Volunteers Make the Difference!

Because As Good as Gold is a non-profit, volunteer-supported organization, every activity requires volunteer participation. Members can volunteer to open their home by fostering a rescued golden retriever waiting to be adopted, transport dogs, perform home visits for potential adoptive families, participate in public education and fundraising events, work on administrative activities, join a committee or department as an assistant, make phone calls for various coordinators, or even put a special talent, such as sewing to great use!

To ensure every volunteer who works with our rescued goldens has a safe and positive experience, all assessor, foster home, and transport volunteers are required to participate in basic and/or intermediate training which may be held in-person or offered online.

Dog Sitting Program

Over the years, we have found that many of our members are often hard-pressed to go away for a weekend, a long weekend or a week’s vacation for lack of appropriate care for their dogs. As an alternative to impersonal kennel boarding and expensive in-home pet sitting services, As Good as Gold is pleased to offer our Dog Sitting Service.

The AGaG Dog Sitting Service has been designed to provide short term (1 day to 2 weeks), personal care for your dog(s) in the home of one of our AGaG members. This service is provided by AGaG members to AGaG members and all proceeds will benefit As Good as Gold.

Frequently Asked Questions

The AGaG Dog Sitting Service is currently available to AGaG members only. You must be an AGaG member in order to serve as a Dog Sitter. Not a member yet? Join Now!

Because AGaG and many of our members have primary experience with dogs, the program is available for dogs only, though dogs can be of any breed. (Sorry to all of the much-loved cats, birds, hamsters and other creatures out there.)

The cost of the AGaG Dog Sitting Service is $30.00 per day for the first dog and $50.00 per day for two dogs. (For sitting of 3 or more dogs, please contact the Dog Sitting Coordinator for cost and availability.) All dog-sitting fees are considered to be a donation to AGaG and payments are made directly to AGaG. Fees are paid by the Dog Owner and are due at the time when their dog(s) are picked up. Dog-sitting services are provided by AGaG members on a voluntary basis and service is provided as a donation to AGaG. (Rates have been established based on the prevailing rates of local boarding kennels and have been set far below the prevailing rates for most in-home pet sitters.)

The cost includes care for your dog(s) in the home of one of our AGaG Dog Sitters. The Dog Owner is responsible for providing all food, treats, medicines, crates, toys, beds, etc. The Dog Owner is also responsible for the cost of all medical expenses incurred in an emergency situation.

When a Dog Sitting Request Form is submitted, the Dog Sitting Coordinator will search the Dog Sitter database to identify an appropriate Dog Sitter. You will need to submit a Dog Biography/Waiver for your dog(s). Potential Dog Sitters will then be contacted to determine their availability.

  • Availability – In order to ensure the availability of a compatible Dog Sitter, we request that you submit your Dog Sitting Request a minimum of 14 days (or earlier if possible) before your needed sitting dates. Unfortunately, there will be cases when a compatible Dog Sitter is not available during the needed sitting dates. Therefore, the AGaG Dog Sitting Service is based upon the availability of a compatible Volunteer Dog Sitter.
  • Proximity – As a Dog Owner, it will be your responsibility to drop off and pick up your dog(s) at the Dog Sitter’s house. You can note how far you are willing to travel on the Dog Sitting Request Form. In many cases, it may be worth it to drive an extra 15-30 minutes to ensure that their pets are staying in a personal, home environment with trusted caregivers. With volunteer Dog Sitters throughout the Chicagoland area, the Dog Sitting Coordinator will make every effort to identify a compatible Dog Sitter within the closest proximity to your home.
  • Compatibility – Please keep in mind that one of the main objectives of the AGaG Dog Sitting Service is to ensure the compatibility of all of the dogs, pets and persons involved in the Dog Sitting interaction. If possible, we encourage the Dog Sitter and the Dog Owner arrange an initial meeting between the two parties and their pets to determine the compatibility of all persons and pets involved. Neither the Dog Sitter nor the Dog Owner will be expected to enter into a dog sitting arrangement wherein any party is uncomfortable.

When compatibility and availability have been confirmed, the Dog Sitting Coordinator will provide a cost estimate the Dog Owner.

The Dog Owner will be then responsible for dropping off their dog(s) at the home of the designated Dog Sitter at the prearranged day and time. The Dog Owner will also be responsible for leaving sufficient food, treats, medicines, crates, toys, beds, etc. with the Dog Sitter at this time. During the duration of care, the Dog Sitter will be responsible for feeding, walking/exercising and dispensing medicines, etc. for the dog(s) in their care. At the end of the dog sitting period, the Dog Owner will be responsible for picking up their dog(s) at the home of the Dog Sitter at the prearranged day and time. All fees are due from the Dog Owner to the Dog Sitter at the time of pick up and payment should be made payable to AGaG (not to the Dog Sitter personally). The Dog Sitting Coordinator will provide both the Dog Owner and the Dog Sitter with a copy of the bill prior to the start of Dog Sitting. All payments should be forwarded by the Dog Sitter to AGaG within 5 working days of receipt.

Volunteer Dog Sitters

If you would like to volunteer to be an AGaG Dog Sitter, please fill out a Dog Sitter Application. Upon receipt of your Dog Sitter Application, your information will be recorded in our database for use in determining your compatibility with that of volunteers requesting dog sitting services. Please note that you are volunteering your time and care and that your efforts are considered to be a donation to AGaG.

Dog Sitting Requests

Finally, you can get away for a weekend or a week with the peace of mind that your best friend is cared for by trusted caregivers in a personal, home environment. If you are interested in having your dog(s) cared for through the AGaG Dog Sitting Service, appropriate paperwork can be filled out online above or obtained from the Dog Sitting Coordinator via e-mail, fax or regular mail. We request that you submit your Dog Sitting Request a minimum of 14 days (or earlier if possible) before your needed sitting dates.

Questions?

If you should have questions or need further information regarding the AGaG Dog Sitting Service, please contact our Dog Sitting Coordinator at dogsitting@asgoodasgold.org

I’d Like to Learn More

We have many different areas of volunteer opportunities. To learn more about some of our ongoing needs, click on any of the links below. Every little bit makes a difference, so take your pick of what your time and talents allow.

Golden Fostering

Home Visits & Transport

Awareness, Education, & Fundraising

Dog Sitting

Meet & Greets

Okay, How Do I Get Started?

To volunteer, the first step is to become a member. See our membership page for details and an application.

Urgent – Foster Homes Needed

We receive multiple calls on a daily basis from individuals and shelters who want to relinquish their golden retrievers to us. Since we do not kennel or board any of our goldens, a strong foundation of foster homes is vital to our success.

Our organization is growing quickly and we are always in need of additional foster homes for our goldens!

Without the generosity and concern of our foster families, who open their hearts and their homes to these helpless dogs, our organization and many of these goldens would cease to exist. If you, or anyone that you know, might be interested in becoming a foster home for As Good As Gold, please contact our Membership Coordinator via email at membership@asgoodasgold.org. Thank you!