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At the foot of a picturesque hill in the heart of Pennsylvania’s Dutch Amish country sits a bright, cheery kennel. It is flanked by spacious fenced exercise and play yards, training areas, a charming retail shop, snack bar, and most importantly, lots of happy Golden Retrievers.
Knock on the front door and you won’t hear much barking, but wander through the roomy kennel and you will hear a lot of thump-thump-thumping. Those are the tails of happy Golden Retrievers thumping against the walls.
“Happy” is a good way to describe the mood and ambience at Golden Gateway, the kennel facility for Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue in Reinholds, Pa. The dogs wag and wiggle like Golden Retrievers should. The staff and volunteers work hard and love their jobs. They play with the dogs and casually rib each other. Visitors, adopters attending training classes, and those hoping to find the perfect dog are all smiling, too.
“I am so impressed with Golden Gateway, since the moment I visited their Web site,” says Liz Cauler, who with her husband and two sons have come to meet “Shakira,” an exuberant 1-year-old they plan to take home with them at the end of the day. “They give you so much information and don’t hold anything back. I feel like we really know what we are getting into.”
Not everybody believed in Golden Gateway from the beginning. When Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue founder and president Robin Adams first suggested that the board consider buying a kennel, many believed it was a bad idea.
“When I first came up with the idea that a kennel would allow us to take in more dogs than our current foster home setup, we lost some of our volunteers,” says Adams. “They thought a kennel would be like a warehouse.”
Kennel manager Dennis Stauffer says, “People envisioned a kennel as a cold, dark place with no human interaction.”
He laughs, looking around at the well-lit, homey facility.
Adoption manager Donna Baker, who was a foster home volunteer at the time, was skeptical, too. “I didn’t think it would be good for the organization, but Robin really wanted to convince us,” she says.
Adams did convince Baker, other key volunteers and the board of directors. Eventually, Golden Gateway was founded, taking the foster-based rescue to the next level. It wasn’t easy turning it into the relaxed and efficient facility it is today, and there was plenty of hard, expensive lessons along the way.
Finding a Kennel
Robin Adams began rescuing Goldens in 1986, boarding them at local kennels until she could find homes for them. She had fallen in love with the breed, even before she knew its name, when she was first married. She’ll never forget the day she saw one of her dogs tied to a tree. “I said to myself, ‘These dogs have to have their own place now,’” she recalls.
Adams organized a group of like-minded people devoted to Golden Retrievers, and Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue was incorporated in 1994. Initially the rescue was made up of a network of foster homes. By 1999, the group had placed over 1,000 Golden Retrievers into loving homes. That year, they also had to turn away over a dozen Goldens because there were not enough foster homes. In 2000, Adams stepped down as president in order to work on a new idea: A kennel facility.
“At our annual rescue reunion, someone gave me a real estate book and showed me a kennel for sale,” Adams says. “What are the chances that we would find a 10-year-old kennel almost in my backyard?”
The money required for such a venture seemed like an insurmountable obstacle. When Adams told her husband, Jim, about the kennel for sale, he said, “Do you want to drive by and look at it?”
“No, we can’t afford it!” she told him.
Of course, just looking doesn’t cost anything.
The facility was exactly what Adams had envisioned, but how would they pay for it?
Board member Pat Emmett and Jim Adams initiated a vigorous fundraising campaign and served as co-chairmen. Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, who had adopted two Golden Retrievers from Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue, volunteered to serve as the honorary campaign chairman and made his first Golden, “Mandy,” the honorary dog chair.
The result?
A donor wrote the rescue a check for $120,000. In 2000, Golden Gateway held a mortgage for the 4-acre property complete with kennel building and caretaker’s house.
“As we stood at the front door to Golden Gateway after closing on the property, we were amazed at what we had accomplished in a few short months and realized what challenges we were about to face. We were all scared,” says Adams. “Then, we looked across the street and saw a rainbow. We looked at each other, and got to work.”
Two days later, their first Golden, “Joey,” arrived.
Golden Gateway has been fully operational — and plenty busy — ever since. Fast forward eight years, and Adams has many good reasons to continue making the program her mission.
“Recently our local shelter confiscated 70 puppies from an animal hoarder and asked us to take eight puppies ranging in age from 10 weeks to 4 months,” Adams says. “Not long after they arrived, they were playing in our isolation area yard when I looked out and saw they had all curled up to sleep on this little piece of fence lying on the ground. A metal grate was the only sleeping surface they had ever known.”
Golden Gateway also takes in puppy mill breeder dogs. They take in pregnant bitches and senior dogs whose families give them up when they become inconvenient. They take in jumpers, barkers and dogs that aren’t getting enough exercise.
“Each year, our intake numbers climb,” says Adams. “Shelters send dogs to us, often with a note of thanks, because they know that a dog can stay with us as long as necessary to become a good canine citizen and adoption statistic, rather than euthanasia statistic. Even better, sending a dog to us means opening up a shelter kennel for another dog.”
Becoming a Rescue Kennel
The first thing visitors notice about Golden Gateway is how clean it is. Inside the front door is a large training room on the right, where volunteer obedience trainer and certified behavior counselor Chris Shaugness holds training classes. A meeting room and the adoption manager’s office are adjacent to the training room. Dutch doors allow Goldens spending “home practice time” to see what’s going on.
Down the hall are the grooming room, laundry area and cat room where two resident cats — “Einstein” and “Socks” — help the staff determine how suitable new dogs are to cats. Across from the grooming room is a small kitchen divided into two parts. The dog side contains bowls with cards dictating dietary and supplement requirements, and the people side has a refrigerator, microwave and table for eating quick meals. The refrigerator holds dog treats, plus a big bowl of biscuits and peanut-butter-filled kong dog toys that are sterilized and refilled every morning.
At the end of the building are the concrete indoor-outdoor kennels. The runs have beds, blankets and toys. A back door leads to an exercise yard. Around the corner from the kennels is the isolation area, with additional kennels, for new dogs to stay until they get a clean bill of health.
“Volunteers work only in the general population side, while staff works in either the isolation side or the main kennel, but not both during a single shift,” explains Adams. “The people in the isolation area wear red and everything we use there is marked with red. The kennel floors are blue for general populations and red for isolation. Anyone leaving the isolation area must spray their shoes and clothing with disinfectant to help reduce the risk of cross-contamination.”
The isolation kennel has its own play yard, “Shana’s Shelter,” named for the littermate sister of Adams’ foundation male Golden Retriever. Shana’s owner died and Adams helped to arrange for the dog’s adoption by a loving family. When Shana died, the family wanted to support the rescue by contributing a memorial in Shana’s name.
Shana’s Shelter has shredded tires that make a soft, easily-cleaned mulching surface. The shady yard includes a set of wooden steps — one side with risers, the other without — to help train dogs that have never seen stairs learn to navigate.
“This is just one of the many things we’ve learned by experience,” says Adams. “We would place dogs, and people would call us and say, ‘He doesn’t know what stairs are.’ It was an ‘a-ha’ moment for us. Of course the dog doesn’t, he’s lived in a kennel all his life! So, now we teach them what stairs are, and how to use them.”
Up the hill is the home of caretakers Heather and Jared McDonald. “One of their chief responsibilities is to go down to the kennel in the event of a thunderstorm, no matter what time it is,” Adams says. “A lot of Goldens have thunder phobia, and feel better knowing somebody is there. Heather and Jared know what each dog needs during a storm.”
The McDonalds also take into their house Goldens needing more individual attention and training. “They have one of the puppy mill dogs up there right now, and they are working with her every day,” says Adams.
The Rainbow Bridge Memorial Garden features a brick walkway made of individually purchased memorial bricks that pay tribute to beloved dogs and serve as a testament to one of Golden Gateway’s successful ongoing fundraisers. Next to the rainbow-colored bridge is a sign with a tear-jerker “Rainbow Bridge” poem describing what happens to dogs after they go to heaven. A patron-donated gazebo sits in the corner, beckoning visitors to relax and enjoy the garden.
Volunteers & Workers
Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue has 300 volunteers. About 50 volunteers, plus three full-time paid staff members, work at the kennel. The staff positions are kennel manager, adoption manager, and office/retail manager. The board’s decision to hire a paid staff has been worthwhile, says adoption manager Donna Baker.
“The person before me was a volunteer, so she didn’t have the same opportunity to get daily feedback from the staff,” Baker says. “Now that three of us are always here, we’ve been able to incorporate everyone’s feedback into adoption matching decisions, and that has made a big difference in our success.”
With help from assistant adoption manager Sue Weller, Baker oversees the adoption process. Their work styles complement each other. “Donna is like the brakes and Sue is like the gas, and we need them both,” Adams says.
Baker is involved in everything from reviewing initial applications and coordinating home visits to running adoption days at Golden Gateway and supervising adopter-dog meetings. Matching the right dog to the right family is the crux of her work. Since Baker began working full time in April 2007, Golden Gateway’s return rate has dropped to zero due in part to the organization’s policy of requiring pre-adoption home visits for every applicant.
“It helps me to see the big picture,” says Baker. “It’s volunteer-intensive, especially for people who live on the outer borders of our geographical footprint, but I can’t overstate the helpfulness of this information.”
Baker also consults staff members to help tailor matches, yet she has the final say. “She’s good with words and with people,” says Adams. “And she isn’t afraid to tell somebody ‘No.’”
“We do get feedback from adopters telling us our adoption process is very rigorous,” Baker notes. “People say it’s harder to get a dog from us than it is to adopt a child. We say, ‘Good!’”
Stauffer oversees the day-to-day business of caring for the dogs and maintaining the schedule. Though he went through a training program for his job, he has learned even more by actually working at the kennel.
“Working at a kennel has taught me a lot,” says Stauffer, who knows every dog’s personality and unique characteristics.
Pointing to one Golden, he says, “This one is from a shelter. His original owner said he was a maniac, but he’s just a shredder.” Then he turns to another dog, “This one loves people but hates other dogs.”
Stauffer gestures toward a row of leashes hanging on the wall for fire drills, and then opens a kennel door. A Golden named “Peanut” wags his tail, and then sits down.
“All they really need is a regular schedule and plenty of exercise,” Stauffer says.
A Bold Step for Rescue
Adams’ job is both harder and easier than it used to be, when she spent more time in direct contact with the dogs. Now, she spends most of her time running the numbers and working on the business of keeping Golden Gateway open.
“I still have a lot of emotion attached to these dogs, but now that I am literally sitting on the other side of the fence, I have to think about the money,” says Adams.
One big fundraiser is the annual Wine and Dine for Canines auction held at an upscale restaurant. Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue encourages adopters to board their adopted dogs and other canines at Golden Gateway to help support the rescue. Doing so not only gives adopters peace of mind, the staff is always eager to see the dogs again.
Veterinary expenses are a big part of the rescue’s budget. Every senior dog gets a full blood chemistry profile, and dogs with health problems receive regular veterinary care. Dogs with behavioral problems work with trainers.
Last year, Golden Gateway faced a $60,000 deficit. Pointing to five recent arrivals, Adams says, “These five dogs will cost us several thousand dollars, but we aren’t cutting any corners. We’re just going to have to raise more money. We have our ups and downs, and sometimes I think my dream has become a nightmare, but then things start to work out right.”
Looking back, Adams acknowledges how big a step opening a kennel was for a small volunteer-run rescue. “It was a bold step. I believe that any rescue with the dream and ambition to travel this path will face challenges, but the bottom line is being able to help more dogs than ever,” she says. “When I see dogs from a puppy mill romping in a field with one another, and think about what could have happened to them without us, then I know we made the right move.”
Adams admits that expenses are high and the staff is constantly faced with unforeseen events, such as unexpected medical costs, a surprise litter of puppies, and even an occasional lawsuit by people who relinquish dogs and then want them back.
“But no matter what you face,” Adams says, “with help from volunteers and supporters, hard work, and a program with integrity, you can succeed.” ©
Dog Days at Golden Gateway
A regular routine is fundamental at Golden Gateway, the kennel facility for Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue. Explains kennel manager Dennis Stauffer, “Dogs thrive on a schedule. This is one of the most important things we do to rehabilitate these dogs.”
Here is a typical day at Golden Gateway:
6:30 to 7 a.m.: The first-shift staff and volunteers arrive and take each dog out individually for a morning bathroom break.
8 a.m.: Dogs are fed while volunteers and staff change water, wash dishes, give medications, clean ears, and begin preparing food and medications for the next meal.
9 a.m.: Exercise and playtime. Staff and volunteers take dogs outside in small groups to play, train or practice retrieving balls. Other volunteers do laundry and clean up.
1 p.m.: Each dog goes out for a bathroom break, and then staff and volunteers put dogs in their kennels for the afternoon nap. Every dog gets a snack just before the lights go out. The first shift leaves.
4 p.m.: The second shift arrives, and the cycle begins again. Staff and volunteers take each dog out to the yard individually for a post-nap bathroom break.
5 p.m.: Dogs are fed dinner. As they eat, volunteers and staff change water, wash dishes and clean up.
6 p.m.: Exercise and playtime. Staff and volunteers take dogs out in small groups to exercise, play and work on training issues.
9 p.m.: Each dog goes out for one last bathroom break before bed, and then staff and volunteers put dogs into their kennels for the night. Every dog gets a peanut-butter-filled kong dog toy just before the lights go out.
Overnight: Caretakers Heather and Jared McDonald, who live next door to the kennel, are on call to handle issues that arise during the night.
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