MILLIE, 3 year yellow female, came to us via Susquehanna Service Dogs in Harrisburg, PA. Normally, LRR is the one donating dogs to SSD for service work, but Millie was an owner give-up to them that didn't complete her service dog training. Millie had been given to SSD along with her brother. Together, both of them were doing well in basic training, but when separated, Millie lost her focus and drive. SSD placed her in an area adoptive home, but the new owner fed her a diet of noodles and greasy hamburger causing her to cry in her crate due to terrible diarrhea. The owner simply thought she was neurotic and suffering from separation anxiety, so she returned Millie to SSD, who called us. Once back on a dog food diet, Millie did well and quickly became Ms. Congeniality in her foster homes, both with people and other dogs. We thought such a cute, sweet and small (only 40 pounds) lab would be adopted immediately, but Millie would get so excited when meeting prospective adopters that she gave the impression of being super active. During this time, we also discovered an old fracture on a rear hock that necessitated reparative surgery. All of us who fostered Millie during her recovery period can attest to the stress and frustration of trying to keep this silly girl quiet and crated. She was not happy at being separated by crate from people, dogs and playing, so she began to express her displeasure with accidents both inside and outside the crate. Fortunately, an experienced adoptive home came along willing to continue her on leash therapy and train her through her rough spots. Lynn had been waiting for the right dog, and even in Millie's pouty recuperative state, Lynn knew Millie was the one. Once our vet had given Millie the green light to be adopted, Lynn, and her dog, Henry, were down to make her a permanent member of the family. As we suspected, given the several traumatic crated weeks in a new foster home associated with her surgery and recovery, she did not transition as well as usual into her new home. Lynn was prepared for this and willing to work with her as Millie finally found a new home. Millie has charmed all of Lynn's family and friends and has become good buds with Henry (whom she sometimes leads astray during Lynn's absences!) Lynn knows it will take awhile for Millie to realize that she is finally home, and that after her two additional weeks of controlled play, Millie will be finally be able to get all of that pent up energy out, and life will hopefully be normal for everyone again!
ROAMER, 3 year black male, got his name when he initially displayed his escape artist skills. He was originally picked up as a stray in Charles County, MD, and LRR was asked to take him when he was not adopted from the local Humane Society. Roamer seemed to be auditioning for "Homeward Bound" as he set about trying to get back on the road and even succeeded once briefly. But, once he began to receive lots of attention and affection in his foster homes (and he was neutered!) he was less interested in leaving. Roamer began to display his super sweet personality and charmed all who fostered him. A MD man had come to us looking for a new companion for himself and his older lab, Ernie. Originally, Matt wanted a younger lab, since Ernie has younger playmates, but we really didn't have a matching dog in that age range. He agreed that it might be good to look at a few other older dogs who might be good matches for Ernie. One visit with a younger and more exuberant lab, and Matt decided a little older might indeed be better for both of them! He looked at several other black males, but as we suspected, Roamer had both the personality and activity level compatible with his new Dad and brother. The adoption was done, and Roamer, now renamed Nicky, is settling in well. With Dad home all day, and new adventures to try and people and other dogs to meet, there is no reason for him to roam anymore!
ALBERT, 6 year yellow male, came from the Chesterfield County, VA shelter where he had been taken as a stray. The shelter claimed he was around 3 years, but once we got him, it was obvious he was about twice that age. On top of that, we discovered that he was heartworm positive, unneutered, overweight, and not well socialized with other dogs, especially other males. There was a lot going against this fellow, but he was the closest thing to a pure English lab we had seen in a while, complete with the couch potato activity level. We decided to treat Albert (who we named after the portly Bill Cosby character) for his Heartworms and go from there. Albert sailed through his heartworm treatment, trimmed down, and began to steal the hearts of all of his foster homes. Finally, he was able to be neutered, and we could begin in earnest to find him a permanent home. We were advertising Albert on the Internet, when one of our LRR adoptive homes discovered him. They had previously adopted an older yellow female from us (Serra, aka Seren at LRR), so we knew Albert would tolerate such a home well. They came out to have a look and Dad fell in love (since Serra is more Mom's dog.) We decided they should foster Albert for a week to make sure all family members, including Serra, would be happy with him permanently. It wasn't long before we received this email from Albert asking to make his family status permanent:
Dear Susan and other LRR folks,
You folks did it again! I just had to write and tell you how happy I am in my new home! I have this great big house, choice of cushy carpet or smooth cool hardwood, two beds (bedroom and kitchen), a huge grassy yard that I love to roll around in, and all the vigorous belly rubs I want. Even the kid likes me, and I heartily approved when his memory failed, and he left a package of double-stuffed Oreo cookies unattended on his bedroom floor (I had never been in his room before but this time I just couldn't resist).
My new little sister, Serra, welcomed me with open arms, so to speak, shared her water bowl and even let me have my choice of beds. She's got lots of neat toys and chewy things and isnšt at all possessive about them. She's showing me the ropes around here. The folks are amazed at how much more Serra wags her tail now that I've shown her how to do it. I believe she's much happier with a warm gregarious companion such as myself. Lately we've even been "mixing it up" a little bit, play wrestling, you know. I'm kind of slow getting the hang of it, but Serra is patient, and it is good exercise.
Since I know you were concerned about my girth, youšll be glad to know that I get two 1-mile walks a day now and sometimes two two-mile walks on weekends. The folks were really surprised to find out that I LOVE to hike and am leader of the pack up those mountain trails. I also like to swim in the occasional lake, even though Mom said I look like a half-submerged pontoon boat. Mom expected to be pulled in opposite directions when she started walking Serra and me together on our leashes and she was amazed when we fell into step with no effort. Serra walks on the left and I walk on the right as we amble down the sidewalk. Dad laughs at our synchronized lab butts.
I just have to brag about how useful I've been around here. The day after I arrived (the very next day!) I single-handedly saved Mom's garden! I'll digress a bit and explain that Mom works very hard digging and planting, and she needs all the help she can get. From time to time she also needs supervision, because I have observed that she tends to sit down a lot and to stand in the shade "thinking." Well anyway, Mom had been complaining about some creature nibbling on the tomatoes and eating the squash and decimating the greens. Being a country animal, I knew just what to do, snooped around and caught a VARMIT (Mom says it was a nutria, but I'm sure it was a varmit.) Experienced huntsman that I am, I grabbed the varmit by the neck, shook it good, and would have dispatched it, but Mom made me let go on the off chance that it might turn out to be the neighbor's cat. There have been no more depredations in the garden and needless to say, I'm the hero of the day.
Dad and I bonded right away. He gives the best tummy rubs and says I am the most huggable dog he's ever seen. Išve begun to train him to sit on the floor when we watch tv or a video. That way we can cuddle, since couches and beds are forbidden territory here. Can you believe that?? You know, one just has to take the bitter with the sweet. Dad isn't too sure about my supposedly English heritage. With my southern woodsmanship and my obviously experienced country ways, he says I remind him of a JJ Cale song about somebody named Clyde on the front porch playing electric bass (his ole dog keeps company, tambourine tied to his tail, you should hear him moan, you should hear him wail.) He also thinks I'm part bloodhound, part basset, part golden retriever, and a tiny bit lab, but we know better, don't we?
Oh yes, about the cat. Um, I hesitate to tell you this, but I'm a little afraid of the fur ball. She gets this fire in her eyes and does this low rumbly thing in her throat, and I just moan in fear. Even though Serra assures me the cat has no claws, I think I'll keep my distance. Besides, the rule around here is that we all love each other and there do seem to be enough pats to go around.
Well, I've got to sign off now. Many thanks for all the time and care you gave me and for finding me this terrific home. See you at the next reunion picnic!
Much love and many tail wags,
Albert
EMILY came to LRR several years ago as a 3 year yellow female from Lancaster County, PA. She was born in a puppy mill there and purchased by her owner who couldn't keep her after a year. He dumped her on his parents, but soon discovered on visits there that Emily was being abused (most probably by the Dad). The parents finally kicked her outside to live her life in a pen. She got little human contact, and that she did get was very abusive. Finally, her original owner could take it no more and called LRR to take her. When LRR met him to get her, we knew this was going to be a tough case. It took over an hour to get her from his truck into our car crate. Once home, Emily would not come out of the crate. She growled; she shook; she whimpered. We spent hours talking to her and offering her treats before she would finally let us open the crate and take her inside the house. Once mainstreamed in our Director's house with other dogs, she began to relax a little, but it was obvious that Emily was extremely unsocialized with people and with dogs. Emily stayed with our Director for many weeks before she was improved enough to move to a new foster home. LRR volunteers would come over to visit her, and each time she had to back up, growl and look away when she met new people. Meanwhile, she was really enjoying her dog company. Often times, it is our permanent dogs that help the new rescues to begin to feel comfortable with people. They watch our dogs come for petting, give kisses, sit for treats, etc., and many times the rescues will begin to mimic their behavior. Our dogs expedite the socializing process for our rescues, along with teaching them acceptable pack behavior (which they often don't know). At Emily's second foster home, she really began to make progress. Three year old Emily suddenly became a puppy. Many times when dogs are denied good puppyhoods, they will have them, no matter what their age, once comfortable in a foster home. This may include chewing, temporary lapses in housebreaking, and genuine goofiness. Emily had all of that and then some! Our patient foster homes helped her through this period and began to take her to public places for more socialization. While she now seemed to be over growling in fear at women, she still was very afraid of some men. We had Emily at a Pet Education Day when a woman and her mother stopped to visit the labbies. She was amazed at how much Emily resembled a lab she had lost in years past. And, while it was upsetting for her, she was still drawn to Emily. She stayed for some time to be with Emily, and we explained that Emily was not yet ready to go. We needed to ensure that she would cease to growl at everyone before she was available for adoption. Still, this woman could not get Emily off her mind, and she sent us an application to be considered for Emily when she was ready. During the course of the telephone interview, it became clear that she was quite anxious to have Emily now, flaws and all. She was willing to continue her socialization and provide Emily with a home that would not be too stressful. After her housecheck was completed and feeling comfortable that Emily was not a biter, we proposed that she foster Emily for a month to be absolutely sure that she could handle Emily and the last of her quirks. During that time, we spoke often by phone to discuss Emily's progress and recommend training tips. Emily was now living with Mom and Grandma, horses, and cats. One week her fears seemed conquered, the next week she would go backwards a little. Emily was very happy with her new living arrangements, so we were hopeful that her story would have a happy ending. And it does! When Emily had resolved most of her fears, her new Mom begged to adopt her. We encouraged her to take Emily to obedience training not only for the bonding and obedience experiences, but for the confidence building and additional socialization it would provide. At this point, it was obvious the commitment was there, and Emily was in the best home possible. So, Emily was officially adopted and began obedience training. Her mother (and LRR) are proud to say that she excelled in OT. Emily graduated second in her class and was in the top five in her intermediate class. Her Mom tells us that "Obedience training changed her (and our) lives!" She is no longer hand-shy; her growling at anyone is history; she especially loves children; and she is great friends with the cats. Emily loves to accompany her Mom on horseback rides, where she heels perfectly at the horse's left leg. She also loves to jump off the dock, swim around lazily, then return to the dock for a little siesta. She never wants for human companionship, and the only thing that frightens her now are thunderstorms. Mom plans to continue in obedience and perhaps even enter her in a trial or two since she enjoys it so much. Emily is very secure now and bares no resemblance to the growling, shaking dog we first brought home. While we don't expect our adoptive homes to have to take on a dog that still needs major work, it is quite a tribute to Darcy and her Mom for going those many extra miles with such strong commitment (even when the going was not always easy) to help Emily become the happy and confident labby family member she is today. Fortunately, the number of "Emily's" are not as overwhelming as the labbies that are dumped because of their energy levels, new babies, moves and other such excuses. And, sadly there are those that are Emily's age or older who are so emotionally and physically tortured that they simply cannot be saved. But, Emily's story is a Happy Tail, and her Mom is so proud of her, she wanted to make sure her story was told!
COCOA, 1.5 year chocolate female was a stray in Fairfax County, VA. The family that had found her and kept her for a week called us to ask if we could take her early as Mom was expecting a baby any day. The family agreed to continue to look for her owners and became the point of contact with the local shelters. After several weeks with us and no owner stepping forward, the legal amount of time passed for Fairfax County strays. At that point, we could get her altered. We discovered she was just going into heat, but fortunately, she had not yet started to bleed, so we could get her safely spayed. For a young chocolate, Cocoa was extremely laid back. She was fairly active outside, but nicely calm indoors. As so many chocolates exhibit, she was an "air snapper" (that is, when excited, she would wrinkle her nose and snap her teeth together at the air.) While it is certainly not an aggressive trait, it is one that could be mistaken by a family with small children, or someone inexperienced with dogs. So, even though Cocoa was a wonderful pet, we knew we had to place her carefully. While in foster care, she began to be more interested in the water, and we discovered her penchant for chasing ducks. Meanwhile, a single fellow from VA had been approved for a while, but was being very thoughtful and deliberate in his adoption decision. He thought he wanted a yellow female, but had looked at other colors and males as well. He had had to suspend his search for a few weeks, and when he called to let us know he was ready to look again, we thought Cocoa might be the one. So, off he went to look at her with the intentions of looking at other possible labs the following day. It wasn't long though before Susan got a call that he wouldn't be looking at the other dogs because he had definitely fallen for Cocoa. She was truly the match he had been waiting for. Cocoa, since renamed Kona, has now accompanied him on several trips and hikes--hiking one day about 15 miles! She was also quite a hit at an outdoor BBQ where she met another LRR alum. She now accompanies him downtown where he plays volleyball, (and she does her best to resist the ducks in the nearby pond!) This story is a wonderful example of how important it is to be patient when looking for that companion dog with whom you hope to be spending the next 10-15 years. Kona's owner was willing to look at a number of dogs, some of them more than once, and to wait until he found his perfect match (which turned out not to be a yellow after all!) If more dog owners picked their dogs based on a compatible personality or activity level, rather than a look or color, there'd certainly be less labbies in need of a new home. If any of you see Kona down on the Mall having a great time, give her a hug for us!
ABBY, 3 year yellow female, was a Montgomery County, MD give-up who was purposely being starved to death. When she came to LRR, she had not had food or water for four days and had been locked in a dark cellar full of urine and feces. Her folks' explanation was that they were "hoping she would die so they wouldn't have to take her to the pound and kill her." Before these four days of intensive starvation, Abby had only been give one half cup of food and one half cup of water each day for the six months this family had her. Fortunately, Abby did not suffer any permanent medical damage, and we were able to restore her weight rather easily. She did have a tongue whose complete right side seemed waffly and unusable. We feared in her hunger she had tried to lick something caustic or may have even chewed her own tongue. Luckily, we were able to get Abby's records from this family which included contact information for her original owner. We called her only to see if she could explain Abby's tongue. The poor woman was horrified at what Abby had been through and did tell us that Abby's tongue was a birth defect (Abby had been purchased from a local puppy mill). Furthermore, she had given up Abby (when her husband came into poor health) through a Free To Good Home newspaper ad, but not to the family we had gotten her from. So, we don't know how many other owners Abby may have had. Abby spent several months with LRR regaining both her weight and her confidence in people. She had a somewhat dominant and independent personality, which we figured got her through her ordeal. She was unsocialized around other dogs and awkward at inviting play. Her sloppy eating and drinking required extra clean-up. We were afraid no one would be interested in adopting such a dog. But soon a wonderful VA family with twin 13 year old boys applied to LRR. They saw Abby's picture on the web, read her story, and became convinced that this was the dog for them. Once approved, they made a special effort to see her when LRR attended the Puppydog Games. They became even more convinced that this was going to be their dog. They came back to spend more time with her in her foster home and fell in love. Abby, who had just begun to roll over on her back to accept tummy rubs, flipped over immediately for each member of this family. She really brightened up around the boys, and they were crazy about her--tongue and all. Abby and her new family couldn't complete the adoption fast enough. We understand she now goes to the ball field regularly where she is a big hit with the kids there (and flips over for tummy rubs!) She can't wait to play with her boys every day, and Mom tells us she sometimes sees Abby sitting in-between them listening intently to their stories while they both hug and pet her. Abby finally got the family she deserves.
BUBBA, 3 year black male, is a Prince George's County, MD shelter graduate who came to LRR when no one adopted him there. He had been picked up three times by Animal Control running at large (or running WHILE large since he is over 100 pounds!) His owners had insisted on using an invisible fence, but shock collars have little effect on labs who follow their noses or are hungry for human attention. So, Bubba would just simply leave the yard and soon the AC officer would find him, open the van door, call Bubba by name, and Bubba would happily hop in. Mission accomplished--he found human attention! But, then, they would put him in a kennel run, call his owners and soon they would come get him. Finally, it got too expensive to bail him out, and it looked like Bubba's days of seeking attention were about to come to an end. While hoping to be adopted from the shelter, Bubba would put on this pitiful face designed to make some duped kennel worker open his door to check on him. That's all Bubba needed to make his escape, leading all the shelter staff on a merry chase around the facility until he could be literally roped and returned to his run. His manipulation of humans was soon termed "being Bubba'd." Once in the LRR system, we could see Bubba was indeed a real character. He would feign injury to get attention; he would tackle you to get attention; and he especially loved to jam a soccer ball against you to not only get attention, but also a good game of soccer started. Even though there was a constant battle of wits to keep from being Bubba'd, all of his foster homes fell in love with this silly and lovable lug (and all had their hilarious Bubba stories to tell!) Finally, Bubba was fostered by a single guy looking to eventually adopt when the right dog came along. Bubba made sure he knew that HE was the right dog. When Bubba wanted his Daddy to play with him rather than mow the lawn, he would simply put his toys in the mower's path until he would get his way. This gentle giant was also wonderful with friends' and relatives' kids and was Mr. Personality on all his walks. When Dad returned from a business trip, Bubba was so happy to see him, the adoption papers were immediately mailed. Bubba even decided he'd let Dad have his way every now and accept a little training (not that this smart boy needed it, you know!) Now, we understand, Dad gets social invitations from everyone--as long as he promises to bring Bubba. Run away? Bubba's social calendar is too busy!
BO, 6 year yellow male, was a give-up to a New Jersey shelter when his owner moved and decided not to take him. Being uprooted from an otherwise stable home after 6 years, Bo was terrified of this new place and became quite depressed. When LRR went to look at him, he was too upset to even come to the kennel run door. We knew we had to get him out of there if Bo was to survive. As soon as we got him through the shelter doors and near our car, a whole new Bo emerged. We began to see an exhausted, but happy boy. Over the next several months, all of his foster homes fell in love with him. He loved adults, kids, other dogs and cats. We worked on getting some of his weight off, and we even saw a more playful side. Still, it is difficult to find people who are willing to adopt an older dog, even one that is healthy and happy. Finally, several sets of approved people began to consider Bo. A couple from NJ who had recently lost their yellow male applied and were willing to come to us to select their lab once approved. They drove all of those hours one Friday and began to look at several potential matches that evening. We felt Bo was the best match, but having driven all of that distance, we wanted to be sure we had several likely dogs for them to see. The next day they got a chance to spend lots of time with Bo, and sure enough, he was the one they picked. Ironically, our New Jersey boy was going back to NJ to live! Bo is now going everywhere with this couple, including their tennis matches, and has become quite the socialite in the neighborhood. Such a wonderful dog deserves such wonderful owners! Bo thanks so many of you cyberspace admirers for inquiring about him.
JOSIE, 4 month yellow female, was purchased by her owner when his landlady told him it would be OK to get a second dog. However, when she discovered he had gotten a puppy, she reneged and suddenly, he had to find her a new home. Reluctantly, he contacted LRR and gave her up to us. He had done an excellent job in socializing her--in fact, almost too good of a job, as she was not afraid of anyone or anything! She was almost completely housebroken and especially loved playing with all of the other dogs. Josie was very much full of herself, and we knew we had to place her carefully, not only because she was so young, but because she was showing signs of being a hand full! She needed someone who could spend more time with her early on to finish making her reliably housetrained, to give her the level of activity she needed, and especially someone familiar with labbies who would take control and teach her obedience. Having come from a two dog household, she would enjoy a second dog. Being in the middle of teething, we knew a household with young kids (whom Josie would undoubtedly want to teethe on) would not be the best place. We were lucky to find the perfect combination when a couple who teach became approved. They had just finished their last few college classes and were going to be home most of the summer. They had adopted their 1.5 year old male lab, Tazz, from a local shelter when he was 3 months old, so they were very familiar with raising a young puppy. When the couple came with Tazz to look at Josie, the two labs had a great time romping together, so it didn't take long before the adoption was done. Now renamed Bailey, we hear she is as spunky as ever, but with Tazz there to help guide her (and wear her out), she is growing into a fine young lady. She has learned to get her chew toys when she needs to teethe and already sits on command. Bailey came with her brother and parents to the LRR Reunion Picnic and was the darling of the day, playing hard with the other dogs, but stopping to get petted by as many of the humans there as possible. Next year, we probably won't recognize her all grown up, but that dynamite personality will be hard to miss!
HERSHEY, 6 year chocolate male, became known these last few months on the Internet as our "washing machine dog." Hersh spent most of those six years chained with a three foot chain to an old washing machine turned on its side that was his doghouse. He was taken away from his owners several times as a cruelty case, but always they would go to court and get him back--usually after making lots of promises of better treatment they never kept. They did manage to get him neutered early, but he spent the Blizzard of '96 (and all the winters before) chained to his appliance doghouse, with nothing but a little straw to keep him warm. As cold as the metal was in the winter, it was just as hot in the summer. Water and food were not routinely available, and when Animal Control told them he must have access to water, his owners sawed off a galvanized bucket with such raggedy edges that he often had cuts on his neck. Finally, AC was able to make Hershey's fines so large that his owners decided not to fight it anymore. Being older, we knew Hersh would be more difficult to place, especially since he was not socialized or housebroken. Housebreaking him was fairly easy, and we began to introduce him to lots of other permanent and foster labs who helped teach him to play. We discovered he really loved to retrieve tennis balls and Frisbees, and he was so affectionate, it didn't take him long to work his way out of a crate and into his foster homes' beds at night. Finally, his last foster home, with five older/adult children, could stand it no more and had to adopt him. They already had several younger labs, but Hershey was calm enough to take just about anywhere. He goes to work with Mom (and some of Mom's clients have fallen in love with him and ask in advance for him to be there when they visit). Uncle takes him to the nursing home to visit where he is a big hit. Hershey's travels have also included walks through Rock Creek Park; hikes through the Shenandoah; a visit to the DC Botanical Garden (and a quick romp through the fountain!); marching in the Alexandria, VA St. Patrick's Day Parade; a stroll through a Labrador dog show (where he "bought" himself a beautiful handmade Labrador collar); and lots of car rides (the bank teller always has treats for him!) Shopping at a local pet supply store is often on his busy agenda. Hershey also gets weekly morning visits from a little toddler who shares her cheerios with him while they watch Sesame Street together. He is also getting retriever training which includes a dip and a fetch in the family pool. Hersh has become quite fond of another little chocolate LRR rescue, Jade, who had also become part of this family. After his very busy day (he is rarely ever alone), he will cuddle next to Jade and each will groom the other until they fall asleep. Mom wants to keep fostering, so she had originally told the family they could not adopt Hersh for fear they would be at their dog limit. But, the entire family and even some friends lobbied for Hershey to become part of the family--including one adult daughter who is not a real dog person, but fell in love with Hersh on a visit home. The family agreed that Mom could take yet another foster dog as long as Hershey became a permanent part of their lives. Over all the months Hershey was on our web page, we've heard from so many of you who were touched by this little guy: downloading his picture (with some of you creating computer wallpaper from his photo!); making donations in his honor; even adopting older labs in your area. We appreciate so many of you wanting to do a long distance adoption; or simply inquiring from time to time about his status. Your prayers and wishes for him helped to find him one of the best, most doting homes we could have ever hoped for. Rest assured that Hershey (the social butterfly) is now spending the rest of his life with no creature comfort spared; with more hands to pet him than his little body has room for; and with so much love given and received that if his tail wagged any harder it would fall off!
DAISY, 8 month black female, is our globe trotter. She was born in a Texas puppy mill, taken away from her Mom and siblings at 5 weeks and sent to a pet clearinghouse in Florida; and finally ended up in several pet stores in Colorado. Each trip was made in a dark truck with lots of other dogs. Rough hands would grab her at each stop. She was merely a commodity, receiving no affection or positive socialization with people. At 6 months of age, she was outgrowing her puppyhood and had been shuttled amongst stores in a Colorado pet store chain. It was no surprise that her demeanor was not the happiest or most receptive to more hands grabbing at her. Her price tag went from $500 to $250. Her outlook was bleak when folks on vacation from Virginia saw her and another dog in the store. This family decided to buy these two to rescue them from their sad situation. They took them home to Richmond, got both altered and up to date on vaccinations. They were able to place the little boy, but once again Daisy was without her own people. We agreed to take her and discovered immediately that she was a submissive urinator. All you had to do was reach for her, and poor Daisy would pee everywhere. It took patience and several foster homes reinforcing human affection, but Daisy began to get over her fears (including fear of stairs.) A young couple saw Daisy at our last Pet Day and decided they wanted to apply to adopt her. Since this was to be their first dog together, we were not sure if Daisy was the right match. Once approved, they agreed to look at other labs and were almost convinced they wanted another young female instead, but when visiting Daisy again, they felt she was the right choice. Because we were still not convinced this was the best match, we decided this should be a temporary adoption to be reviewed in several weeks. When we checked on them after the first few days, we discovered that Mom and Dad's first night was a sleepless one--not because of Daisy--she slept peacefully through the night--but because Daddy got up just about every hour to check on her! Also, after they had left with Daisy, they stopped at a PetSmart right as it had closed. They begged to come in and get supplies for their new girl. Since she was a rescue, the PetSmart manager welcomed them in, and several hundred dollars later, Daisy had every toy and comfort a puppy could want. Apparently, this couple has become such doting parents, they jumped at the chance to make the adoption final when it was time for the review. We thought Daisy might be too hyper for them, but dog and couple have fallen madly in love with each other--proving that the dogs know better than we do who is best for them! Seeing the happy threesome at the St. Pat's Day parade was all the convincing we needed that this was indeed the right choice.
ROSIE, 5 year black female, was ousted from her Pennsylvania home when a new baby arrived. Seems the family now had no time for Rosie. She came to us fairly heavy and went through a week of mourning her lost family. (Too bad the family didn't feel the same.) We set about slimming her down, and in the process, discovered her obsession with playing ball. The more in shape and endurance she got, the longer she would want to catch and retrieve. She would bring you the ball first thing in the morning and last thing at night. It was not long before Rosie became very svelte. If we hadn't had her records, we would never have believed she was 5! We knew she would be the happiest in a home with active kids, but knew we might have a hard time convincing families that a 5 year old dog could keep up with them. Fortunately, a Springfield, VA family with two girls (6 and 8) were willing to take a look. The girls had wanted a puppy, but Mom and Dad wanted a dog through the housebreaking and chewing stages. They agreed to visit Rosie, and after spending 3 hours at the foster home, they knew this was their dog. We've since received several emails from them, a composite of which is below: It's been over three weeks since we added one more to the family, and it's been great. Rosie has been a pure joy to have around the home. She continues to weave herself into the family, being loved by everyone, except Trouble, our cat. I do have to say that Trouble has finally come down off the furniture and has somewhat accepted Rosie into the family. As you know, Rosie does not care about the cat. Our girls just run Rosie all over the house, and playing fetch is the ultimate fun. Rosie never seems to quit and ALWAYS bring back the ball. She loves her blanket, and we move it from upstairs to downstairs for the daytime. When we go for a walk, she is learning to walk better on a leash. She's fine when it is just the two of you, but she still pulls when things distract her. It will improve with time. We took her to the vet and everything is fine. Sixty-three pounds of joy. She is still not keen on car rides--bouncing from the front to the back of the van. We have not had one accident in the house. She lets you know when she needs to go out. Rosie is a great addition to our family. You matched us up perfectly. She is great with the kids and has enough energy for several dogs half her age. We are all looking forward to the LRR picnic. Rosie is working on her own letter to thank LRR.
MOLLY, 11 month Chocolate/Chessie mix, was dropped off at a West Virginia shelter when her folks learned she was pregnant. Our friends at the Panhandle Action for Animals helped as the go-between, getting her from the shelter, spaying her, heartworm testing her and getting her current with her shots. When she was well enough to travel, she was relayed to LRR. We named her Molly, when we saw how "Unsinkable" she was. Lots of spirit and spunk, but most of all, she wanted to be as close to people as possible. Fortunately, she was a little girl, so being an overly kissy lap dog was tolerable! Many approved folks liked her, but her overpowering affection was usually too much for most. Then, we got an application around Christmas from a Virginia family that first was interested in getting a dog for the family (including their 10 year old daughter) for Christmas. They had seen Molly's picture on the Internet and had fallen in love. After counseling them about the wisdom of waiting to find the right dog, with their daughter helping to make the decision, they decided to slow down. Santa brought dog supplies for Christmas instead and a note urging the daughter to help her parents rescue a dog. When all of the interviews were done, it was apparent that Molly really was the perfect match. The daughter wanted a dog to cuddle, and Molly was only too happy to oblige. They looked at other dogs briefly, but it was Molly they wanted (and Molly was in full agreement!) Follow-up phone calls indicate that Molly has become the daughter's best friend and visa versa. When Molly did a few "no no's" while settling in, the daughter pleaded her case and the two are now nearly inseparable.
SARAH AND MAX, Sarah, about a year old yellow female, caught our eye when several of us LRR volunteers went on a Christmas shopping trip to Lancaster County, PA. She had been turned into the shelter there by her owner because she had too much energy (surprise!) and was an escape artist (i.e., kept slipping her chain). She had an interesting birth defect: one of her toes on her right back leg had not formed properly, and instead all that was present was one very long claw. She seemed to limp because the claw has grown long and was irritating her foot. Other than that, she was a bouncy, fun loving little yellow. She became available for us to take shortly afterwards, and we took her to our vet to see about her toe. For the most part, we needed cosmetic surgery to remove the claw so that her foot would look more normal. Our vet did a sort of declawing and sewed the neighboring toes together. We called her Franken Foot for awhile since it looked rather nasty, but with the help of her foster homes, it began to heal and fur to regrow over it. It certainly did not slow her down!! Everyone that saw Sarah melted at her cuteness, and we knew she would be easy to place. She played hard, but was not super active. Max , also around a year old black male from the Prince George's County shelter, was not as easily placeable. He was with us for many months, as we tried to decide how best to train him and what kind of home would make him the happiest. He certainly had his tour of foster homes during his many months with us; each of us trying to instill less neurotic behavior and training. We knew Max would need someone who could appreciate his zest for living and most likely that was a home without children. (Read Lee's wonderful account of life with Maxie as her first foster lab.) We got a great application from a Virginia couple who wanted TWO dogs. They were not picky about the age, color or sex; in fact, they were willing to look at dogs that might have trouble being adopted. After looking at many of the dogs in our system, they knew they wanted Sarah for sure and decided smaller labs may be a better fit. They were about to adopt a second lab, when we begged them to go see Max first. They agreed, and as we had hoped, they fell in love with Mr. Personality and the second dog was adopted. We've since learned that life with two spunky lab pups can be unpredictable and favorite shoes left on the floor can become rawhide chews, but the couple is laughing at their "rookie" mistakes. Max and Sarah are so sweet, that they are finding it hard to stay mad at them for long. Max and Sarah have become fast friends and partners in crime--we expect to hear more kooky stories in the future!
BRINKLEY , 2 year black male, is a Prince George's County shelter alum. He is named after the street where he was originally found tied to a sign. From the beginning, he seemed more sensitive to human affection than many of the strays we've taken in. As one of his foster homes put it, he seemed to defy gravity in order to lean in for petting. Brinkley not only enjoyed people, but he liked to romp with the other dogs, although he could get a little rough. Moving him to new foster homes was a little tough. He seemed to get so attached to his former home, that when he was moved, he would go through a mourning process and take a while to get comfortable in his new home. Brinkley also had the not so endearing quirk of christening his new home. He only did it once, as if to say, "Now I can live here!" We got an application from a Philadelphia family with a small baby and a two year old female lab in need of a playmate. As luck would have it, Brinkley had been exposed to a baby visiting his foster folks and had been very good with her. He seemed to be the perfect match for these folks, but living 3 hours away in Philly, we thought the family should look at several dogs when they came. Brinkley won the hearts of all the family members, so off he went to live in Philadelphia. He has settled in nicely. The homeless boy from PG County now has several summer homes and all of the devotion he could possibly hope for!
UPDATE ON SERVICE DOGS. LRR has a number of labs placed with law enforcement, government agency and service dog organizations. If LRR feels comfortable with the training methods, service/housing provided and retirement plans of these organizations, we will work with them to find and place labs that would not be happy in companion homes. These are dogs with a strong and focused "play" drive who want to "work" (play) all day long. From time to time we get updates about their progress and commendations that are both heartwarming and funny:
MADISON, 3 year old yellow male, was given up by folks who realized they could not fix all of the problems his original owner had created. He had been purchased at a Pennsylvania pet store and most likely had come from an area puppy mill. Along the way, an abusive boyfriend had caused two separate trips to emergency vets to mend a slashed neck, supposedly from his choke chain. Understandably, when Madison arrived at LRR he was a basket case of nerves and fears. We knew he was going to be a long term case. It would be tough enough to help him over his fears, but for the nervousness, we were largely battling genetics. He spent the first three days shaking in the smallest crate he could find and would not eat. Attempts to get him to use a larger crate would result in him cramming his 75 pound body in it as far back as possible, where he would only stare at a back wall and foam with stress. He couldn't seem to deal with life at all, be it people or other dogs. Fortunately, hunger won out, and slowly Madison began to come out of his shell. He toured nearly every LRR foster home, as we attempted to give him new experiences and help him cope with them. His senses seemed to be constantly on overload. He would bark at the ice maker when cubes would drop (usually at 2am!); he heard and barked at every siren; traffic noise panicked him to the point he would not go for long walks. Getting him to go out doors sometimes resulted in him having to be carried out. For Madison, demons seemed to be around every corner. Still, he had his loveable, goofy side. Swimming and going for car rides seemed to relax him the most; he was the best bath taker of any foster; and somewhere he had learned to drink out of faucets (which was quite a surprise!) He finally discovered toys and attempted very awkward play bows with dogs who did their best to tolerate and teach this backward boy. Even though he was improving daily, we were not convinced someone would want to adopt him. He needed a patient owner/family that would not expect much from him, offer him a very quiet environment, and continue to introduce him to life and its many noises. A tall order in a metro area full of hustle bustle. However, to prove to us that most every dog is adoptable, one of our foster homes had taken him with them on a trip to visit relatives in Ohio. Madison and this family clicked. After giving it lots of thought and seeing him again, they decided to apply to adopt him. While becoming approved, an article featuring rescue with Madison's picture ran in the Washington Post. Another family read his story and contacted us about adopting him. Suddenly, Madison had TWO possibilities! The Ohio family became approved first. We had decided whoever wished to adopt Madison would have to foster him first, just to be absolutely sure they could love him for the rest of his life, in spite of all of his quirks. Off Madison went to live in Ohio where he survived Halloween, a change of homes, and his new family, including Grandma! Each of our phone calls related new stories, including romping joyously in 4 feet of snow, and it became clear that Madison would finally get his chance at a normal life. Madison got a wonderful early Christmas present, when the family decided they could not live without him and signed the adoption papers. Our foster home has visited him since, and they are amazed at what a different, more relaxed lab he has become. His happy ending was an especially poignant one to all of us foster home members of the "We Survived Madison" club. Have a great life, Maddy!
CANDY, 1 year old chocolate female,
joined LRR when she was not claimed or adopted from the Prince
George's County (MD) shelter. She was a happy, playful girl from the
beginning, even though her fly bitten ears indicated she had not been
well cared for. Her small size made her perfect for one of our
adoptive homes who was looking for a second lab, preferably a little
chocolate female. After several week of fostering to be sure she and
Onyx (a sweet black, we had nicknamed "Miss Perfect") would get along,
Candy became a permanent part of the family. Since renamed Sundae,
she and Onyx have become best buds. We received the following letter
from Sundae:
Dear LRR folks: I have decided to take advantage of
my new home and stay here. The grub is fit for dogs and I get to sleep
on a bed--at least the foot of one. The yard is OK; lots of oozy stuff
like mud that I love so much. I even get sponged off with warm water
when I come in, just so I can do it all again later. The best part is
that I get to chew up everything! And, I still get petted and hugged!
Since I am so "kissy", that is good news, even though the "old one who
gives me food" keeps muttering about training me. I'm sure I can fudge
my way through that! The other female who lives here that is covered
in black fur thinks she is something else--Little Miss Goodie Two
Shoes (or rather Paws.) Always being perfect. Why, she even eats like
a lady and gives me worried looks as I gulp down my food, so I can get
to hers. Now, the "old one" stands guard over the bowls. Ms. Perfect
is fun to play with though. So--just thought I'd say thanks for
everything. Take care and all that stuff. Hope NOT to be seein' you
soon!
Love,
Sundae
ALEX, 4 year old yellow male, was an impulsive purchase from a Pennsylvania puppy mill when he was a very young pup. A PA family had applied to us, but got too impatient waiting for the right match. To get their dog NOW, they went to a puppy mill breeder and purchased Alex. It didn't take long before they realized something was seriously wrong with this pup. One day when Alex was in the garage, Dad came home on his Harley. Alex didn't show any signs of hearing the bike. Their vet could find no cause (or cure) for the deafness. The family was panicked over what to do, so they called us. The family delivered Alex to us, so our vet could examine him. Our vet discovered Alex had ear mites so badly, they were eating their way into his brain and were the cause of his deafness. He was also full of parasites of all kinds. The family didn't feel they could deal with a deaf dog, so they surrendered him to us. Alex's LRR foster home worked on his mites until they were finally gone. The rest of his health also improved, but who would be interested in adopting a young deaf lab? One of the LRR volunteers had really bonded to Alex, and he to her. She had always wanted a lab that would follow her everywhere, and Alex was more than happy to oblige. Jean took him to obedience training where she learned to train him via hand signals. He has become a very well adjusted labby over these past years. Jean's major complaint is that, unlike most hearing dogs, Alex follows her closely while she is trying to vacuum! What the impulsive first family had to have, but could not deal with, led to the sweet cuddle buddy Jean loves dearly.
