Gracie - #8101
If dogs could talk, Gracie (formerly Princess) would have a very interesting story to tell.  Gracie first came to WAAGR in Fall of 2008.  Here is her story.

Gracie spent her first three years of life in a puppy mill, never knowing any human kindness or freedom to enjoy life the way a Golden should.  She and many other dogs were rescued when the Wisconsin Humane Society bought out Puppy Haven in western Wisconsin.  WAAGR took the Goldens to give them the start of their new lives, and Gracie was one of them.  A short time after she came to WAAGR, Gracie escaped from her foster home in Eagle, Wis.  Rescue members searched the surrounding areas and distributed flyers, hoping to track her down.  Gracie was spotted a few times after her initial escape, but then disappeared.

In July 2010, WAAGR received a call on the hotline from the Water Safety Patrol in Williams Bay, which is located in southeastern Wisconsin.  The man said they had a dog with a WAAGR tag on it.  We got the number from the WAAGR tag and said we would track down the owners.  In checking our our records, we were shocked to find out the dog was Gracie.

Our volunteers went to pick up Gracie and when they arrived, she was hiding under a table in the building.  The people who found her told us that someone had spotted her and called the Water Safety Patrol.  The patrol team went into Lake Geneva where she was swimming, got her into the boat and took her back to shore.  We will probably never know where she had been for almost two years, how she survived, or how she got more than 30 miles from where she was last seen.

Gracie is in foster care with WAAGR.  We took her to the vet right away and found out she was not malnourished, which was a relief.  Unfortunately, we also found out at the vet that she is heartworm positive, has Lyme disease, and anaplasmosis.  The vet got her started on an antibiotic right away, and the heartworm treatment will follow.

Gracie has had a very long journey, but she's safe with WAAGR now.  It's going to take some time, patience and love to help Gracie learn what it's like to live the Golden life.  Stay tuned to watch her progress!

July 2011
Gracie's foster mom sent us a very happy update:  Gracie is going to be adopted by her foster family!  We are so happy for her and appreciate everyone's support while Gracie learned all about being a Golden Retriever!  Congratulations to Gracie and her foster family!  Here's some of what Gracie's foster mom shared with us:  My dogs have taken her in and she is truly one of the family now. It was this time last year she was found, so we have a year of progress behind us already. The Dog Den has a shy dog class this fall I have already signed her up for, with my hopes that she continues to grow as a happy girl.

May 2011
Gracie's foster mom shared this fantastic video about Gracie's progress.  We uploaded it to YouTube as well.  Click here for the video!

From her foster mom
Dec 2010 update: (5 months in foster care)
Gracie has earned a winter sweater & likes it!  She tolerates me putting it on & no longer pulls to go back home on walks - the girl was just trying to tell me she was cold!  Gracie continues to be sweet, a great leash walker and feels the best with another dog's company.  In fact, this week Gracie refused to follow my mom on leash when the other dogs & myself continued on to take a longer walk. This girl has a strong will, no wonder she survived.

Works in progress
Handling:
Gracie still gets very low when a person approaches, but tolerates & stands quietly for a pet (off or on leash in the house). She softens her body, ears and her tail isn't tucked under as before. She likes strokes under the chin. I continue to label my actions such as “pet” & she seems to like sweet talk. It can get her tail wagging. Quick movements will still send her running as well as loud sound- she is afraid of thunder. As a result, Gracie is still a major flight risk.

Eating:
I'm working on being in the same room as her when she eats. Currently I have a gate between us & I stand in the entryway. Most articles say “it’s important to be in the same room so the dog understands the food is coming from you.” She is gaining in her trust.

Health:
Gracie’s in good health and her coat looks wonderful.
Her next HW retest will be Spring 2011.

Happy Times:
Gracie is slowly becoming more like a normal dog.  She smells the snow on walks, holds her tail higher and really tries to join the group either upstairs or downstairs, but then loses her nerve halfway and retreats to her safe spot.  As a result, I normally need give her direction for a transition with a leash.  However, I no longer need to keep a leash on her in the house.  She has her favorite spots & sleeps in her crate with the door open at night.  She doesn’t need to be crated when alone and only seems to have accidents in the morning if I don’t march her outside ASAP.  Faithfully, WAAGR has received emails from the public asking, “How is Gracie doing?” which is heart warming.  Our amazing Grace!

September 2010
From her foster home:  Gracie is making gains socially and her health is improving.  She weighs 54 pounds, is working on a shiny new coat (Fromm food and fish oil) and is close to being house trained!  According to Gracie's blood work, her counts are normal, but HW+. Gracie shows a low stage of HW & is being treated for this.  Gracie is on a lead at all times even in a fenced yard, because her desire to flee the scene is still there.  However, she is learning everyday from the other dogs and joining the group on her own at times. She is not aggressive to humans; just very shy and fearful of movements and has no trust in us yet.  I have been pairing a label with my actions, such as "leash" when grabbing the leash and "pet" when giving her attention.  I'm seeing results!  Gracie Jane will need time and patience, but is changing her life around.
PS- She hates peas