Yankee Retriever Rescue offers a second chance

TORRINGTON - Sassy laid in front of the McDonalds' sofa, peaceful and still, her two front paws crossed like one hand on top of the other.

When the doorbell rang in the middle of the afternoon, the seven-year-old golden retriever only raised her head to see who was there. She didn't bark, she didn't growl. Only when Betty McDonald went to the door did Sassy follow.

"There was a time when you would have walked in the house and she would have been under the table," McDonald said. "She's just come so far."

Massachusetts-based Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue saved Sassy several years ago after her former owners abandoned her in New Hampshire. That's where Sassy bore litter after litter of puppies while living in a place where people treated her poorly.

She needed to be housebroken when she went to live with the McDonalds. She needed to learn to trust the people who took care of her. She needed to be coaxed out of the corner of the kitchen.

That all happened little by little during Sassy's first years in Torrington. Now, she timidly approaches strangers and waits for their approval before requesting attention. She runs wild on walks at the local reservoir and visits other families looking to adopt dogs like her.

The McDonalds became involved in Yankee Rescue in 1985 when they purchased their first golden retriever, Melrose Abbey, from a local breeder. They joined the organization in order to support other dogs that weren't as lucky as theirs.

When Melrose Abbey died after battling bone cancer, the McDonalds adopted their first Yankee Rescue dog, a senior named Willow.

Willow was abandoned in Brookfield and sat in the pound waiting for adoption until Yankee Rescue claimed it. The McDonalds took the old dog into their home, where it lasted a short time before it too lost a fight with cancer.

That's when Sassy became a member of the family.

Yankee Rescue is a volunteer-driven organization that saves golden retrievers from New England pounds in order to find families in which to place them. Screeners, such as McDonald and Sassy, interview potential adopters and check adoptive homes for dog-proofing, namely at least a half an acre of room and a four-foot-high fence.

McDonald said the Torrington team has screened about six homes this year, including ones in Watertown, New Hartford, Winsted and Kent. By bringing Sassy, families see how a golden retriever behaves and get an idea of how much care is involved.

Seniors, dogs more than eight years old, need less care than younger dogs. McDonald said Sassy needs two walks a day and must be brushed once a week.

"They're the ideal family dog," McDonald said, adding that Yankee Rescue won't take in dogs that are aggressive. "Most people adjust to the dog and the dog adjusts to the people."

For Sassy, that means lying in front of the sofa in the middle of the afternoon, peaceful and still, with her front paw placed on top of the other.

For more information on Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue call the rescue hotline at (978) 568-9700 or visit www.ygrr.org.