The golden retriever rescue group I have volunteered for for nearly 24 years (!) is having it's biggest fundraiser of the year on Sept. 11, Goldzilla! If you haven't attended, and you like dogs, please join us--it's a hoot! There are golden retrievers of all sizes, combinations, abilities and temperaments. It's a total delight! The event is free, but there is also a walk to raise funds for RAGOM, a silent auction, a wine pull, a lure course for the dogs, a bunch of vendors, and a beach where the dogs can swim!

This past year, RAGOM has been inundated with breeder dogs from commercial breeding facilities. During the pandemic, everyone wanted a puppy. So the commercial breeders ramped up production. Once folks had to go back to work, or once the puppy became a dog, the reality changed. Breeders began dumping their breeder dogs, and some who had puppies realized they didn't want the responsibility. So where do the dogs go? Many of them came to RAGOM. Many of them are undersocialized, many have medical issues, and behavioral challenges. RAGOM takes these dogs in, cares for them and places them in a new home. All of which costs money.

For the past two years, i have had the honor and joy of Sally Ann's presence. Sally Ann came to RAGOM after her life as an outside dog, living with 3-4 other dogs. She developed a mass on her stomach that needed to be removed and the family couldn't afford the medical expense so they surrendered her to RAGOM. After being treated for Lyme disease and anaplasmosis (both tick-borne diseases), she had surgery to remove the mass, only to find out it was cancer a few weeks later. She was given 3-6 months to live. Despite that prognosis, and despite a diagnosis of another kind of cancer a few months ago, last week Sally Ann celebrated two years as a hospice dog with RAGOM--all of which is made possible by the generous support of donors.

If you can support RAGOM's efforts to help out dogs in need, please do give as generously as you can. And if you want to have some fun and some laughs, joun us for Goldzilla on Sept 11!

Goldzilla—RAGOM's annual Fun Fair and Walk for Rescue—supports our mission of rescuing and rehoming Golden Retrievers and Golden mixes in need. Your donation will provide RAGOM dogs with veterinary and foster care on their way to finding adoptive homes. So donate today and join us at Goldzilla to meet the many dogs you help!

Prefer to donate by check? Enter the name of the person you're pledging in the memo line and mail to: RAGOM, 5800 Baker Road, Suite 120, Minnetonka, MN 55345. NOTE: For pledges to be reflected on a walker's fundraising page, checks must be received by Thursday, September 8th.