Heart of Texas Lab Rescue
Our Mission
The Heart of Texas Lab Rescue is a non-profit 501(c)(3), all-volunteer organization based in Austin, Texas. Our mission is to rescue Labrador Retrievers from shelters, pounds, abandonment , and other situations, and place them in loving, caring homes. The HOT Lab Rescue serves Austin, San Antonio, and surrounding areas. It is HOTLR's policy to accept and place dogs ONLY in the state of Texas. All of our dogs are microchipped, current on shots and heartworm prevention, spayed or neutered at 6 months of age or older, and being treated for heartworms if they are positive.
We are always in need of volunteers to foster dogs, and help us with various other activities to help us achieve our goal of finding homes for our dogs.
Adoption Policy
Please note: We only adopt in Texas. We serve central Texas. There are several other lab rescues in Texas. There may be one closer to you. Also, please refer to the national rescue to find a rescue servicing your state.
After your application has been reviewed and approved for processing, there are several steps each applicant follows:
Phone Interview
The Phone Interview is done typically within a week of receipt of the application. Often HOTLR will email the applicant for missing information prior to placing a phone call. We ALWAYS check with the landlord first, so a non-response here may delay this process. The goal of the interview is to determine the best fit for HOTLR dogs. We try to determine what personality and traits the applicant is looking for and what will fit their family and lifestyle. The interview notes are passed along for review by committee to confirm a good candidate.
Meet and Greets
Once your application and interview are approved by the review committee, a Meet and Greet will be arranged. This can take up to several weeks, depending upon how many applicants are already in the works (applications are processed by date of receipt and on their availability to attend scheduled Meet and Greet). There could also be a delay in our not having a dog which is meeting the criteria an adopter has put forth. You will generally receive an email confirming which dates and times you have available. To ensure that the dog is a good match with the entire family, we REQUIRE EVERY HOUSEHOLD MEMBER AND ALL DOGS to attend. Others are welcome. At this point, a typical applicant will meet 2-3 dogs, AND a typical dog will meet 2-3 applicants. This is both more efficient for the volunteers while allowing both the applicants and the dogs a chance to find their soul mates. We allocate time blocks for each dog, so a delay could mean that you do not have as much time with a particular dog as you would have liked or we had originally planned. Since our goal is to get the best possible match for the dog, on occasion, we may decide that a different applicant will be a better long term option for that particular dog. We will happily continue to work with you to find your next family member. Also please note that NO adoptions are finalized on the day of the Meet and Greet. No HOTLR dogs will go to a new home that day because we want everyone(applicants as well as HOTLR volunteers and foster families) to have time to think about the meeting and make a decision with the head not just the heart.
Home Study
Once a match has been determined by all(applicants, HOTLR board members, volunteers and foster families), a home study is arranged. These do not take much time but are a very important part of our process. Once the home study is completed satisfactorily, HOTLR will arrange for a drop date. This is generally on a Friday for most typical families. We do this so the new family member has an opportunity to get comfortable prior to everyone s/he knows now leaving him/her on Monday to go to work.
A small adoption fee is required. This fee off-sets the cost of veterinary services and spay/neuter charges, and microchipping charges incurred by HOT Lab Rescue. The fee for adopting a lab from the Heart of Texas Lab Rescue is $300; $350 for puppies under 6 months, and $150 for Senior dogs- ages 9 yrs and older. There is a $25 non-refundable application fee.
You will be encouraged to enroll yourself and your new "friend" in an obedience class. The training process will show you how to train the dog, assist in the bonding process between you and your new companion while spending quality training time together, and lets the dog know what is expected of him in his new family. HOTLR volunteers and board members can assist you in finding a trainer in your area if you are not already familiar with one. This enhances your relationship and paves the way for a successful adoptive situation.