MY STORY

Hello! Thank you for visiting my website! My name is Sonya, and I would like to share my story with you of how Golden Pride Retrievers began...

We bought our first golden puppy for our 3 kids in 2006 when they were 3,5 and 7. We had recently lost our 6-month-old precious baby boy, Jayson Michael, to bacterial meningitis a few months prior and we thought a puppy would be something enjoyable for the kids in the midst of such sadness. We were desperate to bring even a small amount of laughter and joy back into their lives while we struggled through our daily grief. Soon after we brought home Simba, we decided he needed a friend, so we added Nala to our family! As you can tell, the Lion King was pretty popular in our house at that time! 😊 Several years later I decided I wanted to try having a litter of puppies... just one! I don't remember much about my first litter after all these years but I do know I have changed how I do everything since then... and clearly, I did not have "just one!" 😂 Many things in my personal life have changed since then as well, I had another son after losing Jayson, I went through a divorce, I did the single mom thing for awhile and then I re-married, added 3 step-children, and continued to add more goldens into our family!

Our love for goldens and raising puppies grew into a family business so I decided to run with the Lion King theme and name it "Golden Pride Retrievers". Since a group of lions is called a pride and we had a group of goldens who were the same color as lions, it seemed fitting, especially since Simba and Nala is where it all began! Since 2006 many more golden retrievers have come and gone from our lives and with every golden and every litter one thing has always remained the same... I take great PRIDE in my goldens, my puppies, and my business and so the name "Golden Pride Retrievers" has become even more fitting in my eyes now than ever before!

With each litter I evaluate what can I do next time to make it easier or better. With each litter I learn new things... some good and some bad. I often face tough decisions and heartbreak as it's not all fun and cuteness. I often want to give up during difficult losses or stressful times and I'll say, "I'm never doing this again... it's too hard or it's too sad." My husband always says, "It'll be ok, just learn what to do different next time and when that time comes, you'll be ready!" And he's right!! I'm always ready and excited to start again! Our lives have continued to change, as life does, and we now have grandchildren that are starting to be our puppy helpers as most of our children are growing up and moving on with their own lives. Throughout all the years and all the changes in my life and my business, I have never forgotten the reason for bringing our first golden into our lives. This business has grown from the loss of my son Jayson and no matter what, I will never forget why it all began... which makes everything I do with Golden Pride mean more to me than "just a business'... it is truly my heart. 💖

Now to add a little more about my family...

As I mentioned previously, I am a mom to 4, step-mom to 3, grandma to 4 (almost 5), a part time assistant band director, I have been and still am a baseball, track, soccer, tennis, and band mom to many, I currently have 8 goldens and a Maltese named Chewie. When I am not working with the band or tending to my dogs and puppies, I have my adorable grandchildren and rarely ever do not have at least one of them!! I was trying to think of what I enjoy doing in my free time but between the dogs, the puppies and the grand babies, I'm not sure what "free time" is honestly! 😂

I definitely need to thank my wonderful husband because he is my biggest supporter! He listens to me talk about dogs endlessly, even after 12-hour shifts at a fast paced job when he's had a crazy stressful day and its the last thing he wants to hear about! He never complains when I ask him to do blood draws because I need to progesterone test a female in heat asap, even when he has to get up earlier before work or after a long day at work! He trusts me when investing a lot of money into a particular golden or expensive equipment I think I must have to make my business better or easier. He has taken me on many road trips to pick up puppies and he has also calmly driven me to the emergency vet while I was in a panic delivering puppies in the back! He listens to me go through all the possible scenarios of my options and then helps me to focus and choose the right one. I may run the business and take care of the day to day with the dogs and puppies but he ALWAYS helps me when I really need it! My business would not be what it is without him and his support! ❤

And of course, I cannot end without thanking all of my children too. They have all had a hand in helping, supporting and listening to me through all these years. Whether I'm happy or sad and need to talk, they listen. They often help care for my dogs and puppies when I am actually able to sneak away for a day or a short trip (even though that's very rare). My daughter, Kaytlin, has helped me tremendously with building this website. I could not have done it without her! She saw my vision, set up everything just as I wanted it, showed me how to add the information I wanted, and all while making many changes along the way! She has done an absolutely beautiful job! My kids have also all helped to socialize more puppies than I can count over the years and still do if they have time. And mainly, they tolerate the smell of puppy poop during the last few weeks each litter is here because believe me, I clean non-stop and the smell of puppy poop still permeates our entire house for weeks during each litter! 💩 I love the puppies being raised in my home but there absolutely IS a price we all pay!! 🤢

As my children are at home less and less, my grand-children are slowly taking over where they left off as my puppy playmates and helpers! This truly has been a family business from the very beginning and I couldn't be more proud of what it has become today!!

I also have a few special friends and family members who I call upon to socialize puppies or help take care of them when we are all away so thank you to all of you for whatever part it is that you have played in Golden Pride Retrievers! ❤❤❤