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Application Instructions for Adopting a Lab

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
  • You must live in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine or Rhode Island.
  • Families with children 10 years old and younger must have a fenced area.
  • Complete the application form with as much detail as possible. Please be specific. For example: "Where will your Lab sleep?" Answering inside is not very informative. Will your dog sleep in a crate or on a dog bed? Will your dog sleep in the kitchen, the bedroom, or the basement?
  • Mail the application to LRR, Inc. P.O. Box 73, Hamilton, MA. 01936. To process your application, a nonrefundable application donation of $25 must accompany the application. Please make checks payable to Labrador Retriever Rescue, Inc.
  • We reserve the right to refuse an application if the home environment is incompatible with the needs of Rescue Labs, or if we determine that we will not be able to provide you with a Lab that will meet your needs in a timely manner. We will return the $25 application donation without processing your application.


    You may download the adoption form as an Adobe Acrobat file or Microsoft Word document by clicking the following links. If you need the free Abode Acrobat Reader click here. You will need Microsoft Word installed on your system in order to view the Application.doc file.

OR

You can call our hotline at 978-356-2982 and leave your name and address on the answering machine. We will send you an adoption application and information packet.

Application.pdf (Adobe Acrobat format) Note:

Application.doc (Microsoft Word format)

Please mail completed LRR Adoption Application with a non-refundable $25.00 application donation to:
     LRR, Inc.
     P.O.Box 73
     Hamilton, MA 01936

Please make checks payable to:
    LABRADOR RETRIEVER RESCUE, INC.


OVERVIEW OF THE ADOPTION PROCESS
  • After we receive your completed application, the home study coordinator will locate a home study volunteer in your area to set up an appointment with you.
  • The volunteer will come to your home with their Lab to evaluate the home environment and answer any questions you may have. The people who will be interacting with the Rescue Lab on a regular basis, including immediate family members, the babysitter, grandparents, neighbors, and the au pair, must be present during the home visit.
  • After our volunteer has returned the home study report to the home study coordinator, we will send you a confirmation letter, a booklet entitled "Fresh Start, A Guide for the Rescue Dog Owners", and the book, "Second Hand Dog" by Carol Benjamin.
  • Our goal is to find the best match based on the Lab's background and the family's needs. The temperament and energy level of the dog are our most important consideration. We consider factors in the home, including the ages of the children, other pets, previous experience with dogs, lifestyle of the family, and the owner's limitation on gender, color, and age.
  • We encourage our applicants to be flexible with respect to gender, color, and especially age. Many applicants consider a Rescue Lab following the loss of their family dog and request a young Lab. These applicants are not accustomed to the high activity level and attention needs of a young Labrador. Mature 5 to 7 year old Labs are over the very active stage. These dogs are in their prime and still have plenty of life left! Mature dogs usually settle into their new family life quite readily. Senior Labs also make great companion dogs.
  • As a rescue, we have no control over the Labs that are available for adoption. A suitable Rescue Lab may be available in a week, in 6 months, or longer. Families with children under the age of 6 can expect a longer wait.
  • When we have an appropriate Lab in a foster home, the placement coordinator will discuss the Rescue Lab in detail with you. We then have you schedule a visit as soon as possible so you can interact with the Lab. At the end of the visit, we would like a decision from you. Be prepared to take the Lab with you if the Lab proves to be a good match.
  • At the time of the adoption we will provide you with copies of the Lab's medical history and the information sheet from the original owner. We do not forward any AKC paperwork.
  • Applicants must sign a contract that states the Lab will receive proper care, cannot be transferred to another person, and will not be allowed to run loose.
  • The adoption donation for Rescue Labs $200. A check made out to Labrador Retriever Rescue, Inc. is required at the time of the adoption. These donations help us meet the foster care expenses, veterinary costs, and training expenses incurred by LRR. (At times, the cost of a Lab in our care great exceeds the adoption donation.)
  • After adopting a Rescue Lab, LRR volunteers are available to help you with problems and concerns, and answer any questions you may have.
  • If, for any reason, the adoption is not satisfactory, the dog must be returned to LRR as stated in our written agreement. LRR reserves the right to take back any Rescue Lab that is neglected, improperly cared for, has a serious temperament problem, or is allowed to run loose.
  • Please mail completed LRR Adoption Application with a non-refundable $25.00 application fee to:
    Labrador Retriever Rescue, Inc.
    C/O Pat Bartlett,
    P.O.Box 73,
    Hamilton, MA 01973