Golden Rescue, a volunteer-run organization based in Barrie, has dedicated over 30 years to matching abandoned, surrendered, or unwanted golden retrievers with their forever families. With a network of more than 500 volunteers across Canada, Golden Rescue has placed nearly 5,000 dogs, offering each one a chance at a safe and loving home.
A Passion for Golden Retrievers
Founded to rescue golden retrievers, Golden Rescue has become an essential part of the dog adoption community. The organization operates with a highly efficient, coordinated network that addresses the diverse needs of rescued dogs.
Viive Tamm, who adopted her first rescue, Jacob, after seeing a sign about golden retrievers needing homes at a sports show, was initially surprised by the need for rescue efforts for this beloved breed. “We couldn’t actually fathom why a rescue would be needed for golden retrievers,” Tamm recalls.
Golden Rescue’s efforts go beyond simple adoption. Their intake team handles calls from owners who need to surrender their pets and works with animal control or dogs in urgent need of medical care. Each dog receives necessary veterinary treatment—spaying, neutering, microchipping, and behavioral training—before being assessed and matched with the right family.
Families are paired with dogs based on their specific needs: dogs with separation anxiety are placed with families who have someone home most of the time, while dogs who fear children are matched with child-free households. The transport team is vital in moving dogs to different areas as needed to ensure they are placed in the right environment.
The Volunteer-Powered Team
Golden Rescue is an entirely volunteer-run organization, with more than 500 core volunteers working tirelessly to match dogs with their new families. Tamm describes it as “a very well-oiled machine,” with each volunteer playing a critical role in ensuring the dogs’ well-being throughout the process.
Patty Lechten, who has been involved with the organization for 15 years, is on the executive team and works to provide a veterinary perspective on the dogs being placed. A partner at Barrie’s Allandale Veterinary Hospital, Lechten admits that while golden retrievers are not her favorite breed—she finds them too hairy—she is deeply impressed by Golden Rescue’s commitment to the dogs they save.
“I was impressed with the organization, and its active volunteer base,” she says. “It’s a pleasure to work with groups for that level of care.”
Fundraising and Community Engagement
Golden Rescue’s success is also due to its ongoing fundraising efforts, which support its annual budget of $500,000 for veterinary bills, training, and rescue activities. Fundraisers range from grassroots events to more extravagant initiatives, such as the popular dinner-anywhere-in-the-world lottery, where the winner receives $25,000 for travel.
One of the organization’s biggest events is the annual picnic, which brings together hundreds of golden retrievers and their families for a day of fun. At the most recent picnic in September, attendees attempted to break a Guinness World Record for the largest number of dogs dressed as couples, with more than 100 dogs wearing tuxes and wedding dresses. While they didn’t break the record, they did set the world record for the largest dog cake, weighing in at 400 pounds.
Lechten humorously quips, “People don’t just adopt a dog, they’re part of the cult. Who wouldn’t want to be part of a group who is this dedicated?”
A Commitment to Golden Retrievers
Golden Rescue’s work goes far beyond placing dogs in homes; it’s about creating lasting bonds between dogs and families. The organization’s dedication to the well-being of golden retrievers, the support of its volunteers, and the commitment to community engagement make it a shining example of what a rescue organization can accomplish.
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