May 28th, 2012 
Kristin 
Little did I know that when I went abroad to Taiwan, I’d add an eventual permanent member to my family from the very same island.
I didn’t exactly bring Ollie home with me. He joined our family via the efforts of Project Taiwan Golden Retreiver Rescue in Taiwan, who partnered with the Golden Retriever Club of Greater Los Angeles Rescue – an organization that funds the recovery and transport of this large and often abandoned breed. (You can read all about the organization’s efforts in Taiwan through this interview).
Ollie was born in Taipei, and given his apparent training, was once part of a loving home. Somewhere along the way though, poor Ollie ended up on the streets. He was found stabbed in the leg, which required 27 stitches and several months of recovery. When he finally came to us after a long and difficult journey, he was a thin, timid, little ghost of a dog. Over time, though, he gained some weight and some confidence in his new people.
Though he lives with my mom, sometimes, when she’s out of town, Ollie comes and stays with me. This past weekend was one of those times. This is great news for Ollie, because every day, we visit his favorite place in the world:
We're such dorks. How embarassing.
THE BEACH!
Why is it Ollie’s favorite? Well, because Ollie loves nothing more than to dig:
Do you see that unmistakable look of satisfaction on his face?
Which results in one sandy nose and mouth!
But he doesn’t seem bothered, does he?
Yum. Delicious!
And, may I say, he does bear an uncanny resemblence to Dug from the movie Up, both in personality and portliness. Wouldn’t you say?
Happy as a clam, or dog, or something
The funny thing about this rescue dog is, in actuality, it’s he who end up rescuing us (his family) in the end. He gets me out walking, always takes the high road (he never barks at other dogs, even when they’re barking at him), is friendly to everyone he sees, and teaches me on a daily basis what unconditional love is.
Besides, now, I have a great Mandarin language training partner. Though he’s not great at retorting, he’s one excellent listener.
Have you met a pup abroad who warmed your soul? Do you have an Ollie in your life?
*GRCGLA Rescue is a non-profit organization that runs on the donations of individuals like you and me. If you’re looking for somewhere to donate buckets of cash, might I suggest this worthy cause? (In the spirit of full disclosure, I was not asked to post this. I just love this organization)
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I'm a former investment banker who quit my job, sold all of my belongings, and bid the life I knew goodbye in favor of searching for off-the-beaten-path adventures in Asia. I'm a SCUBA addict, humble student of Mandarin, passion fruit enthusiast, and above all, an adventurer. I plan nothing, and simply let things fall into place. For more information, visit the 
Beautiful dog! My sister was actually looking for rescues and apparently there are a lot of dogs from Asia that are brought over to Los Angeles. She ended up going with one she found locally in San Diego, but I was surprised to find out just how common that is.
Thanks! I’m glad your sister went with a rescue dog. I think the main issue is the amount of space big dogs need. The small apartments in Taiwan are just not substantial enough for a big dog, so they sometimes get abandoned. It’s usually grassroots volunteers in Asia who volunteer their time and efforts to help the animals get to the US. It was really interesting talking to the program to learn about it!
Oh man he is super cute!
He knows it, too.
Cute pup! I wish I was a dog sometimes. They are amazing at just living in the moment!
Yes, I’d love to be able to live in the moment more as well!
What a cute dog! And having a pet for a language partner is such a good idea, haha.
Yeah, it’s not particularly helpful, especially when he offers me his paw to shake when I’ve told him to ‘sit’ in Mandarin.
Ollie looks so happy with that smiley face! Glad he recovered well and found a wonderful family. When you tell him to sit in Mandarin and he gives a paw, perhaps he thinks he is bilingual? lol
Haha, giving his paw is just the only trick he knows. He responds to hand signals, though. He’ll offer his paw without being asked, just because he knows that usually earns him a petting.
Lol that sounds a little like my dog. He is a golden retriever as well. But sometimes I think he has an identity crisis. He seriously believes that he is human sometimes and the results can be hilarious. =)
Aww goldens are the best. I’m sometimes suspicious that my mom thinks Ollie is human… He’s her 4th child.
Yes! the best indeed =) haa… Mine thinks he’s part of the family already.. He always look for my mom when it is breakfast or supper time with his eyes sparkling.