LAB LOVE SUCCESS STORIES
My Oreo Cookie - A Volunteer's Story
Many great love stories start with loss and mine is no different. I had recently lost my
first rescued lab Roscoe and his brother Jesse and wanted in their memory to help others discover the special bond that comes from sharing a
life with a rescued lab. So, I started to volunteer for Lab Rescue and before too long opened my home as a foster. One day not long before
Christmas I was asked to foster an 8-month-old yellow female puppy named Joy who was coming up from New Jersey. Though she was young,
Joy's story was a sad one. As a very young pup, she had been near death from illness when she was rescued from a pet shop by a wonderful
local vet. Once healthy, she went on to an adoptive home but at six months was hit by a car, shattering one of her rear legs. After a major
orthopedic surgery to insert metal rods and pins in her leg, she recovered but the trauma left her skittish and afraid to be alone. Needing
more than her owners could give, she returned to rescue and was brought to me by the same vet who had been her savior. Having spent much of
her young life in a cage or crate, the outside world and the people in it were very frightening to Joy. But she had a big soft heart and was
trying her best so we were determined to gain her trust. With lots of patience,
training, and especially the love of my 5-yr-old son - the only one she trusted at the beginning - Joy is coming out of her shell
to become the happy, energetic young lab she was meant to be. She has found a special place in our hearts and a forever home with us.
But that is only half the story. A couple of months after Joy joined our family, a very special lab named Luke came into our lives. He had been
found wandering the streets of NY in winter, having probably been abandoned by his owner. His body was unhurt but his heart had
clearly been broken. For weeks he looked out the door and windows, seemingly searching, always with a sad expression. Our hearts ached for
him as we did our best to lift his spirits. Then one day, some time
after having come to our family, a magical thing happened. He wagged his tail! "Look! It turns out his tail works!" my husband called out.
And indeed it does. Luke no longer searches and the sadness is gone from his eyes. He runs and jumps and swims and chases with his sister.
His calm affectionate nature balances perfectly against Joy's athletic energy and when the day is done,
they pile together to rest on the couch. Joy with her whitish coat and Luke with his jet
black one, they make my very special "oreo cookie"!
Connie's Sunshine - A Rescued Lab's Story
My name is Sunshine. I am a two year old yellow lab who has spent the last 4 months tied up outside for 24 hours a day.
The mailman was the only person who talked to me. One day a lady from lab rescue showed up at my house and told my mean owner that she wanted to adopt me.
He agreed and the nice lady came to get me the next day. What a beautiful feeling it was when she untied my rope. She put me into a car and brought me to
a vet. Even though I was in a cage I was happy because I was warm. I did not like being outside in the winter. The vet checked me over and gave me a bath.
The nice lady came back and I got back in her car. I was so scared that she was going to take me back to my mean owner. We drove for a while and
stopped at a different house. When I got out of the car an older lady with reddish hair met me. She kissed my head and said,"Welcome to a beautiful life." What was going on?
She took me inside her house and kept hugging me. She took off my collar and let me walk around. There were a lot of strange things in her house. On the
floor there was this round, fuzzy thing that I soon learned was a bed. In a basket I saw a round object, a squeaky thing and a fuzzy animal.
I learned that these were called toys and they were for me!!!!!! As I walked around I saw two bowls. I sniffed what was inside.
One of them had a smooth liquid. I licked it and loved how soft it was on my throat. I did not recognize it as water because mine was always frozen.
In the other bowl there were kernels that smelled like chicken. It was delicious food that was not cold and did not have dirt in it.
The lady let me go on her couch and she covered me with a blanket. When it was time to go to bed she let me go on her bed
and there we slept for the entire night. The next day it started to snow. The lady did something really weird. She pushed open all of the window shades
in the house. Then she brought me to a window and said,"From now on you will look at snow from the inside." Then she hugged and kissed me and started to sing "You Are My Sunshine".
The Transformation - Nelson's Story
When we first saw Nelson aka"Nino" at an NYC shelter, we had no way of knowing that this terribly sad lab who looked into our eyes was so very much more than he appeared.
He was underweight and weak with crusty scabs on his face and body, patches of bare skin and a massive ear infection, his condition making him look so much older than his 4 years.
Unbelievably, there was still a faint glimmer of a tail wag when you spoke to him. After being transported directly to our vets and treated, he went into foster care.
His transformation after only 4 weeks in foster care was dramatic. This dignified gentleman showed us joy from simple things, trust, patience and most of all how to smile.
Take the time to see what's inside of them and not what people did to them and you will be forever richer. Nelson was adopted by Susan LaPlant & family. He resides in Maine with
his chocolate lab brother Jake and is enjoying the "good life" with swimming, camping and boating, but most of all is finally loved as part of a family.
Return to LRRCT Home