Luvin' Labs

Notes  from our adopters …

Flower

“Hello to all our friends at Luvin’ Labs.
Once again a huge thank you to all involved in our adoption of “Flower”.
We know our experience with Flower has been easy, on both dog and owner’s, due to your dedication to find the right home for the dog and the right dog for the home.
At every opportunity we will let others know that your rescue operation is structured so that, by the time the dog is adopted, the probability of success is maximized.
Although Flower has been amazingly easy to work with, we appreciate the support that comes from all of you.
To all those who are contemplating adopting a rescue dog from Lovin’ Labs, we couldn’t give them a higher recommendation.
Lov’ to all, David and Sue Schmuck……………..and “Flower”

Trigger and Lilly  (Formerly Zak and Zoe)

Colleen…just wanted to let you know how happy we are with the pups.  Trigger is all boy.  He loves to run and play.  He is such a beautiful boy and is growing daily.  He really loves to chase after balls and squeaky toys.  Lilly is so sweet and loves to snuggle with you all the time.  She is definitely daddy’s girl.  Lilly is on the left and Trigger is on the right in the picture.  When we got them they were house trained and knew how to ride in a car and walk pretty well.  They are both healthy and a joy to have.  Both will start obedience training this week end.  My son is in the picture and has bonded with both of them.  Thanks again for your hard work and thank the vet in Almagordo that helped in the rescue…Eric Gustafson

Annie in her Forever home!!

Just wanted to check in and tell you that Annie is doing great!  She is such a joy to have around and she seems happy here with our family.  She seems to have bonded with our oldest son (Caleb).  He is her “boy”!

Stevie & Samantha

Just wanted to give you an update on Stevie & Samantha.  Their owner had died in Kansas City & both were rescued & brought to us in New Mexico.  Stevie has turned out to be a great little dog.  Both sleep with us & Stevie even sleeps on Mike as he’s taking a nap on the couch.  He’s giving kisses now to both of us & of course, wags his tail.  Mike just keeps saying how much he loves that little dog.  This fall we had a small pinon crop & the dogs discovered them & ate most of them on the ground.  Kinda like pigs sniffing for truffles.  I finally had to put them in the house so I could harvest some for us.  They love tomatoes & cucumbers that I grew.  Thank goodness the tomatoes were in a fence or they would have eaten all of them – green ones, too.  The cukes grew on a trellis on a wall.  Samantha got them right off the vine.  We had to go out with her to keep her from getting all of them.  They also love peppers, fruit (not grapes) carrots.  We’ve seen several bears while hiking, but the dogs came right back when called, though the last one the dogs were about 30’ from a teenage bear – all 3 animals looking at each other.  Samantha did decide to check it out later but came back when called.  I’m amazed at how mountain savvy they are.  We love to go up the mountain, which is just a mile up the road.  There’s a creek 5 min. away they can wade in & the ski area 10 min. away is a great place to hike.  Coyotes run through the yard & that gives some excitement.  Both dogs curl up on the couch with me while I’m reading the paper & Samantha especially loves sleeping by the wood stove now that it’s winter (we heat with wood).  Stevie curls up by Mike as we watch TV.  I couldn’t figure out what Samantha wanted when she’d bark while I fix dinner, but finally realized she likes her nightly “hug” – a butt & back scratch, massage, & burying her head in my chest while I whisper sweet nothings in her ear.  Stevie joins in, too.  Stevie still barks when he gets in the truck.  He loves to go, but just the traveling is stressful.  We’ve tried alprazolam, valerian & the Thundershirt.  He pants, drools, & licks the windows.  Our neighbor owns a pet store – mostly natural – & Sunday he is going to give us something else to try.  But it’s really not a problem because mostly we’re staying home these days.  Anyway, thank you for bringing them into our lives.  We love them so much.  Having rescues is so rewarding.

PS – notice the collars – the University of Kansas colors.

Maggie formerly Ronnie

Maggie’s getting SO big. Not too much taller but she’s uber chunky! And she’s such a lover. She is seriously so dang sweet. Anytime she’s done something bad she rolls over on her back and just wiggles all over and you can’t be mad at her! Her tail never stops wagging, she’s always wigglin and waggin. We call her Waggy Maggie :) She lives to lick faces and cuddle on the couch! We love her so much!

Thanks from Caderyn’s Family

Aiden now Rio

Rio is doing great and is making himself at home.

I think the biggest words of wisdom would be to remember with young labs if they are not doing what you want it is probably because the person is not being consistent with verbal and non verbal messages.  For example, he has had 3 accidents in the house, but each time Nik and I blamed ourselves for not reading his cues or getting him out soon enough. It is a learning experience. I have plenty of towels and rug cleaner!

J ;)

Chuck in Dallas

Thanks again.  Chuck is a great dog and a wonderful addition to our family!

Jason Cohen

Reese

Forever home for our boy Reese : )

No, Reese is NOT spoiled in his new home.  Just wanted to let you know that Reese is adjusting well.  Thanks for your assistance.  We are all very happy.

Dwayne Bean
Donna Whales

Dannah (formerly Hannah)

HI! WOOF!!

I’M ADOPTED!  THEY GOT MY PAPERS THE OTHER DAY. AND BOUGHT SOME HEART WORM PILLS…UGG!  THEY ALSO TOOK A PHOTO OF MY MUZZEL TO SHOW TLC MY LITTLE BLISTER OR WHATEVER…MAYBE A BEAUTY SPOT..ANYWAY I’M GOING BACK NEXT WEEK FOR A CHECK UP.

JANE AND RICHARD ARE DOING OK EXCEPT THEY KEEP ROLLING OR TOSSING THAT TENNIS BALL.  THEY FETCH PRETTY GOOD!   ALSO THEY SHOWED ME THIS DOG DOWN THE BLOCK THAT CHASES FRIZZBIES.   .CAN’T FIGURE THAT OUT AT ALL.  JANE GAVE ME MY OWN LITTLE PILLOW TO GO WITH MY OWN BLANKET NEAR THEIR BED..

NOW MY HEAD FEELS LIKE IT CAN SLEEP FOREVER! I’M STILL A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT MY EATING HABITS BUT WE’VE ABOUT GOT IT.

HOPE YOUR WORK IS NOT TOO HARD AND THAT YOU HAVE TIME FOR OTHER LONELY LABS!

RICHARD WORKED IN THE YARD TODAY PUTTING A LITTLE REPLACEMENT SOD. I SUPERVISED MOSTLY AND LAID ON THE NEW GRASS.

YOUR FRIEND, DANNAH

Harley (Formerly Sunshine)

“Harley goes to work at State Farm with her Mama—and was a good neighbor to all she met!!!”

Addie (the pup formerly known as Penelope)

Addie has been a blessing and a joy to have had as part of my new life in Santa Fe. Having moved out here to take my first job, I knew the time had finally come where I could afford the dog I’ve always wanted. She took only a short while to warm up to me (the car ride home), but now it’s nearly impossible to find us apart from each other. She loves her walks and is getting better and better with heeling. She sits incredibly well and we are currently working on laying down with “shake” next on the docket. She absolutely loves to chase the little lizards that are so plentiful in my neighborhood as well as the many rabbits that inhabit the area around my house; although she has yet to catch one! Watching her chase the lizards along the trail that surrounds my neighborhood is such a delight as she leaps and bounds her way in between shrubbery and has a look of sheer joy on her face. She’s not much of a fan of her kennel (much to my chagrin), but has come huge leaping strides from me literally having to force her in there for when I have to leave my house to go to work to now almost walking in on her own! She plays extremely well with other dogs, especially my girlfriend’s dog Boomer, a 5-month old male shih tzu/chihuahua mix (even though he looks like a cairn terrier). Addie is pretty good at playing fetch too! As you can see, she’s just as happy about the adoption as I am! Addie and I have been together only a hair over 1 month, but both of us are looking forward to a long companionship together.

Scrappy

My family went and looked at a few of the labs in Albuquerque. I just wanted to let you know you can add Scrappy from the Eastside shelter to your “safe” list.  He came home with my family last night.  We love him!  His picture was so small on the site I was afraid he was a lot small Lab mix.  Come to find out that picture is just really old.  I guess that he has been at the shelter since February.  He has such a good temperment and does so well on a leash.

I took him jogging this morning for a couple of miles and he did awesome.  You would have thought he did it everyday.  He did heel just like he is suppose to on the left the whole time.  Very sweet and very playful!  The cutest thing was that while he was scared of us adults at first, he went right up to our daughter (3) and let her pet him.  He has since then warmed up to the rest of us.

Thank you for all that you do!
Stephanie

Happy Blake spread out on the floor.

Blake is doing great.  He’s put on a little weight (he always figures out how to steal any butter we leave out!) and is about to finish intermediate obedience classes.  The trainer reminds us how much he’s settled in: He loves learning, is much calmer, and has the most contented look in his eyes!

Blake posing on the first day of fourth grade with Rowan, Blake’s “older brother”

We love him, and he’s made a huge difference in our lives.  It was exactly what we needed as a family.
Thank you again!  Do feel free to include any of my comments and the photos on the site.
Emily

This was Bowen, now Beau!

Here is a picture of Beau.  Thanks for everything he is turning out to be a great dog!  (The kitty and he even shared his bed last night):)

Dozer (Bradley)

I wanted to thank you guys again for Dozer (Bradley).  He is such an awesome dog.  We are loving him!  Even the cats like him. I attached one picture of him on the walk in our neighborhood (one of his favorite activities)

and another of him hanging out in our living room.

Ginger thanks so much for driving him over here that first day.  We took him in the car yesterday for the first time and it wasn’t a problem but I was still glad to not have to try to drive him somewhere before he knew me.  Thanks so much for all the time you took, taking care of him and explaining stuff to me.  We appreciate it!

All in all he’s a great boy!

Laura Wall

Chantilly

Here’s Chantilly!

She is getting fattened up and well adjusted in her new home. She is very, very sweet and training is going well, and as you can see, she’s not spoiled at all! ;)

She loves her new boys and she really loves playing with Blue. He’s an 8 year old black lab who took some time to adjust, but as you can see they are doing very well together.

She is a welcome addition to our family! :)

Danielle

Leah

“Our beautiful Leah at home. Thanks so much for saving her Conny. Thanks for fostering her Jonie!  We took some pictures of her today while she was playing in the backyard.  She seems to enjoy fetch and does a good job of bringing back the ball for us to throw.  YEEEEAAA LEAH!”

Denis

Leah just wanted to send you a picture of her with a note for all of you at Luvin Labs.  Take care and thanks again.

Denis and Kim

Dalet & Buddy

Dalton and Buddy. Buddy is the pure lab, Dalet has the pokey ears. Buddy was out of time in the Rio Rancho Shelter and Dalet was literally in the euthanasia room at Valencia county when Luvin’ Labs committed to him.  Both are living a fabulous life outside of Grants with one of our foster’s mom!

“Buddy and Dalton have grown so much.  They have over 400 acres to run on and my mom takes them out daily for rides in the truck.  Plenty of bones to chew, holes to dig and balls to chase keep them busy all day.  They have been her savior since the passing of my father I think more than she was theirs.”

Jackie McDorman

Petey

We just recently lost our eleven-year-old lab/shepherd cross due to a sudden illness.  He went into seizures following a three-year rabies vaccine.  The vet denies any connection, but I guess that topic is a whole separate story.  What I am writing about is that thanks to your website I found “Petey”, a two-month-old lab/healer cross at the Socorro Shelter.  I saw him on your site this afternoon and I drove down there from Albuquerque to see him.  He seemed very healthy, social, happy, and not intimidated.  So, I took him home.  Our three year old very doggie-social Bassett cross was thrilled to see him.  I have only had him home for about 5 hours now and they have both adjusted to each other and had nice little boxing match and she has given him a little licking bath.  We are very experienced dog owners and I think potty training him will be very easy.  He has already used the doggie door with a little bit of assistance with the flap and a treat when he goes through.  I am so thrilled.  Life goes on, we have mourned our Jesse, but now have given this little pup a new and wonderful life.

Thank you,

Tom Gugliotta

Bunny

Here are the latest pictures of Bunny. She is such an awesome girl, around 55 pounds, super smart, super spoiled, of course.

She’s great!

Walker the Pup, now known as Dawkins

Happy Tails, picture coming soon   : )

Hello Luvin’ Labs – I Thought I would take a minute and tell you a little about our boy and his first week in his ‘forever home’.  In the simplest of words,he is a perfect fit, and it is as if we have had him since the day he was born — we love him very much, and thank you for all you did to get him to us.  Shari (Walker’s Foster Mom), we have talked often that he has obviously had such excellent care and love before we even got him — please accept our special thanks for whatever you provided for him before he was adopted — you have given us the gift of a very confident, well adjusted dog.

From the minute we saw his face, we knew he would not be a foster more than the moment it took to say hello.  On the 15 minute ride back to our house, he sat on my lap in the back seat and held his head out the window, enjoying every moment of the ride.  It was then my husband said “You know, he is not a Walker to me.  He is Dawkins.  His name is going to be Dawkins.”  And so he has been.

He has already done and accomplished so much.  He has gone on 2 short runs with a group of between 2-5 girls and their dogs, and did fabulous.  He has had several opportunities for walks on the leash, and even made his first trip to Lowe’s with his new dad.  He is a very smart boy, and learns everything very quickly.  He has bonded well with our other lab, Kinnick, and as of yesterday, they completely figured out dominance and play, and have shown all the signs of falling in love (both of them have been seen with their head resting on the other!!!)  As in his previous foster home, he has ventured into the pool only to sit on the top step….we are not encouraging him to become a pool swimming dog, but it may only be a matter of time.  We had a trip planned to the beach this summer, anyway, so he will get his first taste of Dog Beach in San Diego — and I just know he will LOVE it!!!  He is incredible with the grandkids — just last night he was under the kitchen table hanging out with Kinnick and the 4 year old.  He accepts hugs and kisses and pets, and is kind and gentle.  He is curious, and it has been fun watching him learn all the new sounds and ‘routines’ of our household.

Thank you again, Luvin’ Labs — We are a happy family, and will surely be recommending to everyone to rescue their next pet.  You have made this a fabulous experience!!

Rex and Coco who made it up from Texas, fostered with Fred and are now forever home with Fred.

You can see they take life easy these days! When Coco gets on the sofa, its hard to get her to come outside for a photo session! I enjoy their company.

Daisy

I thought you might like to see my spoiled Daisy. I figured that it would be useless to try to plant anything in her favorite place while I’m working outside.

Bam

Bam is doing great! He and Bailey are getting along just fine, they are still figuring out their boundaries but are doing well.  Bam is glued to me literally, he follows me around and won’t let me out of his sight!  I have been working on his leg with a light massage and extentions.  He still runs on three legs but is walking more and more on four.

Frankie, one of Mary’s surprise pups : )

Introducing Frankie, new member of the Auffrey/Ritter Family.

We think Frankie is just “TOO CUTE”.

He is good to go, but we hope he won’t.

He is SOOO handsome : )

Jacob, now called Jet

Jet is a happy guy, follows me everywhere, loves his friend Buddy, is so happy in the car.  He behaves very well except when food is involved.  I make him wait for an OK before he can dive into his food bowl.  He is also learning to “take it nice” when I offer him a goodie.  He is the best “stretcher” and he does the “downward dog” and then the “upward dog, then he walks forward on his front feet, dragging the back feet behind.  He is so mellow, and everyone loves him.

Thanks for knowing that Jet should be my guy!

Abby (formerly Aspen)

Abby and her bone.

John and I want to update you on Abby (Aspen).  First of all, she is doing great!  She is the sweetest, most loving dog we have ever had!  She and Lucy are getting along better than we could have imagined.  She loves to hike with us, she goes to work with John and stays in his office most days with him.  She follows him around like a shadow!

Rose (formerly China)

This is China, saved from the Artesia shelter and being taught to swim by her dad Tim!

Here is Rose’s first swimming lesson on Memorial Day! Thank you so much for everything you did to bring her into our life!

Really Happy Rigel

Rigel (on the left) in a forever home….don’t you think??

Rigel is one happy dog enjoying his life here at our spa!  You can see his hair has nearly grown back and he is bonding more with our dogs now than me, which is a big relief!    He is safe, happy and very, very loved.  Thank you, all.

To read more about Rigel, click on the “Dawhoo’s Friends” Link

A puppy from Carlsbad

Thank you, Luvin Labs, for tip about the puppies in Carlsbad.  We went Saturday morning and found a beautiful chocolate lab.   It was so hard to pick, I wish we could have saved them all.  I hope they all find homes.  Noah’s Arc is great but very over crowded.  I told them that your website tipped me to them.  Again thank you for your help.  As you can see, she is beautiful.

Nova is happy.

Nova was dumped at the Rio Rancho shelter,

But now, thanks to Luvin Labs…

She has trained her owner and she has several dog friends.

The puppy in the picture plays rough, biting her neck, ears, face and legs.

When she has had enough, she lets out a growl that starts in her toe nails and the puppy looks up at the sky, “Is that Thunder?”

Wilson now Argos

I thought you’d enjoy this video of Argos and our daughter Calla. It shows how gentle and sweet he is. He is an absolute love and sleeps in bed with us every night…snoring! We adore him and we’re so glad he is a part of our family. Recently we watched a 7 month old puppy for a week and he played all day until he was sore and passed out before 7pm. He is so versatile: plays with puppies, sleeps and hangs out with our older dog and licks our baby. We are so lucky. He has stopped escaping, so I think he knows where home is now. All the best to you and your wonderful volunteers!

Devin, Silas, Calla, Klaus and Argos

Lucy, formerly Goldie

On January 3rd, 2011 we had to say good bye to our beautiful, 10.5 year old Crystal.  She had been a part of our family since she was 7 weeks old.  She had Valley Fever and the meds were not effective, her quality of life was decreasing and the fluid in her lungs was making breathing too hard for her.

In the end of  April 2011 shortly after what would have been Crystal’s 11th birthday, I started “networking” dogs that were in need of rescue/foster/adoption. I was sharing the stories of what I was working on with my husband.

Skip ahead to May 2011, I stumbled upon a facebook page called Luvin’ Labs and there is this beautiful girl named Goldie.  She was in doggie jail and listed as urgent.  She also looked very similar to our Crystal and this touched a chord with my husband.  I networked her, never intending to do anything more than that, but my husband and I guess life had other plans!  I contacted Luvin Labs to get a little more information on this girl.  It seems she was a repeat offender, a regular Houdini, an expert escape artist who jumped over walls.  I shared her on a Sunday, drove 480 miles Monday night, broke her out of jail Tuesday morning, and drove home 480 miles Tuesday afternoon.  I have to say the people at the dog jail all knew and loved her.  I am grateful they made an exception to adopt out of state.

It is now Wednesday evening, “Goldie” now Lucy, aka Lucy Lou, aka Loudini  is sitting by my feet.  She is an expert traveler, knows her basic commands: sit, come, lie down, roll-over, release, no.  She needs some work on a leash, some of the pulling could be from the new scents all around her.  She absolutely is in love with my husband and whimpers when he leaves the room.  She sleeps up against the side rail of the bed…on his side of course.  She loves belly rubs, treats, sliding through the grass, and has even been allowed to venture around the yard with us….leash free.  She has not tried an escape, but she is never alone outside, and runs for the door to come back in after she is done with all her business.  She has new toys, 2 cats that are getting used to having a new fur sister, and has just had her first shower!

We love her!

Thank you Luvin’ Labs!

Sir Lancelot aka Tex

Sir Lancelot was the SADDEST lab in a Texas shelter after his owner surrendered him… through the help of fabulous advocates and rescuers out there he was pulled, boarded, and eventually transported to Albuquerque, NM and to his forever home.  Check him out, surveying his kingdom!  Thanks to all of you involved in saving this great lab!!

From Tex’s new mom … “We unexpectedly lost our 11 year old yellow lab, Clarabelle, to a heart tumor.  Then within about 3 weeks, I had to take my wonderful black lab boy, Kodie, to be put to sleep from complications from degenerative spinal myelopathy.  I found Colleen after losing Clarabelle, thus beginning my great journey with Colleen and Luvin’ Labs.  We fostered a couple dogs before Colleen asked if I’d be willing to help out with Sir Lancelot.  With her infinite doggie-love wisdom, she had a feeling and a plan for me and this wonderful boy!  (Go Colleen!!!)  I picked him up at the end of his day-long journey from Texas and brought him home.  When I walked in the door with him my 14 year old son, William’s first response was “He”s HUGE!!!!!”.  My husband, Jeff’s response was “Oh My God!!!!”, referring to Sir Lancelot’s size.    We decided that he will forever be Sir Lancelot, but he needed to have a shorter name for daily use.  My son looked in his book with dog names and said we should name him Texas because  Texas is big and Sir Lancelot is too… So, Texas (Tex) it became.

Tex is by my side constantly when I’m home… and when I leave, he thinks he needs to go with me.

I’ve been having some serious health problems the past month and Tex has been such a loyal friend.  I truly believe he has sensed my frustrations with everything and wants to console me.  Two Saturday’s ago I laid down for a nap and my friend jumped up on the bed as usual, but this time he threw his right front leg over my back, hugging me, as he laid down.  He stayed that way for about 30 minutes.  The next day he jumped up and didn’t throw his leg over my back, but he tapped my back 3 times with his paw before he laid down.  It was just like a good friend patting your back telling you… it’s going to be okay.

I had him at my vet’s office shortly after we got him. She turned and looked at me and said “He’s really smart… I mean he’s really smart.  He will be a good guard dog for you.”  She continued by telling me that if he ever warns me about someone, I need to listen to him… he won’t be wrong.  She said he’s “got it going on” and I believe she’s right.

Oh, how this boy LOVES to play fetch.  He will bring the ball and spit it at me, or drop it in front of me.  If it rolls away and I can’t reach it easily I tell him, “No, you need to bring it here” and I will tap the ground right in front of me.  He’ll retrieve it and put it where I pointed.  He’s amazing, but he is a little insane when it comes to retrieving!

Tex has truly settled into life in our house and is loved by all of us… Colleen, you’re the best…  you made a perfect match!  To each of you who helped bring this fabulous guy into my life rescuing him from the shelter in Texas, driving him from there to here…. THANK YOU!  I am forever grateful.  And if he could talk, I have no doubt he would say THANK YOU as well for the kindness each of you showed him.

Tex’s Mom and new BFF,

Kathy Kleyboecker

Kodiak and Baby Girl

Kodiak and Baby Girl are going home.

Red (formerly Sioux)

My life in Missouri wasn’t a good one until Luvin’  Labs came to my rescue and brought me to New Mexico.  It didn’t take long to find my forever family, and I couldn’t be happier.  The best part is laying around together to watch a Nebraska game.   We are all cheering for the Big Red in more than one way!

Anna Lee

Anna Lee, formerly called Rose, is fitting in beautifully with our family. Thank you so much for what you do – we would have never found her otherwise.

Best wishes,

The Wagner Family

Anna Lee was at Roswell Humane.  The Wagner’s drove all the way down to adopt her, and picked her up and rescued her after seeing her picture on the Luvin’ Labs web site.

Mitchel

Mitchel, is one of two black lab pups who were taken into our Luvin’ Labs program.  His original name was Zane.  A note from his new forever family:  We feel so blessed to have him in our lives and it wouldn’t have been possible without you guys!   Thank you for all that you do!

The Hutchinson Family

Buddy

Thank you, Luvin’ Labs, for giving me a second chance on life.  I loved my first Christmas with my new family – I was so exhausted, but wouldn’t leave my new toys behind.

I’m on my way to graduating as a service dog

Buddy, the Labradoodle

Sundance

Sundance was found wandering as a stray and about to be euthanized at the Valencia County Shelter when one of our Luvin’ Labs volunteers brought him to us. He was in his forever home the next week!  Stay tuned for more updates.

Dalton

Hi everyone! My name is Dalton. My mom asked me to share my story with you all, so I figured I could take a few minutes out of my busy play schedule to tell you all about me. First off, my mom and I were dumped at the shelter down in Valencia County when our previous owner could no longer afford to keep us. Lucky for us, the nice people at Luvin’ Labs heard about us and broke us out of there when our time was up. Now, I don’t really know what that means, but I imagine it’s not too good for puppies like me. I was only 6 months old at the time. Well, we came up here to Albuquerque and my mom got a foster home right away. I got to go into boarding, but being a puppy, I wasn’t too happy there and I started to eat the concrete right off the walls. So that nice Luvin’ Labs lady, Colleen, called my foster mom and asked if I could come and stay at her house. Well, lucky me again, she said yes, and you know what, she had other dogs at her house for me to play with…Score! I decided that if I was on my best behavior, I might get to hang around there for awhile, which is what I really wanted because there was lots of food and toys for me, and a big back yard to run around in. I totally fell in love with my new foster sister Molly and I followed her everywhere and did all the stuff she taught me to do. And my older foster sister Callie needed someone to watch out for her when she went outside because she was so small, so I figured I could do that. We even all got to go for a long car ride to visit Grandma and Grandpa and they have a dog too! Well, I’m not sure what I did on that trip, but the best thing ever happened, my foster mom decided that she wanted to be my forever mom. Can you believe it? Boy was I a happy guy. And then for Christmas, the coolest thing happened, a new foster puppy came to stay and I got to teach her all the things that my foster sister taught me. I even taught her how to use the dog door by holding it open for her so she could get in and out. She got to go to her new forever home which kind of made me sad but not for long. We have two new foster doggies that I get to play with and learn stuff from. I can’t imagine life getting any better than this, but I bet it will. My mom tells me every day that she loves me and she’s the lucky one, and that’s enough for me. Thank you so much Colleen for seeing that I had potential and choosing to get me out of that awful place. Hugs…Dalton!

Dalton & Callie

Dalton and foster brother Duke

Colby

This is Colby during his second week with us. We call him our tripod buddy as he had a tragic story before being found roaming the countryside. Someone had shot his front right leg with a shotgun and left him to struggle for a time to fend for himself with this injured leg. He fortunately came into the hands of Luvin Labs and was assessed for damage to his leg at which time it was decided the injury was too old to rebuild the leg and the best option was amputation. He struggled for survival but remained the sweetest little guy thru all his ordeal. The real turning point for his desire to continue on came thru his foster care and another real hero, Koki, a chocolate lab mix, who also had come from a sad past. She nurtured him back to happiness and the will to live. This is where our good fortune came to be – we decided to give Colby a forever home and have not had a moment of regret. He is a true gentleman, well-behaved, loves everyone and as of today ran/hiked 4 miles with us on the trails. What a companion he has become and we look forward to many more happy years with him.

Parker aka Hal

We are doing well, and he seems completely settled into his new routine.  He has definitely gotten past the low energy (depression?) stage and is fully a puppy. He loves to run and play and has a bounce in his step that he didn’t have when I first met him.  I feel like we are well bonded – he has been so much fun to get to know and constantly cracks me up with his little quirks. He doesn’t like to be out after work… he wants to eat and takes himself to bed about 7:30 pm. If I am downstairs he will get in his kennel, and if I’m upstairs he will get on his bed. The first thing he does every morning is get in bed with me and cuddle (he sleeps on his bed next to mine) then he goes downstairs and pulls all of his bedding out of his kennel and gets all his toys out of his basket and arranges them on the rug… it’s a hoot to watch. We drove 1900 miles for our Christmas holiday so that I didn’t have to kennel him so soon after I had gotten him – hotel rooms, friends and families houses, infants,  small children, and other dogs – he was awesome. Happy and easy and loving all the attention… he was the least stressful part of the trip. Thanks so much for all your help. This is my first adoption/rescue and I couldn’t ask for a better experience.

Happily Ever After!

Sampson and Delilah, our beautiful pair rescued together from the Roswell Shelter where they were on death row, are reunited in their new forever home with absolutely incredible folks.  Watch the video of these two love birds below.  Thanks to each and every one of you for helping to make this happen.  Thanks so much to their new family for opening up their home and hearts to Sampson and Delilah!  Welcome home!

“We just love our Emmy who was also known at the luvinlabs.com website as “Penny Lane.”  Her foster mom is the sweetest person.  I can tell, because she helped this amazing little girl develop wonderful manners and had a wonderful time in her young life with her foster siblings.  Emmy is a very loving, affectionate, and gentle soul who has already added a lot of joy to our lives.  Emmy has only been in her forever home for three full weeks, but she seems so happy.  She wags her tail all the time.  When my husband wakes up in the morning and comes into the living room, Emmy rushes up to say good morning to him and gives him wags of her tail.

Emmy’s fur coat is a shiny gorgeous black, and she has the most amazing chocolate brown eyes.  If one had the time, you could stare into those eyes all day as you pet that luxurious fur coat.  She is a big girl who can run really fast when she makes loops around the backyard.  She delights in going for rides in our Explorer.  The other day she was so eager to get in, she leapt over a tall plastic storage box we had in the vehicle.   Most of the dogs in Taos are ride along dogs.  Emmy is now one of them!

Thanks so much to luvinlabs, Colleen, and Krista who helped Emmy have a wonderful and safe life while she was in their care waiting for a forever home.  Emmy is indeed in her forever home.  We love her so much.”

Chaucer aka Lobo

Thanks again for yours & Alexa’s help with finding us Chaucer. He’s doing great ! What’s not to love ? He’s goofy, smart, affectionate, loves long walks, and falls over when petted. He’s adjusted fabulously to our home, and not only gets along great with our almost-11-year-old Lab, but seems to have rejuvenated Porter ! They play together happily. Chaucer learns new commands quickly, and is so proud of himself when he learns something new. The local dog park is always an adventure; he wants to greet and play with everyone ! At home, his hobbies include eviscerating his many toys into tiny bits, spreading his fur and love into every corner, and checking up on his humans with his big gorgeous eyes. He’s both clumsy and snuggly, as the bruises on my feet can attest. He recovered with light speed from his neuter and is ready to take on the world. We are so lucky to have this cutie pie in our lives !!

Takoda aka Ko-D

Ko-D is A GREAT DOG!!  Thank you so much for choosing us for him.

Luke aka Buck

Buck is really fitting in nicely! I thought you’d like this picture, he’s quite happy with his toy selection.

Lobo

Thought you might like this picture of Lobo with his new family. He is so loved.

Duke

The “Lab formerly known as Duke” (we’re trying “Marlow” from J. Conrad’s books…) has totally made himself at home, to the point where he’s joining Zoe on our bed (until he starts snoring and we kick him off!). He’s located the various dog beds and comfortable spots around the house, and really likes laying in the grass in the yard. He is the master of the stairs and the doggie door, and became quickly addicted to his new “Kong” toy. He’s eating well, and looks like his weight and his coat are improving. He seems a little winded after a long walk in the foothills or a run with Teresa, so we’re mindful that he needs to get into shape and we’re not over-exercising him. His attitude is lightening up too, he got to go to the dog park near our house last week and he romped and played with 15-20 other doggies – nice to see!  So far he’s a great ambassador for Lab Rescue – he’s so well mannered and well behaved on the leash that neighbors and people we meet on the trails can’t believe he’s a rescue dog. We can’t believe how lucky we are to have him

Kona

Kona (previously Samson) has adjusted very well into his forever home.  He blessed us with his great personality shortly after we lost our beloved yellow lab Shasta(after 13 wonderful years).  We needed another 4 legged friend to renew our spirits as well as that of our 12 year old German Sheppard Elway.  Kona has certainly done that, but I’m not going to sugar coat it- he is definitely a LAB, and a PUPPY to boot!  Kona’s favorite hobbies include moving the family’s shoes from room to room, and sometimes into the yard.  He enjoys nibbling on his human’s ankles and arms in between cuddle sessions.  He especially enjoys pouncing, nibbling, and generally tormenting his older brother Elway(which is very entertaining to watch).  And of course, what Lab doesn’t enjoy a good snack; Kona’s favorites include our children’s stuffed animals and small plastic figurines.  Now where did those chips on the kitchen counter go?  At the end of such busy days Kona loves to cuddle up, making us somehow forget his transgressions.   We love Kona and all his feisty puppy-ness!!! He’s fun, playful, and friendly with everyone.  Thank you Luvin’ Labs for everything you do!  Well, it’s time to go take Kona for a walk…where the heck did my shoes go?

Marley

Marley has to be one of the happiest dogs we have ever seen. He has made himself quite at home and is very comfortable in his new environment. He loves all of the attention he recieves and is a truely a blessing to our family. He gets along great with his new feline friend “Penny” and they chase eachother in the backyard for hours. In the pictures you will notice that Marley thinks he is a lap dog and likes to sit on your chest. Most of all he is very gentle with two younger boys in the house and he loves to give everybody kisses! Marley is a great dog and has brought a lot of love to his new family!

Riley

We adopted Riley from the Clovis Animal Shelter 10-23-09 (the day he was to be euthanized).  He had been labeled as a high energy dog who needed a firm hand.  The truth is that he just went stir crazy being caged up.  Riley is so beautiful and intelligent.  He is very obedient and just a grateful boy.  We love him so much.  Thanks Tom @ Lodestar Labs & Colleen for helping us find Riley!

Murphy and Muna …

Meet our love bugs adopted from the Valencia County Shelter … “Murphy and Muna now Beau (Blue Collar) and Bella (Red collar) in their new home. just wanted to say thanks to the luvinlabs of new Mexico for helping us find them we had just lost our lab that we had for four years and these two have been a blessing …”

Domino aka Milo …

“I just want to give you a quick up date on Milo. He is doing GREAT!  He is making great progress on his idiosyncrasies. He now comes when he’s called almost always. I have trained him to come to a whistle so he hears it and can’t ignore me. He is getting better going through doors. and has become an expert at “Wabbit Wangling”.  Not sure how he survived before discovering rabbits. He has lots of new friends  4 legged and two and he just love playing w/ all of them. Has become a great mountain hiker. He is still skinny not due to lack of food but runs it off. Still can’t leave him alone but can leave him w/ other friends.  He is such a great dog and cute as ever. Oh and has also managed to find his way on the bed. Not quite sure how that happened except he is so cute. He and my cats get along great. It is just a win win situation. next weekend he will be spaing at the pool side in Las Cruces.”

Leo & Delios, our Rez Dawgs, now Murphy & Fenway …

“Our 20 year old son born in Boston, has renamed the boys.  Pop is Murphy (Irish), and son is Fenway (baseball).

They are adjusting wonderfully, with numerous walks along the Rio Grande.  We live in Rivers Edge, along the river in Rio Rancho.  The river is a short walk from our house.  Tim takes the dogs on walks (he is avid fitness nut), usually along the river to the Bernalillo Bridge on Highway 550.

On the first day here at the house they found the dog door and that was that, they come and go as they please.   They are both filling out and love their new home.  They get along well with our 3 and 7 year old grandsons… Thank you for what you do.  You are blessed!”