Labrador Welfare

26/06/2024

It’s late in the day and it’s been another busy one for us but before the sun goes down and the stars come out to play we’re sharing a little one to light up your night as she’s been celebrating her 2nd birthday today!

Not even 6 months old when she arrived in our care late in 2022, Star’s former owners were devastated at being told that their precious girl had hip dysplasia. Faced with the prospect of managing the not inexpensive cost to treat an ongoing condition in a pup so young and struggling to meet her needs in a very busy household, Star’s owners wanted to do the kindest thing for her so … they did the right thing and picked up the phone to ask for our help. That one tiny act of kindness changed the course of Star’s life forever and gave her the chance of living her best life in a home where the best things in life are the simple pleasures she gets from being one of three!

Rehomed through our Sponsor Dog Scheme, and over a year down the line now, this little one’s life is on the up and, one thing’s for certain - Star certainly doesn’t let her condition get her down! Her star is on the rise thanks to a wonderful family that adore her and … the two lovely canine companions she shares her new life with who’ve happily shown her the tuggy wotnots and the joys of sharing a cosy night in with their favourite show on the doggle box too! Although 3 is her magic number, we can honestly say Star’s not having a ball with her besties – they’re strictly out of bounds for obvious reasons and she’d be in the naughty corner with her hydrotherapy team faster than you can say ‘catch’ if she was so much caught eyeing even the tiniest round bouncy thing up!

Time flies when you’re having fun whether it’s with or without a ball and it seems Star’s life since landing at Destination Home has been absolutely full of 5-star fuss as befits the little celeb she’s become! For a little girl with a wiggly bottom who’d blow the best hippy hippy shaker out of the water if Strictly ever did Come Dancing canine style, it seems Star’s made a big impression at her hydrotherapy sessions where her team are really impressed as she’s shown them she does actually have two left feet and has been really quick to pick up the steps in her own little Splash Dance!

A girl who was clearly born to entertain, this little one was always destined to be a star in the making and her future is looking very bright. If we did Doggy Oscars she’d be in line for best supporting actress in a serious doggy roll and, no doubt, in the fullness of time she’ll bag herself a lifetime achievement award for stand-up (or sit down) comedy too! Whichever way you look at it, the Hollywood Walk of Fame might be missing a star for a girl with a beautiful fur coat and a wiggly walk but, where their luck’s out, Star’s is definitely in! Her family wouldn’t trade her for all the stars in the sky no matter what – they’re totally addicted to a girl with stars in her eyes and a little Star who leaves them (and us) with the biggest of Hollywood smiles!

Happy birthday little one – we know you’ll have had fun delivering a show-stopping performance at your hydro session on your special day - it’ll definitely be a 10 from them (and of course from us too!) 🥰🐾

25/06/2024

Things have been hotting up for the home nation at the Euros and it’s all kicking off with dogs in our care who’ve scored a winner thanks to the mystery doggy shoppers who’ve sent some fab gifts from our Amazon Wish List so they can practice their dribbling skills in more ways than one!

The lovely lad pictured here has been getting his grass court season started after our Wish List appeal for ‘new balls please’ last week and he’s been having an absolute blast playing the beautiful game with a few round bouncy things while we’re busy putting his game plan with a lifetime foster home team into place! We’ve still got one or two tactical bits and bobs to do before he can head off to play top-flight football in his new home but, with some yummy stuff to look forward to when the full-time whistle goes after playtime at kennels and washing powder to help us clean up their kit, our mystery shoppers have given this lovely lad and his kennel mates plenty to chew over in their post-match washup after they’ve thrown the towel in for the night as well!

There weren’t any gift notes in any of the parcels that arrived but to our latest mystery shoppers and EVERYONE who sends Wish List gifts throughout the year, the team at Labrador Welfare - captained by choccie Ted today - would like to say a very big THANK YOU to all of you! 🥰🐾

https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/IIL9NKFL3UVH?ref=cm_sw_em_r_wl_ip_vNWARuZp1jGmM

24/06/2024

It’s going to be another hot one today so what could be more perfect than a perfectly chilled ice cream? The little cream dream who’s top of the show this morning always looks hot to trot and she’s got life pretty much licked in her happy place where she’ll be chilling out with her besties celebrating her 9th birthday today!

Life before Labrador Welfare for Lola was lovely in a home where she was truly adored but when life threw her owners a curved ball and they knew what the fates had in store for them, they didn’t leave Lola’s future to chance and asked for our help knowing she’d have a future to look forward to and we’d always be there to make sure life wouldn’t let her down.

More than a year down the road and Lola’s on the up with a fabulous family who are partial to cream with their slice of Labrador life. Luckily for Lola they’re also chocoholics and she’s as happy as we are that her lifelong choccie companion Wilson hitched a ride home with her – so Lola’s happiness is totally topped off! There can’t be many of us who don’t count a cheeky chocolate amongst our guilty pleasures and, with Wilson by her side, Lola’s no exception to that but, according to her family although our little show girl has a cheeky twinkle in her ever-watchful eyes, it’s foodie Wilson who’s guilty as sin and always has his eyes on the prize! Here’s what their family told us when we caught up with them to find out how their party planning is going for Lola’s big day:

“We hope to have a family get together possibly a barbie! That is if we can keep Mr Wilson away from his stealing ways! Lola still enjoys her ball games. They have both made lots of friends in our community and Lola lays in our drive and watches everyone coming and going. She loves all visitors. Wilson likes to follow me when I am gardening and waits patiently in case I drop anything edible. Lola has a chair by the window and lets us know when someone is coming down the drive.

They are both such a joy and filled a very big hole in our hearts when we lost Amber and Tilly. Our neighbours say how lucky they are but we say no - we are the lucky ones.”

Lady Luck was certainly on Lola’s side the day she met her perfect match and she and 12-year old Wilson set off together for Destination Forever Home. They must have thought all their birthdays had come at once back then but if Lola’s really lucky today she’ll get better than a pup cake at her birthday barbie as long as Wilson doesn’t get to the bangers first! A girl who’s landed on her paws in a lovely home where she can put them up as much as she likes, Lola won’t mind if Wilson’s first in the queue when the party food comes out! She might well be his First Lady but food is Wilson’s first love and although ‘ladies first’ might go out of the window with him, age before beauty is more Lola’s style - she’ll be more than happy to let him get his teeth into something while she sits back and enjoys a huge slice of a beautiful lady lab’s life!

Happy birthday lovely girl – life’s a gift Lola and we know you’ll be enjoying unwrapping whatever life has in store for you on your special day! 🥰🐾

24/06/2024

It’s late in the day but the sun hasn’t gone down yet …. just look at the joy on this little sunbeam’s face and tell us it doesn’t make you smile 🥰🐾

23/06/2024

Our thoughts today are with Barney’s family who, late last week, shared with us the news that their beautiful boy had taken his leave to go suddenly over the Rainbow Bridge to peace.

Barney was a much-loved and very lovable 6-year old when he arrived in our care in 2020 after his family found their own lives had turned on a sixpence and they needed to relocate very quickly to a safe place. Unfortunately, they were unable to find a safe haven that would take them AND their beloved boy and made the heart-breaking but selfless decision to put Barney’s safety first and entrust us with his care.

Barney came to us with a pre-existing skin condition that we knew would need some extra TLC but that didn’t stop him stealing a few hearts on the blind date we arranged with a fabulous family for whom it really was love at first sight – and who’ve loved this boy as he’s loved them back every single day of their lives together ever since.

Barney’s life with his family was a truly happy one and perfect for a boy with such a joie de vivre who asked for absolutely nothing but found happiness in the simplest and sometimes smallest of pleasures known to any dog. A ball and a swim with his little ‘brother’ and perhaps a game of zoomies too, the companionship of an extra special older ‘sister’ all wrapped up in cuddles with two mums and a number 1 dad who, after Barney’s former life fell apart, put the pieces back together so he could start living life as it was meant to be lived.

Nowhere was Barney going to live his life better than with a family who were the ultimate perfect match for him. Where others might have gone looking for perfection, there are those for whom connection means much more and Barney was so blessed to have a family who connected perfectly with him and loved him unconditionally from the very beginning to the end. With his family beside him as they’d been in his hour of need 4 years ago when they gave him the gift of a new life, Barney slipped peacefully into the deepest sleep before finding his way over the Rainbow Bridge to his sister Poppy who will be his guide in everlasting peace.

Loving a dog is easy but, when it comes to letting them go so suddenly, we know just how hard it can be. We absolutely understand the sheer sense of loss of a much-loved boy who was part of our little Labrador family and share the heartbreak of a family whose love for Barney was limitless and knew no bounds. We can never repay them for their kindness to a boy who was one of a very special kind but we know without doubt he repaid his family ten-times over with the kind of unconditional love only a dog like him could know how to give. We truly hope their hearts will, in time, be mended in remembering the countless happy memories they made with Barney whose every day with them was a celebration of the wonderful life they gave him – a life that was well lived in a wonderful home where he will always be remembered with the warmest of smiles as a boy who could never have been more loved than with them.

Run free over the Rainbow Bridge sweet boy – forever reunited with Poppy 🥰🐾🌈

23/06/2024

Nothing to see here … just two shady little ladies topping up their white bits with a free dose of Mother Nature’s finest Vitamin D!

Happy Sunday Mabel and Penny! 🥰🐾

Always relaxing these two got it made and living there best life's 💛💛

22/06/2024

Who doesn’t love a cheeky chocolate? He looks like butter wouldn’t melt (and the ice cream he’s pictured with probably wouldn’t have stood a chance!) but we’d forgive this little chappy a cheeky fix just this once as …. he’s celebrating his 6th birthday today!

Ronnie was only 17 months old when the demands of a busy family life coupled with a health issue made worse by Ronnie’s gorgeous chocolate coat left his previous owner struggling to give this young lad the attention, time and training every youngster like him needs. Despite being a much-loved boy and very much part of the family, Ronnie missed out quite a lot on doggy playdates and was left to entertain himself with the little people and their toys at home. We understood that Ronnie’s lack of social interaction outdoors meant his social graces weren’t quite up to the mark and without the benefit of good guidance, could quite easily have seen him go into meltdown and mischief-maker mode.

A boy who clearly had a lot to learn when he landed with us at Labrador Welfare, Ronnie could have been a tough nut to crack, but thanks to a fabulous family who were bowled over by his zest for life from the moment they first met, Ronnie’s got his teeth into training to go from the slightly crazy canine crackpot he once was to having just about got the good life well and truly cracked! Here’s what they told us on their latest update:

“Ronnie is keeping us on our toes as usual. He had made lots of new friends this year as he had learnt how to play without bowling everyone over being too enthusiastic . So for his birthday he is hoping to meet up with them for a chase and romp ..... lots of grrrs and bitey face games included!”

Another year older and perhaps a little wiser, it sounds very much like Ronnie’s in for lots of fun and a few party games although we don’t think he’ll mind one little bit if a game of bowls isn’t on the playlist today. Used to playing with Barbies with his little buddies in a former life that didn’t do his street cred much good, Ronnie’s learned a lot about the game of life thanks to a lovely family who’ve helped him better understand how to play by the rules. If life were a board game and Ronnie’s chance of winning depended on the roll of a dice, we’d have to say we threw a lucky 6 for this lovely lad who, soft-centred as he is might well still be a little in touch with his feminine side but definitely landed a winner with a family that adore a boy who’s grown up with them to become a proper little Action Man!

Happy Birthday Ronnie – we know you’ll be in the thick of it having an action-packed, fun filled time on your special day! 🥰🐾

21/06/2024

For us humans, happiness starts with a wet nose and a wagging tail but when the sun’s up and it’s too hot to trot, a wet dog is definitely a happy dog!

Whether it’s a ‘thing’ or not we don’t know but, just for fun, we’ve dubbed today . Marley’s a fully paid up member of the Soggy Dog Club – just as well as the sun’s going to have his hat well and truly on for all of us and it’s going to be a scorcher today! It probably won’t bother this lovely lad as he’s so used to living life sunny side up now - he’s one cool dude and clearly loves a soggy doggy day out but we bet he’s not the only one who’s in the swim of things today so don’t be shy and …. show us your soggy dogs keeping cool! 🥰🐾💦

21/06/2024

It’s been national Bring Your Dog To Work Day today but we’ve been a wee bit busy on the hunt for Destination Home for some of our dogs to put a post up about that before now. We’ll be burning the midnight oil working for the dogs in our care but it seems we’re not the only ones who work into the night as Lifetime Foster Lola appears to have got herself a moonlighting job …. working from home as a doggy blanket for her lifetime foster mum!

10-year old Lola had never lived with a cat before and might well have been a girl with cat-itude but, she’s settled into life with her feline friend who was doggedly determined they should be nothing but the best of friends.

There’s no such thing as cats rule and dogs drool in their lovely home – these two have teamed up nicely and play together to the house rules. Teamwork makes the dream work as the saying goes and if this picture says anything to us it’s that, since she met her purrrrrfect match, all Lola’s dreams are sweet ones and our hopes and dreams for her came true!

Enjoy your bedtime cuddles Lola! 🥰🐾

20/06/2024

We do love a little update from our rehomed dogs and, on , couldn’t resist a deep dive in our doggy mail bag and sharing this one with all of you after 3-year old Martha dropped us a line to tell us she was packing her doggy bag and going away on her jollies for a little seaside jaunt. She wrote:

“I'm off on holiday with Mum and Dad. Mum's a bit nervous in case I have a case of the munchies and chew up the holiday home. I'm 5 mins walk from the sea so lots of swimming and tennis ball chasing for me. We are off to Winterton on Sea, which is very dog friendly, so hopefully, I will win everyone over with my charm and stunning looks.

Licks and Paws 🐾
Martha xx”

Life for her wasn’t all plain sailing before she came into our care but Martha’s definitely on an even keel now after sailing off into the wild blue yonder with a lovely crew who answered our SOS last year and ended up going overboard for a little damsel who’d previously been in some distress.

When we heard she was going away we wondered if Martha might give us a wave so you can imagine our faces when she sent us a few picture postcards of her going full steam ahead on her hollibobs, happy as a sand girl and cruising along with her first mates!

After being all at sea in a previous life, there’s no chance of Martha landing herself in hot water and sending us a Mayday for help as we know the family who fell hook, line and sinker for her girlish charms are in just a wee bit too deep! As the song goes, all the nice girls love a sailor and you’ve only got to look at the smile on her face to know this little girlie's having a blast sailing close to the wind and life’s a breeze with her best mates! Are we surprised to see her looking like the cat that got the cream – not one little bit! A little getaway to the beach with the odd chip in distress and perhaps a doggy ice cream on the horizon is definitely not to be sniffed at for a girl who’s clearly enjoying lapping life up - not least because she hadn’t seen too much of the world in her former life where she was left to her own devices in a garden and spent her time chewing things over outdoors.

Whether Martha will be tucking into a fish supper tonight we don’t know but the world’s her oyster now thanks to her family who are showing her the big, wide world where she’s discovering all that Mother Nature has to dish up in the perfect holiday destination for a little lady that doesn’t need to go fishing for compliments but still loves a good old munch!

Happy Friday Martha – dog bless you and all who sail with you too! 🥰🐾

19/06/2024

***THROWBACK THURSDAY SENIOR MOMENT***

It’s the longest day of the year today and one lovely lad who knows all about how v-e-r-y long days can be is gorgeous Lifetime Foster boy Ollie whose life before he came to us had been one long and really lonely stretch.

Used to the outdoor life having lived all his life before Labrador Welfare in a kennel in The Great Outdoors, Ollie had never known the comforts of home and when there was no longer room at the outdoor inn after life got in the way, his owners asked if we were able to help so ….. what else would we do but find room for one more and, of course, we squeezed this beautiful boy in.

12 years old when he arrived in our care earlier this year after a life lived without a proper roof over his head, Ollie didn’t have to wait too long at all to find himself a lovely Lifetime Foster home and someone to cuddle up to after spending so many of his days and every night of his previous life all alone but not indoors in a cosy, comfy bed.

Fast forward 4 months and from the latest update we’ve received Ollie’s definitely landed on all four paws and, considering the limited life experience he’d previously had, he’s doing really well. From what we hear he’s busy making up for all the time he lost to paw-twiddling in a former life and it didn’t surprise us to hear he’s turned out to be pretty much paws on when it comes to sniffing out what’s in store in the latest doggy shopping bag for him! Ollie’s family told us:

“He is soooooo funny and loves his squeaky toys and he loves a rummage in my shopping bag to sniff out the newest edition I bring for him - his toy box is full 🤣

He’s started doing zoomies in the garden which is hilarious! I have bought him a new bed rather than the pink one 🙈 and he’s very comfy in it. He settles really well at night next to my bed and on the odd occasion he will still come and sniff to make sure I’m still there.

He now jumps on my knee if he wants something. He has also found his voice and has actually barked at my daughter when she gave him a little piece of bread and he wanted more 🤣🤣🤣

He’s so adorable and yes he’s hard work at times but it’s worth putting my life on hold so he can live the life he should have had from being a baby ❤️❤️”

Coming up to his teenage years, it sounds like Ollie’s wasted no time at all in getting his past life kicked into touch and who would blame him for getting his teenage kicks in early after missing out on the simple pleasures most dogs take for granted as they’re growing up???? Definitely not ready to put his paws up yet, we couldn’t be happier Ollie’s rolling back the years with a wonderful Lifetime Foster family who’ve put him back in touch with the inner puppy he never knew existed in a lovely home where he knows which side his bread’s buttered now and which butter fingers to give a crafty lick!

Ollie waited the longest time before coming into our care and finding out how Labrador life is meant to be lived so on the longest day of the year our thoughts are with him and the day we know he’ll have with his family that’s guaranteed to be anything but a long or lonely stretch! 🥰🐾

19/06/2024

Forget the politicians and the upcoming general election ... we could do with your votes!

Entries are now open for the very first Benefact Group Charity Heroes Awards and nominating Labrador Welfare (Registered Charity No 1012192) as a small charity who might have had a big impact or any one of our volunteers that might be your Volunteer of the Year could mean our dogs might benefit from a £1,000 donation if we aren't first past the finishing post or a fab £5,000 if we win out!

You've got until 26 July if you'd like to nominate us and all the details you need are on the link below so give it a click to find out more. Hope springs eternal at LWHQ that you'll all help us and our dogs to be in with a shout🥰🐾

ENTRIES ARE NOW OPEN for the very first Benefact Group Charity Heroes Awards. You have until 26 July to enter the charity or individual of your choice. Categories range from Best Local Community Initiative, Charity Leader and Climate Action Project to Volunteer of the Year and more. All you need to do is tell us who your charity hero is and why you think they deserve to win. The winner will receive a donation of £5,000 to their charity. Runners up will receive a donation of £1,000 to their charities. Go online to enter now. https://brnw.ch/21wKMJx

19/06/2024

It’s all kicking off in Euro 2024 and not long before Wimbledon gets into full swing but while we’re well stocked up with plenty of treats and there’s no problem with their dribbling skills, some of the little ball boys and girls in our care are having a job to practice their fancy footwork as they’re running short of round bouncy things to play fetch with!

There’s a saying that dogs don’t stop playing because they grow old, they grow old because they stop playing and with the sun forecast to put his hat on soon dogs of all ages in our care will be keeping their paws crossed that rain isn’t going to stop play so they can have a field day in the sunshine with their buddies and a ball!

There’s nothing we love more than to see our dogs in care like the little chap pictured here have some fun in the sun while they’re waiting for us to get them signed up with their new home teams. This one’s not one for talking with his mouth full and he’s been having a blast playing hide and squeak with his doggy doughnut but if he could talk he’d probably say a game of fetch with a ball is his all-time favourite thing and more than right up his street! So if you’d like to help dogs like this lovely lad have a ball while they’re waiting to go home, please do take a look at our Amazon Wish List on the link below where you’ll find all things round and bouncy at the top of our ‘most wanted’ list this week. 🥰🐾

https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/IIL9NKFL3UVH?ref=cm_sw_em_r_wl_ip_vNWARuZp1jGmM

17/06/2024

If you had a manic Monday like we did yesterday, we wouldn’t blame you for wanting a one little bit but …. did we find you sleeping on the job at the end of last week when we asked you to guess who this little sleepy head is?

If you’re a regular follower you’ll recognise this little mister from a few days ago when he made his first appearance on our page after doing a disappearing act and heading off a couple of months ago to a fab new home where all his doggy dreams have come at once and every one so far has been sweet!

One of the newer twiglets on our Labrador Welfare family tree, this young man’s life changed forever the moment he came through our doors and, when opportunity knocked hard enough for us to see him safely onward to a wonderful new life, we thought it might be all change for our beautiful boy. A life-changing move certainly presented an opportunity for his new family to change his name but …. understanding that he’d had a name that made him a real crowd pleaser for a little over 2 years, it’s the only thing he’s kept from the life he left behind as … it’s the one single thing his new family didn’t change.

We didn’t tell you what his name is but we did tell you it was something beginning with ‘K’. Our Name Game threw up some really fab suggestions ranging from Kimono to Kiss and quite a few quirky others in between. We might have been speaking another language with some of the clues we dropped but none of you guessed correctly that the lovely lad with the boy band good looks and a name that’d go down pretty big in Japan is called … KODA!

Believed to have Japanese origins and, simply translated means ‘friend’, Koda’s former owners chose a name which perfectly reflects the sweet, friendly nature of a boy who really was born to be nothing other than someone special’s very best friend. It was heart-warming to read his new family’s most recent update – not least because circumstances had meant Koda’s nose was pushed out in a former life but now happily settled in a lovely home where he’s absolutely adored, Koda thinks nothing of curling up with his new BFFs and getting his nose stuck into a book when it’s story time! Here’s what his family told us:

“From the moment we met Koda we fell in love with him – he is such a fun-loving boy with a big character. He came to live with us at the end of March 2024 and he has settled in really well. He is such a well-behaved boy.

After some initial hesitation he has adapted to living with Poppy our cat. Poppy is very experienced with dogs - she is still very much the ‘top dog’ but she and Koda can often be found snuggled up together in the dog (or should we say cat) bed!

Koda loves the outdoors – playing with a ball and generally exploring and getting dirty! He is also just as happy having a snooze and a cuddle on the sofa. He really is the perfect fit for our family, and he has adapted to his new home and surroundings really well.

Koda is a big hit with our 9-year-old son. Koda is happy to lay nicely and listen to a book, as well as give cuddles at family TV time, but long walks and trips to the park are his favourite.

He recently went on a trip down south for his first holiday with us – he had a fab time and enjoyed running on the beach and paddling in the sea, as well as saying hello to all the other dogs we met. He is a very friendly boy.”

It’s all change for Koda in everything but name and we wholeheartedly agree with his family in thinking there’s absolutely no need to change it as he lives up to his lifelong name so well - it’s very unique and suits him down to the ground as Koda in name and nature really is the epitome of (wo)man’s very best friend!

Welcome to the Labrador Welfare family KODA – the language of friendship is universal and we couldn’t be happier to see you living your best ever life with lovely best friends who speak the same lingo as you! 🥰🐾

17/06/2024

Contrary Mary might know how to grow a garden but we know exactly where to plant our little pups! Pretty Penny dropped very lucky when she got her paws planted in her new home and a year later she’s all grown up and looking blooming gorgeous as well as properly rooted to the spot! 🥰🐾

16/06/2024

Every day we celebrate the high days and holidays with dogs we’ve seen safely off to their new lives but for those we’re still working hard to get firmly on the road to home it can be tough knowing they’re not that special little someone that’s making somebody else’s day as yet.

The number of dogs in our care has doubled over the last few days so the weekend has been a busy one for us and we’re in for a manic Monday today working for dogs like these little ladies who’d love to be daddy’s girls as well as some beautiful boys who deserve nothing less than to be someone special’s Number 1 dog son.

They might be homeless at the moment but they’re happy and safe with us to watch over them so, although they’re not home and dry just now, we’re looking to their futures and practicing our little happy dance in readiness for their big day and the new life we know they’ll have when their turn comes.

We believe every dog should have their day and we’ll make sure every dog in our care gets theirs but while you and yours (and lots of our rehomed dogs!) get to celebrate the good life every day, please spare a thought for those still looking for love, and take a look at the information on our website on the link below if you live in the areas we cover and you’re looking to share your life with a lab.

If you’re not in a position to adopt, just sharing our post could help us get these lovely labs the homes they need – sharing is caring and for us and the dogs that come into our care, that’s what life’s all about! 🥰🐾

https://www.labradorwelfare.org/LabradorWelfare/LW%20Site%20Pages/General/adoption.html