The sun was blazing at Silverado Days, but so was the enthusiasm for rescue! ☀️🐾
Our Labradors and Friends volunteers and adoptable dogs spent the day meeting new faces, making friends, and sharing a little of what makes rescue so special.
From curious visitors stopping by our booth to plenty of puppy kisses and wagging tails, it was a wonderful opportunity to connect with the community.
And one of our very own decided it was time to steal the spotlight!
And then there was Oliver! 🏆
Our very own Oliver took the stage to compete in the Tricks division of the Mutt Competition, proudly representing Labradors and Friends!
He walked away with the Participation Award, and we couldn’t be prouder of our boy. Sometimes just getting up on stage and giving it your best is worth celebrating!
Watch Oliver’s Silverado Days performance!
The day may have been hot, but the hearts were even warmer!
A Little Silverado Days Cuteness! 📸
Every Conversation Plants a Seed ❤️
While we didn’t receive any adoption applications at the event, we met so many wonderful people who stopped to learn about our dogs and the work we do.
Sometimes a conversation today leads to an adoption tomorrow. Every introduction, every shared story, and every new connection helps bring our dogs closer to the homes they deserve.
A huge thank-you to our dedicated volunteers who braved the heat, everyone who stopped by our booth, and the Silverado Days organizers for welcoming us!
The best part of rescue events? You never know which hello might change a dog’s life. ❤️
Three boys, two girls, and an incredible team of lifesavers!
When five puppies needed help at the Carson shelter, Molly and Old Blue Inc. stepped in to cover their veterinary care, and our extraordinary foster, Teri, opened her home once again.
All five puppies tested negative for parvo, received veterinary care, and are now safe, happy, and enjoying puppy life.
This week, we’re celebrating Cathy, whose journey from volunteer dog walker to dedicated foster and event volunteer reminds us that one small YES can change countless lives.
Sometimes, one dog changes everything. For Labradors and Friends volunteer Lina, it all began with two dogs named Coco and Liberty.
Eight years ago, Lina began volunteering at Ramona Humane Society, where she met Lauren through their shared dedication to helping shelter dogs. What started as a simple desire to help would grow into eight years of freedom rides, friendships, heartbreak, and countless second chances.
The Freedom Rides That Changed Everything
Liberty and Coco’s freedom ride. Lina’s first with LAF.
Lina’s first freedom ride with Labradors and Friends was with Coco and Liberty, two dogs beginning their journeys toward brighter futures.
But her second freedom ride, with a dog named Midnight, left an especially powerful impression.
Midnight was a beautiful girl who had suffered terrible abuse and was in heartbreaking condition. Watching her finally leave the shelter and get a second chance was something Lina would never forget.
“That freedom ride changed something in me,” Lina recalls.
It inspired her to become more involved in volunteering and shelter assessments. She wanted to help rescues see the dog behind the kennel door, especially those who had been overlooked or unseen.
Eight Years of Showing Up
Over the years, Lina has worn many hats for Labradors and Friends.
She’s helped assess and pull shelter dogs, coordinate transports, communicate with shelters, assist with adoptions, walk dogs in San Marcos and Orange County, and provide temporary foster care.
Today, she plays an important role as one of our Riverside shelter pullers, working behind the scenes to help dogs make their way to safety.
Much of this work happens long before we take a freedom ride photograph. There are phone calls, shelter communications, assessments, transportation arrangements, and countless moving pieces that must come together.
It’s the kind of work most people never see, but without it, many dogs would never get their second chance.
Lina hugging Kamari at an adoption event.
Seeing the Dogs Others Overlook
Throughout her years with Labradors and Friends, Lina has watched the rescue step up time and again for dogs who might otherwise be left behind.
Black dogs. Seniors. Dogs with medical needs. Dogs who simply need someone willing to look beyond their circumstances and see their potential.
She’s also experienced the difficult side of rescue. The heartbreaking losses, unexpected challenges, and cases that stay with you long after they’re over.
But she’s witnessed something equally powerful: the extraordinary dedication of people who refuse to give up.
From fosters and transporters to shelter staff, veterinarians, adopters, and volunteers working quietly behind the scenes, everyone has a part to play.
Rescue Takes a Village
Labradors and Friends volunteer Lina hugging Kira at a holiday event.
“Every person plays an important role, and every effort matters,” Lina says.
For her, rescue has always been about more than saving dogs. It’s also about the friendships, the people who show up when they’re needed, and the shared belief that every dog deserves a chance.
“The dogs, friendships, and experiences have changed my life. I feel truly blessed to be a small part of such a wonderful rescue community.”
And after eight years, that feeling hasn’t changed.
“There is nothing quite like watching a shelter dog walk out on a freedom ride and begin a new life.”
Thank you, Lina, for eight years of compassion, dedication, and helping dogs find their way to safety. We’re grateful to have you as part of the Labradors and Friends family.
Be Part of Someone’s Second Chance
Behind every rescued dog is a community of people who made that rescue possible.
Whether you can help with shelter transports, volunteer at adoption events, foster a dog, or lend a hand behind the scenes, there’s a place for you in our rescue family.
Sometimes saving lives takes more than one rescue. It takes people coming together, sharing resources, and refusing to give up when the odds seem overwhelming.
For five little puppies at the Carson shelter, that village made all the difference. ❤️🐾
Five Puppies in Need of a Lifeline
When we learned about five puppies in danger at the Carson shelter, we desperately wanted to help.
Another puppy had been euthanized following a reported positive parvovirus test, leaving serious concerns about the health of the remaining puppies.
For Labradors and Friends, the decision wasn’t simple.
We had recently spent more than $11,000 providing veterinary care for Charlotte and her puppies. The possibility of taking on another parvo crisis was more than our all-volunteer rescue could financially manage.
But walking away from five little lives wasn’t something we wanted to do.
We needed a partner.
Meet the Girls: Hazel and Aspen.
When Old Blue Inc. Said YES ❤️
That’s when Molly from Old Blue Inc. stepped forward.
Old Blue Inc. is a nonprofit whose primary mission is helping senior dogs at the Carson shelter receive veterinary care beyond what the shelter can provide.
Through an agreement with the shelter, Molly can arrange for dogs to receive treatment from outside veterinarians.
And although these five puppies weren’t seniors, Molly recognized that they needed help.
Old Blue Inc. agreed to cover their veterinary expenses, making it possible for Labradors and Friends to bring all five puppies to safety.
Then came the wonderful news.
All five puppies tested NEGATIVE for parvo!
They received canine parvovirus monoclonal antibodies and fluids as part of their veterinary care.
What had seemed like an impossible rescue was suddenly becoming a story of hope.
Teri Said YES. Again!
Medical care was only part of the equation. Five puppies also needed a safe place to land.
Enter Teri.
Our longtime puppy foster had just finished caring for Charlotte and her puppies, helping that entire little family find their forever homes.
After all those weeks of puppy care, she certainly deserved a break.
But when five more little lives needed somewhere safe to go, Teri opened her home once again!
Meet the boys: Remi, Finn, and Casper.
Three boys. Two girls. Five little personalities, each getting a chance to grow, play, and experience the comfort of being loved.
Today, they’re doing exactly what puppies should be doing — tumbling over one another, exploring their surroundings, enjoying cuddles, and making their foster family smile.
Watch Their Second Chance in Action 🎬
Sometimes words simply can’t capture the joy of watching rescued puppies play.
See for yourself!
Rescue Takes a Village
This rescue reminds us why collaboration matters.
Molly and Old Blue Inc. made the medical care possible.
Teri made their safe landing possible.
Together, we gave five precious puppies the second chance they deserved.
To Molly, Old Blue Inc., and Teri, thank you for being the people who say YES when animals need you most.
Because when rescues, volunteers, and compassionate people work together, extraordinary things can happen.
Five little lives. One big second chance. And a village that made it possible. ❤️
Four puppies spreading joy. Two lives saved just in time. And volunteers who keep showing up.
This week’s Weekly Tail Wag celebrates the people who say YES when a dog needs help.
🐾 Puppy Kisses & Senior Smiles — Emma’s puppies visited a senior community in Orange County, bringing cuddles, laughter, and plenty of puppy love.
❤️ No Rest for the Rescue Crew — When Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde ran out of time at the shelter, Lorie and Jeff stepped up to give them a second chance.
🏡 From Dashie to Jamie — After a few bumps along the way, Dashie may have found his perfect match, thanks to the patience and dedication of foster dads Bill and Todd.
🌟 Volunteer Spotlight: Amy — From dog walking to years of dedicated rescue work, Amy reminds us how one person’s commitment can change countless lives.
☔ Rain or Shine, Rescue Shows Up! — Our volunteers braved the weather for the San Diego Animal Support Foundation’s adoption event at Grossmont Center, where two adoption applications brought new hope.
💎 Shop for a Cause — Our Kendra Scott fundraiser is October 17–19, with 20% of qualifying purchases benefiting Labradors and Friends.
Every yes can become a rescue, a foster home, an adoption, or a lifetime of love.
