Success Stories

Travis, June 1998

While visiting the Santa Barbara Animal Shelter, Southern California Labrador Retriever Rescue (SCLRR) representative Keith Lowrey discovered Travis, a chocolate labrador between the ages of three and five years old, that had been picked up as a stray by animal control. Despite his neglected and disheveled appearance, Lowrey took one look into his pleading brown eyes and was hooked. Unfortunately, these same sweet brown eyes were at the root of Travis's health problems. While at the shelter, a veterinary exam revealed a condition called entroption (rolling inward of the eyelid) in one eye, which had caused scarring of the cornea. Sadly, further examination by SCLRR's veterinary specialists revealed two malignant tumors on the other.

When this young boy's time was up at the shelter, a team of SCLRR volunteers swung into action, removing him from the shelter and placing him into foster care. LABMED funded the surgery for both of Travis's eyes - his eyelid was repaired and the cancerous eye was removed. Veterinarians are confident the cancer is gone and Travis will live a long and healthy life. He is now recuperating in his foster home and will be available for adoption soon. As is often the case, it took many dedicated people to save this special Lab. LABMED is honored to have played a part in his happy ending.

UPDATE June 1998: One week post surgery and SCLRR reports that Travis is doing great. He's getting a little impatient with the elizabethan collar but healing up well. Best of all, they have already found a family interested in adopting him! We hope to have some post-op pictures of Travis soon.

UPDATE July 1998: Travis's foster home tells us that he is recovering from his surgery nicely and they sent two post-op pictures. Enjoy!