Meet Avery (formerly known as Lea) and her lab brother, 13-year-old Yoshi (SHLR alum), along with human parents Steve and Sarah. Back in March they lost their lab of 10-1/2 years, Talley, and the house was a little too quiet without her. Sarah oversees the Foster program for Safe Harbor and she kept an eye on the dogs coming in to see if maybe there was a dog worthy of taking Talley’s spot in the family. Avery’s picture and story caught Steve’s eye; Avery had a rough beginning to her life in Utah, and she needed a loving family that could teach her how to be a lab.
Sarah and Steve report: “We knew that Avery didn’t have the best start to life and needed owners that would be very patient with her. After owning three dogs and fostering over 20 we felt like we could be that home. The first day it took five hours to even get her into the house and the first week she barely came out of our bedroom. Little by little she has gained more confidence and is showing us what a wonderful and happy dog she is. She loves to play fetch and run like a cheetah around the backyard. We like finding her sleeping under our bed in the morning and it’s so cute that she can get under there but needs help getting out.
She has a helicopter tail that goes at full speed when she’s happy, and she’s happy all of the time! She is a very good girl in the house and is very respectful of older brother Yoshi. She’s made a good friend with the young dog next door and they have daily play dates to help get out her energy. She’s yet to try swimming, but is looking forward to giving it a shot. She loves walks and her leash skills are getting better each week-but she’s not all that sure about bikes or cars. She is still very unsure about new people and we suspect she may always be this way, but once she trusts you she will always be at
your side. She bonded really quick with Grandma who came in for some dog sitting and was sad to see her leave! Avery has found her forever home and she’s loving every minute of it! A special thank you to Ronnie Eckert. She was Avery’s first foster and was really great with her!
