New Mom is 1,000th Dog Saved by Lab Rescue of the LRCP in 2012

ANNANDALE, VA, January 05, 2013 (Press-News.org) Abandoned by her owner because she was pregnant and giving birth to 11 puppies in an animal shelter on Christmas Eve, a three-year-old black Lab named Bailey became the 1,000th dog rescued in 2012 by Lab Rescue of the Labrador Retriever Club of the Potomac, setting a new record for the rescue group.

Lab Rescue obtained Bailey from a shelter in Hughesville, Md., on Dec. 28 and brought her and the one yellow and 10 black puppies to a foster home in Fairfax, Va. She and her puppies will stay in foster care until the pups are old enough to be adopted.

Lab Rescue finished the year with 1,003 dogs rescued, up from 902 in 2011. The number of dogs saved by the group has increased in each of the past six years, with a 52 percent increase in the four-year period since 2008. Reasons for the increase in rescues include animals displaced by Hurricane Sandy, dogs obtained from several breeders shut down for neglect and the continued effects on dog owners of the poor economy.

"Each year we are asked to save more and more lives, and each year we're able to meet the growing need," said Lab Rescue President Sterrie Weaver of Yorktown, Va. "But we can't do it alone. We need more volunteers to help with transportation, fostering, adoption coordination and other functions. We also need donations, especially to cover our growing veterinary expenses."

Ninety-seven percent of the rescued Labs spend their first days with Lab Rescue at a veterinarian, receiving basic tests and veterinary care. For some it is the first vet visit they have received in years. Some of these Labs need special care and many need to be spayed or neutered. Lab Rescue provides vaccines and treats skin conditions and nurses Labs through kennel cough, heartworm, tick-borne disease and other illnesses so that the dogs can start their new lives happy and healthy. On average, Lab Rescue spends $400 on each dog, even with deeply discounted veterinarian rates. Adoption fees cover only part of this expense, and fundraising efforts must make up the difference.

Founded in 1991, Lab Rescue of the LRCP Inc. is a volunteer-driven, nonprofit organization that rescues, fosters and adopts Labrador retrievers to approved applicants. The group serves Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Washington, D.C., as well as adjacent parts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and North Carolina. Labs available for adoption can be seen at www.lab-rescue.org.