This morning I got up and headed out to Golden Gateway at 8:00. The facility is a beautiful, well-run kennel with calm, relaxed, happy employees, unlike so many rescues and shelters I've seen where the staff and volunteers are stressed and crabby and overextended. The dogs were happy and enthusiastic, even the ones that just arrived. Check them out here: http://www.dvgrr.org/.
The puppy mill billboards should have been my first clue to the situation that is dog rescue in Lancaster County, PA.
It’s not that abandoned puppy mill dogs are the only dogs left to rescue groups. You’ve also got your deaths in the family, your moves, your new babies, your “I’ve had her for twelve years but I don’t have enough time for her.” (What the heck? You mean you don’t want to pay the vet bills because you found out she has cancer? You are tired of the dog that has been your faithful companion for almost its entire life? You don’t like dealing with those rheumy eyes and sores and slow walks? While you’re at it, why don’t you drop off your grandma at the old people rescue group, too? But, I digress…)
Robin Adams estimates that maybe 22 out of 100 Golden Retrievers that come into Golden Gateway, the rescue facility for Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue, come from puppy mills. But the Amish and Mennonite puppy mills in this area are huge and profitable and they see dogs as their “crop” (Robin’s words—evocative ones). Thank goodness for people like her, and Donna, and Sue, and Dennis, and Penny, all the volunteers. They take in these Golden Retrievers and rehabilitate them, have their health issues treated, give them love and attention and exercise and training. Then they adopt them to good homes. “There is a home for every dog, even the seniors,” Donna says. Golden Gateway finds those homes.
While I was there, one family adopted a pretty one-year-old dog with wavy hair and a petite frame. They were so happy to have her. Just one more success story.
I headed back around 4, spent half an hour in the workout room in anticipation of pasta, then went out with the rescue staff to a pasta/pizza place. I had veggie lasagna and sampled three more local brews: Yuengling lager and a Lancaster Brewing Company Amish Four Grain ale, and then a Victory Hop Devil. Dinner: Too much artichoke dip with chips, bread with olive oil and salt, salad (iceberg lettuce), and vegetable lasagna topped with roasted red pepper strips. We had a great time talking about beer, and dogs, and the unique food in the area.
On the way back to the hotel, I stopped by the supermarket, on the advice of my cronies. Forgive me if I get a little too enthusiastic here for a few minutes, because I love nothing more than a grocery store with food I've never seen before! Or...food at a much cheaper price than I can get! Foods you can't find in Iowa (at least, not that I've seen):
-Whoopie pies (pure junk food, two round cakes with frosting sandwiched between)
-Tastycake Peanut Butter Kandy Kakes (more junk, but apparently big around here)
-Shoeoly Pie (now I've heard of this--but never tasted it. It's like a pie crust with a layer of molasses topped with a layer of something like spice cake with streusel topping. Pie and cake? They sure like their pastries around here!
Also, apparently this is the capitol of pretzels and many companies are all right around here. The lady at the store recommended Good's and King's Crunchies Sourdough.
Finally, they had all these spices and herbs in bulk, so cheap I couldn't believe it. I had to stock up. I know, I know, Nick is thinking, "You so blew the bet!" But believe it or not, all this stuff only cost about $20! Spices I got:
-Half pound of cinnamon for $1.12.
-Pint-sized container of bay leaves for 47 cents
-Half-pint sized container of oregano ($1.73), ground ginger ($1.32), Spanish paprika ($2.41), and dark chili powder ($2.66).
-3-1/2 pounds organic oats for $2.92
-1.68 pounds gourmet pure chocolate drops for $3.34.
Tomorrow, I'll check out the Silk City diner for some Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine, then do a little antiquing before I head back home. I hear there's an excellent coffee shop in the German village...
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