When a Santa Barbara couple decided to adopt a young Labrador, they thought they knew what they were getting into—they had raised four Labs previously, but Sophie was a whole other ball game—literally! They recognized her ball obsession early on and thought they could tire her out if they just played with her enough, but no matter how many times they tossed the ball for Sophie, she came back wanting more. They sought help from a trainer at Camp Canine, and even boarded Sophie there periodically to give her a chance to burn some energy, but each time she returned home, she was as energetic as ever.
After trying everything they could think of to control Sophie’s energy, her owners decided that it would be in her best interest to find her a career that would allow her to channel her abundant energy into her work. When an SDF recruiter approached Sophie and her owner, Sophie jumped straight toward him with excitement, almost pulling her owner to the ground—she clearly had the enthusiasm we were looking for!
Sophie was accepted into our program, and while she certainly had the boundless energy and friendly demeanor we look for in our canine candidates, she wasn’t in love with the work and let us know that she would be happiest as a family pet in an active home. Thankfully, it wasn’t long before she got her wish! Just a few weeks after being released from training, Sophie was adopted by a local family and went home to begin her new life with her mom and two human brothers!
Not long after, Sophie and her family traded the beach for the great outdoors when they moved from California to northern Idaho. Soon after moving, Sophie’s household also grew to include her grandparents—who regularly enjoyed spending time with Sophie when they lived in California—when they decided to relocate to Idaho to be with their daughter and grandkids! In addition to her wonderful family, Sophie now has a big house and yard to run around in, and lives just ten minutes from a beautiful forest with plenty of trails to hike and scenic views to enjoy. In the warmer months, Sophie has fun dock diving and swimming in the lake, and in the colder months, she enjoys a good romp in the snow!
Sophie’s life is full of fun, family, and lots of love. We can’t imagine a more perfect match for this incredible girl!
Click here to learn more about our Canine Placement Program!