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It is a sad fact that many labradoodles find themselves homeless. They might be abandoned or maltreated, or their loving parents may be unable to continue to care for them for some reason.
Animal rescues play an important role in rescuing these animals from an uncertain future.
Dog rescues will take in, rehabilitate, and foster dogs until an appropriate permanent home can be found for them.
There are many general dog rescues that work with any breed, but there are also specialist rescues that work with specific breeds, which enables them to provide better and more specialist care.
The vast majority of animal rescues are non-profit. They are run by volunteers and rely on donations.
They are in dire need of experienced dog owners who are able to foster animals in need at short notice, as well as families willing to adopt and give dogs permanent homes.
There are currently many dogs, including labradoodles, in rescues around the country that need homes. This is why we always recommend that you consider adopting before buying when looking for a new canine companion.
In this article, you will find a list of dog rescues that specialize in working with labradoodles. We will also go through what you need to know if you want to adopt a labradoodle from one of these dog rescues, or if you want to assist one of these rescues by becoming a labradoodle foster home.
Don’t forget, almost all animal rescues are non-profit, and they rely on donations to be able to do their important work.
List Of Labradoodle Rescues
You will probably find a few labradoodles in any dog rescue that you encounter, but below is a list of dog rescues that specialize in working with labradoodles, often alongside related breeds such as poodles and goldendoodles.
States are listed so you can find a labradoodle rescue near you.
Carolina Poodle Rescue
North Carolina
This is a North Carolina-based poodle rescue that also works with mixed breeds, including labradoodles and goldendoodles. They are a “no-kill” group guaranteeing not to put down any dogs that they take into their care.
All the rescue dogs are housed on the Dreamweaver Farm where they are spayed, neutered, cared for, and trained before being rehomed. They carefully vet new pet parents before releasing their charges into their care.
Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue
Delaware
Located in the Delaware Valley, as well as working with golden retrievers, this rescue saves fosters and rehomes labradoodles and goldendoodles. This rescue saves upwards of 300 dogs in need each year.
Doodle Dandy Rescue
Texas
This specialist labradoodle rescue is based in Texas and covers an area within a four-hour radius of Dallas/Fort Worth. They have many labradoodles in foster care that are ready to be adopted. There are profiles of the pups in need on their website.
Doodle Rescue Collective Inc.
Nationwide
This is the oldest doodle-dedicated rescue in the United States. It operates by fostering pups in need of volunteers around the nation on a temporary basis until permanent homes can be found.
They provide rehabilitation, vet care, refuge, and rehoming, as well as training and education resources for new potential pet owners.
Doodle Rock Rescue
Texas
This rescue for labradoodles is based in Texas and works to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome labradoodles in the area. They will place dogs in temporary foster homes until permanent living arrangements can be organized. The rescue is fully volunteer-run.
For The Love Of Poodles And Pooches Rescue
Virginia
Based in Richmond, Virginia, this is a specialist poodle rescue that expanded to help other dogs as well. Rescue dogs are kept in foster care until appropriate permanent homes can be found.
IDOG Rescue
Nationwide
IDOG Rescue is a non-profit organization that specializes in working with labradoodles and goldendoodles. They have multiple foster homes throughout the country, rescuing abandoned pups and placing them in good homes when possible.
Labs And More
California
This is a Southern California-based rescue that focuses on the San Diego area. They save more than 2,000 dogs each year. Their intention is to never turn away a dog in their breed range, which includes Labradors and labradoodles.
NorCal Poodle Rescue
California
This poodle rescue is in California and has been operating in the north of the state for 35 years. They work specifically with poodles and poodle mixes, fostering the dogs with volunteers and then rehoming them. They are volunteer-run and rely on donations to cover the cost of things such as medical treatment for sick doodles.
Poodle And Pooch Rescue Florida
Florida
This rescue focuses on caring for unwanted dogs. Perhaps they have been turned away from animal control, or their parents can no longer look after them due to age or medical issues. They foster dogs and also seek to permanently rehome them.
SPIN Standard Poodles In Need
Toronto
This is a Canadian poodle rescue based in the greater Toronto area. They rescue and foster poodles and poodle mixes while seeking permanent homes for them.
Sugar Pine Doodles
California
This California-based rescue specializes in doodle breeds and mixes, rescuing, fostering, and then adopting out dogs in need. The rescue makes sure that dogs are ready for adoption with extensive healthcare and training while the pups are in their care.
Requirements For Adopting A Rescue Labradoodle
While rescues are caring for animals in desperate need of permanent homes, they won’t just let their charges go home with anyone. The last thing they want is to find one of their animal charges back in a difficult situation because they were sent home with someone without the capacity to properly care for them.
For this reason, rescues will want to vet you to ensure you are able to look after their charge in the long term. So, there is a fairly rigorous adoption process you will need to go through.
Most shelters will have online application processes where you can apply to adopt a specific dog that is listed on their website, or you can tell them about the type of dog you are looking for (for example breed and age), and they will try and match you up with an appropriate dog that is in their care.
The online application will ask you for your personal details and will probably also ask you about your living situation. They will want to know if you have kids or other pets, if you live in a house or an apartment, and if you have a backyard. They will want to know if you have had any pets before and also probably what kind of hours you work.
While these questions may seem quite personal, it is part of the process of matching you up with the right dog. If you live in an apartment, they won’t want to match you up with a dog that needs a lot of outdoor space.
If you spend a lot of hours outside the home at work, they won’t want to match you up with a dog that starts to feel anxious when left alone for long periods of time.
If they do think you would make a good pet parent, and they have a dog to match, many shelters will want to do a home visit and a meet and greet with your family, just to make sure that it really is a good match.
If you are approved, there will be an adoption fee. Because these are non-profit organizations, that fee is necessary to cover costs including veterinary care, spaying and neutering, microchipping, and so forth.
This is still much cheaper than buying a labradoodle from a breeder and what you pay certainly doesn’t cover all the costs of the shelter, which may have been caring for the dog for months.
Rescues don’t generally “check-up” on you after the adoption, as they just don’t have the capacity. But they will be available to assist you if you have any questions or issues that you need assistance with.
How To Become A Rescue Animal Foster Parent
If you are an experienced pet parent, especially of labradoodles, and you have time and space, you might be able to help one of these organizations by volunteering to foster recuperating pups while the rescue works to find their permanent home.
Are You Ready To Foster?
Fostering is a big responsibility and you should consider carefully whether you are well-suited to the task before approaching an organization and offering your help.
Consider the following:
- You will be responsible for feeding and grooming the pup; will your budget allow you to do this appropriately? Unfortunately, most rescues are not able to provide you with an allowance to support this activity.
- Foster pets have often had a difficult life and may need special care or have behavioral issues. Do you have the time and experience to deal with these types of animals?
- Do you have enough space for this type of dog, which may be of medium-sized and would benefit from outdoor areas to play in?
- Do you have other pets in the home, and if so, how do they get on with other animals? Bear in mind that the labradoodle you will be fostering may not have been well-socialized before arriving in your home.
Once you have decided that you are up to the task, you should contact local rescues to see about volunteering. Most rescues will restrict volunteering to a certain radius to make their task of transporting animals and providing medical treatment more practical.
The application process will be different depending on where you apply, though you can expect to be asked to provide similar information as if you were adopting. They will want to know about you, your home, your lifestyle, and your experience caring for dogs, and especially labradoodles.
Expect both home visits and interviews as part of the process of ensuring that you meet the rescue’s criteria for fostering.
What Kinds Of Dogs Might You Expect To Foster?
Some rescues have no central, physical premises, and so, they will need to find foster homes for all their dogs from newborn pups to happy pets that just need rehoming, to dogs with medical issues or that otherwise need special care.
But many rescues will have facilities where they will keep the happiest and healthiest pups, for whom they can expect to find homes quickly, and they will be looking for fosterers primarily to take on special cases.
In these cases, rescues will be looking for foster homes for dogs that become stressed out in the shelter environment. As well as including dogs with behavioral issues, this will include larger dogs, typically over 40 pounds, who really need more space than is available at the shelter.
You may also be asked to foster dogs that need individual attention, such as hand-feeding, medicine administered on a regular basis, or a dog that is recuperating after an operation (such as being neutered or spayed).
You might also be asked to look after puppies that are too young to be adopted so that the puppy doesn’t need to spend an extended amount of time in the shelter.
You might also be asked to look after a senior dog that needs hospice care until the end of their lives.
How Long Will The Dog Be With You?
How long you can expect a foster dog to be with you depends on their individual circumstances. Healthy dogs that are ready to foster might only be with you for a few days or weeks while permanent homes are located for them.
Young puppies might be with you for a month or two, while older dogs in hospice care might be with you for several months.
It is a good idea to discuss with the rescue how long you are able to take on your charges when volunteering. If you are unable to take on dogs in the longer term, they won’t place animals that need medical or hospice care with you.
Your Responsibilities As A Foster Parent
If you do decide to foster dogs, your responsibility will go beyond feeding, grooming, and loving the pups while they are in your care.
While the shelter will pay for medical treatments for the dog, you will be expected to transport them to and from veterinary appointments. You will also need to transport them to and from various adoption events.
Most dogs in foster care will need to undertake some kind of basic training, either in the home or at a training center, and that will also be one of your responsibilities.
The rescue will expect regular updates from you on the dog’s health, personality, and behavior to help them determine how to best care for and place the dog.
You will also need to speak with potential adopters about the dog, their personality, and their needs to help potential forever homes decide if they are a good match for the pup.
What Do You Need To Foster A Dog?
As well as time, space, and willingness, there are a few things you will need in your home to foster a dog. Bear in mind that the rescue will probably be unable to provide you with these things and that you may need to make these purchases yourself.
- Dog bed to help the dog feel comfortable and at home more quickly; they will likely arrive at your home in a crate (find our recommendations for the best dog beds here).
- Dog brush for grooming (learn more about dog grooming here).
- Enzyme cleaner, as you can expect a dog adjusting to new people and a new place to have a few accidents (learn how to remove pet stains and odors here).
- Dog toys to keep your charge mentally stimulated (find our recommendations for the best dog toys here).
- Dog leash so that you can take them out on walks (learn how to teach dogs to walk on the leash here).
- Dog food and also dog treats for training, and don’t forget your feeding bowls (find our recommendations for the best training treats here).
- A baby gate or similar barrier to restrict the dog to certain parts of your home (you will find some example dog gates here).
While the rescue may be able to provide you with some of these things through donations given to the organization, you cannot rely on the rescue having what you need, and you may need to purchase many of these items.
Also, be sure to prepare your home by dog-proofing it much like you would baby-proof, removing small shark objects from low tables and floors and keeping highly chewable electrical cords out of reach. Remember, you don’t know how well trained any dog that might stay with you will be, and each new charge will be different.
The Verdict
Whether you are looking to adopt a labradoodle into your home or you are thinking about fostering labradoodles in need, you should get in touch with local labradoodle rescues, like the ones listed in this article.
Despite being a highly desirable breed, there are many labradoodles out there in desperate need of homes, so it is always a good idea to look at adopting before buying.
You also have the option of helping rescues by fostering pups in the short-term to help with the recuperation and give them a happy living situation before they can be placed in their forever home.
If none of these options seem possible to you, then remember that most rescues are also non-profit and volunteer-run, and donations are essential to help their work.
Do you have any experience fostering rescue dogs?
Share your thoughts with the community in the comments section below.
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