At Sunshine State Labrador Rescue it’s as much about people as it is about dogs
For more than three decades, the Labrador Retriever was officially America’s most popular dog. Friendly, sweet, and majestic looking, Labs have always been considered the perfect family dog. But even the perfect dog may find themselves in need of a good home.
That’s where Sunshine State Labrador Rescue comes in.
Founded in August 2025, the Florida-based nonprofit was created by a group of experienced rescue volunteers who saw a need for a Labrador-specific rescue organization. Unlike traditional shelters, Sunshine State Labrador Rescue has no actual facility, relying on a network of foster homes and volunteers located throughout the state – with concentrations in South Florida, Southwest Florida, and Central Florida.
“We saw a need to provide a strong Labrador rescue operation statewide,” says Cindy Conway, the organization’s president and one of its founding members.
The rescue takes in purebred Labradors and Labrador mixes from owner surrenders and animal shelters. Many of the dogs arrive at a difficult stage in their lives. According to Conway, Labrador puppies are adorable balls of floof, but by the time they reach adolescence, some owners discover they weren’t prepared for the breed’s energy and training needs.
“When they’re puppies, they’re cute,” she says. “When they’re a year or two old and haven’t had the right training, they can be a handful.” As a result, Sunshine State Labrador Rescue receives more surrender requests than it can currently accommodate.
Once a dog enters the rescue, it is placed in a foster home where volunteers learn its personality, habits and needs. The organization also ensures each dog receives veterinary care, vaccinations, and treatment for any medical conditions before becoming available for adoption.
“When you buy a puppy, you don’t really know what you’re going to get,” Conway says. “With a foster dog, you have someone who can tell you if the dog is active, good with kids, or needs a quieter home.”
Potential adopters complete an online application, undergo a home visit, and work with adoption counselors to find the right match. The goal, Conway says, is not simply to place dogs quickly, but to create successful long-term relationships between dogs and families by becoming canine-human matchmakers. Finding the perfect fit greatly increases the chances of a lifetime of love.
The organization also operates a “Forever Foster” program for dogs with significant medical or behavioral challenges that make traditional adoption difficult. Rather than risk those dogs being overlooked, Sunshine State Labrador Rescue places them in dedicated foster homes where they can live out their lives while the rescue continues to cover their care through donations.
Volunteers and fosters are the backbone of the operation. Volunteers handle adoption inquiries, transport dogs to other cities, and more. Fosters provide a soft landing for dogs that may be anxious or sad after losing the only home they’ve ever known. In fact, Conway says foster homes remain the rescue’s greatest asset – and need. “We can only save as many dogs as we have foster homes,” she says, adding that the more people willing to foster a dog, the more dogs can have a chance at a forever home.
“It’s about dogs,” Conway says. “But it’s also about people.”
