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Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I consider adopting a rescue dog? Why should I consider adopting a rescue dog? It's estimated that one-third of all dogs do not remain in their first (after leaving their mom and litter) homes. In our experience, this is usually not the fault of the dog. Many times, people are not prepared for the time and effort required for responsible dog companionship. Pups need training and socialization. They need humanely set limits to know how they should behave. Many people are simply unaware of the dog's needs or are too overwhelmed with other responsiblities to attend to them. In other cases, unforseen circumstances force owners to give up their beloved companions. Death or illness in the family, divorce, financial difficulties, or other changes in the owners' lives lead them to the conclusion that their dog would be better off in a new home. And then there are lost dogs--strays who are never reunited with their owners. All of these dogs are deserving of a second chance. Many of these dogs end up at shelters. If not adopted quickly, they are euthanized due to space constraints. Rescue groups like LRGR accept selected dogs from participating shelters to help ease the burden and provide more time and more personalized care for these dogs. LRGR accepts dogs who appear to be Labrador Retrievers and who display the Labrador retriever temperament. We provide them with foster homes and basic veterinary care. In our foster homes, our Labs are evaluated further regarding their temperament and behavior, and they begin basic training including housetraining and cratetraining as needed. Our Labs are placed in new, loving homes with carefully screened adopters. We work with prospective adopters to ensure that a Lab is the right dog for them and to match the right Lab with the right home in terms of the dog's socialization, activity level, temperament, training level and and the adopter's lifestyle. We follow up with a home visit to be sure that the dog and the humans are adapting to the new environment. We are available for the life of your adopted Lab if questions arise. When you adopt a rescue dog, you save a life and give a deserving dog a second chance. What is the process for adopting a Lab through Lab Rescue of Greater Richmond? Lab Rescue of Greater Richmond follows an established process to promote successful adoptions. Here are the highlights:
View the PDF version of our adoption process. Do you need volunteers? How can I help? We are always looking for volunteers! Our greatest need is for volunteers who will foster dogs. Transporters are also needed, as are volunteers who can perform post-adoption home visits. Training is provided. To learn more, please e-mail us. What are the responsibilities of volunteers who foster Labs? Our volunteers who foster our Labs provide a loving, but temporary (usually anywhere from a few days to a few weeks), home to dogs who would otherwise be in shelters or have run out of time in the shelter. (Many shelters euthanize dogs if they are not adopted within a certain period of time at the shelter.) Our fosters also provide vaulable feedback about their foster dog's personality, socialization, and level of training. This information helps our adoption coordinators make better matches between our dogs and our adopters. Our fosters work with dogs on behavioral basics such as housetraining, cratetraining, leash walking, and sitting on cue. Foster dogs are matched to the lifestyle and needs of the foster home. If, for example, you have children, we ask you to foster dogs who are approved for placement with children. If you're not experienced in dog training, that's not a problem. You just need to be willing to learn! Training is provided, and our experienced volunteers are available to provide support and answer your questions as they arise. Our foster homes provide food and other basics such as food and water bowls, collars, leashes, treats and toys. (These articles belong to the foster home and do not need to be passed along with the dog; adopters should bring their own collar and leash and they should have their own basic supplies at home.) Lab Rescue of Greater Richmond pays for approved veterinary care (provided by our participating vets) for our dogs. If a volunteer thinks his or her foster dog needs to be seen by a vet, the visit must be approved and arranged by a LRGR board member. We also provide our fosters with ID tags to place on their foster dogs' collars. Many fosters own a crate or kennel, but if you do not, we can loan you one if we have one available. Our fosters introduce our dogs to potential adopters, either in the foster home or at a Meet and Greet day. Applicants who are visiting dogs have already been screened and approved by our adoption coordinators, but our fosters' feedback on the appropriateness of the match is essential. The fosters know the dogs best, and the fosters observe the interaction between dog and applicant. If an adoption takes place at the foster home, the foster completes the contract and collects the adopion fee before releasing the dog to his or her new family. If you love dogs and would like to help our Labs by learning more about providing a foster home, please e-mail us. How can I make a donation to Lab Rescue of Greater Richmond? We gratefully accept tax deductible donations via PayPal, cash, or check (payable to Lab Rescue of Greater Richmond). To make a donation via PayPal, please use the button below. Checks should be mailed to the address above. Your generosity will help us provide a second chance for deserving Labs. Most of our expenses are for veterinary care for our dogs.
How can I learn more about dog behavior, training, and care? This list includes resources that our volunteers have found vaulable and that are compatible with our philosophy of dog-friendly training and behavior management: Resources that cover multiple aspects of dog ownership Books about dog behavior Training resources Dealing with specific problem behaviors If you experience problem behaviors with your adopted dog, please contact us right away. Here are some excellent resources that you can use in addition to the services of a qualified trainer or behavior consultant: Work with an experienced, dog-friendly trainer Taking your dog to dog-friendly obedience training classes or working one-on-one with your dog and a professional trainer are excellent ways to learn about dog behavior and training. A great trainer will teach you how your dog learns and will train you to teach your dog to be a well behaved, happy companion. We can refer you to trainers in our area. Please e-mail us for more information. For an explanation of dog friendly training, please visit the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) at www.apdt.com/trainers-and-owners/position-statements.htm#DefiningDogFriendly. You will find their recommendations for choosing a trainer at www.apdt.com/trainers-and-owners/trainer-search/choosing-a-trainer.htm. I need to find a new home for my Lab. Can you help? If you have a Labrador retriever that you need to find a new home for, please e-mail us to discuss your situation. Sometimes, we can help people work through a problem and they are able to keep their dog. If you must find your dog a new home, we might be able to help if your dog qualifies for our program. To qualify, the dog must look and act like a Lab and must not have any behavioral or health problems that would hinder a successful adoption. We cannot provide foster homes for owner dogs. We expect owners to continue to care for their dogs while we help look for a new home. We also ask that your dog be spayed/neutered, current on rabies and distemper vaccinations, have been tested for heartworm disease within the last year, and be on a monthly heartworm preventive prescribed by your veterinarian. If your dog's vet care is outdated, we ask that you bring it up to date through your vet. If your dog is accepted into our program, we will list him or her on our website and will refer interested, qualified applicants to meet your dog. When the right applicant comes along, your dog will be adopted under our contract and with our adoption fee. There are many approaches to dog feeding and there is much controversy among the different schools of thought. Some people feed their dog whichever store brand is on sale. Others simply use what the vet sells. Some people feed their dogs homemade fresh foods. Others feed their dogs a raw diet. Some feed kibble and/or canned food but are careful about reading the ingredient lists and choose their foods carefully. We encourage adopters to educate themselves about feeding methods, make their choices intelligently, and adjust feeding to the dog's needs. Dogs should maintain a healthy weight, have a shiny coat and healthy skin, healthy teeth and gums, clear eyes and ears, and a normal energy level. There is no food that is perfect for every dog. When someone asks us about foods, we refer them to articles from Whole Dog Journal. We like their criteria for choosing foods and believe that higher quality food will promote improved health in the future. Their articles give those of us making the feeding choices good ideas and guidelines for reading ingredient lists. Whole Dog Journal publishes a top dry food and a top canned food article each year. The most recent dry food review is found in the February, 2006 issue. WDJ has a searchable archive of articles on their website, and articles can be downloaded for a small fee. If you adopt a Lab from us, one of our volunteers will be happy to talk with you about foods we like that are available in your area.
Thanks for your interest in Lab Rescue of Greater Richmond!
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Lab Rescue of Greater Richmond