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. ❤️
Some dogs find their forever families in days. Others wait weeks, months, or even longer.
But the passing of time doesn’t make them any less deserving of love.
At Labradors and Friends, we have some truly incredible dogs who have been waiting for someone to see what we see in them.
A sprinkler-loving goofball. A senior who refuses to slow down. A fetch fanatic. A shy soul waiting for someone to earn his trust. And so many more.
Seven dogs. Seven personalities. Seven hearts still hoping.
Meet Baby Girl, Twinkle, Marilynn, Kira, Connor, Baxter, and Venus.
They may have different stories, personalities, and needs, but they all have one thing in common:
They’re still waiting. And they’re absolutely worth it. ❤️
Baby Girl — The Official Welcome Committee ❤️
Some dogs just have a way of making everyone feel special, and Baby Girl is one of them!
This happy, social butterfly greets every volunteer with excitement, as though they’ve come just to see her. She loves people, adores playtime, and has a particular weakness for squeaky toys!
With her infectious enthusiasm and joyful personality, Baby Girl has so much love to share. She’s been waiting for someone to recognize what our volunteers already know — she’s a wonderful girl who deserves a family of her own.
Could Baby Girl be the happiness missing from your home? ❤️
Age is just a number, and Twinkle is living proof!
This spirited senior has more energy than some dogs half her age! While other dogs might prefer a leisurely stroll, Twinkle would much rather go for a run. She’s an enthusiastic explorer with incredible endurance, and sometimes you have to convince her it’s time for a break!
And then there’s her love of water. Give Twinkle a bowl to drink from, and don’t be surprised if she decides it’s actually a splash pool! Her silly antics never fail to make our volunteers laugh.
Twinkle is proof that growing older doesn’t mean slowing down, and she still has so many adventures ahead of her.
Could you be the one to share Twinkle’s next great adventure? ❤️
Marilynn may be petite, but the love she has to give is anything but small!
This sweet, athletic girl has a heart as big as her personality. She absolutely adores her people and is happiest when she’s right by their side, soaking up affection and attention.
Marilynn forms deep bonds with the people she trusts. She’s eager to learn, responds well to praise and gentle guidance, and genuinely wants to make her humans happy.
Behind those beautiful eyes is a loyal, loving companion just waiting for someone to give her the chance to shine.
Marilynn has so much love to give. Could you be the person she’s been waiting for? ❤️
If enthusiasm were an Olympic sport, Kira would bring home the gold!
This beautiful girl absolutely LOVES attention, affection, and most of all, a good game of fetch. In fact, one of her favorite days is new volunteer orientation, because it means plenty of new people ready to shower her with love and throw her favorite ball!
There’s just one little catch. Kira doesn’t always believe in returning the ball. 😂 But she’s figured out a pretty good system — bring a second ball, and she’ll happily keep the game going until she’s completely worn out!
Kira’s playful spirit and love for her people make her unforgettable to the volunteers who know her.
She’s been bringing joy to our volunteers for so long. Isn’t it time she had a family to share that joy with? ❤️
Connor — A Little Patience, A Lifetime of Loyalty ❤️
Some friendships happen instantly. Others take a little time to grow. And sometimes, those are the most rewarding friendships of all.
Meet Connor, a handsome, goofy boy with an adventurous spirit and a heart worth earning.
Connor can be cautious around new people, and he needs someone who understands that trust isn’t always given immediately. But with patience, kindness, and the opportunity to get comfortable at his own pace, his wonderful personality begins to shine.
Once you’ve earned Connor’s trust, you’ll discover a loyal, fun-loving companion who’s ready to share life’s adventures with you.
He doesn’t need someone who expects perfection. He needs someone who sees his potential and is willing to build a lasting bond.
Connor may take a little longer to give you his heart, but once he does, it’s yours for life. ❤️
Some dogs chase tennis balls. Others chase squirrels. Baxter? He chases sprinklers! 💦
Meet Baxter, our fun-loving boy who has turned an ordinary backyard sprinkler into his very own amusement park!
The moment Baxter spots a sprinkler, he’s off and running, charging straight toward the spray with pure joy. Lakes, baths, and garden hoses are perfectly fine, but sprinklers? Those are something special!
His enthusiasm is absolutely contagious, and watching him enjoy the simplest things in life is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.
Baxter reminds us that happiness doesn’t always come from grand adventures. Sometimes, it’s as simple as a sunny afternoon, a little water, and the freedom to be yourself.
Baxter has mastered the art of finding joy in everyday moments. Now he just needs someone to share them with. ❤️
Behind those beautiful eyes is one very clever girl with a whole lot of love to give!
Meet Venus, a sweet, intelligent, and resourceful girl who has proven she’s quite the survivor.
Venus is friendly with people, other dogs, and even cats! She can be a little shy at first, but give her time to feel comfortable, and her affectionate personality begins to shine.
She’s also an accomplished escape artist. After getting out of her foster home, Venus survived an entire week on her own before being safely recovered. That adventure taught us just how smart, determined, and resourceful she can be!
Because of her escape history, Venus needs a family committed to keeping her safe. A secure home, careful management of doors and gates, and supervised outdoor time are essential. She should never be left unattended in a backyard.
Venus isn’t looking for just any home. She’s looking for someone who understands her needs and will give her the security, patience, and love she deserves.
This clever girl has spent enough time finding her own way. Now she deserves a family who will help her feel safe and loved forever. ❤️
Seven dogs. Seven very different personalities. Seven hearts still waiting for someone to call their own.
Some need an active family. Some need patience and understanding. Others simply need someone who sees the wonderful companion our volunteers already know and love.
They’ve waited through countless adoption events, watched other dogs find their families, and continued hoping their turn will come.
They don’t need everyone to choose them. They just need the right person.
And even if you can’t adopt, you can still help. Share their stories. Tell a friend. Help us reach someone who might be searching for a dog just like one of these seven.
Because sometimes, all it takes is one person seeing one photograph, reading one story, and deciding to give a dog a chance.
They’re still here. Still hoping. And every single one is worth it. ❤️
There are some dogs whose stories stay with you long after they leave rescue.
Apple was one of them.
In 2015, Apple was barely a year old and sitting on death row at the Baldwin Park Shelter. She was a 46-pound black dog with one blue eye, one brown eye, and an old injury to one of them. She had been passed over, sitting in her kennel waiting for someone to notice the sweet, gentle girl inside.
We noticed.
Labradors and Friends said yes.
And for me, Apple’s story has always been a little more personal.
I was the volunteer who pulled Apple from the shelter. I spent time with her before she became a Toliver, and over the years I had the privilege of spending time with Nicole, her family, and the dog who had once needed us to give her a chance.
So when Nicole recently told me they had lost Apple, this one hit hard.
Because I remembered the young dog we rescued.
And I knew just how extraordinary the life waiting for her would become.
From Shelter Dog to Family
On March 17, 2015, Apple went home.
Nicole remembers that young girl perfectly:
“One blue eye and one brown… a love propeller that wouldn’t stop… that shiny black coat and the velvet bat ears.”
What began as a rescue quickly became something much bigger.
Apple became family.
The Toliver daughters grew up with her beside them. There were cuddles and swimming, homework sessions, dress-up and dancing. Apple joined them on family adventures and was there through the ordinary days that, looking back, become some of the ones we treasure most.
Nicole’s favorite memory of Apple is beautifully simple:
“Coming through a door and being greeted by her.”
Anyone who has loved a dog for a lifetime understands exactly why that can be the thing you miss most.
She Knew What It Meant to Welcome Someone In
Apple’s rescue story didn’t end when she was adopted.
Over the years, the Tolivers opened their home to foster puppies, too.
And Apple—the dog who once sat in a shelter waiting for someone to make room for her—became part of welcoming other dogs who needed somewhere safe to land.
Nicole remembers watching Apple with those fosters and seeing a side of her that she didn’t share with everyone.
“Seeing her with fosters and how she loved!!! That wasn’t anything she shared with many…”
There is something especially beautiful about that circle.
Someone saved Apple.
Apple found her family.
And then Apple helped other dogs along their own journeys home.
Quietly, Gently and Fiercely
Nicole describes Apple as a dog who “loved quietly, gently and never let you doubt where you stand in her circle of trust.”
She also protected fiercely.
“She was always where she was needed and more.”
And when Apple needed her family, they were there for her, too.
Over the years, she faced several medical challenges, including ongoing eye care, two eye surgeries, and surgeries on both knees. None of it was easy for her.
But her family surrounded her through every recovery—day and night.
Nicole says Apple answered all of it “with a grateful heart.”
That’s what family does.
Until We Meet Again
On September 17, more than eleven years after Apple first walked into the Tolivers’ lives, they had to say goodbye to their Ladybug.
Nicole shared a beautiful vision of where she hopes Apple’s next journey has taken her:
Chuckit! balls. Endless grilled salmon. Sir Matty, Mr. Bean, Monty, Sugar, Frankie, Delta Chance—and a comfy resting place in a corner with a view.
Until they meet again. ❤️
Nicole began her tribute with something that will resonate with anyone who has ever truly loved a dog:
“If you say it was just a dog…”
Apple was never just a dog.
She was the puppy pulled from a shelter.
She was a little girl’s best friend.
She was a protector.
She was a patient.
She was a traveling companion.
She was a foster sister.
She was the familiar face waiting when someone walked through the door.
She was family.
And perhaps that’s one of the greatest gifts of rescue: we may be there at the beginning, when a dog desperately needs someone to say yes, but sometimes we’re lucky enough to watch what happens afterward.
I pulled Apple from the shelter in 2015.
The Tolivers gave her the life we hoped was waiting for her.
And for the rest of her life, Apple never had to wonder whether she was loved.
Rest easy, Ladybug Apple. 🌈🐾❤️
With love to Nicole Toliver and family, and with gratitude to everyone who was part of Apple’s life—her veterinary team, trainers, dog sitters, fosters, volunteers, and the entire rescue family who loved her along the way.
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. ❤️
