Dog foster | Gardens For Goldens

Joy Spread. Joy Returned.

November 26, 2017 by Ogee

“Don’t you just want to take them all home?” new volunteers ask in worry. The truth is, no. My two boys fill my heart and our home. And while we truly enjoy our occasional tiny foster guests, the quiet following the mayhem is blissful. That doesn’t mean that it is easy to say ‘goodbye.’ Adoption days at the rescue are often bittersweet. But our job is to be the bridge on the dogs’ journeys to their own forever homes. If […]

Categories: Dog Rescue, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue • Tags: Dog Adoption Stories, Dog foster, Dog Photography, dog rescue, Puppy Adoption

The Welcome Mat

February 19, 2017 by Ogee

When our Jackson picked Yogi out for adoption last fall, I sometimes thought our Bella had been reincarnated in him. The way he cuddles, paws you for pets, refuses to be ignored, hogs the bed, and enjoys gardening with me were wonderfully familiar. But he was definitely his own dog and a bit of a project one at that. On our first few walks, I wondered what I had gotten myself into when he reacted very negatively to select dogs […]

Categories: Dog Rescue, Dogs, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue • Tags: Dog foster, Golden Retriever Puppies, Golden retrievers, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue, Oroville Dam

Yona

September 4, 2016 by Ogee

Yona. An unusual name for a dog. In Hebrew, it means “dove.” Returned to a rural breeder with the familiar story: cute puppy becomes one-year-old dog with one-year-old dog energy and enthusiasm. The breeder was responsible and ensured that any of her pups would come back to her, if necessary. But her life had changed in unexpected ways and Yona was more than she could handle. He is insecure and hugs a leg on walks – all 70 beefy pounds […]

Categories: Dogs, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue • Tags: Dog foster, dog rescue, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue

Foster Failure

January 12, 2016 by Ogee

“I’m a failure!” she exclaimed. “The very best kind,” said we. On an earlier post, I shared that Kate and her family were fostering Maggie, to give her a soft place to land while she recovered from recent medical procedures. I am pleased to share this updated capture of our board clearly showing Maggie moving from the Foster to Adopted column. Which makes Kate an official “Foster Failure!” Congratulations to all…and happy life, sweet Maggie. We were kind of hoping […]

Categories: Dog Rescue • Tags: Dog foster, dog rescue, Gardens Goldens, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue

The Bridge

January 4, 2015 by Ogee

Mojo was the last dog of 2014. Dog number 410. Something tells me he won’t be with us long. 🙂 Hunter is the first dog of 2015. He was literally pulled from a Los Angeles shelter after closing on New Year’s Eve. Special elves opened the gates to help set him free and into the waiting arms (and van) of Barry – one of the many angels who help ferry dogs on their journeys home. Hunter (on the left) spent […]

Categories: Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue • Tags: Diane Morgan Poem, Dog foster, dog rescue, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue

Good News In Buckets

December 14, 2014 by Ogee

Remember when I was whining about the injustice of the flooded rice fields adjacent to our water-starved garden? Well look at us now! The area beyond the levy is the rice field. The area in front shows the overflown banks of our pond at Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue. Good News #1: It rained. Buckets and buckets. For hours on end. It rained so long and so hard I thought we might float away. Good News #2: We did not […]

Categories: Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue • Tags: California Drought, Dog foster, dog rescue, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue, Rain California

Pieces of the Heart

April 29, 2013 by Ogee

This is a story we have heard too many times through these past recession years: good families who love their four-legged family members, but are forced to surrender them due to circumstances beyond their control. Roxy’s family loved her dearly, but had to move to an apartment and could no longer keep her. Now due to circumstances beyond her control, and through no fault of her own, twelve-year-old Roxy is in search of a new family to love. Lucky for […]

Categories: Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue • Tags: Dog foster, dog rescue, Dogs, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue

Dahlias returned

April 28, 2013 by Ogee

Before I began this journey to rebuild the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden, I had no experience at all with Dahlias. They were the gift of a volunteer gardener and fell into my charge. I watched them blossom through the summer into magnificent plates of color and fell in love. I dutifully dug them up in the fall; placed them in a box of vermiculite following instructions I had read, sprinkled lightly with water and a little prayer, and then left […]

Categories: Gardening, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue • Tags: Clematis, Dahlias, Dog foster, dog rescue, Dogs, gardening, Highbush Blueberries, Homeward Bound Memorial Garden, Honeysuckle, Jerusalem Artichoke, Nature, Photography, Rose campion

A flower for every smile

March 24, 2013 by Ogee

For the first time since I began volunteering at Homeward Bound, the kennels are only half full (a temporary situation, I’m sure.) Despite the reduced workload, the volunteers were out in abundance. I overheard one of them explaining to someone about what draws her here: the joy she feels when she pulls through the gates; the serenity of the country surroundings; the garden; the people – like Michele and Chip who visited with their failed foster, Murphy, to pick out […]

Categories: Gardening, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue • Tags: Dog foster, dog rescue, Dogs, gardening, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue, Homeward Bound Memorial Garden, Nature, Photography