My name is Cole!

My name is Cole. I am a black Lab mix and I am about 1 year old.  I weigh 68 pounds. I am going to tell you about myself through the eyes of three women who have been the beginnings of the journey to find my forever home. 

In May, two women were driving through rural western KY and they saw my sister and I on the side of a busy highway.  We were only six months old at the time.  The women are volunteers with Starfish Animal Rescue and they pulled over to help us.  My sister was lying on the white line of the roadside and they were afraid that she had passed away.  I couldn’t tell them what had happened to us, but I was standing right next to my sister to shelter her from any harm.  The women were so kind to us and also incredibly relieved to see that my sister was alive; we jumped into their van without hesitation and they quickly brought us to safety.

The women had to return to Chicago and they desperately wanted to take us with them, but our stray hold was not up yet.  We were placed in a temporary foster home in KY and the women promised us that we would find our forever family.  Days turned into months and we kept waiting patiently; we love and trust those two women and we knew that our time would come.

That day finally came and on November 21, we got our freedom ride to Chicago!  I’ve been acclimating to life in a big city and I know now how to use stairs, the elevator and I tell my Foster Mom when I need to go outside.  I love to play, take long walks, chew on Bully sticks and snuggle with my Foster Mom.  I am crate trained, but she lets me sleep on her couch; it’s so much warmer and cozier than the outdoor kennel where I was living before. I sit next to her in the evenings and I reach out my paw to her to show her affection.  I’ve never had any formal training but I learn quickly and I am eager to please.   I let my sister climb all over me, take my toys and I don’t even mind.  I do not snap, show reactivity or resource guard.

Dogs need a purpose to be mentally, physically, and emotionally healthy.  I am so lucky because I already know what my purpose is.  One night, my Foster Mom was sitting on the floor and I could tell that she was sad.  Her rescue pup died unexpectedly this summer and that’s why she started fostering dogs like me.  She was crying and I knew what to do.  I got up, stood next to her, just like I’d stood next to my sister on that roadside.  I let her hug me tightly, my fur caught her tears and I stayed next to her until my presence calmed her pain.  On walks, we let other humans pass by and I always stand between my Foster Mom and others to make sure she is safe. 

I am a gentle giant who has a tender heart.  I’ve been through a lot in my short life and my purpose is protecting those that I love.  It is my dream to find a family who will love and protect me too.  Could that be you?

The adoption fee of $400 will include spay/neuter, microchip, age appropriate/required vaccinations, treatment for heartworm and any other necessary medical treatment to assure a healthy new pup for your family. IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: Although we do our best to describe breed, since our pups all come from shelters we can not and will not make any guarantee on breed or size. We can tell you that they are 100% RESCUED! And that is the BEST breed!

*please note that we are a foster home based rescue and we do home visits as part of the adoption process - we are unable to adopt to families who live outside of the Chicago and surrounding suburbs. Thank you for your understanding.