If you are in Southern California (she's in Lancaster right now) and are looking for a new lab to care for and enjoy (for free of course), please keep reading...

An unfortunate chain of events in our life has put us in a place where we have to find a new home for Brodie. We recently moved from Texas, and we made some poor decisions about where to live (apartment), and thought she would be okay staying with my parents for 6 months, but they are older and have some health problems that are precluding them from being able to take care of her. Now we can't break our lease and find a new place where we can have her unless we can fork over close to $1500 to cover the lease break. Plain and simple, we just can't afford that. We've probably invested that much money in her over the last 9 months, but the move to CA really didn't happen as seamlessly as we thought it would, and we don't have any extra money to spare. Some people might not like this reason for having to give up a lab, but at the same time we are giving her away and she deserves a good home.

About Brodie... She is now 9 months old. She knows many commands and loves to play... all the time... she doesn't bite or jump on people (well, she might jumpy once in a great while like any young lab). But she does need plenty of time to exercise, just like any young lab =) She's crate-trained and housebroken and eats the Kirkland Lamb & Rice from Costco (in case anyone is wondering). There is a lot more to say of course... she loves people... probably as much as other dogs. She's somewhat socialized with other dogs (meaning she doesn't see them all that often, but did when she was younger), and in any case is nearly always the submissive dog in a group. She's never growled or barked at any dog or person, although she has barked when wanting to play =) However, as great a personality as Brodie has, she's still a 9mo. old lab, and still needs plenty of attention and exercise. I can't access any pictures right now, but I'll try to post some soon. She's about 65 pounds and is a really light yellow color. Her health is excellent, she's been spayed, and she has a limited registration with AKC. We have plenty of stuff we can give to someone wanting to take Brodie. She has a nice crate, a couple of beds, lots of toys (a few kongs even), and a good 2 months worth of food. Again, there is more to say about Brodie, and we are happy to answer any questions. Please pass along this info if you know of someone looking for a lab. We can be reached most easily at anovotnym@yahoo.com. We couldn't think of a better place to find a loving home for Brodie than right here on the Lab board.

Vulches, I'm moving your post to the rescue forum.

thank you for taking the time to give such detail about your pup as well as the circumstances that are involved w/ why you need to rehome her.

Might I suggest you contacting Heart of Texas Lab Rescue in Austin. They can advertise her on there site for you, as I can w/ STLRR in Houston. It'd give you a better chance at finding a true loving home for her rather than giving her to the first person that comes along.


(see everyone...I can be nice!) :)

oh, I'm sorry! I just read that pup is still in California. There are several lab rescue organizations in that area. I'd start w/ them first. :)

Not sure what you meant by this... "(see everyone...I can be nice!)", but thanks for the tip, although we're not in Austin anymore, but in Southern Cal., and she's not really a rescue lab. We wouldn't give her to the first family that would take her, but would only give her to someone willing to take care of her as we wish we could. In fact, we won't be advertising a "free lab" or anything of that sort in a newspaper or flyer or anything like that. She doesn't need a home today or tomorrow, but soon, as she just doesn't have anyone that can adequately care for her long term. This forum is one of the best places I've seen where true Labrador lovers communicate and understand the needs of labs.

Hopefully the right person will come across this thread =)

I have one or two friends at work that might very well be interested in taking in your cute little girl.

My friend Doug just lost his lab of 12 years and i'm thinking he would be a good candidate for her.

I also have a friend who just moved into a house in Murietta and is currently shopping for a dog for their new home.

I'm printing out this post and if either of them are truely interested in her ill pass it along to them.

Wish i could take her in myself, but my 2 labs are already more then i can handle!

I'll pm you or reply here with an update in a few days.

I live too far and have my hands full with Tucker still, but I wish you luck...I can't imagine how difficult it must be for you to give her up, but I am glad to see you are taking the time and effort to find the right home for her as opposed to any home and are making that the priority. Many times we get angry on this board because people get in over their heads with a dog, then try to unload it or are trying to recoup the finances they already layed out as opposed to finding the "right home"...you seem genuinely concerned about where Brody goes - again, best of luck and please let us know where she ends up :)

Originally posted by vulches
Not sure what you meant by this... "(see everyone...I can be nice!)", but thanks for the tip, although we're not in Austin anymore, but in Southern Cal., and she's not really a rescue lab.

Since Tammy (Gunnergirl) is so active in rescuing labs, she normally can get "upset" with people trying to find a home for their dogs because they've moved. Your case sounds very different, though, and you're trying very hard to do the right thing. She's suggesting you contact a rescue group because they will carefully screen applicants so your pup doesn't go to just anybody -- someone who might just tie the pup to a tree in the backyard and neglect her.

Codylab sounds like they might know some good people, though. Especially someone who cared for a lab for 12 years. Best wishes and PLEASE let us know how this turns out!

:hug:

Just wondering if you have a contract that states you must return Brodie to the breeder if you can't take care of her anymore .... and even if it doesn't say that, could you ask the breeder if he/she knows anyone looking for an older dog?

I would take Brodie in a second if you can find a way to get her to Saskatchewan or even Minot, Montana(only an hour drive from the farm) I don't know what it costs to ship a dog but I am sure you will find someone closer that would love to take her in. If not, you know where to find me!

I am so tempted too, but I think we live to far away.

Keep us posted, if you can't find a home for her then perhaps we can work something out.

I live in Temecula. I have a neighbor that is thinking about getting a dog. They really love my McKinley so we'll see....I just emailed her your info.

I would love to adopt Brodie but my husband says no-way to more than one dog in the house.

I hope everything works out for you. I am so sorry you have to give her up, I don't know what I would do in that situation.:(

I live in Temecula. I have a neighbor that is thinking about getting a dog. They really love my McKinley so we'll see....I just emailed her your info.

I would love to adopt Brodie but my husband says no-way to more than one dog in the house.

I hope everything works out for you. I am so sorry you have to give her up, I don't know what I would do in that situation.:(

Originally posted by Barb_V
Since Tammy (Gunnergirl) is so active in rescuing labs, she normally can get "upset" with people trying to find a home for their dogs because they've moved. Your case sounds very different, though, and you're trying very hard to do the right thing. She's suggesting you contact a rescue group because they will carefully screen applicants so your pup doesn't go to just anybody -- someone who might just tie the pup to a tree in the backyard and neglect her.

Codylab sounds like they might know some good people, though. Especially someone who cared for a lab for 12 years. Best wishes and PLEASE let us know how this turns out!

:hug:

What she said! :)

unfortunately many times we get people on the board wanting to rehome their dogs but normally their posts simply say...I need to find a new home for <dog's name>, if anyone is interested, please contact me. to me, posts such as that are obvious that the person REALLY doesn't care about the dog(s) or where they end up at so I normally close or delete them. Your post on the other hand was genuine, straight from the heart wanting to do the right thing by your lab. :) We had someone in California wanting to adopt a yellow female from us earlier this year...let me see if I can find her information.

Also, it wasn't your first & last post, right Tammy??:) Sometimes they do that, and people contact them and they try to "sell" them a dog, too.

Originally posted by LindaAcup
Also, it wasn't your first & last post, right Tammy??:) Sometimes they do that, and people contact them and they try to "sell" them a dog, too.

Precisely!!!! :)

Thank you all for your concern and help.

Codylab, please let us know what you find out about your friend. We'd obviously prefer someone who has owned a lab before, but we'd be interested in anyone that knows what a lab needs.

We are in such a bind, and we didn't think my parents would have such a hard time with Brodie. They lost a lab/springer mix of 13 years a couple of years ago, but that dog was about the most mellow (even lazy) dog I have ever seen. We were planning on having them take care of Brodie (and we'd visit often) for 6-12 months or however long it took to get back on our feet financially so we could find a place with a yard. Looking back, we should have just forked over the extra $600 deposit and $40 monthly pet rent to keep her with us. They (and we) thought they could handle everything, but they both have health problems that flared up for whatever reason this past month. Brodie is an awesome puppy, so please don't assume that we're trying to pass off any problems. But I would warn anyone looking for a lab to understand the exercise needs of a lab. I assume any regulars on this board more than understand what I'm saying, and that's why we posted here first.

Gunnergirl, are you sure that all rescue shelters care enough to screen all applicants? I know you run yours responsibly, but I have a strange impression of some of these places (that THEY might in fact give a dog to anybody that comes along). Also, could my parents keep taking care of her while they look for a suitable family? It sounds like we might be able to find someone through this board before we need to think about a rescue (remember, she doesn't need to find a new home immediately), but I'd like to know about those things just in case.

I'm posting a few more pictures we took a couple of months ago. I suppose it shouldn't matter what she looks like, but you can at least see we've taken good care of her =)

https://webspace.utexas.edu/msn88/www/brodie/P1000351.JPG
https://webspace.utexas.edu/msn88/www/brodie/P1000352.JPG
https://webspace.utexas.edu/msn88/www/brodie/P1000353.JPG
https://webspace.utexas.edu/msn88/www/brodie/P1000354.JPG
https://webspace.utexas.edu/msn88/www/brodie/P1000357.JPG

Oh, she is just beautiful, you must be just sick having to try to find a home for her. :(

Seems like a small price to pay to keep your dog...or is it a done deal as a no pet apartment or???
Just wondering...seems a shame to lose a family member over $1080 ($600+$40 x 12).
This from a rarely employed poor idiot who just took on a stray with possible hip and elbow desplasia who has no savings, no husband and no family to bail me out.

Originally posted by tuckertdog
Seems like a small price to pay to keep your dog...or is it a done deal as a no pet apartment or???
Just wondering...seems a shame to lose a family member over $1080 ($600+$40 x 12).
This from a rarely employed poor idiot who just took on a stray with possible hip and elbow desplasia who has no savings, no husband and no family to bail me out.

Well, actually that would be in addition to the $1500 to break the lease. We were trying to scrape by when moving out here, and things just didn't work out as planned, and the arrangement with my parents wasn't predictable either. It's better for us to find a perfect home for Brodie (and there is one) than to jeopardize our financial future (by taking on that much debt... which granted isn't a lot to some) and Brodie's well-being (remember, we'd need to have extra money for possible vet bills and such). It's not always as easy as saying that finances aren't important. If someone really wanted to take care of Brodie and provide a desirable home for her for a year, we could certainly save the little bit each month and have enough to move and find the right place for all of us. But that just isn't the case (right now), but if someone likes that idea for some reason, then let us know. We didn't think it would be a wise idea to keep shifting her between families, although she adapts absolutely perfectly to new environments. I don't know... if you all think this has been an easy situation for us... you're wrong! I'm not even emotional about things, and this has been gut-wrenching for my wife and I. We thought we made a good decision by getting Brodie in spite of being young and inexperienced, and we originally had enough funds to take adequate care of her (and us), but not everything in life happens exactly as planned.
Sorry for the long response, but I can't stress enough how much we want the best for Brodie. At the same time there comes a point when the importance of my human family (just my wife and I at this point) supercedes the importance of having Brodie live with or near us. Right now we'd rather choose a home for Brodie that is has the desire and capability of providing the right and best home for her.

I'm certainly not judging, been there, done that, and not too far from it again. :) Unfortunately, unexpected things happen and unless we have walked a mile in your shoes, we really don't know. I know you're not taking this lightly, because I know by those wonderful pictures and your parents taking care of Brody how much you love must love her. (What's not to love, right?) She really is gorgeous. I will bet when you got her, you thought you could take care of her for the rest of her life. Maybe you could explain this to a rescue and someone there might be able to keep her for you until you are ready for her again?? Might be worth a shot?

Originally posted by LindaAcup
Maybe you could explain this to a rescue and someone there might be able to keep her for you until you are ready for her again?? Might be worth a shot?

Maybe you can find a "foster home" and then you'll be able to get her back when you are on your feet financially? I feel so sad for you as I am sure you are both going thru a rough time with this. You seem to have Brodie's best interest at heart and that is so great. There are so many people out there who would not go to great lengths like you are to make sure their beloved dog will be OK. I wish you the best of luck in finding a home for Brodie and getting yourselves together as well.

Vulches --

You asked Gunnergirl about whether all rescue organizations care enough to adequately screen applicants.

I have some experience with resuce organizations and my answer to your question is a resounding "YES." People who work in breed rescue are 99.9% (or more!) volunteers. These great people, like Gunnergirl, are devoted to their "wards" and feel protective of them. They spend many hours tirelessly working. They want to make sure the dog goes to the very best home -- that is the reward they receive for the enormous amount of time and energy they invest in rescuing these marvelous animals. Many organizations, maybe all, require visits to the home of a prospective adopter...
"Let's see... you work full time, have a busy social life, an unfenced yard, and the dog would sleep in the unheated garage? No dog for YOU!"...

Take a look at the information given on the Retrievers & Friends Web site about the adoption process http://www.retrieversandfriends.com/adoptionprocess.htm and then look at the adoption application. That may ease your mind.

Retrievers & Friends is in Riverside County and may be a resource for you, if you can't find a home for Brodie yourself. There's also Southern California Retriever Rescue. Some organizations may be happy to allow Brodie to continue living in your parents' home as a "foster dog" to them.

Municipal (city/county) shelters, on the other hand, would be obligated to adopt her out to the first person to pony up the adoption fee, with few exceptions.

I wish you the best of luck. She's a beautiful girl and you obviously care for her very much.

Thanks for the answer to my question about rescues. We have one or two very promising leads right now, and we're hoping that we can be involved in the process of finding her a home as we can then be a resource to the new owners with any questions they might have about her. Also, we might be able to hear about how she grows up and if the new owners are so inclined, we'll even be able to see some pictures of her =) We truly are interested in Brodie's long term well being.

We'll keep this thread updated as things progress, but in the event the leads we have right now don't work out, we'd appreciate hearing from anyone else that might know of a great home for Brodie.

OH, I am so excited for Brody, I have been praying for a good home for her so that she & you will be happy. That would be so great if you can "keep in touch" with her.:D :D

Brodie is absolutely the cutest thing ever! We’re sorry to hear about your story and understand how hard it is to have to give her up. If you’re unable to find a good home for her in California and can get her out to Denver, Heidi and I would love to get Barkley a little sis. She would be spoiled rotten along with Barkley where she would enjoy several walks a day, trips to the dog park, and frequent trips to the mountains. Barkley is a year and 3 months old – and is a sweetheart; he plays well with all dogs (his best buddy is a Corgy). Let us know! You can email us directly at barkleyyellowlab@yahoo.com

Errol, Heidi, and Barkley *WOOF*

-- Below is a pic of Barkley taken last year

Have you found a home yet?

Give us an update, please.

Originally posted by Becky/Buddy
Have you found a home yet?

Give us an update, please.


Not yet... but we'll know more this weekend. It looks like we have several backups available, so she should end up just fine =) This board has been a great resource, and I should apologize for not contributing much beforehand (we always read and researched here, but didn't say too much).

Hi!

I was reading up on this board, and am interested if you have found Brodie a home yet? I wish you all the luck, she is a georgeous dog!! So sorry you have to give her up.

I wanna know, too! (although I am in N. Cal...)

I have been searching lab rescue and many of the dogs have already been adopted (which does make my VERY happy! :) )

We are in no hurry- just looking for the "right" fit!

Let us know!

We're still working on the first option, which is a place in Boston, so if anyone knows of a good and inexpensive way to get Brodie there, let us know. Another family is still a possibility if this doesn't work out, so keep us in mind if you think you can provide the right (and permanent) home for her. Thanks again for your support everyone...

Keep us posted!

Okay... minor update. Since we're still looking for a backup to our long-distance plans, we need to stress something that caused one interested party to have reservations about taking Brodie. She has what some call an "innie" vulva, and that means it requires regular cleaning in that area. She's used to it, and there really isn't anything gross about it, but we also didn't realize it might be considered a burden or risk to a potential owner. Having an "innie" means Brodie is at higher risk for urinary tract infections, and that of course means additional care (and expense) if that occurs. So, please be aware of this before volunteering to take her. It looks like we'll be contacting some local lab rescues to at least understand how they screen for a good owner. I'm sure they're actually better than we are, but we're concerned about her ending up in the right place.

Okay, final update... not sure if anyone is tracking this anymore anyway, but here it is. We decided that we just aren't experienced enough to determine whether any particular home is good for Brodie, especially considering the vulva thing. We have arranged for her to be placed by Retrievers and Friends in Temecula, CA, so if anyone is in Southern California (Orange, Riverside, and San Dieo counties), you can get in touch with them (www.retrieversandfriends.com). They have a good screening process and will be able to place her in a great home. We'll come back for another update once she's finally adopted. Thanks again for the support and advice we've received. We're sad to see Brodie leave, but happy she'll end up with a great family soon.

Good luck with her! The picture of her in your sig is ADORABLE!

Thanks for keeping us posted! Good luck to Brodie.

I know that they'll find her a great home. She's a total cutie and shouldn't have a problem finding a new home. :-) Keep us posted on what happens with her. I know how hard it is to do what you are doing. Good thoughts and prayers headed your way. I know that they will place her in a great home that is perfect for her. I'm so sorry.

If anyone thought that imagining this situation was hard, actually going through with it was much worse. I had to say goodbye last night before leaving out of town for work, and Ashley had to take her today. The lady picking Brodie up didn't seem too forgiving, but I guess that had to be expected. We're going to make one more effort at getting the apartment manager to allow us to break our lease without a penalty. Maybe we'll be able to get her back. That doesn't seem possible at this point, but who knows.... maybe one final, last try will be the impossible...

I'm so sorry you're going through this. It is very apparent that you love her so much. Don't give up if it's what you truly want. I will be thinking about you. Please keep us posted.

Dog gone it (no pun intended)! I sure would love to adopt Brodie ----- we were hoping to get a yellow female furbaby at the first of the year, and she seems labradorable! I looked on the website you provided above, and she has not yet been added. Does anyone know of a good transport from CA to TX? In the meantime, I'm going to call DH and see what he thinks. Rock is coming home from "gun dog school" this weekend, and really is going to need a playmate --- I think he and Brodie would be great buddies! With regard to the vulva issue, I've had a female with that problem in the past. Of course, I subscribe to the motto "if you can't afford the vet, you can't afford the pet."

Well, I filled out the adoption application with one caveat ---- they only try to adopt to families in the Southern CA area! I sure wish I had seen this post BEFORE she was surrendered to the adoption agency, but I had been out of town on business. Oh well, wish us labby luck! I'll keep you posted .......................

PS Rock is running for his last two passes to attain his Junior Hunter title this weekend ---- please send labby wishes to him. Go Rock!

Oh I am so sad. I would have flown out to get her if I knew you were going to do this.

If you would reconsider please email me.

Mary Beth

My goodness... everyone just comes out of the woodwork once I can't do anything about it.... I'm not so sure if Retrievers and Friends would return her to us if we asked. We've been a bit disappointed in the way they've responded to us, but these are people who love labs more than life, so I guess no reason is a good reason to give up a lab. We're thankful for what we learned about Brodie and labs in general, and if Brodie indeed ends up somewhere else, we'll be looking for another in a few years when we are in a position to take care of one the best way possible. We're considering a move back to TX so we can actually afford a place with a yard. Southern CA housing prices (especially OC where we're working) are ridiculous.

I didnt mean to make you feel guilty, I just assumed that you had placed her sinceryou told me I was 3rd on the list and then I didnt hear from you.

I know what you must be going through and how sad it is to have to give her up.

If you can get her back, let me know. I will send you loads of references.

P.S. If you do get another dog in a few years, please go the rescue route.

Thanks,
Mary Beth

Originally posted by vulches
My goodness... everyone just comes out of the woodwork once I can't do anything about it.... I'm not so sure if Retrievers and Friends would return her to us if we asked.

I feel pretty certain it is not an issue of seeing if she could be returned. In your earlier post, you stated "[w]e decided that we just aren't experienced enough to determine whether any particular home is good for Brodie, especially considering the vulva thing." I can't imagine that experience with placement would be my one caveat to finding one of my two babies a home for life, and I would instead trust that to someone else!

My :2cents: -- stick to pet rocks in the future........................

My :2cents: -- stick to pet rocks in the future........................ [/B]

Since I confirmed with Rock's Mom that she meant to be extremely condescending here, I wanted to make my reply public as well. Everyone (so far) that has read this thread understands how much Ashley and I care about Brodie and her well being. Sometimes things are as easy as saying we cannot afford her. Going $2000 deeper in debt would still place us in a precarious position when it came to unforseen vet bills, not to mention straining our marriage if we are worried about finances. I personally place the relationship with my wife ahead of that with my dog, as wonderful as Brodie is. If Brodie can be happy and well cared for (which was obviously the goal of asking here first then placing her with Labs & Friends (since they NEVER put a dog down, no matter how long the search takes)), then we are happy for her, but sad (apparently we haven't been clear enough about this) to see her go. It's just interesting that someone would come in weeks after we first posted, say how they'd want her, then rip me a new one.

Doing rescue work, I hear a lot of excuses about why people can't keep their animals. Most of the time, it's a lot of crap because they just don't want the responsibility anymore. But, there are legitimate cases of real need where the rescue can help an owner place a dog in a wonderful new home. What's really sad is when a rescue could save some dogs, and the owners don't even try to contact them - they just take them to the shelter where they will probably put to sleep if not adopted out in a reasonable amount of time. I think it's commendable that they first tried to find the dog a new home on their own, and when they felt they weren't qualified to do this, they sought the help of a rescue. You all are entitled to your opinions - but we can also try to be nice while we offer those opinions. Peoples' feelings matter, too.

Just wondering about Brodie. Hope things work out for all of yall. I think it is great that yall tried to find her a home 1st.

YAY!! Brodie was adopted already. She's in a home with 3 kids, another yellow, and she even has a pool to swim in =) The family adopted the other yellow from them, so the rescue knew Brodie would be a perfect fit. The family is allowing her to sleep in her crate, or with any of the kids that she chooses. The mom is at home during the day, and it sounds like the family really loves dogs. I'm so happy that she's in a good place, and although we don't know exactly where she is, we do know she's only 10 or so miles away.

Good to hear that Brody has a new home. You will miss her for sure. Good Luck.

I'm just reading this now. I can't imagine how hard this has been for you. As if the situation was not hard enough, having people treat you like an uncaring fiend must have been so hard.

I would have taken her in a heartbeat if I were in teh situation to do so. Such a beautiful girl. I'm glad to hear she has a new home and will be happy. It must bring some small comfort.

I realize poeple who work with rescues have heart it all and met some really uncaring people. But not EVERYONE is heartless. Sometimes we make bad decisions. Sometimes life really does just happen and it's out of our control.
I

I am so happy that Brodie has a wonderful new home. You know, sometimes, life happens and unpredictable circumstances come up. I'm so sorry that you guys have had to go through this. I think you made a very good decision (although it was very hard) and you did the right thing by letting the rescue help you find her a good home. The reassurance that she is in a good place is worth so much and you know that she is being loved and cared for.

I'm so happy to hear she has a wonderful family that adopted her. :)

That's great news. Thanks for letting us know.

WELL done! You did it exactly right. I just found this site a couple of days ago and could have given you more encouragement. Again, WELL done.

I am an experienced adopter of cats whose owners absolutely *cannot* keep them. I am moving to an extremely large property in March and suspect that I will be doing the same with Labs shortly. I know what I'm talking about. You did good.