4Gold Service and Rescue

Finding healthy and well-bred animals is part of our goal, but we are also looking to help rescued animals where possible, if there is a good fit for an applicant.

The most prohibitive part of our mission is funding the training. Depending on the specific needs of an applicant, and whether the dog will reside with their owner during its training periods, finding the right trainers and providing the necessary training for both the dogs and their owners is where the bulk of our mission and time is spent. We may have applicants who will need their dog substantially trained before arriving, such as for dogs that need to alert for medical conditions, particularly in babies or small children. Such dogs would need time spent in an appropriate foster homes during their training period so as to be well-socialized with a family in addition to being trained for specific tasks.

All awards go through an application and review process. Our goal is to not only help provide services for people, but to also look out for the best interests of the animals and ensure that they will be living in an environment conducive to their continued health and care as well. Recipients must have sufficient resources to properly care for an animal as 4Gold does not provide ongoing veterinary or day to day care of the animals once they are placed with a family, but only seek to help fund training. All animals placed through 4Gold will be placed under contract such that if the recipient is ever in a position to be unable to keep or care for the animal then it must be returned to 4Gold.

Operationally, we have secured a small kennel facility on 5 acres where puppies and dogs may be housed for short-term periods, but our long-term goal is to secure a network of volunteer puppy raisers where puppies and dogs can become socialized in a family environment. In addition to food and training, animals need veterinary care, toys, and exercise & training equipment. We aim to provide for the needs of any animals in our care, to provide a safe and climate controlled environment until the animals are placed, and to provide a stimulating and appropriate socializing environment for the animals. We envision utilizing the property for advanced training as our funding increases.

Advertising and marketing will also be a main goal, not only to get the word out to potential applicants that there is an avenue for obtaining a service animal, but to also find sponsors and donors who will contribute to helping provide these services. We plan to host at least one event each year where recipients are matched with their companions.

Puppies or dogs to be awarded may be acquired by 4Gold by donation or through purchase agreements with reputable breeders. We seek puppies that have been prepared for service training from providers who health test their dogs and provide early neurological and other sensory development protocols to their puppies. We may also place qualified dogs from our rescue program for service or as pets.

Our strategic vision is to have an operational budget of $250,000 a year within 5 years, with at least ten dogs and scholarships awarded each year, and 2-3 full time staff managing the organization. We would also like to have a full time certified trainer on staff.

We have access to appropriate kennel facilities, we have knowledgeable volunteers for caring for animals and providing basic training, and we have resources to boot strap our program until our marketing and advocacy starts generating some help.

Our greatest assets are our board members. Tamara has worked in the non-profit industry as a CFO for over fifteen years and has extensive knowledge regarding grant management, budgeting, compliance, and general management. Dakota's passions are in social media and other marketing and he is eager to launch our brand. Emma is currently in college studying accounting and she will be helping to keep administrative tasks in order. Amber owns her own photography business and contributes to our marketing efforts. We all love dogs and are amazed at the wonderful things they can do. We want to bring those amazing gifts to people who could benefit the most from them.

In the early years of operating, we have held 2 award events where 4 puppies with scholarships were awarded for service. We have also taken in ten rescues that have been placed as pets. Our funding has not grown as aggressively as we had planned, but we have been able to continue to operate at a steady pace.