CAUTION: Chicken Jerky Treats

The FDA continues to warn pet owners about illnesses associated with certain chicken jerky/strip treats.  There has been an increase of illnesses associated with feeding dogs these treats.  Warning signs include decreased appetite; decreased activity; vomiting; diarrhea, sometimes with blood; increased water consumption and/or increased urination.  If you dog shows any of these symptoms after being fed one of these treats, please consult your veterinarian.

The FDA has been warning pet owners about these treats for over three years now.  A rise in illnesses has prompted them to re-release these warnings.

The FDA press release can be read here.

Dancing with Goldens

Start your weekend with a smile!

Golden Retriever goes fishing!

We came across this great newspaper article regarding Becky, a five year old Golden Retriever from Suffolk who went swimming and ended up with the catch of the day!  Click on the picture below to read this great article!

Tony Smith, 71, and his best friend, Becky.

Membership Drive!

In 2011, AZGRC was able to help out 80 Golden Retrievers - this includes, rescuing, caring for, and finding "forever homes".  This wouldn't be possible without our members!  October is the time to renew your membership, or if you want to be part of rescuing a special pup, becoming a first time member!

This ottoman made possible by the people who love me!

Becoming a member has never been easier!  Follow this link, AZGRC Membership, and enroll on-line.  2012 promises to be a wonderful year for AZGRC!

A special gift...

Mom, Dad and two handsome, kind-hearted boys.  Add a golden retriever plus a house with a big yard, a pool and lots of grass.  That may sound like the ingredients for a perfect American family.  But it just gets better.  Mom, Shannon, is a pilot for US Airways.  Dad, Dennis, is a flight crew training instructor for the Airbus aircraft – the same plane that Shannon flies.

Two remarkable young men make it an even better story.  The boys are Benjamin, who turns 6 in September and Timothy, who turned 8 in July.  They’re Cub Scouts who love Legos, Matchbox cars and golden retrievers. 

For several years, Benjamin and Timothy have been enjoying a shared birthday bash in between their birthdays.  This year, they asked for donations to Arizona Golden Retriever Connection (AZGRC.org) instead of gifts. 

Why?  Timothy said it’s because they have a Golden Retriever, Casey, who is really neat.

How neat?

“Casey is a search and rescue golden,” Benjamin said.  “We take her to training, we go camping and she goes on missions.”

They just got back from a training weekend.  Timothy and Benjamin make their rounds walking and playing with the dogs when the dogs are not in training.  They each had lots to say about some of Casey’s canine buddies.

Dennis, the boys’ father, originally got Casey to be his duck hunting partner but she liked to play with the ducks, not retrieve and release them.  Sensing her keen desire to work and be rewarded, Dennis started working with her in search and rescue training.  In addition to being a flight crew training instructor, Dennis is a Qualified Armed Posse Volunteer with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.

Casey has two specialties:  air scent training to track and trail a missing person and cadaver training to find a dead person.  Now 11, Casey has celebrated several “saves” and “finds” and she shows no signs of slowing down. 

“Casey is the only golden retriever on Dad’s search and rescue team,” Timothy said.

Shannon was flying on the day we met to learn more about the boys and why they opted to sacrifice the usual birthday gift bonanza and asked for donations to AZGRC.

“For the past 3 years they have decided to ask their friends and family to donate to a cause they enjoy instead of bringing gifts,” Shannon said in an email.  “They are two very lucky boys who have a much greater need to help others than to receive another toy – and they know this.”

“This is the first time they have chosen Arizona Golden Retriever Connection but we have supported your organization for several years, purchasing your calendars and giving them as gifts.  As a family, we truly believe in AZGRC, but have been thus far unable to foster or adopt one of your dogs,” Shannon explained.

About 30 kids and several adults attended Timothy and Benjamin’s July 23 party.  There was a Lego piñata, complete with candy and Legos.  They also held a prize contest to guess how many Legos were in a bucket (more than 900!) and enjoyed cake, goodies and lots of splashing in the pool. 

Why did they choose AZGRC?  “Because a lot of people don’t know about golden retrievers,” Benjamin said.

“We have a lot of toys already,” Timothy added.

Both boys seemed genuinely surprised that their generosity would be inspiring to others.  It made perfect sense to them.  And it makes perfect sense to the dogs who will benefit from Timothy and Benjamin’s generosity.  To date, the boys have raised enough to microchip about 20 new intakes.

AZGRC's Forever Golden Estates Winery

This is your last chance to help your 'top' dog become an AZGRC's Forever Golden Estates Winery dog.  Voting will close at 12:01 am on August 16th so you need to hurry.  6 of these 'top' dogs will be on our labels for the 2nd edition of AZGRC's Forever Golden Estates Winery wines in October 2011.  The 6 finialist will end up as our Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec "stars".

Click here to cast your vote!

   

NOTICE - Merrick Pet Care Recall

Merrick Pet Care, Inc. of Amarillo, Texas is recalling a single lot of its Doggie Wishbone pet treat ( ITEM # 29050, UPC # 2280829050, Lot 11031 Best By 30 Jan 2013 ) because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Merrick Pet Care has made the decision to recall the Doggie Wishbone pet treats in the abundance of caution. 248 cases of this lot were manufactured and shipped to distributors in 10 states. Those distributors have been notified.

To read the full article, please click here.