Success Stories

Latte, May, 2000

As told by Latte's rescuer:

First of all, let me say that I am not a lab breeder. Actually I have never had one. We are "Boston Terrier" people. Small dogs. Lap dogs. So how did I become involved with the most beautiful, loving little chocolate lab? A guy at work decided to let his Lab have puppies. You know, for the kids. Well, he knew that my husband and I raised dogs so he began to tell me about the little runt. They kept waiting for her to die but she didn't. She was tiny - when we rescued her at 6 weeks she was a grand total of 2.8 pounds.

He mentioned to me that every time she would eat, the food would bubble out her nose. Well, a red flag went up. I told him how to check for a cleft pallet and bingo, that is what it was. How she had managed to survive in a litter of 8 no one knows but she did. Of course, no one would buy her and so the time had finally come when all the others were gone. He told me that day that she was going to have to be killed. He couldn't deal with a defective Lab. I made him promise not to do anything until I could get there. I drove to his house after work and there was this sad, dirty little chocolate lab baby. I took one look at those beautiful green eyes and knew that she deserved better than this.

She was out in the back yard with my 6 week old Boston (who out weighed her at this point) when my poor husband came home and saw what I had brought home. All he could say was "that is NOT a Boston". Well, I named her Latte, gave her several baths, and set about trying to feed her. She was starved and with the first dropper of water I looked into those eyes and knew that this little lab was special. She had the heart of a lioness and the eyes of an angel. We knew that she would need a lot of care and quite honesty, we had never dealt with a cleft palate.

So, I typed in Lab on the Internet and WOW. The Lab people came to her rescue. I started receiving calls, e-mails offering support, guidance and help to get surgery for this little one. Even though it was a holiday, these folks don't take the day off. For the next 6 weeks she was pampered, loved and prepared for her surgery. They were with us every step of the way. She came through the surgery will flying colors and it was funded by the LABMED and Labrador Retriever Adoption and Rescue of Central Ohio.

Latte has found her forever home and now lives on acres of farm land with a huge pond and two other Labs. She still has the eyes of an angel and the heart of a lioness.

Update, April 2002

Latte's Rescuer wrote:

"Just thought you might enjoy some updated pictures of Latte. As you remember, she was the little lab who was born with the cleft palate. Thanks to her friends at LABMED, she was able to have the reconstructive surgery and is now living in her forever home on a big farm in Cleveland, Ohio with 3 other lab friends. While smaller than most labs, she is still healthy and living the good life and thinks she is a lap dog!"