On February 14, 1985, Hank and Jane Nygaard rescued a Golden Retriever from a shelter and provided her with love, devotion, and veterinary care until they found her a forever home. They didn’t stop there, but began what became their life’s purpose and started Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota (RAGOM).
Now, 32 years later, more than 450 volunteers inspired by the Nygaards have steadfastly carried on their legacy and mission of rescuing, fostering, and finding forever homes for Golden Retrievers and Golden mixes in need. Because of these selfless, generous, and passionate volunteers, RAGOM has grown beyond its borders of Minnesota and now also serves Iowa, North and South Dakota, and western Wisconsin.
We are the second largest Golden rescue organization in the United States, and we are dedicated to helping even more Goldens find forever homes. With an ever-growing group of volunteers and solid management and infrastructure, we decided that our name should accurately reflect the scope of RAGOM’s mission.
Effective September 10, 2017, our name is Retrieve a Golden of the Midwest and includes a new logo, branding, and website. Volunteers spent countless hours analyzing and refreshing these properties to ensure that we both respected the past and reflected the future. Our brand is more than a design. It is a combination of symbolism, words, credibility, and emotion that inspires our volunteers and supporters to achieve our vision that all Golden Retrievers and Golden mixes have forever homes and instills our values of passion and integrity.
Our new logo honors both Jane’s legacy and the previous logo, including the original heart component symbolizing that RAGOM was founded on Valentine’s Day. Our brand represents the love, joy, and comfort that Golden Retrievers and Golden mixes bring to our lives. These intuitive and sensitive dogs give unconditional love to everyone they meet. Yet despite their wonderful temperament, hundreds of homeless Goldens and Golden mixes need a second chance, and that is why RAGOM exists.
Thank you for all you do for RAGOM dogs,
Board of Directors, Retrieve a Golden of the Midwest