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Adoption Process
Adopting Your New Labrador

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Thank you for your interest in adopting a Labrador Retriever from Labrador Rescuers. We’re a 100% volunteer-based, non-profit organization. We’ve been saving Labrador Retrievers since 2004, and have saved over 5,500 dogs since our inception. We are dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming stray, abandoned and unwanted Labrador Retrievers into loving families. Our goal is to find the best matched family for each Labrador Retriever to ensure lifelong happiness.

We love labs and lab mixes. Descriptions of our dogs with respect to the lab breed are solely based on visual appearance. Unless a dog is admitted into our care with purebred paperwork, we cannot guarantee the breed of that dog nor the dog’s actual temperament compared to the common temperament of a true lab.    

6 Easy Steps...
Step 1: Complete an Online Application

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Complete the Adoption Application. Please answer each question as thoroughly as possible. This information will be used to help determine the type of dog that will best suit your family’s lifestyle.

Step 2: Submit Your Application Donation

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Submit your Application Donation in the amount of $25.  You may also mail a check for your application donation to: Labrador Rescuers, 5965 Village Way Ste E105-148, San Diego CA 92130. (Note: You will not receive submission confirmation)

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GET STARTED
Adoption Application
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Application Donation
Step 3: Application Package Review

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Once your application is received, one of our Family Representatives will contact you to schedule a virtual or in home visit. The purpose of this visit is to meet the entire family, gain a better understanding of the home, and gather more details about your lifestyle that will assist us in placing the right Lab with you. Going forward, your family rep will be your main contact and guide through the adoption process.

 

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Step 4: In Home or Virtual Visit From Labrador Rescuers

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Following an in person or virtual visit from your Family Representative, you will transition to the next step. Meeting the Dogs.

Step 5: Get Ready to Meet the Dogs!
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Adoption events are held in various locations about every 2 - 4 weeks or about once a month. Check out the Adoption Events Page for information. You can also meet a dog by going to the foster family’s home. We recommend that all family members (including your current dog) comes to the meet and greets.

 

Our main goal is to match each dog with the right family therefore we don't “hold” dogs or place them on a “first come, first serve” basis.

 

Periodically, we have multiple families who have been approved and are hoping to adopt the same dog. Due to this potential situation, we suggest keeping an open mind during the adoption process and trying not to focus on just one dog.  

Adoption Donation
Step 6: Adopting Your New Family Member

Once you've selected your new family member, your family rep will have you complete the Terms of Adoption Form and determine the necessary adoption donations and payment needed (see below). Adoption donations can made online or in person.  

Training & Spay Neuter Deposits
Remember to Bring a Leash with You to Take Home Your New Lab! 

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What Does My Adoption Donation Cover? 

The adoption donation is not the cost of buying a dog.  This donation rarely, if ever covers all associated costs, so we must constantly fundraise.  It helps offset the costs incurred in preparing a dog for adoption.  Each of our dogs have had an exam by a veterinarian and will be current on their vaccinations (rabies, DHLPP, bordatella, heartworm tests), have had a fecal test, be spayed or neutered, and microchipped. We also treat any injuries and/or illnesses that are discovered.

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The donations we collect upon adoption help to defray the costs that we incur while caring for each of our Labs. Some of our costs include: shelter redemption costs, boarding costs, heartworm tests, microchipping, vaccinations, fecal tests, spay and neutering, medications to address an illness, x-rays, and major medical such as a broken leg, torn ACL or hip replacement. The adoption donation fee is non-refundable.

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Additionally, many of our dogs come to us with little or no training, so will need their new family’s commitment to future training. To ensure these dogs attend a training class, we collect a refundable training deposit of $150. You may go to any trainer that you choose, and upon completion, send the training certificate to our PO Box for

Labrador Rescuers and we’ll refund your deposit. Or, you may choose to leave the deposit with Labrador Rescuers to help us to save more Labs in the future.

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Below is our Donation Schedule and costs that may be associated with your adoption. 

Donation Schedule & Costs
10 Reasons to Adopt a Labrador Retriever

  1. Labs are people dogs! The make great family dogs because they want to be with their people – in the house, in the bedroom, in the bathroom, in the car, wherever you are.
     

  2. Labs are easy to train. They’re intelligent and quick learners, and aim to please. They respond well to guidelines and a little bit of structure, and may get into trouble if they don’t have it.
     

  3. Labs are great with children. Their dispositions lend themselves well to family life and they’re typically very gentle and patient with kids.
     

  4. Labs are playful and energetic, and make great companions. Friendly and cheerful by nature, they love outdoor activities and are great swimmers. For a 1-4 year old Lab, plan on 1-2 hours per day of good exercise.
     

  5. Labs don’t require a lot of grooming, but do shed and need regular brushing. An occasional bath and nail trim is all they need – and they don’t need to go to a groomer every 3 to 4 weeks.
     

  6. Labs are affectionate and give kisses. They love to be scratched, have their eyes and ears rubbed and will roll right over for a belly rub. They also have lap-dog syndrome , and will sit right next to you, lean on you and may try to sit on the couch or get in bed with you. And many of them just love to smother you with kisses.
     

  7. Labs will help you with cleaning up the kitchen floor. They’ll happily vacuum up any scraps that hit the floors while cooking.
     

  8. Labs love water – well, most of them do. They love the beach and if you have a pool, be prepared for regular swimming activities.
     

  9. Labs can switch gears quickly. They will rough-house outside and then five minutes later, let a toddler lay on them and pull their tails.
     

  10. Labs are happy, silly dogs. They want to have fun, run with their ears flapping or share their toys with you. You can’t have a bad day when there’s a Lab in your life.
     

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