About Us

Brookline was started in 1997 with a single volunteer saving a single Lab. We now have about 100 volunteers and we place an average of 100 Labs each year in their forever homes.

Brookline is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, all-volunteer organization funded entirely by donations. Because we depend on donations to operate, we attend many pet fairs and other fund-raising events.  Brookline volunteers live all over Pennsylvania, New Jersey and parts of Delaware. If you would like to see if you are located in our coverage area, please see our Coverage Areas.

Our volunteers work closely with local shelters to evaluate Labs in danger of being euthanized. They evaluate these Labs to make sure that the Labs have a desirable temperament – one that is suitable for adoption by an individual or family – before we place them into one of our foster homes. Once approved to become a Brookline dog, if needed, the Labs are examined by a veterinarian, brought up-to-date (UTD) on vaccinations, and spayed or neutered. These Labs remain in the foster homes for a minimum of two weeks so the foster families can gain insight into the Labs’ personality and to learn any specific needs the Lab requires. This information is critical for potential new families to know before adopting.

We also help people who can no longer care for their Labs by evaluating them using the same criteria we use for evaluating shelter dogs. These Labs may be listed as Owner Surrenders on their website write-ups. Prior to an introduction with an adoptive family, these owner surrender Labs also must be UTD on all shots and heartworm tested negative or on monthly preventive since their last negative heartworm test. They generally remain in their owners’ homes until new homes can be found to meet their needs and personalities.

As an all-volunteer organization, Brookline is always looking for foster homes and volunteers. While foster homes are always needed, there are also many other things that our volunteers do to help out our four-legged friends that require less time commitments. Please see our Fostering and Volunteering sections to see if there is some way you may be able to help. You may also help by making a donation or by using our Brookline Shopping or Affiliate Shopping links. Donations are always welcome and gratefully appreciated. The adoption donations we collect help defray costs for veterinary care, including vaccinations and spay/neuter surgery. These donations, however, only partially fund the work that we do taking in Labs in need of new homes, providing them with needed veterinary care, and fostering them until they’ve been adopted. Some of our special needs Labs require expensive medical care which results in significant additional vet expenses. Other than a general donation, you can make a donation to directly help defray costs for some of our special-needs Labs by donating to the Bright Horizons Fund.

We hope you enjoy visiting our website. If you have any questions about our rescue, Labs in general or rescue in general, please contact us at info@BrooklineLabRescue.org.

The information contained on BLRR’s website is provided by the organization for general informational purposes only. None of the information on the website is intended nor should be construed to be legal advice or a legal opinion. While every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained on the website is as accurate as possible, omissions and errors may occur. Also, because of the nature of website development, maintenance, and updating, the information contained on the website may not reflect the most current developments. BLRR and its contributing authors expressly disclaim all liability to any person with respect to the consequences of any act or omission committed based upon reliance, in whole or in part, on any of the contents of the website. Additionally, BLRR is not responsible for any third-party content linked to or from our website.