Archives: Success Stories

We recently celebrated Dove’s one year gotcha day and we wanted to let you know how happy and grateful we are. She is our 4th Brookline girl. When we were ready to adopt after the sad loss of our dear Katie, we were hoping to adopt a small black or yellow senior female. Our wonderful volunteer Maija suggested that we consider 9 year old Dove who was an 85 pound chocolate retired farm girl. We trusted Maija and the rest is history.

Dove is a sweet, smart and funny girl. She is the perfect dog for us. We feel privileged to be her family and we are so grateful to Maija who wisely matched her with us and to Lesley who lovingly fostered her.

Thank you Brookline!

Ellen & Dave W.

Mya is settling into her forever home. Her eye is healed from her second surgery, and it looks almost 100 % normal.

She loves her new sister Ginger. They spend their days playing or napping next to each other.

After work and weekend are her favorite times !!  As soon as she hears words like park, hike,  beach walk her whole face lights up and she is totally ready to go on an adventure.

The weekend adventures to new places are her favorite she is always the 1^st one in the car .

Mya’s new mom has found an amazing “cool dog” and hiking buddy .                                                    

May 2024 Update:

Mya has had a busy year. She had become a loved member of the family. She is a great walking/hiking buddy. Mya is always up for an adventure. The pictures attached included her 1st Adirondack hike near The Adirondack Lodge, frequent trips to the DE beaches, Christmas lights at Rose Tree park and a afternoon lounge on the back deck. She is an amazing dog.

Last year, we were devastated to lose our beloved 100-pound Lab named Koa, who was also a Brookline Rescue. We contacted Brookline to get approved for adoption and soon met a charming little black dog named Gracie. She won our hearts the moment we saw her. We were unsure how our 10-year-old rescue dog, Lola, would adjust to Gracie, but they hit it off from the start. Lola made it clear that she was the boss, but Gracie was quick to understand and the two became best friends. It’s amazing to see how Gracie knows not to play too rough with Lola and recognizes her as the boss of the entire house.

We consider ourselves incredibly lucky to have found Gracie. She’s a cuddle bug who loves to fall asleep in our laps, and she’s so lovable and adores all of us. She’s our Gracie Girl, and we feel that she’s the perfect fit for our family. She made herself right at home from the moment she arrived, and now we couldn’t imagine life without her. We absolutely love her!

It has been just about 3 months since Zoey (Sugar) has been in our home. She is the sweetest, most gentle soul! We love her so much! She is a very shy girl but is now very comfortable with us. She never lets us out of her sight and I swear there are some days she would be in our pocket if she could!

When she first came she was not food motivated and that Lab wiggle and lean we were used to seeing in our other Labs was not present. Well that has all changed! In the beginning we had to put liverwurst in her food to get her to eat but now she lets us know if we are late for mealtime! She loves her treats and her occasional small vanilla DQ cone! She wiggles like crazy and she loves to lean against whomever is giving her attention.

She is still very timid when it comes to anyone outside our home but we are seeing improvement. She is very good with other dogs and loves riding in the car. She does not like to be left alone but we are working with a trainer to try to build her confidence. Her personality is slowly emerging and she is finally learning how to be a dog! Thank you Brookline for giving us this amazing girl!

I wanted to send you and the Brookline Rescue group a huge THANK YOU!!! I can not express how thrilled I am that I was able to adopt Lola. She is everything I thought she would be!! I truly LOVE her. I am so appreciative of everyone that was involved in her rescue. She is doing great with her new fur brother and sister. I want to give a shout out to the Rescue for making my experience from start to finish most pleasurable. I am so thankful Brookline takes the time to interview, check references, etc and go through the process as they do. I wanted to give a special thanks to you as if it weren’t for you, I would not have been given the opportunity to be approved to adopt Lola. It has been great working with you and I know our Lola connection will not end here. I wanted to also thank Lola’s foster mom who cared for her the last few months and has always been available when I have had questions. There are so many labs that need to be rescued and I know Brookline is doing their share to help. I am so impressed with the Rescue that I would like to help/volunteer in any capacity that is needed. I am so grateful to have a Brookline Rescue Lab!! I wanted to send some pictures of Lola with her new brother and sister.

Two Girls Hanging Out for The Day by Beauty and Fudge

Hi, Lab Lovers. We are Beauty and Fudge. We live in the country with two nice senior citizens. Beauty came to our family in 2021 and Fudge has been here for about two months. Our new family lives in the country with lots of things to see and smell. Our home is surrounded by lots of trees, small critters, and an occasional human walking or driving by.
Both of us lived on a farm before we got our new home. We had lots of puppies. Our new mom and dad told us those days are over! They told us we are “retired,” just like them. It is quiet and peaceful in our neighborhood. We each have our own bed, though Beauty likes to sleep with our mom before she settles into her bed. It’s funny…we are fed twice a day like clockwork, we go out for walks several times a day, get our nails done, have spa days…it’s great! Mom tells Dad that he gives us too many treats but Dad says he can’t resist our love “eyes.” Best of all we can have scratches, belly rubs, cuddle, and pets all day long. Dad says we hit the jackpot. We sure did.
A lady named Val helped to get us off the farm and to our new home. A lady named Liz also helped Beauty. We learned soon after we got here that two other ladies, Jan and Karen, helped Tootsie and Twila to live here until they crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Sometimes Mom and Dad call us by the wrong names. That’s ok. We know how much they love us.

Marley would like to thank everyone from the rescue and kennel who helped her get to her forever home! She has been here about 2 months and now lives with another former Brookline farm dog and a 15 year old lab. She got along fine right from the start with our older lab and it took her and our younger lab a week or so to accept living together but now they are thick as thieves! Marley is loving life in a home and thrives on having a daily routine and consistency. As it seems with a lot of other former farm dogs, she has some quirks but she is very smart and is treat/praise motivated and listens well. She has learned some basic commands, is whistle trained and knows to wait for her food. She has always been pretty good on a leash. She is a work in progress on curbing her desire to steal dinner off the kitchen counters (partly our fault if we are still leaving food out😄) and also in meeting new people, especially men. They generally scare her. She is getting used to the men that regularly visit us. This will take time and patience (and lots of treats) and we continually work with her. She loves women and generally warms up to them quickly. She loves being with us and she loves being outside. She is a big goofball and fits in perfectly with our family. We enjoy working with her to help her further acclimate to house life! We are so happy that we have her here. Marley makes us laugh every day!

Beau spent his first year on a farm with his mom and aunt. All were breeder dogs for a farmer. Although he lived mostly in an outdoor pen and had free roam of the farm, his world was limited to the farmer, his family, and a small barn.

Once evaluated and approved to come into foster care, Beau’s life dramatically changed. As a farm dog with little socialization, Beau needed to learn what it was like to be a family dog living in a home. Beau’s foster family described him as a dog who loved being outside, but a dog that may have missed out on typical Lab puppy activities such as swimming and playing fetch. They also said that Beau was a fast learner, and they enjoyed experiencing his new world through his curious eyes. All of this was so true!

When adopted by us, there were still many new things for Beau to discover. He did not know how to climb steps, and he’d side-eye the washer, dishwasher, and vacuum cleaner. Beau’s lack of socialization at a young age initially led him to be somewhat dog selective, requiring slow introductions to dogs he did not know. Dog training helped us learn to not only be in sync while leash walking but also to be attuned to reading his signals and situations. Training (and time) helped Beau become a calmer and more confident dog. We went through a lot of cheese and cheerios that year!

But as good as life was off the farm, there was something missing in Beau’s life. We felt that Beau missed his family and foster family’s dogs. It was clear that he needed a dog-friend, and so we adopted Keira from Brookline.

Keira was also a farm dog – an older puppy that couldn’t be sold despite expressive eyes and a loving demeanor. Keira was pulled from the farm by Brookline and fostered by Lesley, an amazing Brookline volunteer who did a wonderful job getting her ready for a forever home.

Keira quickly settled into life off the farm. As a typical 8-month-old puppy, she was running, jumping, and doing full flights of stairs on her own. She was described by her foster mom as a “super cute sweetheart with the most adorable wiggle butt swagger.” How could we resist?

So, we applied for Keira and, fortunately, she was matched with us. Keira found her forever home with Beau and it was just what he needed. The two of them are inseparable.

Ashley (who is now known lovingly as Potato) has settled into our little family beautifully over the past few months. Potato was very shy and nervous at first – she was afraid to go upstairs to her bed in our bedroom and mainly kept to her crate. Her crate is still her happy place, but she also loves to explore more of the house now!

We’re still working on how to interact with other dogs. We’ve made a few friends, but most dogs still get a very nervous and aggressive-sounding reaction so we have to be careful. But we’re going to school to learn how to behave nicely – it seems to be working!

Our favorite thing about Potato is watching her learn how to play and be a dog. She had no idea what to do with toys when she first came home. Now, she is a cold-blooded toy destroyer! She loves anything that squeaks and has even figured out to play fetch – both with us and by herself! If she wants to play but we’re busy doing something else, she’ll grab her squeaky ball and whip it out of her mouth toward the door so it bounces and rolls across the room. She is quite the smarty!

We’re so lucky to have been matched with our sweet Potato. She is so full of love and we have lots of love to give to her, too! Thank you Brookline, for bringing us together!

Love,

Danny, Ashling, and Potato

I thought we’d rescued a 100-lb horse on that exceptionally hot day last July, when the Brookline volunteers delivered Charlie to our home. He was full of anxious energy as he galloped around our backyard with his long legs. It was a relief to see him getting along well with our senior pup we’ve had for the past decade. One can never really fill the hole left in your heart by the loss of a pet, but we were eager to welcome a new dog into our home to honor the memory of the pup we lost to a heart condition about nine months prior to welcoming Charlie.

Admittedly, the first few days, weeks, and months with Charlie were challenging. He was adjusting. We were adjusting. It was like he was a bucking bronco and we were just hanging on for dear life. We began to second-guess ourselves. Were we the right fit for this pup? Through the patient help of the Brookline volunteers and expert trainer Eileen Conroy, we were able to better understand him and knew what we needed to do to keep him safe and happy. I feel that it’s important to mention this because too many folks think that welcoming a new pet into your home is easy. Sometimes it’s not, and that’s ok. But, if you’re willing to put in the work, like we did, things can turn for the better quickly and you forget about all the doubts you once had.

So, just like that, after a few months the four of us became cohesive as a family unit. Our resident senior pup and Charlie were getting along better. Being ten years his senior, our girl pup spoke up when this nuisance of a little brother was bothering her – and Charlie respected that boundary.

We are happy to say that now as we close in on the one year anniversary of welcoming Charlie into our home and family, that he lives like a king. A spoiled, pampered king. My husband and I work from home, so both dogs have run of the house during the day. The backyard has a fence, room to run around, and an in-ground pool. Charlie is quite the proficient swimmer! He will easily swim laps or go fetch toys from the pool. He likes to just sit on a bench we have inside the pool and will just look around with a silly look on his face that we believe is him feeling content.

Despite his large size, he is very cuddly and we love that about him. The longer he’s been here with us, the more vocal he gets. He will make some groans to seemingly express his enjoyment or displeasure in something going on around him. Charlie makes us laugh every day. He is smart. He is protective. He’s our baby boy. We are grateful that we can provide a good life for both of our dogs. Thank you to Brookline for connecting us with Charlie!

Since first seeing Luna and her story, the connection just felt strong and I knew she needed to be with us. I reached out to Brookline and completed all of the paperwork, etc…The screening process that Brookline does is just remarkable. I was able to first meet Sue, who I can’t say enough great things about. She had the best interest of Luna at heart and wanted to make sure this would be a good fit for all of us. Sue I can’t thank you enough for your passion, professionalism and heart doing what you do.

I never thought I would be a dog Mom, never mind “that” Lab Mom….Luna is almost 10 year old and she has a sister who is also almost 10. Her name is Pearl and she is a silver lab. We met Luna, her foster mom Katie, foster grandma and Sue met on July 17, 2022. Luna was timid but overall seemed ok. Luna and Pearl liked each other but also were independent and each did their own thing. Katie was just so reassuring and gave me some background and tips, especially that Luna has a sweet tooth…rice krispy treats and also marshmallows…which all hold true still today, except X 2, Pearl now has the same sweet tooth! Luna walked with me and we were able to get her into the truck. Katie said to expect that Luna will lay on the floor of the back seat, while Pearl hangs out the window.

We got Luna home and she was definitely scared but also a little inquisitive. She ate and took treats, went outside in yard and found her spot to sleep and be in her comfort zone.

Every day, we have seemed to have progress with Luna. In the past Luna was not good with men, teenagers or anyone who wore hoodies. The only thing that seems to be still an issue is when someone is in a hoody. She barks. So, the men thing, well she likes her Dad more than me, I can’t deny it but it is totally true. She goes to him, gives him kisses, etc. She does like her Mommy as she always has to be in sight of me, but not always sure of me. Sometimes will walk with me in the harness, other times will want nothing to do with me. Luna is definitely her own person. Luna loves to be where Pearl is, doesn’t matter if it is in the office when Mom is working or outside on deck at shore just hanging out.

As far as the rides in the truck, well, now we have 2 labs that hang out the window and sit on each side of the truck. It is so darn cute and she looks like she is just enjoying every minute of it.

Luna is now a dog who likes the shore, actually goes in the water a bit, which foster mom Katie said was a big step forward. Luna loves getting a bath on the deck at the shore house in Wildwood or the front porch at home. If Pearl does it first, Luna waits for her turn.

Luna wasn’t fond of steps, well that isn’t true anymore! She does steps, lays on the landing while Mom works, she even has slept upstairs. We did get her in bed a couple times and she stayed the entire night! She jumped down in the morning!

Her personality is quirky, she is still skittish but seems to be settled when in her home environment. Luna loves to be with one of us and if Mom leaves, sits by the window or door looking for her, until she comes home. Luna has had some accidents here and there and an ear infection, which she allowed us to do the drops, with no problems. Her new special treat that she loves is Dog Ice Cream! Luna even picks it up and has started using her paws to hold.

It’s only been a little over 90 days that we all became a family. In those 90 days, Luna has not only grew and changed, but so have all of us. We are definitely the lucky ones and it has opened me up to rescue. My first pet was Pearl, so having Luna as my first rescue and an older dog, just shows that even newer pet parents can do it. Thank you Brookline for giving us an opportunity but also giving us a blessing in having Luna as part of our family!

Thanks,
Tracey, Bob, Pearl and Luna