This Sweet Lab Mix Landed in a Shelter After Her Owner Passed Away

Hope, a five-year-old Retriever/Lab mix, is ready for a new home.


Photograph courtesy of Street Tails Animal Rescue

GUYS, look at this face! This fuzzy, kind and happy face belongs to Hope, who is currently on the market for a forever home to call her own. Five-year-old Hope found her way into the shelter system in July after her owner passed away, and she’s ready to return to family life. Don’t think this rough patch has hardened her, though, because this gal is 86-pounds of pure sweetness.

Since Hope came from a family, she is pretty well house-trained, comfortable with kids, and friendly towards other dogs. The one thing Hope needs to work on is her cardio endurance — she’s more of a walk, run, walk type of gal which would be a great match for a person or family trying to up their running game as well.

All in all, Hope is one heck of a fuzzy friend. She’s really got the whole package: she’s sweet, kind, mostly trained, and wants to love you with her whole heart. Read on to learn more about Hope’s background, running style, and how to adopt her.

Photographs courtesy of Street Tails Animal Rescue

Name: Hope

Age: Approximately five years old

Breed: Retriever/Lab Mix

Size: Large

Background: Hope is a five-year-old Lab-mix, who found herself at Street Tails Animal Rescue in mid-July after her owner passed away. She is a gentle giant, weighing in at 86 pounds of pure love. Hope previously lived with children and gets along with other dogs. Since she is an experienced family dog, she is already potty trained (although refreshers in new homes are always advised after time in the shelter). She is learning to run on leash and has room for improvement but already has no problem walking on a loose leash.

Running style: To put it simply (and in running terms), Hope utilizes the Galloway method. For those who might not be familiar with this technique we are referring to, it’s the walk-run-walk style of exercise. Hope likes to put forth energy in bursts and run a block or two, then slow down to a walk, and then return to a run with another burst when reenergized. Could she be trained to keep a more consistent speed if her owner liked? Most likely, but she does seem to enjoy this style or simply walking in general. Because of her use of the Galloway method, we think Hope would be absolutely PERFECT for someone trying to get back into shape. She doesn’t pull much on the leash, and although will acknowledge other dogs in passing, keeps her composure and can pass by without a big stink. Hope could stand to lose a few pounds, so continuing this exercise routine in a new home would be ideal for her health and well-being.

Why Hope could be the right dog for you:
Hope is accustomed to family life and is ready to return to it. We think she could transition into a new home quite nicely as she has experience with other dogs and even children. We would love to see Hope adopted by an active owner that will get her back to her ideal weight, and we think she would be PERFECT for a human reintroducing running into their routine; you can set goals together!

How to adopt: To adopt Hope, email adopt@streettails.org for an application. If you have questions, send an email to this address or contact the Street Tails Animal Rescue adoption staff at 267-761-9434. Open hours and location for Street Tails can be found on their website at www.streettails.org.

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We work with The Monster Milers to profile local running dogs waiting to be adopted. The Monster Milers are a group of runners who help shelter dogs burn off  energy and get much-needed exercise by taking them on runs around the city, and they also just launched their first-of-it’s-kind Adopt a Running Buddy foster program. If you’re not in the market for a pup right now, but would still love to help out homeless dogs, you can always become a Monster Miler volunteer or foster parent. Find out more about how to get started with those processes here.

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