Colorado athletes adopt pups
Colorado seems to be suffering a Lab shortage. The dogs that love to swim, bike and run are in such high demand that you’ll rarely see one in the pound.
Case in point, in 2007, Boulder resident and recreational triathlete Amy Dickerson had to use Petfinder.com to find a Labrador to adopt. She was surprised that “Walter’ was next in line to be gassed when she picked him up in Oklahoma. As it turns out, hundreds of thousands of Labs are put to death every year.
The 34-year-old nurse decided to do something about it. Her plan was simple—rescue Labs and Lab mixes on death row from high-kill shelters in states like Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas and Wyoming, place them in Colorado foster homes, and make them available for adoption.
Today, Rocky Mountain Labrador Rescue is run by a team of seven volunteer board members, and supported by 100 volunteers. Over 200 Labs are rescued and adopted by Coloradoans each year. “Labs are just perfect for Colorado’s outdoorsy athletic lifestyle,” Dickerson says.
It’s no surprise that the Rescue’s biggest annual fundraiser is a 5K run with dogs in Louisville.
rockymountainlabrescue.com
