Hope is all a homeless dog has 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. A puppy may need more time than a family bargained for. Some Labradors are surrendered to responsible rescue groups like ours, while others are simply abandoned – 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, Utah, California, Arizona, and across the border in Mexico. Today, SOLR is thriving. We have over 150 members who help us rescue dogs in need. This past year alone (2023), we saved 243 homeless Labs, including nine dogs with heartworm, three with cancer, four with broken legs, fourteen with Parvo, and two pregnant Moms with unwanted puppies. These are heartbreaking stories, but all had happy endings. We did it with your help – and with the help of our generous group of donors, foster families, adopters, and volunteers, who open their hearts and homes to dogs in need. Together, we are able to provide homeless dogs with shelter, warmth, compassion, health, love, and life itself. We give them a chance to love again. We create hope.
I invite you to become part of this wonderful journey. It is not hard. You can help simply by following us on Facebook or Instagram. Or by spreading the word about our rescue. If you want to become more involved, you can volunteer, adopt, or donate. Along the way, you will experience some amazing, beautiful, surprisingly, and joyful rewards. I guarantee it. One of our volunteers once put it this way: “Sometimes we rescue the dog, but sometimes the dog rescues us.”
Susan Krase
President, SOLR
Susan has been involved with lab rescue for over 20 years and was a founding member of SOLR. For the past 4 years, she has served as President as well as one of the intake coordinators and medical coordinators. SOLR has grown from an idea in January 2019, to a non-profit with a list of about 150 volunteers. Susan is committed to the continued growth and success of SOLR working with its volunteers to continue its mission to rescue homeless Labrador Retrievers and their offspring that are in need of safe and loving homes.
Stacy brings many years of rescue expertise to SOLR. Her responsibilities are in the area of adoptions, foster care and foster team development. She is also a foster and is involved in developing events in the Phoenix area. Stacy has adopted several labs over the years and has always loved the breed. Outside of SOLR, Stacy also volunteers with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley and is a CPA, leading accounting teams at large companies.
Jewel has been involved with SOLR beginning in 2019. In addition to serving as Secretary, she continues as the Adoption Coordinator for SOLR. Jewel and her husband have fostered and adopted dogs from SOLR and other labrador rescues over the years. Jewel believes in the work SOLR does and is always impressed at the effort and dedication all the volunteers have to support not only the dogs but will drop everything to help another volunteer or dog who needs help.
Denise has been the Treasurer for SOLR since it’s inception in 2019 and has worked with lab rescue groups for the past eight years. She has been involved in various areas such as fostering, home visits, transport and foster training. Professionally, Denise is a CPA and has worked in public accounting in her earlier years and has served in senior leadership finance positions for both public and private equity companies over the past twelve years.
Tom has been involved with SOLR since adopting Tombstone in April, 2020. Starting in 2021, he has been one of the active fosters most often taking the large male rescued dogs. In addition, he helps with events in the Tucson area as well as transport and other behind-the-scenes IT needs. Tom brings board experience with other large non-profit boards as well as leadership positions in various technology companies.
Carol brings to SOLR extensive experience serving on non-profit boards in professional organizations, healthcare and community groups. She has been involved in SOLR fundraising and events, communications, as a foster, and as interim Secretary in 2020. Carol and her family have almost 30 years of experience owning, raising and fostering labs.
