gets it in just a day or two. He has also learned to make me laugh anytime I want him to come in from the backyard by playing, "I've fallen over and I can't get up". The cure is a couple of belly rubs. 😁. Anyone who adopts this boy and invests some time in training will be rewarded with a wonderful companion. This guy likes to snuggle, loves to run and play, and is unusually smart. Even one of the cats is warming up to him. They now touch noses while the cat stays safely under the deck :)
9/10/15 Foster Update: I can't remember ever having a dog that made me laugh the way Smitty does. He is just like a toddler, into everything and in his case, over everything. Even the bottom half of the dutch door poses no obstacle to him. Thankfully he is very good about going to his crate if you really need him in one place. Smitty plays hard but shows no aggression. He plays best with my 11year old Golden who I swear is the worlds best teacher of social skills. Both of the cats feel he would be best in a cat free home due to his high energy.
Smitty is very smart. He knows the commands sit, down, give paw, and is getting very good on stay and come. If you consider he did not know his name when he got here a week ago, that is remarkable. He could be an agility champion with the high energy and jumping skills. Anyone interested in adopting this funny bundle of sheer joy should be committed to giving him lots of physical and mental exercise. He is very affectionate with his humans but like a toddler needs rules and boundaries. In return you will get a boy who will make you laugh every day, will greet you at the door with a big smile, and do his very best to please you. The perfect home would have a large male canine companion, no cats, kids over six and active adult owners.
Smitty's Story: Part of the fun of adopting a mixed breed is all of the conversations that revolve around the dog’s genetic make-up. SGRR’s breed aficionados have had a lot of fun guessing what went into this handsome boy’s DNA. Golden Retriever? Smitty does have a striking golden-colored coat! St Bernard? This fella’s coat surely resembles the markings of a Saint. Aussie? Husky? Possibly the reason for the difference in eye colors (also known as heterochromia). Well, whatever it was that went into the genetic make-up of this boy, it produced one awesome dog!
Smitty was picked up as a stray who had been roaming around a neighborhood in Mobile County, AL and chasing the local cats. Sounds like a lot of fun if you ask a 2 year old dog! (If you ask the cats though, they will tell you just the opposite!!) This fun-loving boy is fine with other dogs and would probably enjoy having some older children to play with. He has a healthy energy level that is age-appropriate and will make a nice walking or jogging partner. We do not know much about Smitty’s former life, but his future is going to be filled with happiness and love! He fascinates and intrigues those he meets. When our photographer met Smitty, she remarked, “Smitty is a very interesting-looking dog - check out the different eye colors! He had to be kept on a leash because of his heartworm treatment but really wanted to run and play. He was very friendly and pretty funny with his mannerisms and looks that he would give for photos!”
If you are looking for a pup that will turn heads when you walk, this guy is it! Smitty is up-to-date on vaccinations, neutered, and micro-chipped. He weight about 65 pounds, has finished his treatment for heartworm, and is currently being fostered in MA. Don’t wait to inquire – this one-of-a-kind fella will not last!
If you have already been approved for adoption through SGRR, please contact
Donna to be considered to adopt Smitty.
If not yet approved, please visit our website to lean more and to submit an online application.
Click here to visit our website.
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.
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.
SGRR Adoption Fees (subject to change)**
Puppies under 6 months $650
Young dogs 6 months - 6 years $550
Young dogs - Special Needs $450
Senior dogs 7 - 9 years $450
Seniors dogs 10 years and older $350
Senior dogs - Special Needs $300
Young Bonded Pairs $850
Senior Bonded Pairs $750
**Please note: The fees listed represent a slight increase and are effective for applications received after June 1 2014. We regret the need to increase the fees for our dogs, but found it necessary due to the increased costs we are faced with for each dog's care and placement.
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.
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.
Please be a ray of light for this Sunshine dog and make a tax deductible donation toward medical and other expenses. Every cent of your generosity goes directly toward the care of a Sunshine dog.
Please click on the Donation link below to support SGRR!
