2010 Statistics
as of January 31
Labs Taken In ... 24
Labs Placed ... 30
Spayed/Neutered ... 7
30 adoptions in 31 days - that's quite a pace to start the new year!
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Safe Harbor Lab Rescue
March Fundraising Event
Join Safe Harbor for a very unique and fun event at Canvas and Cocktails!
Learn to paint, have a cocktail, help the Labs of Safe Harbor. No experience or talent required!
Tuesday, March 16th, 6:30pm
Cherry Creek
249 Clayton Street, Denver
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Sponsor a Rescued Lab
Most of our Labs come to us with just "the fur on their back" and are in need of a lot of help before they're ready to go to their forever home. While our Labs have a wide variety of medical needs, here are a few ways you can help a Lab pass "Go".
$12 for "A Ticket Home" including a microchip, a fresh new basic collar, a rabies tag and SHLR ID tag. Many of our rescues are abandoned strays with no ID. Labs are curious, active and friendly -- thorough identification is critical to getting back home to loved ones.
$25 for a Heartworm Test. All are tested for life threatening heartworms. Yes, there is heartworm disease in Colorado. Every year several Labs test positive and undergo expensive, lengthy treatment in our care.
$45 for Basic Vaccinations including rabies, distemper-parvo combination and bordetella (kennel cough). No one leaves Safe Harbor without them!
$100 Helps with a Spay or Neuter. We are committed to reducing pet overpopulation and promoting a healthy life by spaying or neutering all our Labs.
Choose any one or mix and match to help one or more Labs in need!
Click to donate |
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A Box of Chocolate for Valentine's Day??
 Don't forget! Calendar Photo Contest |
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2011 Calendar Photo Contest
Our Calendar continues to be a fun and profitable fundraiser for our Labs. Our contest will launch on March 1st, so please plan to compete in our 2010 photo contest.
Please set your digital cameras to the highest resolution/quality settings so that when printed out at 8.5" x 11", they are suitable for the calendar, and keep those shutters clicking. Watch for the contest announcement on our website and in our LabGab. Your Lab need not be rescued in order to participate!
If you have any questions, please email or call Margo, our graphic designer at grboyer@qwest.net/303 579-9181.
Twelve winners and 12 honorable mentions will be selected - grand prize winner will grace the cover of the calendar, and we'll select one of the winter scene winners for our SHLR Christmas Card for 2010.
...and thanks for your continuing support!
Click here to order the beautiful 2010 calendar.
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Thank You Pet World!
For the past couple years, Pet World owner, Gary Roberts, and his dedicated staff and customers have lavished holiday gifts upon our rescued Labradors. Pet World staff created the Critter Caring Tree and posted photos and holiday wish lists for our Labs in foster care.
Our Labs sure do have healthy appetites, so we were incredibly thankful that the wonderful customers at Pet World have such generous hearts. Several families took the time to assemble wonderful care baskets for our Labs and stuffed them with Kongs, treats, and specialty dog food. Safe Harbor truly appreciates the generosity of Pet World and their customers!
You can visit Pet World in Lakewood or on the web at: http://www.petworldlakewood.com
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Lab Antics
Mollie, a retriever puppy, keeps her new family entertained with her puppy antics. Finding a comfy blanket on an old rocking chair, she jumped up and snuggled in. She discovered she could make the chair sway back and forth by shifting her body slightly. Apparently Mollie has decided rocking herself to sleep is better than sleeping on the floor.
Readers - please send your funny lab stories to labgab@safeharborlabrescue.org
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Newsletter Banner Photo
Thank you to Jennifer and Eric for sending the photo in our newsletter top banner this month. Safe Harbor alum Bodie is on the right, sharing the couch with his new brother Haggis.
Got a photo you'd like to see at the top of Lab Gab? Send to labgab@safeharborlabrescue.org.
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Our Mission Statement
Safe Harbor Lab Rescue is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization run solely by volunteers for the purpose of successfully rehoming stray or surrendered Labrador Retrievers in Colorado by offering medical care, training resources and breed education.
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 Hello Friends of Safe Harbor -
With Valentine's Day just around the corner we are so grateful for the many ways you give your heart and support to our rescued Labs. Over the holidays we received many wonderful cards, photos and notes with news and thanks to our dedicated volunteers -- it was very fun to hear from you!
I hope you'll enjoy this issue of the Lab Gab produced by our talented volunteers Kara Karsten, Editor and Ginny Smith, Head Pup Reporter!
Best Wishes,
Jacky
President
Safe Harbor Lab Rescue
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Lia - Lab in Need
 Eight year old Lia was abandoned at a crowded shelter where wonderful mature labs are overlooked for younger dogs and find their days numbered. When we rescued gentle and loving Lia she had kennel cough, an ear infection and a painful broken tooth with an exposed root. Lacerations to her paws required surgery. We're making sure Miss Lia gets all the care and TLC she needs to be well and pain free. The required medical care to get her ready for adoption is expensive and will far exceed her adoption fee. Lia would very much welcome your support to help get her on her paws again. Click here to help with Lia's medical expenses. |
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Success Story - Dory and Doug
 Beautiful, sweet and gentle little Dory was adopted by Doug recently. It was literally love at first sight for these two -- Doug, a Safe Harbor volunteer conducted Dory's surrender visit and put "dibs" on her before she was even officially in the program - one of the perks of volunteering! Doug fostered Dory until we had her vetted and when she officially joined the household, she gained not only a new "dad" but an older sister and playmate, yellow Lab, Coral (not pictured). Dory, or Dor-Dor as Doug calls her, loves her new home where she gets to hang out in Doug's home office or in the beautifully landscaped backyard with Coral.  Doug is a Lab-lover through and through and just published a wonderful book, The Legacy of Beezer and Boomer - Lessons on Living and Dying from My Canine Brothers, chronicling his journey with his two former Labs, through their many health crises. Shop now on our website - a portion of the sale proceeds will benefit Safe Harbor Lab Rescue. Thank you, Doug! Maybe his next book will be about falling in love with Dory! |
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Volunteer Spotlight - Kathlean James
 Kathlean and her husband, Mike, have seven children - 6 girls and 1 boy. Ironically, their first SHLR experience was with Sadie and her pups numbering 6 girls and 1 boy! (See "Sadie's Story" below.) The family lives in Ft. Collins where Kathlean and King Shepherd therapy dog, Drogo, make regular visits to nursing homes and a women and children's shelter. At the shelter, Kathlean and Drogo spend their time with the children, teaching that "hands are for hugging, not for hitting". In her spare time, Kathlean creates large mosaic hangings that are shown in a Chicago gallery. Sadie's pups profited from Kathlean's artistic talents, receiving one-of-a-kind take-home pillows made from old bedspreads, Sadie's scent included! Kathlean is appreciative of the support from and the strong connections she has made with SHLR - "I can't say enough about them." And we can't say enough about Kathlean and her family either!  Kathlean with Sadie's Puppies |
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Sadie's Story
 This is the story of a 16 month old chocolate lab who was abandoned in a garage when her owner moved away. We read these kinds of stories and shake our heads in disbelief and disdain. But, wait! The day after this young lab was picked up and taken to our vet for observation and an exam, she delivered seven beautiful puppies! Foster care for the now-named Sadie and her pups? All together? Yes, indeed! Kathlean came to the rescue and provided foster care for 9 weeks until all seven pups went to their Forever Families. Kathlean slept in the puppy pen, stayed on top of puppy illnesses, and made sure Twiggy, the smallest, got what she needed. (See Kathlean's story above.)  Sadie? Well, she's in 7th Heaven with her very own Forever Family, taking daily walks, playing fetch, and hanging out with her new dad, who works at home a lot. She's looking forward to hiking and camping too. Tom and Cindy say: "She's the girl of our dreams!"
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Joys of Fostering (and Foster Failures)
 Safe Harbor volunteer Lucy Murray shares a recent foster experience. If you have thought about fostering, but worry that you would want to keep them all, read on for Lucy's wise advice. I was out of town in early January when I received an email asking if I was interested in taking on a new foster as soon as I got back. When I saw Sierra's sad photo, I knew I had to help find her a home.
 With a foster home lined up, the incredible Safe Harbor team went to work. Sierra was rescued from the animal shelter and scheduled for a medical appointment. As soon as Sierra left the animal shelter, she didn't look sad anymore! I took her home from Alameda East Veterinary Hospital and Sierra's life just kept getting better and better. When I introduced Sierra to my friends and neighbor as my new foster dog, I kept hearing the same comment over and over again: "I could never foster a dog because I could never give the dog up." These comments got me thinking about the difference between fostering a dog versus babysitting a dog for a friend who is out of town. Most people have no trouble giving back the dog when their friend comes home. I think of fostering as taking care of a dog for a friend who is on vacation, except that I haven't met the new owner yet.
From looking at the success stories on-line and my past foster successes, I have faith that our exceptional adoption coordinators will find the exact right owner for my foster. While the "foster failure" option always exists, I know that if I had kept all of my past fosters, I wouldn't have been in a position to help rescue Sierra, or my next foster!
Please visit our volunteer web page to find out how you too can experience the joy of fostering!
PS - Recent foster failures of note include Charlotte, honored in last month's Volunteer Spotlight; Sabrina and Kathy, exceptional Safe Harbor volunteers; and yours truly, Lab Gab editor, Kara.
 
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