Interview with Jody Jones
Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue & Sanctuary, Inc. is a volunteer organization which rescues and heals displaced, abandoned, and homeless Golden Retrievers and Golden/Labrador mixes throughout Northern California, regardless of their age or health. This Golden Retriever Rescue not only secures safe, loving, homes through a comprehensive adoption program, but also provides sanctuary for Goldens who cannot be adopted. Jody Jones, along with with her husband Mike, founded this Golden Retriever Rescue organization in 2000. The work done by this impressive organization is truly amazing and self-less. We are really happy that Jody took the time for this interview. Please read on to see what Jody had to say about our precious Golden Retrievers. The Interview
My husband Mike and I started Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue & Sanctuary in January of 2000. We had worked with another rescue group and learned so much. We were not breeding and wanted to do rescue full time. We also wanted to be able to take in the Goldens and Golden/Lab mixes as well as the Flat Coated Retrievers. And so, rather than trying to change a group that had rules and was doing just fine, we started a new group. We also wanted to have a Sanctuary, where the old dogs could come to live out their last days, weeks, months. We also wanted to have a facility where others who felt the same way could come to spend time with the dogs and help in any way that they could. Everyone who comes to Homeward Bound brings with them talents and skills that are put to work for the benefit of the dogs.
We started with an idea of Homeward Bound in January of 2000. We were doing rescue out of our 1,000 square foot home. We were told we would have to move our "rescue" and get a kennel permit. We started putting the word out that we needed some place for the dogs to stay while we found them a new home. One of my friends who had adopted several dogs from us suggested her Mom's 8 acre ranch in Elverta. We moved in and leased the property until we could purchase it. We were able to grow from saving 255 dogs the first year to 810 dogs rescued in 2008. Our second Golden, Chelsea is the reason we wanted the Sanctuary. We had her for about 6 months when she ran out the door and into the street and was hit by a car. The vets said that she wouldn't make it due to the severity of her injuries. But, Mike told her that if she did make it, we would devote our lives to caring for other Goldens. Well, she pulled through after about 3 months and we've been involved in rescue ever since.
We typically have 25-30 Goldens ready to be adopted, between the dogs at the ranch and the dogs in foster homes. There are soooooooo many very special stories. In fact Michael wrote a book, Chelsea's Tales, about some of the very special dogs that have passed through our home. Chloe is one of my favorites. A woman called to tell us she had adopted an "unadoptable puppy" from a puppy mill. She was unadoptable because her jaw had been broken by an attack from a femal adult Golden. They had too many litters together and Chloe was trying to get some food. Well they didn't do anything to fix her jaw due to the expense. So Chloe could not close her mouth as the upper and lower jaws were no longer in alignment. This woman asked if we would take her and get her the medical care that she needed. That is exactly what we did. Our orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Richardson, had to rebrake her jaw and set it. She had metal pins holding it in place. She could not eat or drink normally so we fed her pureed food and water with a syringe. She slept on the bed with us until she was well enough to have the appliance removed. And then she was adopted by a wonderful couple who still bring her to our reunion picnics to show her off. She is a beautiful lady now and loves to eat and play with her Golden sister.
It feels like we are doing the work we are supposed to do when families who are loosing their homes call us and ask if we will take their very loved Golden because they cannot take it with them into a rental property. Or when someone calls to say they are getting a divorce and having to move to apartments that will not take a Golden. And then on the other side of it, the families that we meet that come to us to rescue a Golden and welcome them into their home and their hearts. People feel good about providing for a dog who is homeless, due to circumstances beyond their control, and don't have a clue what happened. Homeward Bound is a halfway house, for wonderful dogs looking for another wonderful home. We get to care for them while they're with us and then welcome another family into our Golden community.
The membership section is one that we've currently spent the least amount of time on. Membership is promised support from those who want to stand behind what we're doing. Fundraising it the biggest project and hopefully next year we can work on increasing our membership so that we have more financial support for the dogs. It's a work in progress right now.
The best way people can help is to complete the volunteer form, tell us what you like to do, know how to do or want to do. We will use your help in any capacity you're willing to lend it. Some people come to the ranch and walk the dogs and go home knowing that they all had fun with someone who cared about them today. And the people go away feeling good as well. Some people come to us to say, how about if I bring trees to plant so the dogs will have shade. Others come to build gazebo's with picnic tables so that the families coming to meet the dogs will have a shady place to sit and visit with them. Some people come out to do the yard work that goes with and 8 acre ranch. When families come, we want them to have a beautiful place in their minds, whether surrendering or adopting. We have families come to meet the dogs and take one home to foster until it is adopted. We have Boy Scouts come out and do projects like building a dock for the pond so that they can earn the title of Eagle Scout. We have Brownie troops that gather the items on our wish list and bring them out for the dogs. We have young children that have birthday parties and ask for gifts for the dogs instead of for themselves. We have people that have Super Bowl parties and have their friends bring gifts for the Homeward Bound dogs. Everyone has their ideas, and the dogs are always the recipients and the winners.
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