My name is Audie!

Adopted 4/24/13!!!

Audie - Cat & Dog Friendly!

Bio - Audie is a gorgeous 5 year-old purebred male Golden whose former family had decided they no longer wanted him. He was confined to the kitchen and a small outside space for activity. For the last 5 to 6 months, he had been crated for the whole day as the family was away for 12 hours a day. This is no way for a dog to live! Poor Audie wasn’t the cute little puppy he used to be - and in their new home, with a new child, he didn’t fit into their lives anymore. This family tried taking him to a shelter which was (fortunately for Audie’s sake) overrun, so the shelter referred the family to SGRR. And although the family “never got around to calling” us and attempted to give Audie away via Craigslist, fate intervened. SGRR was alerted to the post so we could step in and rescue him and give him the chance at a better life!

When our volunteer picked Audie up, he was in rough shape. He smelled horribly, as he had been soiling in his crate and laying in it. His nails were very long and his coat was horribly matted. Audie is now safe in one of our experienced foster homes in New Hampshire, where he has been loved, nourished, and given proper medical care. His incredible foster parents are caring for him as if he was their own. His initial vet exam revealed that Audie had an intrauterine infection that caused a condition called Congenital Hypoplastic Cerebellar Syndrome, which means he is a little uncoordinated. At that time, he had little muscle mass and was incredibly thin. He also had Lyme and Anaplasmosis. Treatment for the infections has been completed and he is on some simple meds to regulate his thyroid and epilepsy.

When Audie first came to SGRR, he could hardly support his own weight on his hind legs. Foster Mom and Dad gave us this report: “Imagine the walk of a seal in the rear end, the prance of a horse in the front end, and the low down slink of an otter - you can imagine how he walks. He has no muscles to speak of, so his hind end shakes after a walk.” A few weeks of the fosters’ diligent rehabilitation program, Audie showed significant improvement. Foster Dad, Paul told SGRR, “He seems to be getting stronger and friskier by the day. He is now getting good nutrition and lots of exercise. There really is a day-by-day change in him. He has no more leg trembling and he runs up the hills on the walks (or runs!). He has a lot of energy, but must gradually increase his activity to build those muscles. He is already demanding to be more energetic on his walks. He is very smart and the minute you go to the closet or to the front door, he's bouncing around like Tigger, ready for a walk! He is much more social and less afraid. He is a loving, high spirited fellow and is now beginning to show just how great a companion he will be!”

A special note from Audie’s Foster Mom & Dad! 4/2/2013

“Say hello to the new Audie! Many of you may have seen Audie's story as you viewed SGRR’s available dogs. He was surrendered to SGRR in January 2013 and is being fostered here at our house in New Hampshire. We are so happy to say that these past months have been transforming for this bright, young fellow.

Audie was exceedingly shy and easy to startle. He always seemed to be expecting something bad to happen. He was very, very cautious. A lot of patient, slow and quiet work gradually taught him to trust the humans around him. First the flinching stopped, then he began to smile every now and then and now he flat out grins! He loves to go for walks and runs around the backyard like a goofball. He loves treats and has become an expert at conning one out of us! Audie is good with our dogs, cats, and even likes the wild turkeys!

Audie is now Lyme and Anaplasmosis free. He is taking the proper amount of thyroid medication and has well-developed muscles and a beautiful coat! His epilepsy is well controlled with medication taken with breakfast and supper. Our vet is delighted with the progress he has made, remarking that he is not the same dog she met when he first came to us.
Audie would do best in a home that does not have very young children – tweens on up would be fine though. Although he is much more stable on his feet than before, he could probably knock over a little child with not too much trouble. His coordination is vastly improved, but he still and probably always will have neurological coordination difficulties. He is no longer "mouthy," but does still occasionally nibble affectionately. We would not want to have a family misinterpret this behavior if he "nibbled" on a small child!

Audie has blossomed into a trusting, energetic and playful 5 year old Golden boy who is ready for a happy, healthy and long life. I hope this helps to find him the perfect home - he is so special!” Click to watch Audie’s video.



PLEASE APPLY by submitting an application via this online link: APPLY ON-LINE TO ADOPT through our rescue.

Direct questions regarding an application's status to: SunshineGoldens@gmail.com

Approved applicants may direct questions regarding a specific dog to: Dog inquiry from approved applicant.

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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