SUCCESS STORIES FROM LAB RESCUE NORTH CAROLINA

We want to hear your story! Please let everyone know about your "angels in furry pants"! Please email your success to lrnc@labrescuenc.org. Please include a picture and short story. Thanks!





In Loving Memory

Diggs left this world much too early. He showed many people the true lab spirit and had love for everyone. Diggs you are loved, and will be missed.













DUKE

Duke came to Lab Rescue of NC in the spring of 2011. He had been mistreated but still loved people. Duke was adopted by his loving foster family and passed away shortly from a stroke or heart attack. Duke was fortunate to be in a wonderful foster home for over 4 months and knew nothing but love and kindness. He will be missed by all of the Lab Rescue of NC family.














My wife and I laid to rest our beloved 16 year old Black Labrador X Golden Retriever ( Sawyer ) in March 2010. I told my wife that I wanted to wait at least a year before looking into another "family member". A few months passed and I began to think about adopting another dog as the need is tremendous. We came across LRNC (what an absolutely terrific organization) and initiated the adoption process. We looked into several dogs and tried to find a good match for our family (important). One day, Sabin, a 3 year old Yellow appeared on the website. He was heartworm positive. He looked athletic (even though he was ~15 pounds underweight), sound and had gentle eyes. Somehow, I could tell he was a great candidate for me. On June 1, 2010, Sabin began his new life with us as he traveled with me down I-40 to his new home in the NC mountains. Sabin came to us with ABSOLUTELY NO TRAINING and revealed he had come from another tough upbringing. After months of love, intense training and attention he has made A LOT of progress. He now walks proudly into the house and is no longer scared of many " routine situations ". Sabin is now 87 pounds and is very healthy. He is athletic, powerful, gentle and smart. Over the Summer, Sabin acknowledged his love for water and Frisbees. He is an immensely powerful swimmer and Frisbee jumper. This is his calling. If you are considering adopting a Labrador from LRNC, please know that some of these dogs (just like "my boy") will require a lot of love and patience. It is so worth it. Thank you LRNC ! Sincerely, T, J and Sabin













Simon

Simon came to Lab Rescue with horrible orthopedic issues. He ruptured his knee ligaments and no one cared enough to fix them. We kept Simon available for adoption for over a 1 year before his pain level became obvious that he would need to stay with his foster family. Simon loves his foster family and is so grateful for the love they have given him and follows them everywhere they go.













Milo and friends

Milo (yellow) makes the third dog we've adopted from LRNC! Milo is doing great he fits in here like he always belonged! We are just so happy to have gotten 3 great(AMAZING) labs from LRNC









Sammy

Hi, my name is Sammy. I was adopted almost a year ago by my really cool new parents. They spoil me rotten! In June we moved to Las Vegas, Nevada because of my Dad's job. We drove from North Carolina to Nevada and I got to see a good portion of the United States. I've marked my territory on every tree from Raleigh to Vegas! I had a lot of fun over the summer; we went hiking and boating almost every weekend. I love swimming and I even jumped over some waves in the Pacific Ocean. My latest adventure was rock scrambling at a place called Red Rocks. I'm still sore! My parents have figured out my love for tennis balls and my Dad and I play indoor fetch regularly...my parents have to clean off all the tennis ball marks off the walls after we finish our game. Outdoor fetch is tough, there is no grass, and the rocks hurt my paws. The only downside at this new place is the heat...I guess I dressed inappropriately for the desert. I've tried to be a really good boy since my folks give me lots of love and attention. I'm trying to learn new tricks like sneaker retrieval, and sit-stay. Thanks Lab Rescue for hooking me up with my new foster parents, my new life has been awesome! -- Sammy Dog (adopted 22 Nov 08)





Wrigley

We can't thank LRNC enough for bringing the most affectionate, gentle, playful and laid-back Lab in the world into our lives!! "Veer," who now boasts the Cubs-loving name "Wrigley," came into our lives eight months ago. He was a little shy and timid at first, but has warmed up well. On his morning and afternoon walks and swims, he rarely meets a stranger he doesn't want to rub up against for a belly rub, he wags his tail and excitedly greets fellow four-legged friends, he happily runs to his dog bed and his treat before we leave for work, and always alerts us to visitors at our door with a confident "Woof!." We feel so lucky - thank you again!





Coco

Coco is a fantastic dog and I can thank you all enough for taking her in and making it possible for her to be a part of our family. Here are a few pictures taken this weekend showing her happily going backpacking with me at South Mountain State Park. She not only carried all of her gear and food, she very easily slept in my tent and was a great companion on my trip. She also got to show off her water skills at every possible opportunity, there were lots of streams and creeks for her to jump into!





Trudy

Trudy, or as we call her "Tru-Love", has been so wonderful for our family and we are so lucky we found this sweet girl through LRNC. Our family had recently been through a very tough time when our two beloved family dogs died 6 weeks apart from each other. Our house wasn’t the same without our dogs; it was quiet, still, and too clean- even with my two young children in the house. Nothing felt right, until the Sunday we met Trudy and brought her home to visit. We fell in love and she hasn’t left since! She is an older girl, and yes, we might not have quite as many years with her, but what we do have will be the best. I like to say Trudy is the medicine we needed; the only thing that could cure our heartache was to love another dog that also wanted and needed to be loved. It’s funny, we don’t know her history or anything about her, but that doesn’t matter; we have a new story to write in both her and our lives now. This has been our first time adopting a rescue dog, but not the last. It is such a rewarding and neat experience to say the least. We are ever so thankful for Trudy finding her way to our home, whatever long and winding road she took to get here.





In Loving Memory

Mason was one of the first dogs officially rescued by Lab Rescue. Mason was adopted by a LRNC member and quickly became part of the Lab Rescue family. He had a terrible beginning to his life, but once he was rescued-well his life was simply wonderful. Mason was a wonderful friend. Mason attended many rescue events to try and educate people what great friends rescue dogs could be. At nearly 13 years old, Mason was still very much young at heart. Everyone at Lab Rescue sends their deepest sympathy to his family. Mason will be terribly missed.





Brody

Brody is doing SO well after his first surgery! He is getting around great and happier than ever. He loves playing with his "brother" Marley and they cuddle together every night. He can even swim well and fetch the ball now. He's learned his commands and tricks very quickly and will perform them all everytime you say the word 'treat'. There isn't a sweeter, more affectionate dog on the planet and i'm so grateful to have him. If having a 3 legged dog doesn't teach you how to be grateful and patient nothing will!! I am thankful everyday for all the help and happy thoughts people sent his way!!



Jake

I adopted Jake (aka Joshua) in January 2009. Since we've been together, he's learned so much and he's enjoyed his time with me & my sister’s dogs, Marley and Brody. He loves to play outside and chase cats, but I think he enjoys cuddling up with me even more! Even though he's not allowed to give kisses on my face, he loves to hug. Although jumping up on people isn't the best trick to know, he's learned to do it only when I want him to -- he's very good at it! He's learned how to sit, speak, shake, and lay his head on a pillow. We're still working on stay, but I like to have him near me anyway. Thanks for rescuing Jake so that I had the opportunity to adopt him!





Rolo

We adopted “Cassie” on December 5, 1998. We renamed her Rolo and watched her grow quickly. As our family grew to 2 “human kids” she was still our baby and became a loyal friend to both of the kids. Rolo enjoyed her Kong toy above anything else. She would spend hours playing as the kids threw it over and over. Rolo never met a person she didn’t like. Cats to were friends of Rolo’s. As the years passed Rolo slowed down but her dedication to her family was overwhelming. We lost rolo on February 4, 2009 to congestive heart failure. We are so thankful to Lab Rescue for taking a chance on an abondanded lab from VA. We had 11 amazing years with Rolo and look forward to opening our hearts to another lab rescue when Rolo puts one in our lives.

Laddie

I just wanted to let you know how wonderful Laddie has been. I adopted him almost five years ago and it seems like yesterday. His vet refers to him as "a whole lot of happy" and that is exactly what he is every day all day. Although I like to believe I am number one in his eyes as well, I play second fiddle to the true love of his life, his rubber chicken. He loves walking through the neighborhood visiting the neighbors, running through the sprinkler on hot days and most of all sleeping on mom's couch while she is away at work. I couldn't have asked for a better best friend.

Boomer

After losing my beloved Golden Retriever to cancer on New Year’s Eve 2007, I knew I would eventually get another dog to fill the void. Adopting Boomer in February 2008 helped save and brought joy to both of us. We had some (now humorous) “challenges” at first—coming home to find him looking like a chicken after attacking my duvet, being doubtful whether he would graduate from obedience school—but he is now a wonderfully adjusted, happy, loving dog who gets along with every person and dog he meets. He loves his morning walk with a stop at Java Jive where he receives milk-bones from the employees as well as other patrons. His favorite activity is his afternoon and weekend trips to the dog park where he is a well-known “regular.” He delights and entertains the other dog owners as he runs, plays, and jumps over their dogs (as if they are hurdles). Additional “pastimes” include snoozing on the bed in the morning sunshine and watching tv in the evening on the couch while receiving pets. He went to the lake for the first time this summer and couldn’t get enough of frolicking in the water and swimming to retrieve his Kool Kong. He hasn’t forgotten those who are less fortunate than him—he is an enthusiastic participant in charity dog walks.

Bear

I wish this picture of Bear (adopted last May) was a little more clear. It is clear enough to show you how attentive he can be and how well trained he has become. He is so sweet and loves walks with his yellow lab sister, Babe, and his service black lab brother, Tovey. Our 13 yr old lab, Babe, had lost her son to cancer and was so depressed and down. Bear showed up on the scene and she acts happy and 10 years younger.





Sammy

Sammy has been great! Unfortunately, he is a bit of a Starbucks junkie. He hangs out the truck window and leans into the drive-thru window to get a cup of whip cream. We can't drive past the place without him going nuts. He was very well dressed for New Years!





Leonard and Sasha

Leonard and Sasha were both Lab Rescue dogs. They love each other and have the best time playing









Duke (aka Sparta)

Just want to let you know how happy we are with our dog. We adopted him last January and he has been a great spirit and love for our house. He is now 1 1/2 and has all the spirit a lab should have! He gets along great with our 11 yr old choc lab - even protected her this morning when a dog started growling at her.





Amos

Amos truly is a sucess story! He nearly died from heartworms and spent most of last Christmas in the doggie ICU. Just look at him now! Thanks to his mom for taking such great care of him!









Frankie

Sometimes a successful story for LRNC is the case where we save a Labrador from a shelter only to give it the best possible life for the short time it has remaining. That is Frankie’s story. Frankie was pulled from a shelter because his time was up. LRNC discovered that he was extremely vision impaired but he did a good job hiding it! We began fostering him over Labor Day weekend. It was obvious to us that Frankie had never been inside a house, not house trained, and didn’t seem to know any commands. Plus, he didn’t know Frankie was his name since that was just a name he was given. We think he was probably just left in a dog lot without much attention, if any. However, he LOVED his crate, loved attention, and had a wonderful disposition. He was always a happy go lucky dog and very smart. Always had to put his big ole’ nose into everything to inspect it (hence the soap suds in the one picture). We had been fostering Frankie about 1.5 months when one morning he was limping all of the sudden. That was when I discovered a hard lump near his armpit. It grew rapidly and he had surgery to remove what turned out to be a very aggressive form of cancer. Unfortunately, the tumor came back so fast that after only a month following the surgery, Frankie had to be euthanized because he was in pain and would barely touch that paw to the ground. LRNC supported us both emotionally and financially the entire time. During his time with us, EVERYONE who met Frankie was touched by him. Mostly because his attitude was always good and happy, even when we knew he felt bad. Frankie loved going to the vet and they loved having him there. They all said he was one of their favorites and I believe it by the way he pulled me in there. Even with all the disruptions, Frankie learned some basic commands, house manners, and was housebroken. He obviously loved living the indoor life. We only had Frankie 2.5 months. We only hope we made as big a difference in his life as he did ours. ~Frankie's foster mom

Trixie

Here's a little look at Miss Trixie. What a sweet and loving dog she is. She's so anxious to please and she seems to be happy in her new home. She has spent all nights sleeping on her own dog bed next to her new "brother" Glenn with no fuss at all.A happy outcome for all. We are grateful every day for all the love and care you gave her.





Jolie

We got our litle girl Jolie from Lab Rescue 4 years ago. Wow does time fly! She is absolutely the sweetest, most loving dog ever. We have since rescued another lab on our own and the same is true for her. There is something about the bond rescue dogs and their people form when they are loved and cared for. Labradors are truly devoted friends and greet each day joyfully! Adopt a labrador!

Visigoth

I wanted to send you a note to commend you on your work and share some of our memories of Visigoth (who was named Roscoe when we adopted him in the summer of 2002). He was recovering from Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and heartworms when we first met and it took time to mend the his broken spirit (which we attribute to a previous life in an abusive home), but he’s worth it. He’s a little slower now than he was then, but he has been a terrific companion to us and to our two young children. These are some pictures of our first “furry son.” He really is the best dog we could have asked for. So thanks again for all that you do and know that what you do enriches the lives of dogs and families across the state and beyond. Best wishes, The P Family

Cricket

We are so happy Cricket has joined our family! What a joy she is, and we're looking forward to her first Christmas as part of our Family. Thanks! Have a Merry Christmas!-Cricket's new family





Sophie

We are so happy that Sophie joined our family a little over a year ago (09/18/2007). She is a sweet and wonderful girl and we love her a ton - I am so happy to have her in our family! She loves and gets along great with her sister Lexie (also a rescue) they are inseparable. We have a lot of fun together! :-) Thank you for all you do for these wonderful dogs like Sophie who are great and loving companions and absolutely deserve a loving home.

Yogi

Yogi is loving life with his new family! He cannot wait until Santa comes!









Deacon

I am so happy that Deacon (formerly Big Boy) came into our lives. He is a wonderful, loving 7 year old boy with a little gray around his muzzle. Deacon lives with me on my horse farm, and really likes helping with barn chores. He is my shadow. He loves running around, and runs like the wind, but he is just as good at curling up on his chaise lounge or on his bed at night and taking a snooze. He lies beside the arena keeping tabs on everything when we ride the horses and is right by our side when we walk them in after workout. He is official greeter at the barn, and is a favorite with the boarders. Deacon is a big fan of belly rubs! He is the sweetest boy. I don't know who is happier, him or me. Thank you to his wonderful foster family, who loved Deac. and took great care of him until he came to the farm. -J