Golden Retrievers had once been the status of wealth in Turkey but they soon became so common and therefore, less valued. Most of them were just abandoned on the streets of Istanbul which was a dangerous place for any animal. It was like a pandemic hot spot for animals. And Golden Retrievers who were not meant for the streets usually starved or preyed upon by feral dogs in the area.
The few shelters in Istanbul can only accommodate some of these Goldens that only a few actually lived to be senior. But thanks to the works of Yasemin Baban, a dog lover and rescuer in Istanbul, and the Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies (GRRR) based in Denver, Colorado, these Goldens had been given a chance to survive.
The GRRR is a volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to finding displaced and abandoned Golden Retrievers a loving home. One of those who were lucky to be rescued in 2018 was Cookie, a five-year-old Golden. She flew 6,100 miles from Istanbul to Denver where she was met by her new family.
Cookie was adopted by Karen and Jack Simmons. The couple just lost their Golden Retriever and therapy dog ChaCha when they received the news that a new batch of dogs was arriving in Denver through GRRR. They were looking for a dog who was fit to be trained as a therapy dog for the Read to a Dog program sponsored by The Animal League of Green Valley.
According to the couple, some dogs were made for the job but some just weren’t but Cookie seemed to fit the bill. After a few months of training, Cookie was able to join the program. She had been in the program for two years before COVID-19 struck and she had made a lot of positive difference with all the kids who read to her.
Source: Green Valley News
