Success Stories by Name

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.

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.

Two years and 9 months just wasn't long enough ..... Bruce Almighty came to be part of our family in February of 2018 at the age of 10. He came from Georgia and was abused and afraid. He did everything he could to be invisible. No barking, no interaction, no tail wagging and wouldn't eat/drink if you were watching. He wouldn't make eye contact didn't want to be loved but we could see that something deep inside was craving all of the above. With patience and love Bruce Almighty mirrored his name! He became proud, part of a family, and was the most loved boy ever! He was amazing in every way, beyond intelligent and the highlight of our every day. Thank you LRROF for allowing us to have had this special boy who had so very much to offer. Today, 12/04/2020, our beloved Bruce crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Taken from us in such a short time but he knew more love in the short time he was with us, then in his entire life and he knew it, right up to the end. Rest easy My Love, and know that you will forever be in our hearts and in our thoughts. There will NEVER be another like you.

I had been trying to convince my husband to get a dog for 20 years. Since he has never had a dog, he researched breeds to figure out which would be a great match for a first time dog owner. Labs appeared to have the best disposition, temperament, family-oriented and loving. We began our search! After being disappointed continuously through a local organization, I found LRRoF and immediately sent in an application. I was paired with Mary Hunt, a phenomenal volunteer who interviewed me extensively and kept in touch with me throughout the weeks of our search. Mary called to tell me about Malibu, a black lab in foster care with a playful and quirky personality. After contacting the foster mom, we made the 3 hour drive to meet Malibu. I fell in love immediately, and my husband followed that sentiment on the drive home. We renamed him Barkley as his adorable weirdness fit the name more so and well...he just looks like a Barkley. Barkley entered our new home and hearts the day before we officially quarantined for COVID-19. Perfect timing as we all acclimated together, and became an instant family. Not only has Barkley become an important family member, but he has his own Instagram followers! We couldn't have rescued a more loving dog or worked with a better organization. My husband and I extend our gratitude to LRRoF for finding us the pet we always wanted.

Our two boys just switched elementary schools and were feeling scared and uneasy. We told them we would get a puppy for them to love and play with after school each day if they were brave. Kim from lab rescue came to our house to do a family visit. She brought her beautiful dog and could tell we were a family that was ready to love a new furry family member. We were fortunate to find a rescue momma that had a big litter! We got to see pictures of our Bear when he was first born. The foster family was awesome. We brought Bear home when he was only 7wks old. He was a huge fluff ball. Bear went swimming with the boys, bear went boating, rafting and canoeing with our family. Our boys are now in college and Bear recently passed peacefully at home at the age of 13 1/2 yrs old. I am sobbing as I write this..."How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." A.A. Milne/Winnie the Pooh.

Our beloved chocolate lab, Jessie, passed unexpected in 2012. She was only 8 years old. Our hearts were broken. We immediately began the search for a new fur baby because the house was too quiet. We looked to LRROF. Everyday we looked on the web site to see if there was a potential match for us. We have four daughters so we were looking for a dog with a child history. After about a month of searching we found a potential match 3 hours away. Two 3 year old yellow labs, brothers, and they were not to be separated. After considering taking both, we packed up the family and drove to Jacksonville to meet them. After spending some time with them and taking them for a ride in the car to make sure they were good travelers (because we take road trips) we made the decision to bring them home. All 8 of us piled into our Sequoia and made the 3 hour drive back home to begin our lives together. When the LRROF representative came by for a home visit following their placement, she made a comment that I will never forget. She said, "Aww, the boys got a family for Christmas!" That stays with me to this day, over 7 years later. Really, we got the best gift that Christmas-two wonderful additions to our family.

We got this dog 8 1/2 years ago He was the best. My son named him Brock he loved the water and riding on the Waverunner. We are sad to say he passed away July 2 2019. He is sorely missed by everyone. Just wanted to thank you for such a great Animal he was our 3 rd kid. Keep doing what you’re doing Thank you.

I got Brownie 4 months ago and it is one of the best decisions that I have ever made. He is such a wonderful dog. Brownie is a 7-year-old male chocolate lab. When I got him, he could barely walk of any stairs. He was on pain medication for the arthritis in his two back legs, which he developed after years of neglect. Now not only is he off of his pain medication he is able to go up an entire flight of stairs with ease. He had a little limp when I got him to and now that we have worked to build up his back leg muscles, it is completely gone! Brownie is truly living his best life. As anyone who has met him knows he loves to cuddle and now he gets to sleep in bed with his mom every night and snuggle on the couch with her while she studies. He loves it! Brownie is doing amazing and he has brought so much joy in to my life! I love being his mom =)

We saw Bennie on your website and filled out the application and then called and was told he would be at an outing and we went to meet him. Instant Love. Bennie is such a big personality and you definitely know he is around. He is around 75 pounds now and he is 1yr and 4months old now. He loves to talk and argue.

Baxter had been to two differenct shelters and two different homes before he reached mine. He was a handful at first however with three different trainers he became the dog that everyone loved and adored. He became best friends with my cat, he loved going to the beach and playing with other dogs and loved to sun bathe. Unfortunatley he got diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier last year and was laid to rest right before his eleventh birthday on January 18 2018. Thank you Labrador Rescue for allowing me to rescue this beautiful boy.

Baxter was adopted in 2007. He had been to 2 different shelters and 2 different home by the time he got to mine. He was a handful at first and over the first couple years, 3 different trainers he eventually became comfortable at being a dog. He loved going to the the beach, laying out in sun, going for walks and being fed "gourmet food." He became best friends with my cat and my young neice. He was the the absolute best dog. Baxter ended up with prostate cancer later this last year and was laid to rest just before his eleventh birthday on January 18 2018. Thank you Labrador Rescue for allowing me to rescue this beautiful boy. He will forever be missed.

Lab Rescue helped me get my girl home safely! Bella got out of my back gate when my lawn man accidently left the gate opened. We contacted her microchip company who put out the word she was missing. She is a very shy black lab that was spotted a few times but was on the run. We put up posters all over the neighborhood and searched for her driving and biking the neighborhood calling her daily. After 20 long days, she found her way to my daughter's house, six blocks from her home. She was taking my daughter's shoes outside and putting them in the bushes by the house. My daughter's roommate saw her and followed her until I got there. I started calling her and to my amazement, she came running from the side of the house. I opened my truck door and she dove into my lap. It was the best moment of my life! She is thin and has lost 6 pounds but is otherwise fine. My vet said I should buy a lottery ticket! Thank you to LRROF for you help getting Bella home safely.

We first met Barney on December 3rd, 2014. He was found as a stray and estimated to be between 9 and 10 years old. Barney had a lot of medical issues so we decided to foster him first and get him out of the shelter in Naples. After 4 months and a lot of love, care, good food and eye surgery, we adopted Barney on April 9, 2015. We love Barney to the moon and back and will provide a wonderful, loving home for him for the rest of his days on this earth. He also gets along well with Maggie, our 14 year old yellow lab who has had cancer for more than 3 years. Thank you Lea and Laurie for all of your help and for all that you do so selflessly for the pups in need.

We had lost our senior Chocolate Lab Monte and, even though we still had our 3-mutt pack, there was still something missing. We saw Handsome (aka Buddy) on the LRROF site and decided that we HAD to meet him. After the application and inspection, we drove to his foster's home for a "visit". As soon as we were inside, this big GALOOT of a dog came up and started smothering us with kisses. We knew immediately that we were meant to be his "forever home" parents. We drove home, introduced him to the others, and he fit in like he'd known us his whole life. He has the sweetest disposition, loves the other dogs, and is the world's biggest snuggler. Thanks for finding us this AWESOME BOY!

Lab Rescue was easy to work with and Brogan's foster family were very informative and looked out for his best interest. Everyone made looking for a dog exciting and fun. Brogan saved us! When we adopted Brogan we knew our 2 older labs would be taking a walk across the rainbow bridge in years to come. We wanted a young dog in our life who knew and loved them as much as we did. One who could have their picture taken with our older dogs and keep their memory fresh. Brogan filled their hearts and it was like the three of them had always been together. They played, swam, slept together and shared many happy times. We our 11.5 year old female left us. Brogan was there to love us and became closer to the leader of the pack. We introduced a puppy to the teamof two and they fell in love with her. Several months later after the leader Ace taught the puppy all his leadership skills he left us. Brogan now had a puppy to himself and the two of us who were so thankful he needed us. He is very loving and when he looks us in the eyes, they seem to say do you love me? Of course we do 4 ever and 4 always!!!!

Buddy is doing great. Him and my husband walk 3-5 miles each morning, the kids of the neighborhood know buddy and love on him every morning when they are at the bus stop. At Halloween he goes to the door to greet them and they all say hi to him. They may not know our name but they all know buddy. Our grandson comes over and buddy is very good with him and he loves buddy. We have spoiled him some but he minds very well. He is a very lovable Lab who gets a lot of love and attention. Our vet calls him a lucky dog. We've had him about 30 years. We want to say thank you for rescuing Buddy so we can have the opportunity to love him and be loved by him.

We lost our yellow lab Mickey last fall to meningitis. We were heart broken for months and knew our chocolate lab Bailey was longing for her companion back. We were recently running into many people that had rescue dogs and decided to give it a try. The folks at LRROF were very friendly & helpful. We found Bentley on only our second visit and fell in love with him, and so did Bailey which was even more important. Bentley was comfortable with all of us from the first day and us with him. Now Bentley is part of the family and we can't imagine life without him. You can't replace a loved one that has been lost but you can take your love and give it to those less fortunate.

We began looking for a dog with the Lab Rescue in the beginning of April. We came to meet a chocolate lab named Blade. He was with his foster mom in Bonita and had been surrendered due to a new baby in the previous home. When we meet him he was all wiggles and smiles. He had ALOT of energy. After we met him we knew that we loved him, but it all depended on our two dogs reaction in meeting him the next day. We were nervous, but had already bough Blade a bed, a collar, and a dog bowl. When everyone meet it was perfect. Tails wagging and everyone on their best behavior. Blade, who is now named Blaze, came home with us. He has been a delight and has provided not only more love in our house, but a more playful atmosphere to our older dogs. He has learned to sit, settle, and walk politely on his leash. The dogs continue to get to know one another, but all sleep by each other. We cannot thank the lab rescue enough for giving this sweet dog a second chance and a forever home.

A little over 5 years ago I decided to adopt a rescue puppy. I was unable to make my first meeting with the foster parent and was so worried that when I got to go see the puppies they would all be spoken for. There was ONE puppy left, and it can only be because she was meant for me. When I adopted Bella, I never could have known the impact she would have on my life. She is not just a pet, my "child", my soul mate, a best friend or my running partner... there is nothing I could say that could describe what she means to me and I owe that to LRROF for saving her, her momma and her brothers and sisters. Thank you.

In February 2007, my parents adopted Booker from Lab Rescue. He was a young pup at the time – about 18 months – but already an ‘old soul’. He has this regal and distinguished personality and demeanor about 90% of the time. The other 10% he’s pure silly, fun, and playful. He has brought so much joy into our lives that I just knew I would have a dog of my own one day. That day came in September of 2011. Booker had spent about 3 weeks with me while my parents were out of town. When they came back and he went home, my house just felt empty. I knew it was time. I began browsing the ‘adoptable labs’ portion of the site, and Bear immediately caught my eye. He was proudly wearing a pair of aviator sunglasses with a huge smile. I read about him, looked at the rest of his pictures, and just knew he was mine. I did my due diligence and looked at the rest of the dogs just to be sure, but my mind was made up. About a week later, he was mine. He and I bonded almost immediately, it was like he knew that I’m his “forever Mom”. It was sad – his previous owner(s?) had never taken the time to leash train him… or really train him beyond anything other than ‘sit’. We had a lot of work to do. At 6 years old, we were working on leash training, laying down, obeying commands, and even how to play with toys. It took time, effort, and patience on both ends, but he now heels when he walks (usually), comes when called (again, usually), and knows several comma...

Adopting Mr. Binks is the best thing I have ever done in my life. He is the most loving boy in the world and brings joy to my life like I could have never imagined. I never planned on getting a dog, especially while in college, but when I saw Binks's light brown eyes outside of a PETCO, I knew I had to be his mom. I talked to the wonderful ladies at the Lab Rescue adoption table and found out that someone on the waiting list had already been called to come adopt Binks. I was told there was a chance Binks could still be mine if the people on the waiting list showed up and did not want him. So I waited all day, and in the end, I got the pleasure of taking Binks home. Now he lives in Tallahassee with me, and his daddy and is an avid FSU fan and frisbee enthusiast (he is well known at the local dog parks for his talents). While his mommy and daddy are in class, Binks enjoys hanging out in his room (our dining room that we removed the furniture from, filled with everything a puppy could need, and put up a baby gate) thinking about all his girlfriends at the dog park, and when his mom and dad are coming home. When we get home, there is Binks with a frisbee in his mouth ready to go play. At night, he is the biggest snuggle butt in the world. He loves cuddling with his mommy and daddy more than anything. He has even been know to push is daddy off the bed a time or few. Next year, he will the man of the house, here to protect, and keep me company while his daddy goes off the fight the...

We changed Adam's name to Buddy because he clearly is everyone's best buddy. He is the most wonderful dog ever! He loves to swim in our pool and go on long walks by the lake. We quote the movie UP all the time to him "I just met you, and I love you." Thank you Lab Rescue for making our family complete!

After losing my 7 year old Chocolate Lab Lexi I was devistated. I looked to Lab Rescue to see if there was any dog that could help fill the void. After a month and several meet and greets with other dogs I can across the picture of Bella. A beautiful white Lab. I called and she was adopted...bummed again. The next day i get a called, the people who adopted her were bringing her back after a month. All i have to say is their loss was out GAIN. We spoke to her foster dad that night and without hesitation we knew she was ment for us. The poor girl had been in and out of three homes and was only 18 months old. My now husband, went and picked her up the next day and that was it. Bella has now been with us for 11 months. After 11 months and one more addition to our family ( a golden retreiver puppy named Daisy) she is the most loving and sweet dog we have meet. She is a total bed hog and loves to snuggle. "Our girls" are our pride and joy and they are the furry kids we have always wanted. We are so grateful to Lab rescue for finding Bella at the pound and saving her for us. Our family would not be complete without her. Bella loves to send her Foster dad Larry some pictures and gifts to make sure he knows how good she is doing and how happy she is in her forever home. Thank you you so much for our little girl! Tess, Adrian, Bella & Daisy