History
On the first day of spring in 1976, March 20th, twenty three people (later know as charter members) met at the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals in Windham Maine to form the Pine Tree Golden Retriever Club. They all had one thing in common, their love of Goldens and their interest in all aspects of Golden endeavors. Credit for starting the club must be given to Richard and Donna Hammond and Joyce Pederzine.
Since that eventful day, we have incorporated, adopted a Constitution and By-laws and have in place a strong Code of Ethics of which we are very proud.
We care deeply about the health of our Goldens by being mindful of all the inherited problems and adherence to the breed standard.
Due to the versatility of our Goldens, our members are involved in many areas. There are those who are training for obedience and field titles. Others are actively participating by showing in conformation and agility, while still others are doing pet therapy, search and rescue, and rescuing homeless Goldens. Some just plain enjoy their Goldens as family members. The bottom line is Goldens "do it all" and very well.
P.T.G.R.C. Inc. is a very active club. We meet once a month and following our business meeting we have dog related activities and or a guest speaker. Topics by veterinarians and other guest speakers have included: inherited problems, the Penn-hip procedure, homeopathic assistance, natural dog foods, behavioral problems, pet therapy and many others.
Our club calendar includes three service events a year. These are our yearly heart clinic and twice yearly all breed eye clinics. Our main fund raiser is our FUN MATCH held each year in the summer. This event is open to all breeds for obedience but Goldens only in conformation. We have added when possible, agility and CGC testing, with thanks to the clubs that have provided those areas for us. For the past three years our "Golden Paws" team has participated in the M. S. Walkathon for the Maine Chapter of Multiple Sclerosis Society. Last year we raised enough money to receive the second place prize in our area. Watch for our team this year too!
The monthly P.T.G.R.C. Newsletter is our link to dog related events. The newsletter contains minutes of the previous meeting, pictures of club events, stories of rescued dogs, new members and their interests and club member stories. As a member of the Maine Federation of Dog Clubs we also add information on pending dog legislation and more. All members are encouraged to submit articles. In 1983 we began doing puppy referral for the Golden Retriever Club of America. This job, while time consuming, is a valuable educational tool. Currently referral is being handled by four devoted club members who have an earnest desire to assist people who are looking for a sound healthy puppy, be it a family companion or a conformation show stopper.
Some of the key words in the objectives of P.T.G.R.C.'s constitution are to Encourage & Promote Quality in Breeding, acceptance of the AKC breed standard, and to PROTECT & ADVANCE the interest of the breed by Promoting Sportsmanlike Competition in ALL events.