Dear Tracy and Burt,
It was such a pleasure meeting the two of you this past weekend.
I knew we were going out there to adopt a giant breed dog, but imagine my surprise at adopting two!!
It was also fun meeting the other families there to adopt Gentle Giants.
I can't believe those two families that drove all the way from Arizona to get their new family members.
I really want to commend you two on your operation.
Every dog was beautiful, happy, healthy and most importantly, well behaved.
Several of the other families talked about horror stories at other rescues and breeders.
Poor conditions, sick or injured dogs, very misbehaved dogs, barking, and total chaos.
And they only have a few dogs at a time!
Here you have almost 50 Gentle Giants at any given time, and no one walking by would even know that you had a single dog!
It's so peaceful and serene.
No barking, beautiful grounds, no mess or stink, total organization . . . even at feeding time!
Every dog we saw we wanted to take home, and the ones we did are wonderful.
Their house manners are impeccable.
I know part of that is the disposition of the breed, but a larger part of that is a reflection on you!
So many rescues take dogs in, put them in a kennel or crate, and then adopt them back out as soon as they can.
While most are given up because of problems in their owners lives (divorce, illness, bancruptcy, etc.) . . . some are at the rescue for a reason, and if someone doesn't correct that reason, they'll be right back!
You take these dogs in, care for the sick and injured, nurse back the underweight and neglected, and win back the fearful and skittish.
You take them into you home, treat them as part of your family, and gently turn them all into loveable, well behaved, exceptional examples of giant breed dogs.
Kudos to you . . . I wish more people could see what you do.
I know a lot of people would assume that because of Burt's fame, you'd be rolling in residuals and not need any monetary assistance or donations for the rescue, but what most people don't realize is that back in the 60's the contracts weren't written in such a manner.
They're not nearly as propagating and profitable as they can be today.
So, it brings me to this; my husband and I choose four benevolent organizations a year to donate money to, and I'd like your rescue to be one of them.
The best part is, my company has a matching program that matches any charitable donations I make, so every donation will be doubled.
I know it's only a small dent in the finances needed to keep an organization like yours running.
Just food and vet bills alone must be astronomical! . . . but, I hope it helps.
Perhaps, it will spur others (especially giant breed enthusiasts) to realize what a considerable cost it is to rescue, feed, provide veterinary help, spay/neuter and house so many giant breed dogs.
Even the first part of getting the dog out of a kill shelter and transporting the dog to your facility costs money, and that's just the beginning . . .
Many thanks and warm wishes,
Karen Coyne
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