L
abrador Rescue South Africa (LRSA) is a registered NPC (Not for Profit Company) as well as a PBO (Public Benefits Organisation), and we are tax exempt, which means we are able to issue Tax rebates for donations we receive.
We operate nationwide with area teams of dedicated volunteers. Although LRSA is a breed specific rescue, we rehome many Labrador cross breeds as well as their other breed family companions, which includes the odd cat! LRSA works in close cooperation with other rescue organisations, as well as SA Guide Dogs, and many of our rescue dogs have been trained and work as qualified service dogs. We have an active facebook page ‘Labrador Rescue South Africa’ with over 30,000 followers and an interactive website www. labrescue.org.za, where you can see which dogs are looking for homes, fill in an adoption form and even surrender your dog via the website. All queries are followed up by our dedicated team of volunteers who try to match dogs looking for a home to the right home. We also have another facebook page - Labrador Rescue Network South
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Labrador Africa - where we post pictures of Labradors in shelters and Lab cross dogs. On average, LRSA rehomes between 5 to 10 dogs each week, or over 500 per year. This number is increasing as more dogs are looking for homes, due to changes in family circumstances such as divorce, job loss, illness, retirement, emigration or economic restraints forcing people to down scale. Often people do not research the breed before getting a puppy and then find they cannot cope with an untrained, boisterous, landscaping, chewing, demolition machine. People get a cute little Lab puppy ‘like in the toilet paper advert’ and then see the stunning dog leading and assisting a visually impaired person, and then think that this miraculously happens. Also, Labradors are known to be fantastic family dogs and are great with children. Labradors need training, lots of it. They are very intelligent dogs and very high energy, so if that energy is not channelled…. Big problems!! LRSA does not have its own kennels and has to rely on a few special kennels that give us reduced rates when they can, but even so,
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kennelling is expensive, but necessary when we have to find a safe space for dogs that cannot stay in their homes until rehomed. Some of these dogs have been abandoned, neglected or need some rehabilitation work before finding a new home. We have a number of qualified behaviourists who work at the kennels and who offer special rates to help dogs become more re-homeable or those with problems settling into their new families. We are completely reliant on donations. All money donated is used to care for our rescue dogs. LRSA desperately needs more special people to offer foster homes or help with home checks, admin or transport. If you are not able to help with your time, please consider making a donation, preferably on a monthly debit order basis, to help us have a predictable fund base to cover costs and allow us to plan ahead, rather than operating on a ‘wing and prayer’ system. Should you wish to sponsor, donate or offer any services to LRSA in the Western Cape please contact Madri Hare-Bowers on madrihb@gmail.com or 0738989555. MARCH 2022 | PETPRINTS
