Two golden retrievers are acclimatizing to their new home in Barrie after a whirlwind rescue from Istanbul, Turkey.
Jake and Chloe are part of a group of 18 golden retrievers rescued from Istanbul by Golden Rescue, a group dedicated to saving the breed from neglect.
"Many of them have been abused and some of them are frightened… they all have badly matted coats, they're dirty, but they haven’t lost their golden spirit," Viive Tamm, the chair of the group's board, told CTV Barrie.
Golden Rescue has rescued approximately 2,100 dogs over the past 25 years, but this mission marks its first outside of North America.
The canines arrived in New York on Friday, before being driven to Barrie to be united with new owner Penny Maring.
Maring, who decided to adopt the dogs after her husband and three dogs died in the past three years, says the new additions helped her more than she helped them.
"Because I was so sad and lonely, I wanted to do something for someone else," she said. "I think they're saving me and I'm not saving them."
With the success of the first round of adoptions, Golden Rescue says it aims to bring roughly 20 golden retrievers from Istanbul every month.
With a report from CTV Barrie
