Hannah

Hannah’s days at the shelter are over! Now she will be loved every day for the rest of her life.Tonight Hannah eight-month-old Hannah is energetic, petite and oh, so sweet! Michael lost his heart to Hannah during their first meeting. He knew that she would be his girl. Tonight she cuddled right next to him, while pictures were being taken. She seemed to know, that this would be her new place — right next to her dad. Michael works from home, so she will always have him close. I’m sure that she will never need for anything! We know that Hannah will light up Michael's life. Tomorrow night, she will be heading to Alameda East's Animal Lodge for a special swimming lesson. This summer, her dad hopes that they will have many happy days in the great outdoors fly-fishing, hiking and camping!

Thank you Camp Bow Wow for fostering this sweet girl for us, and as always, Troy and Sherri for coming in to take her prior to her adoption. We love all of our foster families and facilities!

Maximus Douglas

Strong and resilient 3 year old Maximus Douglas was adopted today by his delighted new mom Marita of Highlands Ranch! This wonderful boy has been in our program awaiting his forever home since February…not because he isn't the most gentle and sweet lab ever - but because his medical bill will easily be $2500 a year for the rest of his life. Sweet Max has Addison's disease — which means he needs meds every day, injections regularly, and needs to be seen much more frequently by his vet than most dogs. We knew we needed to wait for the right person to come along for this special dog.

Marita — who is a nurse, was looking for the perfect rescue dog to share her life. She committed to Max in her heart before she even met him — in fact she came to pick him up today after his neuter surgery all ready to adopt him — not a question in her mind. Warm and generous people like these bring tears to our eyes — we wish there were more of them out there for these deserving Labs in need.

Pictured here is Marita giving Max a treat at his adoption this afternoon at Alameda East Veterinary Hospital…we know they will have a wonderful and LONG life together!

Saul

Gorgeous, calm and stately Saul (which means prayed for) went to hisforever home today with Melissa and her canine daughter Bailey! Six year old Saul came to us in mid February as an emergency medical intake from a rural shelter — he had a serious ear infection and he was miserable — and sad. We cannot imagine the pain he was in…yet everyone who came into contact with him fell in love. He was just so grateful for the care and attention, and never once whimpered. After 11 weeks of treatment by our vet and Saul's loving foster mom he was ready for his forever home — and that's where Melissa came in.

Melissa had been looking for a second dog to be with her and sweet Bailey. Five years ago Melissa rescued Bailey from a dumpster at a rest stop in rural Montana. Bailey was in very bad shape — full of fly strikes — and sick at only 4 weeks old. Melissa pulled her out of that dumpster and never looked back. Bailey really needed a calm guy as the second dog — and Melissa was committed to making a difference in dog's life. She saw Saul, and KNEW he was THE ONE. She showed up at the adoption today with an engraved tag ready for him, new leash and collar, and the most wonderful big smile. Saul knew he was home.

Pictured here is Melissa with Bailey, left, and Saul. We've already heard from her and Saul is fitting in perfectly!

Charlie

Sweet chocolate goodness! Darling 3 year old Charlie was adopted tonight by his new parents Jon and Diana of Evergreen and their 2 dachshunds Bo and Lily. Jon and Diana were looking for a for an athletic dog that could run and play with them but still hang out and chill with the little dogs while they are at work — Charlie perfectly fit the bill!

Charlie came to us last month from a rural shelter where he just wasn't happy. He blossomed in the home of Chad and Kari, who took wonderful care of him, and he just adored being with them. Charlie is one of those marvelous dogs that just fits in everywhere — he loves people, he loves other dogs, and he is so sweet. \He will go lie in his crate when he knows you are leaving and rest contentedly while you are gone, waiting patiently for you to come home and play with him.

Pictured here is Diana, Jon, Charlie, Bo and Lily at Sage Valley Pet Center who let us use their facility for the showing…we know they will have a wonderful and LONG life together!

Logan

Feisty and independent little Logan went home tonight with his new family in Evergreen. This amazing young guy — he is only about 14 weeks old — wandered away all alone from wherever he was originally — and wound up stray in a shelter where no one ever came to find him.

Logan was very lucky to have Dianna - a professional trainer — as his foster mom, and she worked hard to turn him into a little gentleman. He has a ways to go and his new family will most certainly continue his training, but he is just doing so well! He knows sit, is mostly housetrained and walks pretty well on a leash, eats well and sleeps like a log. His new mom stays home and will have lots of time to train him. Jesse, her son, has been patiently waiting a long time to get his dog, and they were beyond cute together today…and Jesse is clearly committed to helping his mom take excellent care of his new faithful companion.

Pictured here is Logan — who was just in heaven from all of the love and attention he got from his adoring big brother Jesse!

Nellie (formerly Lady)

Sweet little Lady — now Nellie — was adopted by her wonderful new family tonight. This sweet, calm and lovely little girl came to us from a local shelter.

Mariam and Thomas were looking for their first dog as a family. They knew they wanted a smaller lab that would be good with their girls…and Nellie (named by the girls) was the perfect fit!

Pictured here is Anna, Mariam, Thomas and Maddy with Nellie — what a wonderful growing family.

A special thank you to Nellie's loving fosters, Joe and Sue and her foster canine sister Dixie. Fostering is an invaluable component to what we do, and we really appreciate it!

Bailey

Wonderful big guy Bailey — who has surprisingly been with us for a few months — went to his forever home tonight with Linda and Kurt of Laramie WY! This wonderfully settled, calm and sweet boy came to us a big mess from a shelter in early March. He had a raging skin infection caused by a food allergy condition that was not addressed by his former owners, he had an undiagnosed thyroid issue and had all of the stuff that came along with those — runny, red, itchy and bloody ears, nose, skin, eyes — everything. And bless his heart, no complaints. He was just so sweet. He looked bad and smelled worse. He was so blessed to be fostered first by Alexis and then Mary and Chris. They all loved on him and cared for him like a beloved family member — and he simply thrived.

Several people applied for Bailey and were excellent matches — but weird stuff kept happening that kept him from being placed. And then we figured out why — he was waiting patiently for Linda and Kurt and their canine kids Dan and Brandy. Linda and Kurt were looking for a special boy who could play with Dan and allow Brandy to be the Boss of All Things that she needs to be…Linda and Kurt were scheduled to meet Bailey on Friday — but they live in Laramie and there is a storm rolling in — and they asked if we could arrange for them to meet him today — so they jumped in their car and headed south with Brandy.

Pictured here is Linda and Kurt with gorgeous big yellow Bailey and his new sassy sister Brandi! Truly a love match all around. This is why we do rescue…for special dogs like stately Bailey, who deserves — as all dogs do — a family to make him a priority in their life.

We would also like to thank our donors without whose support we could not afford sometimes expensive treatment for these special Labs like Bailey.

Rio

Wonderful big guy Rio — likely to be renamed Mac — went to his forever home tonight with John and Lindsay of Castle Rock. This wonderful 3 year old came to us having been bounced through a few homes through no fault of his own — and he just needed someone to love him and exercise him and play with him. He is a huge love bug, and will thrive with his new parents.

John and Lindsay recently relocated to Colorado from the east, and were waiting for the right time to add their first dog to their family…they saw Rio and it was love at first site! Lindsay had gotten all of his stuff — raised food bowls, gentle leader (he is a BIG boy and she is a tiny gal), and ordered top notch food for him. He also had some very cool toys!

Pictured here is Rio (Mac) with his doting new mom and dad on their back porch at sunset. I think we will caption this "Look at my cool new toy, dad!!"

Thank you to Stephanie, Rio's foster mom for giving him such good care, including a deluxe spa treatment head to toe following his recovery from a run-in with a grouchy dog.

Rosco

Rosco was adopted today, and went to his forever home with Gwyn and Ed. Gwyn and Ed had just lost their precious 8 year old rescue dog to cancer, and needed to fill that special place with a young dog. Rosco came to the rescue! This sweet chocolate bundle of joy, is just happy to meet everyone! Not to mention how much he enjoyed the wonderful treats that Gwyn brought for him. His sweet puppy charisma charmed Gwyn and Ed, and they just had to take him home. They just knew that he would bring fun and energy to their home. First, though, he had to pass the Chloe test.Their 10 year old lab Chloe came to the adoption. This beautiful black alpha, had the final say, and guess what! It was a match all around.

At his new home, Rosco will have lots of space to run and play. Gwyn will be introducing him to the horses, and their oldest dog once they get home. We know that Rosco will have a wonderful life with his new family.

Lucca (formerly Aspen)

Aspen was seen sitting at the side of the road for several days, appearing to be waiting for his owner to come and pick him up. Soon after this, a Good Samaritan picked him up, and Safe Harbor Lab Rescue became the lucky recipient of this boy. He rested his head on our transporter's shoulder all the way to his foster home.

Now he has been adopted and has his own loving family and even a beautiful new name. When it came time to rename him his family consulted a list of dog names, and their meanings. This special dog had to have just the right one! They settled on Lucca, which means "light" in Italian.

Julie and her daughter Riley had been wanting a dog for a long time. They fell in love with Lucca when Joy brought him to visit their home. Riley just wanted a dog to wrap her arms around - which she did! Julie, Mike and Riley will be giving Lucca lots of well deserved and needed love and attention. He is finally home -- and has the picture to prove it!

Sam (formerly Brodie)

Sweet BIG guy Brodie went to his forever home today with Barb and Paul of Monte Vista! He was promptly renamed Sam by his new mom. This gorgeous young man came to us from a rural shelter where he was brought in as a stray, and Barb was the volunteer who transported him to Denver 2 weeks ago, as she has done for many other lucky Safe Harbor Labs...but apparently when she looked back at him as she was leaving he gave her THE LOOK — "why are you leaving me, I am supposed to be with YOU!!!". Barb cried all the way home and promptly put in an application to adopt him!

Sam got lots of attention from Tiffany when she fostered him for a few days and then lots of play and some training from the good folks at Earth Dog Denver who fostered him for us. We could not save any dogs without our dedicated fosters and commercial facility partners, and we are very grateful on behalf of our Labbies.

Sam's new life will involve loads of love and lots of play with his mom and dad and their other dogs one of whom is another SHLR alumni. We love placing all of our darling Labs, but we are especially pleased to see our labs go home with our wonderful volunteers!

Pictured here is Sam with Barb at Earth Dog Denver at his adoption today! This was the first shot our adoption coordinator, Marie, took…Sam really was just waiting for Barb to come and get him.

Chloe

11 year old Chloe went to her forever home today with Carroll of Colorado Springs. Carroll is the mom of our own adoptions team member Becky, who sent us the following message after the adoption today:

Here is Chloe and her new mom. My mom already loves her and Chloe is just a little sweetheart. She wags her tail almost constantly and doesn't seem shy, awkward, scared or uncomfortable. We gathered in the living room and took this picture. Chloe acts as if she's been a part of our family for her entire life. She will be greatly loved and well taken care of for however many days (or years) she has left. :)

I want to thank all of you for having a part in this story. The last few years have been very rough on my mom. After her last labs died, she had to care for her elderly mom and then for her sick husband. It takes a huge toll on someone to do that and there's no break from that kind of stress. My mom told us she couldn't handle taking on a new dog during all of that because she didn't have the time or energy to properly care for it. When I started volunteering for SHLR last year she told me she wanted an elderly girl and she had to be black because all of her labs have been black. So every time a senior came up I'd call her. She'd tell me it didn't sound right (for one reason or another) and I just assumed she was making excuses. As soon as I told her about Chloe she said, "Well, I guess I'd better get in an application." Apparently, my mom knew which dog was right for us.

This picture brings tears to my eyes. I have not seen my mom so happy in several years. And my dad and grandma would've loved Chloe, too.

Pictured here is Chloe with her forever mom Carroll. We all pray they have many, many years together...they deserve it.

Annie (formerly Jody)

Beautiful Jody — now Annie - went to her forever home with Jenni of Castle Rock! This adorable little girl with pearly white teeth was found running stray in the countryside with a badly injured tail that had to get all fixed up — it is now about 8 inches long and looks ridiculously cute when she wags it furiously — and she also needed her vaccinations and to be spayed as well. It appears that Annie at one point was a loved companion, but when a Good Samaritan found her and looked for an owner, no one every claimed little Annie.

Annie was so lucky to be fostered by Joe and Sue and their canine companion Dixie, and Annie had a marvelous time with them.

Jenni was looking for just the right girl to be her companion — and she is going to be such a great mom to Annie! Annie will get to go to doggie day care during the day when Jenni is at work, and hang out with her all night and every weekend! It sounds like a wonderful life for both of these gals!

Macie (formerly Sierra)

Stunning Sierra — now Macie — went to her forever home today with Steve and Cheryl of Highlands Ranch and their girl Morgan. This sweet girl came to us from a rural shelter where she was brought in as a stray - it is hard to believe that she was overlooked for weeks there as just another black dog…because she is truly special. Macie had obviously been someone's loved companion, but they never came to find her. She is sweet, gentle and really funny — she looks like the world's quickest frog when she races around the yard playing with big sister Morgan!

Macie got lots of love and attention from her fabulous foster mom Lisa, who knew she would not have this girl long!

Steve and Cheryl were looking for the right dog to give Morgan company after the passing of their beloved girl Murphy recently of cancer at age 10. Morgan has been so sad without a sister to play with…Macie's new life will consist of fun-filled days playing with Morgan and hanging out with mom and dad in their beautiful home. She will get lots of walks and rides in the car!

Our adoption photo shows Cheryl holding a delighted and grinning Morgan, and Macie is looking up at her adoringly, next to Steve.

Duke

Big, lovable and GORGEOUS 9 year old Duke went to his forever home today with Robert and Susan of Aurora. This sweet guy came to us from a rural shelter where he was brought in as a stray. Duke had obviously been someone's loved companion, but they never came to find him.

Duke got lots of love and attention from his 2 foster families while awaiting his forever home. He also needed to have his tail amputated while in our care due to an injury, and he is in the process of recovering from that as you can see from his adoption photo.

Duke's new life will consist of calm days as the king of the castle where dad works from home and mom is retired. He will get lots of walks and trips to the dog park and rides in the car! We love placing all of our darling labs, but we are always especially pleased to see our senior labs go to the wonderful homes they deserve! Pictured here is Duke with dad Robert and mom Susan. We are looking forward to getting an updated photo post surgical recovery when Duke looks a bit more stately!

Quincy (formerly Rueger)

Super cute and BIG puppy Rueger — now Quincy — was adopted by Kelli and Steve of Evergreen and their little canine girl Emma — a rescued Pug!

We already knew that Quincy got along with little dogs because his foster sister was small and feisty. That was a good thing since Quincy would need to do well with little princess Emma in order to go home with Steve and Kelli. Well, the meeting was a true love match — Steve and Kelli were looking for a big boy who would love to romp with them in gorgeous Evergreen AND do well with Emma!! What a wonderful life Quincy will have — we pray that someday all companion animal owners will take such great care of their charges!

Pictured here is Kelli, Emma, Quincy and Steve at Quincy's adoption.