海角大神

Every Labor Day weekend, hundreds of fun-loving campers from around the world gather at Camp Weequahic in Lakewood, Penn. for a weekend packed with games, swimming, and friendship. But these aren鈥檛 your average campers: for one thing, they鈥檙e dogs. 聽

Goldstock, which brings together hundreds of golden retrievers and their owners, is a yearly gathering that benefits and celebrates rescue dogs. The event was started in 1998 by Gail Lustig, a New York City dog-walker whose father built the camp in the 1950s.聽

Since then, Goldstock has grown from its humble beginnings of 60 attendees to include campers and rescue groups from all over the world. Roughly 400 dogs and nearly 30 different rescue groups participated in Goldstock 2014, as well as many dog-less attendees who showed up to support the cause.聽

鈥淚t鈥檚 emotional. It鈥檚 fun. It鈥檚 promoting rescue. It鈥檚 raising money,鈥� Ms. Lustig says in the trailer for an upcoming documentary film about Goldstock set to be released in November. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really an indescribable weekend where so many things go on.鈥澛�

The includes plenty of events for dogs and owners alike, including a 鈥淒oggy Olympics鈥� competition, a rescue parade, and a baseball game for kids and their dogs.聽

For humans in attendance, there鈥檚 a 鈥測appy hour鈥� gathering, a dog trivia competition, and even paw print nail art.聽

Goldstock describes itself as 鈥渢he most fun you can have with your dog and your dog can have with you,鈥� but its purpose goes beyond just having a good time. Rescue organizations set up booths and sell golden-related items to fund-raise, and also receive all the proceeds from two auctions held over the course of the weekend.聽

The event doesn鈥檛 just benefit dogs. Photographer Steve O鈥橞yrne, who has attended Goldstock for several consecutive years, says spending time around so many rescue animals was therapeutic for him during his recovery after a motorcycle accident.

鈥淐oming here and seeing and hearing what all the dogs have gone through 鈥� makes you realize that the problems aren鈥檛 so big,鈥� O鈥橞yrne said in a . 聽

鈥淵ou鈥檝e got these dogs running around that have been abused in any way, shape or form, and they鈥檙e just happy. One leg, two legs, three legs鈥�they get on through life. It gives me strength through watching them.鈥�

O鈥橞yrne is not the only human to learn life lessons from the mass gathering of goldens. Each year, Marty Harris and her three special needs sons drive 12 hours from Ohio for Goldstock.聽

Harris says the event has taught her kids that all dogs deserve a chance at having a loving home and good medical care, and that a little bit of generosity can go a long way.

"At camp, the boys feel empowered and important, strong and able to make a difference,鈥� Harris the Huffington Post. 鈥淭hey are the future of rescue.鈥�