Hope is all a homeless dog has left when nothing else seems possible.

Through no fault of its own, a loving dog can end up abandoned and alone. An owner may get sick or pass away. A family may fall on hard times or no longer want the cute "Christmas puppy" they once adored. Some Labradors are surrendered to responsible rescue groups like ours, while others are simply dumped – left to wander empty fields and deserted streets, frightened, hungry, cold. Do they remember what they lost?

In April 2019, a small group of volunteers founded Southwest Oasis Labrador Rescue (SOLR) with the goal of saving dogs where the need was greatest – in New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, and across the border in Mexico. “In the beginning, we couldn’t take in very many dogs because we were still in the process of setting up,” says Susan Krase, president and founding member. “We needed more foster homes. And there were also forms, instructions, a website, and bylaws to create.”

Today, SOLR is thriving! We've grown to 150 members and we have saved over 500 dogs. We have a generous group of donors, foster families, adopters, and volunteers who open their hearts (and sometimes their homes) to dogs in need. They are all amazing and their collective efforts provide dogs with shelter, warmth, compassion, love, and life itself. Together, we create hope.

This year alone, SOLR saved 218 homeless Labs, including eight dogs with heartworm, three with cancer, four with broken legs, seven with Parvo, three in hospice care, and three pregnant Moms with unwanted puppies. They have stories that could break your heart, but most have happily-ever-after endings.

“It’s rewarding because you have a chance to save a life,” says Tim Mouser, a volunteer since November 2020. “Could you do more good somewhere else? Maybe. But when you get the dog home and you see how appreciative it is, you know you’ve done something special.” Another volunteer put it this way: “Sometimes we rescue the dog, and sometimes the dog rescues us.”