Success
Stories 2008
Last Updated: 6/30/2008
We have lots of
success stories, so if you'd like to see previous year's successes, please
click on the year links below.
To view our 2008 success stories, click here.
To view our 2007 success stories, click here.
To view our 2006 success stories, click here.
To view our 2005 success stories, click here.
To view our 2004 success stories, click here.
To view our 2003 success stories, click here.
To view our 2002 success stories, click here.
To view our 2001 success stories, click here.
Rupert is doing great and he is so happy. He is blind now and has some thyroid issues, but that hasn't slowed him down at all. His favorite things include trying to get into the chicken coop in my parents yard, rolling in the grass, and laying down outside and smelling the air. He and Duchess actually snuggle together sometimes now, and he even sleeps on a doggie bed when he isn't on the tile in the kitchen or the bathroom in what we call the "Rupert Ball".
He also checks over the house weekly and sniffs every bookcase and knick-knack to make sure things haven't moved. Sometimes when we come home we also discover that he has been enjoying the stereo system. Rupert spends most of his time making people happy though. The vet and vet techs love him and give him lots of treats, and he is often invited over to visit with both sets of grandparents and to visit my husband at the fire station. He is very popular with little kids because when he decides to really sniff you it tickles a lot!
I hope you like the Rupert pictures. We take a lot of pictures of the dogs because we think they are just so cute and funny. Thank you so much for helping to match us up with Rupert, we couldn't live without him!
~Meaghan & Kris
Hi Foster Mom and Dad—I’m home!!! Forever home, that is. Thank you so much for the months of love and care and the emergency spay to save my life, and for finding my forever home. I have been here about 6 weeks now.
I included some pictures as you can see...
My very elegant profile, in bed with Harry the Hedgehog, with my tennis ball, and SWIMMING. You didn’t know that I really love the water. We didn’t have a pond on the farm. I have now become “city dog,” but there is another place—“the lake.” I sometimes just go for a little swim out a ways and back and sometimes dad throws the “stick” which is easy to see and fun to get and bring back. My large webbed paws make me really fast in the water.
Mom likes to walk with me. I am really good on the lead in the city. I stop and sit at the corner at every block. See, I really have become “city dog.” They found I am really smart. I really like being loved rather than scolded. I do know where my yard lines are both at home and the lake, but I sometimes take liberties. When dad yells, “where do you belong? Get over hear!” I slink back. It is hard not following the nose sometimes. I have been to another place a couple of times called “the office,” too. Everyone likes me and it is an ok place.
There is lots going on, and generally I stay pretty close. I really like being with mom and dad. (They call me a “love puppy”—but I am 3.) I love the car. When they are getting ready to go somewhere—generally the lake, or home again; I sit right at the car waiting to get in. Dad lets me into the back seat. Then I know I am safe and can lie down and wait for the car to move.
Anyway, just wanted to say thanks, and everything is good with me. I’ll keep in touch.
~Lots of love, Morgan
My husband and I adopted Keller the blind Chocolate Lab back in January he is doing great and getting so big. At our last visit to the vet on the 18th he weighed in at 66 pounds……He loves being outside and has mapped out our back yard to where he can just run around like he can see……he is a very sweet and loving boy and we have learned so much from him…he has the best personality and is just a happy go lucky guy.
There is really nothing he can’t do from going up and down stairs with out any help to getting off of our King size bed on his own because that is where he sleeps right smack dab in the center……along with his brother Riley a yellow lab……Having Keller has been challenging at times but those times are far outweighed by the hours of enjoyment he has given us and the patience he has brought back into our lives…we have truly been blessed to have Keller in our family.
Regards,
Sharon C. Alwin
Hi, we wanted to let you know how well Auggie and Allie are doing. Auggie had been a stray with mild heartworm, and was estimated to be about 8 years old. He was due to be euthanized when L.E.A.R.N rescued him. His foster mom, Donna, nursed him through his treatments until we were able to bring him home in March, 2007. He is a gentle giant with the children in the neighborhood and wants nothing more in life than to chase his ball and be close to you. Allie was an owner surrender that we just adopted at the age of 9 in January 2008. Her gray face might fool you into thinking she is docile, but she has a ton of spunk and can run faster than we would have ever thought. She also loves to bury her ball in snow banks and then dig them out.
We go for long walks everyday, on weekends they get to run and meet other dogs at the dog park and this summer they will go boating and swimming. When it’s time to relax for the night, Auggie loves to stretch out on the floor by our feet so he can get his belly rubbed by our toes and Allie loves to jump up on the couch and snuggle into you.
Sometimes people wonder how we can adopt seniors; but we value the quality of life we share with them, rather than concentrating on the quantity of time. Having a senior dog bond with you and learn to trust you fully is truly a gratifying experience for all involved. Thanks to L.E.A.R.N. Auggie and Allie have found their forever home with us for however long that might be.
~Wayne & Susan Johnson
Hi guys! It's Rilee! (aka Meadow :)
I've been at my forever home for two weeks now and I am so happy! I have an older sister, a chocolate lab named Belle. She is only 2 years older than me and she has lots of enery; we have lots of fun playing together. As a matter of fact we play nonstop! Our favorite past-time is destroying toys so Mommy says we can only have rope toys and Nylabones now.
I also love to run around and wrestle with my sister in the back yard. My Mommy and Daddy say I am so smart! I am quiet in the kennel, I learned right away how to come in from the outside and sit pretty for my treat. Daddy taught me to sit and shake and wait to eat breakfast and dinner.
I get to go everywhere with my parents, I've been to my Aunt's house to visit my cousin Mac, he's a Shepherd/Husky and he loves to jump and play with me and I got to go to my Grandparents house too! I'm so mellow, my Grandma and Grandpa think I am a perfect little angel, apparently my older sister wasn't as calm!
At the end of the day I love to cuddle and my favorite place to hang out is curled up on the couch with Belle or my parents.
Thank you LEARN for rescuing me and finding me my forever home!
~Love, Rilee
Hello, everyone, Tucker here!
I’ve been in my forever home for one month now, and I’m loving it! I have two brothers: Harley, a 10-year-old chocolate Lab, and Cody, a three-year-old yellow Lab. Cody is a LEARN guy, too. They’re showing me the ropes and helping me get in the swing of things here. Since I came home, I’ve learned quite a few things from my people and from watching my brothers:
- I don’t jump on the door and scratch like a wild man to go in or out anymore. I sit by the door and just give a little bark.
- I sit and wait for bowl at breakfast and dinner time.
- I know how to “be polite” to get a treat. That means I sit, give you my paw and take the treat gently.
Best of all, I stopped counter surfing! I think that’s because I know that I have food at regular times every day. And I grabbed a piece of pizza that my dad had soaked with something called Tabasco Sauce. He likes his pizza that way. I didn’t and I don’t take from the counter anymore.
Me and my mom are going to this place called obedience school every Saturday and they say I am fast learner. Me and Cody also get to go to this place called doggie play-care one day a week. We just get to run and play and jump and chase there all day. I get a “A+” every time I go there! Me and Harley do things, too, but I can’t go visit the old folks at the local senior center just yet. I get too excited, but maybe later when I calm down some I can go. I’d love to help out there!
At home, I’m always busy with my brothers. Mom says we’re world champions at destroying toys! We sure do a good job of ripping the stuffing out of everything. Me and Harley are really great at playing tug until toys rip apart. Me and Cody really like to just play chase through the house. Bo, my cat brother, stays out of our way!
Mom sent a picture of me, one of me and Cody and one that should have been me and Harley. I walked away just as she was taking it, but Harley looks so handsome she sent it anyway!
Thanks for reading and bye for now!
~Love Tucker
Hi Everyone! I just wanted to let everyone know how I am doing. GREAT! I have been here with my new parents since May and am loving it. My mom now works part time at a dog shop and I get to go to work with her. It's really fun. I get to greet everyone that comes in, model collars for them, and help them pick out toys. I even have a fan club, 2 little girls come in every Tuesday and Thursday to pet me. They can't have a dog right now so I am happy to give them all the kisses they could ever want.
My mom and I have also been keeping busy doing home visits for LEARN. My mom said I was so great that she just had to stay involved with the organization that saved my life. I am having a fun time playing in all the snow. I like to jump in the big drifts, eat it, and then roll all over in it. My mom and dad say that watching me is a great form of entertainment. I always make them laugh. The snow is good but I can't wait until it gets warm again and I can go back to the beach. My mom said we will go as soon as we can. It's safe to say I have both my parents wrapped around my paw.:) Thanks again to everyone who saved me and helped me find my new family.
~Love Barley
Sophie, the bigger one in this photo is 6 1/2. We adopted her from LEARN in the fall of 2006. She is WONDERFUL. We couldn't imagine life without her.
Than in the fall of 2007 we saw this cute puppy on the LEARN web page and couldn't resist! Now Monte is a part of our family as well.
Thank you foster mom AJ and LEARN for everything! We love our "kids".
~Linda Flansburgh and Joe Pulvermacher
We adopted Sport on April 28th, 2007 when he was 8 months old. It’s hard to believe we’ve had him for 9 months already! He is such a great dog and we are so happy that LEARN chose us to be his forever family! Sport has a great happy-go-lucky personality and is full of that loveable labbie energy. We really enjoy taking walks with him everyday and we’re pretty sure the highlight of his day playing fetch in our yard. His favorite thing is a tennis ball, of course! He’ll run and fetch until your arm feels like it is going to fall off from throwing so many times. He’d carry his tennis ball with him 24/7 only dropping it for food or treats, if we’d let him.
He has improved tremendously on his manners after going through obedience class and a lot of follow up positive reinforcement training at home. He still gets kind of excited and a bit overzealous when we have company or if he’s around other dogs, but that’s just part of his outgoing and lovable personality coming through. He really enjoys playing with his canine buddies at doggie daycare and has loved tromping around in the snow this winter and swimming in the lake we live on in the summer. He experienced some separation anxiety when we first got him, but now seems to have adjusted to our schedule quite well. He is a perfect house dog and loves to cuddle when playtime is done. There is nothing better than walking in the door and being greeted with his labbie kisses and his wagging tail that never seems to quit.
Thank you again to LEARN and Bethany his foster mom, for rescuing him and the care you provided before he came to us. We are forever grateful!
Sincerely,
Gary & Anne Slawny
We adopted Sadie in April 2006, shortly after her 5th birthday. She is now almost 7 years old, and a beloved member of the household. We had our sights set on getting a chocolate lab when we applied to LEARN, and were very disappointed when we missed out on several dogs we expressed interest in. But, Sadie was well worth the wait! She came to LEARN as an owner surrender, and we are so grateful to have had the good fortune to make her part of our family. She was a little anxious at first, but settled in very quickly and bonded with us almost immediately. Her favorite thing to do (besides catching Frisbees), is to snuggle up with us and get lots of petting.
We enjoy going for 3-4 mile walks everyday, and on weekends we go to our neighborhood coffee shop where Sadie gets lots of attention and has lots of friends. In the winter she gets to run off leash in the woods behind our house. There is even a river there for swimming. She also has her very own pool for lounging in the summer.
Sadie has excellent manners (no jumping, counter surfing, or garbage pail investigating), does not need a crate, rides great in the car, and never wanders out of the yard. She knows all the necessary commands, and has really excellent recall. We call her “the perfect dog”! OK, we did need to attend a Loose Leash Walking class to tone down Sadie’s exuberance for walking, but she graduated with honors, and now does much better (with the help of a harness).
Thanks to LEARN for rescuing Sadie, and for all the volunteers, foster families, match coordinators, etc. that helped bring her to us. We are so happy to have her!
-Chris & Donna Brusko
We adopted Luke the week before Christmas 2007 from LEARN. Lucky us and lucky Luke. We fell in love with Luke from his picture and brought him home the same day after meeting him. Luke and our Pete (12 year old lab) immediately got along and both seemed to need a buddy. We had Pete and his brother Andy from 7wks. Old and had recently lost our dear Andy to cancer. Luke has a slight limp and that limits his speed and he is about 6 years old (a guess). Pete has hip dysplasia which also limits his mobility – so they are a good match in energy and spirit. They both have their romping minutes both inside and outside – the snow was enjoyed by all. Pete has experienced much in his life –camping, swimming, hiking, fun training – but mostly lots of love. And Luke has all of that to look forward to with his new older brother.
Luke is still a little sheepish around men and with some hand motions; but he is learning quickly that we are good and will only expose him to the same good people and things. I train manners and puppy classes; and Luke seems to be a quick learner (as are all Labs). My one goal for Luke would be “canine good citizen”; which I know he is and will be. Pete and Luke are both afraid of the evil vacuum cleaner, so that may take some time; especially with Pete setting a bad example. Luke loves the stuffed toys and is especially fond of de-nosing the bears; his big stuffed bear from his foster mom is his favorite snuggle toy. There is no shortage of toys in our house – two of everything and Luke loves to pile up toys here and there, we never have to wonder what he was doing while we were gone. Luke and Pete have many dog beds around the house to choose from; but sometimes will share. Luke also enjoys napping and sleeping at night on the “big bed” – he snores.
Luke may have had an unhappy first 6 years, but the rest of his years will be full of adventure and love as he adds the same to our life. Dogs; especially Labs are so full of life and appreciating everything at 150%; that it is contagious and you cannot help but go along and view life from that same perspective.
Special thanks to Liz ( Luke’s foster mom), Christine (home visit) and LEARN in general for the great important rescue work you do!
~Cindy & Bill & Pete & Luke Sites
Home | About Us | Adoption Process | Application Forms | Available Labs | Dog Behavior | Events | Foster Homes | How You Can Help | Lab Referrals | Make A Donation | Merchandise | Newsletter | Recommended Links | Sponsor A Dog | Success Stories | Tribute Page