Stray Golden Retrievers Rescued From Turkey Brought To Minnesota For Adoption
MINNETONKA, Minn. – It’s not uncommon for rescue groups to bring in dogs from other parts of the country, but for the first time a Twin Cities rescue group is taking in strays from across the world. On Friday, the rescue group, Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota, or RAGOM, is picking up 15 pure bred golden retrievers from Istanbul, Turkey and putting them up for adoption.
The golden retrievers were among the 50,000 stray dogs currently roaming the streets of Turkey. A web search of dogs in Turkey takes you to headlines and photos of a massive stray population in the country. There are Youtube videos dedicated to documenting how many dogs there are how poor of shape they’re in.
The pure bred golden retrievers are cast-offs of a fad from about a decade ago. The dogs are more likely to find homes in the U.S., where they are the third most popular dog breed.
They’re great family dogs, Stephanie Perri, a member of the rescue group said. You have kids you can’t ask for a better companion.
Now that they’re no longer seen as this elite symbol, they estimate there’s over 500 purebred Golden Retrievers running the streets of Istanbul at any given time and in the forests as well, Perri said.
They need passports which one wouldn’t necessarily think for dogs, but each is coming over with their own health certificate and passport..
The first rescue of dogs from Turkey came in May by a golden retriever rescue group in Atlanta. Since then, theyve brought over a total of 75 dogs.
Rescue Goldens From Turkey
Summary
There are an enormous number of Golden Retrievers in Turkey that are in desperate need of help. Many have been released by their owners into the woods to fend for themselves. Some have been rounded up by shelters and rescuers willing to help, but ultimately the dogs need homes. We have taken up the effort to bring as many as we can handle to our facility in the U.S. in order to treat their needs whether it be training, socialization or medical issues and ultimately to find them Forever homes.
Challenge
There are somewhere upwards of 2,000 homeless Golden Retrievers in Turkey. The shelters that are taking care of them can not do this indefinitely. If we can accomplish our mission to bring as many of these beautiful dogs to the U.S. we will reduce the impact on those working so hard in Turkey and most importantly find loving Forever homes for these dogs here in the U.S.
Solution
Hopefully we can greatly reduce the number of homeless Goldens in Turkey while giving a new and better life to these dogs. Our experience to date has been a win win for all involved. The dogs we have brought over have been wonderful with great temperaments and the Golden traits we all love.
Long-Term Impact
We look forward to making many happy homes complete with the addition of a Golden adoption!
Resources
Not As Healthy As They Look
But many end up in the forested areas surrounding Istanbul. Just because many look relatively well-fed and are not aggressive toward people, all is not well. Baban is trying to get that message across to those who think she is running some sort of dog racket or has ulterior motives.
From the dogs we rescued that flew to America last, about 40% had broken teeth with nerves out in their mouth. Imagine how much pain they are in, Baban said. A dog cannot speak and the people believe they are in good condition. But they are not. They have no chance to be medically checked in foster or in shelters here.
Thats where Adopt a Golden Atlanta comes in. In Turkey, Baban and her volunteers make sure the dogs have a microchip for identification, are spayed or neutered, and have a good enough bill of health to be shipped in crates and flown to America.
Once they get to AGA, they are given whatever medical attention they need, which can be quite expensive. The charitable organization relies on donors to keep afloat, and you can follow a dogs progress online.
I cant thank them enough, as well as the American people who take them in, Baban said.
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Golden Retrievers Rescued From Istanbul Turkey
- The Minnesota Zoo hosted its annual Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular, themed “A Night at the Library.” The display runs from Oct. 1 through Nov. 5. October 11 Popstar Lizzo performed at Xcel Energy Center on Tuesday, Oct. 11 in St. Paul. October 10 The council voted 4-0 to censure KT Jacobs, accused of making a racist phone call to a biracial candidate for office, and also passed an added motion asking her to resign her seat. October 9 The Minnesota United FC shut out the Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2-0 in a Decision Day game. October 9
Why Help International Rescues
The demand for rescued Goldens in Southern California exceeds four times the availability of domestic rescue Golden Retrievers. Given the opportunity, SCGRR began to work with several international rescuers to help save Goldens in other countries as we have wonderful families waiting for the perfect companion.
Many of our rescue partners have no funding, They are good Samaritans doing what they can out of pure passion for these gentle souls. This is the case for our overseas partners on the ground in China , South Korea, and Turkey.
SCGRR provides the structure in Southern California to welcome dogs from these countries, providing immediate veterinary care, placing them into foster homes, and ultimately adoption. We reimburse these international rescue partners for a variety of expenses such as crates and water bottles for travel, paperwork fees, airline fees, boarding, or vaccines. Most receive basic medical treatment and required vaccines before arrival, but conditions such as heartworm treatment, advanced dental care, and glaucoma to repairing poorly triaged broken bones or abscesses from trauma these are dealt with under our supervision here, with our rescue veterinarians, just as we would our domestic Goldens.
The average cost to support the independent rescuers and get these precious pups to the U.S. over $1000 for each golden.
Please consider donating to help an International Rescue Dog, and give them a chance at their American dream.
Dogs from China
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Golden Retrievers Rescued From Turkey Look For New Homes In Colorado
Posted: Jun 6, 2016 / 10:01 PM MDT
Golden retrievers arrive in Colorado from Turkey
DENVER Of all the passengers to arrive at Denver International Airport on Monday, few got the sort of fanfare like the group of golden retrievers that flew in from Turkey.
The 18 dogs were flown in by the Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies. The group has been rescuing golden retrievers for years.
In this case, the dogs came from Istanbul. According to the group, the country has been dealing with a terrible golden retriever situation.
The rescues executive director, Kevin Shipley, said golden retrievers were once viewed as a status symbol in Turkey. But these days, there are too many of the dogs so a lot of the time people just let them run free in the wild to fend for themselves.
According to Shipley, of the 32 animal shelters in Istanbul, the largest has 4,000 dogs with 20 dogs per pen.
Once theyre not puppies anymore, and not cute and cuddly, just full grown dogs, people dont want them, said Sue Sherman, a member of the organization.
Most of the dogs rescued as part of this operation were found in the forests of Turkey. Some suffered bite marks, large scabs and other issues. But GRRR said the health problems are all treatable.
At the end of the day, they just act like golden retrievers, Shipley said.
The dogs will be housed at the groups facility in Arvada. Theyll receive health treatment, food and plenty of room to play.
A Golden Moment At Toronto’s Pearson Airport
More than 100,000 stray dogs roam the streets and forests in and around Istanbul, a figure rescue groups say has bloomed in recent years following the economic downturn in Europe.
Hundreds of those are Golden Retrievers: sociable, family-friendly pups that rarely adapt to life as strays, the chairwoman of a Barrie, Ont.,-based rescue group says.
That’s why Golden Rescue has begun flying the dogs into Canada, pairing them with new owners here, Viive Tamm said Thursday afternoon. The latest group of eight dogs were scheduled to touch down in Mississauga, Ont., at 3:28 p.m., all of whom already have homes.
“Goldens are the biggest sucks of all and they were having the most trouble on the streets,” Tamm said. “They’re the ones who are used to sleeping in their owners’ beds.”
Tamm and another volunteer with Golden Rescue visited Turkey in December after reading about the overwhelming numbers of strays, some of which had been moved to the forests surrounding the city.
The country has a long history with stray dogs, dating back to the Ottoman empire. Residents, stores and restaurants often leave out food and water, but in recent years shelters and rescue groups have begun questioning the animals’ health, CNN and Deutsche Welle reported.
And while goldens are “fashionable” to adopt as puppies, once they grow up, they often find themselves in the street, according to the CNN story.
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Florida Group Helps Rescue Golden Retrievers From Turkey
LECANTO, Fla. | Florida rescue groups are helping to recover abandoned golden retrievers from the streets Turkey and are bringing them back to the United States.
Experts say golden retrievers used to be a status symbol in Turkey, but only puppies are considered valuable, meaning many dogs are put in the streets or left in the woods. Government officials would “bury them alive in mass graves, poison them or leave them to fend for themselves,” said Ellen Pavlik, president of Joshua’s House, a rescue group in Lecanto.
It costs about $2,000 to rescue each dog, including airfare, overnight boarding and vet fees. Groups across the state, including Everglades Golden Retriever Rescue, and another in Atlanta, are also part of the efforts.
Adopt a Golden Atlanta Golden Rescue in Atlanta, which has brought national attention to the issue, saved more than 100 goldens last year and is looking to rescue 30 more a month this year.
The Citrus County Chronicle reports most of the dogs that arrived last week went to rescue groups in South Florida. Two dogs, Noah and Ben, went to Joshua’s House. Ben is already claimed for adoption, and Noah will likely be adopted soon.
Just a few months ago, the two were roaming the streets of Turkey searching for food and finding themselves easy prey for more aggressive feral dogs.
No Animal Euthanasia In Turkey
Turkish municipal officials and rescue groups don’t euthanize the animals, following mass protests in 2012, Tamm and Germany’s Deuche Welle report. And the economic downturn, which hit Greece and neighbouring Turkey especially hard, also led to an increase in abandoned pets, Golden Rescue and their partners said.
Municipal officials have instead begun spaying and neutering stray dogs to try to control their population, according to the German broadcaster.
And volunteers are also reaching out to groups like Golden Rescue and others in the U.S.
The dogs arriving in Mississauga are already spoken for, but Tamm said there will be plenty more arriving in March. And, unlike some rescue groups, the organization does adopt out to those living in condos provided they commit to giving their pets regular exercise, she said.
“Dogs, in general, don’t care if your home is 500 square feet or 5,000 square feet,” she said. “They’re usually just happy to be hanging out around your feet.”
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Turkey Has A Golden Retriever Problem America Can Help
Golden retrievers Atlanta, left, and her sister, Phoenix, lounge with a volunteer outside the cargo hall before leaving Istanbul.
Alexandra Locke
Itâs almost 6,000 miles from Istanbul to Atlanta, and itâs going to be a long flight. The passengers on this flight really need to stretch their legs â all four of them, to be exact.
This is not the departures lounge itâs the Ataturk Airport cargo hall, a vast, echoing hangar full of forklifts, packages and 18 empty dog crates. Theyâre slowly being filled by golden retrievers whose hues range from pearly white to burnished bronze. The dogs seem a little overwhelmed by the airport, but theyâre cooperating.
Helping oversee the efforts is Edna, a middle-aged volunteer who’s been rescuing dogs for 15 years. She doesn’t want to use her last name to avoid attracting attention from people in Turkey who aren’t fans of sending the dogs to the US. âGo ahead, go ahead,â she says in Turkish to one volunteer whoâs walking an enormous ash-blond golden. âClara is going in a big crate because sheâs fat,â Edna says, amused. âWe have an obese Clara. Sheâs going in a suite.â
The dogs stretch their legs on their last day in Istanbul.
Alexandra Locke
On their first transport in 2015, they brought over 36 dogs, making it the largest ever international rescue of golden retrievers.
Volunteers play with the dogs outside the airport in Istanbul.
Alexandra Locke
Abandoned Golden Retrievers Rescued From The Streets Of Turkey
Ten years ago, Golden Retrievers were considered as a status symbol in Turkey. So people who wanted to attain that status symbol, bought Golden Retrievers. But then after a few years, everyone seemed to have Golden Retrievers, so the status was no longer there. People who didnt really like dogs and who couldnt commit to them started abandoning them.
An American living in Turkey contacted Adopt A Golden in Atlanta when she saw the poor dogs abandoned in the streets and the shelters of Turkey. Lauren Genkinger, the founder and head of Adopt a Golden Atlanta, did everything they could to rescue the abandoned dogs. They crossed international waters to rescue a total of 36 Golden Retrievers. Watch the video below for the full story!
Awww..they are such beautiful dogs, arent they? How could anyone abandon them?
A big thank you to the people who helped in rescuing these dogs! Now all they need is a loving forever home!
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Austin Rescue Group Saving 13 Golden Retrievers From Turkey
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AUSTIN, Texas An Austin rescue group has announced that 13 golden retrievers will soon have new Texas homes after being rescued from Istanbul, Turkey.
Gold Ribbon Rescue said five dogs arrived in Austin on Nov. 9, five more will arrive at Manchaca Village Veterinary Care on Nov. 10 and the final three will arrive the following week.
Gold Ribbon Rescue has a history of rescuing the beloved breed from dire situations. The group rescued another 14 dogs from Istanbul in 2015. And, in 2016, it helped save 10 dogs from the streets of Mexico City. Recently, in 2019, the group saved 15 dogs from China slaughterhouses.
The organization has dubbed this mission “Tamara’s Turkey Dog Rescue Mission” in honor of a long-time volunteer who is sponsoring the initiative.
Asian Meat Trade Dogs
The dog meat trade is most widespread in China, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Laos, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Nagaland in northern India. This trade is well-organized, with high numbers of dogs being stolen or taken from the streets, transported in deplorable conditions over long distances, and brutally slaughtered. It is estimated that in China alone, millions of dogs are slaughtered for the dog meat trade each year. As a rescue organization with an unwavering mission to save dogs, GRRAND feels privileged to participate in the liberation of these goldens, but our hearts are heavy for the thousands of other dogs left behind to be slaughtered. To date we have rescued five Asian golden retrievers, and all of them have been placed in loving homes. The cost to rescue these precious dogs from sure death, restore their health, and prepare them for a loving family is approximately $1,500 to $2,000 per dog. Your donations enable GRRAND to continue in this humane effort!
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This Map Shows How Many Golden Retriever Dogs Are Posted In Each State
Golden Retriever Rescue Information: The Golden Retriever is a gundog that loves the water. Originally bred for hunting, Goldens make wonderful family pets. Golden Retrievers are very sweet, patient, gentle, and excellent with children. Goldens are eager to please and respond very well to obedience training. Goldens make good watchdogs but are far too friendly with everyone, from strangers to other dogs, to be used as guard dogs. Goldens need human companionship. They can get into trouble if neglected. This breed is suitable for homes with yards, and needs plenty of brisk daily exercise.
Golden Retriever Trivia: Golden Retrievers excel in competitive obedience. Golden Retrievers are often used as therapy dogs. Golden Retrievers are descended from various English hunting dogs possibly including the bloodhound. Golden Retrievers can be trained as seeing eye dogs. Golden Retrievers are among the most popular family pets.
Stray Golden Retrievers From Turkey Find New Life In Us
Golden Retrievers are the third most popular dog breed in America, but in Turkey, hundreds of the pups can be found living on the streets. An organization in Istanbul is trying to find the Golden Retrievers new homes in the U.S. Fifteen states have taken in the so-called Turkey dogs over the last two years.
Its been a long, hard winter in Istanbul, especially if youre a stray dog one of thousands in the sprawling, Middle Eastern city. They live on the streets, dodging traffic and begging for scraps, reports CBS News correspondent Holly Williams. Theyre dogs like Valentine, a 1-year-old Golden Retriever who was found weak and undernourished.
Edna Surujon and Yasemin Baban help run a rescue center in Istanbul where many of the dogs are Golden Retrievers. They told us theyre bought as puppies, but some owners then discard them when they realize theyre so big and energetic.
They end up throwing them away, or giving them to shelters, Baban said.
And how do these Goldens do on the street? Do they cope very well? Williams asked.
They dont, Baban said.
Golden Retrievers are famously friendly and playful. On the streets, though, Baban told us theyre often attacked by more aggressive breeds.
But for a few, lucky dogs, theres hope for a better life. At a time when the flow of people from the Middle East has divided the U.S., these dogs are being sent to America and finding new homes.
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