Southeastern Virginia Golden Retriever Rescue, Education and Training

SEVA GRREAT is an all-volunteer, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization serving southeastern Virginia celebrating its 36th year in operation. Since 1990, over 3,300 Golden Retrievers and mixes have found loving homes thanks to the generosity of our donors and the efforts of our volunteers. We raise funds so that we never have to turn away a golden in need. SEVA GRREAT is committed to finding our goldens their forever homes but, without you, there would be no SEVA GRREAT.

You may wonder where our goldens come from and why they need rescue. Families surrender their dogs for many reasons, not the least of which is the financial cost of caring for their dog. Others end up as strays in shelters. Almost every golden that enters our care requires some type of medical/surgical care or medications before they are ready for their forever homes. We spend $10,000 to $15,000 in an average month on medical and wellness care. Some of them have behavioral issues that require sessions with trainers who work with their foster families. Occasionally a "problem child" will require a "board and train" intervention. All so that they can become the incredible dogs you know goldens to be. 

We are grateful that Give Local 757 gives us the opportunity to raise funds to support our rescue throughout the year. Thanks to you, every year we are able to help our Give Local-featured dogs and many more, but by the next year, there are more that need help.  Here are some of this year’s dogs. 

Miley -- Imagine a beautiful golden retriever that can't keep her food down. Not only is that a frustrating situation, but it also means the dog is losing weight, not thriving and growing as she should. Plus, we all know how much goldens love their food! Miley is a gorgeous 5-year-old old female golden retriever who was surrendered with a unique and challenging condition known as megaesophagus, a condition in which the esophagus does not work properly and keeps her food from going down into the stomach where it can be properly digested. Frequent vomiting is an obvious sign of this condition, which also makes her susceptible to aspiration pneumonia. Finding what worked took effort and experimentation with the consistency of her food, the amount she could eat at one time, and how often she needs to eat. Plus, her Bailey chair enables gravity to assist in her digestion. She loves her mealtime, sits in her chair with enthusiasm, and has gained weight. Check out Smiley Miley now!  

Moose --Moose came to SEVA GRREAT in February 2026 due to some scary medical concerns. Originally purchased from a breeder in West Virginia, he was with his new owner a very short time before becoming very ill. Initially thought to be parvovirus, he was surrendered to a local shelter who immediately called us. While he fortunately did not have Parvo, he instead was found to have intussusception, which required emergency, life-saving surgery at 6 weeks of age. Thanks to the amazing care of his veterinarians and foster home, he made an amazing recovery and was recently adopted. 

Lucy --Lucy is the sweetest girl who came to the rescue in August 2025 due to her owner’s separation and divorce. At 7-8 years old, she had received very little veterinary care in her lifetime and arrived with multiple medical issues. She had a severe skin infection and areas of hair loss, but treatment has helped her beautiful coat return. We later learned she had an unusual form of autoimmune hepatitis as well as an adrenal gland tumor, so she is under the care of an internal medicine specialist to manage these. Lucy’s care has been expensive, but we are determined to do everything possible to help her live a happy and healthy life in her senior years. 

Bohdi -- Bodhi arrived in November 2025 after landing as a stray in a local shelter. At 12 years of age, he was extremely underweight and missing much of his fur due to allergies and skin infections. He honestly looked pitiful, and we had no idea about his underlying health. Amazingly enough, his bloodwork results have been surprisingly good for a senior fellow. He has gained weight nicely and his new fur coat looks so handsome. He is scheduled to have a few growths removed, which we hope will be benign. We are happy to help Bodhi live the wonderful life he deserves. 

Bodhi at the shelterBodhi now

Each year, you help our rescue go on, and we hope you will be willing to do it again. Thank you for being a friend of SEVA GRREAT.

Who We Are

SEVA GRREAT is a volunteer-staffed, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to "finding homes for homeless goldens" since 1990. To date, over 3,300 Golden Retrievers and mixes have been rescued and placed in loving forever homes. Our dogs come from a variety of places such as animal shelters, SPCAs, and homes where owners either no longer want their dog or, due to circumstances, can no longer keep their dog.