Saving Luke
By Stan Lange
It was five years ago that I met Luke.
Luke was the very first dog rescued by Southwest Oasis Lab Rescue (SOLR). He waited eight weeks in a crowded shelter for his owner to claim him. No one came.
This was in the early days when SOLR was forming. We were still setting up our paperwork and recruiting volunteers when my colleague, Susan Krase, received a call from an overcrowded shelter in Las Cruces, New Mexico. They had a gorgeous dog that was running out of time. Could we help? (A dog that “runs out of time” gets put to sleep to make room.)
Susan and I discussed what to do – the rescue had no money, no fosters, and no real program set up yet. But we both wanted to save the dog. I said I would foster the dog, and Susan completed the transfer arrangements. The rest of it would get worked out.
I drove to the transfer location to meet the rescue transport group. Lots of others were there getting their Goldens, Spaniels, Shepherds, cats etc. I was parked directly facing the transport van, watching all of the other groups get their respective rescues. During this time (this was all new to me), I was watching this beast of a dog sitting in the transport van (he didn’t fit in a crate). He was sitting in the back seat, with one paw in each of the front buckets. He could easily have passed as the happiest dog you have ever seen. He was looking around, wagging his tail, tongue hanging out and a bit of drool hanging down, his head was bumping the roof of the cab.
Finally, all of the other animal rescues had their dogs or cats and the transport people beckoned me. Luke came out the passenger door with a leash and a volunteer who was half-holding and half being dragged to me. I was greeted by this dog. He put his front paws on my shoulders and gave me a kiss. He was only half Labrador; the other half was Pyrenees Mountain Dog. Not an accidental breeding, but done to improve livestock dogs as protectors, big, strong and can run all day. The Labrador side was added to enhance body strength and disposition of the dogs. This guy was personality plus.
We were told he was about three years old. It turns out he was just a puppy. He grew another few inches in height after he was adopted. Because of his size and strength, it was difficult to walk him. Getting him to eat was not a problem. My wife, Carol, would get Luke ready for a walk and I would drive the golf cart to the back gate and take him for a couple mile run along the edges of the golf course. At first, our resident dog, Boomer, would run along, but soon it got too far and fast for him to keep up. Boomer then rode shotgun with me until we would come to a shady, moist area where both dogs could roll and play in the wet grass. This was a daily event along with meeting neighbors and friends. He was quite a hit in the neighborhood. We have five-foot fences. Luke would put his paws on top of the fence to talk and visit our neighbor and her dogs. Shortly after we received Luke, we got another little foster puppy. Luke loved playing with both dogs but favored the little puppy. He would lay on the floor and play with her and snuggle up for naps.
We were a little concerned about how hard it would be to find the right family for Luke. It turned out not to be hard at all. Dick Fields had just retired and he wanted a big dog. His daughter and their family were only a few blocks away and are frequent visitors. I have been told that Luke has fallen in love with Dick’s granddaughter and vice versa. We had the opportunity to dog sit Luke around December 2019 and he was an absolute delight. He remembered us, our dog Boomer, and where the treats and toys were stored. We would love to see him again.
| 
