Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Tomich, Scotland - The History Of the Golden Retriever Part 1.

Tomich, Scotland is very important in the history of the Golden Retriever.  In a sturdy kennel nestled in the fields of this quiet town, puppies were born that would become the stepping stone for our beloved breed.  There is little on the internet about Tomich, but one gets the feeling that it has quietly been swept into the surrounding towns, holding on to the little bit of autonomy it can.

The history of the Golden Retriever is colorful. 

"In 1865, Lord Tweedmouth purchased a yellow retriever "Nous" from an unregistered litter of otherwise black Wavy-Coated Retrievers. Nous was later bred with "Belle", a Tweed Water Spaniel, and the resulting litter produced four bitches that were instrumental to his breeding program. One of them, "Cowslip," he bred back to for over twenty years. Over the years, several outcrosses, to black Wavy Coated Retrievers, an Irish Setter, and later a sandy-colored Bloodhound occurred as he sought to improve and fix his new breed. The coat textures of the Goldens of this time reportedly varied, as did the color, which ranged from fox red to light cream." (Text provided from K9Web)

Lord Tweedsmouth Estate, as seen today:
Oddly enough, the kennel buildings are in good shape!

An article on the Golden Retriever Club of America's website allows readers to see this grand estate and surrounding villages as it is today.  Click here to read the article.

We will continue the history of the Golden Retriever in following posts! 

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Winners!

The winners have been announced in the People Saving Pets™ "My Magnificent Adopted Pet Online Contest."   AZGRC's Polly has been awarded 2nd place!  Click here to read all about her.

Golden's Explain Math

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Bowl-A-Rama

When:  Saturday, August 6th 2011
Time:  AZGRC will be bowling from 8:30 to 11:30am
Where
AMF Scottsdale Lanes
7300 E Thomas Road
Scottsdale, AZ  85251
What is Bowl-A-Rama?
From PACC911 Website -  
PACC911’s Bowl-A-Rama for Animal Rescue has proven to be a fantastic and much needed fundraiser for the animal community. This one-of-a-kind event, conceived by board member Eileen Proctor, allows the individual groups with limited resources, a chance to raise “big bucks” at no cost to them! All money collected by each group remains with that group! At the same time, PACC911 solicits for sponsorships for the event, thus supporting our Emergency Medical Fund! Together over the past 8 years, over $1 million has been raised to help the animals of our community.

PACC911 is committed to continuing this high-energy event on the first Saturday of August for years to come! In fact, the first Saturday of August is officially Bowl-A-Rama for Animal Rescue Day, as proclaimed by the Governor of Arizona, and the Mayors of Phoenix and Scottsdale.

The goal of Bowl-A-Rama for Animal Rescue is two-fold. Not only is a much needed fundraiser for the local rescue community, but also an opportunity to raise much needed awareness for important animal issues during the summer heat when it is virtually impossible to conduct outdoor activities. Despite raising over $1,578,000 in its first 8 years, (over 95% of which went directly to the participating animal welfare organizations, as well as to the EMF Program for emergency veterinary costs for animals in their care) the need for Bowl-A-Rama is greater than ever.

On behalf of the animals that will benefit from 2011 Bowl-A-Rama, we ask you to make your most generous contribution. Help us achieve our goals! Do it for the animals!
What can you do to help?
AZGRC still needs help of reaching this years goal of $13,000.  To lend a hand (or a paw!), simply click on here and choose one of this years Bowl-A-Rama Goldens.  Authur, Homer and Simon need your help.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Celebrate a Safe 4th of July

July 4th is a time to celebrate with parties, fireworks, friends and family; a great time to enjoy all the freedom we so enjoy. While we are celebrating, many of our pets are panicking. Even the most stable, social dog can be sent into mild anxiety or into a full blown panic attack. From home fireworks, to professional fireworks and here in Arizona...lots of gun shots; our pets are under attack (so it feels like to them).
There are more lost dogs and cats on the fourth of July than on any other single day of the year, rescue shelters report on average a spike of three times the amount of lost pets on this holiday. Many of these pets are never reunited with their families again.
Here are some tips to help your pet with this stressful holiday:
-Easiest and simplest thing to keep them safe is to keep them indoors
-Play soothing music or have the TV on to provide a buffer to the outdoor noise
-Be sure that your pet is wearing correct ID tags
-Be sure your pet is microchipped
-Do not take them to a fireworks display
If this is your first 4th of July with your dog we recommend foregoing the fireworks this year and celebrate with your pup at home so you can observe how he/she responds to the noise.
If your dog has already showed signs of severe anxiety to loud noises or on previous 4th of July holidays, consider consulting with your veterinarian regarding anti-anxiety medications.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Why we love Golden's!

Some of you may have seen this video already, but it is good enough to see again!