14½ Years of Loving the “Misfits.”
Some volunteers have a special gift for seeing the dog hiding behind the fear. For more than 14 years, Susan Amador has been one of those people.
Ask Susan why she’s dedicated so much of her life to Labradors and Friends, and her answer is wonderfully simple.
“Because I love dogs!”
But there’s so much more to her story.
Susan loves that LAF opens its heart to the dogs others might overlook. The shy ones. The frightened ones. The dogs with quirks, scars, or histories we’ll never fully understand. The ones who may be waiting for their second chance, or perhaps their third, fourth, or even twenty-fifth.
And those are often the dogs who capture Susan’s heart.
The Little Victories That Mean Everything
For Susan, rescue isn’t just about the day a dog gets adopted. It’s about all the little moments that happen along the way.
The first tentative tail wag. A happy wiggle butt. A delicate kiss, or an enthusiastically sloppy one. And the ultimate sign that a frightened dog is finally feeling safe enough to be a dog again: the zoomies!
Those moments are Susan’s reward.
As a longtime volunteer, Susan has found her niche walking dogs and helping at adoption events. Over the years, she’s taken thousands of photographs of the dogs she’s had the privilege of spending time with.
Every one of them has been special. But a few have left particularly lasting paw prints on her heart.
Linus: A Special Bond Across the Miles
Among all the dogs Susan has loved, one stands above the rest: Linus, a beautiful black Retriever/Setter who came all the way from Turkey.
Linus was incredibly skittish, and building his confidence took patience, understanding, and time.
But Linus eventually found a wonderful forever home.
And for Susan, the story didn’t end with his adoption. She’s received updates over the years and has even had the joy of seeing him again.
For someone who has poured so much love into helping a frightened dog learn to trust, those reunions mean everything.
Alfalfa: The Boy Who Stayed in Her Heart
Then there’s Alfalfa.
Found in an alfalfa field, this sweet but shy boy carried permanent scars on his nose, reminders of a past he couldn’t explain.
Alfalfa spent a long time waiting for his forever family. During that journey, he became Susan’s special boy for several months.
About ten years ago, Alfalfa finally found his home.
His story remains close to Susan’s heart, a reminder of why the overlooked dogs deserve someone willing to see beyond their scars.
The Bittersweet Beauty of Goodbye
Susan knows that one of the hardest parts of rescue is also the most beautiful.
After spending weeks or months building a bond with a dog, watching that dog leave with a new family can be bittersweet.
But it’s also the reason she volunteers.
Finding someone who sees a dog’s quirks and loves them anyway is what rescue is all about.
And while Susan treasures the updates and reunions, she knows that many times volunteers never hear what happens after adoption. They simply hold onto the hope that the dogs they loved are living their happily ever after.
A Place for Every Caring Heart
After 14½ years, Susan’s commitment to LAF remains rooted in the same belief that brought her here.
“To me, LAF is a wonderful organization that cares about and helps the misfit dogs that are 100% worth saving!”
And her message to anyone considering volunteering is just as heartfelt.
There are many ways to help. You don’t need years of experience or special qualifications to make a difference.
All you need is a love for dogs, a caring heart, and a willingness to learn.
Thank you, Susan, for more than 14 years of patience, compassion, and unwavering love for the dogs who needed someone to believe in them.
You’ve helped so many frightened dogs discover that the world can be a kinder place.
And that is a beautiful legacy of love.
