Adopt

My name is
Luke!

Posted over 8 months ago | Updated over 2 weeks ago

Cared for by Worthy Dog Rescue
Adoption process
1

Submit Application

2

Interview

3

Home Check

4

Approve Application

5

Meet the Pet

6

Sign Adoption Contract

7

Pay Fee

My basic info

Breed
Shepherd (Unknown Type)/Labrador Retriever
Color
Age
Senior
Size
Large 61-100 lbs (28-45 kg) (when grown)
Weight
Sex
Male
Pet ID
20306243

My details

Checkmark in teal circle Good with kids
Checkmark in teal circle Good with dogs
Checkmark in teal circle Good with cats
Checkmark in teal circle Shots current
Checkmark in teal circle Spayed / Neutered
Checkmark in teal circle Housetrained

My story

Here's what the humans have to say about me:

Meet Luke! This sweet, budding senior was rescued from living chained to a tree in rural NC. When his remaining owner passed away, no one in the family wanted him, so they posted him on social media as a free giveaway. Thankfully, a concerned citizen stepped up to take Luke in until a more permanent solution could be found. She reached out to us for help, and Luke officially became a Worthy Dog.

We think Luke is about 7 to 8 years old— he still has a good energy level and playful spirit. After only a few weeks of freedom, you could see his joy and total change of disposition. We’ve learned that he loves toys and enjoys exploring the yard. He’s housetrained, crate trained, and has been getting short daily leash walks to build up his leg muscles and stamina after living a forced sedentary lifestyle on a chain.

Luke has been an inside dog for months now and has lived with a smaller dog and cats. He did a short board and train for him while his foster family traveled. The trainer introduced him to multiple dogs and new people to assess his social skills.  He did well interacting with everyone and is learning how to navigate new social situations, something he never experienced in his prior life. Luke has some natural protective tendencies that come with his breed mix, so his foster mom is having guests visit to teach him how to meet and greet visitors. He does well when given tasty treats and a few minutes to assess and trust the situation. He needs an owner who will give him that leadership and guidance, and keep expanding his social interactions.  

*****

FOSTER MOM UPDATE - 8/11/24

"Luke is a very sweet boy and so affectionate with his people. He is a joy to have around. He's very easygoing and will let us rub him and handle him easily. He has started to gently poke us when we're eating but will just lie down when we ignore him. He loves going for walks--or should I say strolls? Luke likes to play with us, but he is also self-entertaining. He loves his wishbone nylabone and Kongs. And he'll often push the Kong at me to play with him. He doesn't guard his toys, you can take them out of his mouth as well. No evidence of food guarding either. 

Luke loves being babied and loves body rubs. Every morning when I get him up he sprawls out on his crate and won’t get up until he has had his body rub. Initially, he was reluctant to go in his crate at night and had to be 'encouraged.' Now he goes in to take naps and puts himself to bed in the evening when he gets tired.


He quickly learned and has become quite comfortable with our routine. He does well with basic commands and wants to please his human. He is more attached to [my wife] than to me. He gets really excited when she comes home and lays beside the couch when she is there. He even jumps up from time to time but hasn’t quite figured out how to be comfortable there. He would do best in a home with easy access in and out. He can navigate a few steps to get in and out of our truck or head out for walks but is not a fan of our interior steps. He’s more fearful of coming down than going up.


Luke is doing much better on leash than we expected. He generally isn’t interested in people walking by. He is happy to sit in the grass and get a treat while they pass, walking, pushing a baby carriage, or riding a bike/scooter. He’s also fine with calm dogs passing…If a dog is barking at him, he will respond but is easily redirected. He has learned to sit at corners and knows he gets a treat for sitting. Unfortunately, he has learned too well. If he decides he wants a treat, he will sit while you are walking and wait for his treat. This mostly happens when he is bored and hasn’t found anything interesting to sniff. When he is busy sniffing he 'forgets' about treats.

We went to Sky Meadows State Park this past weekend. We sat on a bench and Luke laid down in front of us. People and dogs walked past us on the trail a few feet away and he had no interest. People walk past us in the neighborhood all the time. Luke usually ignores them. We can stop and talk with people and Luke is content to sit and get treats. That said, we don’t let people pet him so we haven’t tested that yet.


Overall he’s doing great and enjoying this new way of life. He has his favorite things. He likes to chew on his Nylabones and loves his 'fish' toy. He only uses the fish toy when Penny is around and he knows it's bedtime when we put his fish in the corner of his crate. He loves being brushed for grooming. He will carry a ball in his mouth but won’t put it down to chase it. He shreds anything with a squeaker until he gets the squeaker out. He does not chew shoes, pillows, or anything that belongs to us. The furniture is safe, and he is very calm and well-behaved when left home alone.”

Overall, Luke is and affectionate, easygoing dog who likes to play but is laid back. He's a keeper!”

*********

We are looking for a loving, laidback forever home for Luke to live out his golden years in the manner he deserves. Luke will do best in a calm home/community environment with a small yard to explore, and a family with a flexible schedule. He would be fine as an only dog and is currently being fostered with dog-savvy cats. 

MUST have some large dog experience and know how to lead.  Luke is a great dog, loves people, and will be a very loyal companion, but he also needs someone to show him what's expected of him and gradually expose him to new things. He's 

Apply today for this very worthy dog. 

 

BREED ESTIMATE: Shepherd/Lab Mix
GENDER: Male
APPROXIMATE WEIGHT:  75 lbs 
APPROXIMATE AGE: ~ 8 years old
COAT TYPE:  Medium wavy coat
ADOPTION FEE: $400
OTHER INFO: utd on shots/neutered/microchipped/treated for heartworm
LOCATION:  Ashburn, VA

 

FOR MORE INFO OR TO ADOPT: Please go to https://adopt.worthydog.org and complete the application.

You can also help save dogs like this one by becoming a foster, providing a rescue dog with a temporary home and giving them the love and care they need until they are permanently adopted. Every person who fosters is directly responsible for saving the life of a dog, because we can only save as many dogs as we have foster families available to welcome them into their homes. If you think you might be interested in becoming a foster and want to learn more, please go to https://foster.worthydog.org and fill out an application.

Worthy Dog Rescue is an all-volunteer, foster-based rescue that primarily adopts to families in the DC Metro area.

November 3, 2024, 9:30 pm
Rescue

Contact info

Pet ID
20306243
Contact
Phone
Address
Vienna, VA 22181

Their adoption process

1.

Submit Application

To start the approval process, the first step is to complete our non-binding adoption application.

2.

Interview

Once your application is reviewed, a Worthy Dog Rescue volunteer will contact you to schedule a phone interview to discuss your application

3.

Home Check

A volunteer will schedule a time to visit your home, in person, to meet you and verify that your home is a good, safe environment for a dog

4.

Approve Application

After a positive veterinary reference check, phone interview, and home visit, we will approve your application

5.

Meet the Pet

Upon approval, if the dog you applied for is still available and a good match, we will schedule a time for you to meet the dog

6.

Sign Adoption Contract

7.

Pay Fee

Additional adoption info

Thank you for considering adoption and choosing to save a dog’s life!


Adding a dog to your family is a rewarding and life-changing experience. Dogs enrich our lives and have the amazing ability to give and receive love unconditionally. They can be your loyal companion and friend, and a watchful playmate for your kids, but they are also a serious, long-term commitment. They will depend on you for their health and well-being, and require an investment of love, time, and money for the rest of their life.


As you search for your new dog, please remember that there is no shortage of dogs who need saving. There are far more dogs waiting to be adopted than people who are willing to adopt them, so if the dog in the picture who you’ve imagined bringing home isn’t available, there are thousands more amazing, loving dogs just hoping for the chance to be your dog. We ask that you keep an open mind, stay flexible, and we will do our best to work with you to find a great match for your family.


We strongly encourage anyone thinking about adopting a dog to do your research and make sure you are prepared for the commitment. If you have thought about what’s required and are ready to adopt, here’s what you can expect when you apply to adopt a dog from Worthy Dog Rescue.


APPROVAL PROCESS



  • APPLY

    To start the approval process, the first step is to complete our non-binding adoption application

  • REFERENCES

    If applicable, we check vet references to ensure that your pets have been kept current on care, and a copy of your lease to ensure that adopting doesn't violate your rental agreement

  • INTERVIEW

    Once your application is submitted and reviewed, and your vet provides a positive reference, a Worthy Dog Rescue volunteer will contact you to schedule a phone interview to discuss your application

  • HOME VISIT

    A Worthy Dog Rescue volunteer will schedule a time to visit your home, in person, to meet you and verify that your home is a good, safe environment for one of our dogs

  • APPROVAL

    Upon approval, if the dog you applied for is still available and a good match, we will schedule a time for you to meet the dog. If not, we will work with you to find another dog who will suit your family.

  • TIMING

    The approval process can take a week or two depending on your availability and our volunteers’ schedules. The rescue is run by a team of volunteers from your community who love dogs. We are just regular people with jobs, kids, and lives whose time is as limited as yours. That means that during periods of high activity or seasonal vacations the process may take a little longer.

  • THE DOG YOU APPLY FOR IS NOT GUARANTEED

    Worthy Dog Rescue cannot guarantee that the dog you apply for will be available once you have been approved. We do our best to work with adopters and meet your needs, but we do not adopt dogs on a first-come, first-serve basis. All applications are screened to determine the most suitable match for the dog and the adopter. We want to place dogs in good homes as quickly as possible, so the dog can start their new life with their family, and we can free up their foster home to save another dog in need.

    We understand how easy it is to become attached to a dog you’ve found online, but sometimes the dog you apply for may already be scheduled to meet another adopter, or it may not be the best fit for your home for a variety of behavioral reasons. Our dogs are fostered by one of our volunteers, living in their home as part of their family. This allows us to get to know the dog, what they need, their level of socialization, and the type of home that will best suit them.

    Our goal is to place dogs in loving, responsible, and committed permanent homes. We take great care in finding good matches for our dogs and adopters too. We look forward to working with you to find the dog that will be with you and your family for many years to come.




ADOPTION POLICIES



  • Must be at least 23

  • All applicants who live in a rental property must provide contact information for their landlord, and have approval from the landlord to have a pet at the residence listed on the adoption application

  • Applicants must allow Worthy Dog Rescue to conduct a home visit to confirm that your home will be a good environment for a new dog

  • All animals in the applicant’s household must be spayed/neutered and up to date on all vaccines before consideration

  • All adults living in the home must meet the dog and be in agreement about adoption

  • Applicants must be willing to keep their new dog and current family pets as indoor pets

  • All adoptive families will provide all medical care and treatment needed for the dog including, but not limited to, yearly medical checkups, vaccines, and preventative heartworm medication

  • Dogs will be adopted only as a personal companion and not as a gift, working animal, or guard dog

  • A fenced yard is ideal for dogs, but is NOT a requirement for adoption unless specified

  • Because young puppies require intensive training and care, we cannot place puppies younger than five months of age in a home where someone is consistently absent from the home for long periods of time

  • In the event an adoption does not work out, applicants must agree to return the dog to Worthy Dog Rescue rather than rehoming the dog themselves

Adoption application

Go meet their pets

Worthy Dog Rescue believes that public adoption events are unnecessarily stressful for the dogs and the foster families who care for them, and that our structured, personalized adoption process leads to a more consistently positive outcome for both the dog and the adopter.

More about this rescue

Worthy Dog Rescue is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping dogs in distress, especially those living on chains, in pens, or in neglectful and abusive situations. Our mission is to provide a better life for dogs, while working to address the root problems of animal overpopulation and improve animal welfare. We do this through community outreach and by supporting and educating dog owners in underserved communities, by sponsoring spay and neuter programs, and by rescuing and rehabilitating dogs in need.

Other pets at this rescue