How Can We Let These Little Babies Go?

I would say almost every puppy pick-up weekend I’ve had, people ask me “How do you let them go? I couldn’t do it, I’d want to keep them all!”, or something along those lines. And my initial response is “It was hard for me at first!”. I’ve been working here with the Stanleys for over 7 years now, and I still remember my first summer sending home puppies. I’d hold the little sweet babes I just watched grow their first 8 weeks, and say to Donna, “Can we just keep them???”.

And while puppy snuggles are truly magical and few things top them, I’ve learned that life is just beginning for these babies and there is so much wonder and love in store for them!

Do you know how we can let them go? Do you want to know the best part of OUR jobs?

Getting to meet the people and families that will love these puppies and give them the world and the life that they deserve.

Getting pictures of them at 3 months, 6 months, 3 years, 6 years and older.

Getting pictures of them on their birthdays with their birthday hats and special treats.

Getting pictures of them sending their human kids off at the bus stop for the first day of school (and let’s be honest, probably every day of school).

Getting pictures of them snuggled up on the couch being loved on by their families and hearing how much love and laughing they have added to everyone’s lives.

Oh did I mention the Christmas cards? Those are awesome. Our office is FULL of labby Christmas cards around the holidays.

Getting emails beaming with pride of how well their lab has done with therapy work, or dock diving, or hunting. And knowing that maybe we had a right to be proud too!

Getting emails and phone calls from owners saying that their EML was what got them through a tough diagnosis, or the loss of a spouse or family member.

And yes, even hearing years down the line that they had to let go and lay their labby babies to rest. That they loved them until the end and were there for their final moments. To know that our labbies leave this world surrounded by as much as love as they entered it.

That’s why we do what we do. That’s what keeps us doing it, even through the harder times, the times when things don’t go as planned. It’s a labor of love. And while we thoroughly enjoy those puppy snuggles and raising these babies the first 8 weeks of their lives, the rest of their lives is why we do this. The rest of their lives have so much love and memories in store.

And we’re proud to be a part of so much LOVE in a world that so desperately needs more of it.

~Annastasia (Assistant and right hand woman to the breeder, Donna Stanley)

*And yes, all labs pictured are Endless Mt Labs. 🙂