WOW! I finally hit 500!…read more I wanted to make this review special--something that's close to my heart (just like my other 100 markers!). For those of you who know me, know that I love my pooch Ryno. He's a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and yes, is treated like royalty. I have yet to meet a Cavalier that hasn't been sweet, awesome, and overall just a great catch! I have not adopted from this rescue, but know people who have, I've also met a few people affiliated with the rescue at various meet ups and dog shows throughout IL and even WI. :-) You couldn't ask for a bunch of better people! Here's a little about their mission (taken from their website): GCCR's mission is to help ensure the health and security of abused, abandoned, and otherwise endangered Cavalier King Charles Spaniels by rehabilitating and placing Cavaliers from shelters and similar situations, by assisting breeders and owners in finding new homes for their Cavaliers, and by providing to the public educational materials and consultation regarding Cavalier health and care. The growing popularity of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels has prompted increased breeding by unscrupulous breeders and puppy mills. This development suggests that owners' concerns about health as well as the number of Cavaliers in need will only grow. Placement of Cavaliers in new homes without appropriate, knowledgeable veterinary testing may result in unforeseen, serious heartaches for new owners. The GCCR as well as other dedicated Cavalier rescuers and owners are here to help.

It seems like the two other reviews say it all!! I volunteer with the GCCR and can't believe how…read moresupportive, nurturing, and selfless this group of people truly are. We have members who have owned cavaliers for over 20 years and novice owners. All of which are dedicated to educating the public, raising awareness, and rescuing these lovely dogs. Please join our group on facebook or check out the rescue website: www.gccavalierrescue.org

I would give them 10 out of 5 stars if I could…read more The staff are friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely care about the animals. The animals are clearly well cared for, and the adoption fee includes a lot, such as microchipping and keeping the animals up to date on their medical care. They are also happy to answer questions and provide advice, both before and after adoption. If you're considering a special-needs pet or aren't sure what type of pet would be the best fit, they'll take the time to explain the responsibilities involved and help you make an informed decision. What really sets this shelter apart is that they take the time to get to know potential adopters and make sure each adoption is a good fit for both the animal and the family. Their focus is on responsible placement and the well-being of the pets, not superficial factors. I especially appreciate that they don't judge a person's ability to provide a loving home based on their social media presence. Too often, some organizations seem to equate online popularity with being a good pet owner, but those things have little to do with one another. In fact, the amount of time someone spends building a social media following says nothing about the care, attention, and commitment they'll give a pet. This shelter evaluates people based on what truly matters: their ability and willingness to provide a safe, stable, and loving home. I adopted two kittens from them about a year and a half ago. One grew into a gentle giant, while the other stayed petite. A few weeks ago, I returned and adopted a large 3-year-old cat as a companion for my gentle giant. The adoption process was just as positive the second time around. I highly recommend this shelter to anyone considering adopting, donating, or volunteering. They are doing great work and truly have the animals' best interests at heart.

Very dedicated and loving volunteers…read more pets have all medical issues. Neutering and shots

I want to give more than 5 stars for NLOL. Our adoption counselor Jackie is just amazing in terms…read moreof support she provides! She checks in with me about the dog almost everyday provide appropriate support and guidance every time when I was faced with difficulties because the dog was not fully house trained. NLOL offers two week foster period before adoption, which is a wonderful mechanism to get to know the dog before the big commitment. I am still in the middle of the foster period but I am just beyond impressed by the support I was given. It has been an wonderful experience so far. I would recommend NLOL to everyone who is considering adopting a dog!

If you read nothing else - fostering with New Leash on Life is the best, no-regrets decision I ever…read moremade. If you want more details about how and why I reached this conclusion, read on. I wanted to volunteer with animals, and I was frustrated by the larger organizations extremely limited opportunities and complicated process to volunteer. No, I didn't want to read a 50 page manual and take a test just to clean cages. I wanted to make a big difference in the lives of dogs and help Chicago become a no-kill city. Surely, it couldn't be that hard to find an organization with no red tape and an easy process to volunteer. Enter: New Leash on Life. I found them about 2.5 years ago on this Yelp page with their address listed downtown. I later realized this downtown address was only a PO Box which means NLOL does not have a physical location/adoption center. The implication of this is that all dogs go straight from rescue into foster homes until they find their forever families. This process can take weeks or sometimes months - depending on the dog. Don't let the uncertainty of a timeline deter you - fostering for New Leash is an absolute dream and here are my top three reasons why: 1. Unparalleled people - the nicest and most sincere adoption counselors. They constantly check up on the pups, their progress, and making sure you as a foster have everything you need. Not just via email- typically by text messages which means a quick response time. 2. Super flexible - a. Vacation or trip? No problem! New Leash will work with you and your schedule b. Work long hours? No problem! New Leash can schedule a walker to come during the day 3. And last but not least, THE DOGS. They really know how to pick them. Every dog that I've fostered has been kind hearted, adorable, and an A++ cuddler. Every dog deserves the right to a loving, safe home. Yes fostering is a short term arrangement, but it's a critical piece to helping these pups find their long term forever. Nothing makes me happier than seeing every dog I've fostered thriving in their forever homes. If you're on the fence about fostering, just try it. Anyone who loves dogs can do it and do it successfully. It is an extremely rewarding process and this organization makes it SO easy.

I absolutely love my dog from Fido but I have to warn people about what goes on there. I adopted a…read morePomeranian and when I visited her twice she was calm and sweet to all people and dogs. 24 hours after adopting her demeanor totally changed and she was aggressive to others and dogs. She is amazing to me but I know now she was definitely drugged before we met because she has severe social anxiety. So just beware! They will drug aggressive dogs so you will be fooled. I love my dog so much and we have been training and her vet gave her trazadone to calm her which works wonders but ethically, this is not a good establishment.

I love BFF. I was looking to foster for a local rescue and my vet recommended Be Fido's Friend. I…read moream SO glad he did! I filled out a foster application and 'Liked' them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BeFidosFriend) One day I saw a photo they posted of this adorable little grey dog in a cage saying they needed someone to volunteer to foster her so they could bail her out of the pound. I eagerly volunteered. I was so excited to pick her up---BFF arranged to have her looked at by a vet, spayed, chipped and vaccinated before I got her. I immediately fell in love with her. It wasn't long before I knew I was never going to be able to give her back. I adopted Poppy back in November from BFF. I am so grateful that they were able to introduce me to this little pup who I've grown to love as if she is my own child. I then fostered another dog through them who I also fell in love with, but this time I was happy to know that she went to a really loving home. BFF is great. They aren't pushy at all like a lot of rescues are. Everyone is so friendly and helpful. They offer you some bonuses when you adopt from them, like lifetime help and support for your dog among other things. They are completely, 100% run by volunteers which is extremely impressive. They recently threw a really fun fundraiser at Bucktown Pub which was a great way to give back to the rescue and all of the lives that they save. I've volunteered with various rescues over the past few years, and I must say Be Fido's Friend is one of the best ones I've had the opportunity to work with. I highly, highly recommend them to anyone who is looking to adopt or give back and help some pups.

This is a fantastic organization that has numerous devout followers and volunteers. I had wanted an…read moreakita since I was 12 and after hearing about this rescue I did my research. This organization has a great deal of information on the breed and they take the time to write up detailed descriptions of every fine furry friend they rescue. The people in this organization are wonderful and care so much about the dogs. I had to go through a full home inspection and wound up driving to Michigan (4 hours each way) to get my angel in fur. It turns out the prior family that wanted to adopt her was turned down as their dog was mean. I have recommended MARS to many friends and hope to do what I can for this organization in the future. Sigh there are just so many big burly squeezable akitas and so little time.

They make you pay an application fee of $20 and will not let you adopt if you have not owned an…read moreAkita (Not mentioned before the application fee). I ended up buying one from a reputable breeder, but I wish I could have just helped one that needed a home.

I love what they do, and by no means want to tarnish their reputation but the way they lied and…read moreomitted crucial things like for example, they said my 6 year old pomsky was potty trained, he's not. He didn't have flea and tick medication, so I ended up adopting a dog that I got expecting him not to be perfect but at least potty train a dog especially if he's in a foster family.... my point is; this couldve ended badly for everyone

Sheri was fantastic with us; took the time to assess our situation and needs from a pet so we…read moredidn't get in over our head and (more importantly) the dog found the best home possible. The application was thorough, she communicated quickly and efficiently, and when we went to meet the dog we took a long walk with him and Sheri to further assess. Once we got our bundle of joy home, it was clear he had been shown lots of love and received the benefit of lots of training and attention while he was at Friends of Petraits. He's a 5 month old Golden Retriever who is housebroken and full of love and life. Similarly to the other review, we contacted about a female Golden pup Sheri had, but a couple came the next day to adopt her. Sheri let us know she ALSO had her brother who hadn't been posted yet; so we jumped on the opportunity and I'm so glad we did.

We adopted both of our Italian Greyhound rescues through ROMP and the support we had after the…read moreadoption process has been amazing. They have a great network of volunteers, events, and everything rescue and/or Itailan Greyhound related for people in our area! Their play dates every month are a great way for us to further socialize our pups and meet other rescue and Italian Greyhound enthusiasts! Love ROMP and love Liz for all that she does through ROMP.

I applied for a dog at this "rescue". It took a very long time with little communication on there…read morepart. After my vet check, reference checks, I was "next". They arranged to come to my home for a home check and to meet my dog. The evening before I was to meet my dog I recieved an emal stating that someone else was interested in my dog, would I be interested in another one? Tears streamed down my face. I was at a moral dilemma. 2 dogs could get a home. I asked to see them both, she agreed. I don't know how that would work since I was told that my girl was in foster. She stated she had both of them! I was shocked since I new she had posession of serveal dogs, including puppies. When I asked her how that worked, she stated that she let them out to a non-carpeted area everyother day. The other days they were in a kennel! I felt the urgency to rescue my dog from a rescue! I just started seeing red flag after red flag! I was then cancelled on at the last minute. We rescheduled for the following monday. In the meantime over the weekend a different rescue came to my home to do a home check, so I could just meet half way rather then them driving the 4hrs all the way here. The home visit was all good. We were meeting half way to get my dog! Cancelled on again! How frustrating! I offered to drive the 4hrs to get her. NO! Then silence for 2 weeks! No answers from my emails, calls or texts. After 2 weeks I finally got an email stating that I wasnt patient enought with the adoption process, I wouldn't be patient with a mill dog! 3 months isnt enough patience to them i guess. Now to this day both the dogs are still on there site with no home! Its sick. They are not a registered business, not registered kennel. Not even a 503c non-profit. The are constantly asking for donations though, just keeping the dogs as hostages. My dog has been there since Dec. 2013, still no home. There are some on there site since 2012! Its extremely sad that these animals have to suffer, because of the person running this. I wish someone would look into them that lived closer. Then to find out they only approve 1 out of 25 applications! I was that 1! So then 1 out of 50 applicatons get threw. This place is awfull, just awful! Save yourself the heartache and mental torture, get your dog threw a real rescue, not here.

Bought Bella in Aug. of 2016. 9 wonderful years, thinking about getting her a lil sister??? If we…read moredecide to? It would absolutely be from Sharon. Sorry it took so long to reveiw!!!! Im not too tech savvy!

Starz Puppy Paw Prints, Is an Awesome Breeder of Shih Tzu and Yorkies! Would buy from again!read more