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It was big, it was hairy, it was great!
RAGOM extends a gigantic “Thank you!” to everyone who attended, walked, donated, sponsored, and volunteered to make Goldzilla 2018 a success. We’ve added up pledges, sponsorships, raffle and silent auction sales, merchandise and concessions sales, and all other activity fees and donations.
With your help, Goldzilla raised $95,731! Goldzilla is RAGOM’s largest fundraiser, and these funds are crucial to our annual budget and our rescue efforts.
A bird’s eye view of Goldzilla
You might have noticed the drone capturing Goldzilla. RAGOM thanks Zack Lowenstein of North Skye Aerial Imaging for this incredible video of a great day. Check it out!
Audi photo contest winners
Facebook “likes” have been tallied and our five photo contest winners and recipients of $10 in RAGOM Bucks are:
Raffle winners
- $1,000 Visa gift card: Deb Ericsson
- $100 Visa gift card: Deb Erie
$100 Visa gift card: Jana Lowenstein
$100 Visa gift card: Steve McMichael
$100 Visa gift card: Sheri Stover
$100 Visa gift card: Sheri Stover
Assortment of people treats: Marcia Boler
Dog food and dog treats: Geralyn Carlson
Save the date
We look forward to seeing you next year at Goldzilla 2019 on Sunday, September 8!
When RAGOM learned in August 2016 that a notorious Missouri breeding operation was planning a dog auction, the entire RAGOM community sprang into action. Our plea for help and donations was broadcast on a Thursday, and by auction time on Saturday, 243 people—volunteers, adopters, and friends of RAGOM—had contributed an incredible $32,000.
A team of volunteers, organized on short notice, hit the road Friday afternoon to arrive in time to bid at the auction on Saturday. Meanwhile, the intake team worked frantically to secure fosters, temporary fosters, and transporters for all of the dogs that would hopefully be heading for Minnesota.
On Saturday night a RAGOM caravan rolled into town with nearly 30 wonderful dogs saved from the commercial breeding life (two moms and their puppies would arrive later when the pups were old enough to travel). They were met by a clean-up and welcome crew, foster families, overnight temporary fosters, and transporters.
Over the next few weeks our very busy volunteer teams reviewed adoption applications from waiting families, did home visits, answered questions, provided support to fosters, and drove dogs to vet appointments. Many of the dogs were placed with waiting families so quickly that their profiles never appeared on our website.
The work continues as one by one these dogs find their forever homes. Volunteers had to sort through confusing and inaccurate microchip records to ensure all dogs were correctly identified and documented in our database. Now that moms and puppies have arrived, our volunteers organized shifts to help foster homes bathe, clean up after, and socialize the pups.
By the time all of the auction dogs have found wonderful forever homes and are living the Golden Life, we estimate that more than 350 RAGOM friends and volunteers will have touched their lives and made their new beginnings possible. We are thankful for the tremendous “village” we have as part of the RAGOM family!
In March 2016, RAGOM learned of 11 dogs living in a hoarding situation. The dogs were in terrible shape, having barely survived without sufficient food and water, and all were severely underweight. Intravenous fluids and nutrition were required.
Knowing these dogs were in need of physical and emotional care, RAGOM offered to help. Transport was quickly arranged, supplies were gathered, and 11 families volunteered to foster the dogs. It was an amazing display of RAGOM’s ability to mobilize and act on a moment’s notice. Because of the kindness and generosity of so many, these dogs were given a second chance at living a healthy and happy life.
Braden 16-044, pictured above when first rescued and then fully recovered, was one of the dogs seized. He arrived at 32 pounds, approximately 30 pounds underweight. His foster began feeding Braden three high-protein, high-fat, high-calorie meals per day. Due to his near starvation, he ate as much as he could, as fast as he could. Exercise was restricted until he gained weight and muscle mass.
With the gentle care of his foster family, Braden grew physically and emotionally. He began to show affection and to trust humans. After a month, he was strong enough to chase squirrels in the yard and go for walks.
Today Braden and the other dogs from this case are thriving. The generous support of our donors makes it possible for us to help when needed in these situations. Because of your support Alana, Braden, Cait, Declan, Eamon, Finnbar, Garret, Hannah, Iona, Janette, and Fuzzy are receiving their second chance at a golden life. The case against the dogs’ owner is currently under prosecution.
These wonderful dogs need permanent families to call their own, families who are willing to help them learn that a clean place to sleep, nourishing meals, and plentiful water are now a given in life, and that humans can be kind and caring.
We were saddened to learn of the passing of Rosemarie de Ruiter, one of RAGOM’s most passionate advocates. Rosemarie and her husband Jan joined the RAGOM family in the early 2000’s as adopters, and they became volunteers in 2006, serving on the transport and home visit teams.
When asked, Rosemarie could provide the names of all 146 dogs she and Jan transported, where the dogs came from, and where the dogs were heading. Rosemarie and Jan took notes about every transport as well as photos of every dog. Over the years, this dynamic duo logged countless miles and braved the harshest Midwestern weather to transport dogs to safety in an area where RAGOM had few volunteers.
If you were a RAGOM foster volunteer, you could count on Rosemarie’s comprehensive home visit notes to provide an accurate picture of the families she interviewed and be assured that you had the information needed to make a successful match.
Rosemarie had a soft spot in her heart for senior rescues and was proudly owned by seven RAGOM dogs: Max 02-286, Bailey 03-02-063, Riley 07-320, Dorus (the Dutch-speaking dog) 07-314, Harley 08-195, Bonkers 10-217, and Charlie 12-283. We were blessed with Rosemarie’s frequent updates of these sweethearts so fortunate to call themselves de Ruiters.
Not only was Rosemarie dedicated to RAGOM, she and Jan and several of their dogs were regular P.E.T.P.A.L.S. visitors to schools, nursing homes, and programs helping developmentally disabled children and adults.
What a profound honor to have someone with a heart as big as Rosemarie’s be a member of our RAGOM family! All of us who knew her will remember her colorful character, her simple honesty, her fierce loyalty, her resolute passion for dogs, and most of all, the selflessness with which she devoted herself to her volunteer work.
You are a true legend in RAGOM’s eyes, dear Rosemarie. We are eternally grateful for your contribution and have no doubt you were warmly greeted at the Rainbow Bridge by Max, Bailey, Riley, Dorus, Harley, Bonkers, and all of the other RAGOM dogs there, many of whom you so happily helped.