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For Golden Retriever Rescue of North Texas, success has meant expanding from initially rescuing 15 dogs to providing services for more than 100 just over 2 decades later. Much of that success can be attributed to the hard work of the organization’s volunteers, but finding the right software solution to manage the group’s data also eased operations. Read on to learn more about how Zoho tools have benefited the dogs of GRRNT.

What does Golden Retriever Rescue of North Texas do?

According to Golden Retriever Rescue of North Texas medical coordinator Michelle Qualls, GRRNT was incorporated in 1997 with a mission to rescue golden retrievers in need in the North Texas area, care for them and place the dogs in permanent loving homes. The group also strives to educate the general public about responsible pet ownership as well as the special qualities of the golden retriever breed. GRRNT focuses on cities in North Texas and the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

“We are an all-volunteer rescue organization, with no paid employees,” Qualls explains. “We do not own or operate a shelter or kennel space and instead place all of our dogs in loving, volunteer foster homes until the dogs are adopted.”

GRRNT’s foster families care for the dogs as if they were their own for the period of time it takes to find permanent homes. Many of these dogs have been abused, abandoned or neglected. Foster families provide their foster dogs with quality dog food, toys, basic training, stability and – most of all – love.

“The love they provide is a large part of the therapy the dog needs in order to adapt successfully to his or her new forever home,” Qualls says.
GRRNT covers all medical expenses for the foster dogs. In fact, more than 90% of its total budget goes directly to the dogs for veterinary expenses.

“The hard work and countless hours of our volunteers enable the growing success GRRNT has experienced since 1997,” Qualls says.

What is the business niche?

Golden Retriever Rescue of North Texas is a pet rescue organization specializing in adoption, education about the breed and responsible pet ownership, as well as permanent fosters.

“GRRNT believes that adopting a golden is a commitment to treat the dog as a member of the family for the rest of the dog’s life—and rightly so,” Qualls says. “That’s why we educate the public about how, despite being loving and gentle, golden retrievers crave attention, a condition that is often amplified in rescued animals.”

Occasionally, GRRNT will rescue a golden retriever that vets deemed unadoptable due to a medical condition. The group’s permanent foster dogs are typically older golden retrievers, although GRRNT also gets a few young pups who have health issues like cancer or severe heart murmurs. These golden retrievers remain with their foster families in their loving homes and under the medical care of GRRNT until they cross the rainbow bridge.

How did the organization start?

In December 1996, a small group of dedicated volunteers decided to create a new rescue group that would be an independent organization not affiliated with Golden Retriever Club of America. Golden Retriever Rescue of North Texas’ goals included:

Conducting regular changes in officers and directors through open meetings and democratic votes by members.

Maintaining records open for inspection by any and all members.

Keeping dogs in foster homes rather than kennels while awaiting adoption.

Creating no set policy requiring euthanasia for dogs reported to have been aggressive with humans, without further evaluation and investigation.
In July 1997, GRRNT was incorporated and took in seven dogs during the course of the year. In May 1998, the organization was recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt charitable organization.

GRRNT membership has grown over the years from the initial 15 in 1998 to more than 100 today.
“We are very fortunate to have numerous veterinarians from around the North Texas area support our efforts by offering GRRNT discounts for the care of our rescue dogs,” Qualls explains.

What Zoho products are you using?

Golden Retriever Rescue of North Texas built adoption and foster apps to help track applicants, fosters and rescue dogs all in a single place using Zoho Creator.

What are your biggest wins from using Zoho tools?

Qualls says Zoho Creator allowed GRRNT to digitize its operations while easily recording and tracking all its data in one place.

“Zoho Creator has allowed us to track applicants, fosters, and our dogs with ease,” Qualls says. “We’re able to access the information as needed – and it’s all in one place. We are no longer paper-based. Everything from foster families, adopters, volunteers and dog info is managed through the apps built on Creator.”

What was the greatest challenge that Zoho products helped you to solve?

Before using Zoho Creator, Golden Retriever Rescue of North Texas was challenged for time since it was manually reviewing, processing and responding to countless applications and emails.

“The manual process was the biggest reason we were in need of a solution,” Qualls explains. “We average about 1,000 applications per year. It was time-consuming to keep up with the many emails and applications from our potential adopters.”

What are your future plans for GRRNT?

Qualls says GRRNT has even more plans to streamline its processes using Zoho Creator. Currently, the group is building a volunteer app to improve the efficiency of its entire volunteer registration process.

“This will help us better utilize the skills of those wanting to help the goldens in need,” she says.

This article, “Texas Rescue Organization Streamlines Processes with Zoho Creator” was first published on Small Business Trends