Features
Ike #07-699
If this sounds like you.... Ike
Memorials
Visit our new Rainbow Bridge Memorials page, dedicated to our Golden friends we've loved and lost.
You can find the Rainbow Bridge Memorials page by clicking the "Available Dogs" link. At the top of the Available Dogs page you will see the Rainbow Bridge Memorials link, or you can click here to go straight there.
Education Booth
Thursday - Sunday
August 21st - 24th
Minnesota State fair
1265 North Snelling Ave.
St. Paul, MN
(651) 288-4400
State Fair Flyer
MN State Fair
For more upcoming RAGOM events, please visit our Calendar
Book Today!
8 State Hurricane Kate is now available. It is the heartwarming story of Kate's post-Katrina journey that is a testament to the will and perseverance of the dog and human spirit!
For each book ordered during the month of August, RAGOM will receive $5.00. This is a great way to help RAGOM raise some extra funds that will aid our efforts in helping dogs in need and receive a wonderful book to read at the same time.
To order your book, all you need to do is go to 8statekate.net. When ordering, the purchaser must enter "RAGOMN", which is our group's code, in the "Company" box of the order form.
As always, we appreciate your support!
Ahhh-Choo!
Does your Golden Retriever suffer with sensitive, itchy skin and paws or have persistent ear infections or watery eyes and nose? Allergies may be the culprit.
If you suspect allergies, contact your vet about prescriptions that provide immediate relief, or they may prescribe antibiotics to fight bacterial ear or skin infections. Try to identify the irritant that is causing the allergy. If the problem flares up in the summer, you can narrow it down to seasonal pollen or flea allergies. If the problem persists, examine your dog’s diet and identify ingredients that may be causing her misery and remove them from her diet. Bathe and groom your dog often as this will remove allergens and irritants from their coat and give you a frequent, hand’s on look at your dog so you can spot any problems early on.
Click here for an excellent link that provides more details about dog allergies.
Thank you RAGOM Transporters!
Thanks to all of the wonderful volunteers that helped us move dogs across 4 different states to their foster homes! For the month of July our volunteers covered 10,092 miles and donated $5,146 in gas. We couldn't do this without you guys. On behalf of all our cute RAGOM Golden's, THANK YOU!
RAGOM is always looking for volunteers to help transport dogs. Transport runs can be local, intrastate, or interstate between Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota and Iowa. If you're interested in becoming a RAGOM volunteer and helping transport our rescued Golden Retrievers, please fill out a volunteer application.
You can also check out our volunteer page for other ways to volunteer.
Keeping Cool!
A great treat for any Golden this summer can be easily made with ingredients right from home! There are many healthy human foods that make great snacks for Goldens, such as apple slices and bananas. When frozen, these regular, healthy snacks become an instantly cool and refreshing treat. For a meaty flavored popsicle use water to dilute beef broth and pour it into regular ice cube trays. Your Golden friend will think the extra treat is great, and will love a chance to lounge in the summer sun and enjoy a frozen snack!
Keeping Busy!
Looking for other ways to keep your Golden Retriever entertained this summer? Try stocking up on toys that mentally challenge your dog. Check out RAGOM's Gift Shop for details on the I-Qube!
Keep your Garden Safe!
- Tulip
- Azalea
- Amaryllis
- Chrysanthemum
- English Ivy
- Peace Lily
- Oleander
- Yew
- Kalanchoe
While all of these plants are beautiful they also share something else in common; each of these plants are dangerous to dogs. To see a complete list of dangerous plants and their effects when ingested, visit the ASPCA's page on 17 Common Poisonous Plants. While you're there be sure to check out their video which shows and discusses each plant.
Don't have any of these plants in your garden, but still want to make sure your pets are safe? Visit this searchable database created by the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine. Here you can search for plants in a variety of ways including alphabetically or by picture. Each plant biography has a toxicity rating, a description of what parts of the plant are dangerous, prevention and first aid tips.
That the RAGOM Picnic and 5K Fun Run and Walk was originally held as a "Happy Birthday" party for RAGOM's founder, Jane Nygaard?
Jane's birthday is September 21st, and for the last 10 years a picnic has been held in her honor on the weekend closest to her birthday. It was held so that the volunteers got a chance to meet each other face to face, instead of spending all their time on the phone talking to each other - this was before the days of email! So come on out to the park on September 20th of this year, ask Jane how old she is, and meet lots of volunteers, supporters, and all those GRReat Golden Retrievers!!
All well-mannered dogs are welcome, along with their two legged friends!
For more information, including details on the walk, raffle and activites, please go
here.
RAGOM has made it easy for you to buy tickets for our fall raffle without going in search of your favorite volunteer! Just send a check or money order (we're sorry, we cannot accept credit cards on a raffle for legal reasons) for the number of raffle tickets you would like to purchase, at $1.00 per ticket, to:
RAGOM
P.O. Box 94
St. Paul Park, MN. 55071
We will fill out the portion of the ticket that goes into the actual drawing, and mail you back the stubs for your records. If you would like a name other than what is listed on your check entered in the drawing, just enclose a note and we'll be happy to do that as well. Save time and gas while still supporting your favorite cause, and have as many chances as you would like to win a terrific prize!
- Grand Prize is 3 nights lodging at East Bay Suites in Grand Marais valued at $750.00, with a $50.00 gas card to help get you there.
- Second prize is a $400.00 Kohler Destinations gift card, which can be used for lodging, golf, or anything else at Kohler resorts.
- Third prize is a Wii game system, valued at $250.00.
More prizes are being added! The raffle drawing will be held at the 2008 RAGOM Picnic on September 20th. You don't have to be present to win!
Nothing says summer like kids running a front-yard lemonade stand. Every summer, legions of young entrepreneurs mix up pitchers of tart icy lemonade in the hopes of funding a new bike, a video game or some pocket money for the family vacation.
But did you know there are lots of kids out there who set up lemonade stands to raise money for their favorite charity or organization? Last summer, some children of RAGOM volunteers got together and decided to raise money for RAGOM. They set a great example of how a simple idea becomes an action that positively affects the lives of others.
Here’s their inspiring story as they shared it with their RAGOM donation:
"One summer weekend, we were bored and trying to figure out what to do, when we decided to have a lemonade and brownie stand. We talked about it and decided we should donate the money to a charity, and decided to give to RAGOM because we like dogs and taking care of rescue dogs. So we all made signs and brought out one of our RAGOM dogs and put up a table on the corner of our street. Luckily one of our neighbors was having a garage sale and he told shoppers that we were down the street selling lemonade & brownies. There was also a baseball game going on in the park by our house and a few people stopped by from there.
Some people gave us extra money because we were giving it to RAGOM, and they like dogs. Our neighbor gave us $5, and our other neighbor said it was really nice that we were selling lemonade and brownies to raise money for dogs. Another one of our neighbors came three times because they wanted more brownies! Their Dad gave us $10 and told us to give the next 3 people free lemonade and brownies, but no one would take the free stuff because they wanted to donate to RAGOM!
We were out there from 10 a.m. until 4 in the afternoon, and we raised $60 for RAGOM. It was really fun and we want to do it again this summer!"
If you have young people in your life and want to encourage them to make a difference, help them set up a lemonade stand and donate some of their funds to RAGOM. Did you know that Sunkist provides free lemonade stands? Sunkist offers “Take a Stand” and you can apply for and receive a free lemonade stand! Check out this great website!
All of our dogs need your help to live a golden life. For $325, you can sponsor any RAGOM dog. We'll assign you a dog, or if a certain dog grabs your heart, you can request one, and you can watch his or her progress on the website, reading about vet visits, socialization, foster care, and potential adoptive families. Some dogs will need multiple sponsors due to extraordinary medical expenses. It's a rewarding way to get involved - and help a specific tail start wagging again.
There are a number of dogs waiting to be adopted and we are committed to making them healthy and finding them good homes. Our dogs can always use your help too, and sponsoring a dog is a great way to participate if you are unable to foster one yourself. Of course, a donation in any amount is always greatly appreciated!
Please send donations to:
P.O. Box 5567
Hopkins, MN 55343-0492.
© 2008 Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
www.ragom.org is the official website of Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota, Inc.,
a non-profit organization, as evidenced by the "org" in its website location.
Any use or links by others are not authorized.