Welcome To RAGOM
Want to Adopt?
If you would like to adopt one of our wonderful Golden Retrievers, please follow the steps for the adoption process here.
Golden
Features
Jazz07591
Jazz #07-591
Jazz is our honorary Golden Feature. He is a 6 year old Golden mix that loves attention. He listens to commands, and is eager to please. Jazz loves to go for walks and hang around the house with you. He would love to be an only dog to the right family. Jazz has been fine with the foster's cat, who is very laid back. Jazz actually seems to love the cat.
Please ask to see this sweet boy and make him part of your family. Jazz
Golden
Sponsorship Opportunity
Matteo 08-192
Matteo #08-192
Matteo is a 12 month old Golden Retriever who has had some tough breaks in his young life. Matteo came into RAGOM with a bad kennel cough and extremely underweight. It is suspected that Matteo was beaten and abused in his past, so Matteo has been working with his foster family on learning to trust humans. In the one month Matteo has been in RAGOM foster care he has been fighting off kennel cough, working on gaining weight, and learning to live with humans who love him. If you are interested in sponsoring a dog, please consider Matteo.
What's Coming Up
RAGOM
Education Booth

Saturday
May 17th
11 am - 2 pm
PetCo in Maple Grove
8010 Wedgewood Lane
Maple Grove, MN. 55369
(763) 420-5230
PetCo in Maple Grove Flyer

Please stop by and visit with us. We would love to tell you all about RAGOM.
For more upcoming RAGOM events, please visit our Calendar
Save the Date
RAGOM
Picnic 2008

Mark your calendars for the RAGOM Picnic on September 20th, 2008. More details to come!

Summer Tips!
Swimming Safety!

BLUE-GREEN ALGAE

Swimming is a Golden Retriever summertime favorite. It is important to keep in mind however, that there is a specific type of blue-green algae that can be fatal to your pet if ingested.

Blue-green algae is often found in warm and shallow lakes and ponds, and frequently is associated with a change in water color and odor. When blue-green algae is present the water will often have a cloudy, green, bluish-green or yellow appearance as well as a swampy or musty odor.

If you suspect your dog has been swimming in water containing blue-green algae wash your dog's coat thoroughly to prevent your dog from ingesting any more algae. Immediately have your dog seen by a veterinarian, as blue-green algae ingestion can be fatal.

For more information on blue-green algae, including pictures, please visit the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency page on blue-green algae.

Keep your Golden away from these summer hazards!

Summertime Hazards

Summer is a great time for gardening, swimming and spending time outdoors. However, there are a few things that can be poisonous to your pet that you should be aware of:

  • Cocoa mulch
  • Citronella candles
  • Swimming pool treatment supplies
  • Blue-green algae in ponds and lakes
  • Compost piles fertilizer
  • Flea products

For more information on poisonous substances, and what to do in case of an emergency, please visit the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.

Keeping cool in the summer sun!

Keep Cool!

Golden Retrievers have that long, flowing coat that we all love. However, all that fur means your Golden can easily overheat in the summer. Following some easy guidelines will help ensure you and your pet have a cool summer!

  • On especially warm days plan your daily walk for cooler times such as morning or evening. Staying out of midday sun will help keep your Golden safe and comfortable!
  • While working on your garden, playing fetch, or just relaxing in the backyard, make sure your Golden has access to fresh water and shade.
  • While you should never leave a pet unattended in a vehicle, summertime is especially dangerous. Car temperatures can reach lethal ranges in under thirty minutes. Find more information from the HSUS here.
Fun ways to keep your Golden Busy!

Fun ways to keep your Golden busy!"

Keep your Golden busy with some of these great tips from Kong®!

First, you want to make sure you have a Kong® toy that is the appropriate size and strength for your Golden. Always make sure to thoroughly clean the Kong® between uses. Try a couple of these great recipes to make your Kong® extra interesting for your dog:

  • Fruit Salad: Place apples and carrots in KONG toy. Mush the bananas in large hole to hold fruit in place. You can include other fruits and veggies: orange slices, peach and/or nectarine chunks, celery sticks, broccoli and cauliflower. Freeze overnight to give your dog an extra challenge!
  • Banana Rama: In a bowl, mash up one fresh banana. Then, add 2 tbs wheat germ and 1 tbs yogurt. Mash all ingredients together and use spoon to add to KONG®. Freeze for 4 hours. Makes 1 serving for Medium KONG®. Double for every KONG® size that is bigger.

For more great recipes, visit Kong's® website!

Meet a true RAGOM Golden Oldie!
Sprocket!

Following the success of the April “Looking Forward, Looking Back” profiles, a RAGOM volunteer emailed the web editor and suggested we feature the oldest surviving RAGOM dog…one that was adopted in the early days of RAGOM and might still be enjoying the Golden life today.

RAGOM was founded in 1985, so it would be a Guinness World Record dog if one was still around from the first year…as Golden Retrievers typically have a 10-13 year life span. But one dog and his owner were suggested and that, as they say, is the rest of the story!

Sprocket came into RAGOM’s care in 1997 from a shelter in Sauk Rapids as a four year old who’d run away from his family one too many times. He had storm anxiety and a talent for climbing fences. Following his latest escape, his family decided they were done bailing him out of impound and relinquished him to his fate at the shelter. RAGOM was contacted and Lori W. offered to foster him.

According to Lori, the first time she met him following his transport to a pet supply store in Elk River ... "He bounded out of the old Volvo, hit the end of the leash, and started jumping and spinning like a Golden Tasmanian Devil! Inside the store, he bounced off every shelf in the place. I thought, "How FAST can I get him placed?" He was so beautiful, with silky feathering and lovely medium honey-gold coloring."

Sprocket in tunnel!

Lori had a potential family interested in him and his home visit went very well. However, the family called the next day and said their cats were so upset by his visit they refused to come out of hiding. So Lori continued her pursuit of finding his perfect forever home. But, as happens with many foster moms and dads, Lori soon realized Sprocket was already in his perfect forever home. When asked what ultimately sealed the deal for Lori, she replied; “His gentle, laid-back, "whatever you guys want is fine with me" attitude, and he and my other Golden, Ripley had bonded very quickly. “

Lori decided she needed to find a job for Sprocket so he completed obedience training, complete with an earned blue ribbon upon graduation. He and Ripley became certified with Therapy Dogs International, and spent several years doing visits through Pals On Paws with Lori. His job was to provide love and comfort to those in need. In spite of his first impression on Lori, he was always the most gentle, unassuming, polite dog in the world.

Sprocket having a picnic!

Sprocket never lost his love for adventure and escape. During one visit to her family home in West Virginia, Lori took Ripley and Sprocket to her old neighborhood, which is a very rural area on a hilltop. Ripley and Sprocket got their leashes tangled, and while Lori was trying to untangle them, Sprocket's leash came unhooked, and he took off into the woods. Given the geography, depending on which direction he went, along which ridge-top or hollow, he could have been miles away in a very short time. Frantic, Lori, her husband and his whole family were searching the area, hoping to find Sprocket. Finally, they found him... a family had discovered Sprocket in their yard visiting with their toy poodles, and they were walking him along the road, hoping his family would come by and see him.

If you’ve done the math, you’ll know that Sprocket is now 15 years old. Lori attributes his long and good health to her commitment to a holistic lifestyle that includes a raw food diet, herbal supplements, chiropractic care and acupuncture. Even at his advanced age and “suspension” issues (hip and joint problems) he is not on any prescription drugs, although Lori is prepared to provide them if his mobility suffers or he appears to be in pain.

Golden Quartet
Sassafras, Ripley, Seko & Sprocket

He continues to enjoy stuffed toys, playing tug of war and munching fresh apples. He takes life at a leisurely pace and takes much in stride, as good old Goldens are famous. He also shares his life with two Greater Pyrenese, Brody and Ozark, and another newly adopted RAGOM dog, Bushido 07-631, now known as Darwin! The old man is going to show the new kid a thing or two about living the Golden life!

Sprocket

Sprocket has seen other Goldens come and go in his family, as Lori also adopted Seko, Sassy and Ruxpin. In addition to being a foster mom, Lori was involved as a RAGOM volunteer for years including founding the RAGOM newsletter and website, a Placement Coordinator, Board Member and wrote training and educational material.

Lori and her family have shared 10.5 years with Sprocket and he continues to live the Golden life, albeit at a slower pace. What a beautiful gift Lori has given this sweet Golden, a life full of purpose, adventure and love. Every dog deserves such a wonderful gift.

Would You Like to Sponsor a RAGOM Dog?

All of our dogs need your help to live a golden life. For $325, you can sponsor any RAGOM dog. We'll assign you a dog, or if a certain dog grabs your heart, you can request one, and you can watch his or her progress on the website, reading about vet visits, socialization, foster care, and potential adoptive families. Some dogs will need multiple sponsors due to extraordinary medical expenses. It's a rewarding way to get involved - and help a specific tail start wagging again.

There are a number of dogs waiting to be adopted and we are committed to making them healthy and finding them good homes. Our dogs can always use your help too, and sponsoring a dog is a great way to participate if you are unable to foster one yourself. Of course, a donation in any amount is always greatly appreciated!

Please send donations to:

RAGOM
P.O. Box 5567
Hopkins, MN 55343-0492.
If you'd prefer to donate by credit card, click here.


© 2008 Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
www.ragom.org is the official website of Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota, Inc.,
a non-profit organization, as evidenced by the "org" in its website location.
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