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Women's History Month

Seeing Eye Dogs

Did you know that without Dorothy Harrison Eustis, a woman of remarkable vision and generosity, The Seeing Eye Program, and perhaps the entire service dog movement, may never have started?

Dorothy, the daughter of a wealthy businessman from Philadelphia, later moved to Switzerland, where she began breeding and training German Shepherds for police and military use. During a trip to Germany, Dorothy witnessed German Shepherds being trained for another purpose - guiding military veterans who had been blinded in World War I. She was so impressed by what she had seen that she wrote an article about it for the Saturday Evening Post.

"It was as though a complete transformation had taken place before my eyes," she wrote in the article. "One moment, it was an uncertain, shuffling blind man, tapping with a cane; the next, it was an assured person, with his dog firmly in hand and his head up, who walked toward us quickly and firmly, giving his orders in a low confident voice. To think that one small dog could stand for so much in the life of a human being, not only in his usual role of companion but as his eyes, sword, and shield and buckler!"

In response to that article, Dorothy received letters from people who were blind asking for guide dogs. One stood out from a college student named Morris Frank. Dorothy invited him to Switzerland to learn how to work with and care for a German Shepherd. From that partnership, The Seeing Eye program was born. Subsequently came guide dog schools around the world, as well as service dogs trained for other purposes!

Why Rescue?

Our Goldens and Golden-hearted dogs make wonderful pets. We want our applicants to also know that rescued dogs come from a variety of backgrounds. Some dogs are older dogs, including well-behaved and cared for pets whose owners have become ill or died. Many rescued dogs will require continued behavioral work due to a lack of training, neglect, or abuse in the dog’s previous setting. A patient and loving owner can make all the difference. From experience, we know that these dogs with “endearing imperfections” can move forward, provided their new family gives them necessary guidance and direction. The joys of seeing these dogs become the devoted and contented pets they were meant to be is remarkable.

Adoptable Dogs

The 3-3-3 Rule of Adopting a Rescue Dog

Congratulations! You’ve just adopted a new dog! Like humans who move to a new community, your new pet needs some time to get used to their new surroundings. That’s why SGRR's adoption coordinators talk about the "Rule of Three," a timeline that gives you an idea of how your dog will adjust after three days, three weeks, and three months.

Here’s what should happen three days after you acquire a new dog:

This is a major period of adjustment, because while your home may be roomy and inviting, the dog has to get used to living in an environment different from an animal shelter or their previous home.
A dog may sleep a lot in the first three days, or be easily aroused or excited by its new surroundings. This all depends on the animal’s personality.
The pet will need to learn what is good or bad behavior in your house. For example, no sleeping on the furniture, no gnawing on shoes like they are chew toys, no going potty in the house.
Be patient with your dog in these opening days, and give them plenty of time and patience. Perhaps your pet will need positive-reinforcement training classes so it properly behaves in your house, but keep in mind, improvements are on the horizon!

After three weeks:

The dog will be more used to your daily routine such as when it is time to take a walk and when it is feeding time.
You will see more of the dog’s personality begin to develop, and they should be less fearful than those opening days when they first arrived at your home.
By this time, you will have narrowed down the dog’s behavioral problems considerably. A dog training professional can help teach the dog the difference between what’s right and wrong, if there are any persistent issues.

After three months:

Most dogs know they are welcome in your home and understand the rules.
Your patience will have paid off, and the two of you can live together and become lifelong companions!

New to SGRR...?

Want to Learn More About Us...?

We at Sunshine Golden Retriever Rescue take the job of finding the best possible forever homes for our dogs very seriously. The adoption process is thorough so that we can learn as much as possible about those to whom we entrust our precious pups. Once a dog is placed with an approved adopter, they are welcomed into the SGRR family and given the tools and support to make the adoption successful. We have gathered comments from some of our adopters who are happy to tell you how they feel about us! You can read more comments on our Get to Know Us! page.

Kelly

One of our adopters created this cool video to tell you about his experiences with SGRR. We are excited and proud to share it with all of you. Click the button below and enjoy!

Jack & SGRR

Support SGRR While You Shop through iGive

Click to shop at iGive

Shop at 1,000+ Top-Notch Online Stores. The iGive mall includes: Pottery Barn, REI, Staples, Petco, Expedia, Best Buy, QVC and many more. Best of all, up to 26% of your purchase at each store is donated to SGRR when you sign up with the provided link.

Donate to SGRR or Pay the Adoption Fee

There are a number of ways to donate to SGRR. SGRR is designated as a 501c(3) organization which means your donations are tax-deductible. You can make a donation to our general fund or designate your donation for a specific purpose such as a memorial or a tribute. Please use the Paypal option below or mail a check to: SGRR, PO Box 403, Fairhope, AL 36533.

Paypal

Single Payment
Use for a single donation or to pay an adoption fee.

Recurring Donation

Venmo

Click to be directed to Venmo

You may use Venmo to make a donation or to pay the adoption fee when you are matched with a dog.

Payments through Venmo should be sent to: SGRR (our account match shows as SGRR Corp with our logo)

Sponsor a Dog

If you would like to provide for the care of a particular dog's needs, you may sponsor that dog. Please use Paypal or mail a check to: SGRR, PO Box 403, Fairhope, AL 36533. We will then note you as a sponsor on the dog's dedicated bio page.

We thank you in advance for your generous support!