Ridley gets a kiss from his new forever mom.
Most people ask for presents or cake when they have a birthday. Julie Jones, however, went in search of a charity to help.
She settled on the Southern California Labrador Retriever Rescue (SCLRR) about five years ago and hasn’t looked back since.
“I’ve always been in love with dogs, but especially Labradors,” Jones says. “I did research on the Labrador rescue groups I could find in the greater Los Angeles area and picked SCLRR because they—well, now we—are extremely well run and ethical. All monies spent are approved through online voting of the board of directors. We try to get as many donations for administrative expenses, such as flyers, postage, etc., so more money can be spent on the dogs directly.”
Now working as one of six foster coordinators, Jones serves on the board of directors, and handles the fundraising, marketing and public relations. Her dedication to SCLRR is indicative of the many volunteers who offer their time, money and efforts to help Labrador Retrievers in the Southern California area.
The organization, which was founded in 1998, relies solely on the help of volunteers, which frees up approximately 97 to 98 percent of all donations to go directly to the dogs themselves.
That’s important, because among the many challenges of running a rescue is the financial aspect. Ensuring that all the dogs are receiving adequate care, a healthy diet and proper veterinary attention (dogs with needs in particular) costs money. “Last year we spent over $90,000 on medical issues alone,” Jones says.
Fortunately, because SCLRR relies on foster parents to care for the Labradors, it saves the group money by relieving them of brick-and-mortar overhead expenses. There are other benefits to the foster care system, as well.
“There is a higher success rate if you learn about a dog in your home, so we foster each dog that comes through our organization for a minimum of seven to 10 days, because that is the environment they will eventually be in,” she says. “We are able to ‘match’ dogs to families better this way.”
Shelby poses with her foster mom's grandchildren.
The approach appears to work well. Jones estimates that SCLRR adopts approximately 300 Labradors out to forever homes annually and that the group typically averages 25 dogs in its foster care system at any one time.
Although SCLRR’s website generally shows fewer available dogs, that’s because foster parents are assessing dogs’ personalities prior to adoption availability.
Matching the right dog with the right family or parent is essential so that dogs stay in their new homes forever. Furthermore, SCLRR educates prospective adoptive parents about the breed, especially if they’re first-time Labrador people who might not understand what life is like with such an active breed.
“Labradors have the label of being great family dogs—and for the most part, that is very, very, true,” Jones says. “But they are also sporting dogs and while they are great family companions, potential owners of sporting dogs need to realize that most require regular, invigorating exercise. Lack of exercise for some of these dogs can make them unmanageable and can cause behavioral issues. While there are exceptions, most Labs need medium to high amounts of exercise. They are incredibly loyal and are eager to please, which makes them easy to train. They make amazing companions for most families and individuals.”
To help with this, the application process emphasizes the Labrador personality, discusses the activity level a family is willing to take on and involves a home check.
The dogs that come to SCLRR have a variety of backgrounds, with each Lab having his or her own unique story. Finding their forever families is a process that takes their histories, personalities and temperaments all into consideration. Prior to the economic meltdown a few years ago, dogs primarily came to SCLRR through shelters or as strays. That’s changed some.
“Now, in the current economy, people have lost or are losing their houses and because people are more aware of breed-specific rescues and rescues in general, we are getting a lot more owner surrenders,” she says. “Most families are moving out of a house and into an apartment situation and most apartments don’t allow dogs over 25 pounds—if they allow them at all. So now, it’s about 50/50.”
All dogs, regardless of where they came from, share a common future—lasting forever homes with the SCLRR as a backup support network.
Oso the black Labrador was rescued by SCLRR.
“We are here for our families for the life of the dogs,” Jones says. “They can call or email us anytime and we are always willing to help or give advice or referrals.”
That also means spaying and neutering dogs before they go, with one minor exception. “Through research, we’ve found that spaying or neutering puppies before 6 months can cause health problems in the future due to them not maturing properly. For these puppies, we require a $100 refundable deposit that is returned upon proof of spay or neutering.”
All Labs leave SCLRR microchipped, as well. It’s just one more safety precaution that the group puts into place before a dog leaves for its new home.
“We have a volunteer who solely does our microchip managing,” Jones says. “Once a dog is adopted, she contacts the family and makes sure the registration is changed and completed. SCLRR also buys these microchips in bulk so they are pre-registered to us and we remain on the microchipping as the second contact. We have reunited many a dog and family with this system in place!”
To keep up with the ebb and flow of all the Labradors, the greatest need SCLRR faces is quality foster care homes. The more foster parents volunteering their homes for temporary housing, the more Labradors they can rescue.
If people are unable to foster a dog, though, there are other ways they can help out the Southern California Labrador Retriever Rescue. Monetary donations are always welcome, but volunteers can help in other ways, too. Transporting dogs to and from shelters, foster homes and veterinary appointments is greatly appreciated, as is helping out with fundraisers.
There is also “dog walking when we have dogs in boarding—which we try not to do—there are things like putting together adoption folders,” Jones says. “The list is long and I’m sure there are even other things we could use help with. While fosters are our biggest need, all help is appreciated and welcomed and we try to find opportunities for people to help by what they are interested in or are good at.”
In the meantime, the volunteers of the Southern California Labrador Retriever Rescue continue to provide an outstanding to service to dogs and dog lovers. While rescue is work that can prove challenging, it’s outweighed by the rewards.
SCLRR volunteers Bonnie, Jenny, Eileen, Julie and April.
“Success stories far, far outweigh the sad or bad ones,” Jones says. “Because we are so spread out geographically, we communicate via Google Groups and are able to support each other with the victories and through the sad or challenging times as well.”
If you would like to support the Southern California Labrador Retriever Rescue, you can make a donation or volunteer.
i Love Dogs likes to spotlight rescue groups that do an outstanding job. We’re dedicating to helping rescues find forever homes for dogs all over the country.
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