Heartbroken :( Need to find a foster family/rehome for our Lola ASAP!

[Laura & Lola]

     I have cried for days thinking about what I have to write here.... we need to find a new home for our Lola.  Here's a quick summary.... we brought Lola home in October 2010 (her birthday is August 12th), and her and I bonded quickly as I was home all day with her.  She is our first baby! I still have her little pink blankie we brought her home in <3 Life was good :) We owned our own home and had our second (human) baby, in 2012. 

     Then I became disabled :( Hubby's paycheck didn't cover all the bills.  We had to fill bankruptcy and lost our home to foreclosure :( We were able to move into my mom's house for awhile.  However she was diagnosed with cancer in October.  She couldn't handle the chaos of a toddler and dog while dealing with her health issues so we moved out.  The only place available that we could afford doesn't allow dogs :(  I miss my Lola!! :( Mom is keeping her until we can find her a new home.  We need to find one ASAP though!

      We're in the middle of disability appeals, and when I get approved we would be able to afford to move to a place where we could bring Lola with us.  However, there is no way to tell how long it will take for my disability to get approved.. could be months or years :( I would LOVE to find a temporary foster home for her.  I can't imagine my life without her!! But I understand it's not fair to ask someone to take her in without any idea of a time table.  So we are looking also into rehoming her :(  Is there anyone in northern Ohio that would be willing to keep in touch with us and let us know how Lola is doing? I'd love to be able to visit her as well.  At least on Christmas and her birthday when I'll be missing her the most :(

     A little info on our Lola..... she's a mini (32lbs), black with tuxedo markings.  She's up to date on all her shots. (and fixed).  She took an obedience course in 2012.  She knows sit, lay down, and stay (although she has a hard time with that one!).  We worked with her on jumping up on people, but she still gets excited when visitors come over and has a tendency to jump.  She LOVES to be around people.  She was an only dog though so I'm not sure how she would get along with other pets.  She loves to chase leaves in the fall, jump in the snow in the winter, catch bubbles in the summer, and let the wind blow her hair back in the spring :) At night she would like to be laying right next to the bed, or if she can't be near people she prefers to be cuddled up in her crate.  We say "sleepy time" and she runs to her crate and waits for her bedtime snack of cheerios.  We love her very much!!! Hoping someone on here has some good advice on a temporary foster home or rehome for our Lola <3

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Oh Laura, My heart is breaking for Lola and you. I am so sorry for all of your troubles and applaud you for trying to do what is best for Lola. I really don't know what is best in a situation like this for your dog. I hope someone jumps in here that can help you out. My heart goes out to all of you.

[Laura & Lola]

Thank you Laurie for your kind words during this tough time.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm very sorry to hear all this, Laura.

The first thing you need to do is contact your breeder. If you purchased Lola from a reputable breeder, it would likely be in your contract that you must notify the breeder before transferring ownership. A good breeder will assist you with rehoming and may even have some clients who are looking for an adult dog. 

If the breeder cannot help you, the best thing you can do for Lola is to contact doodle rescue, either IDOG or DRC. Both have years and years of successful experience in placing doodles in new homes, and both understand how to screen potential adopters to be sure that Lola will not have to go through another rehoming. There is no cost to you. Here are some links: 

http://idogrescue.com/rescue/

http://doodlerescue.org/notes/DRC_REHOME_GUIDELINES

The worst possible thing you can do is rehome her on Craig's List or similar sites, that would be very dangerous for her. 

[Laura & Lola]

Thank you Karen for you response.  Please be assured Lola will NEVER be posted to Craig's list or dropped off at a pound.  If worse comes to worse and mom can no longer keep her I will go find a cheap motel or campsite where Lola and I can stay together until we find her a new home.  This is not the ideal situation since it means being away from my toddler :( But my mom has cancer and I can't push her beyond her limits either.  But, just be assured Lola will be with us until we can find her a safe, happy new home. 

I will look into the doodle rescue sites.  Will they help me find someone local? Do they make the final decision on where Lola gets placed or do we get input? And do you know if they allow families to keep in touch after the doodle is rehomed? I really don't want to rehome Lola but it's either that of we're all homeless :(

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I understand how tough this situation is. I've been heavily involved with dog rescue for many years, and am a co-founder of DRC, so my response and advice is coming from the perspective of experience with rehoming more than 1000 doodles. 

Rescues will usually give you some input into which home is chosen for the dog, especially if the dog stays with you rather than going into foster care, but they screen and interview the applicants first. Nobody gets to the point of meeting the dog until they have met the rescue's requirements and references have been checked. As far as the adoptive home being local, both doodle rescues are nationwide, and the rescues focus on finding the best home as opposed to the closest home.  Once the dog is adopted, it is really in the dog's best interests not to see the former family, at least not for a good long period of time. It makes it more confusing and harder to bond with a new family if the former family is still in the picture. In many cases, an adoptive owner may be willing to keep in touch with the former owner, but that's an individual thing. As the owner of an adopted dog, I personally would not be comfortable with being in touch with Jack's former owners. A good rescue group will respect the privacy of both families. 

If you choose to do this yourself, please read the guidelines in the DRC link I gave you. It's very important that you check veterinary references, and the vets will not disclose those to individuals, but they will email or fax them to your vet if the applicant gives permission. Vet records tell you volumes about how a potential new owner has cared for their dogs in the past. You also want someone who is an experienced dog owner, preferably with the parent breeds. 
good luck, I know you will make the best decision you can for Lola. 

[Laura & Lola]

In tears at the thought of never getting to cuddle Lola ever again :( I can see how that would be confusing for her and how it could interfere with bonding to a new family.  I just don't know how I'm going to do this?!? :( We have absolutely nowhere else to move to.  Trust me I've been EVERYWHERE looking.  We just can't afford the few places that allow dogs :( And yes, we've cut our budget to bare bones and my husband is already working a second job.  I can't let my family starve or be homeless in order to stay with Lola.  And I can't stress my mom anymore over this.  I'm so heartbroken over this :( The only way I can even think about rehoming her is if I can at least see her from time to time.  To know it's not goodbye forever :(

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I'm so sorry to hear this Laura. Your situation just sounds like a nightmare right now. Prayers that things improve soon and you are able to find the best solution for Lola. Hugs

[Amy and Annabelle]

I am so sad for your family and Lola. I'm sure your world is turned upside down. I hope you can find someone soon for her. I wish you luck.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Laura, is it possible that with your disability, Lola could become your service or companion dog in a legal sense? I don't know what it requires to attain this but that might make it possible for her to be accepted into a rental that doesn't ordinarily accept dogs.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Brilliant idea!

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

What a clever idea, Ricki. Wouldn't it be wonderful if this was possible?!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Ricki, Great idea!!