Our lab needs a good home

[texanatheart]

I need some serious help in finding our Lab a new home. Please no flaming me. My family has been through so much in the past 2+ years, and we are no longer able to provide a good home for him. My SIL kept him for a few months, but is no longer willing to keep him (due to insane family drama...I won't take you there). My dad has had him for about a month, but he has asked me a few times lately how the search is going. Below is the email that I have sent out to a few shelters (eta: lab rescues) I found online, but I haven't received much help there.

My family has an AKC-registered black labrador retriever that we are unable to keep any longer. Austin is 8 years old, FABULOUS with children (we have two boys, ages 1 and 3) and a very loving dog. He is up-to-date with all of his vaccinations, is heartworm-negative (as of a test run in April) and is very healthy, except for having a bad right hind leg. He had surgery last summer to repair a completely torn ACL. The surgery had to be repaired at 3 weeks post-op. He has not used the leg since as we were unable to rehab it at the time. We were advised recently to have it amputated because it is beyond being able to be rehabilitated at this point. I believe that he would be okay to keep the leg, as long as he stays on some type of pain medication (though he doesn't seem to me to be in any pain). He gets around great with it, even jumping into the back of our car (it is a wagon). And he still loves to swim, too!

It greatly saddens us to not be able to care for him any longer, but due to very hard times for our family, we are no longer able to give him the good home that he deserves. We are hoping to find a new home for him where he will be loved and can receive the attention that we are unable to give him. Some of our family members have kept him for us over the past few months, but they are no longer able to do so. We simply do not have the means (financially and otherwise) to keep him ourselves any longer. We can't stand the thought of taking him to a shelter

Then the contact me bit, etc.

To elaborate just a bit, we can't keep him at our apartment, because we can't afford the $500 deposit for him. And honestly, as we are just starting to get back on our feet, the money used for basic expenses would be coming out of our own food budget.

I cannot express to you how sad, sad, sad this situation makes me. I really want him to find a home where he will be loved. I CANNOT just take him to a shelter. I hate to say this, but I would have him put down before risking him having to live in a cage.

I'm posting here in hopes of getting some ideas of how we can rehome him...to a good place. Or at least just some support that I'm not the world's worst person.

Thanks.

[starling&diesel]

He sounds very sweet. I'd take him, if he wasn't so far away and we didn't already have our fill of four-legged beasties. Best of luck, hon. Hang in there!

[griffin2004]

I would continue to concentrate on lab rescues. And veterinary offices. My vet has a "for adoption" picture book in his lobby. The techs who work in the office take in several pets, too, so that might be an option for you.

I don't want to add to your sorrow, but at his age and physical condition, I think the odds of him being adopted from a shelter are very low.

[buckeye_bebe]

how well trained is he, and where is his photo album? hind leg aside, any chance he would make a good service dog?

[Oubliette8]

Would you be willing to screen new homes yourself? If you could do that, you might try posters explaining his predicament at vets offices, pet stores, and other pet-related businesses. Craigslist also allows you to rehome animals, and I believe you are allowed to ask for a small rehoming fee (a good idea, this tends to prevent the most unscrupulous folks from inquiring- and yes, there are plenty of unscrupulous folks out there). Petfinder also has a classifieds section where pet owners can directly rehome their pets.

This route works best if you can screen the homes- make a short list of things to check for, ask to visit the home where your dog will be going beforehand to make sure it checks out, etc.

[lonegirl]

Originally Posted by texanatheart

I cannot express to you how sad, sad, sad this situation makes me. I really want him to find a home where he will be loved. I CANNOT just take him to a shelter. I hate to say this, but I would have him put down before risking him having to live in a cage.
Thanks.

Please do not do this. A shelter does not mean life in a cage...it means life. He could be the perfect dog for someone looking. Oh and many vets will not euthanize a healthy pet for above reasons (I know the vets in my hosp will not).

He is AKC registered....have you talked to his breeder?

Ask the local veterinarians if you can post an ad on their board (most have one in the waiting room). Ask the receptionists/techs if they know of anyone looking. Often we have people who have recently lost a pet tell us to keep an ear out for that.

[North_Of_60]

I would explain your situation to the rescues organizations, and even the local shelters (call and speak to the shelter directors). With the economy being that is, some organizations are helping pay for expenses because it keeps the dog in their current home and ends up being cheaper for them in the long run. Even though your dog is up to date, yadda yadda yadda, they're still obligated to run tests and vaccinate anyway (especially at shelters, almost all owner-surrenders are required to receive a 6-way vaccine and parasite screening upon intake). Plus, with his leg issues they'd have to get that looked, possibly repair it, etc. Then there are the daily expenses they'd have to pay until he is found a home. It is within their best interests to keep dogs in their own homes before being surrendered because of financial difficulties.

Many shelters also have food banks too. I know our local humane society requires proof of eligibility (under a certain income bracket) in order to qualify for free food and vet care, but there are programs like that all over the country. It might be worth looking into so that if you find a way to keep him you can have his basic needs subsidized.

If you WANT to keep your dog but just can't afford it, reach out to the local rescues and explain why. I've seen a lot of organizations in the last few years help with financial issues. You're not the only person in this situation, sadly.

[Fuamami]

I agree that screening yourself might work. A lot of people love labs, but don't want to endure the two years of puppy insanity, you know? And if he's already loving around kids, a family might be looking for just that. Maybe you could try listing him on Craigslist with a rehoming fee to weed out the impulse adopters?

[texanatheart]

Thank you all SO MUCH for your replies and your thoughts!

Originally Posted by griffin2004

I would continue to concentrate on lab rescues. And veterinary offices. My vet has a "for adoption" picture book in his lobby. The techs who work in the office take in several pets, too, so that might be an option for you.

I don't want to add to your sorrow, but at his age and physical condition, I think the odds of him being adopted from a shelter are very low.

Oh, I have already considered that his age and condition are not in our favor. The rescues that I *have* heard back from are pretty dismal about our situation. The vet office is a great idea.

Originally Posted by buckeye_bebe

how well trained is he, and where is his photo album? hind leg aside, any chance he would make a good service dog?

Well, we spent some good time with training him when he was younger, and he's VERY smart. Given someone who could spend some time with him, he would be very trainable. Service-dog trainable? Probably not. But I suppose I could try and contact a service-dog-training company and ask.

I don't have a photo album of him online, and not sure how to post photos here.

Originally Posted by Oubliette8

Would you be willing to screen new homes yourself? If you could do that, you might try posters explaining his predicament at vets offices, pet stores, and other pet-related businesses. Craigslist also allows you to rehome animals, and I believe you are allowed to ask for a small rehoming fee (a good idea, this tends to prevent the most unscrupulous folks from inquiring- and yes, there are plenty of unscrupulous folks out there). Petfinder also has a classifieds section where pet owners can directly rehome their pets.

This route works best if you can screen the homes- make a short list of things to check for, ask to visit the home where your dog will be going beforehand to make sure it checks out, etc.

Yes, I have considered this...thank you for the suggestions for going this route.

Originally Posted by lonegirl

Please do not do this. A shelter does not mean life in a cage...it means life. He could be the perfect dog for someone looking. Oh and many vets will not euthanize a healthy pet for above reasons (I know the vets in my hosp will not).

He is AKC registered....have you talked to his breeder?

Ask the local veterinarians if you can post an ad on their board (most have one in the waiting room). Ask the receptionists/techs if they know of anyone looking. Often we have people who have recently lost a pet tell us to keep an ear out for that.

I heard back from someone who is retired from lab rescue that I found through the AKC website and she actually suggested putting him down ourselves rather than put him in a shelter. She mentioned that at one local shelter in particular if they receive a dog as a stray, they're obligated to wait a few days for owners to claim them. But if they receive a surrender, because they are so over-capacity, they will put them down almost immediately. This is why I would prefer to put him down ourselves. I'm sure there are other shelters, but how do I find out if a place is like that?

He is AKC-registered. We got him when he was 9 weeks old, but we have never been in touch with the breeder...though I suppose his info is with his paperwork...hmmm, a new idea to persue...

And good point about the vets. The gal I mentioned above also suggested this.

Thanks again, ladies. I appreciate your understanding and support.

[Momily]

Do you have any dog daycares near you? Every dog daycare we've used has a couple of rescue dogs they've taken in and are trying to rehome. Usually a dog owner who is coming in and out regularly meets the dog, falls in love, and adopts them.

For example, my daycare (where I take my dog) had a beautiful middle aged rottie for a while. Now normally, I'd never consider a rottie, that's just too much dog for me, but because I saw this dog often, I could see how "soft" and and well socialized she was. The 35 lb. limit at my apartment is the only reason why I don't know own a rottie -- and someone else does.

Good luck finding the right spot for your sweetheart.

[tinyblackdot]

So sorry((hugs)) we just had to rehome a pup ourselvs a few months ago. It still makes me cry to think about it.

I work at a vets office, and most vets will not take the pet, BUT there are alot of vets that do adoptions. Where in Tx are you? I might have a few resources for you.

You might also put on the emails that you are willing to give a substantial donation to whomever will take him. The price of the euthinasian will not be cheap, so just think of it like that, you will have to pay no matter if you keep him, or not.

[texanatheart]

So my dad has asked that we pick up the dog. I'll be going over to his house tomorrow to pick him up. I talked to the property manager for our apartment today and they are willing to work with us on a pet deposit until we find him a home. A very generous offer. The first of the money we owe is not due until the 18th, and if we find a home for him before then, then we won't owe them any money.

We still need to buy heartworm meds and flea prevention for this month. Where can I get them cheap? I used to just get them when he went for his checkups, but I imagine I can get them cheaper elsewhere.

I looked up the breeder's name on his paperwork, but cannot find her name on the AKC website...or on yellowpages.com. Any ideas how I might be able to track her down?

Oh, one good possibility...my FIL said he may know someone who lives on a small bit of land just an hour north of us or so. He's going to ask them if they may be interested. Cross your fingers on that one for me!

Originally Posted by Momily

Do you have any dog daycares near you? Every dog daycare we've used has a couple of rescue dogs they've taken in and are trying to rehome. Usually a dog owner who is coming in and out regularly meets the dog, falls in love, and adopts them.

What a GREAT idea! We haven't used a dog daycare in our area, but I'll have to look into that.

Originally Posted by tinyblackdot

So sorry((hugs)) we just had to rehome a pup ourselvs a few months ago. It still makes me cry to think about it.

I work at a vets office, and most vets will not take the pet, BUT there are alot of vets that do adoptions. Where in Tx are you? I might have a few resources for you.

You might also put on the emails that you are willing to give a substantial donation to whomever will take him. The price of the euthinasian will not be cheap, so just think of it like that, you will have to pay no matter if you keep him, or not.

So sorry to hear about your having to rehome your pup. I'm sure that he is very happy wherever you found a home for him.

I'm in north Fort Worth, near Keller. Thanks for offering resources if you're close by!!

And that is a great idea to offer a donation. We could probably come up with a little bit of cash to get someone started with him.

Thanks again everyone! Keep the ideas coming!

[tinyblackdot]

Sent you a pm mama.

[North_Of_60]

As for flea/heartworm meds... you can try online stores like 1800-pet-meds, or just shop around online, or call your local animal control, you may be able to buy single monthly doses instead of 6 month supplies, which should significantly drop the cost. For one month of flea control I can buy a tube for 13.99, and for one month of interceptor, I can pay 4.99.

It does work out to be cheaper if purchase more at once, but sometimes dropping a couple hundred bucks is out of the question, you know?

[tinyblackdot]

Marshalls grain and feed, or any other feed store has really good prices on flea prevention. And i believe that you can buy a liquid version of the hea rtworm prevention there too, for really cheap

As for other places to get heartworm prevention, you need a copy of the last heartworm test in order for most places to sell it to you.

What are you using now? Ivaheart is the cheapest option other than the liquid i mentioned, and the best flea prevention is comfortis, but most vets want you to buy it through them. But you can get frontline at most feed stores too

[texanatheart]

Originally Posted by North_Of_60

As for flea/heartworm meds... you can try online stores like 1800-pet-meds, or just shop around online, or call your local animal control, you may be able to buy single monthly doses instead of 6 month supplies, which should significantly drop the cost. For one month of flea control I can buy a tube for 13.99, and for one month of interceptor, I can pay 4.99.

It does work out to be cheaper if purchase more at once, but sometimes dropping a couple hundred bucks is out of the question, you know?

Yes, I do know.

Originally Posted by tinyblackdot

Marshalls grain and feed, or any other feed store has really good prices on flea prevention. And i believe that you can buy a liquid version of the hea rtworm prevention there too, for really cheap

As for other places to get heartworm prevention, you need a copy of the last heartworm test in order for most places to sell it to you.

What are you using now? Ivaheart is the cheapest option other than the liquid i mentioned, and the best flea prevention is comfortis, but most vets want you to buy it through them. But you can get frontline at most feed stores too

Well, it has varied over the past couple years. Not sure what my SIL was giving him over the past few months, but the last dose we got for him at the end of April was Worm Shield. Is it bad to switch brands?

As for the heartworm test, won't the vet charge a fee to get a copy of it? I recall a few years ago wanting to buy it on my own, but the vet was going to charge me $20 or so just to get the Rx (or I guess the test result?).

Thanks for the tips! I'll probably be going to Marshalls Grain and Feed this weekend!

Oh, and one promising lead...my FIL knows someone out in Ponder (in the country). This particular someone doesn't want a dog, but they are going to put the word out to all of their neighbors. Cross your fingers on that one for us!