Colorado seems to be suffering a Lab shortage. The dogs that love to swim, bike and run are in such high demand that you’ll rarely see one in the pound.

Awwww

Case in point, in 2007, Boulder resident and recreational triathlete Amy Dickerson had to use Petfinder.com to find a Labrador to adopt. She was surprised that “Walter’ was next in line to be gassed when she picked him up in Oklahoma. As it turns out, hundreds of thousands of Labs are put to death every year.

The 34-year-old nurse decided to do something about it. Her plan was simple—rescue Labs and Lab mixes on death row from high-kill shelters in states like Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas and Wyoming, place them in Colorado foster homes, and make them available for adoption.

Today, Rocky Mountain Labrador Rescue is run by a team of seven volunteer board members, and supported by 100 volunteers. Over 200 Labs are rescued and adopted by Coloradoans each year. “Labs are just perfect for Colorado’s outdoorsy athletic lifestyle,” Dickerson says.

It’s no surprise that the Rescue’s biggest annual fundraiser is a 5K run with dogs in Louisville.
rockymountainlabrescue.com

As if you didn’t have enough toys already, add this to your list of gear to buy and skills to master: the “stand-up paddleboard” (SUP).

“It’s really caught on,” explains Walker Ferguson, Rocky Mountain sales rep for C4 Waterman (c4waterman.com). “You can hop on and just paddle. You don’t have to be a super athlete.”

To wit, gossip mags show celebs like Jennifer Aniston paddling away in the surf. If she can do it, post-Brad break-up baggage and all, we can too.

The SUP is a longer, wider, thicker, more stable version of a surfboard. Practitioners use a longer paddle, stand upright, and get ‘er done. Watergods like Laird Hamilton have run the Grand Canyon on a SUP, and mortals can get a killer workout (think core and back) on flatter water, reservoirs and lakes.

River-specific versions are available for us landlocked folks. Start making space in the garage, friends!