This week’s Tail Wag is about the promises that last long after a dog is rescued.
Lucy unexpectedly found herself back at a shelter three years after her adoption—and when we learned she was there, we brought our girl home. Jesse continues learning to trust, Marilynn is still waiting in boarding after all nine of her puppies found homes, and adorable newcomer Rudy joins the LAF family.
Plus, we share the story behind six years of Pulls for Pups, celebrate Tara’s happy ending, and give you a few simple ways to help more dogs get home.
Three years ago, Lucy left Labradors and Friends for what we hoped would be forever.
But life can change in ways no one can predict.
Lucy’s dad passed away two years ago. Her mom is now living with dementia, and when the family could no longer care for Lucy, their daughter surrendered her to the Humane Society—unaware that Lucy had originally been adopted from Labradors and Friends.
When we learned Lucy was there, there was only one answer:
We were bringing our girl back. ❤️
Lucy is safe with us now. But being safe and being home are two very different things—and right now, Lucy desperately needs the latter.
She Remembers What Home Feels Like
The volunteer who helped get Lucy out of the Humane Society took her home overnight before she came back into our care.
Lucy was so happy.
After living in a home for the past three years, she settled right back into that familiar rhythm of being with people and being part of a household.
Now Lucy is in boarding, and she is not happy there. She has already experienced the loss of the family and life she knew. Going from a home back into a kennel environment is another enormous change for her.
What Lucy needs now is a home again.
A foster home would get her out of boarding and give her somewhere comfortable to land while we search for her next forever family. And if that forever family happens to find her first, even better. ❤️
Lucy Has Always Been a Fighter
Lucy first came to Labradors and Friends in 2023, and even then, her road wasn’t an easy one.
As an adult dog, Lucy became critically ill with a rare strain of parvovirus. Her treatment ultimately cost nearly $14,000, but giving up on her was never an option.
Lucy fought her way through it.
She recovered, found her family, and went on to spend the next three years knowing what it meant to have a home.
Around here, we sometimes joke that Lucy is our million-dollar baby. ❤️
The truth is, we fought for her then—and we’ll fight for her now.
Help Lucy Get Back Home ❤️
Lucy has already lost so much of what was familiar to her. What she needs now is the chance to leave boarding behind and be part of a household again.
She has shown us how happy she is when she’s in a home. She loves being with people, and after everything this girl has been through, we want to get her back to that life as quickly as we can.
Lucy needs a foster or forever family.
When Lucy first came to us in 2023, we made a promise that she would always be one of ours. That promise didn’t end when she was adopted.
Once a LAF dog, always a LAF dog. Friends won’t leave friends behind. ❤️
Some rescue stories take you through fear, uncertainty, and a lot of waiting before you finally get to write the words you’ve been hoping for.
Tara is home. ❤️
When we first shared Tara’s story, she was a confiscation case who had already endured too much. After months in the shelter, she was red-listed and running out of time.
On August 26, Tara became a Labradors and Friends dog. That was the beginning of her next chapter—but it wasn’t the ending.
Today, we finally get to share the ending we wanted for her: Tara has been adopted.
Tara’s journey has been one we’ve shared from the beginning. If you’re just meeting her, you can follow her story here:
Once Tara was safe, she headed into foster care, where she finally had a chance to settle in and show everyone who she really was.
And Tara began to shine.
She loved everyone she met. She was house-trained, good on the leash, and quickly showed us what a friendly, happy girl had been waiting underneath all that uncertainty.
Meanwhile, another kind of waiting had been happening.
Tara’s future adopters had submitted an application with Labradors and Friends back in February. Friends of longtime LAF adopter Terry Deacon, they weren’t looking to rush the process. They were simply waiting for the right dog to come along.
When we got to know Tara better, we started to wonder if she might be that dog.
The Meet & Greet That Changed Everything
After Fran began fostering Tara, she took her over to meet the family. And because the grandkids were there too, it gave everyone the perfect opportunity to see how Tara would do with children.
Tara passed the family test. ❤️
What started as a meet-and-greet became the beginning of Tara’s forever.
This Is What Home Looks Like ❤️
Tara isn’t just settling in—she’s embracing her new life.
Her family recently took her to a birthday celebration at Lazy Dog in Orange, where she did great. She’s happily meeting extended family, friends, and neighbors, greeting new people with a wagging tail.
And after her walks? Backyard zoomies. 😂
She loves meeting the neighbors while she’s out walking and seems very happy to make new friends wherever she goes.
From a confiscation case, to months in a shelter, to a foster home where she could finally exhale, Tara’s journey took time.
But somewhere else, a family was waiting too.
They were waiting for the right dog. Tara was waiting for the right family.
This week’s Tail Wag takes us through just about every part of rescue.
Emma’s 8 Pack is growing up and getting ready for families of their own. Blaze is healed, adopted, and home with his boys. After more than two years in boarding, Kira is finally discovering foster life. Gracie Lou is still waiting for someone to see what we see in her.
We also pause to remember Sirius and the hundreds of working dogs who served after September 11—and introduce seven of the newest members of the LAF family.
Different dogs. Different journeys. One thing behind every story:
Someone said yes. ❤️
Catch up on everything you may have missed in Weekly Tail Wag 008 below.
There’s nothing better than getting out into the community with some four-legged friends! 🐾
Labradors and Friends was proud to join the Brea Police Department for a special community outreach event, giving some of our adoptable dogs the chance to meet new friends, soak up plenty of attention, and show everyone just how wonderful rescue dogs can be.
From playful puppies to our beautiful Kira, it was a day filled with wagging tails, new connections, and a whole lot of LAF love!
The Puppies Were a Hit!
Emma’s puppies made their community debut — and, as you might imagine, they were quite the crowd-pleasers! After everything these little ones have been through, seeing them healthy, happy, and out meeting new friends was pretty special.
They spent the day getting plenty of attention, practicing their social skills, and showing off some serious puppy charm. By the end of the event, it was pretty clear that community outreach is exhausting work! Apparently, being this cute takes a lot out of you!
❤️ Kira’s Day Out!
Kira had her own chance to shine at our Brea community outreach event — and just look at that smile! ❤️
After waiting so long for a foster home, Kira is finally getting the opportunity to experience more of the world outside of boarding. Days like this give her the chance to meet new people, explore new places, and show everyone what a special girl she really is.
With those unforgettable eyes and that big happy smile, Kira certainly knows how to get your attention! Now she just needs the one thing we want for every LAF dog — a family to call her own.
Events like this are about so much more than adoptions. They give our dogs a chance to get out into the community, meet new people, and experience new things — while giving us the opportunity to share what rescue is all about.
A huge thank you to the Brea Police Department for joining us and helping shine a little more light on rescue dogs still waiting for their families, and to PetSmart Brea for welcoming us and providing a place where our dogs could meet so many new friends.
And, of course, thank you to our amazing volunteers who gave their time to make sure our dogs could be there. From setting up and handling dogs to answering questions and sharing their stories, we couldn’t do any of this without you. ❤️🐾
