Event Date: November 21, 2010

Event Photographer: Natane Photography

Golden retrievers have always held a special place in my heart, which made returning to Homeward Bound this year a no-brainer. I had such a great time last year that I wanted to share the experience with others this year.

One of my most vivid and traumatic childhood experiences involves Buddy, my golden retriever and best friend when I was eight years old. Rather than relive that memory here, you can read that story on my blog.

That morning, I awoke to a windy but clear day. The forecast called for rain, but the clouds were not rain clouds, so that meant we’d have the opportunity to play with the pups outside instead of being cramped up indoors.

My optimism crested on this discovery, then waned when I saw in my email that a couple volunteers had to cancel on joining us today. It was my first moment of adversity in this project, but any ill feelings quickly subsided when I remembered I was about to spend a few hours with arguably the friendliest species of “Man’s Best Friend.”

I arrived at Homeward Bound, and the three volunteers greeted me with smiling faces. I could tell that Rashell, Alyssa, and Niki were all excited to be volunteering with me here today.

We went inside and met with owner and founder Jody Jones. She shared the history of Homeward Bound with the volunteers, and once again I could see the passion and the love that she exudes for these lovable creatures.

They are a full service rescue facility, including board, vet, and adoption services. With 31 kennels on-site, they are one of the largest facilities in Northern California. Considering they take in 10-20 dogs a week, their adoption turnaround is remarkable.

We took a quick tour of the facilities and it was great to see how they’d expanded so much in a year. Three new pens and a large covered area were the new additions, provided and built by donors and friends of the foundation, as are most of the additions Homeward Bound has enjoyed since being founded in 2001.

Along the way, she explained how they are constructing a memorial garden to honor all the fallen golden retrievers. Every fallen golden would each receive a small plaque to memorialize each of their times spent at Homeward Bound.

Rashell and I grabbed shovels and gloves, and headed off to the memorial garden to plant the dozens of potted plants speckling the garden. As we dug, I took a step back and imagined how big and beautiful this memorial garden will eventually become. We were there at the start of something great, and I can’t wait to see the garden progress over time.

I noticed Alyssa and Niki walking some of the pups throughout the multi-acre property. Some of the dogs were more active than others, but each of them were grateful to be out of the kennel and frolicking around in the fresh air.

Rashell and I planted a total of 18 plants, then headed inside so we could spend some time with the dogs.

I started with Amber, who was a young Golden/Lab mix and was absolutely in love with playing fetch. I must have thrown the ball easily 20 times, and each time Amber would chase after that ball as fast as she could, then return it to my feet instantly.

Next, I walked Denver. He was 10+ years old, and the card on his cage indicated he was battling cancer. On the walk, I couldn’t tell at all that he was suffering, because his energy and enthusiasm for being outside equaled that of any of the other dogs there. We played some fetch and walked the perimeter of the facilities. He was happy and excited the entire time.

Denver was an inspiration in the sense that despite his condition, whatever adversity he might have been going through, that he found joy in the simplest things. We can learn a lot from dogs.

Finally, I spent some time with Chloe. She was another Golden/Lab mix with some of the saddest eyes I saw all day. Those sad eyes probably had something to do with the fact that she had chemical burns all over her back. It was a sad sight to see how abused she had been in her past, how could I not take her out for a bit?

Well, she was a firecracker underneath that sad façade. We had an epic tug of war with a Frisbee, then she found a plastic brush. She grabbed that brush and didn’t want to give it up. No joke, I tried for a good half hour to track her down to take the brush from her, and while I may have gotten annoyed, she had a ton of fun playing that game. She destroyed the brush and cut her tongue a bit in the process, but the satisfied tongue wagging when I finally tracked her down let me know that she had a great time.

Chloe back in her kennel, I went back inside where the volunteers were finishing up with laundry and washing the dogs. They were wearing matching pink paw-laden smocks, which was a site to see in itself. They finished up the laundry and we helped Jody arrange the storage area for a while.

A great time was had by all, and deep down we all relished in the fact that we were able to spend some quality time outside with the guests of Homeward Bound. These dogs are such friendly creatures, it’s no wonder that a quote Jody mentioned stuck with me.

“People will come in after having experienced extreme adversity. Deaths in the family, losing their house, you name it, we have people who come in with their heads hung low. But most times, they spend some time with these great goldens, and leave here with a huge smile on their face.”

I could totally see that. More people should take some time to have this experience.

Thanks go out to Rashell, Alyssa, and Niki for joining me today. They all had a great time and worked hard.

Alyssa said “I was very glad to see that they had mixed Goldens and of all different ages. I wasn’t quite expecting to see and deal with dogs that were abused or injured. It was extremely sad, yet so heartwarming to see so many people taking the time to work with the ones who needed a little extra help instead of labeling them aggressive or sick because of how they were treated in the past. And the ones who did have a disease like cancer or whatnot, they kept and let them live out their life instead of putting them down. They gave them a second chance and didn’t discriminate against them. That was truly amazing!”

Homeward Bound is always looking for volunteers. Whether things are great in your life, or if times could be better for you, you will benefit from making time to come walk the dogs and get to know these great animals. Volunteer information is below.

You can come in with storm clouds over your head and leave with a new best friend. Thanks to Jody and the entire staff for their relentless efforts in rescuing and finding homes for golden retrievers at Homeward Bound.

Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue and Sanctuary
www.homewardboundgoldens.org
7495 Natomas Road
Elverta, CA 95626
(916) 655-1410

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Photos courtesy of Natane Photography, please visit us on Facebook for additional photos.