cara
A Passion for Finding a Home for People and Dogs!
giving back
FERREIRA By Jennifer Watson
their Labradors. The organization thought “Georgia” might be a perfect dog for Cara’s family, and they were right. “We drove out to meet her at her foster mom’s house… When we pulled up, she came running outside and jumped into the back of our minivan!” Cara smiles. “The rest is history! I renamed her Reesie because she’s a chocolate lab, and chocolate peanut butter is my favorite! Ranger was actually one of our foster dogs, foster #4! Reesie got along with him so well, and the kids and I also fell in love with him, so we decided to make him officially ours. We just adopted Ranger in October 2022.”
Reesie and Ranger, two foster dogs that Cara adopted.
Keller Williams Jacksonville
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eet Reesie and Ranger, Cara Ferreira’s Labrador retrievers that she adopted from Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida (LRROF). Reesie (adopted in 2015) was originally named “Georgia’’ and had been rescued from a situation where she was being overbred and had recently had puppies. Ranger was rescued last year from a bad situation and is Cara’s first “foster failure.” “I had adopted my first dog, Paolo, from a pet store when I was only 21 years old and before I knew anything about puppy mills,” Cara says. “This time around, I wanted to go through a rescue organization.” After completing a detailed form and passing a home visit, Cara was approved by LRROF to adopt one of
Cara loves involving her children, Abby and Adam, in fostering dogs. (Reesie pictured)
34 • June 2022
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According to the LRROF website, it “started in 2000 as a grassroots organization… to become one of the most successful dedicated breed-specific rescues in the state of Florida.” The organization’s primary goal is to place Labrador retrievers in appropriate permanent homes. “Prior to adoption, [they] consider the history, temperament, personality, and energy level of the rescued Labrador. Before placing a dog with a family, the family must complete a written application and a home visit conducted by an LRROF volunteer.” Through her own personal adoption experience with LRROF, Cara decided she wanted to work with the organization because she felt it would be a great way to involve her children, Adam (13) and Abby (9), in a family volunteer experience. “For a short time, I did home visits and approved people so they
could adopt,” Cara says. “More recently, I’d been trying to think of a volunteer opportunity that I could do with my kids. They are both huge animal lovers, so that factored into it.” “In addition, my former assistant and friend, Lauren, is one of the foster coordinators for a hound rescue, The London Sanctuary, and she fosters hounds,” Cara explains. “I never thought I would be able to foster dogs, but she inspired me with all of her stories, especially the success stories.” When Cara saw an urgent plea for foster homes posted on Facebook by LRROF, she decided that was the sign she needed to get started. Since August 2021, Cara and her kids have fostered ten Labrador retrievers, all of which have gone on to be successfully adopted by their forever families. A HABIT OF GIVING
Cara’s work with LRROF is not her first experience volunteering. In high school and college, Cara worked with children who had autism, and she was also a Big Sister in college through Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Through the years, she has also been a faithful blood and platelet donor.
Jacksonville Real Producers • 35
