Cookie and Coco: Great Labs, need home

Do they live with cats?

Don't know, but I can try to find out.

Sounds like the family didn't have cats, but I'm still awaiting a reply from the owner as to whether the dogs have ever been around cats very much, and if so how they've reacted.

A friend of the family's did tell me the owner has received nearly 200 emails that she's now wading through since the email appeal went out.

There's great news about these two dogs. I just got an email saying that they found a home together. Here's the info. So glad about this.

I just read your other posts. I'm so happy they found a home!

My local shelter told me that this email is going around and is a hoax. I received it this afternoon and it said that the dogs were in Maine.

Thanks for the email, and I still need to link the original post & update to a later one we had saying the Labs have found homes.

This came from a personal friend who knows one of the parties involved, so was not a hoax -- but that was my first concern, I wanted to make sure this was legit before we posted anything. It did get a rather wide circulation.

Just last week one of the 'hoax' Labs needing homes came through my mailbox, but a quick check on snopes confirmed what I thought (since I remembered seeing the picture before), that it was an email scam.

By the way, I believe the hoax email that came through later did involve dogs from Maine, so that may have been what your shelter person was thinking about. It was a litter of black Labs, pictured in a cage.

Snopes.com is a good way to check these things out, by the way. Lots of these emails have been making the rounds for years.

I received the same "Maine" e-mail. It showed 2 labs. 1 chocolate and 1 yellow. So it would appear that one of these is a hoax. The picture shows both dogs sitting side by side and it appears to be taken outside on a patio.

Well, again, all I can tell you is this came from a friend who knows the friend of the family involved (the family is in the Los Angeles area). And the dogs have found a home, we have received subsequent updates & notes forwarded from the owner thanking everyone and asking that people stop inquiring and sending out the email plea, they were inundated (gratefully) with offers of help and homes.

Now this may "turn into" an urban legend in a year or two (or maybe it already has), it wouldn't surprise me if someone co-ops it and sends it around again as a hoax with an ulterior motive. That may be how a lot of those things get started, a legitimate email that winds up being used as a scam.

This story may have started out as true but it has morphed into a hoax. I just got this email yesterday from a coworker and Cookie and Coco are now from Massachusetts and still looking for a home. Isn't the internet a wonderful place?

It is. And it isn't. (A wonderful place).

Oh well.

Looks like Cookie & Coco will enjoy an endless-loop of a life on the Internet.

Glad you actually know the people, Donna...
I thought it was a hoax too and everyone else kept telling me I was an idiot to believe it...
It's a shame that others may have changed the names and continued to circulate it since there are real pets needing real homes and this kind of damage just makes people jaded as far as even trying to help...

LOL. I'm the first friend, who got the email from my old boss, who was a friend of the friend. There really was a beginning - the original owner lived in the San Fernando Valley in California and she had to move, but where ever she had to move to, she could not take her dogs with her. We passed the word, Donna here was so helpful in making a link and suddenly the original Sarah was inundated with queries for help, details, etc. At first she made an auto-reply because she had over 200 emails. Then I sent her a reply asking for updates and now it had gone to 1400 ... last time someone else got a reply it was up to 2200 ... I just sent a new one to see what I got and here is the "body" of the email:

If you are contacting me in regards to offer a home for my 2 labs, I
appreciate the inquiry but I have already found them a great home
where they can be together here in Southern California.

I apologize for the automatic reply, but to date I have received over
8,500 inquiries from all over the U.S. and Canada, including 5
newspapers and 3 cable TV channels. It's truly amazing how the
internet can reach so many people in so little time. What's more
amazing is the overwhelming response of support and care from so many
people who truly want to help.

If you can send this reply back to all that have sent it to you, I
would be so grateful as it will spread the good news about Cookie and
Coco faster.
********************
Wow. ROTFLMBO. No good deed goes unpunished!

;-))

Unfortunately, the story has been hoaxed and made it all the way to Durham, NC. We have been trying to figure how we could help this family. It is a shame that someone take something so good and turns it into a time waster when we could be spending our energy helping other dogs.

I am really, really happy to hear that they were able to stay together!

I just received this email yesterday and I'm from Maryland. I have some wonderful friends who were willing to take the dogs..after some research on the internet we came across this site. we had NO idea the family was all the way in california!

Wow! I'm in Tennessee...dogs had a home here too! Glad to know it's true, I was feeling duped! Happy they found a home.

These must be the most well traveled dogs in history! I'm in Florida and they are making there way down here.

Funny how even the supposed "friends" here are all friends of friends of friends of the real family. Excuse my while I scoff at this story's authenticity.

And they just made it to Maryland. :-)

this is a scam, we are in Michigan and have been trying to track these two down. They are also listed in California, Maine, Michigan, Florida...some sick people out there!

Just for the record, this email about these two labs has been going around for at least two years now. Just google "cookie and coco hoax" and you will find pictures that were posted a long time ago.

I live in Mount Vernon, Washington State. We just got his email at work the other day. It's still going around and had made it across the country. We just got word today that the email is not true. I then read it started in 2005 and for some reason has resurfaced again.

Shocking, these dogs are now in Illinois. People are pathetic.

The dogs made their way to PA this morning. I spent quite a while in email with a friend who was interested in taking the dogs. Before I did this, however, I checked Snopes and found nothing about Cookie and Coco. So I proceeded to email the owner and those who forwarded me the email. Oh well. I'm glad they found homes.

Actually, these two dogs exist, I've seen them, and am good friends with their original owner. She sent out the email a couple of months ago, and was lucky enough to find a good home that could take both dogs here in Los Angeles. Not sure why so many say this is "old" hoax- maybe mistaking them for other dogs? Anyway, the original owner is a great lady who was devastated to have to give up her dogs, but in these tough times, it's nice to see so many concerned people wanting to help.

And now they are in Ohio!!!

Well I to was victim to the FWD FWD FWD, Had about 30 homes for the dogs and still getting e-mails, somehow the e-mail was altered and my name became the point of contact. I also checked Snopes.com

Hmmmmm - a friend of a friend who knows......

I have a friend of a friend who knows....

- the ER doctor who pulled the gerbil out of Richard Gere

- the lady who hit the dirt on the elevator with Lionel Ritchie and his dog

- a doctor that was treating Jamie Lee Curtis for Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome

Check out the update at www.insidesocal.com/pets .....

and this from the Washington Post: http://www.expressnightout.com/content/2009/02/paws_effect_finding_cookie_and_coco_a_ho.php

Yes, these two labs are now making the rounds in Toronto and have many interested in adopting them!

Whole story now appears on Snopes.

My wife brought home a flyer from the hospital where she works. A dog loving employee of the hospital had received an email about Cookie and Coco, and printed flyers and brought them to work. I answered the email on the flyer and was looking forward to trying to adopt them. We live in Seattle.

I was heartbroken to find out that it is an outdated story, but I'm glad to know that Cookie and Coco were able to stay together.

THAT'S WONDERFUL!!! WHAT A GIFT TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THEM TOGETHER...

I KNOW THAT BOTH DOGS TRULY KNOW WHAT HAS HAPPENED HERE. MAYBE NOT TO THE EXTENT OF THE INTERNET POWER, BUT THE POWER OF LOVE.

Miami, FL

Goodstuff BUT (big BUT) hard to understand why no one responded to the several emails, including phone number, I sent days ago expressing interest in C&C. Just a common curtesy thing in my view.

LOL, we live in Pittsburgh PA and my brother in law has been rying to find the owner so he could adopt these dogs. People are so gullable.

I had a friend rip me from one end to the other and question my credibility as to WHY I would forward false information.... on and on. I am a huge animal lover, and would forward it again! I am glad they found a home together.

A happy ending for two deserving pets. Now, if the energy expended on the continuous circulation of this story could be channeled into finding homes for the hundreds of animals in shelters in every state that need a home, what a wonderful thing the internet would be again!!!!!

Amen to that -- I have heard from the former owner of Cookie and Coco, by the way, and I think that's exactly what she has in mind, as well, to "pay it forward," as she put it. Stay tuned.

Whether or not this e-mail is real, what is important to remember is that there are THOUSANDS of dogs that are in need of good homes. For everyone on here that said they were interested in taking the dogs I challenge them to actually contact a rescue and adopt one of the hundreds of other dogs that need a home. If you are only interested in a specific breed, I know there are many rescues that specialize (not just labs). A simple google search like, "lab rescue" and your state name, can get you in contact with the right people. And for everyone else that is interested, many of the rescues need people to just foster the dogs until they can find permanent homes. If you feel "duped" by this story and that people are just playing on your potential generosity, perhaps take it as an opportunity to open your home, the one you would have given to cookie and coco, to another sad, lonely puppy.

Excellent advice. Again, the story and the plight of these 2 Labs was very real, but a new home for the dogs has already been found (in the L.A. area not far from the original owner). Unfortunately, the link and emails traveled so far and wide over the course of several weeks that it caused much confusion.

Yes, Cookie and Coco have made it to Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada. I have read through the comments and I am amazed at how many kind hearts there are out there. I did check to see if it was a hoax and was happy to see they found homes. However, if you considered taking them in - go now to the shelter and get another dog who didn't get the same publicity, but is just as deserving - I have 2 and their unconditional love will keep you sane and happy while the world goes mad!

why did these people get rid of their dogs? There's nothing happy about people disregarding the fact that a pet is a lifetime commitment; so many baloney excuses people use... if these people kept their dogs, then the person who took the dogs could've instead saved 2 lives at a shelter...

Heard of the economic downturn?

I realize we did not include many details about their circumstances in the original post. But as I understand it, the owners were forced to move to a rental unit and could not find one to take their 2 large dogs. The place they found had a 25-pound limit on pets. They went to great lengths, working with a Lab rescue group, to make sure their dogs had a good home and were placed together -- they now are in touch with the current owners who have invited the kids to go on hikes, etc., with the dogs.

I appreciate that adopting a pet is a lifelong commitment. But I also know that life throws us some pretty big curves now and again and it seems to me that the owners in this case did everything they could to ensure their pets had a good home where they could stay together. I'm sure it was not easy for them to part with the dogs. They did not drop them off at the local shelter. They did not let them loose on the streets. They spent weeks making sure their dogs would be well cared for since they were, at this time anyway, no longer able to do so.

Thought you'd want to know that all of St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Largo, Florida were also looking for homes for these dogs!! My neighborhood civic association mistakenly thought this was from a family in our neighborhood and sent it to everyone in our neighborhood via e-mail to try and help these "neighbors" out! We have so many homes going into foreclosure here (I am also facing foreclosure) and my heart went out to this family. I couldn't take the dogs so I forwarded the civic association's e-mail (thinking they knew the family involved) and sent it to my co-workers at school. If it had come from any other source, I would have double-checked with Snopes - I do all the time - but....ah well, got caught off guard this time. We are a compassionate bunch so, of course, they forwarded it to THEIR friends and so on and so on.....Glad to know there was a happy ending!

So happy for Coco and Cookie. I am still looking for a family dog. We are trying to get our son and daughter a dog and a family companion. We are happy for this great happy ending.

So sad for the family but happy to know they can see them sometime and hike with them.

I wanted to let you know this email was sent to me in Delaware, Ohio. I had found a few people that wanted the dogs but couldn't get a response back from the email. I am a dog lover too and I am very glad that have a new home together with a great family.
Thanks,
Kymm in Delaware, Ohio

I had a dog what had "Hot Spots" and I thought it was from the grass and was treating them with anything I could find to help the scratching and itching. One day I picked up a bottle of Allergy hypoallergenic shampoo. I took it home, washed the dog, making extra sure I rinsed out all the soap and no kidding, the "Hot Spots" stopped, no more itching or scratching. I think it was the regular shampoo causing it.

Hi,

Our office in Richmond, British Columbia got the email about the 2 dogs looking for a home. Many emails were circulated but we were told that the dogs were in South Surrey B.C. With so many people involved no wonder a lot of the details got twisted around. The bottom line is our office is happy to hear that the 2 dogs found a wonderful home together. Nice to see a happy ending.

This was sent to the D-list for our whole office saying the dogs are in Dallas (I'm in Austin, TX )and it had the picture of the two labs (precious dogs!) I almost sent it to everyone in my address book, but thought I would email the contact in the notice to make sure they still needed a home. When I didn't get a reply I checked Snopes. You guys (and gals) are great. I appreciate knowing they have a home!

This e mail about Cookie & CoCo needing a home together was recently sent to me, only just a few days ago. I live in West Hempstead, New York. I wanted to help, so I forwarded the e-mail to everyone I know. I thought my friend who sent me this e-mail was a friend of the dogs owner's friend. Anyway, a cat & rescue group who I contacted has recently responded to my e-mail I sent them, & they told me that they have someone who is interested in adopting Cookie & Coco together, someone's who's Lab recently passed on.
They tried to contact the owner & never got a response or answer back from them. I feel terrible to have to tell this person that the dogs have a home & aren't available for him to adopt, but yet I am very happy for Cookie & CoCo. I am so glad that they got a home together, and I am happy that they can still see
their original owners too!!

EVERY SINGLE TIME you get an email that says "forward to everyone you know", go to http://www.snopes.com/, type the subject of the email into their search field, and realize what a mistake it is forwarding that email.

EVERY SINGLE TIME.

Snopes (or Google) is your friend.

Glad they are together.

However, it's important to note that the email has developed into a hoax. I've gotten it several times now, and each time, the story is the same, but the owner's name and contact info have been changed.

I think everyone needs to concentrate on their own lives. Way too much discussion long after a home was found. Just my opinion.

This email just now made it around into my email box.
Send it on, got a reply from a friend with the snopes link, and went and send out my retraction.
OOPS! :)

I'm just glad the dogs found a home together.

YAY!
There is good in the world!

The email is still alive and well and circulating the San Jose, CA area today (and, thanks to me will most probably spread through upstate NY shortly). I usually check everything out on Snopes first, but the email sent to me appeared as if it were a direct forward.

Of course, I sent out a retraction right away, but by that time had already received 6 emails saying THEY had forwarded it to everyone THEY knew. I think this one may be around for a LONG time!! :)

well it now has made it to pasadena tx within the last day it was posted on craigslist yesterday not very funny

I think the emails, blogs, and networking sites should have a virus sent out to kill this freaking email... It does nothing but clutters inbox's and sends caring hearts out searching to help pets in need when they are already being taken care of. STOP SENDING TO EVERONE YOU KNOW AND WORK WITH!!! Aren't there business ethics involved in this matter... IE USAGE OF OFFICE COMPUTERS FOR PERSONAL USE!!!!

i got it twice this week, both with desperate pleas. one from so cal,
the other from no. cal. i emailed both senders to please question the validity

As the host and producer of an NPR live radio show out of Southampton New York called DOG TALK this plea reached me today as though it was a local problem seeking my assistance on the air. Since I had seen that very same photo of the two Labs several times before, I did ask the person who had generated the email whether she knew the sender personally and whether this was a legitimate urgent issue. She assured me she did know the person because she herself was involved in the dog show world - clearly irrelevant and not true, but why say so?? And then she sent me the Snopes link showing it was old history on the other side of the country! Surely we all have better ways to use our time on behalf of animals who really need it?

MIRICLES DO HAPPEN!!! I AM SO VERY HAPPY THAT THESE TWO DOGS WERE ADOPTED TOGETHER!!!

Thank God for the internet. What a blessing!!! Hell of a great tool to get the word out all across the world.

Thank God these two awesome dogs where able to stay together & got a new home.

I'm sorry to all my friends...I thought it was the real deal!

I'm happy to know that the original story had a happy ending...I'm equally impressed by how many people have reached out to help!

It's a Besutiful World!!!

my fiance and i were under the impression that these dogs belonged to a neighbor of his close friend here in northern new jersey.
thanks to maggie a mutual animal lover, we learned that they found a home ions ago and aren't even on this coast! wow.
I don't mind though, I love the happy ending.
jennifer

We thought these dogs were from the Hampton Roads, Va. area. All of our neighbors were notified as well as members of our church. We had some folks genuinely interested in adopting these dogs. Even though they couldn't adopt these particular dogs, they may now go out and adopt others. So glad these two have a happy home.

I am on the board for a lab rescue group in Phoenix. We are still seeing this email circulated which just shows how amazing people are for wanting to make certain these dogs have been re-homed.

As previous posters have said, I would encourage you to either adopt a dog through animal control, or from a local rescue group. We have seen such a large number of foreclosure dog situations lately and need everyones help. Even better would be if you would volunteer and become a foster family. It is a very rewarding experience and helps to start getting these dogs back into their safe forever homes.

Guess what, I too sent this out to many of my friends and they were frantically searching for a home for these two dogs. It's nice to see just how many will help when needed, but sad to say I feel like a fool that I passed this on and had so many people spending so much time and energy trying to help. Please in the future do not send these emails unless they are true and still need help. I know I won't be sending any more emails out asking for help anymore.

Please see our update on Cookie and Coco posted today:

http://www.insidesocal.com/pets/2009/06/remember-cookie-coco.html

We've posted updated information on the original posting (which seems to still get linked through various emails) trying to get the word out that the dogs were adopted (several months ago actually) and remain happily in their new home.

We were very sad as we would have loved to have taken the dogs. But, so very happy they found a home.. it is just is too bad that this email is still going around 6 months later! It just shows how much people care.

I'm glad these dogs got a home together, but shame on those people who have changed the details and made it into a hoax. There are a lot of animals needing homes, but I will think twice before I forward another email like this one. Shame on you, you know who you are!

I was fished in by this story because it was sent to me by a credible source (who also failed to check).

Glad to see the real Cookie and Coco are having a good time.

This truth turned to hoax format works because it plays on our sympathies and we don't want to think that people would make up such a thing. The original letter is viral and valid and may never be completely extinguished. The fake ones play upon our sympathies and cause us to fill up the mail boxes of unsuspecting people.

In the long run Cookie and Coco have a new fan club whether the information is old legitimate or new false.

The dogs have made it to Trenton, NJ! :)

The chain continues in MA and has kiiled about 2 hours of my day "negotiating" with my wife as to whether we can add two more dogs to our house which already has two dogs (amoung other pets)- glad to hear that the original story ended well even if the hoax portion continues

This email was sent to me in Maryland. It's still going strong on the net. So happy they found a home as that's the important thing. Before I get upset about a future email like this and forward it on to everyone I know, I will check out www.snopes.com. It would have saved me and others I know some time and energy!

Please tell everyone who thought about helping (and now we all know this is a voided request) to contact their local rescue about helping one of the pups that they have. There are so many dogs and bunches of beautiful Labradors in need of homes... How do I know? I have a gorgeous English Lab who I paid a small fortune for... but my breeder is also active in Lab rescue. Last Sept we took in a giant older American Lab who we named Moose... He is not a breed "standard", but he is a perfectly good dog. I now know that there are a lot of wonderful dogs in rescues and look forward to my next rescued Lab!

Glad these two got a home together. It's too bad that the specifics -- date, location, and movong date -- somehow disappeared as the message made its way through the internet. I live in the Boston, MA area, and I just got a blast about this on 7/24/09. Luckily, somebody in the blast checked snopes.com. quickly and let a large group of volunteers at a local humane society know that this was no longer an issue.

Just received a new message regarding the two Labs. They were on Long Island, New York this time! I have received at least 5 different messages about the dogs, I don't think it will ever stop :) LOL

Thank goodness for so many people who want to help -- but there are so many dogs and cats that need homes right now. Please go to your local rescue and assist them by either contributing, adopting or volunteering! They really need your help.

These two are certainly well traveled! They make it through Jacksonville, FL at least 3 times a month.

After I thought I was doing something good to help this cause I found out different. The Following is the email I sent in the aftermath of my actions.

"Just a note to let you all know that while this request I sent you was true, apparently it was outdated and originated from the Los Angeles area, not locally, here in CT, as I was led to believe.

Furthermore, I went so far as to send this request to WFSB Channel 3 (Hartford, CT), they started airing the request during the weather forecasts on Saturday morning, I saw it 3 times! Before the 4th time, the weekend weather man, Curtis Grevenitz (a Lab dog owner and lover himself), apparently had been alerted that this was no longer a valid request and announced it as so. You could imagine what I was thinking when I kept seeing it air after informing eagerly interested people who had replied that the dogs were no longer available……

I rarely fall for these type emails and most of the time will check them for validity using Snopes.com. Even after the fact I still believed it will not be found on Snopes, however I looked it up and there it was! To read about this request in its entirety, click here to read the whole story. I have learned another lesson and like to believe I am much wiser now and will never fall for another one………

They just circled Portsmouth NH for the second time

i just rec'd this email today! it's still circulating!

This email is still circulating! Won't fall for another one and to make sure it is investigated before I forward. Sorry to all I got involved. Glad to hear the pups are placed though.

Okay, the dogs and story are now all over NJ. I actually have many people email the owner with no response. Then I checked snopes. I am glad the dogs found a home, but i also question if this was real in the first place. In the NJ email, the photos are different (same dogs) and the family states they are moving out of the country? If this is real, the owner has the responsibility to but an automated email back to everyone who cares so much and tell them they have been adopted, and in fact the dogs according to snopes are in california? Everyone here thinks they are in NJ? Either way, it has to stop, and the owner, if she exists needs to send that to people. period.

I think the problem is that the original email (which was legit and, yes, they were/are in Southern California) has now been co-opted and is being sent out by unrelated, random sources. In her defense, the owner told me she has no idea who the names are that now appear on the email in its various re-tread versions but I believe she has tried to contact them when she becomes aware of a new source. She's sent out numerous emails to her list of contacts saying that the dogs have been placed and telling people to spread the word. Meanwhile, the blogs on which it originally appeared (including ours) have done their best to get the word out as well. Hopefully people will check Snopes or do a little research first before passing it on, but I have no doubt this will be in circulation for some time to come. Having it on Snopes is a big help, however.

Made it to South Florida

Made it to Vermont

Made it to Centerville, GA on 8/3/2009. We were actually considering it. Kinda a happy sad.

made it to PA on 8/12/09 but with a slightly different reason for original owners moving "overseas"!!
Glad the doggies are in a happy home!

Made it to New Haven Conn, then Seymour, then Thomaston CT.
Glad the dogs found a good home!!

I'm from Western MA.... My girlfriend and I saw a print-out on a bulletin board while on the Cape a few weeks ago.

This morning my mother calls saying she received a forwarded email about two dogs that need a home, and would I and my sister be willing to help (we had to put our dog down in December).

My girlfriend and I said that this story sounded VERY similar to the note we saw, and that she should check out Snopes.com

Glad to hear that it was a true story that went viral, instead of a scam. What nice looking doggies. :)

It's still circulating! Someone in NJ sent it to one of my relatives, who forwarded it to me, and then got mad when I said I would not send it further wihthout verification...

I just got the email this morning here in South Jersey - sent it out to a bunch of friends - one was very seriously considering it - I just checked Snopes out for the heck of it - and here it is - so I just emailed to apologize to her for getting her hopes up. Glad to hear they got a home together.

I rec'd the "doggie" e-mail, and without knowing the Labs were located in Calif I forwarded it to several "Lab Lover" friends here in NY. They were all excited to hear they found a new home, though very disappointed they could not have them themselves! They are so cute! Glad they are together and loved in their new home.

why is this still going around? can't someone attach the snopes link to it?

I'm reading it in mass. tonight.. 8/15

Maryland here./ My step mom got this the other day. I told her it was a hoax but now I see it was just outdated. I come to work today and Bam. I have gotten it twice. I will send out the snopes link to them. If there are people out there who really want a pet and can be responsible enough to devote thier lives to one, the shelter is full of animals looking for a homes.

Story made it through an online bulletin board at work last week in Minnesota.

Now to Kansas City

I am from Pittsburgh, PA and a friend knew someone who was trying to get a hold of the owner bc they wanted to adopt them. We had no clue they were in CA! I'm a little upset b I was so heartbroken after hearing this story and was contacting everyone I knew to help. But I am so relieved to know they r happily together. I will now have to pass the word on to all my friends who were so concerned. I do hope that the people who wanted to adopt them will go to a shelter and give a loving home to another poor dog who deserves a second chance. It is so worth it. Our dogs mean the world to us!

Well back to Massachusetts. We are a low cost spay and neuter group and I just got this email. Luckily I got another one that said it was a hoax. Then another that said not a hoax, just old.... what can you do. Glad there is a happy ending.

LOL;...the email has made it's way to Philadelphia, PA...there was even a printout on our bulletin board here at work of the email. The person who posted it said they got the email from a friend.

Here I am in Massachusetts! I've received this from four different friends over the past months. The story has changed a bit. In some of the versions, the family is moving overseas and cannot take Cookie and Coco.
I'm so glad to read that the real family found a home where these two could be together. And, that they are still in contact with their beloved pups.

I just received it in the Northern Virginia area. It mentioned now that it was a military family moving overseas. Thanks for the information.

This hoax has now made it to Eastern North Carolina and unfortunately has been sent to many more individuals.

I rec'd it 3 wks ago in North Jersey,
I deleted it, and my husband just got it
today from a co-worker

WOW i am a huge dog lover and so therefore i emailed this to EVERYONE...then of course i come in and some one claimed it was a scam. it broke my heart...who has enough time to put something so horrible out there? anyway i am so pleased this all was infact true and the girls are healthy and happy. cheers!!! hope you all have a lovely day!

We in Kansas finally got to get in the act. We just had to take our 13yr old Marley to her "last vet visit" and saw the email that next day. We responded, but we also went to our local humane society. No kindred soul there that day, but we'll go back in a week or two. Love the internet!

Made it to Florida. Glad to hear they found a good home.

I don't really see it as a "hoax" myself. It was real in the first place, but has gotten out of hand because of how well the internet works. It's outdated, but not a hoax. It just goes to show how kind everyone is, trying to help a family find a home for their dogs. Bravo, everyone who sent this on with good intentions! :)

I just got this today...September 1st. I live in Florida & forwarded the email I received to everyone I know! So many people responded wanting to take them in! I even emailed the "mommy!" Oh well, atleast it was a happy ending! :)

Just got it in Chicago (and, of course, being the dog-lover that I am, passed it along without verifying it first!).

For the third time this summer I got a copy of the Cookie/Coco email (here in MN), along with 32 other recipients.

The way this thing has spread is totally fascinating; I would guess somewhere around a million people have been introduced to the plight of Cookie and Coco.

Yah... got it this morning here in GA - and have let everyone know that they have a home - lucky puppies are celebs and they don't even know it!

Made it Rose Hill KS

Made it to Northern Virginia

Chicago again.
Two people who sit side-by-side in the office got the e-mail from different people.

Made it to Fort Wayne, Indiana.
We got this from someone we work with, so of course we forwarded it EVERYWHERE and I even posted it to my FaceBook.
So glad to hear the girls got a wonderful home.

and Florida!!!

from Florida, I was willing to take the lab's myself except I already have 6 dogs. I am extremely happy to hear that they are together and have a new home. :)

I was stopped in the street while walking my Lab in Melbourne Florida. I was more then glad to send this on to friends. The sweet woman who pulled over rescues greyhounds. People for the most are good & kind. So what if this happened last spring in Calif. I laughed when I heard this. I was happy for the owner & the dogs. For those of you who feel dupped. Please go to Lab rescues where you live or any breed rescue or your local animal control where good dogs are put down. Go & save the life of any dog. Thats where I got my Lab. (Buster Brown) What a joy.

I was given the flyer last week in Daytona Beach Florida...good hearted people trying to save the dogs. I gave it to a friend with a Lab puppy and thought they would be great companions for her pup. When I tried to contact the email address I got no response and figured it was a hoax, but checked on Snopes and found it was just old. At first I felt stupid, but now I just feel greatful that there are so many people out there trying to help these dogs. I have 7 dogs myself, several rescues, or I would have been emailing to take them the day I heard about it. I should have known better...two trained Labs? Never! I have a Lab and he is 13 and he is his own dog. He has me trained.

Disappointing that an outdated plea is making the circuit. I only want to forward pleas that are current. Can you assure me that, going forward, the situation is remedied?

I think everyone's doing their best to clarify this situation, but the problem is it's being picked up by others (who knows how or where) and then being sent on separately to new people. So it's a bit out of anyone's direct control, I'm afraid.

The best thing to do is to check Snopes on these emails, and this one is on there under Cookie and Coco labs.

This made it to a neighborhood list-serv in Tucson on 17 Sep 2009; someone checked Snopes, and everyone's glad to see the happy ending.

I would like to thank a lab rescue for letting us know about this hoax. My sister in law's co-worker's neighbor is asking for help to find a home for Cookie and Coco. Moving over seas n 2 weeks and needs to find a home where they will be kept together,ect, ect. We stepped in and email all of the lab rescues that are close to us and one of them sent us the web site to see for ourselves that these beautiful dogs have already found homes. The sister in law doesn't believe me that this is a hoax. Hope this ends soon...there's nothing to gain!!

I live in oklahoma and got this email yesterday and forwarded to many. got a response from a friend wanting to help and then found out about the "hoax". Most importantly glad they found a home.

Unfortunately, this email is still circulating. I am in Maryland and wanted to adopt these dogs so after several days of backtracking through the people who have forwarded this email I decided to do a little investigating and found this forum. After 8 months the email is still going around. It just goes to show how misconstrued information can become from blindly forwarding emails.

i have 2 wonderful, funny, sweet, obedient, friendly pitt bulls i have been fostering since June 13th. any help at all will be greatly appreciated.

my landlord just lost the bldg. and i might have to move at the end of Oct.

please spread the word and link around? thank you.

i will drive anywhere in southern california to have you meet them if interetsed.

they can be adopted out separately, but the do LOVE each other very much.

Kobe is b&w male @ 2yrs old. Girlie is beige female @ 1 yr. old.

Both have shots, micro chips, frontline, and dont really care for cats.

Thanks all! Nancy 323-493-8844 locations@earthlink.net

here is the link in the body of the email>

http://www.locationlibrary.com/nancy/index.php?mode=album&album=Start%2Fpitt+girl+puppy+%26+brother

I was taken in by Cookie & Coco =)

it has made it to Dallas, TX :)

It made it to Pennsylvania September 09.

It made it to Madison, Wisconsin. Too bad this doesn't go away. I had several people wanting these dogs. Happy to see it ended so well.

Today is 9/23/09, and i just got this email for the third time!!! amazing!

Received the e-mail today in the Toledo, Ohio area. It had been forwarded to a ton of people around here.

(I happen to foster dogs for a local rescue group. Glad I always check Snopes before passing on any forwards.)

I received this email yesterday in Massachusetts. Glad the outcome was a good one for Cookie and Coco!

Made it to Missouri this morning. We had folks here volunteering to adopt them.

received this in Ottawa, Canada and wanted to take them home!

These sure are famous dogs! I inquired about them because a friend sent me the email in March (in Montreal and Ottawa, Canada), but I just got it again from another friend in Ottawa. Apparently the email is circulating in the internal email system for the government of Canada.

This story made it to Nova Scotia, Canada!
I was a bit suspicious so I Snoped it. Glad to hear that the dogs got a home together though.

Got this email today in seattle... glad the dogs have found a home together

Story made it to Woodstock. Ontario today.... glad the doggies have a home!

Received email this morning in West Sacramento, California...I'm glad the doggies are together!!

I didn't know about Snopes until this morning.

Forward the message, from my dogwalker, thinking that these poor dogs were still in need of a home.

The message was forwarded to over 300 people on one of my mailing lists.

I meant well; I guess I'm glad the request is now invalid, and that the dogs are together in a good new permanent home.

I just got this from my daughter-in-laugh and posted to Facebook. I've since removed it...Glad they have a home.

Just saw it today (9/29/09) on our neighborhood listserv in Alexandria, Virginia.

I have a soft spot for labs so I was relieved to read the update on Snopes.

Cookie & Coco will live on the Internet forever.

made its way back to socal . . . .

It's made it to South-Western Ontario, Canada, twice (in January and again now!)

Made it to Montreal, Canada...Oy!

Now doing the rounds in Toronto, Canada.

Just thought you would all like to know that this is still going on...its september 30th, 2009 and i just got this email...In Hamilton, Ontario, Candada, i was going to respond..

The internet can be a lifesaver but at this point in time..you would think that it would already have stopped...hmmm

I have to chuckle ... I'm in Ohio, received this on 9/30/09. Someone wrote "scam" so I looked it up and learned the truth - thank goodness or I would have forwarded it too. It's going around because of people with good intentions. Unfortunately, most people don't read www.snopes.com, which is why I continue to get crazy forwards from friends. :)

It has made its way to TN...all people are trying to do is the right thing...give people a break...even if it is a hoax!! economy is bad and people are getting rid of pets cause they cant afford it!! Have a heart and help animals...

Yes, this is still going around- it came to me via an email sent out through the WSU MG group list. I'm just glad to know the dogs are for real and did find a home- even though it was months ago. There may come a day when someone may really be in need of help, and we'll just think it's another joke- like the little boy who cried "wolf" too many times!

Glad they found a home.it made it to Rawdon Quebec Canada

Just received an Email today - Indiana - OCT 1, 2009 - Funny how these things never go away!

Hi there I think I just saw these two wonderful dogs posted on freecycle here in Kitchener Waterloo and just wanted to say how wonderful it is that these 2 dogs got to be together -hope thats what I am reading here! I gather they are together with new parents for a good long life.
The posting I saw indicated they needed a home then under it I think it said they have been placed with new owners....a great ending to hear about - I was searching for foster grandparents for the mother and daughter dogs in this area for when I need backup help ....they are a handful when left alone not happy and get quite wound up with fear thanks to other bad circumstances previously by others. Anyway a great website: )

I'm not convinced, snopes or not. This story has way too many versions and far too many people claiming to know the previous owners. Whether or not the original story is true doesn't matter at this point. Several people have inserted a new address and now have some personal info from all the kind people that have responded to the adoption request over the last 10 months.
This is why no one stops to help anyone anymore - there really are jerks out there.

Holy cow, it's now October 1st and this email is still making the rounds, landed in my inbox today. I started to forward it, and then thought I would just check it out on snopes.com first, which I'm glad I did before forwarding to all my contacts. Because the email to me still had lots of other people's email addresses listed, I replied to the sender and all the other people listed letting them know that the dogs had found homes and I included the snopes.com link to the article about them.
Always a good idea to use snopes.com before forwarding anything, it will save us all from tons of junk email!

This email has hit ALASKA!

Outstanding Job!

My boy "Teddy" came from MaxFund, here in Denver - a no kill shelter... and later on, we got "Bella", another Chow mix, from them as well.

Somewhere, up in the great beyond, there is a special place for those folks who took Cookie & Coco... they earned it..... and so did you.

Tom Dailey
Denver

(SF Native)

Another one from Montreal, CANADA here.

We've received this in Calgary, Alberta, Canada from a few people.

i think we need to find a useful way to weed out emails such as these, where animals have found a home or they are not relative to the area...we are in Canada! I will, from now on, no longer send out email requests for rehoming unless I have first hand knowledge of the people/animals involved and that indeed they are still looking for homes!

I too checked this story out on Snopes.com, but not until after a friend answered my e-mail saying, she had received another email from somebody unrelated to us. Then my neighbour did as well. Now,I've heard of fast circulations, but this seemed to be a whole, other, ball game.

I became suspicious, so I searched at Snopes. Was I ever relieved to find out, the story was true, although outdated, and that the dogs had a new home.

These two,beautiful dogs, had been on my mind since receiving the original email the day before. My heart was breaking for them, and it even brought tears to my eyes,(alright, full fledged crying session). By the way, I live Ontario, Canada. How's that for circulation:)?

Its made it to Ontario canada

I got this message yesterday and sent it to my friends and got on the phone with my daughter to see if she could help. I am glad the story has a good ending - I live in Toronto by the way.

yup.. got it in newfoundland

Got it in Calgary and Edmonton as well. Learned my lesson. I always check snopes but this time I didn't. Got sucked in!

The email made its way back to the San Fernando Valley (where I live). I'm very glad that the dogs got a good home. I hope that each person who honestly wanted to adopt them has since gone to their local shelter and adopted some other very worthy dog for their family! (Yay for you if you already did!)

If you're one of those people who was willing to open their home to these two, but haven't gone to a shelter for a different dog... what are you waiting for? Go, someone is waiting for you! =)

I got it in Bellevue WA (right outside Seattle)

Wow, this is killin' me - twice in the last three weeks I've received this message... All hail the power of Snopes.

i got the email of coco and cookie from an old neighbor, were in california. then another saying they had a home finally

SO VERY VERY HAPPY THAT COOKIE AND COCO ARE TOGETHER IN A NICE HOME. Having the Internet sure does help....along with lots of prayers too.

--Just yesterday (10/8/09) my husband and I received the plea for a Cookie/Coco home and went into action to try to offer our home to them. Of course we are delightfor them to learn they have found a home, but truth be known, were dissappointed for ourselves!!! If for any reason the situation changes and you still need a home, contact us!! We live on Lake Ontario, and the dogs would love love love the environment. We wanted a pair of labs.!; --just lost our beloved Siberian Husky and are presently emply nest.
Thanks...regards to you, Cookie and Coco.
deborah osterberg

To Deborah Osterberg and anyone else looking to adopt labs: There is a Rochester, NY Labrador rescue called Rudy's Rescue with laboradors that need good homes! http://www.rudysrescue.org/

Got the email three times this week in ALASKA. There are a lot of dog lovers up here. Glad the labs found a good home.

I got the email twice this week in western Canada. It was altered, saying the owners were going overseas. If people are interested, here's the Snopes address:

http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cookiecoco.asp

Forest Hills NY (in Queens) got it this am!

Winged it's way across the internet to Houston, TX. Glad they've found a home. Sorry I didn't check Snopes!!!

Ha - we just got this email down here in New Zealand. It's truly global now!

I second that - I posted Cookie and Coco's desperate plea for help to the Ministry of Social Development (10,000 staff) here in Wellington this morning and emailed my dog loving network of friends - the story of how this story has travelled the globe is a fascinating one and presumably not over!

Hey same as Chris. In New Zealand now. Crazy!!!

I have a very disappointed Friend in Vancouver Canada. Now my wife's laughing at me for passing it on but I got it from our Fire Chief who must be feeling a little embarassed.

yes - here in New Zealand we've been sent this twice in the last few days by different well meaning friends who know we love Labradors - I even replied offering a temporary half way home!

Glad to know the doggies found a good home. I got the email AGAIN today here in Houston, so it's still circulating. Cookie and Coca are FAMOUS worldwide!

Definitely the world's most famous dogs, received the e-mail in Dubai last week so thought they must have belonged to expats moving home!

Well they made it to Regina SK Canada, and got mass posted to 2000+ people!
It says 'looking to keep the dogs local' so of course why would anyone presume it's from anywhere but where they are from?

Advice to people mass posting ads in the future. Make sure to list your location, don't presume the email will stay local.

I received this email from a friend here in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada who said a teacher told her about it and the email was update and legit because the teacher wouldn't pass along something without checking on it. I then heard that exact same story from another person on another list. I used to send off things like this to my websites and this is the first time I stopped to question it, because I am tired of other members yelling at me for not checking my facts, and my checking was getting me the same unhelpful answer.
Yes the story may have been true, but in my forward there was NO MENTION these dogs lived so far away. I was told they WERE in Regina!!!
People need to stop and check their facts before sending things like this on, because so many people are refusing to have anything to do with forwards for this very reason!!!
If it has the capability to go this far and wide with so much misinformation, wouldn't it be alot more helpful, if each person took the time to send it on in it's original condition?
We are doing more harm than good as I have seen first hand.
Someday when there is a dog in your area who truely needs a home, no one will stop too let others know because of the past mistakes made by goodintentioned people...:(

It's made it to NEW ZEALAND now.....

Recieved today via a work mail list.

This story of Cookie & Coco has made it to the small area of Waikato in NZ on Friday 17th of Ocotber 2009, I really thought these dogs were somewhere in NZ & I fell in love with their pictures, I am really happy to hear that this is an old email & that by now they have both gone to the same home.

my parents lost their two labs last year due to old age they were so excited to get call's and the emails only to find that Cookie and Coco had been found a home and were not from Auckland New Zealand!!!!!!!!!!!

And it's now made it to Bermuda!! October 21, 2009

Well, the dogs seem to have made it "home" back to Sunny California - where they were spotted last week in my email box after a coworker forwarded their desperate plea...

I always check Snopes before forwarding, but didn't think twice about this one!

made it to Houston, 2nd time around that I've seen this email. First time was back in May 2009.

All the way to Birmingham Alabama. From now on, I will verify before sending out to my friends. Im a little embarassed to have mass emailed old information. (Even if I get it from a trusted source, which this was)These precious animals are all that matter.

Made it to Denver, CO this morning. Glad I checked snopes.com before forwarding b/c we would have taken them in a second.

Today circulating around CT once again - this is the 4th time since March I have received this email...this one had 2 contacts - 1 a local official in Southern CT! the other a yahoo.com e-mail

Reached Canberra Australia today (going overseas version) - has circulated all around the place here before someone pointed out the Snopes site.

Made it to me today (Australia).

The email made it to Adelaide Australia today.

Got me too. Arrived at a busy time, and I had just taken our dog to the vet's the night before. So I guess I was receptive to the message. I'm in Adelaide, South Australia. Perhaps it was forwarded across the "Ditch" from our New Zealand neighbours! It's strengthened my resolve to check before sending in future. Also, maybe a good thing from this is that more people are now more "hoax aware".

It's now in circulation around Perth, Western Australia

Now made it to Western Australia!

Not only Western Australia - OUTBACK WA in Kalgoorlie!

And now Brisbane, Australia!

I have had this several times now. Through New Zealand and Australia... Why do people just keep sending it on?

Well, it is still going around. Appartently someone is getting their jollies from seeing pet lovers get very concerned over the welfare of these two labs. The e-mail was forwarded to me from one of our residents from her friend. She got the impression her friend knew the pet owner. I forwarded it to the residents in our HOA. Had many calls. At the end of the plea for help, the last sentence said: "Thank you all from the bottom of my heart". "Contact: kjmorris74@yahoo.com." I did, and I think all of you should too.

The email is still doing the rounds (02 Nov 2009). It has made it all the way to Australia, Victoria Bendigo...and unfortunately it seemed so real it has been passed on again...so no doubt it will keep on going on for ever and ever!
Glad to hear it wasn't orinally a hoax and that the dogs did get homed together. Cheers from down under :-)

This very outdated call to find a home for Cookie and Coco is making the rounds (probably again!) around Ann Arbor, MI. If things don't work out for Cookie and Coco in their new home, I think there's a boatload of folks who will rush to their rescue (forget about all the other homeless dogs out there)! Long live Cookie and Coco.

Still going Sydney on 5 November 2009. I've notified all that I've spammed and one who spammed me.

Now doing the rounds in Brisbane, Australia.

Just got it in Ohio today. I've also informed those who spammed me and that I spammed.

It's coming around again in Michigan, for the second time!

it's made it to Australia now!

I received it today in Perth, Australia. It is heartwarming to know that there are many good people in this world that this story has touched. Adopt adopt adopt.

It's just been sent around my entire floor here in Brisbane, Australia

I just received the email today in Tuscaloosa Alabma. You know things move slow here in the deep South!!! As a dog lover and an owner of two labs, my heart went out to the family. I was about to forward the message, but decided to check it out on snopes.com. Glad I did!! Anyway, it's great to see that the pair were placed in a home together and that so many people were touched and responded. It's a refreshing reminded about the good of humanity; a reminder that I espically needed today.

I just got this in e-mail this morning and posted it on my facebook for people to see! I thought it was still new! I didnt know it was old, till I decided to do a search. A friend e-mailed from the hospital saying someone thought it was a "hoax"....Amazing what people send out that dont know for sure if its real or old! OMG!
A lot of us were spreading the word all day for nothing! I am soooo mad

Melbourne,Australia, have forwarded to all my lab contacts and animal loving friends. Such a shame all this energy is going into 2 dogs who have found a home long ago. Lets all consider the poor animals waiting on deaths row in the shelters. Remember A PETS FOR LIFE NOT FOR XMAS!

I'm glad the dogs found a home. I'm in the St. Louis, Missouri area and the e-mail got to us yesterday. My husband and I considered giving them a home. Now we're going to the Humane Society to adopt another dog.

second time this year. I'm in Fairhope Alabama. I see it has made the rounds. interesting.

So, have all the folks who virtually offered to adopt Cookie and Coco actually gone on to adopt two dogs each? 'Twould be a great thing if that happened! There are so many, many dogs who need homes. And there are a lot of multi-breed/mixed breed and specific-breed rescues out there who are excellent at rescuing dogs, vetting them to make them healthy, fostering them and learning about them, and being able to recommend the right dogs to the right homes.

We live in Michigan and just recently received the email about these adorable doggies!! So happy to hear they are still together in a happy home. God bless ya!!

The email story made it to Ohio again.

I was glad to see that snopes.com had a stop about it.

Was even more glad to see the happy ending for the doggies.