Golden Beginnings -- Success Stories

My husband and I adopted a dog from you in October of 2006. He was called Guthrie then but we call him Gus.

We live in Crosby now and he has a great place to run and pay. We also have two other animals - a boy cat named Jack and a girl cat named Jill. Gus and Jill are the best of friends. They play together and Jill loves to snuggle with him in the grass.

We are fortunate enough to live in an area where deer and other wildlife come right into our yard. Gus is very sweet to all that enter (except for the squirrels). He just lays down in the yard and watches them as they eat or pass by. There is a lab who lives behind us and he's so in love with that dog.

We had a small adjustment period but overall our experience has been good. I just cannot imagine my life without my "kiddos". Thank you for all you do for animals.

Cody was a Trieven Kennel hunting dog, trained for a year, in Lovell, WY., and was purchased by a Houstonian at a year old. Then, he had a series of grand mal seizures that left him brain damaged and emotionally damaged. He came to GBGRR and went into foster care for 5 months.

We adopted him in May, 2006, and moved him to Boise, ID., with us in June, 2006. He was suffering from severe anxiety, panic attacks, and other negative behaviors, like eating the HOUSE and everything in it. He ate remote controls, eye glasses, BAGS of dog food (at one time), underwear, shoes, steaks off our plates, etc. Emotionally, he was not easily comforted or able to bond. Sometimes, we wondered what had we done!

But after a year, the panic attacks subsided and the desire to eat inedibles began to wane. He decided that just maybe life was going to be OK. Just maybe he found a HOME. We began to see a new doggie emerge.

Today, Cody is happy and carefree at almost 6 years old. He loves the snow in winter on the mountain trails and the cold river in the summer for swimming and retrieving. He loves his brother Austin, a recued Yellow Lab, and his sister Gracie, a rescued Golden-Border collie mix.

Cody's heart is full of love and kindness to all others. He is obedient and faithful. He is even normal, now, with many fewer symptoms of brain damage. much of that was emotional trauma, we think. who would want to leave a ranch in Wyoming and move to a kennel in Katy in the heat?

We love Cody-Cody, our sweet boy. Thank you for giving him a new chance to have a life, and a BIG thank you to Nick and Kristen who fostered him lovingly for months.

Charlie (now Maximilien or Maxi for his friends!) is doing excellent !! Him and our female Golden, Cosmo, are really best buddies and enjoy lots of playing and tug-of-war with toys. We had few dogs in an out of the house these last couple of months, and Maxi seems to have overcome his dog-aggressive behavior, which is excellent news for all of us !

I have attached a picture of Cosmo and Maxi in the pool with a buddy of theirs (Maxi is the middle one)

Thank you,

Natasha

It has been almost a year and a half since we adopted Tex, AKA �Mr. Majestic� and Jake, AKA �Adorable One�, and I should have sent a note sooner but life has changed since we adopted our two boys. We lost two dogs within six months to cancer which left Zoe, AKA the �Couch Diva or Princess� depending on her attitude at the time, the only dog. I didn�t understand it at first but after some research I figured out that Zoe was suffering from depression. It was hard to see her so upset and I felt so helpless because nothing I did seemed to help UNTIL we brought home THE BOYS! She was so happy and excited to see them and every day with them is just as exciting as the first.

Tex is still attached to his ball. He has 3 red balls that are the same but only one of them is the ball of choice. We can�t tell the difference in the balls but he can. He likes to push it under the couch so he can get us to get it out for him. The excitement of seeing his ball come out from under the couch is pure joy for him. We have a broom stick under there to make it easy. On occasion he has manipulated the broom stick to get his ball out himself! Tex loves belly rubs and snuggling on the couch. Tex would rather stay inside with us than go outside with Zoe and chase the squirrels.

Jake could care less about balls UNLESS he wants to pester his brother. Once he has the ball he comes to us and gets between our legs for protection! Jake loves going outside with Zoe and chase the squirrels and the deer. We have as many as 70 deer in the back every evening and he loves to see them run. Jake loves attention of any kind. He loves to lay on the couch with us, or just to lay his head in our lap.

Both of the boys love going in the car. We recently purchased a new vehicle which we call the GUV which stands for the Golden Utility Vehicle. We make trips to our place in Bastrop for the weekend and they just think it is awesome. We take them to the Nature Center for long walks on the weekends and then let them cool off in the Cibolo Creek. Every time we go out the front door, they check all the cars and the truck to see if there is a door or window open so they can go. Sometimes, we just take them for a ride around the block because they love it so much!

Recently, we have been letting them go to the barn with us in the evening when it is time to close up the chicken coop. Yes, we have chickens and only one time did we see a golden run across the yard with a chicken in his mouth and fortunately, the chicken was unharmed. It�s taken some time but recently we have been able to take them with us to the barn and they leave the chickens alone! We have baby chickens under lights in the garage and both of the boys check on them every time we go outside. Not once have them offered to hurt them!

They love the miniature horses and especially the babies when they are running and playing. They like to rub noses with them through the fence and give them an occasional lick!

We are so blessed to have Tex and Jake and can�t imagine our life without them. They are so precious to us and we love them very much and so does Zoe. A special thank you to Tex and Jake�s foster mom Kelly for allowing us the opportunity to adopt these two precious boys.

Just wanted to let you know how I'm doing now that I've been in my forever home a year and a half. Mom and I have been having lots of fun adventures this spring. We went camping on the beach on Matagorda Island, where I had a blast chasing my ball into the waves and trying to dig up crabs. I wanted to live there forever in our tent, but Mom said it would be too expensive to get food delivered every day. Food is Very Important. We also went out and played in the bluebonnets with our friends, and we went on a canoe trip where I learned about staying still in the boat so it wouldn't tip. In a couple of weeks we're going on a Really Long Car Ride to Tennessee. I've never been there but it sounds cool! I've learned to get excited whenever Mom goes into her special gear closet and starts pulling stuff out... usually it means we're about to go do something awesome.

In between adventures I like to play with my kitty brother Shasta, chew my Nylabone, watch shows on Animal Planet, and go for walks near our house where there have been a lot of deer lately. Life is good!

This is Saya whom we adopted in 2000 and is now turning 11 in May. As I saw GBGRR was celebrating 10 years, I realized we were one of the lucky ones to be gifted by our group early on. As you can see, Saya now has a sister Lucy the Pug and we are not living in Seattle. The puppies are enjoying the sun on one of our first sunny spring days.

Just had to update you on our wonderful girl and thank you for all of the joy she has brought us over the years.

LuLu wants everyone at Golden Beginnings that she has fully recovered from her skin allergies and wants to brag about her full lustrous burnt orange coat.

Her skin and coat are a reflection of how much she has changed in the six months since I picked her up. She seemingly gets more and more energy and has me worried as to whether I will be able to keep up with her. She doesn't like to fetch, so she takes me on loooooong walks. Now that spring is here, I hope to get her to taking interested in swimming. She hasn't shown any desire to go swimming, but she does like to splash around which is a vast improvement from her first introduction to Town Lake. I am betting that she will love the water once she realizes that she is not getting a bath!!!

She has a boyfriend that I foster on weekends. The Texas Hearing and Service Dogs organization here in Austin allows the dogs in training to go to a foster home on the weekends - to give them a break from the stress of being in a kennel. I could sit and watch Duke (a small Yellow lab) and LuLu for hours.

Once again, I want to thank everyone at Golden Beginnings for all of the hard work you do. And especially to Mike Patterson for placing LuLu with me although I live in Austin, and to Jeff Paul for fostering her through her tough times.

Just to let you know, Leo is one great dog, no problems to report, he loves sleeping with Claudia, they both love it, he never leaves her bed until morning. He and the girls did a lot of swimming until this cold front and he loves it. They jump in and he jumps right in behind them. No problems with the other dogs (Doberman, Airedale and Silky Terrier). They all play together and Leo is getting especially close to our Airedale, Bentley."

Today is Tatum's second birthday. We went to the beach yesterday where she got to roll on a dead bird of some kind. She said it was the birthday present ever!

I was saddened to learn about Macy crossing over to the Rainbow Bridge. I know that both you and Mike were saddened by this news also. I saw on the website the picture of Toby and thought I would send Louie's 1st birthday picture. Our latest adoptee Lizzy is at his side. Louie just weighed in at 87 lbs., which was down from the 90 lbs. he previously weighed. Had to cut him back on food even though his doctor said he was just right.

Thanks for all you and Mike did for Macy and her puppies. I know everyone who adopted one of the puppies appreciate all your efforts.

Dana Gazelle

2/15/09

Koa Medeiros would like to wish his seven brothers and sisters a very HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY!!! It was one year ago today Macy and Toby had a beautiful litter of eight puppies, assisted by Kathy Harvey and Cil Henson. Today at PetSmart he weighed in at 85.3 lbs and hasn't even STARTED filling in yet...he's all legs, is rapidly catching up with big brother Louie, and looks just like his daddy.

Just wanted to send some pictures of Ranger (previously Bruno). He's settled in just fine and is beginning to bond with his new sister. They act just like brother and sister. Sometimes I find them laying right next to each other and other times they pester each other until one gets mad and says enough is enough! We've just started working on some training seeing Ranger needs to learn some manners. He likes to be right in your face if you have any food and he refuses to lay down unless he wants to. We really want to thank you for allowing us to add Ranger to our family. He's such a loving and sweet guy.

Sorry it has taken so long to get you some pictures of Buck (Redford). As you can see from the photos, he is quite comfortable in his new setting.

Whether it is lounging on our furniture, running in the woods next to our house, chewing on dog bones, walking with Jennie or being loved on for countless hours in the day, he truly has found a new "home". He does get quite sad when Jennie leaves (she is his favorite). Perhaps there are some feelings of abandonment which he is dealing with, but when Jennie returns he usually gets lots of love. Thank you to Golden Beginnings. Another success story to share with your extended Golden Retriever family!

Just wanted to send you some pictures and let you know Marley is doing great! He is definitely the sweetest and smartest dog I have ever met! We all absolutely adore him! I can't believe how easygoing he is and how well he gets along with everyone, including Chrissy and Miskey (the yorkie and the cat).

Thank you so much for all you did for him. He was the best Christmas present ever!

Ginger had a great trip to Missouri and once again adapted quite well to the life of a country dog with no leashes or fences. But, she seemed really happy to be back in Houston last night and to see her friends next door. She spends each day with the next door neighbor who has 3 dogs. Ginger truly is a wonderful dog � I am so glad you let me adopt her. This picture was taken in Missouri with Ginger's stepsisters - Shasta and Tahoe (2 Rescue Goldens) and Ginger (she is the one with her head on my knee).

Well, Melvin spent his first night here at the house and he slept through the night on his new bed in our bedroom. As I suspected, the cats weren't all that pleased to see him. I think it going to take a few days for everyone to get used to each other. Melvin is such a sweetie. He'll sit with you as long as you keep petting him. In the middle of the night, he got up once and came over to me at the side of the bed. I tried to coax him up but he didn't want to, which was OK with Shirley. Also, I think he is missing Joanie and the dogs a little bit.

I think our boy is adapting real well to his new surroundings. He is the most loveable animal I have ever been around. While I'm typing this email he's laying her next to me in the TV room. Melvin and the cats seem to be getting along fine. The old cat just keeps his distance and the young cat has been buddying up to him. I think we are going to get Champ sometime near the end of November. Before that, I'm going to try to arrange for Melvin and I to visit him at Kelley's house.

Happy Thanksgiving Ladies! I know that you are all probably tired of getting updates from me but Iʼm just so happy with my two new boys and want to tell somebody. The boys have been together just less than a week and each day they seem to bond together a little closer. The old cat, who doesn't have any claws, attacked Champ the first night and Champ took off running to the other side of the house. Nobody got hurt, just a lot of hissing from the old cat and Champ yelped like he was shot, but the cat never touched him. Neither Champ or Melvin want to have anything to do with the cats and they both seem to give them their space. Confrontations occur when one of the dogs and the old cat happen to be going around a corner and come face to face. Another week or so and I think everyone will be settled in.

Champ is just as gentle as Melvin but is very skittish. He is afraid of men walking toward him and the second night home I was changing in my closet and took off my belt and Champ took off running. My guess is that, in his past life, a man whipped on him some. We are working every day to get him comfortable with us. I'm constantly on the floor with both of them but neither wants to rough house, they just want to lay by me and have me pet them. I took the two of them into our walk in shower this morning and gave them both a bath, Melvin just walked into the shower but Champ had to be encouraged some. Shirley and I took the boys for a short walk yesterday and Champ wanted to walk right next to Melvin the whole time.

I've attached a couple of pictures of the boys. Melvin is the one with the tennis ball and the new teeth! We have had the boys together now about a month and they are big buddies. Melvin has emerged as "the boss", believe it or not. They have been eating together for quite some time now and they are wrestling like old pals. Melvin is the most social animal that I have ever been around. Champ is still shy. Our bedroom is his comfort zone. I think its going to take a while, but we're patient so we'll eventually bring him around. Shirley takes them for a walk every day and they both just love it. When they see the leashes coming out they go nuts!

I'm so happy that these two guys found me! I hope to see you both at the next fund raising event!

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas! We�re really enjoying Charlie (changed his name from �Jolly�). He�s starting to get along well with our two older dogs, and is such a mellow fellow, especially for a puppy. We took him to the vet on Tuesday for his second set of puppy shots and another deworming. The vet and her assistants fell in love with with Charlie, and said he was such a polite, handsome little guy. He currently weighs in at 21 pounds. He goes back for follow-up in 3-4 weeks, and our vet said she expects that at that time he�ll weigh about 35 pounds! We�ll be starting training in the next two weeks or so.

I just wanted to wish you a merry Christmas and happy 2009! I am attaching a picture of us with Cricket/Honey :) One of our friends took it this past weekend. She is so much fun. The name suits her - she leaps straight up into the air when she's excited. More like a kangaroo, actually. We're trying to break her of this habit, but it's very funny to watch!

Cricket goes back to the vet in a week, but I know she has already grown. She has adjusted nicely to our routines and she is a fantastic walker! I am so thankful she came along :)

I hope you're doing well! Just wanted to pass along our latest picture...the cold weather really perks Lucy's energy up! She needs 2 walks on days like today! She was so playful today she was 'dancing' around with me in the room then all of the sudden bounced up (for the first time ever) onto my bed! Like "Haha, aren't I cute?" I was so surprised she did it instead of scolding her (like I probably should have) I took pictures with my cell phone. Hopefully I haven't encouraged something! My cat got in on the act and I got a pretty cute and rare photo of them together, hard to do! Seconds after the picture, I think Lucy got bored or remembered she wasn't supposed to be up there and jumped down.

Joy has taken our house by storm and everyone has fallen in love with her, especially our granddaughters. She follows me around, step-for-step, and is the sweetest dog ever. She gets along with her new brother, Gumbo (formerly Grant - 2005), and they are now almost inseparable. Joy still takes her thyroid medicine and has gotten really active and playful. She loves her new toys, but doesn't like to share them yet. She also loves her new doggy-door and hanging out by the pool - although she built up a lot of momentum and went swimming the other day - pretty chilly! Also, as you can see, both of them enjoy their naps, especially on the couch.

They both sleep in our bedroom in their beds and go to bed in the evening without being told. They let me know when it is time for breakfast or dinner, usually with cold noses.

These dogs are a gift - the love and smiles they bring are priceless! Thank you Ty, Mike, Cil and all the volunteers at Golden Beginnings for making them possible! You are all doing very special work with these remarkable creatures!

Finnegan and his new Irish pal Sheena posing for Christmas card pictures, and Finnegan with Mickey, one of his new people. Finny is our Christmas gift to each other this year, and he has been an endless source of entertainment. He wants to be petted and loved on all the time when he isn't playing with Sheena or getting into mischief.

Buddy has settled right in. He is a wonderful dog. We're all just crazy about him and he has a super-cute personality to go along with his super-cute face. He is mixed with something very long and lean and he can fold up those long legs and look pretty small. He loves to grab other dog's leashes in his mouth and it's hilarious!

I'm taking him to class at My Dog & Me even though he behaves really well for a guy who doesn't know any commands. I'm hoping to get him certified as a therapy dog eventually.

I'm acting like the proud mama and showing off pictures of my two GBGRR dogs, Haley (adopted in 2003) and Emma Sue (AKA Gracie) now almost 7 months.

Haley remains the sweetest and most patient dog of all time. Emma Sue, on the other hand, is happy being the alpha dog and has no patience whatsoever. She keeps me laughing and wears me out!

Thank you for all the time and effort that GBGRR invests to care for and place these beautiful animals. You have blessed so many families.

Our little girl is doing SO well!! Our walks are about 1.5 miles and we have been jogging for about the first 8 minutes or so. I ran another thyroid test on her last Friday and the results actually came back on the high end of normal. I am going to keep her on the same thyroxine dose....the dose your doc had her on was low to begin with....its usually .10mg per 10 lbs twice a day so she should have had .9 2x a day. I guess she was borderline so they decided to put her on the low dose. Now for the GOOD NEWS!!!! She hopped on the scale yesterday and her weight was 84 lbs!!! YAY!!! I've been thinking about training her for therapy work. I've taken her to the nursing home to see my great aunt and the old folks love her!! Last night she showed her protective side when she thought a man was too close to us. It was dark when we walked and we were staying at James' apartment. The guy tried to approach us and his body language said something she didn't like. It was kinda scary because she meant business! I can't remember if I told you but her and the kitties are getting along really well. She sleeps on her bed beside mine and Houdini will curl up with her :) Hope all is well with you and your new foster! I will send pics soon!!

Brady is doing great. He is such a great addition to the family. It has been so fun watching him open up and show us his personality. When he first moved in, he really didn't play very much. Now he has this frog that is his new best friend forever. He loves to play and play and play. Allie takes him to the dog park every day and runs with him. Jim takes him to the farm all the time. He thinks he owns the place.

Kathy & Mike,

Thought I would send you a recent picture of Louie so you could see how he has grown. He is almost 6 months old (next week) and weighed in about 3 weeks ago at 63 pounds. We are sure that he is probably getting, or has reached, 70 pounds by now. He is a handful, especially since he was the most quiet of the litter, but he makes us laugh. He is a bundle of energy and wants to go all the time. We let him go to doggie day camp (gives his mom a break) every week so he can socialize with other dogs plus it wears him out. He learned at a very young age to ring a bell I put at the back door when he needed to go out and this has been wonderful. It is amazing how quickly he picks things up. He has completed puppy dog training and knows many commands.

He is great about doing them when there is a treat involved, but not so eager to perform when there is not a treat available. I just bought him an agility jump and we will start working on that. I don't want to set the bar too high and him get so good at it that he jumps the fence.....! We missed seeing you guys at the picnic this year. It was great seeing some of the other puppies from the litter. Ty and Louie looked so much alike. Hope you are both doing well.

Dana and Tony G.

7/26/08

Sam really enjoys getting into the water tub that we have in the back yard, after retrieving the ball several times. He is so funny�.He is a clown most of the time and so good at minding. I started teaching him today to pick up the paper and bring it into the house. Sugar has scolded him a few times, but what is so funny is he kind of looks at her like �what�s your problem�. We get the biggest kick out of them�and we have nicknamed him �Samstein� you know as in Einstein because he is so smart.

Hi my name is Alex and I just wanted to show off with my new mom Susan. After gaining a few pounds and going through heartworm treatment, I am doing great. I love to play ball with her but still need some work on giving my toy up. It is so much more fun playing keep away. Anyway, mom said we will work on that. She also said they have a swimming pool I can play in. What fun!!! Mom said she will send more pictures later so that everyone can see how we are doing.

Just wanted to give you an update on Mayda and Jackson (Kamir). We got Mayda (the blondie) back in February and Jackson (the red one) earlier this month, both from Golden Beginnings. Mayda is still a sweet, cuddly little girl. All she wants in life is to be loved and can never be close enough to you. Jack is pretty passive and is content with a pat or two, then wants to lay back down on the cool tile. He's constantly wagging his tail, even if he's bringing you something in his mouth like a tennis shoe, seat cushion, or eye glasses (working on that!), or getting in trouble for breaking out of his kennel like he did this week! He truly hates that thing. Luckily we were only gone about an hour and he only managed to get his mouth on a pen. As a pair, the two of them have quickly become best friends. They love to wrestle and play tug-of-war. They follow each other around the house and enjoy running figure 8's as they chase each other in the backyard around the shed and the deck. They both dislike water (you should see Mayda in the rain or trying to maneuver around the sprinkler. It's hilarious...and you can forget about the pool!)and are a little bit clueless when it comes to retrieving a ball. Jack will bring it back sometimes but Mayda likes to run after it, put it in her mouth, then drop it before running back to you as if saying "yay for me I can chase it!!" We love them both and are pleased that they get along so well with each other. The temperament of Golden Retrievers has far surpassed our expectations and we just couldn't be happier. I highly recommend this breed to anyone looking for the perfect dog! Thank you Glen and Cil for leading us to Mayda and Jack, and for everything all the volunteers do for the organization.

Dear Everyone at Golden Beginnings,

I wanted to write and let you know how our goldens are doing. We have three now. We wish we could have more! Suezy, whom we adopted in 2004 is the matriarch of the family. She is the queen of all she see's. Buster, whom we adopted in 2006 is the big love bug. He would rather be in your lab - all 80 pounds of him - than anything. Our newest, Alfie (adopted 2007), is a bundle of energy and he give Buster a run for his money. They are all very happy dogs and we love them more that anything. Here are a couple of pictures of Buster in his new bed, in Daddy's lap and playing with the puppy.

Thanks for all the work you do. I look forward each week to your website and seeing who has found a home.

I am writing to thank Golden Beginnings for bringing Blair into our lives and especially to Nancy Hui for taking such good care of her as she transitioned from the shelter to her forever home. She is such a precious, sweet dog and has brought us so much joy already. We adopted her on June 1, 2008, just as she was finishing heartworm treatment. She was a little nervous at first, but settled into her new home quickly and has us all wrapped around her finger (except her 14 year old cat sister Chloe, who continues to maintain she's Queen of the House!). Chloe hissed at Blair a few times, which terrified her - she wouldn't walk past Chloe in the hallway even if doing so was necessary to get to her mom! But, Chloe and Blair have settled in to a good relationship now and Blair will find Chloe out back and try to corral her into the house when I ask "where's Chloe?" Blair continues her obsession with squirrels, even trying to climb trees to get a closer look! She loves her morning walks with her mom and her evening walks with her dad. One of her favorite parts of her walks, other than squirrel hunting, is finding a puddle to suddenly lay down in with no warning! She also loves her weekly "play date" at her Mimi's house, where she hangs out with Mimi and her chocolate lab cousin Savannah. Mimi has very few rules and spoils the girls to no end! I've enclosed a few pictures - as you can seek Blair LOVES her stuffed toys, especially her pheasant. She prances around the yard with him, catches him in the air, and loves rolling on her back and kicking her legs in the air, all with the pheasant in her mouth!

Just thought I would check in and see how you were doing and give you an update on Riley. He is still working his heart out and loving every minute. Also, at the National Narcotic Detection Dog Association Annual Conference in Jackson, MS in April this year Riley and I won first place in the private sector competition. It was based on the most finds in a 2 minute time period. You can go to the NNDDA website and you will see our names for the competition results. We held our own against the law enforcement standings but they don�t count that as official. Anyway, just thought you would get a kick out the info. Hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend. Please keep us in mind if you have any candidates for working dogs. Stay cool this summer.

We just wanted to update all the angels at Golden Beginning who brought Astro into our lives. It�s been three years since we were lucky enough to get our beloved Astro. His unconditional love and dedication makes him such a wonderful part of our family. Since coming into our home he now spends his days catching tennis balls which we hit to him with a tennis racquet, swimming in the pool and playing with his two golden sisters Goldie and Cali. We want to thank his foster family from The Woodlands for introducing him to us and bringing him into our lives.

Hi there,

Just wanted to update GBGRR about Bailey who we adopted this past Fall in Lufkin. As you can see by the pictures she is just enjoying the pool parties. She found her favorite pool toy and won't let it go. Her special puppy is now the biggest in the bunch and but he is still her baby. Even jump on her in the pool.

Ron and Jan

6/21/08

Its been a while and the Boys Barton and Mookie (Maverick) had to write and share a few photos. They told me that they wanted there photos on your page of GREAT homes to live in .. so as a good dad I have attached them .

Barton also wanted you to all know that he makes a few trips to the nursing homes with Dr. and helps her as a treatment dog. They all get to pet and love on him, which from what I've heard he eats it up..

They love the 40 acres they run with there border collie buddy Cowboy and love the lake then walk in and play. but they really like the little plastic pool at the side of the house

Guy Crump

5/25/08

Jack wanted to give everyone at GBGRR an update on how he's adjusting to his new forever home. Jack came to his forever home while he was finishing his heartworm treatment. Those first 3 weeks of confinement and no play-time with his new furry siblings was very hard for Jackie-boy. The day before the Golden Beginnings picnic, we received the good news that Jack is heartworm free, so the picnic was truly his debutante ball. He enjoyed cooling off, both in the drinking buckets and in the pond.

Boudreaux, Jack's border collie mix older brother, has become a younger dog with Jack around to keep him active. He loves to encourage Jack to chase him and Jack willingly obliges! Although neither of the boys likes sharing his toys, they have become fast friends. Jack also has two strange furry housemates called "cats." After receiving a few swats to the ear and eye, Jack quickly learned a healthy respect for the 20 pound tomcat. However, the 7 pound female still really, really looks - and sounds! - like a squeaky toy. Jack loves to lick her, maybe a little more aggressively than she'd prefer, but she has begun to sleep on top of his crate and venture in for kisses when Jack is sleepy and calm.

Thank you to everyone at Golden Beginnings, especially Jennifer, Aaron and Jim, for giving Jack and all of us a true Golden Beginning!

Update on Katelyn, now known as Katie Spaulding. We adopted Katie from you in November 2006. I can't tell you how much she has blessed our family. As you can see from some of her photos, she has grown to be a very happy dog. She loves to play with our other Golden, Olive, and is just all and all a wonderful dog. We love her so much. She's added years of life to us and to Olive. When we first adopted Katie, she would bolt at the first sign of escape; however, we quickly learned the magic word to stop her in her dead in her tracks...COOKIE! She loves to eat and has the poundage now to prove it. Thanks for everything.

I have a brag for one of our former GBGRR girls. Keeley, was pulled from a shelter in Louisiana & fostered with Stacy & Barbara ( I think) for a short time before finding her forever home. She was terribly thin & malnourished when we took her in. She was adopted by Lois W. & trained in agility. She still has some eyesight issues but is doing wonderful in agility. She has earned her MACH which is Master Agility Championship ... it's a big deal in agility. She also qualified to compete at the AKC National Agility Championship competition held in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Only 219 dogs in the country qualified to compete in her class. Out of the 219 dogs, mostly border collies, our Keeley placed 47th !!!!! I am so very proud of her!!

I thought would send a couple pictures of Louie. He has really come out of his shell.....running all around the house and getting into everything he can find. He is a definite love though. We get plenty of laughs watching him. He kept trying to get on the couch so decided would put a little step stool in front of sofa and teach him to get up by himself. Well it only took 2 times and 2 treats for him to learn this. Now he just comes up whenever he wants.

Hope you are getting the chance to enjoy some peace and quiet now that all the puppies have gone to their new homes.�

Muffin, now known as Lucy, went to her "forever home" early as her new mom Vivian agreed to foster her through heartworm treatment. The treatment was tough on her, but she's over it now and doing great. She loves her new brother Shasta the kitten-- they enjoy wrestling and cuddling together. She also loves hiking, camping, playing on the beach, and of course swimming-- water draws her like a magnet! She's lost a healthy amount of weight on fit'n'trim dog food, but still gets occasional treats-- tuna is her favorite food ever! Opening a can (to split with Shasta) starts a small riot.

Lucy and her new family are having a great time together and look forward to a long and happy future.

Hi! We just wanted to tell you thank you again for allowing us to adopt Yukon. It has been almost three years since he came into our lives and he remains the CENTER of our home. We all ADORE him more than words can say. He truly completed our family. Before Yukon there was a piece missing that was filled when he came into our home.

He gets attention and love all day, someone is usually home with him, talking to him and loving on him the majority of the time. He loves to play ball in the open lot across from our house and go on walks around the neighborhood or at a local wooded park.

He is the world's BEST dog! He is SO well behaved and patient and sweet. He visits the kids classrooms and the teachers love to have him come because he is so calm with the children.

He does nothing wrong.... he does not counter surf (or even take food when my kids leave it down on the floor!) or go out the door without being told it is ok... he comes when he is called... he is simply the best.... we love him more than words can say...we all think our hearts might burst with the love we have for this sweet boy and every night we count him in the blessings bestowed on our family.

Mike,

Wanted to send you a few photos of Kramer. He is doing SO well! He has settled into his new home pretty easily.

The highlight of his day is jumping into the pool. While he is not a swimmer yet, he loves to bask in the sun and cool water on the sundeck of the pool. He is very smart and has been learning lots of new commands at obedience school. He has even learned how to be confident when he goes on a walk. He has made such huge strides in learning about the world outside of our backyard. We also learned that he is very entertained by shadows on the floor. He spends much of his evening pouncing on shadows from fans, people moving, and especially his own shadow. We are constantly amused by his antics. He has truly lived up to being a typical velcro golden. He is my shadow all day, every day.

I can't believe it has already been 6 weeks! It seems like he has been a part of our family forever. We are so thankful that he came into our lives. Thank you so much for setting us up to meet him. He truly is the perfect addition to our family.

Jenna B.

3/2/08

I just wanted to touch base and give you all an update on my Annie, (Sandi). Annie is doing wonderful, she has blossomed so much in the 51/2 months since I adopted her. At first she was shy and easily frightened, but now she has relaxed, and bonded with me so well. I think she knows she is safe and loved very much. She no longer jumps at sudden noises or movements, and the kitchen has now become a room she is not longer leary of entering. This is this relaxed calmness and contentment to her now. And I swear to you, she smiles at me, HONEST!! Annie has the most expressive face.

I'm not sure how she was treated in her past, but she has come a long way in a short time. She is definitely my Velcro girl, but that is just fine with me :). My family all adore her. When they come to visit she gets all the hugs and tummy rubs she wants.

I just want to say a heart felt "Thank You" for bringing this wonderful girl into my life. She has rought so much love and happiness to me.

Sometime in the future, closer to the summer I plan to adopt a second "Golden" so you will be hearing from me soon. Annie has gone to Doggie Day Camp so I could see how well she does with other dogs and she loves her time there, so I feel adopting a second Golden would be a positive for her.

Again, thank each one of you for the wonderful work you do, you are all very special people.

Kay Z.

2/6/08

Just wanted to pass along a short update on Allie. She proudly wore her Mardi Gras costume and walked in the Krewe of Barkus Parade in Galveston on Sunday afternoon.

News from Cody

Just thought I'd send a New Year's note to let you all know that Cody is doing so well� it's like he's been part of the family for years!

Wishing you both a great and "Golden" New Year!

Curtis L.

1/1/08

I just wanted to say a special thank you to Golden Beginnings for my two precious boys - today was Max's one year birthday of joining the family. When I picked my little red cutie up last year, I had no idea that my first foster was going to be my best "failure"- although I'm pretty sure Max, from the way he laid his head in my lap when we first met, knew he'd found his mommy. He and Dakota (his 2 year birthday is coming up!) bring such happiness to me, and always put a big smile on my face. Cil, thank you so much for finding Max for me, and thank you for letting me keep him!

I just can't imagine getting along without my dear pups, and I know that everyone else who has a Golden thinks the same thing - it just hit me again today how important helping these wonderful dogs is - not just for the sweethearts themselves, but for the tremendous joy they will bring to the family they complete!

"What appears to be the end may really be a Golden Beginning!"