Give Them Hope!
Lab Rescue LRCP found forever homes for more than 500 Labs to date in 2024…giving them new hope for health, family and love. Many of the Labs we save require basic vetting with vaccinations, spay or neuter, deworming and/or medicating for basic infections, while others are in need of more in-depth but still somewhat routine treatments, such as Heartworm or a dental.
Then there are the few dozen dogs each year who have extraordinary medical issues requiring surgical intervention, specialist consultations and dedicated fosters willing to provide extra TLC during the dog’s recovery. A few of these Labs’ stories are shared here. Please help us Give Them Hope for the future with a Giving Tuesday 2024 gift so we may continue saying YES to Labs in need.
KAIA
At just 6 months of age, Kaia, a chocolate female Lab with a charming underbite, had a broken right elbow. Could Lab Rescue take her? We said YES. We were able to provide surgery to repair her elbow and place pins, rather than having to amputate at such a young age, giving her a chance at full mobility. She had the surgery in late September, and her surgeon deems the level of her recovery thus far as a miracle. Kaia, now 8 months old, continues her home therapy with her foster family and fur-foster sis Luna, takes regular leash walks increasing in length weekly, and enjoys gentle swim therapy. No running, jumping, or retrieving for our girl quite yet, but she felt the joy and wonder of her first snowflakes while on a recent walk on all four paws.
Kaia’s medical costs have exceeded $13K. As she grows, the pins will migrate and need to be removed to alleviate discomfort (costing another $2K). We are thankful to her foster mom and family for providing her with wonderful care and for doing her physical therapy at home to save the rescue $2K. Without your support, Kaia could not have hoped for surgery to repair her leg. At most, she would have lived with mobility restrictions from a front amputation. Now, her eyes sparkle with not only the hope but the expectation that she will romp and play with her friend Luna in the sun and the snow. Please consider a gift to Lab Rescue for Giving Tuesday 2024 so that we may continue to say YES to young Labs like Kaia.
RAFA
Darling Rafa entered the shelter with barely any fur. It was anyone’s guess what breed she could be. Her intake photos incite tears, though a glimmer of hope and trust peer out beneath her obvious discomfort. The shelter vet immediately started treatment for yeast and bacterial infections, and once enough fur grew back to reveal that Rafa is a loveable, 3-year-old yellow female Lab, Lab Rescue was asked to take her. We said YES.
Rafa is receiving veterinary care for her infected and inflamed skin, eyes, and ears, to include skin scrapings and tests to confirm which infections need to be treated, plus medications and a bathing regimen to soothe her discomfort and heal her skin. Treatment is expected to exceed $5K. Despite her itching and sensitive skin, she is friendly and affectionate. Rafa is now with a loving foster, receiving the TLC and daily care she needs until she is ready for an adoptive home. She has a long road to recovery, but we are confident that she will be just as beautiful on the outside as she is proving to be on the inside. We are thankful that we have the opportunity to guide Rafa’s glimmer of hope and trust to a happy forever. Please consider a gift of hope for our Giving Tuesday 2024 campaign so that we may continue to say YES to heartbreaking medical cases like Rafa’s.
MACK
Mack’s gaze will capture your heart. It is full of hope, love, and a desire to trust. You may be surprised to learn that his intelligent gaze cannot actually see you. After he was saved by a good Samaritan, Lab Rescue was asked to take this special 9-year-old yellow senior, who needed treatment for an embedded collar, Heartworm disease, major dental cleaning and biopsies, neuter, fatty lump removal, and a bit of anxiety. Of course, we said YES. Mack was quickly placed in a foster home where we learned more about him. He bumped into people, dogs, and objects in the house and on walks, and he was not always responsive when called. The ophthalmologist confirmed that Mack was blind and had lost his vision very quickly, which was likely causing his anxiety. The vet also confirmed a partial, age-related hearing loss. Mack received all medical and dental treatments for a cost of $4.2K. Thankfully, the dental and fatty lumps biopsied negative, and he completes his Heartworm treatment rest period in December.
Fast forward a couple of months. Loving fosters and great medical care do wonders! Mack is beautiful, friendly, goofy, and affectionate – easily the sweetest Lab his loving fosters have hosted. He gets around well, using his big block head to map out his surroundings and learns a lot from the resident dogs. It is amazing to watch him navigate a leash walk or a bound around the yard. He is a neighborhood favorite and makes friends – human and dog – wherever he goes. Please consider a gift of hope for our Giving Tuesday 2024 campaign so that we may continue to say YES to sweet seniors like Mack, who simply need medical care and TLC to feel hope and find their goofy again.
HERSHEY
Hershey is a 6-year-old black male pup that has the heart to fight for life. Hershey entered the shelter as a stray, weighing about half of his expected body weight, anemic, and unable to stand on his own. He had a body score of 2/9, and you could see many of the bones in his body. He fought through a respiratory infection at the shelter and gained a few pounds, and Lab Rescue said YES to saving this sweet Lab mix with the big heart.
Hershey continues his veterinary care with our team. He was treated for giardia and coccidia, both of which can be deadly without care. He is still anemic, but his numbers are improving as the infections subside and quality nutrition does its work. He continues to gain weight and is up to 50 lbs. with a goal of 67 lbs. His gorgeous fur is growing back in – no more bare back or tummy!
Hershey moved to a loving foster home and is proving to be an absolute doll. This cuddly, lovable pup held out an inkling of hope, even when his chances for survival were slim. Despite making progress on recovery, he was just diagnosed with a secondary infection and had a skin lesion biopsied. Hershey’s veterinary expense has been $4K thus far. Our hope is that Hershey will continue to fight and that we can help him win. Please consider a gift of hope for our Giving Tuesday 2024 campaign so that we may continue to say YES, even with slim chances like Hershey’s.