Imagine life as a breeder dog.  

Day in and day out – in all kinds of harsh weather – you pace in an outdoor pen waiting to be bred, waiting to be fed.  This goes on for years until you are no longer of use as a breeder. If you’re lucky, a Brookline Labrador Retriever Rescue volunteer comes along and rescues you. The alternative is unthinkable. 

Founded in 1997, Brookline Labrador Retriever Rescue in Warrington started by saving one dog. Today, the organization, which is 100 percent volunteer-driven, saves more than 150 Labs a year.

“Brookline wouldn't be as successful as we are without our volunteers who work so tirelessly to help these dogs,” said board president Marie Krout. “It takes a village and Brookline is that village.” 

Autumn Labanoski, a Brookline volunteer for nine years, regularly visits farms to rescue dogs. When rescued, many dogs have painful, chronic ear infections. Others will test positive for Lyme disease that has gone untreated for years. Breeder dogs rarely, if ever, receive medical care. 

“Rescuing them is the first day of their new life,”  Labanoski said. “They are incredibly forgiving and the gentlest creatures. All they want is to feel safe and be loved.”  

For many of the dogs, a foster home is that safe haven. It is a place where kindness and routines help them transition to a successful adoption. Once assigned to a foster home, each dog is assigned a blog where potential adopters can follow its progress. 

“Brookline welcomes new foster homes,” said Katie Panzeter, Brookline’s foster coordinator who matches dogs in need with available homes. “In foster care, all medical needs, including spaying and neutering, are covered by Brookline.” On average, Brookline’s veterinary budget is about $140,000 a year, with care ranging from heartworm treatment to more complicated and costly orthopedic surgeries. 

Pepper was once a breeder dog. She was confined for seven years in an outdoor pen. The day she was rescued, she was covered in cow stink, and physically and emotionally drained. In foster care, she enjoyed a warm bath, was treated by a vet, received the required vaccines, and was later spayed. She played fetch and took long walks in the Wissahickon. Pepper is one of the lucky ones. 

Meg and John Place followed Pepper’s online blog and applied to adopt her. Meg summed up Pepper’s transition to her new life saying, “She loves long walks, the comforts of a warm bed, and she adores our grandkids. Puppy mill moms just need time and patience, and they need to know they are safe.” 

Many dogs wait to be rescued. Brookline’s Farm to Family Campaign helps farm dogs live a new life. For information, visit brooklinelabrescue.org.