Randall undergoes first surgery

Randall had his first surgery and is now recovering to prepare for his second surgery. His first surgery was a grueling 5 hours. The surgeons decided to repair the right front leg/wrist and right hip. An additional fracture was discovered a bit higher on his right leg so the cast and splint will need to be a bit higher than planned. His FHO surgery on his hip went well and should provide him more stability. His other leg was also prepped for the next surgery while he was under anesthesia so his second surgery will not take so long. Although you see that both legs are splinted, it is only to keep them stabilized. His left front leg will be corrected next. He was mostly sedated the following day of surgery to keep him comfortable but is doing well now with pain medication. Our hopes that he does as well with his second surgery and can come home soon to recover and start his long road of rehabilitation.

We are extremely thankful for those who have given to Randall but he still needs your help!

Randall in the hospital after accident

I am very sad to report that our "gentle giant" Randall has had a very serious accident.

Things were really looking great for Randall when he finally left for a foster home on Saturday. His foster mom and her son picked up Randall and after coaxing him for 25 minutes, we got him loaded in their car for his ride home. Randall is very shy and inexperienced. He was very unfamiliar with a car and getting in was very challenging for him. The amazing thing is that he immediately bonded with the foster home's 11 year old son. Randall went to him right away and kept looking/gazing at him for reassurance and petting. Getting him out of the car was much easier and reports from the foster home the next two days were all very terrific. I kept hearing what a wonderful and perfect dog Randal is. He became very attached to the son, following him around the house and hanging out with him all the time. He loved to go on his walks with both Mom and Son and hang out watching them throw the football back and forth.

It seems that Randall was so attached to his foster brother that one afternoon, when he left the home, Randall decided to follow and the only way he was able to was to go out the upstairs window. He fell to the ground and thanks to some wonderful neighbors and volunteers, Randall was rushed to the hospital. Badly hurt and broken up, Randall suffered a dislocated hip, two broken wrists and some broken and fractured teeth. Randall has been transferred to a surgical center where he will undergo one maybe two surgeries. He is badly swollen and painful but we are keeping him pain free with medication and care and waiting for some of the inflammation to go down before surgery. His road to recovery will be long and challenging and his medical expenses will be substantial. His foster family is dedicated to helping him through his recovery and rehabilitation and will be bringing him home when he is able. He will require medication, special assistance equipment, patience and love.

Randall is in need of your help with funding assistance for his long journey to recovery. Please help if you can.

Meet Marco

Marco was found as a stray by animal control and only available to a rescue because of state of his health and condition.  He is extremely emaciated and depressed.  Once at our vet, we discovered that he had pneumonia and was hypoglycemic.  We have placed him on antibiotics, IV fluids with glucose.  Our volunteers are visiting twice a day to give him love and attention. They are also bringing him treats and food like chicken and turkey that he will eat out of their hands.  His appetite inside the hospital has been low so we are trying to give him some extra nutritional boosts.   He needs to stay at the hospital for now until we can get him through these big hurdles.  Once he gets outside for fresh air, he perks up and will climb up in your lap for pets and cuddles.  Although he is so sick and skinny, he is a handsome boy with a sweet disposition.  Please send good thoughts his way for a recovery.  He will probably be in the hospital for a lengthy stay and would benefit directly from any donations made to our Shamrock Fund.

Farewell to Pi

Pi had not been responding to the steroid injections he was receiving so we discontinued that treatment. With no other options, we chose to keep him comfortable and happy as long as possible. He eventually got to a point where he was no longer comfortable or happy and we had to make the very difficult decision to let him go. Pi was loved dearly by his foster mom, and he enjoyed the company of his foster siblings. His final months were filled with love, good food, and fun. We were happy to be there for Pi to give him as much happiness as we could in the final months of his life. We will remember him always.

Lindzie update

Lindzie has become confident enough in her surroundings to function in her foster home alone. Initially she had to be by her foster mom's side at all times. However when Lindzie knows her foster mom is getting ready for bed, she will lie at the foot of the bed for the night. With the hot weather she is often laying on the tiles in the shower. Generally she has no hesitancy unless she is in unfamiliar territory and her foster mom is not by her side. She is a very sweet, loving and confident dog. She loves her walks twice a day and her tail wags with people and other dogs that she meets. She is not tentative around them but rather calm. Lindzie is very friendly with children also. She responds well to sound and stairs are not a problem for her. Lindzie lays on her back and does her dance movement. She loves the sense of touch and car rides with the window down and the wind blowing. She is a very sweet, loving and confident dog.

Meet Lindzie

Lindzie was turned into an area shelter by her owners who were moving and could not take her with them. She sat in the shelter for 4 days shaking and hiding in the corner, she would not even lift her head. Her ears were badly infected and her sight impaired. The shelter thought that she was completely blind. We believe she is not totally blind and can see shadows. She was so shut down when we picked her up with her tail tucked and her head hanging low. We gave her a bath and cleaned and treated her ears. Her spirit seems to be lifting too. She hangs out quietly with our volunteers and loves her back end scratched. She has perfected the "hind end golden dance." She raises her paw when you stop petting and leans on you for comfort. She will be looking for a home that provides patience and lots of love. She is fine with other dogs and walks cautiously on a leash. She rides great in the car and really seems to enjoy it. Slow approaches are best for this gal because of her impaired vision.

Meet Melanie!

We just picked up Melanie from an area shelter. The shelter could not even guess her age because of her poor condition. She has extreme hair loss, ears infected so bad that they are swollen and scarred, severe anemia, and is very lethargic to the point that she would not get up for walks or her exam. After blood work, bath, cleaning and treating her ears, another bath, and finally a spay surgery, we discovered that she has hypothyroidism and her ovaries were covered in cysts. We believe that she was used as a breeding female bred at every opportunity with no recovery time and then tossed away when she was so depleted where she could no longer reproduce.

She is looking for a home to give her the TLC she deserves after so much pain and neglect. She is very quiet and calm. She loves you to talk to her and scratch the top of her head. She is hanging out with some canine brothers and has is becoming more engaging. She walks great on the leash and has been great on her car rides. She is starting to perk up now that she is feeling a bit better and hope that she feels much better soon. She is on medication for her thyroid and ears right now and will be tested on her thyroid again in a couple of weeks. Her house manners are great and she seems to like all the soft, comfy beds.

Steroid treatments for Pi

At the request of a representative from one of the pharmaceutical companies, a cancer specialist has agreed to treat Pi at a reduced cost. Pi is not receiving the anti-cancer drug Masitinib, instead he is receiving steroid injections into the tumor site. Our hope is to reduce the size of the tumor and hold back the spread of cancer. Pi has already received a couple of treatments, althoughhis tumor doesn't seem to be getting any smaller at this time. We will continue to pursue this treatment plan and, hopefully, the cancer has at least slowed down. In the meantime, Pi is doing very well at his foster home with his foster siblings. In the picture below, Pi is on the right.

Searching for perfect puppy home

I went to visit Sonny Delight at his foster home yesterday and what an adorable puppy. He is happy, as you can see, alert, healthy and loving life. He is ready for adoption to a home that is looking for a puppy and knows how much activity a puppy can generate. There are so many pluses in adopting a puppy BUT you have to be prepared for the potty breaks, the activity, the chewing and the delightful digging and running around playing, playing, playing. The big plus is that you get in on the very beginning of their lives to get to know them when they are young, and work with their training and introduction to all things new and fun. Sonny's perfect home is with someone who is home during the day to take him out for those important potty breaks, a person committed to starting him on the road to good positive training, and be prepared to look back on those puppy days with delight and happy memories. He truly loves a another dog to play with that will put up with his antics and a family that will enjoy him.

The boys are ready for their new world

The boys are doing great and now cleared for adoption. Yesterday Bobby went to his new home and Sonny Delight is ready for his. He is ready for adoption to a home that is prepared for a PUPPY. He needs a home where someone is home during the day and is prepared for puppy training when he is ready. Most important is that his new family realizes this is a PUPPY and be prepared for the activity, energy level and responsibility they have for molding a little life. In return the lucky family will receive lots of love and devotion.

Bobby & Tommy...one more treatment to go

I went to visit Bobby and Tommy today and this was the first time I was able to see them outside acting like two puppies. They are both very playful, happy, and getting such good care at the facility where they are currently located. We still have one more treatment before they will be cleared for adoption, but they are on the road to a long, happy life soon.

Molly’s Recovery

We are pleased to share that Molly is doing very well post-surgery. The large mass on her back end was benign, but the smaller mass on her neck was malignant. They got good margins so Molly seems to be fine for now. X-rays were taken and no masses appeared on her internal organs....this is great news. She is a happy girl, a great companion and now looking for a forever home of her own. She is good with everyone she meets, other dogs and even cats. We hope Molly has lots of happy days ahead of her and continues to stay in good health.

Bobby and Sonny looking much better

These photos show how much better both boys are looking. The skin has cleared up, and hair is growing back a lot. Both pups are growing bigger every day. They are now Sonny 10.6 and Sonny Delight 11.8. I will be going to visit with them again this coming weekend and taking more photos. I still have not been given the “all clear” to make them available for adoption but, hopefully, that day will be soon. They are very happy, playful, pups and will need a forever home that is ready for the activity of a puppy.

Betti undergoes Eye Surgery

When Betti first arrived into Rescue her right eye was covered in green goo. She was diagnosed with dry eye and put on medications to make her comfortable. Betti then went off to a nice foster home and started to settle in nicely while she waited for her forever home. Unfortunately, a week ago Betti started to experience considerable pain in her right eye. Her foster mom took her to an eye specialist who discovered that this lovable girl had a hole on her cornea. That was causing considerable pain and eye medication alone would not help. We had to make the tough decision to remove her right eye immediately, so Betti had the surgery that same day and was back in her foster home in the evening. We know it is a shock to see a dog that has had an eye removed since the whole area is shaved, but be assured that the fur will grow back and Betti is no longer in pain. She will, however, have to receive drops in her left eye for life to make sure this does not happen again. Betti is doing just fine now and we will share photos of her recovery. Thank you for caring

New Life for Winston!

A wonderful opportunity came along for Winston and he is excited to be starting his new adventure. Working with Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue, we have decided that Winston will reside with them on their 8 acre facility up in Northern California. He will make many new friends there and get to swim in their pool...two things Winston loves. The staff at Homeward Bound will look a little more into Winston's physical issues to see if there's anything that can be done to help. In the meantime, Winston has new durable booties to wear on his feet to protect them from further abrasions. We are so happy for Winston, but we will miss him too. Thanks go out to Homeward Bound for their help and support!

Bobby and Sonny doing well

I drove back to visit with the boys today and they were very happy to see me. Their hair was starting to fill in and I was able to take photos of them but not able to see them outside of their kennels. They look better than the last visit and were happy, friendly pups.

Meet Bobby and Sonny Delight

Today we had two adorable pups come in to rescue, both with Sarcoptic Mange. It’s amazing that these two boys looked alike and yet came in to two different shelters, nowhere close to each other. Both Bobby and Sonny Delight were very healthy otherwise and were so happy to see each other again. Bobby arrived at 6 pounds and Sonny Delight came in at 4.5 pounds. The shelter estimate was 8 weeks but they were more like 6 weeks in age. These first photos were taken on 7/13 when I went to visit with them. When they came in, they both received their exam and were put on Revolution to clear up the mange, given antibiotics, and have been given baths with their special shampoo. They had scabby areas on their skin, but acted like healthy puppies and had a good appetite.

Meet Winston

Winston came into Rescue recently and he certainly needs your help. As you can see Winston has some unique medical issues. Firstly Winston has trouble with his hind legs. The problem seems to be getting worse because now Winston drags his hind feet when he walks, causing the feet to develop open wounds. Currently we are trying to heal an open wound on his hind right foot.

Our Winston also suffers with incontinence, so we are searching for an extra special foster family to help this guy, while we work on the best long term option for this boy. Despite these challenges Winston is a happy go lucky fella who loves other dogs, loves to play and simply loves people. Like any true Golden Winston just loves life.

Molly medical update

WARNING: Graphic photo!

Molly recently had two masses removed. One, which was the size of a baseball, would not heal and kept weeping. It was not possible to keep this area clean and free of infection – poor girl. Molly had tests prior to her surgery to confirm that her main organs were not showing the growth of tumors. Everything appeared clear, so we went ahead with surgery.

If you can bear to look, then the before and after photos are below. We are pleased to share that Molly is recuperating very nicely in her foster home. We ask that you send lots to energy to Molly to aid her recovery. In the meantime we are waiting for biopsy results and will update Mollys blog when we have more news.

Pi update

Our hopes to get Pi into a clinical trial took a step backward recently. We had identified a clinical trial close to where Pi is living and his foster mom took him to visit the doctor to get more information about the trial and to hopefully get him signed up.  Sadly, we were told that Pi is not a candidate for the trial because he had had part of his tumor removed by a vet before he came into rescue.  This is very discouraging.  Pi is so full of life and is healthy in ever other way; it makes no sense for us to just wait and watch as the cancer continues to spread.  We have reached out to the drug manufacturers once again, hoping that they would consider donating medication to Pi.  So far, we have not heard back.  In the meantime, Pi's tumor had gotten larger so he just underwent a surgery to reduce it's size.  We feel that Pi will be much more comfortable now.  Please keep Pi in your thoughts and prayers as we continue to try to find some help for him. We know we have asked you before, yet if you would like to make a donation to help with Pi's treatment, he would appreciate it very much.

Vanna's progress

Vanna went back to the vet yesterday for a recheck and repeat blood test to see if she is healthy enough to be spayed. While we are awaiting the results of the blood test, the good news is that her temperature is now normal. The vet was pleased with her progress and she has gained a bit more weight (though I admit, with the quantity of food she is eating, I had hoped it would have been a bit more than 1.5 lbs). Her skin is still dry, so we’re adding sardines to her diet to address that. But what is very exciting to me is her changed attitude about life. She went into the vet's office without any hesitation, happy to meet and greet anybody willing to dote on her, and she was anxious to make friends with the other dogs in the waiting room. She still isn’t happy riding in the car, but we’re working on that.

Vanna - on the road to recovery

Vanna’s bloodwork is back. Although her major organs appear to be fine (thank goodness), she has a bad infection going on. The vet thinks that this girl has had an infection for a while, which was probably caused by the infestation of fleas and ticks that she came into Rescue with. On top of that Vanna also has a yeast infection and is quite itchy. To tackle all of this Vanna is now on a course of antibiotics and her foster
mom is trying various things to calm the itchiness down, including baths, a grain-free diet and allergy meds.

Finally this girl is getting the attention that she deserves.

On a brighter note we are please to share that this little girls golden personality is starting to show itself in her foster home - she loves to eat, play and learn ! Vanna is eating enormous meals and has already put on 5lb, so we hope that she will reach her ideal weight soon. We have also discovered that Vanna is a quick learner as she already uses the doggie door at her foster home and is now learning some other basics, like sit and come.

We hope that the combination of meds, good food and playtime with her foster brothers will help heal this deserving girl and and her fur will start to start to show some golden luster.

All in all, her foster mom is very happy with her progress. Vanna will have another exam and blood tests soon so we will keep you posted.

Spud is ready for adoption!

Spud is doing so much better now that he's received his vet care. His ears are no longer infected and he had the small growth removed from his left eyelid. The growth turned out to be benign, thankfully. His ears will probably always need to be checked, but this is not uncommon in dogs. Spud is a very happy boy now that he is getting good care and good food. He is now ready to find his forever home.

Introducing Vanna

Vanna came into Rescue as a very scared and stressed dog. However with a lot of patience (and some cooked chicken !) our volunteer discovered that Vanna will cuddle and give you sweet kisses as she starts to feel more comfortable. This poor girl was literally dumped at a shelter. She is very emaciated, her coat is thin, dry and brittle (and very matted), and she is has no hair in some places. She came into Rescue loaded with ticks and fleas, and appears to have had a litter of puppies recently. We are waiting to hear back on blood tests and will keep you posted through the Shamrock pages.

Please send this girl lots of positive energy to help her blossom into the gorgeous, confident golden that she was meant to be.

Meet Molly

Molly is a 12 year old girl, who recently came into Rescue, Sadly she is not in very good shape. She has advanced cataracts in both eyes which cause her to have limited vision, and she has various masses on her body, including one the size of a baseball. In spite of all this, Molly seems to be a happy girl. We are giving her the best care we can and will post more on this girl as we learn more.

Spud gets much needed care

Spud recently joined our Rescue family after he was surrendered to a local shelter by his family because they were moving out of state and their plans didn’t include him. He is a very sweet 8 yr. old boy who hasn’t had the best of care. He is very dirty, has severe ear infections, and has some sort of growth on his eyelid. While Spud is confused at the moment, we all know that things are looking up for him. Despite his infected ears, he is happy for attention, and will give you his paw when you are petting him, and he has a good energy level. Spud has started to receive care for his ears and we're scheduling a surgery to remove the growth on his eyelid. Please check back soon to see how Spud is doing!

Pi update

Pi has finally moved out of the vet's office and into a foster home of his own. He is still taking the over-the-counter medications and supplements to keep him comfortable while we continue to pursue other avenues to deal with his cancer. We have contacted the manufacturers of the anti-cancer drugs (Palladia and Masitinib) but they are not able to donate their medications to us for Pi. However, there may be a possibility that Pi will be able to participate in a clinical trial for Masitinib. We're not sure if and when this will take place but we'll update this page when we know more. In the meantime, Pi is making himself at home in the Los Angeles area where he lives with 3 other dogs and where he is being doted on by his foster mom. If you would like to make a donation to help with Pi's treatment, he would appreciate it very much.