Happy Tails and Happy Endings!!

AJ ON THE LEFT, BB ON THE RIGHT; both of these lucky dogs went to our New England friends, the Chase family; such a positive "life change" for both dogs.  AJ came to us from a pound in Matagorda Co., and BB lived on the streets of Houston for at least two months, with a good friend of ours, Trish Cormier, feeding her daily on her way to work.  Once Trish knew our rescue would take BB, she picked up BB, who was happy to jump in Trish's car and leave the sad, scary life she had been living.  It was obvious that BB had been someone's dog; she knew commands and was housetrained.  How in the world did she go from that to homeless and living on the streets?  We wish these dogs could tell us their stories. 

A very happy tail!  Little Webster, who Suzanne, our CT Director, rescued while in TX!  He rode home with her on the plane, in a carrier under the seat, and was only about 8 lbs at the time.  He's a big boy now, and has a great home in CT, with 3 little boys.

Kane was in a life and death situation in east Texas one week, and adopted by a wonderful family in upstate NY the next week!  Talk about a change of direction!  We love saving deserving dogs and finding them perfect homes.  We also love the joy that comes from making a nice family happy and complete!!!!!!   

Patrick O'Shaughnessey found his mom today!

Sammi was found on the streets of Houston; a nice lady named Rose picked her up and took her home, and fostered her until we could find Sammi a great home.  Sammi was only a year old and had obviously already had a litter of puppies.  The Villanueva family of CT adopted Sammi and what a perfect match!

Sarah, now named "Sierra" was part of a litter of lab/golden retriever puppies that one of our rescue dogs, Sabrina, gave birth to, shortly after we rescued her.  All ten of her pups have found fabulous homes, and we're very proud to have saved 11 lives when we rescued Sabrina!  Sierra is now part of the Boswell family, and she's as happy as they are!

Chance Whitesocks, a black lab mix with white feet, found his forever family one day after he was posted for adoption.  Can you say "meant to be?"  We are so excited because sometimes black mixes, as many of you know, can be much harder to place, and can take so much longer.  It warms our hearts to know that there are loving, sweet families whose first choice is to give these special dogs a home! 

"All ya' need is love....All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love, love is all you need."
Franklin, the sweet scared little dachsund boy we rescued from a high-kill Texas shelter, has found his forever home with the Capodanno family of Middlebury, CT.  He loves his new life playing and being one with the 9 and 11 year old boys in his family.  Franklin's photo reveal an amazing transformation, with new confidence and happiness that we're so thrilled to see on this boy's face!  All he needed was love!

Mac, the black Schnauzer (photographed above with Natasha, and below with Rob), was found by a receptionist in Dr. Keillor's office who was kind enough to foster him while we got his vetting done.  Mac was very popular, with many applicants who wanted to adopt him.  We hate having to pick and choose among many qualified applicants, but the best match for Mac was the Botway family of NY.  Pam, Natasha, and Rob had owned schnauzers before, and fell in love with our little guy.  They live near the beach, beautiful parks, and horse farms.  Their current dog Javy, whom we're convinced is a little man in a furry suit, loves Mac and welcomed him into the family with open arms.  Mac is loving life with his new family, and is being spoiled with love, attention, and homemade organic meals!

The picture above brings great joy and excitement to the volunteers of LAB Rescue!  We love the dogs DEARLY, and we love the people DEARLY.  All 3 dogs in the photo, Alex (black/tan chiweenie), Pebbles (golden chihuahua), and Emma (yellow lab) were rescued from the pound and imminent death by Patti Friedman, one of our Houston volunteers.  Pebbles, Alex, and Emma all fostered at Patti's house in Houston, and we got very attached to them.  Emma was in such bad shape when she was rescued that she weighed only 39 lbs, and had a serious heartworm problem.  Patti nursed her back to health over the course of about 8 months, at the end of which our vet diagnosed Emma to be a "healthy dog!"  Way to go, Patti!  We sent them all 3 dogs to New England for fostering, and little did we know that all 3 of these fabulous pets would be adopted within our own LAB Rescue Family by members of the same family.  Pebbles and Alex were adopted by Sue, our fabulous Events and Applications Coordinator, her husband Bob, and their kids, RJ and Ashley.  Emma, the yellow lab, was adopted by Sue's parents, the Taylors of Pennsylvania.  We're so incredibly proud of our dogs and our volunteers, and nothing is better than when we can bring them together as a "forever family."   

From a very high-kill shelter in Houston to touring D.C. and posing at the Washington Monument!  While impounded at the Montgomery County Animal Control, Rufus became best buddies with Gerry, the trainer at the pound.  Gerry is a good friend of the Rescue, and when he begged us to help Rufus, "his favorite dog," we could not say "no."  Once we got to know Rufus, we realized why Gerry was so taken with this sweet lovebug.  Rufus found fabulous parents in New York.  They have taken such good care of Rufus, and when Rufus was diagnosed with entropian eyes, they found a good surgeon and had Rufus' eyes repaired.  Rufus' parents say that the surgery was a complete success and that they are seeing a completely new dog, who is more energetic, playful and even naughty now!  Rufus loves to snuggle and be close to mom and dad.  Rufus even had the pleasure of joining his mom and dad on a trip to Washington DC and Philadelphia.  They say that Rufus "is our joy."  

Phillip, now renamed "Houston," is one of the pups of Diana, the golden/lab who gave birth to 4 pups during what began as a spay!  This litter is our miracle litter; we assumed that Diana had recently had pups, but boy were we wrong!  Phillip found a wonderful family in the Goldsteins, who told us on their application that they were "looking for a family member, not just a dog."  It doesn't get any better than that for a pup!! 

Camilla, was rescued from the city pound in Houston, along with her sister, Diana (who still needs a home!).  Camill, on the left, now named Mika, loves her new life!  Her new mom Tanya says "Mika is doing great!!!  We absolutely love her and it feels like she's been with us for years.  She responded to her new name immediately, and she has bonded with all of us (but especially me :)  I LOVE HER!!!!  Thanks for making this possible. Please take a look at the pictures we took from this past weekend.  Believe it or not, even though it's April, we still had snow in parts of our yard.  Being from Texas, I'm sure Mika is not used to snow... she had a blast playing in it and eating it too. Our other dog, Kona, has accepted Mika without any issues.  It's like they are sisters. Thanks again for all your time, love, compassion, and hard work you put into saving these wonderful dogs.  Fondly, Tanya"

 Paige and Carolina were both rescued from the Matagorda County pound about a year and a half apart.  Paige and Carolina are both german shorthaired pointers, and we suspect that they are either sisters, mother and daughter, or litter mates.  Kathleen adopted Carolina from us in September of 2009, and subsequently adopted Paige from us in March of 2011.  Kathleen renamed the girls Ayla and Abbey, and these beauties are enjoying a fabulous life in Oxford, CT., possibly reunited all the way from Texas!

Duke is a beautiful boy who was turned into the pound by his owners with no explanation.  As a black male, he didn't have much of a chance of making it out alive.  However, Jerry, the trainer at Montgomery Co. Animal Control, kept telling us what a good boy Duke was, and that we really should look at him.  One look, and our director Patti, couldn't resist.  Duke almost immediately found a Houston home with adopters Cindy, her husband, Bill, and their beautiful daughter.  They met Duke and fell for him instantly.  Cindy writes, "Duke has made himself at home and is fitting in quite well.  Patti had said he did not bark and did not know how to fetch, well- that has all changed.  He now knows how to fetch and runs circles in the yard with the ball in his mouth.  I have heard him bark a couple of times, He is quite happy to see us when we get home.  We worked out in the front yard and he stayed right with us.  We have been going for nightly walks and he is doing well.  We couldn't be happier with Duke.  Sincerely, Cindy".  What a happy ending for this lucky boy!

Three generations of the Parker family came out to welcome Bess home.  During our CT Director, Suzanne's trip to Texas, we took her to Harris Co. Animal Control, so she could see the Texas pound situation for herself.  She was overwhelmed at the number of beautiful, adoptable dogs that were so obviously doomed.  She spotted Bess, and informed the Texans in the group that we were rescuing Bess and her puppy Webster right there on the spot!  But, all our foster homes were beyond full, we had absolutely nowhere to put Bess, and felt fairly hopeless about our ability to save her.  After about 15 tense minutes, we decided not to let obstacles stand in the way of saving lives, and walked out of the building with Bess and her pup!  One of our directors, Patti, made room at her house, even though she didn't have it, and the rest is history.  We vetted Bess and her pup, and got them transported to CT shortly thereafter.  Her adopters, the Parkers, absolutely love Bess, and she is one very lucky girl.  Her baby, Webster, found his new home the day after Bess did!  We owe a big thanks to Suzanne and Patti for saving these precious lives, even when it seemed impossible.

Clovis was dumped at the Matagorda Co. pound on Christmas Day, when he was just 6 weeks old, and about 7 lbs.  The stress of the impound experience caused him to break out in demodex, and he lost most of his hair.  We nursed Clovis back to health over the next couple months, and because quite attached to him.  It was very hard to let him go, but Clovis struck gold when he found his new family, including 6 year old twins!  Clovis is enjoying an active lifestyle in CT., and spends his time playing with the kids, other animals, hiking, going to sports events, and just being part of a loving family. 

Bruce Almighty, now named Chance, and Abby, now named Jeri, from two different Texas litters, were adopted by Jim and Michelle Lowe.  These pups can play and play for hours, according to Jim!  Bruce was from a Palacios, Texas, area litter of six pups dumped in the middle of a cattle pasture; Abby's litter of six was headed to the pound when our vet, Dr. Keillor, intervened to save them.   Thanks to the  endless dedication of our fosters, both litters were nursed back to health over the course of many weeks, and after being fully vetted and spayed and neutered, the pups flew via Continental Airlines to New England, where all have found wonderful homes.   

These two play for hours!  

Tank is a beautiful lab mix (most likely part dane) from South Texas.  We're so happy about Tank's perfect placement with the Lobell family of New York....we got this great update:  "Tank is doing very well, even despite the icy/crusty snow that lingers here. Certainly not much fun for playing out in th yard, but we're crossing our fingers that some of it will melt soon enough and he'll eventually realize that we have grass here too!  He's such a doll and we just love him. He's transitioned into our house and family so smoothly which is just incredible. He's such a sweetheart that anyone that comes into our house just falls in love with his personality (even those that haven't given our dogs a second look in the past). He's a charmer for sure and has some traits that just make us laugh because we remember those same things (or habits) with our other dogs (i.e. putting his whole head practically into the water bowl and then dripping across the floor). Given how tall he is, he cracks us up when he steps a step or two back towards the couch and sits his butt right on - he's that high!We're hoping to get out on the trails a bit today with the boys to stretch the legs.  Tank has been great for Fausto - they play often in and out of the house. Fausto has seen more activity with Tank in two weeks than he's seen in the last two year with Cooper (deteriorating over time). I'm sure he's thrilled to have a playmate again."

When one of our volunteers evaluated Polly Brown at the pound, she was so scared that she was trembling, cowering, and wouldn't stand up.  It was pitiful, and our volunteer was so sad for her.  She decided before doing any sort of evaluation that Polly would get out of there, no matter what.  Polly quickly came out of her shell, but it is clear that she had some mistreatement in her past.  Polly found a fantastic home with Scott and his girls, and spends all her time playing with the girls, and just hanging around with the family.  Scott writes:  "Polly Brown may be the best dog ever. She is so sweet and easy going. Her transition seems seamless, it seems that she has always been part of this family. As I write this she is laying in her bed next to me chewing her toy . She doesn't let me out of her sight for more than 10 seconds before following me through the house .  I think she is as happy as we are , thank you so much for all you do to make this possible. Here are a few pictures of our first few days .  Thanks again,  Scott"

We received such a nice letter from Rollo's adopter:  She writes:  "Just wanted to thank you both so much for all your efforts on getting ROLLO from Houston to our family!!! Especially Suze who braved that awful weather on Saturday and cheerfully drove all the way to South Salem, NY & back!!! :-)In a word, he is amaaaaaaazing. We love him sooo much already, not even funny. He is EVERYTHING you said he was and more!!!
He is learning his basics like crazy and I have never seen any dog learn so fast. He is sitting like an angel, quickly learning come & stay. Down is a little more challenging but he's catching on and he's only been here since Saturday!!!  He is so loving and just plain adorable, we can't get over it.
A  51lb LAP DOG, you weren't kidding!!!  Our dog Buddy is tolerating him much better than we could have expected. He growls occasionally and lets Rollo (now Teddy Rollo!) know where he stands but they are working it out. I could not have dreamt of a better temperament and mix for our Buddy. Teddy Rollo is just as sweet and submissive as he can be, laid back but also playful too. I think in time Buddy will accept him more and more, even in the last 4 days things are totally moving in the right direction. They actually played catch-me -if-u-can!  around the dining room table for about 5 whole minutes! YAY!! So .... WE are thrilled!!! Can ya tell??? Below are the pictures to prove it. THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH for this precious new family member! All the best ... you are doing such amazing work, one doggie at a time (or 2 or 3, I hear!!)  Lynne, Doug, Katie, Nicholas, Buddy Bear & Teddy Rollo (Bear)

Welcome to a winter wonderland, Dexter!  Formerly Billy, this TX boy (left) was mesmerized by all of the snow on his new mommy's deck!  Enter new sis, Sadie, who is quickly teaching him the ropes.  We can just here her saying "that's the hill where we can slide down and it's really fun to roll in it!"  Thanks to Marisa of Long Island for opening her heart and home to our beautiful boy!  Say's Marisa: "He is doing so great!  He loves going out in the backyard and running through the snow mounds!!  He is evening encouraging Sadie to get out there!!"

Meet the Donahue Family of Hyde Park, NY who couldn't resist adopting both Chloe and Snow White on Gotcha Day, 1/30/11!  Here they are meeting the two new siblings at foster mom, Kathy's house.  Congratulations to The Donahue's but most of all, to two very thankful rescued dogs!

 Brought to a high-kill shelter before Christmas, our TX foster mom, Patti, couldn't allow Luke to languish in such a place, so took him home with her.  We suspect his owner may have been going away for the holidays and had nowhere to put him.  Safe at Patti's house with a nice warm bed, food and other doggy friends, Patti noticed a sadness in his eyes and his pure devotion to her.  Luke needed someone to love him "full out" and to be a constant, loyal companion as he would be to them. It would break his heart to be abandoned again. Enter Mimi York of Lake Pleasant, MA who contacted us and adopted Luke sight-unseen.  Here's Luke enjoying a snowday- playdate with hs buddy Tyson.  Thank you, Mimi, for providing a loving home for our Luke!

Beautiful!  Summer and Cookie were both adopted from us by the Andrew family; these former Houstonians seem right at home in the Connecticut snow!

Our volunteer who rescued Red and his brother Poco says she'll never forget driving 2 hours to an abandoned country house in the middle of nowhere, nothing but fields for miles in any direction, and seeing those two dogs waiting in the yard of an abandoned house...no food, no nothing.  The cruelty of people can never be understood.  After serving Red and Poco a nice meal, which they scarfed down heartily, she loaded them in the car, and got them to the vet and to the safety of a wonderful foster home.  Red and Poco both found wonderful forever homes.  To see Red now, with his head in the little girl's lap is just a dream come true and a miracle all in one.   We know that he can't believe his own good fortune.   We LOVE nothing more than seeing these dogs living the life they deserve.  Red's new dad said:  "He's very adaptable and fit in almost immediately.  The kids love him, yes, and my wife thinks he may be a reincarnation of our former lab. He doesn't bark much, but he seems to understand French and might even get a French name....We're working on his training and manners. He's a good boy though, and very well behaved overall.  Strangely he loves the snow and has been enjoying this extreme winter more than any of us. He has already been upstate and enjoyed running around in the woods. I bet he can't wait to go for a swim this summer."  Such a great ending for such a deserving boy!

Jackson found a wonderful home and loving family with Amelia and her family.  Jackson was rescued by our volunteer Patti W.  Patti had the difficult decision TX rescuers always face:  having to choose between two dogs to rescue, knowing there is only space for one.  Patti said that Jackson so obviously loved people and other dogs, was calm, gentle and affectionate.  She chose him, and even though she hated making a decision such as that one, she never regretted picking Jackson.  Jackson's foster, Patti, and his new mom, Amy, agree that Jackson's purpose in the world is to warm the hearts of everyone he meets.  Jackson stayed with Patti for 3 months while he was treated for heartworms, neutered etc, and Patti says that he became a part of her heart and soul.   It was so hard to let him go, but Patti has no doubt that he is where he was meant to be.  What a great family he found! 

Delays from New England ice and snow storms, Skye arrived into CT and into the arms of Greg and Nancy Miranda of Schenectady, NY!  Skye and his siblings: Bubbles, Skittles, Gumbo, Polar and Valentina were lovingly cared for by our TX fosters, Gisela, Mica and Cliff until permanent homes in the north could be secured.  We hope for all of this litter to be reunited with mom, Sierra, who is also being adopted by Skittles' new mom and dad, at our butterfly release fundraiser in June!  Thank you, Greg and Nancy, for adopting our pretty little Vanilla Skye!

Found in the "Corridor of Cruelty" In Houston, TX, Jojo was one dog who actually allowed our foster mom, Natalie to approach her.  Thin as a rail and scared, Natalie lovingly cared for Jojo until she was ready to be placed on our website for adoption.  Linda Romanauskus of Bristol, CT emailed us and said "I want Jojo - there's something about those eyes!"  Linda also asked about how she travelled in the car.  It was important for her to be able to bring Jojo everywhere with her - that clinched the deal!  While Natalie was sad to see her Jojo leave, she knew Linda would be able to provide all the love and TLC in the world.  Linda's sister, Donna, owns a grooming salon and we are sure Jojo will be enjoying many spa days and trips to visit Linda's granchildren!  The picture above was taken on Gotcha Day, 1/23/11, as Linda greets Jojo for the first time.  A special thank you to Natalie, who saved a wonderful girl and gave her a life she would have never known.

We received a call from a lady in Houston who could no longer care for her AKC Lab, Brock, a stunning black boy with a sweet temperment and drive to please.  She asked that we consider taking him into our program in hopes of finding him a new home.  Brock arrived via Rescue Road Trips into Danbury, Conn in December and was welcomed by the frigid cold - and his new mom, Maureen Cullen of New Jersey, who had driven several hours to meet Brock as he disembarked after his 3-day journey from TX.  Now "Brody," Maureen shares: "...please know he is in good hands.  My sons and I adore him. He is such a wonderful addition to the family.  Brody and I go for walks twice a day, obedience class on Monday nights and he sits next to me on the couch (like right now) while I'm on the computer, phone or whatever.  Last weekend he took the ride with me to bring one of my sons back to college. I am looking forward to swimming and hiking with him.  I will admit he definitely likes the snow more than I do!  LAB Rescue is a wonderful organization.  I thank you for contacting them and I thank Barbie and Sally for the wonderful work they do."  And we thank the lady in Houston who made the selfless decision to find her boy a wonderful home instead of dropping him off at a high-kill shelter where as a black male, would have had little chance of survival.  Maureen has committed to send update and pictures to Brock's former owner so she can follow his progress here in the North.  Thank you Maureen!

Bonnie Buttercup, mom to the Shepherd puppies (Emmy, Abby, Toby, Brady and Jack), was still living with Dr Keillor in TX when we said "bring her on up - we'll find her a home!"  So, Buttercup arrived via Continental PetSafe into Hartford where Suzanne, CT Adoption Coordinator, picked her up and gushed what a great girl she was!  Enter The Castanguay Family of Southington, CT.  Having heard that the adoption process through Petfinder and Adopt-a-Pet could be "difficult," they contacted us and hoped for a response...we called them within 24 hours to start the process!  Miss Buttercup went home on 1/23/11 towhere she will be loved by three little girls: Noelle, Gabrielle and baby Juliette, who we are sure will spend many hours having tea parties and dressing her up in Cinderella outfits.  Many thanks to Kevin, Christine and the girls for providing a woderful home for our Buttercup.

The Deierleine Family of Newtwon, CT were first in line on a long list of applications for Holland, a stunning black Lab girl who was searching for her new home here in New England.  It wasn't hard after meeting this family to know this is where Holland belonged.  From the look on everyone's faces, they agree - including Holland!  Thank you so much for adopting a wonder dog like Holland.  We wish you all many years of licks and belly rubs!

Our boy, Bandit, found his forever home with the Rosenburg Family of Trumbull, CT on 1/16/11!  After working with mom, Ann, for weeks on dogs that would fit their family dynamic, we invited them to our adoption event "just to look."  Big sisters, Olivia and Emily, fell in love and it was a new home for this TX boy!  Thank you, Rosenburg Family, for putting your faith and trust in LAB Rescue in finding a new family member for you.  We are hoping for pictures of a play date with sister, Bella, adopted by The Yeager Family, of Monroe, CT - a hop, skip and a jump from you!

 Greetings from snowy Warren, Connecticut!  Meet Dayle, adopted by The Carolan Family who have shared with us how they love her so much already.  Here she is enjoying a romp with new big sis, McKenna, who, on their first day home, took her for a run and introduced her to her new yard.  Thank you for adopting this sweetheart.  We know, like all rescued dogs, she will give you many years of love and devotion!

Welcome to snowy Connecticut baby Rio - formerly Cuddles!  Looks like Rio is loving life with his new family, The Betz' of Milford, CT.  Thank you for rescuing Rio and we know there will be many happy years together for you all! 

Thanks to the Eisele Family of Houston for adopting Remington, formerly "Magic!"  Remingtons siblings: Caddie,  Cuddles, and Dayle are all being adopted to wonderful homes here in CT!  Here's Remi with dad, Jim, enjoying a walk along a TX beach. 

Babs was adopted on 1/16/11 to the Scheiner Family of New York!  As you can see, Babs is loving the snow and hanging with her new big brother!  Another rags to riches story of a Southern dog finding Eden!  The Scheiner's were referred to LAB Rescue by family members, The Lakes, who adopted Briley - referrals are always welcome - we love to keep it in the family!  Many thanks Mike and Family, for adopting our Babs and to foster mom, Janet, for doing such a terrific job readying her for her trip north.

Shaggy was owned by a vet tech at one of our director's vet office.  She was getting a divorce and had to move into an apartment, which wouldn't allow big dogs.  She asked for our help finding Shaggy a new home.  Shaggy was so bonded with his former mom that we actually worried that he wouldn't be interested in a new family.  He longed for his mom, cried for her, looked for her to a point that it was heartbreaking.  We found Shaggy a wonderful home with Trista and her family, where he is spoiled and doted on; he can't believe his good fortune!  She writes:  "Shaggy is doing great.  He loves our lab, Lacy.  They play tug of war, ball, and wrestle all the time.  He doesn’t like the cold—we bought an electric blanket for him to sleep on each night.  He got to play in the snow for the first time last week, at first he didn’t want to go off the porch, even to go to the bathroom!  He has a couple of acres to roam and play.  His absolute favourite thing is to sit on my lap at night while we watch TV.  His favourite show was Sing Off."  Shaggy has adjusted just fine, and has completely dedicated himself to his new family.   

Raised by Dr Gen Keillor, our veterinarian, friend and foster mom, Joey, now aptly named "Tex," found a home with The Tilford Family of New Milford, CT!  Joey joins brothers Jack and Brady (below) in their forever homes.  Sister's Emmy and Abby and brother Toby are available and will be featured at this Sunday's adoption event.  Dr Keillor treated all of these babies with loving TLC until they were ready to fly and now mom, Buttercup, arrives 1/15/11 and will be able to see her babies for the first time since leaving TX!  A big THANK YOU to Dr Keillor for all of her hard work in caring for this litter.

Cleo and her sister were left behind in a hot Texas back yard when their owners moved away.  A neighbor fed them for a while, but realized that he couldn't do this forever.  He loaded them into his truck and took them to a pound.  Our director, Patti, was at the pound at that time, and struck up a conversation with the man about the two beautiful labs he was bringing in.  One thing led to another, and Patti drove both girls home.  We found them great homes; Cleo's sister got a great home with Patti's foot surgeon!  Cleo found a wonderful young family, who couldn't be any nicer.  Cleo's family is so happy that they found a sweet, loving, gentle dog that fits perfectly into their family.  Cleo is very happy too!

Poco, along with his brother Red, were found by our foster mom, Janet, as she was driving and saw Poco and Red at a home where they were clearly ready to be abandoned.  Surprisingly, for two beautiful dogs who most likely never saw the inside of a house, they soon became wonderful family pets with the guiding hand of Janet.  Here's Poco with his new "big brother" at their Stratford, CT home in January.  From the look on both faces, it was clearly a perfect match!  Janet looks forward to seeing Red and Poco again when the TX ladies arrive in CT for the June 11, 2011 butterfly release and LAB Rescue Reunion!

Blake, now named Deacon, was saved from Harris County Animal Control in just the nick of time.  Blake was fortunate that one of our favorite TX fosters, Natalie, was available to foster him.  The rest is history; he found a wonderful home with the Hollands in Rhode Island, where he practices law, I mean, he gets to go to the law office each day with his new dad .  He also has a great home life with mom, Whitney, and his two wonderful kiddos!  What a stroke of luck this boy had! 

Meet Abigail!  Abigail's story is quite extraordinary: We knew when we evaluated Abigail that this was a dog destined for great things.  We could write pages about everything she did and give example after example of her intelligence - but no one would really believe us. We were stumped, who would know how to channel her intelligence and drive? Abigail finally met the man that would change her life,- Officer James Greco, owner of Long Island K-9 (www.lik-9.com). Call it fate, destiny or just really good luck - we are incredibly proud of Abby's acceptance into explosive detection work. To meet Abby is to know how hard she will work to keep people safe!  Says Officer Greco:  "We will be doing detection work on one of our biggest ferry’s here on Long Island and am sure we will be on local New York television stations because she will be the first explosive detection dog to start off the first explosive detection program of its kind here on Long Island."  We couldn't be more proud of our Abby, who was a TX owner surrender and never had a chance without LAB Rescue's intervention - and Oficer Greco!

The Kenny Family of New Fairfield, CT are all smiles shown here with Barnum, formerly Joe, of TX!  Shares mom, Stacey (on behalf of Barnum!): "I'm doing so well at my forever home!  My mom Stacey and my Dad Dana hug and kiss me all the time.  I've shown them that I really like belly rubs too, and playing with my toys, and even learning new tricks.  I have two new BFF's too, Marley and Tabby, and Mom and Dad make sure I get play dates with them a lot.  But my favorite thing is when they take me for hikes.  I get so excited, sometimes I wag my tail so hard I almost knock myself over!  Turns out, for a Texas dog, I LOVE the snow!  Mom and Dad got me a nice jacket that keeps me warm, and they take me to nice trails where I can run and jump in the snow like a little puppy. I can't help but smile when I'm frolicking in the snow!"

AJ's now has a family and is home where he belongs.  AJ's family has been a bit of a project for our rescue. There's a long story, but the bottom line is that, after rescuing generations and generations of these pups from animal control, we found the owners, who had the mom, a full weimeraner, and dad, a full doberman, living on chains in abject poverty.   With a lot of arm-twisting and suggestion from animal control, the owner finally agreed to let us pay to spay the female weimeraner, but made it clear he would never, ever neuter his male.  We're not sure why the owner somehow associated this with his own manhood, but he did.  So sad, but at least, for now, we've stopped the terrible cycle of overpopulation at that ONE house!  

Meet Punkin!  Punkin, a little Pug/Mix, was adopted by Tom and Dawn Clark of Houston.  Looking at this picture of Punkin in her new bed, we can see where she belongs!

Meet Brady, the newest addition to the Braun Family of Mohegan Lake, NY!  Raised by Dr Gen Keillor, our veterinarian, in TX, Brady and his siblings were posted the L.A.B Rescue website where they are quickly receiving applications.  Brady will live his life out in a home with three children, enjoying an acre of land to play on.  His summers will be spent at the family's beach home in Rhode Island.  Congratulations to The Braun Family and to Brady, who started 2011 with a bang!

Tuff, a 5 year old AKC registered lab, was owned by a man who took him one Saturday to the "tent adoptions" that are held each week by a local Texas pound.  The owner wanted to give up Tuff on the spot, but the volunteers at the tent weren't able to take him that day due to the number of dogs that were already there.  The owner was then ready to drop him off immediately at the pound.  The reason given:  he and his wife were about to have twins.  A good friend of our Rescue, Becky Caywood, who runs the tent adoptions, begged the owner to hang onto Tuff for a few more days and contact our group.  He did, and we arranged to get Tuff to safety at a boarding facility.  Eventually, we got Tuff to a wonderful foster home, where he quickly showed what a wonderful dog he is.  Tuff's luck changed the day his new family found him.  He's now living with the Beiter family of Suffield, CT.  Tuff's new mom, Cami says that they love Tuff so much, and that he's very happy, well adjusted, and is a devoted family member."  We're so happy for Tuff.  Wouldnt it be nice if people were as devoted to their dogs as dogs are to their people?  The world would definitely be a better place.

 Joy is a beautiful yellow lab who was part of a litter that we rescued around Christmas-time last year.  The Port Lavaca pound can count on receiving two litters of pups each year from the same man (who owns the parents of these pups).  He refuses our offer to spay the female, and cares nothing of the fate of the pups he regularly dumps.  Even when warned by the animal control officers that they will probably be euthanized.  And, of course, with no laws in Texas against such as this, the cycle continues uninterrupted.  It is very disheartening.  The good news is that we've found wonderful homes for many of these pups, and made many folks such as Linda, Joy's new owner, very happy.  Linda even referred her sister to us, and her sister also adopted a yellow lab named Rosebud. 

Bogey, the middle dog above, is the beautiful, senior white lab, posing with his new sisters.  Bogey lived in a backyard with no human contact; he would go for days and days with no food or water and had no shelter from the elements except for one shrub that he took cover under.  He would frequently get out of his backyard, looking for food and water.  His former owners would never bother looking for him when he was out and eventually moved away and left him behind.  One of our fosters lived nearby, knew all about Bogey's sad life, and contacted us, asking for our help.  We took Bogey in, got him vetted, and treated him for heartworms, and discovered that he had several BB's lodged in his back (which were not removeable).  We were able to put about 20 pounds on him also.  We adopted him to Betty and Steve, a retired couple, and their two females.  Betty writes:  Dear Sally, It's hard to believe we adopted Bogey over a year ago .......... Everything you told us about him was so true-he is such a love.  life is good.....It was meant to be that Bogey is in our lives and we are delighted. All three dogs get along so well.  It is very touching to see the girls care for him when he is having a back episode.  I've attached a few photographs for you to see.  The first picture is typical of Bogey and Elsa to be together.  Thank you again for Bogey he is my sweetheart boy."

Rosetta, the beautiful chocolate girl above, was picked up as a stray by animal control.  One of our volunteers evaluated Rosetta, and found that she was a gentle, easy, nicely behaved lab.  We couldn't take Rosetta for at least two weeks though, and the pound agreed to hang onto her for us.  Once we were able to take Rosetta, we quickly got her to CT for fostering there.  Within a couple of days, Dave, brother to one of our best foster moms, Sue, had fallen in love with Rosetta after a visit at his sister's house.  The rest is history, and Rosetta is now enjoying the good life with Dave at his cabin on the lake, and has easily settled in as the lady of the house! 

Another perfect Texas adoption where fate just intervened!  Duke, now known as Charlie, was in the car with volunteers Sally and Patti when they took Mia to a "meet and greet" with the Seger family of Houston.  The Segers loved Mia, but couldn't get their eyes off Duke, who had just gotten out of the pound the day before.  They felt terrible about their interest in Duke, but we assured them that Mia would find a wonderful home with another family if, in fact, they wanted to consider Duke.  They were relieved, and spent lots of time with both dogs, taking them on walks, etc .  The family, after lots of consideration, decided that they did want to do a "foster to adopt" with Duke!  After just a day with Duke in their home, Betsy, the mom, let us know that Duke was in fact the dog for them!  Here he is with his new family, vacationing in the mountains of New Mexico!  Betsy says he is having the time of his life!   

Joybelle, the beautiful yellow female lab, was adopted by our dear friends the Asarch Family of Houston.  Joybelle was lost or dumped in a rural area around Bay City.  She approached a house for help but was too terrified to get very close.  Animal control was called, and picked Joybelle up; they were very impressed with her sweet and gentle demeanor, and called us to meet Joybelle.  Janet, one of our directors, evaluated Joybelle and just loved her.  Janet fostered Joybelle, and the Asarch family, who had recently lost their lab to old age, saw Joybelle's listing on Petfinder and immediately contacted us.  A "meet and greet" quickly ensued, and Joybelle was in her new home for the holidays.   Bobbi, Joybelle's new mom, says "What a wonderful doggie! We sure love her.  You sure made a perfect match when you paired us up with JoyBelle! Amazing animal! Thank you Lab Rescue!"

Harley's life took a dramatic turn in the last month and a half.  He and his litter mates were being given away on the side of a rural road in Texas...."free puppies."  Our foster, Rina, happened upon the scene, and two of Harley's sisters were being given away to some really scary folks.  Rina convinced the owner to let her take the remainder of the pups and find them good, quality homes where they would be taken care of properly.  The rest is history, and Harley 5 of his siblings have moved north and found fabulous homes in New England.  Harley is shown with the kids of the Martucci family of New Fairfield, CT and he appears to fit right in.  We're so thrilled that he will have the life he deserves.

Here is one of Harley's siblings - Cody - once Moose!  He is shown in his family's Christmas card photo,  with dads John and Greg and his new buddy, Flynn.  

Here's Harley and Cody's sibling, Lexi (formerly Roxie), with her new family!

...and brother Jax (formerly Rusty), along with his new family, The Sebastian's, of Torrington, CT!  Look's like this TX boy will be having Christmas in Connecticut - and is already spoiled rotten! 

...and brother, Seamus (formerly Max) of the same litter!  Here he is with "sister," Grace, who loves him already!  Seamus now lives in a beautiful home with The O'Donnell Family of New Milford, CT.  We are all hoping for a family reunion!!

...and brother, Mason (formerly Gus) who joins mom, Nora, on frequent outings and treks to new and exciting places!  Mason lives in Wallingford, CT where he is often seen strolling the grounds of the Choate-Rosemary School where Nora is a teacher.

A long way from the streets of Houston, Stryker flew into LaGuardia Airport on the 23rd of December and was greeted not only by the frigid NY cold, but by a few happy boys and their family--The Bello's of Connecticut!  Say's mom, Teresa: "He is a wonderful dog-  so sweet and good natured. He was wonderful at the airport and even made an appearance at JFK to pick up my in-laws after he arrived!"  We know this Christmas will be very special for The Bello's - and for Stryker, too.  Thank you for adopting this special boy! 

Flynn found his special mommy in Kelly of New Jersey who is shown here picking him up at LaGuardia Airport after his flight in from Houston.  Flynn is a rescue celebrity, featured in USA Today, as a reporter was doing a story on pet transport and asked for permission to follow Sally through the process.  Kelly has been a wonderful supporter of L.A.B Rescue and we treasure a  lasting relationship with both of them!

The Welch Family of Bristol, CT were all smiles as they posed for their first Christmas picture with their new baby, Andre--now Cody!  Cody was raised by his TX foter mom, Dr Gen Keillor, and she was hoping for a wonderful family for her boy - she got her Christmas wish!  With seven active children, we know Cody has found his forever home.  Thank you, Welch Family, for being patient and trusting L.A.B Rescue with finding you all a new family member.

Heidi, the chocolate beauty, above, (formerly known as "Ariel") really struck the jackpot!  On a hot, summer day in Texas, Heidi  was found tied to a tree in a desolate, rural area by a family member of one of our friends.  The family fostered Heidi while we got her vetting done and placed her for adoption.  We found her a fabulous home with mom and dad, Lori and Jim, in Montgomery, Massachusetts.  Heidi is back to her rural roots, but is living large on 6 beautiful acres of with woods, a nice stream, and lovely lawn.  Heidi spends a lot of her time outside, with her mom Lori, working in Lori's beautiful gardens, and just enjoying life.  She EVEN has a new sister, Hazel, now!  How many dogs have their own portrait with Santa?  LIVE IS GOOD!

A Letter we Received From Maxwell's Adopter Sue:  "We have always gotten our dogs from someone we knew. Once we adopted from a local pound.   I did not know much about rescue agency's until recently.  Having had a tough time with one agency and two unsuccessful adoptions, we were ready to call it quits until the spring.  Then I happened to spot a picture of Max online.  So I figured, why not send a quick email and see what happens.  What happened is that we went to see Max that next afternoon.  We took him for a walk and I asked my husband what he thought about Max and he said, "He's a keeper".  So we brought him home with us that afternoon!!!   Max has settled in so nicely and is a wonderful member of our family. Max is by far the smartest dog we have ever had, he is such a problem solver.  He has the nicest house manners.   He doesn't beg at the dinner table, and now sleeps outside our bedroom doors at night on one of his dog beds.  He loves to play and explore and go for walks, but mostly play.  He just loves to run and race around the yard or fetch anything you throw.  Toys, sticks, snowballs!  He really loves the snow.  Very skinny when we brought him home, he has gained a little bit of weight and looks great.  He now weighs in at 65 lbs.   He went to obedience class last week and the instructor said, "Max is a model citizen".  She used Max to demonstrate things in the class.  I was so proud.  This is the most amazing dog we have ever had.  We are just over the moon about Max.  He is such good company.  Everyday he manages to put a smile on our faces.  We feel so lucky that we were the ones that were able to adopt Max.  While I will always remain heartbroken that someone just decided to throw this guy away, I will also be a little glad they did, because he was meant to be with us!!!  Many Thanks for what you are doing for these amazing animals,     Sue D. & Family"

Greta was turned into a high-kill shelter by her owner, who simply said he "didn't have time for her anymore."  Thank goodness our volunteer Patti saw Greta and knew we could easily find this precious girl a new home.  Patti fostered Greta in the Houston area, and then we were able to send Greta to New England to our fabulous foster, Sue.  Sue introduced Greta to her new family, and the rest is history!  Congratulations to all!  We love the happy, smiling faces!

Allegra, now Bella, is a beautiful black lab puppy who, along with her siblings, were dumped at a rural pound in Texas.  They stood little chance of making it out alive, but one of our volunteers quickly learned of the pups, and got them to safety.  Barbara, one of our volunteers, fostered the pups until we got them fully vetted and found them homes.  Allegra found her home with her new mom Aimee and family in New Fairfield, CT, and quickly found her niche as one of the "kids"  and even made it onto the family Christmas card!  Such a lucky girl!

Meet The Csencsits Family of Long Island, NY!  Say's mom, Lisa: Barrett is an absolute joy and a wonderful addition to our family. We couldn't have asked for a better boy!    

Bosco joined Fred and Lauren of NYC on 12/11/10 via the Continental PetSafe Program into LaGuardia Airport and have already established he is a wonderful jogging partner!  Lauren and Fred are in love with their new boy who was provided love and TLC by TX foster mom's Sally and Patti, who saw a real beauty in him.  They ensured he went to the very best home and it looks like he's been there forever!  So, be sure if you are ever in Central Park, you are on the lookout for Lauren and Fred...and a chocolate brown Labbie at their side!!

December 11 was a very busy day at foster mom, Suzanne's house!  Three pups went to their forever homes, including Roxie who will be living out her days in style with the Porter Family of Old Lyme, CT!  Roxie was one of several puppies in a litter who all found their forever homes.  Thank you, Porter Family, for giving a very special lady a very special home!

Berkley, the little rat terrier mix photographed above, was part of a litter of pups that was born to mom Maggie Rose (adopted on 12/23/10!!!) soon after she had been rescued from a high-kill shelter.  Berkley was lucky enough to be fostered first in Texas by our wonderful vet, Dr. Keillor, who took care of Berkley and siblings and mom Maggie for quite a while.  When the little siblings were old enough to be adopted, Dr. Keillor spayed and neutered everyone, and then Berkley was fortunate enough to find a CT foster home with Bobby and Carrie and family.  The Kaysers took great care of Berkley and loved him as their own and were instrumental in Berkley's adoption by the Canavan family of New York.  Congratulations and many thanks to all who were involved with Berkley!

And here's mom, Maggie, who joins The Hollister Family of New Milford, CT!  Mom, Lisa, surprised her girls for Christmas and presented her in all of her glory!  Bobbie and Carrie cared for both Maggie and her baby, Berkley (above) and the two families are planning a reunion in the future.  A happy ending for two wonderful dogs.

Kallie went from a lonely life in as an "outside dog" a Texas backyard, to a fulfilled life on Cape Cod, with her new dad, Benjamin.  Benjamin, who also did a stint in Texas (grad school at The University of Texas), has a great job that allows him to bring Kallie to work with him.  No more lonely life for her!  We're so excited for Kallie; Benjamin is an outdoorsy guy, and takes Kallie on lots of adventures like the one photographed above, hiking and camping in the White Mountains in New Hampshire. 

...and baby Cricket, sibling to Bella (above) - now Moose!  Moose kept true to his TX roots and stayed behind in Houston.  Moose-Cricket joins The Ford Family and has already taken over the roost!  We are all anticipating photos of sister DeeDee (now Daisy) of Middletown, CT!

And here's HUCK, formerly Boots, sibling to the "ABCD" litter meeting his new family, The Scorso's of Manchester, CT. Lucky dog!

Here's the Mickle Family of Pittsfield, MA who are also one of our star fosters!  Kelly and family adopted Mia from Houston on 12/18 and she has already become a huge part of their lives.  Liberty, their other Labbie, loves to snuggle with Mia; they are bestest buddies!

Chief, the beautiful chocolate boy on the right in the photo above, was rescued from Harris Co. Animal Control.  We're never surprised, but still couldn't believe that no one claimed this boy and that he was in danger of being euthanized.  We found Chief the perfect home with Diana and her son, Peter, and corgi-mix, Skeeter!    Chief is as happy as can be, and so are we!   Diana, Chief's sweet mom, writes, "he is so peaceful and fun.   Chief (now named Jackson) has certainly filled a void in our lives, more so that we imagined we had....We are so blessed to be able to care for him and have him as a part of our family.  Thanksgiving.....we are thankful for him and people like you!  Sincerely, Diana"

Cherub, now "Maddie," is a precious little poodle mix who is estimated to be about 6 months old; our vet, Dr. Keillor, rescued Maddie from a bad situation in Texas, and took great care of her.  After she was fully vetted, we had Maddie transported to Connecticut, where she was fostered by our wonderful foster, Melissa.  Shortly thereafter, the perfect adopter, Marie, came along.  We thanked Marie for adopting Cherub, and she wrote back the nicest note:  "I am so very delighted to help save a little one's life, but all of this could not have been made possible if it were not for the kind, caring support group Maddie has had.  It's so many people like yourself, Melissa, Dr. Keillor and Carla (and sooooooo many others) that make things happen to improve the quality of life for pets and humans alike!  I am forever grateful for your organization, its professionalism and courtesy.  Bless you all!"  We are so proud of Maddie, Marie, and our entire team! 

Sam, tiptoeing through the tulips, and so happy for a second chance at a family!

Nevada, story below, improving the life of his mom, Pat, on a lazy Sunday morning. 

Lacey, abandoned as a puppy in Texas; now, living the good life with her mom Kathy, in Poughkeepsie, NY

Nick, pictured above with his new mom, Amy, is one of our all-time favorite dogs.  This little black mix had no real chance of getting out of the rural Texas pound alive.  He was scheduled to die by lethal gassing, a practice banned in most states.  Several advocates who abhor this practice got together donations they offered to any rescue group who would save Nick.  We gladly accepted Nick into our program, and learned that this little puppy was one of the sweetest, gentlest, calmest puppies we'd ever met.  Nick is so easy to fall in love with; everyone who meets him is just amazed at what a good dog he is.  We used the donations we received to fly Nick to our CT ladies, who arranged his adoption.  We're so proud of this special boy and his new mom, and wish them a very happy life together.  Oh, and Nick is proud to be sporting a Yankees leash and collar now!

November 20, 2010 - Gotcha Day!  Here's our little Mae, fresh off transport from Houston as she arrives in Rocky Hill, CT and into the arms of her new family, Diane and Len!  From a rocky beginning in a high-kill shelter, Mae was lovingly cared for by our Houston foster mom, Patti, who cared for Mae and restored her faith in people.  She will spend the rest of her life romping in her Holden, MA home with her new brother, Benson, and "cousins," Lily and Rex.  Mae is one lucky girl - thank you for rescuing her!

Sweet little Abby, formerly Shelbi, with her new family, The Fray's, of Wilton, CT on Gotcha Day!  The Fray's worked with us for several weeks as they searched for the perfect puppy.  Foster mom, Suzanne, knew right away that this union was the perfect fit from the moment she saw the look on all of the happy faces!  Abby is a lucky girl to have escaped the wrath of a TX kill-shelter and will be loved  by this wonderful family who saved her life.

Briley has found his forever home with The Lake Family of Poughkeepsie, New York!  Here's the family picking him up from his foster mom, Sue.  Everyone was very impressed with his soft, glossy coat; a little fish oil goes a long way!  Sister Angelina and brother, Steven, didn't hesitate in giving Briley all the toys they could carry before marching to get him yet more treats at the local pet shop!   Mom, Kristen, said he snuggled his way into their bed that first night and was very cozy, indeed!  A long way from his lonely,  homeless days in Houston.  Welcome home, Briley - you will be loved.

Being a 4-5 yr old black Lab in Texas is not usually not a happy ending but Madonna beat the odds and struck gold!  Foster mom, Patti, saw a beautiful soul in Madonna and cared for her until she was strong and became the beautiful dog she is.  The Soderlund Family of Southport, CT saw Madonna on Petfinder.com and contacted us.  Madonna flew into LaGuardia Airport where dad, Karl, picked her up and brought her home to his waiting family - and lot's of homemade dog treats!  Her first week has brought enormous change from her lonely start to life in TX. Mom, Amanda, writes:  "WOW! Madonna was welcomed in...and welcomed back, with open paws. She has had a wonderful experience meeting the kids and has taken to following them around the house, the yard, the beach...you name it.  Sadly, I thought I was special??  It was an odd 70 degree day today in CT. Karl's parents own a beach house that they frequent only a few weeks a year.  Lucky us! We frequent it as often as possible! We took her there today for a picnic... So, being Madonna's first day at the beach and she stayed right by our side. A family with  SIX dogs strolled by, she shaked with delight, but never left our side. After that, we had her off leash at the beach, she went nowhere, just hung with the family and curiously scoped out the shore.  She is doing amazing. As you all are aware, I have always rescued dogs...the way she is assimilating is amazing. This is a unique little girl and an amazing experience."

 The Jones Family of Wellesley, MA couldn't resist on adopting not one--but two of our special Labbies to add to their family!  Introducing Seymour and Maddie--"husband and wife" and parents to puppies Marty, Kelly, Lily and Tucker!  You can certainly see where their babies got their good looks from, that's for sure!  These two lovebirds were flown from their life in Texas to pure bliss in New England.  All of their babies have been adopted locally so we expect a Family Reunion!  We try our best to keep adopting families in touch so they can share photos and updates as the dogs grow and develop their own personalities.  Here, they share a few moments with their family at home, and out for a hike.  Congratulations, Jones Family and thank you for rescuing two wonderful pooches!

 Meet Maddie and Seymour's baby, Molly!  The Beaules Family of New Hampshire adopted Molly, formerly Kelly, who now has two human siblings, Alex and Lauren, to play with.  Say's mom, Cary: "We just love her!!  She has come a long way since we 1st got her, when she was very frightened of people and other dogs.  She loves to give kisses (and we love receiving them too).  She has stolen the hearts of the entire family (except the cats, she likes to chase them).  She is a quick learner and is super smart!  She has been going to puppy classes and is the star of the class!  She is the most well behaved, easy going dog there,  which makes me very proud of her!  So, thank you so much for helping us find the perfect match for our family!!  She will be continue to be spoiled for many years to come!"  She shares her good looks with mommy, Maddie!

Meet Brook (left), formerly Bree, who now lives the Good Life with The Barker Family of Marlborough, CT!  Here's the happy family enjoying a brisk New England afternoon - another classic rags to riches story for an abused TX pup.  Best wishes to The Barker Family and most of all, Brook, who beat the odds.

Who's this good looking dude (above)?  Shares mom, Carrie:  "Aiden, now known to all in these parts as "Buddi Awesum," is doing just dandy ! His "brother and sister" -  Sid and Nancy are ensuring the couch stays warm . The next shot is testimony to the fact that all toys taste better on the couch !"  Aiden and sis, Alexa arrived in Danbury, CT on Sept 25, 2010 and we didn't want to separate them sine they were so attached.  Sister Alexa, now Jade, found her forever home with the Simmons Family of Middlebury, CT and mom Valerie says' pictures are on their way!

Remember Evie?  Now known as Molly, she was adopted by The McFarland Family of NJ who couldn't resist her little face!  Here she is, relaxing with brother Jameson, in a ray of sunshine - a "rare moment between them" says Ed!  Ed drove 4 hours from NJ to meet Evie and it was love at first sight.  "She slept the whole ride home on the floor in the front seat," Ed shared.  Now, she spends her days and nights playing with Jameson and ruling the roost.  Molly will soon be featured in Ed's restaurant's newsletter @ Ed's Lobster Bar in NYC as his newest family member.  We're sure Molly will enjoy any leftovers!  Congratulations to Ed, wife Nicole, Jameson and baby Molly!

What a wonderful family picture on a chilly New England day!  Meet Zooey, formerly of the Summer and Duke pups, enjoying her new life with The McFadden Family of Pittsfield, MA!  Zooey had been staying with foster mom, Kelly, who decided to bring her to a harvest festival one weekend with her "Adopt Me!" bandanna on.  It didn't take long for the visitors to clamor around and wanting to apply on this lovely little lady.  We were inundated with applications but found the perfect match with The McFadden's.  Hurrah for Zooey and her new family - we couldn't be more pleased for all of them.

Oh, the busy life of a New England "soccer dog."  Kids, schedules, games, carpools, cheering, keeping the coaches in line....it can be exhausting.    Sometimes you just have to step away from the sidelines and the "mom scene" and find a quiet place.   Kohl is a special youngster that was spotted by Patti, one of our volunteers, in her local pound.  Patti decided to evaluate him for our program by overnighting him at her house.  She wrote us the next day that he was "awful," but she was keeping him anyway!  Over the next month, she paid a professional trainer to work with Kohl, and also spent her free time working with Kohl.  Through hard work and dedication, she turned this "bad boy" into a nicely behaved young lad.  We found him a great home with Leslie and her young, active family.  Leslie's mom, Susan, had just adopted Patti's other foster dog, Daisy, who was Kohl's co-conspirator back in the "wild days."  Kohl is thriving in his new home, and new life, and is included in all the family's activities.  We just marvel every time Leslie sends us photos...Kohl is always exhausted and resting!  A great match all the way around!   

Daisy, above, a/k/a "Kohl's Co-Conspirator" (and seen with Kohl in the photo on the right) was adopted into the same family as Kohl.   Susan, the grandmother in the family, adopted Daisy, and her daughter Leslie adopted Kohl.  What a great family.  Daisy keeps us entertained with her letters to us, and her "blog."  She's a smart, witty dog, who has a knack for comedic musings about her life, whether it be her encounter with wild turkeys, her "worm farm" business, her life with "him" as she calls him (pictured above), canine/feline relations, weather ("It was a nice hurricane."), and family life.  She always keeps us entertained. 

Lilly is part of a litter of puppies we rescued, along with their parents, Maddie and Seymour.  The puppies were only 3 months old, but had already been abused and were fearful of humans.  Our fosters took great care of these pups and slowly taught them to trust again.  The pups have all found wonderful families and are thriving in spite of their rough start.  Lilly is pictured above with her new mom, Ryan, who will give Lilly a great home and life, and, when she needs vet care, there are two vets in the family!  You can't beat that!   **UPDATE!** Mom and dad, Ryan and Abe, write that Lilly is doing well and enjoying her new life learning how to jump logs and cuddle with Mr Paws, the cat!  Here she is in "her" new glasses!

Our foster, Laura, was fostering Duncan, shown above on a hike, and after several weeks and a scheduled meet and greet with an adopter, fell in love and couldn't let him leave!   We knew we were in trouble when Laura posted pictures of him on her refrigerator...uh-oh!  Congratulations, Laura, and you are one lucky pooch, Mr Duncan!!!

Introducing two of the "Puffball" babies, fresh off their flight from Houston!  The Mitchell family of Southbury, CT adopted little Molly (left) while the Lombardo Family of Danbury, CT adopted sister Sadie.  These two were the first of the littler of eight to be brought to their new homes in New England.  Sadly, we only had room for the 8 babies or their mom and dad and had to make a painful decision.  But, all ends well and their legacy lives on with their babies:  Demi arrived at her home in Long Island, NY on 11/4, sisters Ashley, Luna and Barbie arrived in Hartford with brother, Payton (below) on 11/4 and baby Freddie reached his new home in NY on 11/7.  We hope the families are able to stay in touch and form a bond so they can share photos and information as the babies grow into the beautiful creatures that they are.  Congratulations to all and thank you for saving these precious lives.

 Baby Peyton (above) joins the Fancher Family (including new Beagle sib, Sandy) in Torrington, Connecticut!

Introducing baby Tess, who is the newest member of The Trillo Family and a member of the "puffball" siblings!  Tess joins Baloo, her four-legged brother, as well as two teenage siblings at home in Plymouth , CT.  New mom, Brooke, said the dogs have become fast friends and played in the yard upon bringing her home.  We are sure Tess will bring years of happiness to this family - thank you for adopting a rescued puppy!  A BIG THANK YOU to foster mom, Kelly, for doing a wonderful job in training her!

Meet Satchel, formerly Freddie (above)!  Satchel was adopted by The Burdick Family of NY, who already love him.  One of the 8 puppies who started their life in a kill shelter in Houston, they were all quickly adopted and now have stellar homes.  The Burdick's couldn't be more pleased!

Here's baby Luna with new dad, Mark Collinge and daughter, Katie of Danbury, CT.  Said mom, Lisa:  "The day went great. The kids, especially the big kid, Mark...faces were priceless, Christmas morning eyes when all your dreams have come true!  Thank You for the work you do...we will save your number to pass along!"

....and here's baby Demi (right) with brother Jake!  Say's new mom and dad, Justin and Michelle Wood of Long Island, NY "Jake is reverting back to puppyhood to keep up with her!"  We are sure Demi will love her new "brother" and you both!

Meet Lyla!  As you can see from above, Lyla is far from her beginnings in the Texas heat!  She now lives quite comfortably with "her people" in Danbury, CT staying active hiking or just throwing a tennis ball around!  Says mom, Nancy:  "I can't thank you guys enough! She is an absolutely wonderful dog and she brings us so much happiness. She is so smart and sweet, easy to train, and has already made friends with our two cats. She has also made lots of doggy friends as well." Congratulations, Lyla: you're finally home.

Meet Brownie!  Brownie's Texas "owner" placed a "Free to Good Home" ad on Craigslist, hoping someone would take her "off her hands" or she would be euthanized. Poor Brownie was in such bad shape, we couldn't tell her true age and thought she was 7-8 yrs old.  Foster mom, Janet, took Brownie to the vet and had her teeth cleaned and had her vetted.  This resulted in a healthy and lovely 4-yr old pooch!  Brownie was quickly snatched up by Phil and Bev Seibell of NYC who loved her as soon as she jumped off the Rescue Road Trips truck and soon knew the hand who fed her.  Best of luck to Phil, Bev and mostly Brownie, who has come far from the cruel Texas roots she was born into.  Photo on the left is of Brownie with Connecticut adoption coordinators, Barbie and Suzanne, as they welcome Brownie to New England.

 Gus, the gorgeous yellow lab above, was at a shelter that, with 6 hours notice, decided to euthanize all its animals because a hurricane was forecasted to hit nearby.  Word of this plan got around by email, and one of our volunteers was able to make some phone calls and get Buck transferred to another safer shelter nearby.  All the other animals made it out safely too.  This precious boy is with his wonderful new family in Massachusetts who think he is the best boy in the world.  His new mom Barbara tells us that she cannot believe how much she loves this sweet boy, and that he has taken over their lives, which is fine with them! 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

             

 

Little Gus, pictured above, with his human brother, Joey, is part of a litter of puppies that our volunteer Barbara raised from the time they were born.  Gus' mom, Sadie, was dumped at the pound very pregnant.  Barbara, who volunteers at her impound, was heartbroken for Sadie, and took her home, where Sadie soon gave birth to five puppies.  We've found great homes for all the pups, and will be placing Sadie up for adoption next week.  Gus arrived in Hartford last week, and went immediately from his foster mom's house to a "meet and greet" with Kim and her family.  Kim adopted Gus on the spot!  She writes, "We want to thank you both very much for allowing Gus to join our family.  We have had a wonderful week.  He is a very smart dog as he already knows how to sit when told to for a treat.  ....  Most importantly, he puts such a big smile on Joey's face all day long.  Thank you again!"  We're so proud of Sadie's little pups, and appreciate our foster mom, Barbara, and all the compassion she shows for the animals in her area.

 Brewster, in both photos above, above, was adopted out as a small puppy, along with his sister, Bonnie, below.  Brewster is a big boy now, shown above with his new brothers.  He was adopted by Craig and Joanne, and family in New York.  The wrote us a nice note, "Thanks so much for your aid in the adoption.  Cooper was quickly part of the family and he is doing great with dog with a super personality.  He loves the boys, which is mutual, and is a pleasure around people and other dogs.  He is quick to learn commands and is very intuitive, and lots of fun.  He’s very playful and excited, but completely happy to sleep on his bed, too.  He accompanied us everywhere this past summer.  From walks in our village, hikes in the mountains, or just for visits to friend’s homes, he is always anxious to tag along.  He is about 45 lbs now, which is what we expected, and, which could be the best unexpected asset, he doesn’t shed a bit!  Copper is also a great watch dog, but is very gentle.  I would say he wouldn’t harm a fly, but that is one of his favorite activities.  I could go on and on, but just know he is doing fine.  We couldn’t have found a better dog."

Brewster's sister, Bonnie, found a great home, too!  Her new mom Judith writes:  "Bonnie, now named Lucy is a wonderful dog.  We absolutely love her.  She is gentle, sweet, smart, affectionate, playful, obedient (knows several commands) occasionally mischievous (but heck she's an adolescent now) just all around great.   The watch dog gene must have gone to her brother b/c when someone enters our house Lucy lies down and basically says rub my tummy and love me.  She's a great family dog-never impatient by being handled, hugged and pulled on by a 6 and 10 yo.  The best comment told to us is that she is "perfect" and we agree."

Summer, the beauty above, was rescued from a county pound as a small 2-3 month old puppy.  When we first met Summer at the pound, she was wearing an expensive collar and tag, but whoever dumped her had removed their contact information. All that was left was the frame where the tag had been.  We couldn't believe someone would get rid of such a little beauty, at such a young age.  It was so sad.   We got Summer out of the pound, got her fully vetted, and found her the most fabulous home in CT with Audrey and her husband, and their wonderful daughter, Victoria.  Summer proudly wears her graduation cap from Puppy Kindergarten and poses with mom and Victoria, above.  Sweet Victoria is an official volunteer with L.A.B. Rescue; she tells all her friends about Summer and her story, and plans to dress Summer as a shark and take her trick-or-treating with her; they'll be trick-or-treating for donations for one of our special needs rescue dogs!  We're so proud of our young volunteers, especially young kids like Victoria, who use their voice to raise awareness about all the dogs in need.    

Sophie (now called Maisy) and her Catahoula siblings were all adopted to New England homes, Maisy being the last to find her forever home.  When our volunteer, Barbie, delivered her to her new adopters, The Tuck Family, of Sherman, CT, Miss Maisy knew she was home!  It was so cute seeing her investigate the colorful leaves that crunched as she walked.  Here's an update from mom, Donna:  "We are doing great! She is a wonderful addition. We have changed her name to Maisy and she seems to know it already. We played outdoors this AM for 40 minutes. Went to the Biy Y and took a walk to the NY state line this afternoon. She was tired enough to nap in her crate while we golfed this afternoon!  She is eating well, doing her busness outdoors and she only woke up once last night. I think after such a long trip and several homes she is doing wonderful."  Good luck, Maisy - and welcome to New England (we can't wait to see her in the snow!)

Mandie arrived in Connecticut and was a scared little girl when she arrived off the transport truck.  Alone in the world, she went to live with our foster mom, Kelly, who provided a warm and loving home until her forever home was to be found.  Mandie attended our adoption event at Petals and Paws on 10/25 and was passed over for the smaller puppies.  Afterwards, we received a wonderful application from Lisa Porter and her family in Massachusetts who couldn't wait to meet Mandie and take her home.  Here's a photo of Mandie and Lisa's daughter getting ready for a drive.  Lisa writes, "We've had a lot of fun with Mandie. She has had tons of walks, ball time, car rides, and hugs. We've appreciated you giving our family the time to get to know her. She is a beautiful being. We love her. She has adjusted great with our little one."

Thank you, Porter Family, for giving Mandie what she hoped to find: a home!

Kathy and Hennessey, the cute girls above, were made for each other.  Kathy, a former teacher, suffered a debilitating stroke about a year ago.  Hennessey was from an abusive home, and got left behind with the abuser when the wife and child left for good.  The wife finally got Hennessey out of her former home, and asked us for help placing her.  Hennessey was so scared and afraid that she cowered when approached, and sat still like a statue for fear of what was going to happen to her.  We were working with Kathy's sister and Kathy's husband to try to find Kathy a nice dog for companionship while she recovers at home.  We felt like she and Hennessey could recover from their situations together and benefit from each other's presence.  Boy, were we right!  Look at these two!  They've made such progress together, they are great companions, and both find unconditional love and acceptance in each other.  This is one of our all-time favorite and most perfect placements. 

Coco, the chocolate beauty above, was abandoned when her family moved to a smaller home, saying they no longer had "room" for her.  We met them in a parking lot, where they handed her over to us and signed relinquishment paperwork.  Once home with her, we quickly realized she was in heat.   Well, it didn't take long to get Coco "fixed up" and ready for adoption.  We found her a great home with one of our favorite adopters, Kate, her husband, and kids, in Massachusetts.  Coco has quickly adjusted to her new life, except she's a little unsure about this phenomenon called "snow." 

Tucker (seen in two photos above) is so lucky to be alive; this poor boy was eaten up with ticks and starved when one of our volunteers went to assess him at the pound.  He looked terrible and was covered with pock marks of missing hair.  In spite of his appearance, our volunteer was immediately charmed by Tucker's loving, grateful manner, and couldn't leave him behind.  We got this sweet boy all fixed up, and, as you can see from his "portrait," (the first photo on this page) the pock marks are all gone, he's at a healthy weight, and is doing great in his new home, where he loves to lounge with his animal housemates.   His new mom, Kit, writes, "here he is in his favorite spot during the day. at night he sleeps on my bed, usually practically on top of me. he loves to rest his head on my shoulder while i read.
he and our lab, zeke are inseparable and love to play together, and he's learning not to bug the cat. he's settled in really well. those ears are the best."  The family loves the way Tucker cocks his head and raises his ears when he's in trouble; it keeps them laughing and keeps him "out of the dog house!" 

Ariel (now named "Heidi"), above, dressed as a pumpkin for Halloween, was once an unfortunate girl who was dumped in rural Texas.  Hungry and scared, she found her way to the home of the daughter of one of our rescue friends.  We were asked for help placing Ariel, and got Ariel vetted and ready for adoption.  We found her a great home with Lori and Jim in Massachusetts.  Ariel doesn't have to worry anymore about where her next meal is coming from, or whether she'll find someone who will help her.  She's got a great, enjoyable life, and wants for nothing.  Well, maybe to get that Halloween costume off! 

Kimber, the precious shepherd/lab mix above, is also ready for Halloween.  Kimber is one of the puppies that we rescued, along with their mom, Molly, from an industrial pipe yard where they were dumped in the 100 degree heat of summer.  Several of the pups didn't make it, but Kimber survived, and eventually Kimber found the perfect home.  Her sweet parents think she hung the moon, and this lucky girl is at the center of their lives.  Her sweet mom stays in touch with us, and updates us frequently.  Her mom writes, "She makes me smile everyday!  She is now our spoiled love bug!! She is an only child for now, but I am sure we will add brothers and sisters of the canine and human variety!  I am so thankful that I was looking on Petfinder that day and found my baby girl!  She celebrated her first birthday this past summer!  She loves anyone and anything that will play with her and anything that involves water!  THANK YOU PETFINDER! and a big thanks to Kimber's foster mother NIKI and her family and the group that rescued her (Sally)!! LAB Rescue and Adoption Network is AWESOME!!!"  Kimber's mom always dresses Kimber in the cutest outfits.  It is so thrilling to see dogs who were thrown away (like Kimber and her family were) living the life of a cherished family member and loved beyond words. 

Sarge, photographed above with his new dad, Mike, was being given up by his owners because they claimed he was too lively around the toddler.  Mike contacted us and knew Sarge was the dog for him.  Mike was in pharmacy school at the time, and has now graduated.  We couldn't have made a better match for Sarge; he and Mike and the gang love hanging out, and being involved with all of Mike's friends and activities.  These two single guys have such fun together.  You can see the happiness in both faces and feel the love!

These precious little siblings, Tory and Ty (photographed above with their new parents) were dumped at the pound together, and are very bonded.  We got Ty to New England first, where he was quickly adopted by Lulu and her husband and their loving family after meeting Ty at Petals and Paws in Canton at our adoption event there.  Tory remained in a foster home in Houston.  We got a call from Ty's new mom, Lulu, that she and her husband had decided to adopt Tory also, and they felt that it was the right thing to do to keep these little bonded siblings together.  We were so excited, and made arrangement for Tory to fly to her new home.  Tory arrived in Hartford, and our Coordinator Suzanne picked her up from the airport.  Suzanne met the family mid-way, and was able to snap the photo above at the moment when Ty and Tory were reunited.  Look how sweetly Tory is reaching with her paw to touch Ty.  We're very excited about these adoptions, and are so grateful to Lulu and her family for adopting both siblings.   

Little Zoey, the sheltie mix resting comfortably on the couch, was rescued by Natalie, one of our foster moms.  Natalie was emailed about Zoey, who was supposedly "rescued" by a lady, who claimed she needed to "get rid" of Zoey before her husband got back in town, because he was mistreating Zoey, and she "might" be pregnant.  Some "rescue."  So, Natalie immediately removed Zoey from the situation, we got her completely vetted, and found her a great home with her new family, Kim, Joe, and Alfie, another rescue dog.  Zoey is doing great in her new home, and will now have the life she deserves.   

 Butler is a sweet boy we rescued from a high-kill shelter when his time was up.  We found him a great home with an active family.  Butler now enjoys swimming and all the kids' activities.  His new mom writes, "The end of the summer brought the beginning of school. We call him the school mascot because he’s always there and the kids are always crowded around him.  At home he’s settled into the routine. Loves fetching, walks and is always wagging his tail. ... Have not had to teach him any commands because he seems to know them all. We did teach him to “talk”, which kind of sounds like a seal. Cute.  Wanted to send you some pictures of the handsome boy. We really feel we have gotten lucky getting him—what an easy-going, well-mannered, friendly guy.  Thank you.
 
Butler’s new family,
Larry, Carol, Nicole (10), and Jeffrey (9).

We were called by our trainer friend, Gerry, at the pound, about Maggie and Lacy, the beautiful black lab sisters above, who were turned into the pound by their owners at five years of age.  We only had foster space for one, and Maggie was our obvious first choice with her typical lab personality and outgoing friendliness.  Lacy, the smaller girl, was more introverted and reserved, and extremely dependent on Maggie, her big sis.  As we got more and more delayed at the pound, and spent at least an hour with both girls, we knew we couldn't take just Maggie, and leave Lacy behind.  We called our sweet Natalie, foster extraordinairre, and explained the situation.....Natalie, without hesitation, said "You can't leave Lacy...bring them both to me."  And, the rest is history.  It took a little longer than most adoptions, but we found a FABULOUS ADOPTER, Sheila, pictured above with her grandddaughters, who wanted to adopt two dogs!  Thanks to Sheila's big heart, and of course Natalie's big heart, these girls will stay together for the rest of their lives. 

Ami J. and Little Ben, now known as Payton, are such a great match.   One of our foster moms, Lara, had seen Little Ben running loose at an apartment complex near her mother's home.  The kids in the apartment complex told Lara that some of the men in the complex intended to use Little Ben for "dogfighting bait."  Lara told us about the conversation, and we asked her to get Little Ben the next time she saw him.  We got the call within a few days that Lara had found Little Ben running loose in the apartment complex.  She got him to safety, we got him fully vetted and to a foster home where he charmed everyone he met with his sweet innocent, fun demeanor.  Ami knew from the minute she laid eyes on Little Ben and his crazy ears that she wanted to adopt him.  The rest is history....now, these best buddies have lots of fun together and Payton Ben (P.B.J.) has the life and love he deserves! 

Sierra just loves! 

Jax, the gentle giant above, was lucky enough to get noticed by the animal control officer at the pound where he was taken as a stray.  She contacted our rescue group and asked us if we could help her find Jax a home.  One of our volunteers began working with Jax, who was very timid and scared, but very loving to anyone who would show him attention.  Jax was placed in a foster home with lots of kids, cats, and dogs, and he began to come out of his shell.  We found him a great home with Holly and her family in Massachusetts.  Holly says he is very happy and very loved. 

Kohl, pictured above with his new best friend, was rescued from the pound in the nick of time.  Kohl is a young lab, who was turned into the pound because his original family never took the time to train him or work with him, but expected him to behave like a gentleman nonetheless.  Yes, and the dog gets 100% of the blame in most of these situations!  Kohl is one of the fortunate ones; his foster mom took the time and effort to train him, teach him manners, and show him love and affection.  He's turned into a great boy, and his new family loves and cherishes him, AND continues thre training and reinforcement that is necessary with a young lab.  We always laugh at the new photos his owner sends; he's always konked out in all of them.  They must really keep this boy busy!

Ralph was one of a litter of black lab puppies we rescued from an elderly couple's home.  Their dogs were unaltered and they were unable to care for the puppies.  We arranged to have the female spayed and Ralph and his siblings all found great homes.  Ralph is shown above with his new family, the Boyingtons, fearlessly working on his dock diving skills. 

Meet AJ!  Adopted by the Chase Family of Reading, MA, mom Tina says:  "He picks which bed he sleeps in every night, is gaining weight, and has loves his squeaky toys. What I love most about him is how much he loves my boys. They are his world. I am looking forward to his first snowfall and getting it on video"

We rescued Odie from the pound; he had extensive hair loss from a massive flea and tick infestation, and his former owners found it easier to throw him away than treat his skin and buy preventatives.  We easily turned his coat around, and found him the most fabulous adopters any dog could ever want:  Soctt and Laurie.  Scott and Laurie love this boy to death, and have been such great friends of the Rescue and support us, and we count them as great friends.  Odie hit the jackpot when these great folks decided to adopt a dog in need.  We're so glad Odie will have the life he deserves and know that he'll bring Scott and Laurie lots of happiness...

We got a phone call about a beautiful little chocolate female whose stray hold was up at the pound and she was set to be euthanized. One of the animal control officers agreed to meet one of our volunteers half way, and Maddie came out of the little cage on the animal control truck like she couldn't get out of there fast enough!  The rest is history:  Maddie found a great home in New York with her new mom and dad, Peg and Jim.  Peg, pictured above, writes:  "Can't thank enough for rescuing Maddie and all the other dogs! She is perfect..seems like she was been with us forever...Thanks again.  With deep gratitude, Peg" 

Prince, the handsome yellow lab boy above, was abandoned at the pound with his brother, Patton (see next photo), when they were very young puppies.  Both boys got great homes in New England; Prince is shown above with his new dad, Mike, who, along with his wife Cheryl, couldn't wait to welcome Prince into their family.

From Patton's Mom:  "I thought I would send you a couple new photos of Patton.  I can't tell you what a wonderful pup he is!  He's got a fantastic temperament and loves everyone he meets.  We absolutely adore him.  ... We had a beautiful fall weekend and Patton thoroughly enjoyed his first experience with the leaf pile.  He and the boys spent half the morning diving in after footballs (and each other!)  I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!   We certainly can't thank you enough for all you do on behalf of dogs like Patton and for bringing him into our lives!The Stones"

Wallace is a precious baby we rescued from an awful situation where his first owner, a semi-homeless person, had been living in a motel for a month and 'got kicked out."  Wallace and his sister Lola were immediately given to a "friend" who also couldn't keep them, but thank goodness someone contacted us and we immediately took these babies.  It didn't take long to find great homes for these precious siblings.  Sis Lola is pictured a couple of photos below with her new mom, Betty, and our CT Adoption Coordinator, Barbie.  Wallace is pictured immediately above with his new mom, Darlene.  He has a loving family now, a stable home, and a doggie sibling whom he adores!

Jami, Lauren, and Biggie

Biggie, the wonderful yellow lab mix boy above, was in bad shape when one of our volunteers pulled him from the pound.  He had lots of cuts, scratches, callouses, a dry, brittle coat, fear of men, worn teeth, and heartworms on top of that.  We spent about three months rehabilitating Biggie, healing his wounds, treating his heartworms, and making his coat silky and shiny.  We found Biggie a great new home in Vermont, with one of our favorite adopters, Jami.  Jami says that Biggie is loves his new life, loves and values his nice daddy, and is a huge part of their family.  His tail is always wagging and he has been known to howl outloud with excitement.  All the neglect this boy suffered in his past is forgotten, as he has constant, love, attention, hugs, kisses, and treats from his new mom Jami, and little sis Lauren.  Biggie's favorite pastime now is curling up on his new cozy, comfy new dog beds in front of the family's warm stoves after a nice walk in the Vermont snow.         

Little Maycee, pictured above with her new mom Louisa, was found in traffic near a busy freeway.  Our rescue group was contacted for help with her.  Maycee had sores and cuts all over her head and face, poor girl.  The vet wasn't sure if these wounds were from an encounter with the road or gravel or something else.   We placed her with a fabulous foster, Sarah, who spent two months nursing Maycee back to health.  Maycee now has a beautiful coat, and there is no evidence whatsoever of the horrible wounds she came to us with.  Maycee found a great home with Louisa and her husband Mike on their beautiful farm, and now has the life she deserves. 

Libby (formerly known as "Mimi") is the beautiful chocolate girl photographed above.  Libby had Connecticut neighbors, Bev, and Sandy, both interested in adopting her!  The friends/neighbors reached an amicable decision that Bev would adopt Libby.  A couple of weeks later, we heard from Sandy, who said that she was so inspired by the lovely Lib and our rescue process that she was ready to find herself the right dog!  Sandy considered several dogs, and decided on Maggie Ann (photos to follow).  We received a nice note from Bev which updated us on Libby's happy new life and travels,  and said "I can't even tell you how much joy this dog has brought to me already. Thanks so much, all of you. Bev" 

Rusty (now "Tucker,") the gorgeous golden boy above, was found shortly after the 4th of July, by a nice lady who got him off the street and cared for him.  She called our Rescue and asked us if we could take Rusty and find him a home.  We were happy to help.  Rusty has found his forever home with Laura and Ryan, a nice young couple who live in Boston.  They fell in love with Rusty the minute they met him at his foster dad, Brian's house.  They were already approved to adopt, and took Rusty home with them immediately.  Rusty is now enjoying an active lifestyle with his new mom and dad.  Laura says they are "having a ball with Rusty..."who loves going to the local high school and fetching his Planet Dog balls and running.  Rusty is picutred above with his parents at the Boston Common and Public Gardens, where he had a blast.  Laura writes, "He is SO friendly and loves everyone- we even let him splash around in a fountain and he loved it.  Thanks again for everything, we are so out of control in love with him already, he is perfect!"  We never, ever get tired of hearing these kinds of updates from adopters.  To know that our dogs are loved and cherished makes everything we do worthwhile! 

Lola arrived into the arms of new mom, Betty, in early September and has alrady taken over the house as hers!  Lola was lovingly fostered by Suzanne in New Hartford, Connecticut.  Barbie, our CT adoption coordinator, made the introduction and as you can see from the photo, Betty is in love with her little girl.  Thank you, Betty, for opening up your heart and home to a stunning black Labbie.  She looks forward to walks and cuddles with you!

Pebbles is the little chihuahua girl photographed above, who was turned into a high-kill pound when her elderly owner was put in a nursing home.  Thanks to our volunteers, Barbie and Suzanne, Pebbles was fostered in Connecticut by a wonderful foster family, who had Pebbles two days before deciding that she was going nowhere!  They wrote us that they "want to adopt Pebbles because she's a well adjusted dog.  She loves getting attention from everyone that walks in the door, but will also go off on her own to take a nap on her bed.  She gets along well with our other pets and I'm sure she will be fine with future fosters that we take care of. She's happy sitting on your lap in the house or taking a ride in the car...she's just an all around friendly dog that will be a welcome addition to our family."  Pebbles' foster family adopted her this morning, and we're all jumping up and down celebrating this little baby's good fortune!  We couldn't be happier for all concerned, and know they'll have a wonderful life together! 

Little Lilly, a tiny baby, was dumped in our vet's busy parking lot.  One of the vet tech's found her on her way into work, brought her in, and kept her safe.  One of the volunteers was told about Lilly, met her, and the next thing you know, she was enrolled in our program.  Margot, the sister of the nice vet tech who found Lilly agreed to foster her while we got her vetted and ready for adoption.  When Lilly met her new mom, it was love at first sight.  Nancy says that Lilly has had no problem making herself right at home and that she is "going to be a great companion and friend.  I am so happy to have her."  We're so lucky that Lilly's life didn't end in that scary parking lot, but instead is just beginning!

 Meet Jeffrey, now known as "Luke Skywalker" who arrived in Connecticut in early September and into the loving arms of his foster mom, Suzanne!    And, next, the McKay Family!  (Two photos above).    Luke's story starts off sad, with his mom and siblings being shot at in their humble beginnings in TX; Luke was the lone survivor and his will to live paid off well.  Here he sits with foster mom, Suzanne, and new mommy, Julie, on Gotcha Day.  Luke will live out the rest of his days with the McKay children, two horses and a Beagle sister named Katie.

Goose, pictured above with his new "brother," was just a sad, skinny, little sickly pup when he ended up at the pound.  He had lots of missing hair from flea infestation, intestinal parasites, and was emaciated.   We nursed Goose back to health, and had no idea that this little boy would turn into the major "hunk" that he is now.  Goose loves his new life in Vermont.  He has a wonderful, active, outdoorsy family that includes him in all their fun adventures.  He's just minutes from the lake, where the family loves fishing and boating.  He's got other dogs in the family, and adoring owners. 

We rescued Barclay, the gorgeous golden boy above, from a high-kill shelter where he languished for over 3 weeks.  We're not sure why he wasn't euthanize him after the 5 day stray hold, as the majority are, but the Director at the time had a fondness for labs, which may explain things.  Anyway, as soon as we became aware of Barclay, he was placed on our list of dogs we wanted to help.  We didn't have any foster space available at the time, though.  We finally had an opening for him, and pulled him out of the pound after almost a month.  However, he had a lot of hair loss from flea and tick infestation, so we got him fully vetted and treated.  He instantly connected with his foster mom, who has a very special bond with him.  His new mom, Dale, pictured above, saw his photos and was really interested in adopting him.  Her daughter, a veterinarian in New England, reviewed Barclay's records and treatment, and gave everything the "two thumbs up."  Everyone is very happy, especially Barclay, who seems to have made himself right at home.  We love Dale's expression, which seems to be a "you're not supposed to be on the couch" look, but she tells us that it was really that she was trying to restrain herself from hugging him "and rubbing his ears!" 

Rub a Dub Dub, two men in a tub!  Mocha, the gorgeous chocolate lab in the tub above, was turned in to Animal Control by his owner.  The owner said he was travelling a lot for his job and could not properly care for Mocha.  Lucky for Mocha, Patti, one of our directors, saw this happening, and took Mocha from his owner on the spot, so Mocha didn't have to risk death and illness at the pound.  She drove Mocha to her home, and was unloading him from her car, when her nice neighbor, Bob, came over to see her latest "foster dog."  Bob immediately saw what a great dog Mocha is, and called his daughter, who was looking for a chocolate lab to adopt.  One thing led to another, and by that evening, Mocha had found his new family!  

Honey, the gorgeous yellow poker player above (OK, it is actually UNO that she's playing) must have learned her card playing skills in Bay City, where she was rescued from, because she's a natural.  We had no idea when we rescued her that her interests were so diverse.  Honey came to us emaciated and in heat and heartworm positive.  We nursed her back to health, spayed and heartworm treated her, and look at her now!  Honey had the good fortune of being adopted by a fabulous family of 6 who live in Massachusetts.  They love her dearly, and she's an integral part of their family. Honey says "it was all in the cards."

Jules, a finnish lappund, was rescued from Animal Control.  His owners took this Nordic dog with a full winter coat and forced him to live outside in a hot, humid, back yard.  Then, they turned him in to Animal Control for a sure death, and gave the reason as he "likes to dig."  Well, did they not know that the only cool spot in a Houston back yard in the summer is the earth that you find several inches down?  Jules probably didn't "like" digging, but did so to survive the heat.   Jules knew this, but his previous family did not?  Anyway, we rescued this cutie pie, and immediately had lots of interest and applicants for Jules.  We chose his mom from all the applicants.  Jules definitely traded up, and found his forever home with a Harvard research associate.   Jules has been renamed Tuuli--Finnish for "wind."  Tuuli has given up digging...he no longer needs to find cool dirt, and is an inside dog now.  In place of digging, he has taken up canoeing in New England instead.  He is shown above with his new mom above, getting set for a moonlight paddle. 
She says that he LOVES to swim and has been doing it several times a day.  She adds that "he is the best dog ever."
 

 Maggie, above, is one of the best girls we've met.  She came from very humble beginnings, in Danbury, Texas.  She was found extremely emaciated, heartworm positive, and had obviously had a recent litter of puppies, although they were not with her.  One of our volunteers agreed to foster Maggie, and over the next couple months, Maggie gained lots of weight, underwent heartworm treatment, and really flourished.  We learned that she had obviously been someone's pet, because she was housetrained, very well-behaved, and knew commands.  A wonderful couple from Cambridge, Massachusetts fell in love with Maggie, and patiently waited for her to recover.  Maggie's new family says she is absolutely perfect.  They love their daily walks together around Fresh Pond, where Maggie loves swimming and playing with her new doggie friends.  Each night, she curls up with her new family on the couch and hops into bed with Mom as soon as Dad leaves for work.  Her family spoils her with a dog-walker who visits her while they're at work.  And did we mention that this small-town Texas girl's first vacation was to Lake Placid where she canoed, hiked, and played fetch non-stop?  A truly happy ending; what a Cinderella story for this special little princess. 

Roger, the pretty yellow lab above, was dumped, along with a female basset hound, out in the country by a very cruel owner.  One of our fosters kept seeing Roger and the basset hound, but they were scared and wouldn't approach her.  She left food out for them for over a week, and finally, they let her approach them.  They began to trust her, and pretty soon, took up residence with her.  We learned that these dogs are extremely friendly and well-behaved.  We easily found Roger a great new home in Connecticut, with one of our favorite adopters, Dan, and his family (including cute son Matthew).  Rodger is now enjoying the good life, and Dan sends us lots of photos of Roger relaxing on the couch and watching T.V.  Rodger now has the kind of family he so deserves.  

Mr. Moosey was extremely scared, timid, and emaciated when found on the streets by our dear friend, Allan Levy.   Allan, as he always does, picked up Mr. Moosey, took him home, and contacted us to see if we could help.  We said, "of course," and set about rehabilitating Moosey.   He needed to gain lots of weight and be treated for a severe case of heartworms.   We quickly discovered that Mr. Moosey was one of the best behaved dogs we had ever been around and that he had extensive training.  He is really close to being a "perfect dog."  Since we only want the best for our parents, we quickly realized that Mr. Moosey would be the perfect dog for the father of one of our our volunteers, who had just lost his chocolate lab, Missy, to old age.  Mr. Moosey accompanied our volunteer, Sally,  to her parents' ranch one weekend, and quickly stole the heart of her mom, Jennie.  Moosey and his new mom are inseperable, and she calls him "her dog."  He is treated like a king.  He has gained over 30 pounds, has been successfully heartworm treated, and now loves to run, play, fetch, and swim.  He enjoys frequent visits from his big-city cousins (seen in the lake with him and a couple rescue puppies), and can't wait to get a new brother or sister so that his new dad has will have a companion to accompany him to the ranch each day.   Seems Jennie thinks Mr. Moosey should stay close to home, with her!  No worries, we'll have no trouble finding them another lab companion!   

Ashley, seen above, was rescued from Brazoria County Animal Control.  We found her a wonderful new home in Connecticut.  Her new dad, Mike, writes, "Ashley is doing absolutely wonderful. It's been almost a year since we got her and it's hard to remember her not being here. ...she just loves our 13 mth old. They get along great. Ashley remains full of energy and always seems to wear me out in the back yard before I can wear her out, but we have a blast.  We take our daily walk around the block and then she runs around me in the back yard, while I clap my hands, until she can't run anymore. She seems very happy, and proud of her home."

Melrose, seen above, was rescued from Brazoria County.  Melrose was saved from the pound because our volunteers had been searching for another dog, Taz, who looked just like him (probably one of his relatives).  That dog lived on a chain, and once his owner got wind that animal control was going to intervene, the dog disappeared and the owner claimed he "got loose."  Several months later, Melrose appeared in the pound, and our volunteers thought for sure they had found Taz.  As things progressed, we realized that Melrose was not Taz, but that Melrose was one of the nicest, smartest, most well-behaved,well-trained boys around, and that he absolutely loves kids.  He was quickly adopted by his wonderful new family, and they say he is just perfect for them. 

Avery, seen above, was rescued from the pound.  Both Avery and sister Abby (below) were dumped at this unmanned pound in the middle of the night.  Avery's new parents say this little dobie mix is absolutely precious and has made herself at home very quickly. She loves sleeping on the couch with her family after running herself to exhaustion with the family lab, who is very happy to have a friend. She is gentle and great with the couple's young grandkids. Her parents changed her name from Avery to Jasmine (after the lion in Second Hand Lions) because she was in her kennel and saw the cat and growled like a lion. 

Suki, above, was rescued from Brazoria County Animal Control. This Shiba Inu girl caught one of our volunteer's eye while she was at the pound.  We had her treated for heartworms and she is doing great.  This striking beauty is so confident, so independent, and just loves life.  Her favorite pursuits are squirrel-chasing and bird watching.  She is very serious while doing these activities so please don't interrupt her.  Her new owners say that she is everything they were told about her and more, and that she is making herself right at home. 

Butch was rescued from Animal Control (seenabove, with his mom Bernadette)/  Butch was siezed by animal control as his violent owner was taken to prison.  Butch had lived on a chain his entire life, and was bleeding with wounds and scars around his neck from a collar or the chain becoming embedded in his skin.  Since he was considered an "owner turn-in," he didn't get the three-day hold that strays are given, and thus was scheduled to be euthanized that same day.  Our volunteer saw this gorgeous boy, heard his story, and couldn't say "no," knowing his fate if she did.  When she got him home, he was able to run for the first time, but was unsteady on his feet at first, like a newborn colt taking its first steps.  Over the next month, Butch blossomed and stole the hearts of everyone who met him.  Butch has a new mom and dad, and Beagle sister, Tiny.   He loves his doggie daycare group which he attends for a couple hours while his parents are at work.  His parents think the world of him and love him to pieces.  Thanks to the miracle of rescue and adoption, this precious boy went from having no chance, and no quality of life, to complete bliss and unconditional love.

Aggie was rescued from Animal Control.  His story will be added shortly.

Bob was rescued from Animal Control when he was about 6 months old.  We nursed this little dog through parvo, an often deadly disease that puppies can get if they haven't been vaccinated.  Although it was "touch and go," for about 2 weeks, Bob rallied and beat the odds and beat Parvo!  Bob found a great home with Beth and John in CT, and we just got this note from Beth:  "Bob is doing very well.  He has gained a lot of weight and is settling in with the family well.  He is the perfect walking companion, and is so enthusiastic about going out that it motivates me every time.  When he is excited, he wags his entire body.  He is very affectionate with people and playful with other dogs.  He is quite friendly with the cats and will like them if they permit.  He also wants to play chase games with him and is very disappointed when they stand their ground and won't run.  We loved watching him have new experiences like learning to swim.  Last week he met a toad on the hiking trail and completely perplexed and uncertain about whether he could walk past...we can tell his foster care was good; he expects people to treat him well and...thank you again for nursing him through Parvo and helping him on his way to us."

Julie, above, was rescued from  Animal Control.  She is a beautiful yellow lab-mix girl, whose story isn't remarkable, but she represents a huge class of dogs who have little chance of making it out of the pounds alive.  Julie and hundreds of thousands of beautiful mixed-breed dogs like her are discarded, unwanted, and unloved.  They face imminent death in high-kill pounds, and are typically given three days to be claimed by an owner before being euthanized at the end of the third day. Most are never reclaimed.  Rescues in the South are so overloaded and filled beyond capacity that they face the heartbreaking task of picking and choosing the most adoptable dog or dogs to rescue among hundreds each week.  Rescuers in the South live with the horrible reality of "we can't help them all." The result is usually that purebred dogs are rescued first, because of adoptability.  Beautiful mixes like Julie are often left behind.   It is a sad reality, but our heartfelt thanks go out to adopters like Julie's new mom, Sharon, who see pure beauty in the mixes of the world, and whose hearts are open to them.  According to the Humane Society of the U.S., when you adopt a mixed breed, "you benefit from the combined traits of two or more breeds....and you adopt a unique companion."  Here, we love all dogs equally, and see pure beauty in EVERY DOG, mixed and purebred!

Preston, above, was rescued from Animal Control.  His story will be added shortly.

Tuffy was rescued from the pound.   His story will be added shortly.

Dusty Hooper, above, was rescued from the pound.    His story will be added shortly.

Nelson, pictured above with his new family, was found running loose and lost in the Houston area.  "Found" signs were posted all around the area, but no one ever called.  Hanne, the nice lady who found him, had heard about pounds and was reluctant to take him to one.  She contacted us, and agreed to foster him while we found him a new home.  Nelson is now in his new home in Saratoga Springs, NY, and is doing very well, settling in to the routine, and is healthy and happy.  He loves his new human family and doggie friend, Bella.  Nelson loves the mountain and coastal hikes he gets to go on with his family, and is just returning from his first vacation in Maine.   

George, above, was rescued from Animal Control.  George was only 6 months old when we recued him.  George and his brother were both timid, slightly fearful boys, but open and receptive to us.  The soon learned that humans could be loving and kind.  We found George a great new family and home, but George had become so attached to his foster that we were afraid of how he would do.  George was nervous of course but did fine, and lept into the arms of his new family the minute hesaw them!  His new mom reports that George has adjusted nicely, is very relaxed, and spending tons of time on his back with his legs spread in the air, just waiting to have a belly rub!

Lucy, the black lab above, was found dumped, extremely pregnant.  The first pup was born in the car of the lady who picked Lucy up.  One of our best fosters rescued sweet Lucy (pictured above) shortly afterward.  Lucy's 8 beautiful and healthy lab puppies all went to great homes.  We had Lucy spayed, and vetted, and found her a great home, with a totally new life than what she had known before.  Now it’s Lucy’s turn to enjoy life.  She found her forever home with Deb, a great lady, who lives on a beautiful lake in Massachusetts, where Lucy is discovering pontoon and jet boating, and swimming.  She is having a blast; this is the life she was meant to live.  Her new mom Deb writes that "it is as if she was born to be here and I am so happy for her."  So are we!  Incidentally, Lucy's new mom, Deb, is a coworker of Brady's dad, Tom (read about Brady's adoption below), and Tom referred Deb to our group.  Both L.A.B. Rescue and Lucy say "Thanks, Tom!"     

Ollie was rescued from Animal Control.  His story will be added shortly.

Hampton, the pretty chocolate lab on the right above, was rescued from Animal Control.  We quickly got him vetted, neutered, and heartworm treated, and matched him with his new family in CT, whom we had been working with for a month or so to find the right chocolate boy for them.  They just love Hampton, and say that he is a very laid back dog.  He has taken a liking to their son, Pat, and follows him everywhere he goes.   

Sully was rescued from Animal Control.  Elizabeth, one of our volunteers, committed early to save Sully.  Even though her house was full of other fosters, our dear friend at the pound held onto Sully for about two months, waiting for Elizabeth to make room.  She finally did, and thank goodness all worked out for Sully.  Given this, and the "black dog curse," (so many black dogs don't make it out of pounds), it was nothing short of a miracle that Sully made it out alive.  Sully's mom spotted him on our website and knew right away that he was the dog for her.  We're so please that she committed to him so quickly, just as Elizabeth did.  Sully's new mom, Kathy writes that "he is just delightful, very affectionate and sweet.  We feel like we were made for him and he for us! ...Needless to say, he has stolen our hearts.  We love him already, he was worth the wait, ...and is a joy!  Thank you ladies for the work you do, one dog at a time." 

Nevada, the yellow lab above, was rescued from  Animal Control.  His story will be added shortly.

Teddy, above, was rescued from Animal Control.  His story will be added shortly.

We believe that Windsor, the beautiful black lab above, was abandoned or lost by hunters because he was found on a weekend during hunting season in an area frequented by duck hunters.  Many labs in the South turn up this way.  We rescued Windsor, and helped send him on his way to a better life in the northeast.  Thank goodness Windsor's hunting days are over, and it looks like this labrador "reciever" taken up the slightly gentler sport of football.  His new mom, Kate, says Windsor is the best dog ever, and they love him tons.  Touchdown!

   Virginia, the chocolate beauty pictured above, was rescued as a four month old puppy from the pound.  She was shy and introverted at first, but her new family reports that she is happy and settling in nicely!  She loves going on walks with the kiddos, and is making herself right at home. 

Buddy, shown above, is an exceptionally beautiful lab boy.  He languished for three weeks in Animal Control pound while volunteers tried to locate his owner.  He was wearing a current rabies tag, but it was registered to another dog who was safe at home.  After days and days of calling the vet's office and investigating every lead, we came to a dead end.  Buddy patiently waited in the shelter and was sweet, gentle, and calm the entire time.  His owner never called the shelter or came looking for him.  When he was rescued, he had to undergo heartworm treatment and other vetting, but soon found his forever home in Massachusetts, where he enjoys playing fetch at his neighborhood playground, walks and runs along the Charles River, and weekends and summers at the family farm in the Adirondacks, where he mingles happily with the chickens and cows, and helps with farm chores. 

Tennessee, now named Oliver, is such a striking, unique boy.  He was such a scared, insecure boy when one of our volunteers rescued him from Animal Control.  He was quickly adopted.  It didn't take Oliver long to get accustomed to his new life.  He's  undergone an extreme makeover, that is, from shy country boy, to a Central Park regular.  Oliver's new family lives across the street from the Park, and he hangs out there almost daily, running with, chasing, and playing with other dogs.   He has a great new life and a great new family and hardly remembers his humble beginnings! 

Stanton, the adorable chocolate lab boy above, is one of our favorite dogs ever.  He ended up in the pound, even though he was well-taken care of, heartworm negative, and neutered.  We couldn't believe that an owner never came looking for Stanton.  Sharon, a tireless volunteer and advocate for the animals, had seen Stanton and the pound and wouldn't give up on him, even though she couldn't take him herself.  She contacted us, and next thing you know, Stanton was enrolled in our group.  We knew we could find Stanton a perfect home, but we didn't know how long it would take because Stanton is a little older than most dogs we get.  Guess what?  In less than a month, Shaun and Stephanie, his new parents, fell in love with Stanton, as he reminded Stephanie of her previous dog.  They both have a soft spot in their hearts for older dogs who might not find new homes as easily as the younger dogs and puppies.  We've never been so thrilled as when this all came together, and Shaun and Stephanie adopted Stanton.  Look at the devotion, and appreciation on that boy's face!  Stephanie looks pretty happy too!  Many, many thanks to the Shauns and Stephanies of the world who open their hearts and homes to deserving dogs like Stanton.    

Sam is the precious yellow lab boy above.  At age 6, he was given up by his owner because she is fighting a terrible disease and could no longer tend to or give Sam any attention.   She tried and tried to find Sam a new home, but nearly gave up and had plans to take him to a shelter.  We quickly enrolled Sam in our program, and within a week, Sam was in his new home with his lovely new family.  Sam moved from city life in Houston, Texas, to life on a farm with horses in Massachusetts.  Lucky Sam!  Sam's new family, Laura, Bob, Kate, and Alex, report that Sam is doing great, and he is acclimating nicely to his new climate and lifestyle.  We are so happy for this wonderful boy!  He was truly blessed with an early holiday miracle!         

Ruby, above, was rescued from the pound in Danbury, Texas.  We received the following from her new mom, Liz:

A Christmas Card

"Dear All, Ruby is a wonderful member of our family.  She and I jog and walk together quite often and she also enjoys playing with her Kong toy and tug with a canvas frisbee.  She attends doggie day camp 3x a week and enjoys all of the social interaction with the other dogs.  Tom has been teaching her to lay down and to stay.  She's been a good student.  
 
We love her so much and are so blessed she is a member of our family.
 
Thank you all for your assistance during the adoption process." 
 
Liz

Brady, above, was rescued from a Bay City, Texas' city pound right before Hurricane Ike made landfall.  He was such a well-behaved dog from the beginning, and it was clear to his foster that he had never been allowed in a house and was over-disciplined.  His foster had to lead him inside on a leash for him to come in, and was still nervous about it then.  When Brady wanted attention, he sat perfectly still at attention.  His foster kept telling Tom and Jane that Brady really was "the perfect dog."  Tom, Jane, their kids and dog Ally adopted this boy sight-unseen, putting faith in the process and what the foster told them.  Tom called shortly after Brady arrived in the northeast, and said "Well, now I have two perfect dogs."  Tom and his family take Brady and Ally on walks each day.  Not only can Brady come in the house now, he sleeps in the bed with his family and has his choice of couches.  Even though Tom is very impressed with his "perfect dog," he said that now he just wants Brady to learn how to relax, have fun, and enjoy being a dog.  We found the "perfect adopters" for our boy, Brady.  We are so proud of them, and him, and know they'll have a perfect future together.  

Penn, another beautiful boy we found in the Brazoria County pound, is pictured above with his new sister Abby.  Penn found a great new home with new parents, Michael and Holly.  They live above a big lake and wilderness area, and plan to take lots of walks, hikes and swims and give Penn the great life he deserves.  Michael and Holly wrote us that "the following days and weeks we are sure will be filled with changes and growth...We are SO please to have 'double chocolate' back in the house.... tomorrow we are sure will be another sweet adventure."  A tried and true recipe for happiness: double-chocolate!   

Penelope (pictured above), now 4 months old, and her siblings were abandoned in a box in front of a vet clinic in December just days after their birth, when they needed their mother the most.  All the newborns survived, thanks to one of our favorite vets (the same vet who rescued Daisy and all her pups below).   Penelope's new mom, Stephanie, says they are thrilled to have Penelope, and writes:  "Penelope is just the sweetest, best natured little dog!  Her tail just wags non-stop.   We're all crazy about her!  She's been dishing out kisses since the second she came off the truck. It was so sweet today to see the long line of happy families waiting to meet their new buddies!  Thank you all for the great work you're doing.  Penelope looks so healthy and is so happy--its clear she's had the best of care.  Thanks for trusting us to be her forever family.  Please keep up the good work!!"  Stephanie says that Penelope believes she found her mommy in Stephanie's oldest daughter.  Penelope follows her new "mommy" around constantly, and sleeps with her, etc.  A very happy and perfect situation for a little puppy who was cruelly seperated from her real mother at such a critical time in life.

Munson, the chocolate lab puppy above, was named after the famous Yankees baseball player by his new family.  He was dumped and abandoned at a construction site in Houston, Texas.  A nice man found him, and took him home, where he was cared for and vetted.  To help find him a permanent home, Munson was enrolled him in the our program.  He was adopted to a wonderful family in Connecticut, and now spends his days with his new family and their other lab, Maya, who is taking great care of him and showing him the ropes.      

Luke, the beauty pictured above in the bunny scarf, was rescued from Montgomery County Animal Control.  We get really excited and happy over EVERY adoption.  We absolutely love it when our adopters are as excited and happy as we are!  Luke, the beautiful golden/lab boy we rescued (pictured above in the cute bunny scarf) was adopted by Kathy, one of our favorite ladies, who sent us the following note, when she got home with him:  "WE ARE IN LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is absolutely beautiful!  He is such a good boy!!!!!! WE are very happy with him. Of course I cried when we picked him up. I thought this day would never come.  WE can't thank you enough for everything you did for us and what you do every day to save lives."
THANK YOU A MILLION TIMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kathy"  Thank you, Kathy, for your joy and excitement over this precious boy! 

Koko is a beautiful boy who was turned into the pound by his owners as they chose to reliquish him to a kill-shelter rather than pay for fine for him not having a rabies shot.  We rescued this precious boy, who is wonderfully behaved and so sweet.  His new mom says he is beautiful boy and just the perfect size!  As soon as he arrived in his new home, he gave his new family lots of kisses and affection.  Both mom and dad are excited to have a new exercise buddy and their kids love their new best friend.   

Jim, the beautiful English Springer Spaniel mix above, was a Hurricane Ike victim, seperated and lost from his family, ultimately ending up in the pound.  One of our special foster moms, Sarah Sang, who grew up with and loves springers, offered to keep Jim for us until a permanent home could be found.  Jim's sweet nature and temperament and ability to get along with everyone made him easy to place.  He now lives in the Medical Center area, and his new family says he fits in beautifully and the boys love having a new best friend!

Georgia, the black lab on the left, was pulled at the last minute from the Brazoria County pound.  She was very young, but already had heartworms, a recent pregnancy, and lots of energy.   We nursed Georgia back to health, treated her for her heartworms, and gave her some basic obedience training.  She really blossomed into a beautiful, healthy, happy, well-behaved girl.  Georgia found a great home with Julia, pictured above, her parents, Joel and Denise, and her look-alike brother, Rudy, who, turns out, has even more energy than Georgia.  Rudy and Georgia play all day and wear each other out, chasing and wrestling each other.  Georgia's new mom says that she "could not imagine a better fit for our family." 

We rescued Emma from Animal Control on the same day as Sam and Aiko.  These three beautiful labs, thrown away by previous owners, all "fostered" together and found "forever" homes near each other in the northeast.  Emma now lives with her new mom and dad in Massachusetts, and enjoys long walks around the lake and spending together time with her new family. 

Chile Jack Wilson's new mom sent us such a nice letter when she got little Chile home(Chile is pictured above, weighing in at a strapping 4.5 pounds):

Hello!  I love Chile! He is such a cute guy! He has such a fantastic personality and is so funny! He loves giving kisses and won't leave my lap! He and my other dog are really getting along well and they were running around in my yard earlier! I gave him a treat, and he does the cutest little begging pose, it is adorable! He also pops up a front leg, which is very cute, I think he does that when he is curious or half-begging. And he circles, too funny. He loves to catch flies with his mouth, and actually caught one! I have never met a dog like this, and I think his personality is hilarious! I have laughed out loud several times! And he kisses on command! He is so cute, he is falling asleep right now, and wants to stay up, but can't keep his eyes open. Thank you so much! He is such a perfect match for me, my dog and my cat. He has totally bonded to me and I to him, and won't leave my side, and fits in so shockingly well with my quirky pets!  Thank you thank you thank you!!  Jessica

Chace, the adorable fluffball above, made it to his new home this month after being in a foster home for almost a year!  He was adopted by a mother-daughter team, Susan and Allison, who say that he has nice manners and is a true southern gentleman!!  They say he's a sweet cuddler, and a great new friend to their dogs Lily and Jack.  To his special foster mom, Genevieve, they wrote:  "THANK YOU SO MUCH ...The information you gave us about him, his likes, habits, the words he knows, and just little bits of information about his personality have been so helpful.  We know you must miss his jolly presence around your house. We hope you can rest easy knowing that we are going to love him to pieces, just like you do.   Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for sharing this special dog with us.  We know now exactly what you mean, he is one of those rare heart dogs.  What a blessing that he was rescued by you.  We are totally smitten with him."  Chace is such a lucky boy to have found his way to Susan and Allison, and we are lucky to have such awesome adopters!       

Everyone who meets Buster Brown says he's one of the most special dogs ever.  He has that special "something."  Whether it his charm, his looks, his silly underbite, or his "almost human" quality, we don't know.  Maybe it is the way he cocks his head, furrows his brow, and seems to understand when you talk to him.  Whatever it is, Buster Brown charmed his way out the pound, where he had little hope of getting out, to a fabulous home and family who love him dearly.  His new master is a big, strapping high school hockey player, who Buster has wrapped around his little "paw."  His new dad is the Postmaster in their town, and Buster easily charms his way past the "Seeing Eye Dogs Only" sign.  He has a wonderful mom, Annette, and grandma, all in the same house.   They all say that Buster is a special dog who keeps them constantly entertained and guessing as to what he'll do next.  Annette reports that everyone loves him and they are extremely thrilled to have him! 

Buddy went from a neglected boy, thrown-away by his owners, to king of the mountain.  Pictured above with his new dad, Kevin, Buddy was going to be given up to a high-kill shelter by his owners after six years with them because "they had a new baby" and didn't have time for him anymore.  We rescued Buddy, and found him a great foster home with Ron, one of our best fosters.  Ron gave Buddy all the attention he had been denied for so long.  He thrived and loved being in a home environment after being banished to a backyard for too long.  He was recently adopted to his new parents, Catherine and Kevin, who say he is a wonderful boy, and he fits in as if he's always been with them!   He looks awfully proud of his new papa!

Bubba was turned into the pound by his owner because their home was forclosed on, and his owner had to move into an apartment with his brother.  We knew it would be easy to find Bubba a new home, and we rescued him right away.  His new mom Amy says that Bubba plays all day with their puppy, Pepper, and that he is sweet, gentle, and wonderful.  Bubba and Pepper attends doggy play groups now, and doggy day care while his parents work. She says he loves his new life with them, and everyone who meets Bubba loves him. 

Another of Daisy's pups with her proud new family! 

Little Benson, above, was part of a litter of puppies born to Daisy, a poor dog who was chained at an abandoned house while pregnant.  Daisy was rescued just days before she gave birth to her pups.  A wonderful vet who helps with many of our dogs, fostered Daisy and all her pups.  They had the best of care, and once they were of age, we adopted them out to great homes.  Benson now lives in Boston with his wonderful mom and dad.  His mom Jessica reports that Benson is a great puppy and they love him very much! 

Oh my gosh, look at Belle now!  We just received a letter from Belle's dad, Steven, with Belle's "Happy New Year" photo attached (see third photo, Belle in the snow at her home in the Hamptons).  We almost didn't recognize her!  Compare that to the picture just above (taken a couple months before).  Belle was so emaciated when she was rescued from the pound that you could see all her ribs and backbone.  She was extremely thin, timid, and scared a month later when Bruce and Steven adopted her.  She had obviously been abandoned or lost for quite a while, but had an owner in the past as she was housetrained and well-mannered.  It took her several months to come out of her shell and realize that her life is good now and she has nothing to fear.  She is in the best possible hands.  Bruce and Steven, two of our favorite adopters EVER, and their beautiful daughters, Kimberly and Jackie, are so kind and nurturing.  They are the reason for Belle's total metamorphosis into the majestic, confident, regal beauty shown in the top photo.  We couldn't be prouder!  Bruce and Steven tell us that Belle is as happy as she can be now, and is inseperable from her best friend, Kayla, their maltese.  This lucky Texas-transplant, now "Manhattan girl" has it all....and has blossomed into the magnificent, gorgeous girl she was always meant to be!  Thanks so much to our friends, Bruce and Steven!  

Lexi, the beauty below, was turned in to Animal Control by her owners when they moved from a home to an apartment.  She was rescued and enrolled in our program, and was adopted to Alice, a wonderful lady whose daughter had just adopted another dog from us.  Lexi is a huge hit with the whole family, and they report that she has beautiful manners and is a total sweetheart.  Lexi's new mom tells us that if it weren't for Lexi's rescue, she might not have had the chance to make their family so happy.  Lexi and her new brother, Brady, love to fetch, and Brady keeps trying to teach Lexi that the yellow kong is his, and the pink one is hers.  She likes his yellow one though.  He picks her pink one up, drops it in front of her and takes his yellow one back!   Alice says it is as though she has always been part of the family and that Lexi is perfect for them. 

Charlie was rescued from Animal Control (he's  the handsome boy above posing nicely in front of his pool in the Hamptons) just in the nick of time.  His new mom Shelley says that he is such a good boy and they really love him.  Charlie has decided that he much prefers the cooler coastal climate of Southampton to the sauna-like humidity and hundred-degree heat of his former home.  Who can blame him.  We hope that Charlie is sharing his success story with his nice N.Y. neighbors while "out and about," and that he's busy recruiting new adopters for the other needy southern-state pups!

 Trudy, pictured above with her new mom, Mylyn, is another one of Daisy's puppies, who found a great home in the Northeast!   

 Wallace, one of Daisy's boys, with his new dad Marcin!

     Duke was emaciated and nearly starved to death when he and numerous other dogs were seized from a hoarder masquerading as a "rescuer."   Duke lost almost 40 pounds during the 4 month period that he was at this woman's house.  One of our volunteers agreed to help Duke, and pulled him from  Animal Control.  She rehabilitated him over a three month period, and he was adopted in late April by a wonderful young couple, Kristin and Kelsey, who got married in August of 2008.   Kristin, his new mom, says that he is the MOST loving, grateful dog she's ever seen, and that he won't leave her or Kelsey's side.  He has a new Pug sister, and has been given a "clean bill of health" and can start exercising and doing everything else a “healthy” dog can do!  Kristin says that Duke has been a blessing to her family and that it's hard to remember life without him.  May they all enjoy "happily ever after" together!     

       Sam is the gorgeous boy in the photo above.  He spent over a month in a hot, outdoor pound before being rescued by one of our volunteers.  He was then fully vetted, including a two-month course of treatment for heartworms.  His new mom patiently waited for him in New Hampshire, and checked on him almost daily by phone or email.  She said he was sooo worth the wait, and absolutely loves him to death.  She couldn't wait to show him off to her co-workers, who had helped her find just the right dog.  Lucky Sam enjoys the cooler climate and spending time with his new owners and his new lab brother, Jack, on the Merrimack River.   

      Jetta is the black lab girl on the left in the picture above.   Animal welfare officers seized Jetta from her previous owner because of extreme cruelty (extreme beatings).  She spent the next month in the pound because of the legal case against her former owner, and was eventually rescued and placed into our organization.  Volunteers found a great home in Massachusetts, and her new family says she is a great fit.  She is shown here resting with her new brother, Sam, whom she looks a lot alike! We hope that her former owner and doesn't get another dog to abuse.  At least Jetta is safe.    

We rescued Aiko, the yellow lab above, from Brazoria County Animal Control, along with Emma and Sam.  Aiko was scheduled for euthanasia the same day that one of our volunteers was there transporting another dog to a Houston rescue.  She saw Aiko, and called one of the northeast volunteers about him.  It just so happened that a wonderful lady named Carol from Connecticut had just called, looking to adopt a yellow lab.  One thing lead to another, and Carol, her hubby, and beautiful kiddos decided on the spot to adopt Aiko, saving him from a sure death just hours later.  Aiko is living the good life in Connecticut, where he goes boating, swimming in the ocean, and on weekends, exploring in the Adirondacks.  Aiko is such a generous, grateful pup; several times since his rescue, Aiko has sent our volunteer flowers, framed photos of himself with beautifully written inscriptions, gift cards for the current rescue dogs, and wonderful treats.  What a gentleman!          

Brady, pictured above, was rescued from the Baytown pound on the day they euthanized all the remaining animals because the shelter was closing for remodeling.  Several groups, including ours, agreed to help, so two of our volunteers made an hour's drive in the pouring-down rain to the shelter.  Contruction had already begun despite the storm, and our volunteers were racing back and forth to the car in the drenching rain and mud, loading Brady and all the other animals that would fit in the car...big dogs, small dogs, and even cats who had to ride in the volunteers' laps.  It was a crazy night, but that is the story behind sweet Brady's near-death experience!  He was adopted in the northeast by his new mom, Tracey, and now enjoys a wonderful life with her and her family, including his new best friend, her mom's german shepherd.

 

Mack, pictured in both photos above with his new family,  was just a year old when he was rescued from the pound.   He is such a special pup who is calm, gentle, and beautiful, all in one.  He has a fantastic home and new family in Connecticut, where he enjoys long walks, the preschool playground, and running errands in the car with his wonderful new mom, Jen.  His new brother Elliot may be one of the cutest kids we've ever seen!