Hello Friends!!!  Wanna play Keep Away with me? 

OK, I got it!

Come and get it!!!

Sneak attack!

FM really wants me to play Fetch, but I prefer Keep Away!  When FM finally catches me, I hold on to my ball---I still don’t understand why you’d give it away?  Anyways…FM has this annoying habit of tickling my tongue and then my jaw just gets like Jello and that ball falls right out of my mouth.  FM also figured out that I like to “trade” my ball for a “treat,” but you better be quick…because I can drop the ball, grab the treat, and have the ball back in my mouth before it hits the ground.  Serious!

I'm a doggie of many talents

Well…time for a nap with my foster brother Shadow!  

Wishing you all a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  I think 2011 is going to be VERY special indeed! 
 
Love & Licks-- Avy

Hi Friends!!!!

I hear we are getting TONS of snow again on Saturday so RAGOM thought it was very smart to postpone the Stillwater event to keep everyone safe! That’s good thinking I think! Well, you know what I’ll be doing with all that snow…but after that, I’m going to do my next favorite thing…

Cuddling with my foster family!

See you next time—

Avy-Girl

Hi Avery Fans!
 
Thank you to everyone that came out to welcome Avery back at the Richfield PetSmart event! What a great day!  Avery sure felt the love of all her fans--THANK YOU so much!  Avery also wanted to give a special "thank you" to the very special couple that bought both Bear and Avery early Christmas gifts!  The doggies were both totally wiped out from the event and both slept the rest of the day with their new toys :)

Avery 10-203, and her new Kitty!

Bear 10-247, and his new Doggie!

Avery has really settled back into her foster home this week and is back to her goofy, playful, cuddly self!  

We are soooo happy to see her relax so soon!  Must be all the well wishes and love pets she received from her many fans!  She is such a happy girl!
 
Miss Avery will be out at the Plymouth PetSmart this coming Saturday to have her picture taken with Santa.  Hmmm...I wonder what she will ask him for this Christmas??? 
 
Hope everyone can come out and join us with Santa on Saturday!!  Really...what can be better than a day with Santa and a store full of Goldens???   
 
Exactly...so we'll see you all there!
 
FM & Avery

Hi Friends--It's ME Avery!!!
 
Thank you SO MUCH for coming out to see and my friends at Chuck & Don's on Saturday!  Ginny even came with since she's a former RAGOM Girl herself!  FM dressed us both up as Christmas ornaments!  Can you believe it?  I was ok with it once I realized what was in the bag of treats---YUMMY! 
 

 
 
This is my new friend Scruffy 10-312!  He's a total sweetheart!

 
 
And this is Scuffy's FM Kris...Ginny, Scruffy, and I---what a group of lovers!  
 

 So many old friends stopped out to say, "HI" to me too!  I've met some pretty great people along the way here in RAGOM land! Lots of Love out there for me---thank you so much M family and E family and R family and Deb and Kathy G. and everyone else who came out to see me!  I am one LUCKY girl!  And a very special lady came out to give me some special lovin' and she even helped me pick out a very special toy!  Thank you again Gwen for the thoughtful gift for FM & me!

 
 
After Chuck and Don's, Ginny and me went to see Ginny's mom and all our friends at Transitional Care.
 

Ginny and I sure make lots of smiles happen there---especially with Ginny's mom and my friend Jim!   Jim gets to go home next weekend, so we are going to miss him very much!  He has been my very special friend!  And we pray everyday for Ginny's mom to get well so she can go home soon too!
 
We finally arrived back home and I was totally pooped out... and I guess FD was too.

Hey...guess what???  That very special family that was putting a fence in so they could "officially" meet me called to say that the fence is DONE!  YEAH!  The J Family will be traveling 4 hours this coming weekend to "officially" meet me and my whole foster family.  Will you ALL keep your paws crossed for me?  Mine are already crossed!
 
Love & Licks--
Your Avy-Girl

Hi Friends!  It’s me—AVY!
 
I had so much fun at the event on Saturday in Plymouth.  I couldn’t believe how many wonderful 2-leggers came out to meet us RAGOM doggies!  Big and small 2-leggers everywhere all to give us pets—I LOVED it!  RAGOM dogs sure are lucky---sooo many people looking for doggies like us---makes me feel very SPECIAL!
 
When we got home, all the other doggies were so excited to see me—and smell me of course.  As a special treat—FM let us choose our own RAWHIDE from a bunch of different kinds!  Ohhhh boy---what a treat!  YUM!  Of course—FM has seniority rules in this house, so I was last in line.  Imagine that! 
 
I waited in as PATIENTLY as possible while my body wiggled uncontrollably watching each of my fur-butt foster brothers & sisters pick their favorite until ALAS!--it was my turn! 

“Yippee—got just the ones I wanted!"

“What do you mean I ONLY get one?”

“Pretty PLEEEEEEEEEZZE FM---just this once?” 

 
FM HERE: 

Thank you to everyone that stopped out to see Avy-Girl this weekend!  Sometimes, as a foster, you think, “I have this incredible dog here---where is her forever family hiding?  Don’t they know they are missing out on a very special girl?”  Then—you go to an event like the one on Saturday and your heart melts watching so many people stopping by to meet your foster dog and they tell you how they’ve been following her story.  YEAH! 
 
Avy has had quite a bit of interest in her since her very first posting in July.  Some applicants have been “almost” perfect matches—and some would be perfect—BUT, they are missing one of the 3 Puppy Mill requirements needed to adopt her.  These requirements are very important to our puppy mill dogs.  While on the surface—it would seem somewhat over-protective to some and sometimes even unreasonable--past experience has taught us that Puppy Mill dogs need these 3 requirements to be the most successful in their forever homes. 
 
PM requirements being:

1.  Another large dog to learn from and relate to… since being with dogs is all they have ever known (humans are usually the enemy)

2.  A physical fence to keep them safe… because when spooked, “flight” is their first defensive reaction—no matter how well they act otherwise.

3.  No small children…because a safe, calm, predictable environment is key for PM dogs, and young children are not always safe, calm and predictable. 
 
So…while it’s been a long wait for this girl---it will be in Avy’s best interests in the long run to wait for her perfect “3 requirement” family match. 
 
To know Avy is to LOVE her deeply!  So…you should know her as we do…

Avy is very much a puppy in a big girl’s body.  Everything is a new experience to her and she is easily excitable.  Avy wants to be near “mom” most of the time and will “help” mom out with any activity she is doing—be it pulling a wood tic off another dog or picking up laundry—Avy will be there with her tail a wagging, her nose right down in the action, and her eyes asking, “What are you doing FM—can I help?”  But Avery’s idea of help is a bit different then mine.  For example, if you drop a napkin, she will pick it up and then a little game of “keep away” begins—just like a little kid would do—HA!  She loves to run and play and when she runs it’s like watching a deer leap through a field—it’s absolutely beautiful to watch!  A big place to run—be it a dog park or a large fenced in field would be part of the “perfect” we are hoping for in Avy’s future activities.  As for manners—since Avery was raised in a junk yard shed—her manners reflect it a bit and she will need some manner-training.  We are working on some basic “puppy” manners and while she is very food motivated—she is extremely “touch-motivated” and will do anything for some lovin’.  So training is quite enjoyable for us—plus she learns quickly by watching the other dogs—good habits as well as bad. While Jasper 10-280 was at our home—she witnessed how he liked to rip open stuffed animals to get the squeaker out --and guess what---Avery now likes to make a hole and rip open stuffed animals when you are not watching her.  I would never take them away completely—because she loves them very much, but we are now “retraining” her how to play with them.  ON the flip side of the silly puppy girl is a people-lovin’ fabulous companion dog!  Avery is outstanding in public—she is like a magnet to people and other dogs and will go right up to them—knowing she will get some love.  I might even use the word “mello” to describe her when she is out and about--making her love of people and her demeanor great traits for a  therapy candidate--after obedience training of course.  Avy loves to be outside, but won’t go out and play without you.  She truly wants to share her new world with you…and of course—her LICKS!    
 
Those big BROWN eyes really tell Avy’s story—its’ a story of a sad beginning—yet of an incredible love for life!  And as we all know—Love conquers all!   
 
If you are Avery’s very special, “three requirements,” perfect match, forever family, you know what to do! 
 
FM & Avery

Hi Avery Fans!!!!  Avery is back in RAGOMLAND through no fault of her own.  The home situation that Avery was adopted out to changed suddenly and the adopter realized that she would no longer have the time she anticipated for 2 doggies in her life.  She was very sad and wanted everyone to know what a love Avy is.
 
Avy didn't miss a beat and settled right back into our home--finding her favorite hole to roll in... That's our Avy-Girl!

We are happy to have her with us again and can't wait to see how the rest of her story goes...more to come soon!
 
Just a recap of what we are looking for in her "perfect" forever home:
 
1. Another med-large dog to show her the way & to PLAY with
2. Physical fence
3. No small kids---quick movements scare her.  She LOVES big kids!!!!
4. A family that isn't away more than 8.5 hours during the day
5. A family that will exercise her---she is only 7 yrs. old on paper!  She loves to run and has a good amount of energy!
6. A family that loves to be KISSED!
 
If you are interested in meeting this cutie pie---please let your placement advisor know

HI Friends!  It’s ME—AVERY!  What a WONDERFUL weekend that was!!!  So many people came out to visit us at Petsmart and I just wanted to THANK YOU all so much for all the pets and treats---RAGOM supporters are the BEST!!!!  I loved every minute and I can’t wait for this coming weekend at GOLDZILLA!!!  I will be greeting everyone at 8am with FM and then walking with my pack to raise $$$ for all the doggies.  I hope you all are joining in---it’s going to be a BLAST!!!  Then I will be at the Foster Tent from 12-2 so I come out and say “HI” because I want to MEET YOU and give you some Avy-lovin’!!!!

Did you know I am still searching for my Forever Family?  Yeah—I can’t believe it myself!   I have met some really nice families so far, but I kinda know what Goldilocks felt like when she was at the Three Bear’s house—I just have not found the “Just Right” family for me yet.  You know we go to see Ginny’s Forever Mom every weekend and Ginny is so excited to see her.  They are just right for each other and I can’t wait to have that!!!  Foster Mom keeps telling me that my Forever Family is very much worth the wait and Ginny says so too---so, I am just going to hang out here until they find me.  Besides---I love my foster family and I’m learning so much from my fur friends here!  For example---I love car rides!  Did you know that I used to be afraid of the car and now I run to it with my tongue hanging out!  And, I used to not give the ball back when we play fetch, but my fur foster brother showed me that if I give it to the 2-legger, then I get to chase it more—it’s a game you see.  I didn’t know that!  The one thing I can’t bare to give up yet is my stuffed animals—unless of course you trade me for a treat—HA!  See—I’m not stubborn—just smart!  
 
Ginny told me that she met her Forever Family at a big event like Goldzilla and she thinks my Forever Family might be at Goldzilla this year—so my whole foster pack is working together and will be scanning the horizon of Golden Lovers for me!  I think I better start packing my stuffed animals and balls—you know— just in case!  

Found this green thing in the garden…but…hmmmm….maybe I’ll leave this here.

OK, I think I have everything and I’m ready for the BIG EVENT!!!
Just a few days to go….Goldzilla—here I come!!!  It’s going to be a BIG HAIRY FRIENDLY Saturday, so I hope you will all come out and celebrate with us!!!  I am so lucky RAGOM was there to rescue me and my junkyard brothers and sisters!  I never thought life could be so good!!!  THANK YOU RAGOM and THANK YOU to everyone that has and is supporting RAGOM!  I am here because of all of you!  Please come by so I can thank you in person—yes—prepare to be licked!  
 
One VERY happy, lovable, sweet, silly, loyal, cuddly, playful, lucky doggie—

Avery 10-203

Hi Friends!  It’s ME—Avery…getting all buffed and shined for you!  I will be making my big debut out at GOLDZILLA on 9/18 at the Foster Showcase Tent from 11am-12pm.  Come out and see me so I can give you some Avy-lovin’!  

 
 
This is my 3 yr. old foster fur-butt brother Jonah (former RAGOM boy himself) and he’s my best ball chasing buddy! 

 
We run and run and sometimes he gets the ball and sometimes I get it---but the best part of getting the ball is showing off when I win.  FM says that’s not good showmanship—but hey—I’m a dog!   

I know I’ve told you this before, but I’m really a youngster in big girl fur!  I LOVE my new life and I love to run and play and be with my pack of 2-leggers & 4-leggers!  I LOVE people and I love all my doggie friends!  And some very nice people have asked about me and I am soooo grateful!  But, so far, that ONE family is still out there and I’m going to ask your help in finding them for me.  Will you help me? 
 

 
Here is what I’m looking for in my forever home:
*  someone who would not leave me alone for more than 6-7 hours at a time (LESS would be even better)
*  another fun doggie to play fetch, tug-a-war, and run with—and also to lie by when we rest.
*  someone that will take me places to visit people and other doggies because I’m such a good girl and love all the attention (ex.  therapy work, dog parks, doggie daycare)
*  Regular exercise routine:  at the very least—1 good walk and 2 play sessions per day.  I would be a great     partner for an avid walker or runner because I’m a pro on the leash!
*  Lots of Love and Hugs and Belly Rubs!  I am bursting with so much love to give! 
*  Medium to older kids would be just fine---but the younger ones are too much for me—still a bit too scary
*  Oh…and a fenced yard to keep me safe and sound J  I’m NOT a bolter—but I do like to explore.

That’s it—pretty simple!  So…if you know this family or better yet—you ARE this family---please fill out an application & contact your placement advisor!  Until then, I’ll be dreaming about my Forever Family and counting down the days to the BIG Goldzilla EVENT!
Can’t wait to meet you all in person!
 
Lots of Love—Avy!

Hi Friends!!!
It's ME-- AVERY!  How are you?  I had a great week even though it was soooo hot!!!  Did you all survive?  We mostly played hard in the evening when it cooled down and during the day---Me and my fur-butt foster sister Miley caught up on our beauty sleep.

Everyone keeps tell me how wonderful I am and I think my forever family needs to know that!!!  I've also been thinking that my forever family needs a few more details about me so they can say, "HEY---Avery is the dog for us," so here goes...
 
Because I'm a former Puppy Mill Momma, RAGOM requires 3 things to keep me safe and happy:
1.  a physical fence
2.  another med-large size doggie for me to relate to and learn from
3.  no small kids that may scare me (they are a little unpredictable you know)
 
Other than those things---I'm good to go.  I'm a very happy, loving girl!  I love people and I'm very gentle---well--besides when I want to give you lots of kisses---then I do wiggle my whole body and my tail starts flying! I love to play and I love this Golden Life thing!!!

Oh...and I like to go for rides now!  Ginny has convinced me that rides are good and even today--I went for a ride to a RAGOM meeting and guess what----there were a whole bunch more friends I met!!!  It was VERY good!!!  So---as long as you crawl in the car first (like Ginny or FM do), I will go anywhere with you in the car :)  I even like to put my nose out the window!

Well...I have to run...sounds like we are having another doggie party tomorrow so I have to go pick up the yard.  And don't forget---if you run into my Forever Family, tell them I'm looking for them!  Talk to you soon!
 
Licks & Wiggles-- 
Avery

Hello Friends in RAGOMLAND!  It's ME--Avery!
 
How are you??? I am doing great!!!  FM says just a couple more days and I will be able to run and play with my new foster fur-butt siblings----ohhh I can hardly wait.  My "spay" and "tooth extraction" went well--I think that is a good thing as everyone is pretty happy about it.  FM says, "NO more baby making for you Avery" and I'm so cool with that.  I mean...I love being a mom and all but really--for my whole life???  I think I've had more than my fair share and I'm ready to see what this Golden Life is all about! 

Yesterday---FM intivied all my RAGOM friends over for a little dog party. Ohhhh the temptation to play was killing me---but I made it!   It was a really fun day and I even meet my SUPER HERO Brandon 10-196 and that totally made my day! 
 
Then today, Ginny  (a RAGOM alum and former Puppy Mill Momma) invited me to go for a ride with her to visit her mom in transitional care.  FM wasn't too sure if that was such a good idea, but Ginny somehow convinced her and I'm soooooo glad she did!  FM is too! It was like nothing I had ever experienced in my whole life and I'm not going to lie----I LOVED it!!!  Ginny introduced me to her mom first and then we went to meet everyone else!

I think I surprised everyone because I was like a little social butterfly fluttering from person to person for pets and loving.  FM said she was totally shocked at how at ease I was with all these strangers.  But then again---they were calm and happy and moving at a pace I totally can handle.  FM said something about being a "therapy dog" and that I may have all the makings of being a star one.  Hmmm...I'll have to ask her more about that. Ginny's mom agreed and said that I can come back anytime---and then two more 2-leggers asked me to come back too!  Can you believe it?  Ginny's mom thought we should celebrate my visit so she gave us each a "thank you."  I thought a "thank you" was something you say, but I really liked this "thank you."  

Not sure what it was, but it was soooo yummy and cold---I had to give her a big "thank you" back--Avy-Style

Well---if this is the start to the Golden Life---I'm totally on board!!!  FM says that I am a total sweetheart!!!  I'm called a "velcro dog" at this point, but that's just until I figure out this new life--you know it's nice to have a "home-base" or in this case--a "home-2-legger" to run to for reassurance.  Having had a few PM momma dogs already, FM says she can't believe how much further I am than my two foster fur-siblings were when they first came into foster care.  Well---I can't take all the credit---my first foster family really started me out on the right foot and now I feel so good that I can just be me!  Believe it or not, I know my name and I know what "no" means.  I'm VERY social.   I love being with other dogs, but I do give them their space and I like when they give me mine.  I am a pro leash walker and I don't pull one bit!  As you know, the little 2-leggers are a bit scary for me--they move too fast and are somewhat unpredictable---BUT I do feel VERY comfortable around big 2-leggers. And.. I'm NOT a "bolter" AT ALL and I come when called--which is totally amazing to FM!!!  What can I say--I know love when I see it --so why would I run away? 
 
Speaking of "love," FM thinks I'm totally ready to find my forever family and I think she's right!  If you are interested in experiencing my new life with me---contact your placement advisor so we can meet!  Until we connect--FM said I can keep exploring new things so that I can keep spreading my wings and fly!  Huh....???  My wings?   I don't have wings--do I?  Do we have a translation error here?
 
I wish we all spoke Dog--it would make things much easier .....Woof woof woof....woof...woof woof woof woof!
Opppsss...I mean..
Thank you for reading my update!  I love you already RAGOMLAND! 
 
...BIG KISS...
        Avy