We had to put our Duke down at the young age of 11 due to cancer. We were looking on LRRofF for a few weeks looking for another chocolate lab. Not a puppy or a senior dog, but an adult dog. We found Whiskey who is a chocolate lab. 5 1/2 years young. We called Merrianne and she walked us through the process not letting us have any expectations, but what could happen. Which we appreciated that we were not misled. We filled out all the necessary paperwork. Then we did a virtual tour of our home to make sure it was safe for Whiskey. Some hard professional questions as we toured the property. Somethings that we would not have thought of. She then set us up with Robin, the foster mom to set a time and date to meet with her and Whiskey. Yesterday, we met them both and were we surprised what a handsome dude Whiskey was and is! And talk about polite showing himself off. LOL Well, lucky us, Robin approved us and after about an hour or so. We were on our way home with Whiskey in the back seat with my daughter. It's been about a day now and he is starting to feel comfortable in our, his home! He loves to be with someone all day and we will not leave him at home alone. I can't say enough good about Robin and Merrianne and what they do. It takes a special person to do this. Thanks to the both of you!!! Whiskey, Joline, Cindy & Walt

In April of this past year we lost our boy, Vinnie, after 15 long wonderful years of loving him. Originally, we had no intention of getting another lab as fast as we did, but when we came across Buddie's (Buddy) beautiful face, I just could not move past his story. Buddie was used as a breading dog and housed in outdoor crate in the Florida heat for 4 years. When he was rescued by the group and fostered by his amazing foster parent's he had never been inside a house, played with toys, or had the love that he deserved. We contacted the rescue and applied to adopt this precious boy, and Kerry and Jason were kind enough to keep him an extra few days until we returned from vacation and could pick up our new baby. Buddie has adjusted to the changes so well over the past six months, he now has many lazy days resting on the fluffy couches and chairs instead of a hard crate, playing with toys, long walks and he LOVES to travel with us...absolutely loves car rides and just wants to be with his people. He is a lover of everyone, other animals, and does not have a mean bone in his body. We realized that Buddie saved us from the hole in our hearts after losing Vinnie as much as we saved him, he is appreciative of every kiss and cuddle and so are we.

I adopted Max while working at Camp Bow Wow during 2020. At the time I wasn’t sure if I wanted another dog due to the fact that I had another older dog at home slowly declining however, I grown to love black labs and Max could not of came to me at a better timing. It was almost like destiny. During his time fostering at Camp Bow Wow him and I grew a very strong bond. Whenever I was in the building max would do anything just to be my side from barking and whining through the fence, or even jumping the gates to get to me. At that point I knew this dog picked me. He had some extreme anxiety issues in the beginning but I committed and we worked through his behavior. He can still be a little anxious sometimes but he has settled down a lot. Unfortunately my older dog passed away 6 months after the adoption of Max and max stayed by my side through the whole grieving process. It has been 2 years now since I have brought him home and I couldn’t of asked for a better dog. I truly don’t know where I would be today without my max. He is my soul dog and my entire world. We now enjoy long hikes, playing fetch in the back yard, going to different dog parks, and sometimes we will even go swimming. Thank you so much Lab Rescue for bringing my max into my life. My whole world has been changed thanks to this wonderful dog.

In 2009, after making the decision to adopt a Lab, then Clearwater Labrador Rescue sent Sheri Descarreaux-Kulow to my apartment to be evaluated. I was approved and I asked what's next. She sent me to their website and said start meeting your future furry friend. And to let the dog choose you, you'll know when the time is right. I went through all of the available rescues, but didn't get that response. She said don't rush it. You'll know. She sent me to the neighboring rescue to Vicky Bowles Walls-Drown and after looking over dogs there I noticed at the very bottom of the page Sweet William (an odd name I never heard for a pup). It looked really thin. As an impulse, I drove an hour and a half to foster Vanessa's (can't remember last name) house in the pouring rain it but stopped as I arrived. I walked up the wet driveway and only got out a single "Hello" as she stood in her doorway at the house. Out walks this little boy slowly looking at me while approaching. I stop. He continues to walk up, wraps his body around my feet and lays down. Inside my head fireworks are going off, He chose me! Vanessa informs me they do not know where he came from as he was found wandering dehydrated alongside a road. And he had a barking issue and was sometimes known to bark 8 hours non-stop and had to be muzzled a lot. I'm up for the challenge, let's do this! After renaming him Maxwell (responded very excitedly towards it being Vanessa's black Labs name he lived with), and late...

I am a foster for LRROF and I was contacted about a 9 year old chocolate lab named Cocoa whose owner had passed away. I immediately said yes that I would foster her and within about 5 minutes of meeting this dog I knew she was going to be adopted BY ME! She is the sweetest dog & I love her & she will be with me until she takes her last breath.

We wanted a senior who was good with other dogs. We sure got it! Mandy is always happy and sweet. She sees all dogs and people as new friends. What a sweetheart! How did we get so lucky? Mandy is our 2nd dog from Lab Rescue of Florida. We couldn’t be more pleased. Thank you Lab Rescue!

Shadow joined our family in July of 2007. We met him at an adoption event a the Cocoa Riverfront Park while eating at one of our favorite places Cara Mia's. Clyde, our previous lab, had passed about a year and a half earlier and while we were thinking about getting another dog we weren't quite ready. I was walking through the event when he caught my eye and he instantly connected with me and the kids. My wife was still in the restaurant when I let her know there was someone she had to meet. She wasn't keen on a new dog yet but when Shadow put his head down on her leg and looked into her soul she was done! The adoption process was great and after filling out an application and a home visit..... he was a part of the family! Shadow was a great dog. I know most owners say that about their dogs but Shadow truly was a GREAT dog! He grew up with our family and we have so many great memories. Unfortunately he left us in October of 2021 at 14.5 years old which isn't bad for a 95 pound lab. We are all going to miss the greetings, begging for a meal, the long walks around the neighborhood that seemed to get slower and slower, but most of all I am going to miss his companionship that only he could provide! Although he is gone I am so happy that we crossed paths with LRROF that hot July day! RIP Buddy!

We wanted a lab but waited to finish graduate school so we had time for her. We got Millie at 6months old, already house trained but hated her crate. She had a lot of anxiety, we think from being moved from home to home. She needed daily walks and runs to manage her anxiety but we were young and together could keep up with her. As she matured she became so sweet and gentle with our daughter as she joined our family. Millie was my first baby, she passed earlier this year at age 14. She was my husband’s best friend. We are now looking to bring another pup into our lives.❤️

On November 3, 2018, we agreed to foster Duke for Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida. Between Lab and Golden rescues, we had fostered approximately 35 dogs over the years prior to Duke’s arrival. Our previous Lab, Shadow, was a foster through LRRoF whom we eventually adopted due to his behavioral issues making him a safety risk according to Rescue’s dog behaviorists. Shadow had died three years prior and we were ready to seriously considering adopting again. We are Duke’s (at least) third home. He was picked up by animal control in Indiana, and because he was microchipped, we learned his birthdate and that his real name IS Duke. The microchip company told us that they had spent months trying to contact the registered owners, but received no reply. At 5 years old, Duke was adopted from the Indiana shelter by Mary, who had owned him for about one year and brought him to her winter home in southwest Florida. He proved to be too much for her to handle. His energy level was off the charts and he was too strong for her to safely walk, his prey drive having ultimately landed Mary on the ground several times. Mary took excellent care of him and tried her very best, providing consistent training, veterinary care, socialization and mental stimulation. Mary decided to relinquish him to LRRoF and brought him to our home in Ft. Myers that afternoon. Once I saw him out of her car, I literally cried. I knew this was the dog I wanted to keep. Duke’s initial sell...

Bob and I lost my so loved Doberman Reesi in June of 2019 and we were heartbroken. So much so we have waited to get a new dog. I had never been more than 2 days without a dog before - in my whole life. It has been a lonely year and a half. We decided to wait until our permanent move to Florida was complete before considering a new dog. After a failed visit to a shelter, I decided to register with LRROF. We wanted a younger female and found that in Bella. She was a stray that was picked up in Miami. She has significant health issues (a non functional liver) and my Reesi had liver issues too so I think our match was made in heaven. We understood how to care for a sweet special needs girl with liver issues, medications and a special diet. Since adopting her less than a week ago, she has adapted to life with us SO quickly. She is unbelievably well behaved, rides perfectly in a car, waits patiently for her meals, loves to play ball and run on the beach and walks well on a leash. She is already learning stay and other commands. All she wants to do is be with us which is exactly what we wanted. We are SO happy with our sweet Bella.