2022 End of Year Letter
“Not all homes should have a dog, but all dogs should have a home.” Anonymous
Dear Golden Bond Rescue Supporters,
This past year all across the Country, the collective atmosphere has not only been politically tumultuous but financially unsettling as well. We’ve all become numb with the constant barrage of political melodrama, as well as the increased cost of necessities steadily chipping away at our savings.
Although the political fervor has not affected GBR’s efforts to rescue dogs, the return to the workplace and the rise in the cost of living have hit us hard. At the height of COVID when so many people either lost their jobs or began working from home, many, many dogs were adopted (Hurray!). However, at the beginning of 2022 as people began returning to their workplaces, we saw a sharp uptick in owners relinquishing their newly adopted retrievers. This year, we have rescued over double the number of local dogs than in previous years. We’ve also experienced a drastic increase in relinquished dogs needing extraordinary medical care, such as orthopedic surgery, eye care, neurological care, etc.
What made rescue more difficult this year was not just the combination of the sharp incline of number of dogs needing rescued and medical care, but in addition to that, our donations took a sharp decline. Since our mission and volunteer dedication have not altered, we feel the scare of inflation and the rise in the cost of essentials is the probable reason for the decrease in donations.
Before we tell you what we need from you (financial help, of course) which allow us to continue in 2023, let us share with you a few things that kept us busy in 2022 and what we’re facing in 2023: Operation Northern Exposure (O.N.E), Oodles of Fun and the PR 18 Goldens:
O.N.E
PR 18 Goldens (2023 Project)
Let’s look at a breakdown per dog of what it will cost GBR to bring those 18 goldens over in 2023 before they even get to their forever homes (these are estimates, of course there is always one or two unknown expenses which always crop up):
- Airfare as excess baggage: $800
- Crate and water bottle: $180
- China export fee: $150
- Broker fee: $250
- USA kennel and CDC fee: $400
- Vaccinations in China: $200
- Brucellosis and Leishmania (sand fly disease) antibody testing: $150
- Rabies titer test: $100
- Transport from LAX to Oregon: $400
Rounded grand total of $2,500 per dog. This does not include any medical expenses the dogs will incur once they arrive, e.g., fecal test, urine analysis, blood test, possible teeth extractions. Before we leave this topic, let us introduce you to the PR 18 (you’ll quickly discover why we call them the PR 18): Patty, Patwin, Penny, Pepper, Peri, Pierre, Pixie, Pomegranate, Prue, Raffie, Raiden, Rainier, Reli, River, Rocco, Rollie, Rory and Rosie.
Oodles of Fun
2022 Numbers
What would a GBR End of Year Letter be without a bit of bragging? We rescued and found homes for a total of 166 dogs (mostly retrievers but a few “retriever wannabe’s” thrown in) – that breaks down to 82 international dogs (China, South Korea, Spain and Mexico) and 84 local dogs (Oregon, Washington and Idaho).
And Now For The Denouement
If you read through this entire End of Year Letter, you must know that we really, really, really need your help in 2023. Bluntly speaking without your financial assistance, at some point in the year we will need to cut back on the number of dogs we rescue locally and internationally, as well as eliminate some of the medical assistance we can give the ones we do take in.
We know all of our personal finances are tighter this year than last; however, if you’re able to streeeetch those few dollars a little more in order to help us keep our doors open, we and our future rescued retrievers would be grateful.
You can donate by one of the following ways:
- Mail a check to Golden Bond Rescue, PO Box 25391, Portland, OR 97298
- Venmo @goldenbondrescue
button on our Home page – goldenbondrescue.com
Thank you so much for you support over the years and thank you in advance for your support in 2023. Let us leave you with one last thought about rescue: “You can’t change a dog’s past, but you can rewrite its future.” – Agnes Carass
Golden Bond Rescue