It began with a promise to a dog that had just been hit by a car on busy Eastern Avenue.

A veterinarian said she was probably going to die.

"If you pull through," Jody Jones recalls telling the pooch, "we'll always be good to golden retrievers."

That was 12 years ago.

These days, Chelsea is a 13-year-old slowpoke of a dog. And Jody and Mike Jones have been good – and then some – to thousands of goldens.

In fact, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue, the nonprofit that grew out of that emotional pledge, is considered one of the finest dog rescue organizations in the nation, with a team of 100-plus volunteers, a network of foster homes, an 8-acre adoption center and sanctuary, and unflinchingly high adoption standards.

What's more, Homeward Bound's annual fundraiser, which started eight years ago with a goal of raising $10,000, now clears more than $100,000 a year and has become a must-attend event in the region's social calendar.

Last year, Kibbles & Bids, as the event is called, sold out its 1,000 tickets at $55 each for an afternoon of food and wine, music and a silent auction on the grounds of an estate along the Sacramento River.

The latest Kibbles & Bids is from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday. For more information, go to www.homewardboundgoldens.org.

A recent visit to the Homeward Bound headquarters in Elverta found the couple starting their day the way they always do, feeding the dogs awaiting adoption, answering countless phone calls, rushing off to meet someone who picked up a golden retriever from a shelter and, as Jody did just after 10 a.m., hanging up the phone with a veterinarian and slapping her thigh in disappointment.

"We're losing the battle," she said, referring an older dog with a major heart condition.

But there was no time to dwell. Doobie and Maury, two friendly goldens in the play yard, had recently been turned over by owners who lost their home in a foreclosure. In a separate yard, three puppies bounded about. And in the main kennel, with 31 pens costing $1,000 each, Teddy, Quinky, Sunshine and all the others were ready for their walks.

Many of the volunteers say they are inspired by the Joneses' devotion. The couple take no vacations and their positions are unpaid.

"Jody is a saint," said Maryann Farmar, a lieutenant with the California Highway Patrol. "How does she do this 24/7, 365 days a year? She does not take a day off. She never gets sick. I get e-mails from her at 3 in the morning."

Like many of the volunteers, Farmar arrived at Homeward Bound to adopt a dog. In no time, she was pitching in. These days, she runs the foster program – there are currently 50 dogs available for adoption living with foster families.

Andrea Lewis, an assistant secretary for education and quality programs at California Environmental Protection Agency, was the same way. She has been running the Kibbles & Bids committee the past eight years.

"I was so impressed with Jody. I have a big degree of admiration for her as well as the plight of these dogs," Lewis said. "She lives and breathes for these dogs and rescuing these dogs. This is a dream she has had and this is what she was put on this Earth to do."

By all accounts, Mike and Jody Jones, both retired from government jobs, are a team with complementary skills. They're also adept at persuading others to join in and help, whether it's a Boy Scout troop that came out to build a dock at the dog pond, or busy real estate agent like Kim Pacini-Hauch to give Kibbles & Bids a financial shot in the arm by dramatically increasing corporate sponsorships.

"I can't say enough wonderful things about the organization," said Pacini-Hauch of Lyon Real Estate. "We're feeling such a huge need right now especially with all the foreclosures. Every year, I get more motivated to help."

Homeward Bound and many animal rescue groups are looking at record numbers because of the foreclosure explosion. And while Homeward Bound focuses on goldens and related mixes, its ability to take in dogs from shelters clears space for another dog – and cuts down on euthanasias.

In 2006, Homeward Bound took in 368 dogs and had veterinary bills of almost $169,000. In 2007, it was 562 dogs and $305,000. For 2008, Jody Jones says she expects to rescue 700 dogs.

Since Homeward Bound began in 2000, thousands of dogs have found happy endings.

Every so often, a dog is too old or too sick to keep going. It's the part Mike Jones doesn't like to handle or even hear about. In those cases, Jody quietly packs the dog into the van and drives away. It's always a solemn occasion and, friends says, part of what makes her special.

"I still take them to get their ice cream and I tell them how much we cared," said Jody. "I know that we ended suffering."

Call The Bee's Blair Anthony Robertson, (916) 321-1099.