Rex is now Brando, and this young bundle of chocolate puppy goodness is living the Lab dream with his new parents, Marc and Colin, and new four-legged sister, Josie. Brando looks forward too many outdoor family adventures during his first forever summer, and will be boning up on the dog paddle so that he can beat the heat and enjoy many long sunny days on the waterfront.

Brando’s new parents tell us:  In 2015, our black Labrador Josie lost her big brother, Wessex (a chocolate lab named after the imaginary region in the English novels of Thomas Hardy), as “Wes” was thirteen years-old. As much as she loved the undivided attention of her two dads, she missed her playmate and the dog that reared her. We had been entertaining the idea of adopting a new dog to fill this gap for a while. My brother urged us to adopt from a shelter, as he has done, arguing that there are too many dogs without good homes already out there.

In April of 2018, we visited your website and saw that a nine-month-old chocolate lab was available for adoption. His big yellow eyes and big ears were arresting. We put in an application, visited him in Broomfield, Colorado, and within a week, he joined the family. Josie, in a new maternal role, took to the puppy immediately. We renamed him “Brando” as a tribute to one of Hollywood’s greats; plus, it has a great ring to it and anything is simpler than “Wessex”!

Brando is extremely affectionate and, like any puppy, curious; there isn’t a drawer or closet you can open without him immediately appearing over your shoulder, sniffing and investigating. He loves car rides and running with Josie in the fields and waterways in Grand Junction. He’s a lucky dog, too, as he also enjoys the mountains and the loft we have in the Vail Valley. He found a loving and stimulating environment and we found a fun and well-mannered puppy who loves to snuggle. We have been so happy with the adoption process; he even came house-trained! We’re looking forward to our first summer with him and teaching him to swim as he looks on quizzically when Josie gets wet.