by Debra Crisp

Labrador Retriever Rescue of Fresno shares with us every other month about their rescue dogs.

Since the Labrador Retriever Rescue of Fresno is still up to its eyeballs in beautiful adoptable dogs, we are putting the spotlight on two very special and loving pups. First, we have Molly, a petite yellow female Labradoodle estimated to be about 1-1/2 years old. Second, we have Barney, a 3-year-old black male Lab.

Molly was found on the streets as a stray, emaciated and fearful, with her matted fur full of foxtails, as you can see from the “before” picture we have included here. LRRF immediately got her a good haircut to remove the mats and foxtails, and got her in to a vet. Not only did the vet find she had two separate bacterial infections (which have been treated), but also that she has a 22-caliber bullet lodged in her shoulder which cannot be removed. Molly had to learn to trust humans in her foster home, and she now loves gentle pets and hugs. Molly’s “after” picture is somewhat deceiving as this beauty is only 40 pounds.

Although Molly came to LRRF with little or no training, she is now crate trained, house trained and leash trained, knows how to use the doggy door, and plays well with her foster family’s dogs (and possibly a dog-savvy cat). Her new family will need to continue her training as she is still basically a puppy. Molly is also requesting a family that will give her lots of love and hugs, and who will groom her regularly so she never again has to endure those awful mats in her fur.

Next up, we have Barney, an AKC registered yellow Lab. Barney is a BIG boy, most recently tipping the scales at 109 pounds, which is not healthy for him. He ended up at this weight because his original family did not want to deal with training a Lab puppy. They kept him in a kennel full time, where he got no exercise and no socialization, but he did get lots of food.

Since joining his foster family, he has become much more social and plays well with the foster’s two dogs, a Lab and a chiweenie. Barney is happy-go-lucky and will entertain you with his goofy antics, like playing fetch all by himself. He is house trained, but after spending so much time locked in a kennel, he is not very fond of the crate—which has to be an extra-large crate—and he will play hide-and-seek at crate time but will finally relent and go in a crate when necessary. His favorite place to be is right next to his humans. He has done well with small children but because of his size we recommend a family with older children. We do not know how he feels about cats.

Barney’s new family will need to give him some extra attention for a while. His weight is truly unhealthy for his heart and his joints. He does enjoy a nice long stroll, or two, every day and his leash manners are improving. He is also learning to love the water and swimming is great exercise for a chubby boy like Barney. He also loves playing fetch with his tennis balls. Of course, close attention to Barney’s diet will also be needed.

One final note, Eevee, the 5-year-old black female Lab who was featured in our last article, is still available. Her picture is included here also, because she is just so darned cute and we can’t believe that she has not been adopted.

If you think Molly, Barney, or Eevee would fit well into your family, please visit our website at labrescuefresno.org/become-a-foster/foster-application and submit your application to adopt.

Without volunteers to foster these wonderful pets, they would literally be lost. If you are interested in joining the great group of volunteers at the Labrador Retriever Rescue of Fresno, check out our website at labrescuefresno.org for more information. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit, 100% foster-based and run completely by volunteers. We are in urgent need of more fosters at this critical time when shelters are overflowing resulting in many dogs and cats being euthanized.

If you are not in a position where you can adopt or foster, but you would still like to help, please consider making a tax-deductible donation via PayPal at our website, or by mail to Labrador Retriever Rescue of Fresno, P. O Box 1484, Clovis, CA 93613. As you can imagine, all the veterinary care required by many of our rescues is very expensive. Of course, the rescue also provides all food and other supplies needed by our dogs in foster care and we have an Amazon Wishlist if you would like to place an order there and it will be delivered directly to us. We greatly appreciate and need your support to continue saving pups.

Editor’s Note: Evee is no longer available.

Check out more animal rescue stories in our Pet Perspective section and we would love to have you join our KRL Pets Facebook group. Advertise in KRL and 10% of your advertising fees can go to the rescue of your choice.