Beware of Fake Dog Rescues
This could happen to you if you don’t research a dog rescue before adopting from it. Image from Pinterest.
The phrase “Caveat Emptor” is Latin for “Let the Buyer Beware.” It means that in a transaction, the buyer alone is responsible for checking the quality and suitability of goods before making a purchase.
Most people wouldn’t think this saying could apply to someone adopting a dog from a rescue group, right?
After all, how could someone who started a dog rescue group, someone who claims to save dogs scheduled to be euthanized and find homes for them, take advantage of anyone who wants to give one of their dogs a loving home?
The unfortunate truth is some people, even those that run dog rescues, will always try to game the system to make a quick buck. This is particularly true in Washington where dog rescues are virtually unregulated.
Starting a dog rescue doesn’t automatically make someone a saint who is above reproach. While saving dogs from euthanization and finding them permanent homes is a noble pursuit, dog rescues don’t deserve any less scrutiny that you would apply to any other seller.
If this person googled the Rising Phoenix Mastiff Rescue before adopting from it she would would have found dozens of horror stories from people who bought sick and/or aggressive dogs from this fake dog rescue. She ended up with a dog that wasn’t a Mastiff and was “covered in feces, riddled with whipworms, with falsified vet paperwork.”
First, Do an Internet Search
An internet search for the group and its founder(s) is the first and easiest thing you can do to identify a fake dog rescue.
If anyone has written bad reviews about their experience with the group or filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, you should find it in seconds.
One bad review doesn’t mean a rescue isn’t trustworthy, but multiple bad reviews can, especially if they cite similar problems.
I do want to emphasize, however, that the majority of dog rescue groups in Washington are run by conscientious people who do fantastic work saving dogs and finding them homes.
Here are 1o questions you can ask to ensure the rescue dog you adopt comes from one of them.
1. Can I see where you keep your dogs?
Virtually every fake dog rescue I’ve written about kept their dogs in filthy, unhealthy living conditions. That’s why they won’t let potential adopters see where their dogs live.
Regardless of whether a rescue keeps its dogs in a central location or in foster homes, it should always allow you to see where it kept your dog.
This picture from 2015 shows why you should ask to see where a rescue keeps its dogs. These dogs belonged to Furever Homes Dog Rescue in Roy, WA. Animal control had over 100 incident reports for this fake dog rescue and its founder Sharon Gold. Photo from theolympian.com.
Asking to see where a rescue keeps its dogs is a basic, straightforward question that shouldn’t be a problem for legitimate dog rescues.
NEVER adopt from a rescue that won’t show you where it keeps its dogs.
2. How long have you had this dog?
Rescues should keep their dogs a few weeks before anyone can adopt them to ensure their dogs are healthy before someone adopts them.
Most canine viruses have long incubation periods. Keeping a dog for an extended period of time allows the rescue to identify and treat any health problems that weren’t evident when it arrived.
It also allows the rescue to do a thorough behavior assessment on a dog to determine things like:
Olaf was a beautiful brown German Shepherd adopted from PURRR Rescue in 2015. His family returned him because he killed their cat and had other behavior problems. The rescue didn’t tell the family Olaf couldn’t be with cats. Picture from PURRR Rescue Facebook page.
- If it knows basic commands or needs training
- Whether or not it’s crate and/or house trained
- What kind of temperament is has
- If it can live in a house with other dogs, cats, or small children
Fake dog rescues don’t keep their dogs long enough to do behavior assessments. They want to sell them as fast as possible to generate quick cash.
Some dog rescues in the Seattle area even have transporters unload their dogs at adoptions event so they can sell them immediately, right out of the van. Others sell their dogs just a day or two after they arrive.
Adopting a dog that hasn’t had a behavior assessment can be dangerous. I know of incidents where a dog adopted from a Washington rescue attacked and/or killed a family’s other pet or their neighbor’s pet because the dog rescue didn’t have it long enough to determine if it could be around other animals.
3. What is your adoption process?
Dog rescues should have a standard, thorough adoption process to ensure one of its dogs is the right match for your family. In its article “Why is Animal Rescue Rife with con artists?”, Camp Cocker Rescue provides an excellent explanation why this is important:
“To thoroughly vet one dog, then thoroughly screen an adopter to place that dog in the best matched home is not a quick task. To do this for just ONE dog can take not only significant funds, but the man hours to promote the dog for adoption, read adoption applications, do vet references for potential adopters, do phone interviews, do home safety checks (in person, none of this Facetime or Skype “fake home checks”) and in the end, be thoughtful and wait for the best match of a home for that dog. For ONE dog this can be hundreds of hours for an ethical rescue, who is not going to cut corners or just sell the dog in front of a pet store to the first person with cash (that would be animal brokering, under the guise of “rescue”, another topic for another day).”
Scalawaggles Pet Rescue was notorious for adopting out sick dogs. Benny had both kennel cough and tapeworm when he was adopted. Photo credit withheld.
4. Do you spay/neuter your dogs before they are adopted?
You should never have to pay for a dog you adopted to be spayed or neutered.
Every dog you adopt from responsible dog rescues will be altered. The only excepts are if the dog is too young or has a medical problem; rescues will arrange for these dogs to be altered at a later date.
Fake dog rescues will give you a voucher for a discounted spay/neuter surgery and assume you’ll schedule and pay for it. Or they won’t give you anything so you end up paying full price for the surgery.
They may also offer to credit your debit/credit card after a vet alters your dog. But when you call or email them after the surgery for the credit, they don’t return your messages and you eventually get stuck with the bill.
Altering dogs is one of the most important thing people can do to reduce the number of unwanted dogs euthanized in animal shelters.
You should avoid dog rescues that don’t have strict spay/neuter policies because they’re more concerned about making money than reducing the number of dogs euthanized in shelters.
5. What’s your adoption fee?
There’s no hard and fast rule about how much you should pay to adopt a dog from a rescue. Adoption fees for rescues in the Seattle area generally run from $150-$400. Puppies usually have higher fees than adult dogs. So ones from groups that rescue special needs dogs. Senior dogs often have lower fees.
Some dog rescues in the Seattle area charge ridiculously high adoption fees – one charges as much as $800!
Rescues that charge high adoption fees aren’t necessarily dishonest, but you should be able to find dozens of rescues that charge more reasonable fees.
6. Where did you get this dog?
Furever Homes illegally brought these 1-month-old puppies into the the US from Mexico. Federal law prohibits dog rescues from bringing dogs into the US that are less than 4 months old. Photo credit withheld.
Many phony dog rescues don’t want you to know where they get their dogs. That’s because they don’t really rescue dogs.
Instead, they scour websites for dogs people give away, buy puppies from backyard breeders, breed their own dogs for puppies to sell, or pay people to grab dogs off the street for them in Mexico.
The Washington Post recently reported some of them even buy puppies at auctions where breeders sell their dogs.
Trustworthy dog rescues are completely transparent about where they get their dogs and will unhesitatingly provide supporting documentation if you request it.
Don’t trust any dog rescue that won’t tell you where they get their dogs.
7. Can I see this dog’s health certificate?
Dogs coming from outside Washington MUST have a health certificate (also called a certificate of veterinary inspection) certifying that it:
- has a current rabies vaccination (puppies less than 90 days old are exempt)
- didn’t come from an area under quarantine for rabies
- tested negative for heartworms (dog less than 6 months old are exempt)
Here’s a sample health certificate for a dog brought into Washington by the Southwest Washington Humane Society:
All dogs that rescues bring into Washington must have health certificates saying that they have been vaccinated for rabies and don’t have heartworms.
8. Has this dog had a comprehensive health exam?
Some fake dog rescues will try to convince you that a health certificate is proof the dog is healthy.
It isn’t.
Like I said, health certificates only provide information about rabies and heartworms. They don’t have to show if the dog had other vaccinations or health problems.
Dogs that appear healthy can still have deadly viruses like parvo and distemper which have incubation periods that last from several days to a couple of weeks.
An adult dog you adopt from a rescue should be up to date on its core vaccinations. If you adopt a puppy it may be too young for some of them. Image from the American Animal Health Association.
That’s why responsible rescues take every dog they have to a vet for a comprehensive exam before they can be adopted.
Questionable rescues don’t care about the health of their dogs. They’d rather pocket the money than spend it on vet exams.
The health of their dogs should be paramount for every rescue group. If a rescue can’t provide documentation showing a vet performed a full exam on the dog you want to adopt, walk away.
9. Is the dog up to date on its vaccines?
Most rescues say that their dogs are fully vaccinated, but don’t take their word for it. Ask to see documentation showing they’ve been vaccinated.
At the very least, the dog you adopt should be up to date on its core vaccines, which are the ones all dogs must have. They are:
- Rabies
- Canine Distemper Virus
- Parvovirus
- Parainfluenza Virus
- Adenovirus-2
10. Can I have the documents the IRS requires charities to provide the public?
Most dog rescue groups are classified as either nonprofits or 501c3 charities. Groups in either classification are exempt from paying taxes.
Nonprofits register with the state’s Secretary of State office. 501c3 charities register with the IRS.
Contributions to nonprofits aren’t tax deductible. Contributions to 501c3 charities are tax deductible.
The IRS REQUIRES 501c3 charities to provide the following documents to ANYONE who requests them:
Their Exemption Application (Form 1023) with any supporting documents
- The Exemption Ruling Letter issued to them by the IRS
- Their Annual Information Return (Form 990 Series)
Copies must be provided immediately in the case of in-person requests, and within 30 days for written requests.
Dog rescues should should be able to provide these documents within the time limits required by the IRS.
If a dog rescue classified as a 501c3 charity refuses to provide them, you should report it to the IRS and find another rescue.
The Exemption Ruling letter from the IRS is one of the documents a 501c3 charity must provide to anyone who requests it.
Do Your Research, Ask questions
You don’t have to ask all 10 questions to identify a fake dog rescue. Asking 3 or 4 of them should give you all the information you need.
And remember, before you ask any questions, do an internet search for the dog rescue you’re considering and the person/people who run it. If your search turns up lots of complaints about a rescue, don’t even bother with the questions; just take that dog rescue off your list and find another one.
To make your search a little easier you can also reference this recently updated list of Washington Animal Shelters and Rescues.
Most Dog Rescues Run by Dedicated, Honest People
I hope that reading about fake dog rescues won’t drive you to get a dog from a breeder. The vast majority of dog rescues in Washington are run by people dedicated to saving dogs from euthanization and finding them homes where they will thrive.
By asking some pointed questions you can quickly identify the dog rescues you should avoid and find the ones that will help you find a fantastic companion.
Just remember: Caveat Emptor!
Why make it hard on every one that really wants to make a real forever a good for ever home and you sick heartless hateful demonds need to leave them fur babies alone since you are not willing to help any one around the ling run and you rescue people. have your prices way to high if you really want us good people to adopt then lower the prices for adoption now. I can give you a hint on how to tell good from bad people right off if you really want these fur babies in a good for ever home some act nice if you are really watching them on who is pretened to be nice and who really is nice then you can really know and some are really good at it so until something bad happenes then you will know on some people that you are un sure about it is best to not let them to adopt either cause there is something that you are not sure of and the ones you can figure out just say to them a family that came in earlyer just put money down for him/ her paid over the phone and all of those bad people make sure they are posted in the shelters and every where else they can be i have had experince with all kinds of bad people so i know how the are and i found out even the ones that you are not sure and second guessing and so on they usely are bad oeople to every damn time.and the others that i mintioned tgey are very bad tothe ones that you can trust they show the real thing and you really do see the love with them know fakes there if it is ginuine it will show.there will be know seconed guessing and un surenesnow do fake being nice the longer you deal with them you can spot those real fast and some times they do mess up in public.so please pot this to every one that needs to know these things this will save a lot of heart aches.down the road.
First off, you know nothing about rescuing..nothing at all. Educate yourself. Find out what that adoption fee covers…pretty much nothing. Find out why before posting about things you don’t know.
A few people sent in comments about this post but unfortunately they were lost when we made some changes to the site. If you submitted a comment please resend it I will post it.
I do remember 2 comments. One asked how I could write about shady rescues without visiting them. The other claimed my caption about Olaf, the dog adopted out by PURRR that killed a cat in his new adoptive home, wasn’t true.
The simple reason I didn’t visit the rescues is because I wasn’t allowed.
As I wrote in the post, “Virtually every fake dog rescue I’ve written about kept their dogs in filthy, unhealthy living conditions. That’s why they won’t let potential adopters see where their dogs live.”
I did notify some rescues about what I was writing about them and asked if they had a response. They all denied they did anything wrong. One had a lawyer call and threaten to sue me. Others said animal control/police were lying in their reports. Some blamed volunteers for the poor condition of their dogs.
I would have been happy to visit these rescues if I had been allowed.
Regarding the story about Olaf: The woman who adopted him (and eventually returned him) from PURRR is the one who told me he killed their cat and attacked their other pets. The person who said my information was wrong provided nothing to indicate anything I wrote wasn’t true. If I was wrong I’ll be happy to remove the post, but I have to see evidence.
Very good article. As with any purchase but particularly when a living being is involved, adopters should always do their research. I would just add a few things. I give my fosters dhpp and bordetella shots and I remove the stickers off of the bottles and stick them on the foster’s paperwork with the date the shot was administered. Don’t accept just a form with a date next to DHPP. Everything should be documented and you should get the documents when you adopt the dog. Dogs should have:
distemper/parvo 5 in 1 up to 9 in 1
bordetella
rabies
they should have been wormed twice, once to kill the adult worms and again in 2-3 weeks to kill the grown larvae
Heartworm test which should include the more common tick-borne diseases and the vet office should have on the paperwork the result of the test
spay/neuter
Many rescues will insist on the dog being returned to the rescue if for whatever reason the adopter can no longer keep the dog. This is a sign of a responsible rescue.
Read the contract!!!!!! And there should be a contract.
Great points, thank you!
Do u realize that alot of the dogs that come to rescues are unaltered, need shots, teeth cleaning,, fleas and or ticks taken care of worms gotten rid of retraining due to fear of humans, that takes time and money food , meds , toys all of that. These ppl use their own cars , own gas and most only volunteer all money’s go to the animals saved . Get 75-100 dogs that all need medical care shots altered it’s not cheep rescues still have to pay a vet as well
If they are taking in animals that they have no way to care for than they are no better than hoarders and the animals now need to be rescued from them.
She didn’t say they couldn’t take care of the dogs, she said it costs money. Shelters do their medical procedures at taxpayer expense. Rescues usually get a discount, but they still pay, with their own money, not taxpayer money.
That is so true. I told a “rescue” that I would foster a dog if it was not sick and it got along with cats. They sent me a dog straight from the shelter that wasn’t fixed, hated cats, and chased my cat all over the place and had terrible kennel cough. I was so pissed off. I kept telling her to please take The Dog somewhere else, but she waited two weeks to find somebody. In the meantime, I paid for all the dogs food, and I had to keep her separate from everyone. It was a total nightmare.
On the other hand, I just worked with a very excellent rescue and adopted a new Chihuahua. SCARS rescue in Lis angeles was awesome!!
Although Jody is probably talking about reputable dog rescues she is not stating the facts about “rescue for profit” rescues. I volunteered for a “rescue for profit” rescue & their own gas was NOT used. They begged for donations to be able to go get said dogs. I personally witnessed thousands of dollars coming in from donations & the stories on the dogs being stretched to collect the donations from people with a heart for the dogs. The donations were being taken to “supposedly” vet the dogs when there were dogs being left in the basement knowing they were sick & NEVER seeing a vet & within days were dead. Donations being asked for & gotten to be able to properly vet the dogs & yet being adopted out without the proper vetting & the adopter’s paying to adopt & then not being able to get a hold of the proprietor to have them spayed, neutered & shots brought up to date subsequently leaving them with a large vet bill that was “promised” to be taken care of before the adoption procedure. I & other volunteer’s who fostered for this rescue ended up paying huge vet bills for the fostered dogs & were never reimbursed a dime. I personally was told by the proprietor when her satellite TV & her internet had been shut off due to non payment that she was expecting some donations to come in that day & she would have them turned back on. I personally witnessed Pit bulls being left in a small room inside of kennels for literally months upon months & only being let outside for 5-10 minutes a day & subsequently a lot of them ended up going kennel crazy & when she knew she wouldn’t be able to adopt them out she had a previous trainer take them to his house in the country & shoot them. In Iowa I have since found out that shooting a dog is not considered a crime. YET she basically just didn’t want to spend her profits on humanely euthanizing them. Iowa is rated with the worst animal abuse laws in the country so even contacting the Department of Agriculture as well as the Attorney General has been useless. We actually have no such thing as a “rescue” state. It is either a dealer, a breeder or a shelter YET she is allowed to call herself a Pit Bull rescue. All of this leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The only highlight is I myself before leaving the for profit rescue personally helped home 9 dogs which would have otherwise been left in a bad situation. Ludicrous
Sounds awful. Most of WA rescues have people genuinely dedicated to saving dogs and finding them homes but there are definitely a few retail rescues that only care about $$$$$$..
Every rescue that I have ever heard of asks for donations. The one you worked for sounds more like exactly the kind this article is talking about.
I got a dog at an event from a dog rescue, she got sick first day. Rescue lady picked her up and took her to the vet. Brought her back and said she had tick fever and gave me antibiotics to give her for 3 weeks. She asked me to foster to adopt until she gets healthy. She got much better and was getting used to us. At the end of 3 weeks I noticed only a little cough and asked the lady to have a follow up with the vet to make sure she didn’t need more meds. She took her and brought her back and said she was fine and didn’t need nothing. A few days pass and the dog started shaking, weak and started tilting her head back. I called the lady and she picked her up right away and said she would take her to an emergency vet if needed. Next dayI asked how is the dog and she says she is fine didn’t notice any issues. She took her to the vet next day and said she had lost weight and that I was not feeding her enough,which I asked her and she had told me the quantities to feed her. She brought her back, I noticed ticks on the dog and some diarrhea. Nextday she didn’t want to eat so I tried a different food and she didn’t want it. Then gave different flavor and she ate. Next day she wakes up vomiting and diarrhea. The lady picked her up again. I asked her if she was going to take her to the vet and she said she had already taken her twice and they found nothing wrong. I texted asking next day how she was doing,she ignored. I texted again and she told me she has the dog with another foster to watch her because ahe noticed no issues with her. I said I was not lying and that the dog was very sick. And I treated her very well, we were worried and we miss her. This is probably traumatizing for the dog and for us since ahe was going back and forth. The lady said she may just not b a good fit with us and may need to be in a home with another dog. I don’t feel she’s being honest. This dog came here sick and was doing well while on antibiotics. Idk if she is ok after she left or if she is being neglected. How can the dog be so sick because of not adjusting. She showed us affection and we love her. I feel so sad after all this situation. Should this rescue be trusted ?
It sounds pretty sketchy to me. I’ll send you an email to get more info.
I hate people that puppy or dog is like a baby it needs love and it depends on you . I just lost my Cairn terrier My mom cried for at leasted four days broke my heart ❤️ she’s 91 i have to find her another one or maybe 2 I love her and want to see her happy 😊
I am looking to surrender a dog that I have had for 3 months. I took her with the intention of finding an appropriate adopter or breed/type specific rescue. This is my priority so that she can have a better chance at getting a furever home with people who could help her work through some of her challenges. I want to be able to vet a rescue to surrender to but beggars can’t be choosers right. The rescue that has agreed to take her the soonest is hard to find information about, only 2 reviews, no website, only FB page that hasn’t posted anything in about two years, and there are no posts about what dogs are available in fosters (they don’t have their own physical shelter), no posts about successful adoptions or anything really showing how they operate. I have had limited response from other rescues so far in regard to knowledge about this particular rescue. All the rescues that fit the bill (or the foster homes) are at least a 4 to 5 hour drive. I’m looking for some legit way to get an honest opinion from someone who is affiliated with a rescue, shelter etc. I know it would still be biased and I know rescues wouldn’t want to badmouth each other. It is becoming urgent that I find a place for her due to complications in my home with other dogs and with my own health issues worsening. I knew it would take sacrifice to do this and I thought I could avoid the the isolation and anxiety of the local shelter. Any advice anyone?
I’ll try to help. Can you tell me where you’re located?
Does anyone have information on ‘Homes for Rescues’? Puppies posted now on petfinder raise red flags with me. I emailed petfinder but might be a good example of what is cause for concern (no application, no vet certificate, no web presence, no mention of spay/neuter).
Here is one of the postings:
https://www.petfinder.com/dog/stone-blue-50627247/bc/port-moody/homes-for-rescues-bc262/
Look at the background of the pic’s. You can see how dirty and cluttered the surroundings are.
This article and the other out about shady rescues explain exactly my recent experience with a shady “nonprofit” rescue in the DC metro area. Very helpful, thank you!!
Glad it helped!
I recently was directed to Match Dog Rescue through Pet Finder. They supposedly operate out of Marlton, NJ which is within 50 miles of my home. I saw the cutest dog and jumped right in to begin the adoption process. As I was filling out the application, some things seemed shady so I donated $25 as my “voluntary” application fee but used a MasterCard gift card that only had $27 on it. Their site looks amazing BUT: they tell you not to call about the status of the pet you’re wanting to adopt, they do not have a phone number, and they stated that it usually takes a person “several applications” before an appropriate match is made.
I am fairly certain that my $25 went to a SCAM. I’m just grateful that I did not give them my actual checking account information. Thanks for the article. I’m not giving up but fortunately I am getting much more savvy at identifying these greedy scammers. Also, despite their disclaimer about “beware of giving money to non-legitimate rescues”, shouldn’t Pet Finder be screening these people???
Thanks for your note. I’m glad you got out before you lost more money. I’ve had problems with pet finder and adopt-a-pet promoting bad rescues on their website. Neither does any screening on the rescues on their site. They will take down bad rescues if you report them but it’s a long drawn out process. I’ve had 2-3 taken off and they all took several months to remove. One took over a year. Removing bad rescues doesn’t appear to be a priority for either of them.
Reading these comments & realizing there is clearly a problem.
I’m in NY State & they just passed laws about Puppy mills, but I don’t think they’ve gone into effect yet.
Well I live alone now, no pets & have lots of time, so I’ve been on Petfinder for about 5 weeks searching for a very small furry faced loving rescue puppy that I can train myself. I know a tiny dog is right for me as I get older.
My local shelters are filled with big dogs so no luck there.
Most of the “rescue” puppies that I like on Petfinder all require an inquiry, then you wait for a response by email, then they send you an application & you send it back, THEN you wait & wait only to find out the baby has already been adopted! It’s not user friendly at all!
Another HUGE issue- There are no adoption fees listed in many of their posts, it should be required for transparency with no hidden costs.
One particular non profit “rescue” that never lists their adoption fees & she won’t answer fee ?’s until after days of inquiring, submitting apps, going back & forth waiting & wasting time. Then she tells you it’s 950! These are adorable pups, but they are supposedly new babies just “rescued”, not altered & only supposedly have basic shots required. That feels very off to me! She wants that same amount for all of them! I understand there are costs involved & I’m willing to pay a fair adoption fee, but I’m thinking they are all about profit!
Petfinder should be vetting these “rescues” better & they should require the total transparency of health, fees/conditions on every post.
Sad, but we’ve been scammed a couple of times. Does Everyone ask for a payment before you get the animal?? Why can’t you buy a dog with money in hand?
No, they don’t. Once they have your money you have little control. Which rescues scammed you?
We adopted 2 Chihuahuas in Oct 2020. They came from a rescue in Alabama. The fee was $250 ea. At first we didn’t think we could afford it, & pulled our Application. Feeling bad, we donated $20 to the Rescue. About a week later, we had re-evaluated some finances, & decided to go back to adopt the pups. The rescue only has foster homes for their pups, no central facility.
The Co-ordinator told us the foster could bring the pups to an adoption event they were having, then the Coordinator would bring pups to her house to meet us to pick them up & do paperwork. It would save us about 40 more miles of travel.
We were never asked if we wanted to meet pups “before” that. They asked us, if they could visit our home, & we agreed. They never did.
When we got to Coord. home, she was outside with the pups. We talked & begin signing papers, etc. I walked the pups around the yard on a leash. The Coordinator’s young son came out & was talking a lot & playing. It became a bit distracting. We noticed there were several dogs, large & small looking out a big front window of the house. The house was large, but somewhat unkept for it being a pretty nice home.
I noticed our female pup was having “extremely hard time trying to poop”. I mentioned it & Coord. said it was “probably the antibiotics” vet gave her for infection during spay surgery. (No mention of any health problems “prior” to adoption). She never told us it was a “complicated spay” ( which we found out later). She said we could give pumpkin & coconut oil for the constipation. They also seemed “undernourished”, & we could see their backbones. (We figured, “not a problem”, we can get them up to a better condition pretty quick.) Both were pretty clean & we only noticed the Male having some hair missing under his neck & tummy (thinking this may be hormonal after a late neuter, etc..) The female did appear to have “just had a litter”, observing her teats. Both were fixed. Female had been spayed less than couple wks before. Our picture was taken with the pups & we went home. We also were told they both were 3 yrs old & BD’s were posted on the Rescue page & some vet records. We thought the “female looked older” as she had a bit of grey under the chin. We chalked it up as having a previous hard life & maybe looking older than her age.
We were told we would get copies of paperwork, Rabies tags, Vaccs, vet records, via email. Rabies tags/Certification would be sent via mail (foster supposedly could not find them at home & Coord. would get them asap & send to us thu mail).
As days, weeks went by, I continued to be in contact with Coord. asking questions about health of female, as she continued for weeks to have the constipation problem. Also questions about Rabies tags, vet records, asking if they had had any bloodwork done prior to spay, etc..
Here are highlights of questionable events, that eventually transpired over the months:
– Got paperwork from Rescue showing Rescue giving worm meds/parvovirus shots, and some vet records & Rabies info (All this info filled out on “forms” from the Rescue -“not official” vet records/Cert.)
– After about a month, I called Rescue’s Vet ofc & asked for their office records on our pups, & asked how to get duplicates of Rabies Tags/Cert. Their vet ofc told us to call the Rescue back, as whoever brought the dogs in for Rabies shots, etc., would be the ones to come back & get them duplicated. They also made a remark about they “had had problems with rescues losing rabies tags”; they didn’t seem very happy about it.
– I had asked the Rescue before we adopted (in emails to Coord.) if the “dogs were healthy?” Answer: “As far as we know”. I had asked many questions about health & behaviors, likes, dislikes, etc., before adoption (all documented in emails over several weeks, before & after adoption). Some questions were answered very “vaguely or ignored”. Weekly, I told the Rescue the female still having constipation problems. Hoping they would call their vet & asked about it, since dog had had “complicated spay”. Repeated Answer from Rescue was: Increase pumpkin, (over & over). I asked if “that” was the “answer from their vet who did spay?” That question was “ignored” (as the “pumpkin regimen” was from the “CEO”, of the rescue, who is “not a vet”.) They gave us a half a small bag of dry kibble when we picked the pups up. We did change their diet to include “soft/can food” immediately. The Male also exhibited constipation from the beginning, but not in the “extreme” like the female.
– I asked Coord. if animals ever had bloodwork done at their vet. Answer: We only have it done “if animal is senior or appears to be ill”, etc. So, NO, no bloodwork (except heartworm test) done on these pups. (What vet doesn’t do bw on animals “prior to surgery”, if they’ve never seen the animal before, or know nothing of its med history? Usually, only if the owner declines to pay for it, from what I know.)
– After a couple weeks we began to really look the pups over physically. (We wanted to be calm for a bit & get them in a kind of de-stress mode & on a feeding schedule & routines, etc.) Besides the female having the constipation problem ( got a bit better with new diet, but far from normal), we found she had “bad teeth/gums”. She didn’t have any bottom teeth , except canines & some back teeth, & the front top had some broken/missing from what we could see. We were very mad about “not being told” about this by Rescue!! (Were “we” suppose to do a physical on the dogs in the front yard of the Coord. house, while filling out paperwork & other distractions? I think not!)
– We also noticed female was “incontinent” the next day after getting her home. We decided to give them both time to understand they could go right outside, to our little fenced area, anytime, as the door is left open. We were told by rescue the male might mark/pee in house & was given a bellyband. We used it only couple times, as we could see it had previously rubbed a sore place on his tummy. Other than that, we watched him closely & stopped/corrected him & took outside when we caught him trying to pee on furniture. The problem was quickly solved in a few days, with the male .
– We were told, when we previously asked, if they were pee pad/house trained. We were told “yes”. Of course, we knew a new environment would be stressful & decided to wait it out, & observing and making them aware to go out anytime & putting pads down where they peed, etc.. Did try diapers for female (not staying on & all other problems that come with that), until got her to vet.
– Our Vet says female’s bloodwork was pretty good for her age – Which we were told was 3yrs +months (same with male). Our Vet says female is “more like” Nine (9) yrs old! (Would we have adopted a senior? Most likely NOT, since we just had 2 seniors with serious diseases, and tons of meds & stress, for the previous 3 yrs! I wanted a ” break” from that stress & heartache!)
– Our Vet said she had “severe periodontal disease”!
– She also “had a parasite” that they get from “eating snails”! Causing blood in poop & other problems. Meds and antibiotics for that. Lactulous for digestive problems, and new RX diet for both of them.
– Female has “megacolon”. Can be serious problem! Had to have her teeth cleaned & some pulled. Had abdomen x_rayed while under. Has a couple back disk problems. Meds for that.
– Both dogs have the “knee joint” problem where they hop on the affected leg (“we noticed” this after a few days we had them, if they ran a bit or exercised a good bit, but the rescue never saw it?!).
– We asked the Rescue about “where they came from/background” (before adoption). Answer: “We don’t really know. People know our foster rescues animals and they come to her for help, or bring her animals, etc.”
– The rescue/foster “knows nothing” about the animals? BUT, it’s miraculous that they post a ” birthdate” on both of them! Their Vet posts the BDs on their office records. Except they post a “different” BD on the female, as her being 6 yrs old?!
– The “paperwork” from the Rescue is absolutely useless, contradictory,
& not worth the paper it is written on!
– Our Vet put the female on meds for the incontinence . For a couple months it has worked well, but she appears to be having problems again ( and losing a bit of weight again, poor baby, what’s next).
– We strongly suspect the rescue/foster knew of these health problems before adopting them out, as these kinds of health problems don’t usually happen overnight – all at one time!
– As time went by we began to see a “pattern of avoidance”, and plainly, BS, in regard to our inquiries before & during/after adoption.
We are no strangers to the world of animal rescue, and are familiar & experienced in taking care of strays/abandoned animals, etc. We also rehabbed/rescued wildlife for 5 yrs. We lived in the country for years & had 25+ stray animals at our house on more than one occasion over past 20 yrs. Rescued & helped rescues, advocated for animal welfare in organized groups, lobbying State legislators for more humane animal laws for several yrs, etc.. Even having had a “bad experience” with an animal rescue several yrs ago. (Not with an Adoption, as we “never had to adopt” an animal, we always had a steady supply over the past 30 yrs, just coming to us.) I’ve had animals all my life. A long, long time.
YET, here I am! I truly believed we got “screwed over by the rescue we adopted these animals from”! They did not do “diligent care” for these animals, before they were adopted out! In fact, the level of care was “negligent”!!
I should have been more vigilant/cautious in the beginning, and thought about all the info & lessons I thought learned from others!
Last Summer, and summer before, we lost our 2 sister Corgis (15 & 16 ys), one to a 3 yr battle with Cushing’s disease & other a 2 yr Battle with kidney disease. We had not been without a sweet fur-baby for over 25 yrs, at least more than one at a time! We don’t have kids, so we were having “empty nest syndrome” I suspect.
During the time our Corgis were sick, I fell out of the network of animal rescuers, as it all finally was too much at the time.
I believe if I had remained involved in the animal welfare networks, we may have been more cautious, about adopting. We did look around a few months before deciding on this rescue, but, obviously we weren’t cautious enough!
My sister died in late November & I had planned on contacting this rescue again with my dissatisfaction of their actions, etc.. But, that went out the window for a while. A couple weeks ago, I did email the Coordinator and let her know that I knew (had documementation) of their BS they pulled on us. I got pretty angry. I told them to also take down the “photo of Happy Endings” they posted on their website, as it wasn’t a happy ending at all, & we never were told, nor gave our permission for them to post our picture publically.
I also told them they had a problem with their foster or somebody not observing or taking care of the animals; and also problems with “lying” to potential adopters. I told them “rescues like them”, are the “very reason animals rescues should be regulated”, like “puppy mills” should be!
Well, I haven’t finished with them yet. We should get our money back for the female! We are going thru hell/stress trying to get her health problems straightened out, that we should have been told about! We feel so sorry for the sweet girl, going thru so much hell, with her health. We are trying hard to get her to a good, happy healthy condition. Why didn’t this rescue ?
I am sickened with myself for falling for this rescue’s BS, and even more sick of the fool I was to give them a $20 donation on top of the fees & I donated my 2 Corgi girls’ little sweaters to the b-tches! This rescue is undeserving of that!
Another thing I want to say to anyone who may read this. Over the years there are some rescues who I have heard say a hundred times, talking about people who may feed strays or take one in to try to get help for it, but cannot keep the animal for a legit reason…They like to comment to the effect of: “once you feed or care for a animal, i.e., a stray or abandoned animal, then the animal is “your responsibility to care for it” and not to try to pawn it off on someone else to take care of, etc.” My “rebuke” to that attitude is this: “the SAME goes for Rescues”!
I will expose how this rescue handled this Adoption in a shameful, unethical manner. Whether anything is done, or I can do anything else about it, I don’t know, short of going to court.
If anyone has suggestions other than exposing on FB, maybe you can post it here, etc..
I can take some comfort in knowing that some super people I know, that have been in rescue national networks, been heroic & accomplished animal advocates, supporters of rescues for years, have gotten conned by supporting “bad rescues”, too; but didn’t have any idea, until it blew up & someone exposed what the rescue was doing behind the scenes. Lots of animals & people get hurt very bad!
So, please, people! Spread the word to be more diligent, and more diligent again, before you adopt! Adopt/support animals “locally”; where you can have “easy access” to all facilities/foster homes/paperwork, and see with your own eyes, what is going on!
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What a horrible experience. I’m so sorry. The first thing you should do is post the name of the rescue in your comments here so people know what rescue you’re talking about. Also, there are several Facebook pages where you can post your experience with bad rescues. You can see the links to a few of them at the end of the post. You should check to see if there are any for reporting rescues in your region. Other things you can do:
Most states have laws requiring dog rescues to register with the state. If this rescue isn’t listed you can report it to the state agency that oversees them (often it’s the department of agriculture.
If the rescue claims for be a charitable 501c3 check the IRS website to see if they are listed as a charity (all charities MUST register with the IRS). If they aren’t listed, file a complaint with the IRS.
Report them to local animal control or law enforcement.
I hope this helps.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/201038656916619
https://www.facebook.com/GuardDogUSAExposing
https://www.facebook.com/groups/220187434803860
Thanks for the info. Good luck!
I just want to say wonderful article! So needed in this day and age. I have been looking for a small dog to adopt/rescue, and boy has it been difficult and time consuming. I am always trying to check out the Rescue Groups to make sure they are legit and that is difficult too. I will keep in mind all of the information you shared. Currently I’m looking at a puppy on Adopt A Dog Rescue. And their process seems different than others which is sending me a red flag. I don’t have to fill out an application prior to meeting it seems. They had me text them about the dog. The dog I’m interested in has a meet and greet today w someone else so maybe they will have me fill out an app but nothing requested yet. I tried to research them. They have a huge website with lots of board members and staff listed w titles and pictures. I’m not getting any bad reviews to pop up. But all of their dogs don’t seem like typical rescues. So if I do get a chance to be offered a meet and greet w this puppy I am now armed w more questions that I can direct towards them! Thanks to you! You know I try to do good and rescue animals and not buy from a breeder in fact all but one of my my dogs have come from the Humane Society or a rescue group. My one experience w the rescue group wasn’t great. And they were supposedly a good rescue group. After spending $4000 on him trying to save him from the three tick borne diseases he had, he had to be put down because ultimately he developed heart failure. This reputable rescue Foothills rescue in Scottsdale, AZ never returned a call to me. I told them that I wanted to make them aware of his illness so they could contact the person who adopted his sibling. I wasn’t seeking restitution etc. They never even called me back. It states in their adoption papers they are not responsible for any illness that arise. But this dog apparently came from Texas which we all know has many parasites, they should all have the simple blood test done one them. I got him when he was 7 months old and he crashes a few days after I had him. He has been in a foster home, they should have noticed something wrong w him. But when I called them I made it clear that I wanted them to contact the person who adopted his sibling. I never heard a word back and I called a couple of times.
Because I’m specifically looking for a little dog this time I’ve had to look to rescue groups and boy is it a different experience! It certainly makes me more nervous. I have a two hour drive to look at most dogs as I live in a smaller town and have to drive to Phoenix AZ to even meet the dog.
Well enough said. Haha. I’m thankful for people like you who investigate this for us and get the information out! I will certainly go forward with the knowledge you have provided!
Thank you so much. That rescue in Scottsdale certainly doesn’t sound reputable to me. I’m about to post and article about a shelter in TX that sent 2 transports of sick dogs to the Northwest. Over 20 of them eventually had to be euthanized. The best thing you can do at this point is to post some reviews detailing what happened to your poor dog and how the rescue didn’t respond. At least other people researching the group will be able to read about your experience.
Thank you for not giving up on adopting a rescue dog. Most rescues do great work and do everything they can to ensure their dogs are healthy when they’re adopted.
All you said is true most of these rescue groups are really a burden to us pet lovers but I Know of a cool rescue group that I got my lovely pet from them.
I think most rescue groups are legitimate. The bad players are in the minority.
Thanks for writing the article… Do you know if the websites like petfinder or adoptapet bother to vet the organizations that use their services? Seems to me that they would be in the best position to call out bad operators.
Many rescues are just poorly run and under funded. These are the operations that will lie to you about the animals background and health. Many times the animals never see a vet but receive their vaccines and meds from the volunteers.
Years ago I brought home a Lab from at the time a very well known animal rescue on the North side of Long Island. While I was getting to know the dog I noticed a dry sounding cough. The attendant promised me that the dog had been checked by their vet and had kennel cough and gave me some antibiotics for the dog.
When I got home I scheduled an appointment for later in the week with my vet. Turned out the dog had distemper, apparently among local vets the outfit was known for giving away sick animals. The prognosis wasn’t very good and the cost for treatment was way out of my budget. When I contacted the rescue they agreed to provide the medical treatment.
3 weeks later when I returned to bring the dog home he was covered in dried feces, al his ribs were showing and he looked like death. He did survive but suffered needlessly. If they had actually had a vet check the dog the distemper would have been diagnosed and the dog wouldn’t have suffered so much.
I’m so sorry for your experience. That’s a great question about pet finder/adopt a pet. It’s something I’m currently looking into. They have rules that the rescues on their sites are supposed to follow but vetting is minimal. And even when I’ve sent evidence that a rescue broke their rules they are VERY hesitant about removing a bad rescue from their site.
Great article!
Is it a red flag if they won’t tell you where they got the dog and they charge $2000 for a puppy? Maybe thats the going rate for the Seattle area. The rescue brought in 4 golden retrievers in one run and another set in another run from a month ago. They’re highly sought after dogs so it was weird that they’d have to be rescued in the first place. Almost feels like they’re an in between for a mill pretending to be a rescue.
They claimed the dogs are AKC dogs but that they made a deal with where they got the dogs to be secret.
It’s possible. Which rescue?
As a retired Animal Control Officer/Animal Inspector in the Boston area, I am now looking for a small OLDER dog (couch potato) to keep me company AND to visit hospice patients with me. I’ve had three Cairn Terrier puppies, but as a senior citizen I now need a senior dog! I’ve rescued two puppies, but had no idea of what pitfalls I might fall into! The above articles have been VERY helpful. I’m looking at “pet-a-tet” Does anyone have an info on them? Many thanks, Paula