Age: 3 years
Gender: Female
Breed: Golden Retriever
Status: Sanctuary
Update: February 28, 2023
This happy and sweet girl enjoyed some cool and frosty mornings in January with her furry 
friends. Her confidence continues to improve as she explores everywhere on the property except the bird garden where those nasty sand spurs gather. Summer’s blindness doesn’t stop her, running in the open areas of the property is great fun!
Summer’s mom and dad have developed their own language with her, using tongue clicks and whistling to get her attention. Simple things like changing the hinges on gates, so she can maneuver around the property on her own, have contributed to the independence and pleasures she enjoys everyday. Keep up the good work Summer!
Update: December 17, 2022
Sweet Summer Sunshine is thriving in the care of her foster family. She is a beloved part of the 
family, and she loves her humans and her golden siblings too.
The medications for her hydrocephalus are helping with her circling behaviors and her ability to learn. The neurologists thinks she has more eyesight than originally believed, but her vision is still severely limited, especially at night.
This sun loving sweetheart loves to find a sunny spot in the grass to do her daily sunbathing. She delights in exploring the yard and fenced fishponds when her foster parents are nearby to supervise.
Summer isn’t bothered by thunder; even the hurricane didn’t frighten her. It was the perfect opportunity to cuddle with the family. The debris left behind by Hurricane Ian made navigating the yard challenging for her, but once it was cleared, she did several joyful rounds of crazy zoomies, with her characteristic joyful zigzag gallop.
Her human’s arms are the perfect place for this cuddly girl to lie while enjoying a belly rub. She
still hasn’t learned that the coffee table is not the floor, but eventually she curls up happily on the real floor with her two golden siblings. As her confidence grows, she is becoming more independent. She has learned to entertain herself, but still loves being close to the family and especially enjoys cuddles and butt scratches.
Summer much prefers the security and familiarity of home to the strange sounds and people and slippery floors of the vet’s office. Barking dogs can cause her to panic, although she is fine with the vets and techs touching her, especially if treats are involved.
Summer loves games, and her foster mom and dad are creative with teaching her and challenging her with “find it” games. She loves relaxing music and listening to the neighbor kids playing soccer, and especially the smell of weekend barbecue.
Summer the Sunshine girl is loved by her family and has found her forever home in their care. We are able to continue providing outstanding medical care for this special needs sweetheart because of the generous donations of our supporters. Sweet Summer says thank you!
GRRMF is thankful that we can provide this wonderful Sanctuary program to take care of these special dogs, with special needs. Your donations make this possible and we thank all of our supporters for your love and dedication to this rescue.
Update: May 16, 2022
Look at our girl Summer, she’s enjoying spa days with full baths, nails, ears cleaned and a special warm
towel rub downs by her foster parents. And that’s not all! Summer’s medications were adjusted and her balance and circling has improved. She is allowed off leash in the large fenced yard and enjoys exploring and sniffing on her own. When her foster parents call her, she bounces straight towards them, without circling, and adds a little dance around them to show her excitement. Her passion for eating has benefited her in the “find it” game that she learned in only two days – she loves food and treats!
Despite her sight deficit, Summer can run full throttle at and around her foster parents; she doesn’t run into them or things around her during daylight. She’s a polite young lady who takes her treats nicely, licks but doesn’t bite, sleeps through the night with a little woofing but no barking when alone, adores people and likes being petted-especially under her chin.
Recently, Summer learned how to go into her crate. She was quite content there enjoying her treats, even when the door was opened she didn’t want to leave her comfy space. Her loving foster mom describes Summer “like a two year old toddler climbing on everything. She likes to sit on the sofa but has yet to discover that the coffee table isn’t the floor.”
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She loves the warmth of the sun on her face and body as she naps outside. She has her own style of zoomies that she enjoys, spinning in circles, with jumping and hopping along the way. Her way of communicating is unique from other dogs, but she makes it work in ways no other dog 
could. Her name is Summer, and she is sweet, adorable, and very special!
Summer came to GRRMF when her owner passed away and the family was unable to continue to care for her. She’s a special needs sweetheart that was born with Congenital Hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus is referred to as water on the brain, which causes increased pressure in the skull. There are various medical problems that can occur in dogs that have hydrocephalus; blindness and walking in circles are two of them that Summer deals with in her daily life. Although this damage cannot be reversed, there are treatments available that can help mitigate the symptoms. Currently, Summer is being treated with medications to control the swelling and neurological issues.
Dogs are so resilient to some of the obstacles that would be devastating to humans and Summer is a perfect example of that! After observing and working with Summer for six weeks, her experienced and loving foster family have noticed that she has a language all her own. Summer is communicating her needs to her foster mom and dad through her circling. “Wide circles with head in air means -sniffing and listening, medium circle with downward sniffing means time to urinate, tight circle with head down means time to defecate and bouncing straight at you to bury her head in your lap means she wants a hug and needs to relocate us to make sure she’s not alone,” states her dedicated foster mom.
Hydrocephalus can cause learning problems, but Summer is gaining confidence and doing well on many of her exercises and commands. She is starting to understand – go out, door, stairs, step, come, sit, potty, hungry, up, off, wait and the most important one -want a cookie!
When she isn’t working on her skills and obedience, Summer is sunning herself outdoors with her foster parents nearby or resting in her own gated personal space near the living room. She enjoys her quiet time and privacy from the other animals, but she is still close enough to hear her foster parents who are quick to assist her in navigating steps and other obstacles when she needs them.
Not a fan of loud noises, Summer is adjusting to her new environment and especially likes it when the neighbors are barbecuing! Summer has a wonderful appetite and has been given a special bowl to prevent her from gulping her meals down in one fell swoop. She is a unique girl, who loves people, gets along with dogs and isn’t quite sure what those furry felines are. Summer is a true Velcro dog and cuddle bug that won’t pass up a hug and a good ear rub but can also entertain herself.
GRRMF is grateful to the professionals, volunteers and all our supporters that donate generous amounts of time and money to help special needs dogs like Summer. Together, with medical assistance, patience, understanding and love we can give this very special girl the wonderful life she deserves. You can help be that warm Summer Breeze in her life that gives her the chance to share her love with a special and caring family.
