We want to thank everyone that came out yesterday to Nature Dog for Photos with Santa! Due to the great response from everyone and the amount of photos that were taken, we want to let you all know your photos will be all sent by tonight. We also want to give a huge shout out and thank you to Michelle Vidlak of M Realea Photography for taking all of the wonderful photos of all the dogs that came out. Thank you all for your patience and have a great holiday season!

It’s that time of year again. It’s the holiday season, and many of us have a lot of shopping to do. But what if we told you that by shopping, you could help support GRRIN while doing basically nothing at all?

If you’re not familiar, Amazon Smile is program through amazon.com that enables you to choose a charitable organization to support. Every time you purchase eligible products on Amazon, your chosen organization (GRRIN, of course!) will receive proceeds at no cost to you. All you have to do is go to smile.amazon.com.

The first time you visit, you will need to select GRRIN as the organization you would like to support. To do this, find “Or pick your own charitable organization” on the lower right hand side. You can search for GRRIN by typing in “Golden Retriever Rescue in Nebraska” OR “47-0758414”. You only need to do this once. In the future, Amazon will remember that you want your shopping to support GRRIN.

After that, all you have to do is make sure you go to smile.amazon.com (instead of www.amazon.com) every time you shop on amazon. Everything will look and function the same, but GRRIN will receive money every time you purchase eligible products!

GRRIN’s mission is to rescue golden retrievers, but if we do not have enough foster homes, then there is the possibility that we will have to turn away dogs in need. This is not something that we want to do, but our list of foster homes is struggling to up with our need. We are especially in need of foster homes willing to care for senior goldens and bonded pairs.

If you have been thinking about becoming a foster parent, or if you simply have questions about the process, please reach out to GRRIN. Either send an email to info@grrin.org or call us at 402.330.6680 and leave a message. A GRRIN volunteer will get back to you to answer your questions and begin the foster approval process.

For more information, see the Foster a Golden page.

Join GRRIN at Nature Dog from noon to 2pm! Nature Dog is dedicated to providing the healthiest and most wholesome foods for your dog and cat. They have grown over the years to carry an extensive selection of only super-premium products. Come check it out and meet our dogs available for adoption!

Note: We do not guarantee the availability of our foster dogs at meet and greet events. Due to the large number of applications we receive, the adoption process can take several months. We do not have an online application – please learn more about our adoption requirements, then leave a message on our Goldline. A volunteer will return your call. Be prepared to spend at least 30 minutes to answer questions.

Bogie has been adopted! Thank you to everyone for following the journey of this very special dog. He is lucky to have found a wonderful “furever” family! We’ll share a full story soon.

August 24th update!

Bogie is thriving with his new foster family! He is always happy and is having a lot of fun, attention and adventure. Bogie’s foster mom has brought him to two meet & greets and he is getting used to wearing his “wheels” again – ironically, he can move around faster without them. Here is some more good news—Bogie has had negative urine cultures, so we are going to proceed with his Cystotomy procedure. This is going to help him and his foster family take care of his bladder needs, and it will reduce and/or eliminate his UTI recurrences. Bogie’s surgery will take place within the next week, stay tuned for more updates about his recovery and continued progress.

Thank you to everyone for your amazing support of Bogie!

Bogie was safely transported from the vet’s office to a new foster home last week! He is currently living with a local vet and his wife, hanging out at the office during the day and spending nights and weekends with a real family. Bogie as usual has endeared himself to his foster parents, their resident pets, and all of the staff at the office. Once his infection has completely cleared, he’ll be a candidate for a minor surgery that will make it easier to empty his bladder.

We can’t thank everyone enough for your kind words, foster leads, and taking the time to help GRRIN with outreach.

And we also want to thank the generous donors who have helped us with Bogie’s veterinary expenses. We had an anonymous donor give quite generously to Bogie’s care at VCA. In addition, Woof & Whiskers made a donation and held a fundraiser for Bogie. The Bogie’s Bones campaign raised $750 by selling personalized dog treats to over 140 community members! THANK YOU!

Sit. Stay. Celebrate!

It’s almost here! GRRIN’s favorite event of the year, Gold Rush, will be held on Sunday, September 15, from 12 to 4pm at SumTur Amphitheater just south of Hwy 370 on 108th Street in Papillion.

• FREE ADMISSION!
• Donations to GRRIN gratefully accepted
• All leashed, well-behaved dogs welcome!
• Local vendors
• Games for dogs and humans
• Shop at the GRRIN store
• Event will be held rain or shine

11691 South 108th Street, Papillion, NE 68046

SCHEDULE

12:00      Welcome, Announcements and Acknowledgements from our MC/GRRIN President Barb Garrett

1:00        Demonstration on how to get your pup to walk nicely on a leash by Laurie Weidinger, Owner of Dog Skool U

1:30        ANNUAL GRRIN GOLD RUSH VOLUNTEER GROUP PHOTO

2:00        Line up for the Parade of current GRRIN Foster Dogs.

Line up and start Parade of GRRIN Alumni Dogs.

               Line up and start costume contest and judging.

3:00        Announce winner of Biscuit Count Game and the Raffle Winner for the Gift Basket from Clearview Kennel

3:15        Announce winners of the Southwest Airline tickets silent auction.

4:00        THANK YOU FOR COMING!  See you at another GRRIN event soon and Gold Rush 2020!

VENDORS

DOGGURT- AMANDA COLANINO & PAPPA – LOCALLY MADE ORGANIC FROZEN DOG YOGURT- ALL NATURAL WITH PROBIOTICS AND NATURAL FLAVOURS- NO ARTIFICAL INGREDIENTS.  4 oz CUPS ARE $4 OR 4/$12.  6oz CUPS ARE $5 OR 6/$25–LOOK FOR YOUR COUPON IN YOUR GOODIE BAG!

PHOTO BOOTH- BRENDA ORR – ORR PHOTOGRAPHY FROM NOON TO 2-AFTER 2 A VOLUNTEER WILL USE YOUR CAMERA TO TAKE YOUR PHOTOS

NATURE DOG-MELISSA HOOVER, AUSTIN, ANNIE-LOCAL RETAIL FOOD, TREATS, NUTRITION INFO

KIRKS WORKS CARICATURE- KIRK KUENZL- $10 SUGGESTED DONATION FOR A WHIMSICAL DRAWING OF YOUR DOG-KIRK IS DONATING ALL PROCEEDS TO GRRIN!

URGENT PET CARE- JENNY O’CALLAGHAN-INFORMATION AND LOCATIONS OF THEIR EMERGENCY CLINICS–JUST IN CASE!

SIRIUS VET-JESSICA HORSTMAN & DR. HORSTMAN- ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY-STATE OF THE ART CLINIC

PREFERRED PET PARTNERS-ELIZA BURR- DOG SITTING-IN HOME AND DAILY NEEDS FOR YOUR PETS WHILE YOU ARE AWAY.

LAURIE WEIDINGER-DOG TRAINING FOR YOU AND YOUR DOG- DOG SKOOL U–DEMO @ 1:00 ON LEASH SKILLS-HOWTO GET YOUR DOG TO WALK NICELY ON A LEASH

VCA MIDWEST VETERINARY REFERRAL & EMERGENCY CENTER- LAURA BATES – 24 HOUR EMERGENCY CLINIC AND SPECIALTY REFERRAL/SURGICAL CENTER

GAMES

Pin the Tail on the Cat – Get your dog to sit on the bull’s eye on the cat’s fanny and you win a prize.

Shell Game – A treat is placed under one of 3 flower pots.  The pots shift positions.  Can your dog follow the action with his or her sense of smell?  Success means the dog gets the treat.

Spin and Win – You don’t need skill or even a dog for this game.  Spin the wheel to find out which prize you win.

Plinko – Drop the disk and watch it travel into one of the prize slots.

Cake Walk – An old favorite.  This version includes our dogs.  Winners claim their cake (or other baked goodie) at the table next to the concession stand.

Biscuit Count – Located at the GRRIN Info Booth.  Guess the number of biscuits in the jar.  The winner will be the guess that is closest to the actual number of dog biscuits.  Yes, we did count them.  Winner will be announced at  3:00 p.m.

Photo Booth – This “frame” is just waiting for your dog to have a photograph taken.  You can also join your dog in the picture. You can take your own photos too!

Caricaturist – Kirk Kuenzl joins us again this year.  Have a caricature made of your dog for a suggested donation of $10 per dog.  Dog caricatures only, please.   Kirk’s Works is donating all of the proceeds to GRRIN!

GRRIN Store – Take this opportunity to purchase GRRIN logo merchandise and help support the rescue efforts.  Sweatshirt anyone?  Participate in the Silent Auctions  for Southwest Airline Tickets and a Gift Basket with a Gift Certificate from Clearview Kennel.  Winners announced at 3:15

GRRIN Information Booth – Learn more about the many rescue activities and volunteer opportunities of GRRIN.  Or just stop by and introduce your dog.  Be sure to enter the Biscuit Count -winner to be announced at 3pm

Bean Bag Toss – Toss a bean bag through one of the holes in the cut-out board and win a prize for your dog.

Bobbing for Tennis Balls – Will your dog grab a tennis ball from a tub of water?  If so, they get to keep the ball!

GRRIN will be meeting and greeting at the Dog Daze of Summer on Sunday, August 25th, from 12-6pm.

From Dog Daze:

Come join GRRIN on Saturday, August 17, from noon to 2:00pm!

Nature Dog is located at 13366 West Maple Road in Omaha. Check out our calendar page for a map.

Please note, we do not guarantee the availability of a visiting foster dog. Interested adopters can learn more about the approval process here.

Thank you for your outstanding support of GRRIN during Omaha Gives on May 22nd! We received over $6,000 in donations from almost 90 different donors. The cheer page created by Kristi Miskimins in honor of her adopted GRRIN dog Peaches raised $655 (more than double her goal dollars!). You can view Kristi’s “GRRIN found my FURever Home” cheer page here. GRRIN is experiencing a record year for surrenders, with our all-volunteer rescue team taking in nearly 25 dogs in the first five months of 2019. Your financial help allows us to provide necessary vet care, including eight spay and neuter procedures and the future costs for two dogs diagnosed with cancer.

As always, our Pups on the Patio celebration is a fun time for all and we met some new faces (canine and human) on the 22nd. Please enjoy a few of the pictures we have to share and accept our wholehearted “thank you” on behalf of the beautiful dogs we rescue!

During the 24 hours of giving, Omaha Gives raises millions of dollars for the community and over 900 participating non-profits. The Omaha Community Foundation has brought this outstanding opportunity to the metro for seven years.

This year’s donations will help us cover medical care needed for GRRIN foster dogs. In 2018, the average vet expenses for each of the 29 dogs we rescued was just under $500. We were extremely grateful to have the resources to care for six Golden oldies with loving foster homes and the ability to pay for all of their medical expenses so they can live comfortably.

As of May 1, you can schedule your donation for Omaha Gives! Just click here to go directly to our Omaha Gives donation page.

Or, make your donation on Wednesday the 22nd. The giving begins at midnight with a minimum $10 donation and hourly drawings and prizes make your donations go further. So start gathering your circles and get ready for another great big give-together!

Follow all of the action for Omaha’s 7th day of giving on May 22nd on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Pups on the Patio!

Make sure to come celebrate on the 22nd with our volunteers and supporters at Pizza West in La Vista from 4-8pm. We’ll be on the patio and friendly pups are invited!

12040 McDermott Plz., La Vista

Click here for a map.

Thanks to everyone who attended the annual meeting! We had 40 attendees and a dozen dogs socializing throughout the luncheon and business meeting. Make sure to visit with other friends of GRRIN during the warmer months at our scheduled events!

Sunday, April 28, Noon-2pm

Join GRRIN as we celebrate another great year in rescue! Thinking about becoming a volunteer? Own a Golden and want to meet other Golden Retriever fanatics? (Let’s face it, we’re crazy about our dogs.) Everyone is welcome, including your beloved canine family members. We’re serving lunch, conducting a short business meeting, and then we get to visit about – what else – our wonderful Goldens!

We’ll also have a very short business meeting:

• Vote on open board positions
• Review finance and rescue reports
• Pre-planning for Gold Rush will be discussed and GRRIN would love to hear your ideas

To recap:

Fun for dogs and people! Bring your Goldens (or any friendly dog on a leash). Lunch will be served. Shop at the GRRIN store.

RSVP 402-330-6680 or volunteer@grrin.org so we can make sure we have enough goodies to eat!

Hi GRRIN members and friends,

GRRIN needs your help. We are in desperate need of foster families! Unfortunately, I can’t tell you this is as easy as babysitting. We’ve been getting requests to take some very young dogs (4-6 months), still puppies who need initial training and confidence building, and some former breeding dogs who need love, patience, and socialization.

We need people who are committed enough to take on these challenging dogs and help them get ready for adoption into a forever home. Can you help? Send your name and phone number to info@grrin.org, and I’ll call you so we can chat about this possibility. You can also learn more about our foster program here.

Thanks for your consideration,

Judy Davis

GRRIN Rescue Coordinator

Come visit the GRRIN booth at the I Love My Dog Expo in Lincoln, February 23rd – 24th in Lincoln, NE.

See the event listing on our events calendar for more details:

http://grrin.org/event/love-dog-expo-3/

Thank you to everyone who attended annual training! Laurie Weidinger of Dog Skool U graciously provided a demonstration of dog obedience skills and GRRIN dog Clyde volunteered to help her out.

Sunday, January 27th, 2019
Luncheon 12:00 to 12:30 p.m.
Training 12:30 – 4:00 p.m.
Nebraska Humane Society Auditorium

RSVP to volunteer@grrin.org

New to GRRIN? So are a lot of us! Come out and meet other volunteers and board members. Thinking about volunteering? This is the perfect opportunity to learn more about what we do and how you can help Golden Retrievers in need.

Plan to join us as we socialize and cover hot rescue topics!

• Lunch provided along with snacks and beverages
• Rescue coordinators will highlight their piece of the rescue puzzle
• No dogs, please

The Nebraska Humane Society is located at 8929 Fort Street, Omaha.

We will be in the auditorium (hallway to the right of the main entrance).

In case of inclement weather, we will post cancellation information on our website and Facebook page.

It’s time to join GRRIN or renew your membership! As we wrap up our 27th year of rescue, we ask for your support by renewing your membership or becoming a new member.

The annual membership fee is $15 for one applicant and $10 for each additional applicant. You can also make an end-of-year donation. Just visit our Become a Member web page, fill out the online form, and then click the button that takes you to our PayPal page. Questions? Send us an email – info@grrin.org.

Thanks to Woof & Whiskers for hosting Growl-O-Ween, a huge success! It was so fun and there were a lot of people and dogs in great costumes! Kendra, you and your family did an amazing job! Thank you for having this event. Our rescue had an AMAZING time! Thank you for having us!! Until next year…

Growl-O-Ween is being hosted by Woof & Whiskers on Sunday, October 21, Noon-3pm.

Here is information about the event from Woof & Whiskers. Learn more by visiting their Facebook event page.

Growl-O-Ween 2018 is going to be bigger than ever! $10.00 per dog CASH ONLY PLEASE donated to local charities (This year you get to choose your donation recipient)! Located in the back parking lot of Woof & Whiskers, we will have games, treats, tricks, caricatures and vendors from 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM! We will also have our professional pet groomers doing Nail Trims ($10) & Grinds ($12) CASH ONLY PLEASE with profit going 100% to The Goodlife Bulldog Rescue!
Enter our costume contest anytime between 12-2 PM and you could win big prizes! We will be trick or treating around the shopping center at 2:30 with all natural treats provided by yours truly! Please bring a bag from home for your goodies.

Rules:
1) No FLEXI leashes (All dogs must be on a 6 foot or shorter leash)
2) Kids attending must stay with parents at all times and ask before petting any dog. (Not all dogs are kid friendly so please ask!)
3) Dogs must remain on a leash at all times

If your dog is not dog friendly and would like to participate, you may trick or treat on behalf of your dog, just make a donation! Dogs may also enter the costume contest privately by a photo provided the day of event. We understand not all dogs do well in a public environment and they deserve a chance to join the fun as well! Caricatures will also be able to be done for a small fee, if your pet is unable to come, bring a photo and our artist can draw one from your photo!

THANK YOU to everyone who braved the rain on Sunday to attend Gold Rush! We always say the event goes on “rain or shine” but we had to put those words into practice by moving most of the activities indoors. Dogs weren’t allowed in the clubhouse so we set up “pup” tents to keep the dogs and their handlers out of the rain.

Special thanks to the vendors who came out to share dog treats and cool swag:

Follow everything that’s happening today at Gold Rush on our Facebook event page!

We’ll have “Goldens Galore” at our annual Gold Rush reunion!

GRRIN is an all-volunteer organization – we couldn’t rescue Golden Retrievers without dedicated volunteers! People often ask about the different tasks that occur in rescue. Now you can follow volunteer Aaron Barnes on a transport mission to pick up GRRIN dog Charlie, just click here to watch the video.

Have you ever wanted to help out GRRIN by doing almost nothing? If you are an online shopper, you can earn money for GRRIN simply by making purchases on amazon.

Our Amazon Smiles donations were $188.20 in 2017!

How can I do this amazing thing?

When you want to shop on amazon, simply go to smile.amazon.com instead of www.amazon.com. It’s exactly the same as amazon, but a small percentage of your eligible purchases will be donated to GRRIN.

How will amazon know I want to support GRRIN?

To select GRRIN as your organization of choice to receive donations, simply click on this link: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/47-0758414

(Alternatively, you can search for “Golden Retriever Rescue in Nebraska” on AmazonSmile and select us as your organization.)

You only need to do this once. In the future, amazon will remember that you want your shopping to support GRRIN.

Is it really that easy?

Yes! So go to smile.amazon.com and shop to support GRRIN!

Still have questions?

Go to the AmazonSmile about page to learn more about the program: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/chpf/about

We need your help!

If you’ve thought about fostering or have fostered for GRRIN in the past, please consider volunteering for this very worthwhile cause. During the summer months we tend to be short on foster homes because school is out or families are traveling. Unfortunately, we’ve been unable to act quickly to get surrendered dogs into GRRIN because we just don’t have enough homes that can take them on short notice.

While the number of dogs coming through our rescue has decreased over the years (a great problem to have, right?), the number of dogs with particular needs has increased. When we get a senior dog who has serious medical problems, GRRIN pays for the veterinary costs, but the foster family is expected to take the dog for treatment(s).   When we get surrenders from a breeder, those dogs have frequently never been indoors and therefore have to be house trained and taught the behaviors involved with living with a family. If a dog comes in that has never walked on a leash, the foster family is tasked with teaching that skill to make him/her more adoptable. If you can offer a home for ANY rescued Golden Retriever, please consider helping GRRIN.

When you foster, the one thing you can count on is that you’ll have an amazing experience inviting a rescue dog into your home and you’ll have GRRIN’s team of rescue volunteers helping you along the way.

Would you like to learn more about fostering for GRRIN?  Send an email to info@grrin.org and include your phone number so we can call you and answer any questions you might have.

Thanks for coming out to support Lincoln Animal Ambassadors at Deer Springs Winery! Check out pictures on their Facebook page.

Wine & Howl brings together all the best parts of summer for a fantastic afternoon event! Bring your dog, a blanket or lawn chair and join us on June 2nd for an afternoon of dogs, food, wine and music. If you are looking for a new companion, many of the area’s rescue organizations will be bringing pets looking for their forever homes.

You won’t want to miss the raffle prizes, featuring pet, wine, and decor gift baskets from all around the area. With just a suggested donation of $8 to attend; there are just too many reasons you have got to be there! The wine will start pouring at 11AM and the bands will play until 5PM.

Visit our calendar page for a map to this event.

Thank you GRRIN supporters for your outstanding participation in Omaha Gives! We raised $6695 with the help of many generous donors. Your donations will help us cover medical care needed for GRRIN foster dogs.

In 2017 the majority of our funds covered veterinary expenses – over $500 for each of the 28 dogs we rescued. Extreme vet care included treating severe dental disease, allergies and ear infections, thyroid imbalance, lump and bump removal, and palliative care. Something as simple as a dental cleaning will cost approximately $500, and even more if teeth need to be extracted. Eight of our foster dogs were eight years of age and older, classified as seniors. We are extremely grateful to have the resources to care for these Golden oldies with loving foster homes and the ability to pay for all of their medical expenses so they can live comfortably in their later years.

During the 24 hours of giving, Omaha Gives! raises millions of dollars for the community and over 900 participating non-profits. The Omaha Community Foundation has brought this outstanding opportunity to the metro for six years.

This year’s donations will help us cover medical care needed for GRRIN foster dogs. In 2017, the average vet expenses for each of the 28 dogs we rescued was over $500. We were extremely grateful to have the resources to care for eight Golden oldies with loving foster homes and the ability to pay for all of their medical expenses so they can live comfortably.

As of May 1, you can schedule your donation for Omaha Gives! Just click here to go directly to our Omaha Gives donation page.

Or, make your donation on Wednesday the 23rd. The giving begins at midnight with a minimum $10 donation and hourly drawings and prizes make your donations go further. So start gathering your circles and get ready for another great big give-together!

Follow all of the action for Omaha’s 6th day of giving on May 23rd on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Pups on the Patio!

Make sure to come celebrate on the 23rd with our volunteers and supporters at Pizza West in La Vista from 5-8pm. We’ll be on the patio and friendly pups are invited!

12040 McDermott Plz., La Vista

Click here for a map.

Congratulations to Rocky and his fur-parents, Jim and Mary Jane Fitch, who just received the 2018 Nebraska Veterinary Medicine Association’s Animal Hall of Fame award in January! Even more exciting, they visited the State Capitol where Lt. Governor Mike Foley presented a proclamation from Governor Pete Ricketts highlighting March 5, 2018 as Animal Hall of Fame Recognition Day in Nebraska.

Rocky, born with a deformed front paw, was adopted by Jim and Mary Jane in 2014. After an incredible journey to get a prosthetic device for Rocky, they had him certified as an Angel Dog at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital, where he provides comfort and joy to many patients.

State Capitol Story

Rocky’s Special Journey

Rocky at Madonna Rehabilitation