Before you adopt a Rescued Lab…

All our Rescued Labs over eight months of age are spayed or neutered*, microchipped, brought up to date on their shots, heartworm tested if old enough, and any medical needs are addressed. We are a foster-based rescue and do not have a physical facility.

*In accordance with State law and regulations, those under eight months old may be adopted unaltered with: (1) a spay/neuter deposit of $150 and (2) a required date for the spay/neuter surgery included in their adoption contract.

Before you apply for a Lab, please read A Note About Our Rescued Labs.

Adoption Fees

  • Puppy to 1 year – $400
  • Adult 1-6 years – $350
  • Senior 7-10 years – $300
  • Senior 11+ years – $150

If adopting multiple Labs at one time, adoption fees may be reduced. All adoption fees go towards the care for all our rescued Labs while in transition to their forever homes. The cost to prepare most of our rescued Labs for adoption greatly exceeds the adoption fee. Our largest single expense is the veterinary care we provide. Medical costs in 2020 were over $160,000.

Application and Adoption Process

  • Due to the high volume of applications and the limited number of rescued Labs we have available, we will contact you if a Lab becomes available who, based on the information in your application and after review by our Adoption Coordinators, may be a suitable match.
  • You will receive an email confirmation that your application was received, and we will keep your application on file for three months.
  • Please note that many of the Labs who come in are already matched with pre-approved applicants.
  • Safe Harbor Lab Rescue is an all-volunteer organization and, unfortunately, we are unable to return phone calls and emails regarding your application status. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding.
  • If we are not able to place a Lab with you, we are not passing judgement. Our goal is to find the right match for each Lab’s unique needs and each applicant’s situation given the limited number of available rescued Labs. Because we are a rescue, we have no way of knowing when Labs will come into our care.
  • The more flexible you are with age, gender, color, health care needs, training, etc., the easier it will be for us to find a Lab for you.
  • Submission of your application does not guarantee placement of a dog.

 

Some Things You Need to Know

Placements

Placements are made according to what will be best for the Lab. They are not a first-come first-served basis, but rather based on which family is the best match for the Lab. Many of the Labs who come into our care do not get posted on our website because they are matched with a pre-approved applicant who we think will be the best family for that Lab.

If the Lab you indicated interest in on your application is adopted by another applicant, your application will remain active for three months and we will continue to try to match you with a Lab who may come into our program during that time. Unfortunately, we never know when Labs will come into our care. The more flexible you are with age, gender, color, health care needs, training, etc., the easier it will be for us to find a Lab for you.

Other Requirements

  • Children living at home must be at least seven years old.
    • Rescued Labs have been through a lot and we do not know their background with young children. Older children are recommended based on data from the Center of Disease Control which reports that among children, those 5-9 years old have the highest rate of dog bite-related injuries in the U.S. Most commonly, children are bitten by the family dog when hugging them, handling them, or trying to take resources away from them. Our requirement is for the safety of the Rescued Lab and the child and to make the best match possible between Rescued Lab and human family members.
  • Applicants must be at least 21 years old.
  • All current dogs in your home over the age of one year must be spayed or neutered.
  • If you rent/lease your home, we require written permission from your landlord to keep a Lab before we can consider your application. You may fax it to 866.531.8258 or email to application@safeharborlabrescue.org.

Other Considerations

  • We primarily place Labs with families in Colorado. We will, however, consider placing a Lab within a maximum 500-mile radius of Denver. We do not ship our dogs.
  • Many of the Labs who come into our care are strays and we have no history on them such as: are they good with children; do they get along with other dogs; how do they behave around cats and small pets; do they jump fences; are they housetrained, etc. We do our best to get to know them while they are in our care, but there will always be surprises – good and bad – as an adoptive family gets to know the new Lab in their life.
  • If you are unsure as to whether you can commit to one of our Rescued Labs for the rest of their life – Labs live an average 10-12 years or more – then please rethink your decision to adopt a Lab. Adoption is for the rest of the Lab’s life and our Rescued Labs have already had enough turmoil in their lives.

Safe Harbor Lab Rescue is dedicated to finding the best placement possible for each of our Rescued Labs and our adopters. We appreciate your patience with our process. Our organization consists entirely of volunteers who work diligently to ensure each Lab finds a wonderful new home where they are a well-matched and a loved member of the family.