Sunshine Golden Retriever Rescue

Sunshine Golden Retriever Rescue SGRR is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that rescues Golden Retrievers, We place dogs from NJ to ME. A patient and loving owner can make all the difference.

Sunshine Golden Retriever Rescue is a 501c3 registered rescue group. Since 2005, the volunteers of SGRR rescue Golden Retrievers who have been abandoned, abused or relinquished by their owners. We are dedicated to finding the best possible homes for Golden Retrievers and Retriever mixes in need. Our Rescued Dogs
Overall, our Goldens and Golden-hearted dogs make wonderful pets and adjust well to th

eir new families. Although it does happen, SGRR rarely has “perfect” dogs in our rescue. We want our applicants to also know that rescued dogs come from a variety of backgrounds. Some dogs are older dogs, including well-behaved and cared for pets whose owners have become ill or died. Many rescued dogs will require continued behavioral work due to a lack of training, neglect, or abuse in the dog’s previous setting. From experience, we know that these dogs with “endearing imperfections” can move forward, provided their new family gives them necessary guidance and direction. Love is crucial, but love alone is not enough. Boundaries must be set and rules must be established. Strong human leadership is mandatory. The joys of seeing these Goldens become the devoted and contented pets they were meant to be is remarkable. Going one step further, SGRR often takes in dogs that might appear “less adoptable” because of the physical conditions in which they have been found. We lovingly nurse the dogs back to health and find them homes that provide that extra TLC these dogs need. Our adoption process begins when a homeless Golden Retriever is brought into rescue. Each dog is first provided a medical assessment and any necessary treatment including spaying or neutering, heartworm treatment, and vaccinations. We begin evaluating each dog's personality and temperament from the moment they are welcomed into our rescue. We attempt to assess each dog's behavior with other dogs, children, adults, and other animals when available. We observe our dogs to determine their level of house training, crate training, leash skills, knowledge of commands, ability to ride in cars, activity level, and exercise needs. Then, we carefully select homes based on the needs of each individual Golden or Golden-hearted dog. Owners of rescued dogs can share with you that often their “ideal” dog turned out to be the one that did not immediately catch their eye, but were receptive to the suggestions of SGRR’s placement coordinators. At SGRR, our goal is to match the dog’s needs with the best home among our approved applicants. We encourage our applicants to keep open minds in terms of their preferences.

Wishing you all a safe Memorial day!Although many people only think about cookouts, BBQ’s, and fireworks during Memorial...
05/25/2026

Wishing you all a safe Memorial day!

Although many people only think about cookouts, BBQ’s, and fireworks during Memorial Day weekend, it’s important to remember the true meaning behind the holiday. Hundreds of thousands of U.S. soldiers risked or gave their lives for our basic freedoms. Memorial Day is a day to honor and remember all of those brave souls who were willing to sacrifice themselves for others. This of course includes M.W.D. too. Dogs have been working alongside U.S. soldiers since the U.S. civil war and continue to do so to this day. They also deserve recognition and praise for their services in the U.S. military. It’s easy to get caught up in the “holiday weekend” mentality with everyone throwing cookouts and setting off fireworks, but don’t let that stop you from forgetting the true meaning of Memorial Day. Giving honor and respect to all of the fallen U.S. soldiers, both human and K-9 alike. We hope you have a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend!

Meet Covey! Another repeat adopter story, with a special twist.. these repeat adopters, Jim and Carol, have adopted 7 SG...
05/21/2026

Meet Covey! Another repeat adopter story, with a special twist.. these repeat adopters, Jim and Carol, have adopted 7 SGRR dogs over the many years.

"Covey is an absolutely amazing dog! Perfect energy level, calm disposition, affectionate, and happy. He is a sweet, sweet boy and we love him! Apparently, he must have lived in a home with no stairs, so we've started working on teaching him how to go up and down stairs. He's not the

first rescue we've had to do this with, so it's no problem. Covey and Sadie (SGGR 2024) always have the run of the house, so Covey has decided he likes the living room couch for naps. They are bonding very quickly. It's very apparent that they both like living with another dog. They get 4-5 walks a day and it's a real joy watching them sniff things together and walk side by side like lifelong friends. Once again Sunshine has paired us up with the perfect dog.

We believe that Covey is our 7th rescue from Sunshine and 13th rescue overall. Each and every dog from Sunshine has been a gem and Covey is no exception.

An update to previous email: Since our earlier conversation, Mr. Covey has revealed that he's more than capable of going up and down stairs! Our eldest daughter Jacquelyn stopped by this afternoon to meet Covey. She went upstairs to get something, and he followed her right up and down the stairs!"

Meet Exuma, previously known as Hippie!Exuma has found her forever home with Kim & Marc with her new brother Fletcher!  ...
05/18/2026

Meet Exuma, previously known as Hippie!

Exuma has found her forever home with Kim & Marc with her new brother Fletcher! Kim’s son named her after one of their favorite vacation spots.

"Exuma is hysterical, happy, snuggly, and full of beans! She and Fletcher are getting along well. We had a little hiccup in the beginning because she appeared to be afraid of Marc (and even the male neighbor that came to visit). She probably had not met many men in her short life down south. We took it slow and did not pressure her. We are happy to update you that she has settled in nicely. Exuma now follows him for pats and snuggles. We are so happy that Exuma is now a part of our family".

Meet Mabel!Aurora (now Mabel) was an intake from an older couple who could not handle this very active 4-month-old Golde...
05/14/2026

Meet Mabel!

Aurora (now Mabel) was an intake from an older couple who could not handle this very active 4-month-old Golden. Sunshine has found her home with one of our previous adopters! Mabel is having a blast with her new family & especially her new sibling.
"Hi! Things are going great. Took her to the vet on Friday and said she looks perfect. She needed a Lyme vaccination, but other than that she was up to date on all vaccines. She weighed in at 46lbs. Vet thinks she could get up to 80lbs full grown. Finnlaigh (formally one of our Patriotic Pups- Star) and her are getting along beautifully. She can tire her out like no one else. She met Tully (Mabel’s new cousin) too and they had fun as well.. Thanks again for everything!"

Meet this sweet, gentle bear, Hogan!Hogan was a northern surrender. His family could no longer keep due to allergy issue...
05/11/2026

Meet this sweet, gentle bear, Hogan!

Hogan was a northern surrender. His family could no longer keep due to allergy issues. Hogan is adopted by his foster parents and repeated adopters Pam and Hank. Both fosters and adopters make a difference! Consider fostering or adopting! ❤️

Pam tells us that "Hogan has been so good with us. He has fit in seamlessly almost since day one . It is amazing to us how easily he has settled in. He loves to go for walks, and is eager to meet people and other dogs. When we took him to the lacrosse game, after a couple of minutes, he settled down as you can see from the pictures and never got up except to change positions. Hogan will be going to many more games with us!! Hogan is probably the first retriever we’ve had that actually retrieves the ball we throw and brings it back! So far, that’s the only toy he’s been interested in".

Meet Jemma, adopted by repeat adopters of ours, Katherine and Glenn!Jemma is doing well. She has slept through the night...
05/07/2026

Meet Jemma, adopted by repeat adopters of ours, Katherine and Glenn!

Jemma is doing well. She has slept through the night every night so far in her bed on the floor right next to ours. She has lots of energy in the mornings. She is a grazing type of eater, (we are unaccustomed to that style) having had two retrievers who ate- anything- all -at -once- really- fast!!! We saw two deer this am while out in the fenced area. She is sweet and seems to love being outdoors as do we. She mastered knowing the door to go out on day 1. She likes to hang out on the sofa in the LR, seems to be relaxing. She has some itchy skin which Benadryl helps and I plan for an oatmeal bath in the next week. She goes to the vet next week so we can also ask what to do if the itchy skin continues. We know she is not used to our spring".

Meet Daisy!We thank Carol and David for a wonderful pupdate.. they tell us that, "Daisy has become very comfortable with...
05/05/2026

Meet Daisy!

We thank Carol and David for a wonderful pupdate.. they tell us that, "Daisy has become very comfortable with her new home and family. She and Blaze play/roughhouse very well together. She knows her name and comes quickly when called. She is eating well and has had no accidents inside.

Most of the non-dog family came over to meet her yesterday and aside of initial reluctance she was a perfect lady who warmed up quickly when they started belly rubs. She slept well the first night in the cage next to our bed. Second night we tried her in our bedroom outside the cage leaving the cage door open. That went very well also.

Bottom line, Daisy seems very happy, seems to be acclimating very well and we love her. Daisy is on the right, and brother Blaze on the left".

Meet Maggie!Maggie is adopted by repeat adopters Ben and Maureen. "Maggie has been AMAZING! She's such a sweetheart, and...
05/01/2026

Meet Maggie!

Maggie is adopted by repeat adopters Ben and Maureen.

"Maggie has been AMAZING! She's such a sweetheart, and I feel like we can see her hair getting brighter and her smile getting brighter. She's a bit of a goofball too, which is cracking us up.

She's getting more and more comfortable in the house. No crates or gates up, so she wanders wherever she wants. I thought she'd be next to me all the time, but occasionally she'll go and find a spot to lay down on her own. However, at the moment, she is at my feet in my office.

Every day, her smile gets bigger and her tail wags more and more. She is eating well and spends each night sleeping in our bedroom. Maggie LOVES going on walks. It’s like the world is brand new to her, and she is in awe of everything she sees, hears, and smells. The moment her leash and harness come out, she gets puppy-crazy with excitement.

We took her to the vet and she received her first dose of Adequan and will start on fish oil for to support her joints. Over the next few months our vet will help her with her periodontal disease. For now, we will brush her teeth as best we can.The vet also said she may be in the early stages of laryngeal paralysis, which we will continue to monitor.

We're so happy y'all saved her life and we were able to rescue her. She's such a good girl and we're making sure she knows it and feels the love".

We often get so many questions about what it takes to adopt one of our dogs, the most common being “Do I need to have a ...
03/20/2026

We often get so many questions about what it takes to adopt one of our dogs, the most common being “Do I need to have a fence?”

Of course the ideal home for every active dog is one in which they get to romp and play in a safe area. For most of our dogs this means a fenced-in yard. We have had many adopters who have had very good success with electric fencing when it is installed professionally and used properly. At no time will we ever approve of keeping any dog outside without supervision regardless of the style of fencing.

If you do not have a fence this does not mean you are ruled out as a potential adopter. If you are an active walker, we may find a middle aged dog that would do well with regular and lengthy leashed walks. If you are someone who is only moderately active, a senior Golden may find your lifestyle accommodating. We use common sense when matching available dogs to available approved applicants. However, if you have children and no fencing, we will likely not be able to find you a match.

If you are agreeable to fencing in your yard, you MAY be conditionally approved pending completion of your fencing. This does not mean we would hold any dog for you. You would simply be reconsidered for a dog who is available at the time your fencing is complete. We will not however, under any circumstances, approve the use of outdoor pens, tie outs, or runners as means of means of containment for any of our dogs. If you have indicated you plan to use one of these, we cannot consider your application further. If, however, you are considering some sort of fencing – we would be happy to reconsider you when it is in place, or to consider you for an older less active dog once your pen, runner, or tie out has been removed.

For more answers to FAQs, see our website: https://www.sunshinegoldenrescue.com/adoption-info.html.

Have you checked out our current adoptable dogs who are ready for their forever home?!If you've been planning to rescue ...
03/19/2026

Have you checked out our current adoptable dogs who are ready for their forever home?!
If you've been planning to rescue a dog, add an additional dog to your family or know of someone looking to adopt, take a look! If you're not in a place to adopt right now, please share our organization with your friends and family and let's help with adoptions. Thanks in advance!

Current available dogs (updated frequently):
https://www.sunshinegoldenrescue.com/adoptable-dogs.html
If you are approved and have questions about a specific dog, contact the person listed on the dog's bio page. If you have questions in general, please reach out to: [email protected]

Address

Port Washington, NY
11050

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

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