So you’ve decided to add a new four-legged addition to your family. As exciting as bringing a new dog into your home can be, there is a lot of thought that needs to go into the choosing and adoption process. This begs the question, what are the best Labrador rescues in North Carolina?
This reigns especially true when you’re looking at adopting a specific breed. Fortunately, labrador retrievers are great family pets.
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4 Best Labrador Rescues in North Carolina
Although you have your pick of general animal shelters and rescues around you, you may not always get lucky enough to find a purebred labrador. Because of that, you’re going to have far more luck checking out a labrador rescue instead.
While breed-specific rescues are more difficult to find than general shelters, the end may be a more rewarding experience for both you and the labrador. On your end, you get to choose from purebred labradors from reputable rescues.
On the labrador’s end, they’re more likely to go home with a genuine owner due to the more strict adoption process breed-specific rescues use.
While a stricter process may seem like more work for you, it’s better for the dog to know they aren’t potentially going back into a dangerous situation.
With that said, we know you may not always get lucky with a breed-specific shelter in your state. If that’s the case for you, it never hurts to try the states that border where you live.
In most cases, these surrounding states also service the states near their border. For those of you in the Tar Heel state, we’ve got a list of four lab-specific rescues for you to check out.
1. Lab Rescue of North Carolina
This non-profit lab rescue is run entirely by volunteers and focuses on finding the right homes for labradors in need. The rescue temporarily houses labs of all ages and colors in the hopes of finding them a new owner as soon as possible.
Along with adopting dogs to new homes, they also run a foster program for the labs that aren’t ready for new homes yet, as well as trusted veterinarians that take care of the labs that aren’t healthy enough for a foster or forever home yet.
The available dogs at this rescue are consistently updated on their website.
Lab Rescue of North Carolina Details:
- Location: Clemmons, NC
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: Lab Rescue
2. Lab Rescue LRCP
Although this rescue’s address is technically in Virginia, they serve a small corner of North Carolina near the Tidewater region of Virginia.
They’re also beginning to expand further north throughout the state in hopes to provide rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming to more labs in need.
Lab Rescue LRCP is a non-profit volunteer-run organization that works to find homes for up to 1,000 dogs per year along the East Coast.
This organization is virtual and they don’t have a brick-and-mortar shelter to visit. Instead, rescues are transported to foster homes until they can find their forever home.
Lab Rescue LRCP Details:
- Location: Annandale, VA
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: Lab Rescue LRCP
3. Peak Lab Rescue
Peak Lab Rescue is the largest foster-based dog rescue in the state of North Carolina. The rescue works to rescue labradors and labrador mixes from abusive situations and shelters that put them at risk of euthanasia.
Because Peak Lab Rescue is a foster-based rescue, they are virtual and don’t have a physical location to visit. All available dogs through Peak Lab Rescue are constantly updated on their website.
Peak Lab Rescue also does out-of-state adoptions. However, the potential adopter that lives out of state is required to come to pick the lab up.
Peak Lab won’t ship dogs or transport them out of state. The rescue also accepted surrendered dogs when there are foster homes available for them to stay in.
Peak Lab Rescue Details:
- Location: Apex, NC
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: Peak Lab Rescue
4. Lucky Labs Rescue
Lucky Labs was founded by two passionate dog lovers in North Carolina. This rescue is an all-volunteer group that takes in labradors and gets them physically, mentally, and emotionally ready to venture to a new home.
When labs are adopted out through Lucky Labs, their new owners are given all the necessary information to ensure a good life for the lab going forward.
To adopt a labrador through Lucky Labs, potential adopters are required to fill out an adoption application through their website. Once they receive the application, a phone interview is conducted and a home visit is arranged.
During the home visit, all the details that come with owning a labrador are discussed, including nutritional needs, exercise requirements, and anything else that may be helpful.
Once a potential adopter has passed each of these steps, they can bring their labrador home.
Lucky Labs Rescue Details:
- Location: Charlotte, NC
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: Lucky Labs Rescue
Labs Are a Mans Best Friend
Labrador retrievers are perhaps the most easy-going and friendly family dogs in the world. They thrive in environments where they can play and be social.
However, keep in mind that they’re prone to destructive chewing if they get too bored with their surroundings. For that reason, you may want to make sure they have plenty of toys and social interaction.
Along with making sure they’re mentally stimulated and get plenty of exercises, you should also be mindful of shedding. Labradors shed all year round and it can become an issue if you don’t clean it up regularly.
Regular grooming is also a must in order to keep the shed under control. Make sure to be mindful of the time of year so you know just how much coat to expect to shed.
Bringing Your Labrador Home
You may find that when you first bring your labrador home, they act out a little bit. This is a common behavior with any dog making its way into a new home.
Depending on where you adopted your lab from, you may have been given special instructions for acclimating them to your home environment.
Fortunately, it doesn’t take long for labradors to get comfortable in a new space. As long as they’re with their human, they’re content to be just about anywhere.
Before bringing your lab home, you should double-check your space and make sure all potential poisons are put up or locked away.
If you have an outdoor space, ensure there’s a sturdy fenced-in area for them to explore without accidentally wandering off or getting hurt.
Beyond that, you should also make sure you’ve been made aware of any possible triggers from their previous situation.
Labs are extremely sentient and if they were rescued from a traumatic situation, you’ll need to make sure they have constant reassurance if they experience a trigger.
Conclusion For “Best Labrador Rescues in North Carolina”
You did it! Now you’re ready to explore your options for bringing home your next best friend. With the information provided here, you can locate your nearest labrador rescue in North Carolina and get the adoption process started.
Regardless of which one you choose, we hope this guide has helped you along the way!
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Before you bring home a Labrador puppy from a rescuer in North Carolina, you can learn more about this dog breed by watching “Labrador Retriever – Everything You Need To Know About Owning a Labrador Retriever Puppy” down below:
