Chris and Cheryl Dilts’ four miniature dachshunds are all rescues. So when the Wiscasset couple, owners of Newkirk Inn, heard about the volunteer work their friends Paul and Kate Stoddard do for Maine Lab Rescue, they decided to find a way to help the group also.

On Saturday, May 23, the inn on Washington Street hosted an adoption event, Maine Lab Rescue’s second-ever in Lincoln County. The offer was welcome for the group’s founder, Erlene LeBorgne of Windham. The group has no shelter; the pets stay in foster homes. So events like Saturday’s are a way for prospective adopters to meet multiple pets that the group has rescued from Georgia and Puerto Rico, LeBorgne said.

The group rescues cats as well as dogs. A Georgia kitten LeBorgne adopted in November 2011 inspired her to start Maine Lab Rescue.

Labs are LeBorgne’s favorite breed and one of the most frequently euthanized breeds in the south, LeBorgne said in explaining the group’s name. Labs and lab mixes are the focus, but the group is an all-breed dog and cat rescue, LeBorgne said.

“My whole vision was for two to four dogs every two to three weeks,” she said. “The organization has grown far beyond what I could have expected.”

Last year, the organization rescued 700 dogs and cats with the aid of 100-plus volunteers in Maine, Georgia and Puerto Rico.

Saturday brought sun and success for the event at the inn. Six dogs found their forever homes. Skittles, nicknamed Skeeter, found his with East Boothbay summer residents Ron and Barbara Lambert.

“We’re between dogs and we’re ready to get our next one,” Ron Lambert said, holding the puppy as his wife filled out paperwork.

The puppy’s brothers, Milkshake and Stache, were also adopted Saturday. Their mother Shelby is up for adoption, but was not at the event because she was recovering from spaying days earlier, LeBorgne said.

Also Saturday, Jennifer Dorman of Sabattus and her family adopted Tommy, believed to be a lab-boxer mix. He will be a brother to the family’s other dog, Dorman said.

The farthest travelers to adopt came to Wiscasset from Mapleton in Aroostook County and from New Hampshire, LeBorgne said.

Joining LeBorgne to help with the event were several volunteers, including South Portland sisters Donna Ray and Linda Gervais. The two are among the rescue group’s important cadre of volunteers who open their homes to the animals awaiting adoption.

“I like to see puppies finding a second chance at life, and to see people’s faces when they find the right puppy,” Ray said about why she volunteers.

The inn’s owners got to see that same sight on Saturday. “It’s a joy to see the tails wagging and the people happy,” Cheryl Dilts said.

“This is really good community-building,” her husband added about the event.

For information on adopting, contact Maine Lab Rescue at adopt@mainelabrescue.com. If interested in providing a foster home, contact the group at foster@mainelabrescue.com.

Maine Lab Rescue is on Facebook and has a website at www.mainelabrescue.com.