Goldzilla 2025: Honoring Our Foster Journey with RAGOM 

Because every dog deserves a golden start.

Each year, Retrieve a Golden of the Midwest (RAGOM) hosts its biggest fundraiser—Goldzilla—a celebration of the dogs whose lives have been changed through rescue and the volunteers who help make it happen.

As a RAGOM foster, I use this event to honor one of the dogs I’ve helped along the way. But this year, I’m honoring a whole chapter of my fostering story—one filled with love, loss, and 18 beautiful puppies.

 18 Puppies. 2 Litters. 1 Heart Full of Hope.

This year, I fostered two litters of puppies:

• 7 in February
• 11 in May

Of the February litter, only 3 survived. Despite doing everything we could, 4 precious puppies passed away. It was heartbreaking. Rescue isn’t always easy—it can be messy, emotional, and incredibly hard. But it’s also full of hope, healing, and joy. And that’s what keeps me going.

In May, I welcomed 11 more puppies. They’re thriving, playful, and full of life. One of them was recently diagnosed with a heart murmur and may need to see a specialist. We’re hopeful, and we’re doing everything we can to give this pup the best chance possible.

 Why I’m Asking for Your Help

All of this—surgeries, vaccines, wellness checks, medications, and special care—is made possible by donations from people like you.

Goldzilla isn’t just a fundraiser. It’s a lifeline.

Your gift will help:

• Cover routine care for all 18 puppies: exams, shots, and deworming
• Pay for a cardiology consult for the pup with the heart murmur
• Provide formula, food, and supplies that keep them healthy and happy
• Support RAGOM’s ongoing work to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome dogs in need

 This Is Rescue. This Is Goldzilla.

Rescue is filled with joy—but it’s not without heartbreak. We grieve the puppies we lost, and we celebrate the ones who made it. Each one mattered. Each one is remembered.

By supporting Goldzilla, you’re not only helping these 18 pups—you’re saying yes to the next dog who needs a chance.

Whether it's $10 or 100, your gift will go directly toward the care and future of these sweet pups.

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 11.