Looking to Adopt

**frosticocoon** · 03-09-2010, 02:46 PM

hi there

i am a would be first time adopter in NYC looking to adopt my first lab. I've been looking at Adopt a Pet and Petfinder for a while now, and have regularly visited many of the local shelters but I haven't come across any young purebred labs. ideally i'd love to adopt a yellow lab.

is it even possible to rescue a yellow purebred lab that is on the youngish side (say, 16 months or older), or are these dogs generally not as widely available as mutts or other breeds?

another option that I haven't yet considered is to get a puppy from a breeder, though I'm not sure I'd have the time to devote to a puppy. I work, and although I'm close to home and would be able to come home during lunchtime, I know there is a level of attention a puppy needs that I'm not sure I'm ready to commit to. Which is why a young adult seems right for me.

Does anyone in the NY tri state area know of any other resources I might be able to try? As I said, I'd like to, ideally, remedy a rescue situation but maybe I'm not being so realistic?

**kaznalf** · 03-09-2010, 03:14 PM

Try a labrador breed rescue

**Tanya** · 03-09-2010, 06:01 PM

A rescue can rarely state a dog is pure bred unless papers were surrendered. So you have to be abit open to "looks mostly lab" to increase your chances..

Have you looked here to see if there are groups near you?
Find a Group - The AKC Parent Club of the Labrador Retriever

You could also try contacting some breeders about older pups. Breeders will sometimes have a returned dog (as a good breeder will insist that if a past buyer cannot keep the dog it is returned to them), work with rescues, or have a puppy that was kept but didn't work out.

Finally, it is OK to be picky about age and color (and gender) but the more criteria you have, the longer it may take you. It often requires some patience, the right dog doesn't suddnely appear unfortunately (even when working with a breeder it takes time). Though yellers to end up in rescue, you see ALOT more black labs in rescue. ALOT.

**Stephanie_pups** · 03-09-2010, 07:14 PM

If you adopt an older pup or dog, there will still most likely be some work involved.
The dog may have some habbits that you dont like and / or havent had any sort of training.
I reccommend that even if you weere to adopt an older dog to make time for obedience training and what not, just to prevent the dog from going back to where he started.

Best of luck.

**kaytris** · 03-10-2010, 01:08 AM

New York City lab rescue: All About Labs - Welcome .. as stated above, no guarantees that these will be 'guaranteed' purebred, some might be, some are clearly mixes.. all need homes though!