Golden opportunity
Dog rescue looking for foster homes in Truro area
An elderly dog she took home several years ago cemented Karen Butt’s love for golden retrievers and led to the creation of a nonprofit group.
The Truro Heights woman has now formed, and serves as president of the non-profit group Nova Scotia Golden Retriever and Friends Rescue.
“I started this as a golden retriever rescue 11 years ago, but there were so many dogs of other breeds that needed help, I added ‘friends’ to the name,” she said.
Butt had always been a fan of golden retrievers, and was volunteering with the Truro Humane Society when a senior golden was abandoned. She took the dog, who she called Kelsey, home with her.
“I only had her 20 months but I loved her so much,” she said. “It really was the love of Kelsey that started this.”
After Kelsey’s death, Butt got another golden, Chelsea, who is now 14 years old.
Through the rescue, she’s helping about 30 dogs each year. To help with veterinary costs, she makes collars, leashes and dog bandanas and sells them, along with animal-themed jewelry, at craft fairs and markets. She and Catherine Reddick, vice- president of the organization, do most of the fundraising on their own.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s to help the animals,” she said. “They all need vet checks when we get them, and a lot need to be spayed or neutered, and vaccinated. These are all local dogs people are giving up.”
The rescue has no shelter, so all dogs need to go to foster homes while they’re waiting to be adopted.
“We would love to get more local foster homes,” said Butt. “We’d also love to hear from people with fundraising ideas to share, and who’d like to volunteer with us.
The organization supplies everything needed by the dogs while they’re in foster homes.
More information can be found online at https://www.facebook. com/groups/nsgrr/?fref=nf or
http:// www. nsgrr. ca/ or by emailing nsgrr@eastlink.ca