Golden Retriever Rescue, Education and Training, Inc., (GRREAT) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to finding loving new homes for unwanted, stray, and abandoned Golden Retrievers. We serve Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, the District of Columbia, eastern West Virginia, and south-central Pennsylvania, and are staffed solely by volunteers. GRREAT places approximately 100 Golden Retrievers each year. We also strive to educate the public about the characteristics of the Golden Retriever breed and the rewards of giving a home to a rescued dog.

The majority of GRREAT dogs are turned in to us by their previous owners, but we also work in conjunction with area shelters and local animal welfare organizations. Each dog that comes into GRREAT is placed into a volunteer foster home where the temperament, energy level, habits, and medical requirements of the dog are evaluated. This gives us the opportunity to select a permanent home for each dog that meets the dog's individual needs. The dogs we rescue are spayed or neutered, updated on vaccinations, tested for heartworms and intestinal parasites, and started on heartworm/intestinal worm preventative.

GRREAT relies on donations from Golden Retriever lovers to cover the expenses incurred in treating our rescued dogs, many of whom come to  us with  medical needs requiring immediate and  expensive attention. In addition to needing cash contributions, we can always make use of donated dog-related supplies. Your cash and non-cash donations to GRREAT are tax-deductible. If you would like to help with a contribution, please visit the Donation Center on our website.

 We are able to continue helping our rescued dogs solely because of the dedication and support of our volunteers and contributors.

 Over the years, we have rescued well in excess of 5,700 golden retrievers.