Success Stories by Name

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!

Sonny came into our lives through the foster program. He was left in a house condemned unfit to live in. When we got him his skin was a complete mess, his eyes were full of yeast and he was terrified of being left alone ever. Sonny soon became the best friend and guardian I had ever had. Our hearts broken when he had to let him go Sept 17th, 2020. He taught me so much more than I could ever have taught him. We are so grateful for the time and love he shared with us...

We went to Crooked Thumb Brewery, intending to meet some of the people that support LRROF. We met some wonderful people and the lovely labs. The area co-ordinator arrived and said she had a dog that met our criteria ( we have 5 rescue cats) locally. So we drove the 1.5 hours to Angel and Brian's home. We met them, unbelievably nice people and then Flicka. She is a lab/greyhound mix, 9 months old. Instant love. We arranged to pick her up the next Saturday as she did not fit our CORVETTE. Well, it's been about 3 weeks. Dusty is so smart and full of energy. She gets along with the cats. A few "oops" moments as we learned her abilities. She trains real easy, loves to retrieve and water is next test. Thank you LRROF

We've had Samson now for about 2 years now and he's really gotten used to us and he's gotten really calm. He loves his milk bones and his chew toys. He loves grandpa probably the most and he loves rides to the park in the truck. He loves going with us around to different communities to see Christmas lights. After all, he's a great dog and we're looking foreword to more great memories with him!

I am a disabled Vietnam Vet. I have had pooches in my family life since 1970. With wife 40 yrs. when we adopted Shayns she had been abandoned by hunters on the side of the road with a pup. I got the call Super Bowl Sunday 2/5/17. Drove the 2.5 hrs to meet her. Instant love. In 30 seconds I had a new best friend, knew I was not leaving without her. A former army k-9 handler started training her. She had rcvd good early training by hunters. First 2 weeks she was home could not leave her side even while eating. After 3/4 yr add training she became a registered national service dog. Working with kids in schools and libraries. Her primary training is with vets with PTSD. Trainer said she wasn't that smart. He said she was brilliant. He had a vet client who was wheelchair bound and looking for a trained service dog. He had a check for $25,000. If I would sell my little girl. Told him thanks but 25 million wouldn't do it either. I did not rescue her, Shayna rescued me. If I'm in any distress she jumps up on top of me and hugs me with her paws. She keeps me alive.???

We contacted Lab Rescue after the loss of our beloved 13 year old yellow lab, Ally. Our assigned contact was Lisa. She met with us and explained the process and answered all of our questions. We were most impressed with the knowledge that Lab Rescue was interested in placing the right dog with your family. Lisa really listened to us and understood our family dynamic. She was and has been so helpful throughout this entire process. Now about our new family member, Sadie. We adopted Sadie in April. Her foster family brought her to us and gave us so much information on her. They were wonderful! Sadie had only been with the foster family for about a week. She came from a shelter with fleas, heart worm positive and worms. Since this was our first rescue, we had a lot to learn about dogs from shelters. We are in the process with Lab Rescue and their partner vet, of treating the heart worms and we can't wait until that is over. Other than that, Sadie is a wonderful dog! We had forgotten how much we missed a dog in our family. The fleas and worms are gone and Sadie is feeling better, growing back the fur that was lost due to fleas and enjoying a lot of attention. She has wonderful manners and is a much loved and valued member of our family. We feel so blessed to have such a sweet, loving girl as part of our family.

Sierra is celebrating her fourth birthday this year! I wanted to reach out and thank LRROF for fostering my best friend until I could find her and bring her home. Sierra was one of the four pups rescued by boat after Tropical Storm Debby flooded much of the Tampa Bay area in the summer of 2012. While she still isn't a big fan of the water, Sierra loves long walks, playing ball, sleeping on the couch and sunning herself in the backyard. I'm so thankful to have her has part of my life, and hope that her brothers and sisters are doing well too!

Samson is our new 5 year old buddy who is now part of our family. Special thanks to Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida. We are enjoying him so far. Sammy is perfect fit for our small family because we have been looking a long time for the right fit.

I adopted Shaina when she was 6 or 7 years old. I already had a 7 year old black lab and I wanted a friend for her so I wanted an adult lab. She was the sweetest yellow girl who loved everyone and was the best sister to Raven. They were the best pals. We were blessed to have her for 7 years. Sadly in may we had to send her to the rainbow bridge as she had cancer that came back aggressively that we had treated 3 years prior. Her sister Raven followed her 13 days later. You will never find a love as great that a lab will give especially one from lrrof. They are so grateful to be in a forever home and show it. We are just now considering another lab from lrrof after being devastated from losing both our girls so close together. I wouldn't consider getting a lab anywhere else.

About 15 years ago, we contacted the South Florida Lab Rescue because we needed to make a four-legged addition to our family. We had two young children who needed a best friend. We were matched up with a young, black male lab that was named Shadow. He was an absolutely beautiful dog! When Shadow came to us, he was a little on the hyper side (typical young male Lab). Over time he grew to be an amazing dog. He was playful, protective and extremely loyal. I couldn't go anywhere without him being right by my side. As the years flew by, arthritis started to set in and we had to make the difficult choice to say goodbye to our little buddy. Another Lab has since stepped into our lives, and has taken our hearts. I couldn't imagine our family without these great dogs. We will definitely be adopting from the Lab Rescue in the future. Thank you for everything you do to give these priceless animals a chance to complete a family.

We couldn't be happier with our experience. Shadow is equally comfortable roughing it up with other large breeds or snuggling with our two young daughters and 7 pound Shih-tzu mix. In short he is a lab; loving, playful, smart, and loyal. Thanks LRROF!! Special thanks to Kenny, Maryanne, Mike, and Deb.

Thank you to all the volunteers at Lab Rescue for bringing Simon and Mya into our lives. We adopted Simon nine years ago, and Mya four years ago. We will never know why their previous owners did not want them, but are thankful they are a part of our lives now.

I adopted my lab-mix, Sarah 11 years ago, and my mixed breed dog, Maya a few months after that. They were best friends. And then, in May 2012 Maya died suddenly. Her death left us all terribly sad, Sarah included. And when I thought of the best thing I could to to honor Maya's life I thought that giving another dog a happy home was the best way to do that. We knew we would never have another Maya, but we set out to find another dog who we could love just like we loved Maya. After looking around for several weeks, we decided that another lab would be wonderful. And soon we found a sweet 5 month old black lab from Lab Rescue of FL who reminded us of Sarah when she was young. We named him Sekhar (pronounced "shaker") after astrophysicist Dr. Chandrasekhar because this dog was so dark black he reminded us of a Black Hole! Sekhar is silly, funny and sweet... and we love him like crazy....even if he has mistakenly eaten a few pairs of shoes (Birkenstocks are particularly yummy). He's a perfect family dog for me and my young boys. Plus, Sarah has a new companion--one who is considerably younger, but keeps her on her toes and has given her her energy back!

It has been 10 years since we adopted Sunshine from Lab Rescue of Florida. Sunshine was roughly one years old and at the pound. After a heartworm check, being spayed, and a few days, actually, from the first call, we interviewed and were able to bring Sunshine home. She has been the best dog we have ever had. We are about to celebrate our 10 year anniversary and her 11th birthday this month. I felt moved to share with anyone who is wondering if a lab is the right dog for you, to research all you can and be open to a lot of love. Sunshine really needed love to get over her fears from being homeless and she had a lot of love to give. Labs are very oral dogs and like to chew the first 4 years of life. You have to be able to supply them with safe chew toys and give them lots of exercise. We found crate training in the early years to be a must and also obedience school so we could communicate with her. She turned out to be so smart and really was easy to train. She still likes to run after the ball, chews on toys, and takes a few walks a day. She gets me out in the fresh air and reminds me to play! After this wonderful experience, I can't say enough about the rewards of adopting a lab. Check it out! Labs are awesome! The sound of their voice when a stranger comes to the door sounds like a very agressive dog, yet you will never worry having children around as they are very gentle. Thanks for letting me tell my story and I wish all the labs wonderful homes...as our S...

We adopted our Black Lab Shelby In 2007. At first she was a little shy and unsure but soon came around. Shelby had night blindness and we took her to the eye doctor who said she had Progressive Retinal Disease and would be completely blind in about a year. It took about 2 years to go completely blind but she has adjusted so well. She goes back and forth to work and home everyday. She is the sweetest most calm dog I have every encountered. Our customers love her and so do our cats. She has been everything we ever wanted in a Dog. She is my little princess and the 5 years we have spent together so far has been some of the best in our whole lives.

I would like to personally thank Denise and Shannon for their guidance and their professionalism in the adoption process. They were instrumental in finding just the right lab for our family. We were very particular and had specific characteristics we wanted in our Lab. Sierra is everything we wanted and more. She has an awesome personality and a great addition to the Giles family. Thanks for the help Denise and Shannon and especially for finding Sierra for us.

We went to Palm Beach to meet Sweetie and found her to be a very happy girl! My daughter, who was only three at the time was a little bit afraid of her until Sweetie licked her lollipop! They shared it after that! She has been an absolute love! She is now 11 years old and we love her to pieces!! We don't even remember what life was like before we had her. She loves everyone and just wants to be loved! She sleeps on the bottom of my daughter's bed every night. When she looks at you with her big brown eyes it is hard not to spoil her! Thank you so much for such a wonderful dog for our family!

I am a retired MSgt, USAF veteran. Because of my service I have disabilities. Instead of giving into the disabilities my fur babies (adopted labradors through you) keep me going. We enjoy walks and playing fetch. I have a queen size bed and we all sleep together, what a comfort. The dogs give me a reason to live and I am giving them a good life with lots of love. Sincerely, Deborah Sue

We adopted "Sampson" from you back in April this year. Just to let you know how well he is doing!!! I have enclosed pictures so you can remember who he is. He was one of the litter of pups from Mississippi that were to be "Autistic" helpers He did not go down well with our older grieving dog that we got him for!!! We tried to adopt his sister from you but she was already being adopted, so we went to another rescue & got a year old Dalmation mix for him to play with. OMG!!!! Between them, they have almost eaten us out of house & home....Literally....furniture, walls, clothing...you name it they ate it !!! They should use these 2 as testers for KONG toys..........!!! I USED to hang all my towels & bedding outside on a clothesline to dry!!! that became a tug of war game....WITH MY LAUNDRY!!!! & we have holes in our yard which probably come out at China!!! ..Anyway, they have become partial outdoor dogs!!!......about 4 hours a day...... We have our garage leading off our kitchen at the back of our house so when they are "outside" they are in the garage with a doggie door into the "Dog Yard" ........With all their toys, BALLS & roadkill!!! I HATE outdoor dogs. Dont see the point in an "outdoor" pet?? but I think these 2 are actually happier this way....... Glad to say he didn't take long to housetrain.......didnt do too well in his crate tho.........Neither of them did, I think cos they always wanted to be together?? Sampson, the lab LOVES the pool......about as much as...

Our hearts were broken. We lost our beloved lab Indiana (Indy) after 13 –years to a ruptured spleen. We did everything in our power to save her, but in the end it was not meant to be. We waited 6 long months, before we decided we could no longer take the pain and quiet of a dog-free house. We heard about LRROF and visited the website. We said we’d wait a little longer to adopt, but decided to fill out the paperwork and schedule the home visit. We wanted to be prepared when the right dog came along. We checked the site every couple of days and lo and behold along came Sugar, a barely 1-year old puppy who looked as sweet as her name and reminded us a little of our Indy. Sugar had been found in the Panhandle just a few days before. We called her foster mom Pat to schedule a visit and were told there was couple ahead of us, but that they had not shown up for their appointed time and we could come meet Sugar the very next day. We drove to Pat’s house with the excitement of 2 children on Christmas Eve. When we rang the bell we heard lots of dogs barking. Pat brought Sugar out to meet us. She was very eager to get to us for pets and so happy to say hello that she wiggled her entire body. We looked at each other and just knew that we had found the one puppy that could fill the holes in our hearts. We took Sugar home that very same night and love her more and more every day. She is such a bright spot in our lives. Our little girl is very happy and so s...