Rescue Me

After Skip and Cecil King lost their elderly dog, Jessie, they started to think about getting another pet. The empty nesters were hoping for an older dog, but one they could bond with easily. Nothing seemed like quite the right fit until they met Danni, a yellow lab rescue.

For the first four years of her life, Danni was a breeding dog and spent all her time outdoors. Despite many attempts, Danni could only produce one litter, so the breeder got rid of her.

“Our friend who used to board Jessie had taken Danni in and needed to find her a home,” Skip King says. “We drove out and spent some time with her and really loved what we saw.”

Even though Danni was shy and skittish, they could tell she had a personality ready to be unleashed with a little TLC. At first, she would tuck her tail between her legs, and when she saw other people or dogs on the street, she would hide behind King. But now with every outing, she gets a little more comfortable.

“We’ve just had her for a few months, but she’s already gained so much confidence,” King says. “She’s just started playing with other dogs in the neighborhood, and at our granddaughter Shelby’s soccer game, she let all the kids pet her and went up to adults looking for treats. She’s just adjusted and adapted so well. She’s one of us now.”

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Skip and Cecil King with their rescue lab, Danni (Photo by Jay Paul)

There are many dogs like Danni around the Richmond area in need of a loving home.

“For people who really want a purebred dog, there are alternatives to going to the breeder,” says Dr. Jane Hiser, who runs Scott’s Addition Animal Hospital alongside her husband, Jason. “If you want a certain breed, you’re bound to find a shelter that specializes, from Schnauzers of the Mid-Atlantic to Lab Rescue of Greater Richmond.”

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reports that 3.1 million dogs enter U.S. animal shelters each year, yet only 2 million dogs are adopted. Approximately 920,000 shelter animals are euthanized annually — a 65% drop from 2.6 million in 2011. ASPCA attributes the significant decline to an increase in adoptions.

Hiser works closely with SEVA GRREAT, Southeastern Virginia Golden Retriever Rescue Education and Training. She provides discounted veterinary services for rescues of the program, and her family has adopted two of their golden retrievers. “Going with a rescue, you can bypass those puppy challenges while giving a nice adult dog a good home,” she says.

Recently the shelter has been taking in rescue retrievers from Turkey, Hiser says. The country has been overrun by dogs, and specifically with golden retrievers, which were once considered a status symbol and are now unwanted. In some cities, 100,000 dogs roam the streets. Through rescue efforts, these dogs fly into Dulles International Airport and are sent to shelters and, ultimately, into loving homes.

Hiser says other retrievers are surrendered locally for reasons as simple as owners changing their minds. Some have had a baby and no longer want to care for a pet. Others cite the high cost of pet ownership. Having a dog can cost $1,000 a year, according to the American Kennel Club. A medium-sized dog with a life expectancy of 13 years can cost more than $16,000 over its lifetime. Hiser says adoption can save owners at least $1,000 in upfront veterinary costs because reputable shelters make sure dogs are vaccinated, spayed or neutered, and treated for other health issues.

For the Love of Poodles & Pooches in Richmond currently has about 30 rescue dogs. Terri McDonnell founded the organization in 2003 and runs the dog rescue with Susie Gorman. “Right now we are overflowing with doodles from 30 to 60 pounds,” Gorman says. “People rushed out to get all these dogs during COVID, and now they’re surrendering them left and right.”

Gorman says that, during the pandemic, more people also took up breeding as a hobby for extra income, but many got in over their heads. “It’s sad when people don’t know what they’re doing and it’s the dog that pays the price,” she says. “We took some dogs in from one breeder in North Carolina who had hoarded 47 goldendoodles. Many of the dogs that are surrendered to us are not housebroken, don’t know basic commands, are horribly matted and bark too much — all signs they’ve been neglected.”

They are thorough in making sure their poodles and doodles go to a good home and don’t wind back up in the shelter, Gorman says. They meet the potential owner, ask for references and check old veterinary records if they have previously owned a pet. “We go by our gut feeling, and if we’re not sure about someone, we’ll even look at their social media,” she says. “We play a little detective to find out what kind of owner they’ll be.”

Since 2013, Lab Rescue of Greater Richmond has placed more than 1,000 labs into loving homes. Run solely by volunteers, the organization takes in rescues, provides veterinary care and places them into foster homes until they’re ready to be adopted. “Some labs were surrendered by older owners, families who have had to move or someone with a job change — they’ve made the tough decision to give their dog the opportunity for a better life,” says Carrie Vuori, who sits on the organization’s board of directors.

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Susie Gorman, co-founder of For the Love of Poodles and Pooches (Photo by Jay Paul)

Vuori and her husband started fostering labs during the pandemic in 2020. “We had the time, and even though we lived in an urban location in the Fan, we knew we could get out and walk a lot,” she says.

In the past 18 months, the couple has taken in five dogs. Vuori calls one of them a “foster fail” because the red fox lab named Hallie stole their hearts. Too attached to give her to another owner, they made her a forever foster. “She was in worse shape than most of our dogs when we got her,” Vuori recalls. “She was about six, and she wasn’t spayed. She had heartworm, diabetes and a tick-borne disease. She was never given preventatives. At first we thought she was really mellow, but with stability and love, we’ve watched her become so playful with a big personality.”

Vuori says fostering is a great way to enjoy the company of a dog when people can’t commit to full-time ownership or if they’re considering getting a dog. “Fostering is absolutely the best way to get to know a dog and, in the end, it’s so rewarding to give the dog the love that it needs, watch them blossom and set them up for success in a forever home.”

When owners adopt a dog from foster care, Vuori says they know exactly what they’re getting — from any training needs and health concerns to the dog’s personal likes and dislikes — so the transition is as easy as possible. “With proper exercise, training and mental stimulation, labs are so much fun,” she says. “They love swimming, hiking and going to breweries — labs should be the official dog of Richmond.”

Richmond-area Rescues

A sampling of the rescue organizations throughout the region. Many use a foster system and don’t have a central location for visiting animals. Be sure to contact each group for more information.

BREED-SPECIFIC

Cavalier Rescue Coalition (Cavalier King Charles Spaniels)

Maidens, 315-427-6245, cavalierrescuecoalition.org

For the Love of Poodles & Pooches

floprva.org

Lab Rescue of Greater Richmond

804-417-7527, labrescue-richmond.com

Save Our Herders Outreach (collies and shepherds)

804-657-7646, sohodogrescue.com

Schnauzer Rescue of the Mid-Atlantic

Laurel, Maryland, 301-776-7370, schnauzerrescue.net

Southeastern Virginia Golden Retriever Rescue, Education, and Training