I got the best four month old German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois mix. He has been a blessing to our family, kind and gentle to females and children very protective through the dog with the best heart I've ever around where he can be gentle, and if our home our family is threatened, he can become very intense very quickly, and yet effortless switch back to the loving pet we've always known I have four grandchildren, and he worships the ground. They walk on. A Wish For Animals is by far the best, most ethical honest and knowledgeable. I've ever dealt with what you want be patient and wait it will come through read more

A Wish for Animals - Our Sulley as a pretty sad looking little dude to the regal dog he grew into. The most common comment that people give me wow he's regal . - Animal Shelters Near Me

This rescue is not a nonprofit and they engage in unscrupulous and unethical practices, at the absolute very least. They have been banned from most local shelters and use various deceptive tactics to circumvent this restriction. Verifying a company's 501c status is pretty straightforward since it's all public record. We looked up AWFA via both the California DOJ website (you can look them up by name or by their EIN 202331353) and the IRS's tool for nonprofits. AWFA's status with California had been revoked since 2016, due to multiple violations against the Supervision of Trustees and Fundraisers for Charitable Purposes Act and therefore they're not allowed to conduct any activity or solicit charitable assets in California. The IRS page shows that AWFA's status was revoked federally on 5/15/2021. We fostered with this "rescue" once and that was enough. The dog we fostered was injured, traumatized, and arrived with no supplies. When we expressed concerns and ultimately decided to get legal advice out of concern for the dog's safety. We stayed in contact with the rescue and requested they not contact us until after we had sought legal advice. The rescue's operator showed up at our door several hours later with local law enforcement who said they had documents establishing ownership, but which they refused to furnish for our review or verification. When one officer suggested we could "do this the easy way or..." we unfortunately relinquished possession of the dog. The dog became terrified upon seeing the rescue owner, to the extent that she lost bowel control and shook uncontrollably. This rescue is a giant red flag. Do not facilitate the harm they inflict, they should rightfully be shut down. This review is real. I am real. I did obscure my identity given this organization's history of weaponizing law enforcement. read more

I have a friend who fostered four puppies from this organization about a month ago, so obviously they are still in business. As a foster Myself, I know from experience what is expected from a rescue when we foster for them. My friend told me that she had offered To Foster!!! four puppies, little black labs. She had seen a post that they were urgent and they needed an emergency foster. From what she tells me in our conversation just last night, they brought the puppies over with no food, no supplies, no crates or pens, no toys, no nothing. She only had them for a short time because she had to take an emergency trip out of town and had to find a temporary foster until she came back into town. They had another temporary foster for these puppies, but she had to take them over there and when she saw the conditions of the fosters home, she was very concerned. It was definitely a hoarding situation and not proper placement for any puppy or any dog whatsoever. There was a little boy in the home that was extremely emaciated. She said very, very skinny and looked to distressed. This organization is very sketchy and I would not recommend doing any kind of fostering or any business with them. They lied to my friend and told her that the puppies had been adopted, and they never provided her with any paperwork of vaccines or anything that she needed. She had to find crates, and luckily her neighbors gave her a couple of crates and her communities stepped in to help with supplies and stuff. I cannot believe such a place is in our community. I would steer clear and far away from these people. They are not reliable, and they truly are scamming people for money most likely so they can keep it themselves and don't supply anything whatsoever for their fosters. Just putting this out there because of the information that I received just yesterday. I am appalled, and I am extremely concerned for any dog in these people's care. I will be contacting all local shelters today or tomorrow to make sure that they do not allow this rescue to pull any dogs. I know they were revoked before, but I believe they might be working under a different name. Good luck read more

Snowee-Belle has been such a Blessing to our family! Shawna, Toni and Rosie were so helpful and their love for their animals is so apparent. The process was thorough yet quick and efficient! I'm am so grateful I found out about A Wish for Animals and would recommend them to anyone that truly understands how to care for the precious gift of a pet! Let all that you do be done in Love.- 1 Corinthians 16:14 God Bless A Wish for Animals. read more

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I am pleading with anyone reading this that is considering adopting an animal from this "non-profit" to run far away! They are falsely purporting to be a 501(c)(3) non-profit, when in reality, they are nothing more than a for profit operation selling puppies and deceiving innocent people. Their 501(c)(3) status has been REVOKED by both the IRS and the California Attorney General. See attached screenshots from the IRS and AG's websites. Here's my story: I just adopted and paid $500 for a puppy from AWFA on 02/19/23 and to this day, they refuse to provide me with any adoption paperwork and they also refuse to substantiate my puppies vaccination records. The vax records look like they were made in Microsoft Word. Total joke! The records state that my puppy was adopted and partially vaccinated at Riverside County Animal Shelter. I called the shelter and they told me that they can't provide me with any information without an animal record number. I asked AWFA for his animal record number, and they refused to provide it to me. I just left their shady "adoption event" (3/04/23) at a private residence in Mission Viejo where I was told that I would receive a folder with adoption paperwork for my puppy. They provided me with NOTHING and wanted to self vaccinate my puppy which I would NEVER allow. I am currently paying OUT OF POCKET for my puppy to be seen and vaccinated at an actual vet that I know and trust. I have filed complaints against these monsters with the IRS and the California Attorney General's Office. I also have text messages to substantiate everything that I am writing in this review. It's truly sickening and horrifying that these people are taking advantage of innocent animals and people in such a way and they must be stopped! read more

A Wish for Animals - Their 501(c)(3) status has been REVOKED by the IRS and yet, they are falsely advertising online that they are a no-profit!! - Animal Shelters Near Me

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I have fostered with this rescue for years now, and my mother-in-law recently adopted our last foster we took in. They are a great organization of women working tirelessly to help countless animals in need! read more

Everyone at this rescue is incredible!! I am so grateful for the education they provide to adopters regarding holistic nutrition, medicine, steps to take with your new pup, and vaccines necessary. Thank you for matching me with my beautiful boy, now named Písco. He was just 8 weeks old when I adopted him at his foster home via A Wish for Animals, and I have stayed in touch with his siblings who were adopted locally as well. They were very thorough with the adoption and interview process which I loved- that's what all shelters & rescues need to do!! I was so relieved to find they had been giving him home cooked meals from DAY 1, which made the transition to live with me much smoother as I already cook for my pups. He is the most amazing Blue Heeler mix (we got a DNA test done). Excited to grow with him & continue training and traveling with him. read more

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We had a wonderful experience adopting our sweet Waffles. Toni has been great. She has helped me with answering questions and given me advice on concerns almost one year after adoption She truly cares about these pups and their adoptive parents. When we adopt again we want it to be from this rescue. read more

So happy with my experience!!! My family adopted a young puppy that was great for 3 days. Then took a turn and we thought it was going to be it. We went to the emergency room for animals and they told us parvo. Well this shelter took it upon themselves to help guide us through. Toni was available at all hours and she provide us Laura who came by on Christmas Eve and Christmas to provide care. This was at home care and not something they have to do. Not only is Chip back and acting a like a puppy but a wish for animals helped nurse him to perfect health. Why for you: They provide ideas and how to care for your puppy They provide updates and instant feedback They want it to work ( you get interviewed and need to send videos of where the dog will be) You spend 1 hour with the puppy before you get to adopt the puppy to make sure there is a connection They take care of booster shots and other processes for the first 6 months I highly recommend as this experience was a first! read more

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Oh my gosh... just adopted my forever pup via "a wish for animals" a non- profit Animal Rescue! 100% recommendation! read more

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This organization is changing lives everyday! Toni, the fearless leader behind AWFA, somehow finds time to pair adoptees with families, help coordinate after-adoption vet visits, and answer questions related to care--all while shuttling pups to adoption events and foster homes. Her and her volunteers are truly inspirational and are doing such important work for the SoCal community. My husband and I applied for our puppy through a listing posted by AWFA on petfinder. We followed up on our application through email and social media because we were so eager to see if we had been selected. Everyone was responsive, especially considering all of the applications they receive. They really prioritize the needs of the animals above all, which we really respect. Fortunately, we were a good match and with Toni's help, we were able and to meet up at an adoption event that same week, go over paperwork and information together, meet and greet with the puppy, and complete the adoption within a few hours. I have had pets my entire life but I learned a lot from Toni and her team throughout that afternoon. I came out of our meeting feeling more knowledgeable and confident about taking care of this dog, but also the pets I already had. This was four months ago and we are absolutely loving our little lady and couldn't imagine life without her. Toni helped us get her spayed after the adoption, helped us through a kennel cough scare, and is even now assisting us with medical records even after all this time. I really cannot say enough about what a caring individual she is! My husband and I want to give tons of thanks to AWFA for helping us through the pet adoption process and for the general work they perform day in and day out. If you are looking to adopt a dog or for a fulfilling volunteer opportunity to help homeless pets, I would highly recommend A Wish For Animals. read more

I would not adopt an animal from this illegally operating rescue. Their dogs are often sick, abused, false backgrounds, etc.  I wish I'd known all this before I'd have adopted my dog a few years ago.   She was a mess! Even after spending a lot on vet bills, anti-aggression training, dog physiologist, anxiety meds she has issues. I hope this organization & any others like it are stopped. 12/26/22 Facebook post from group STOP TONI EAKES and A Wish for Animals Rescue:  "It's taken a long time, but as a result of submission of formal complaints to the IRS by several members of this group, the IRS has formally terminated the 501(c)(3) status of A Wish for Animals.  Toni's claim on her website that AWFA is a 501(c)(3) organization is false and misleading. Now waiting for the next IRS move."   Facebook post Reference:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/139250776665297/permalink/1226707887919575/?mibextid=Nif5oz read more

I adopted a dog from AWFA in March 2019. Just this week, I finally finished the ten-month-long ordeal of trying to get that dog's shelter paperwork, vaccination records, neuter certificate, and microchip information from Toni. After phone calls, texts, and emails that either went ignored or were not responded to for weeks at a time, I decided sometime around August that there probably WAS no paperwork. I had most likely paid $350 for a dog that was supposed to be fixed, vaccinated, and microchipped, and I had nothing to say that any of that was true. I offered to meet Toni somewhere to get this paperwork. I offered to come to her wherever she was. I invited her to scan it and email it. To mail it. To do SOMETHING with it that would get it to me. This week, I received fuzzy and initially incomplete cell phone photos of the information I wanted. After a few more emails asking for the rest of the information, I think I have all that I am going to get. My dog is wonderful. He arrived healthy and is happy in my home. But I will not work with AWFA again and I don't recommend the organization to others looking to adopt. Note: I have a 4-page Word document of all of my texts, phone calls, and emails with Toni over the last 10 months, if you want to read the entire saga...or if you are with the rescue and want to argue with me about my review. read more

I initially communicated with one of their shelter employees whom I found through a relative. At first, she was extremely polite and appeared genuinely interested in finding my parent's dog a forever home. I first rescued him on my own years ago from an abusive owner, and he's been staying with my parents ever since. Sadly, my parents can no longer keep him for unfortunate circumstances. When I got in touch with the shelter employee on her direct line, she requested a photo of him and a few details. I texted her basic information (expecting we'll have to meet in person eventually), and she told me she'd have to discuss with her boss first and get back to me before moving forward on helping us find him a forever home. One day later, she calls me to let me know there is someone interested in our dog. However, I scoped out their website and didn't see my dog on their listing of available dogs up for adoption. I questioned how did they manage to find someone without knowing much about our dog or even putting up the photographs of him on the website. She quickly said that her boss has a neighbor who is interested in fostering him for some time first. According to her, they want to get a feel of him for potentially a couple of months before deciding on adopting him. As standard practice, I'd generally agree to that because I have an understanding of needing first to meet and spend time with a dog before adopting it. She then asked me to make sure that we neutered our dog first, fully vaccinated, and microchip and that I should cover all of these expenses. These were immediate red flags - 1.) Shouldn't there be a proper protocol? Doesn't your foundation first want to meet my dog? 2.) How is it possible that after 1 day, you confirm with affirmation someone is interested in our dog based on two photographs I provided only. 2.) Her statements were contradicting - she first mentioned he's an adopter then went on to say he would be a foster for the dog After implementing doubt in my head, I requested a direct call from her boss (owner) for further clarification and additional details. She did - her boss TONI called me a few minutes after. Our conversation lasted 3 minutes. She didn't ask me any additional questions about our dog - she wasn't interested in knowing more until I popped questions about what the proper protocol was. When I shared with her a bit of his backstory, she said that she showed her neighbor the photograph of our dog, and he was interested because he has a child. Toni went on to say, " I showed the photo to my neighbor since I heard your dog is good with kids" I NEVER said that. In fact, there are absolutely no children in the household. Another immediate red flag - why were there misleading facts about my dog that were never said? Trying to understand and find out more information, I told her that I was a bit uneasy since I was first told that he was an adopter, and then I was told he was a foster. I also told her I was slightly uncomfortable considering it's only been one day since I spoke to her employee about my dog - As I'm talking, she rudely interrupts me. She tells me, "HOLD ON, HOLD ON, HOLD ON," sarcastically starts to explain to me what their foundation represents. She even said, "Well, you put dogs online, you show photos to people and well hmm, isn't that how people get to see a dog - it's your decision if you want our help or not." I let her know that both her foundation and her personally, have horrible reviews/feedback online, and I'll pass on their "assistance," I proceeded to hang up. The other employee I initially spoke with returned my call only to tell me, "You're making a huge mistake." EVERYONE: PLEASE THOROUGHLY DO YOUR RESEARCH ON THIS FOUNDATION. I have big reason to believe they're money hungry and they don't have their best interest at heart. If you genuinely want to find a right home for your furry one, I encourage you to please do your research, ask a million questions, and don't get fooled by money-grubbing foundations. It appears that they use animals as a way of taking advantage of people for their personal gain. read more

We found our treasure named Ellie at A Wish for Animals. Laura and Shawna and company made the adoption clear and easy. I would recommend this company to anyone looking to adopt a pet. read more

We got our new dog through A Wish For Animals in Dana Point. We had no trouble during the adoption process, all communication was responded to within a reasonable time, the vetting process we went through was throat but not intrusive, and the fees were appropriate. All in all, we have no complaints, and would not hesitate recommending friends or family. read more

I have worked with Toni for almost a year now. I started by fostering Jenny. I have had NO problems working with Toni and the rescue. She is always available for questions, advice and assistance. I added another foster, Maddie which now has turned into a hospice case. The rescue continues to support Maddie during this time. I have adopted through this rescue and it is the best! I would highly recommend adopting from this Rescue OR even becoming a foster. read more

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Sophia, you do not give enough effort in replying to comments; as you copied your comment from my post and re-posted it under my mother Meena's post! (Comical) First, please quit stalking my social media profiles. Yes in fact I have done pageants and I do keep myself to higher standards which is why I am going to expose your workers abusing animals and asking for $800 for two puppies that you so called "rescued". Fosters charge maximum $150 for dogs vaccinations and such. We told you we would handle that ourselves especially because you guys are not qualified professionals to be giving vaccinations. You DO NOT even take these dogs to A VET. You all are INHUMANE!!! I am very professional. My job is legal work, I am a graduate from the #1 public university in the nation, and am extremely financially literate! So please do not question my standards. You're an older woman speaking to a young woman - remember that when you go ahead and bring personal information into this. Second, Toni told my mother THE DAY BEFORE to bring the pups on Saturday and my mother told Toni that afternoon we were unable to bring them the next day. NO REPLY FROM TONI, until the Saturday afternoon questioning where they were? You are disorganized and unprofessional. We need proper heads up, because we have our own life to live. Sunday evening, Julianna Thrasher texts me why did I not bring the pups? DID JULIANNA (who was suppose to be my contact from AWFA) THINK ABOUT GIVING ME A HEADS UP BEFOREEEE. NO! She told me after the fact. Again - disorganized and unprofessional. My family and I were the best family taking care of those pups! Sophia, do you have any paperwork signed that I fostered these pups? NO! You all failed in getting proper agreement between what was expected. How am I suppose to know your expectations, when no one informed me of any??? You all DID NOT reimburse me the amount I paid. I paid $194.00 and then another $47. Toni sent me $100, after promising she would talk with PetSmart to get the money back. Even PetSmart told me the rescue should reimburse these expenses. And please explain "efforts to help you get these charges reversed"... what did you do to help get these charges reversed? You all are contradicting yourselves... one minute you say we could not afford these pups because we didn't send you a check for $800, when no one gave us an address, and we have not met any of you at that point. What was the rush with the $$$?! Then you said I paid TOO much money to get the ticks off them. This part when you state:"Your visit to an unapproved veterinarian who provided unauthorized treatment"... I WAS HELPING TWO INNOCENT PUPS THAT ARRIVED A FEW HOURS IN MY HOME. They were miserable!!! I am the bad guy for taking them to get the help they needed?? Shame on you! Like you said its an "Unpredictable" situation and it was an emergency... you want me to keep 2 stray dogs with ticks to multiply onto my family and I??? Also I need to mention how Julianna and Toni both told me "I had nothing to worry about, ticks CANNOT jump to humans" LIESSSS! FYI ticks can transmit to humans!!!Please stop spreading false information! Toni NEVER mentioned Julianna is taking the dogs to the vet. Toni said Julianna is coming to do a house visit...again this was so wrong due to Covid and Health safety reasons. We already sent you a video of our home and that was fine with this protocol. Julianna Thrasher ambushed my family, lied to police officers, and made racist comments! My family recorded the ENTIRE encounter FYI. Julianna called Toni, and Toni THREATENED my family she is calling the Sherrif's if we did not let Julianna just take the pups away. FYI THAT WAS JULIANNA'S FIRST TIME HOLDING/SEEING IN PERSON the dogs. Who barges into someone's home, picks up two dogs she has never seen before and says "I am taking my dogs to the vet". WHAT THE HECK? You guys are all white supremacists, that abuse animals, and are going to be dealt with by proper authorities (not all white cops)! Thank you Yelp for agreeing with my complaint! Julianna Thrashers' review on A wish for animals Yelp page has been REMOVED! After an investigation from Yelp Headquarters, you can see for yourself the reviews on their page are fraudulent! There's 2 types of reviews (1 star from people Toni Eakes has manipulated ... and 5 star - from their OWN EMPLOYEES or friends) Headquarters helped prove one of my many points why this "organization" is a fraud and full of money hungry con artists that do little to no check on their fosters.. as they just dropped two innocent puppies on my porch in a bag full of ticks. They never asked me to sign any papers or give me any items for the pups! Check my photos for PROOF :D read more

I shared a negative review and then got blocked from their account on Instagram. Screams guilty to me. And so does the fact they only respond to negative reviews defensively with paragraphs defending themselves and attacking the reviewers. I hope people reading the reviews see right through them. read more

I completed an application for an available dog. Called on the phone, left message. Never heard back. I even went to the Del Prado address in Dana Point. It's the Dana Point Post Office. The whole experience was disapointing to say the least. read more

We adopted a dog from Wish for animals 7 years ago .. he is the best dog ever!! This is a great organization and thank you for saving his life!! read more

A Wish for Animals - Raja and Moot Nack kitty - Animal Shelters Near Me

I adopted a puppy and I was so impressed with the help I received from Toni, Laura, and the volunteers. The application process was thorough and fast, within a couple days they reviewed my application and called for a phone interview. They requested a video tour of my home to make sure a new puppy would thrive. I appreciate the time they took to make sure I was a good candidate. They went over so many details that really helped me welcome my new little guy. I'm so happy to have Ash, thank you!! read more

A Wish for Animals - Animal Shelters Near Me

What better way to start off 2013 than with a review of a well deserving non-profit organization! "A Wish for Animals is a non-profit organization that has a BIG heart for animals. We rescue animals that are in need or in danger. While we primarily rescue dogs and cats, we are always willing to try and help whenever there is an animal in need. We also provide medical assistance funds, food, vaccinations and spay and neutering to low income families or families that cannot afford large medical bills for their pets." We lost our first dog to Lymphoma the beginning of December 2012. I knew I wanted to adopt and rescue another dog as I am adopted myself and scoured the web for a good fit. I stumbled upon adoptapet.com and found my cutie Little Squirt. They were instrumental in my search for my next furry addition and to Toni Eakes. I applied for Little Squirt at 7:30 am on Friday, 12/28/12 and received a call around 1 pm asking if I would be available to see Little Squirt in Culver City and she would meet me there for a possible adoption. I met her at 7 pm and it was love at first sight for the pup and he adopted me! It was a whirlwind adoption and have been ecstatic since! Toni is phenomenal as she assesses whether you would be good parents, your home and watches you interact with the possible adoptee. She is also a wealth of information and educates you on nutrition. Please see below for her handout. Health/Diet 1. Easy Healthy Dog Stew* so they can get their vitamins and protein 2. Greatlife, Orijen, Acana or Canine Caviar because they are Human Grade - No byproducts 3. Good to give dogs protein, veggies and fruit 4. Puppy Gold is great for building your new puppy's immune system *Easy Healthy Dog Stew Recipe* 1. Cook Basmati or Jasmine rice in pot (white is digested better than brown) 2 lbs 2. Add Omega Oils - i.e. Sunflower Oil, Fish Oil or Olive oil (good to alternate) 1/2 c 3. Add ground beef or turkey (med rare-enzymes in rare meat is good for them) (use beef vs. turkey if dog has skin allergies) 2 lbs 4. Add veggies-such as peas/carrots or chopped broccoli - 1-2 cups 5. Add Vitamineral Greens or Green Mush - powder and make food medium green 2 TBSP 6. Vitamineral Greens has every essential mineral, omegas, spirulina and robiotics 7. All are vey important for the health of your dog/cat (you can find it at stores such as Mother's Market and Whole Foods) Food Dogs Cannot Have 1. Grapes, raisins and prunes 2. Onions 3. Avocados are toxic to some dogs 4. Sugarless Gum/Candy (Xylitol - VERY DEADLY) 5. Chocolate 6. No treats or food made in China http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/pets/China-made-treats-kill-hundreds-of-dogs-sicken-thousands.html Brushing Teeth Once a Week can Help Your Pet Live Longer! Vaccines (shortened version) 1. DO NOT over vaccinate! What more can I say about Toni, someone who works, and spend the rest of her time helping furry creatures find suitable homes. Her energy level is astounding and hope this review will bring attention to her hard work and hope you the reader will consider adopting your next furry family member as there are many out there that need a good, loving home like yours! read more

A Wish for Animals - Little Squirt now known as Hoshi (Star in Japanese).Named for his white star on his chest & he is definitely a star in our life! - Animal Shelters Near Me

I finally decided to post a review for A Wish for Animals after many years. It's lengthy, but I hope you read this and take this review into consideration. On September 6th, 2014 I adopted my precious girl Abby from A Wish for Animals. Originally we went to look at a pitbull named DeeDee. From her pictures and details in her profile on RescueMe.org we thought she'd be the perfect addition to our family. We worked with Toni Eakes and someone else to arrange a meet up to see if she got along with our dog and were hoping to adopt DeeDee the same day if it went well. When we showed up to the rescue location we had to wait outside and up the street from the facility. The dogs were kept in a fenced area with some sort of material covering the fences so you couldn't see in. They told us we were not allowed to enter the property. DeeDee came out and was acting aggressively. We all quickly decided that it was not a match. After being shown another dog or two I asked to go inside so I could look around and feel out the other dogs. After a while the person finally let me in. As soon as I walked in the gate the smell of feces was extremely strong and there were clouds of flies everywhere. I've never seen so many flies in my life. Most of the dogs were in single occupancy outdoor cages that were absolutely filthy. The cages hadn't been cleaned for at least a few days. Poop everywhere. I walked through until I got to the one cage that held multiple (smaller sized) dogs. I saw Abby and fell in love. She was dirty and her nails were pretty long. The lady that was helping me took her to give her a quick bath and trim her nails. We got a call from Toni while we waited about how she didn't want to let Abby go because she had a close connection with her and didn't want her to be adopted out. But she let us adopt her as long as I promised to take good care of her, to love her forever (she had been adopted and returned a few times) and not change her name. We realized on our way home that she was covered in ticks. I stopped at PetSmart and bought her tick treatment right away. When we got home I spent the night pulling ticks off of her. I counted how many I pulled off...there were over 100 and a high percentage of them were about the size of a raisin, so they had been there a while. I took Abby to the vet to have her checked out on September 8th, 2014 to make sure she'd be ok because of all of the ticks I had to remove. We found out that on top of the ticks, Abby also had kennel cough. We got her treatment and she recovered. When my vet saw Abby's "vaccination records" they commented that they were obviously vaccinations that the AWFA did themselves, not a vet, and that they were really poor records. I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and it wasn't long before I got a phone call from Toni in tears about my complaint. She said how important Abby was to her, how she found Abby in Tijuana on the brink of death. Extremely malnourished with a bloated belly. That Abby was so sick that she had to carry Abby in a sling against her chest and slept with her until she was healthy. That she puts her heart and soul into taking in these dogs and saving their lives. She emailed me multiple pictures of Abby with a bloated belly and her holding Abby in the sling against her. That if they got shut down they couldn't help save dogs like Abby. I felt so guilty that I removed my complaint. I decided to look at their Yelp reviews today to see if there's been any improvement. I saw that there are recent reviews posting similar stories to what I experienced, so this poor behavior has obviously continued. I will NOT delete my review this time. I appreciate what they did for Abby; she is my world. But, if you cannot keep the animals at your rescue in good health and keep them in sanitary conditions then you should not be running a rescue. They should hand them over to other rescues who have the resources to take care of them. read more

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The people who are helping to adopt the dogs are amazing,they do everything to help you to find the dog and then follow if the dog are in good hand. I have are really good experience, 100 percent recommend it. read more

A wish for animals is such an amazing rescue organization. The volunteers that I got to meet who helped me adopt my adorable little puppy, Penny, back in November were all so amazing and you could tell that they were truly doing this out of love and care for rescuing these poor dogs and puppies from horrible conditions. Toni, the rescue director and founder of AWFA, was so professional and would constantly check up on Penny to make sure she was okay. I will certainly be getting my next dog from AWFA and I have recommended them to so many people around me. The work you guys do is truly amazing!!!!! I am forever grateful to you for bringing Penny into my life!! Thank you!!! read more

A Wish for Animals - Animal Shelters Near Me

Could not have been easier to adopt our girl, everyone was wonderful and super responsive, thank you for everything!!

fantastic experience adopting a puppy.... the staff are so caring and committed to helping help animals find good homes.... I would recommend them to be the place to go to find your next rescue. read more

Here's how my adoption process for Sadie, my new best friend with a Wish For Animals went. I found Sadie on Monday 5-16-16 from Adoptapet.com and immediately emailed them asking if she was still available. Same day I received an email response from a woman name Toni, saying that she was still available much to my delight. I filled out an application and emailed her a digital copy on Friday 5-20. Next day on Saturday, she called me asking me when I can meet the dog. We arranged to have the meeting that same day. I drove to Santa Monica, about 45 min from my house (not too bad, worth it) to a park which is where she suggested I meet them. There I met Toni and Olive whom I later named Sadie, my future best friend and we fell in love at first sight. She was kissing my face right away and really seemed to like to me. That was when I was 110% sure she should live with me. Toni when I first met her seemed very enthusiastic, kind, and pleasant. I was able to see that she was truly a dog lover who's caring and passionate about them. For those who didn't know, a Wish for Animals is a no kill no shelter organization that helps dogs in need of a good home but until then are taken care of at foster homes. When I held Sadie for the first time she smelled as if she came from an actual home, a clean house. So I knew she was very well taken care of. She did not appear to have any fear or social anxiety and looked and seemed very lively and healthy. I was very happy about that. The next day, Sunday, we agreed to have a house check done on Monday 5-23 in the afternoon. We probably would've scheduled the house check a day earlier, but Toni is always at a pet adoption site on Sundays. In fact, because I met the dog already and agreed to adopt her, Toni held my dog for me, otherwise she would've taken her to the adoption site where without a doubt would've been taken home by someone who laid eyes on her or held her. So on Monday, 2 days after meeting Sadie, a woman name Gloria from AWFA came that Monday for the house check and she couldn't have been a nicer person, very pleasant, very polite. I let her lovable pitbull name Hunter come in my house with her. Same day, later that day, Toni texted me to meet again, this time to take Sadie home for good, yay! So after submitting the application via email to Toni I got to bring my new dog 3 days later. Talk about fast adoption. I drove to Santa Monica again (again worth the drive) and sat down with Toni about the basic do's and don't for the dog. She was very knowledgeable and informative. She showed me how her microchip works, gave me papers with very helpful information about taking care of the dog and most importantly gave me both the dog's vaccination records and spay certificate. She offered to give the dog one of her shots 3 weeks from the adoption for free which she later did. She gave me a bag of her favorite treats, a bag of her food and a tub of wet food. Toni even gave me a collar and a leash that I can just give back to her when I bring the dog to get her shot later. Soon after the dog finally came home I took her to her new vet for a check up and more shots. The vet didn't find anything wrong with her which was awesome. Sadie is the best thing that's ever happened to me and she seems very happy to be with me now. She is such a sweet angel from Doggy Heaven. She is so loving, so affectionate, so cute, so funny and so smart. Everyone who meets her falls in love with her in a heartbeat. I couldn't have asked for a better dog. For me this whole adoption process was a very smooth, quick, easy and pleasant experience. Toni said that I can call her anytime if I had any questions or concerns about my new dog and to keep in touch. We have kept in touch. Whenever I sent her updates and pictures of Sadie, she was so happy and thankful for it. Gloria was also happy to hear from us. They again were very nice and pleasant when I met up with them 3 weeks later in front of a pet supply store which is where her adoption site was at to get Sadie's next shots. She also referred me to a vet close to my home. Thank you, A Wish For Animals, Toni and Gloria for giving me Sadie, my new love of my life and best friend and for the whole positive experience. read more

A Wish for Animals - My new best friend Sadie,1.5 years old, 6 lbs Papillion/Chihuahua mix. - Animal Shelters Near Me

I have never done adoption this way and the experience it has been nothing but a 10 star experience the amount of care and love it was just amazing. Our new bundle of love gives us a smile day and night. Thank you so much to a wish for animals for allowing us to have a new family member. read more

A Wish for Animals - Our Little Leo - Animal Shelters Near Me

Where do i start. We decided to foster our first dog two months ago as this has always been a dream of mine. Until i started seeing the dark manipulative, money hungry side of this industry that is Toni at a wish for animals. After reviews of the many many other reviews about her I see that I'm not the only one. The most recent was 29 days ago. I adopted Paulie from Carson animal shelter. The day he was going to be out to sleep. We had a great meeting with not Toni , but a rep from the shelter foster team. First thing that was weird. I found him, I brought him to her. She didn't even know about him. He would be dead without us. Fast forward , We get him home , happy and healthy and ready for adoption, we train him for elderly people, kids, and smaller animals. We feed him the best of the best food along with chicken for EVERY meal. He runs with my three dogs on a lovely half acre of land and is an amazing dog. But this rescue is CRAZY. Toni is beyond emotional and should NOT be allowed to have any dogs under her name. She skirts the system to avoid fines. She has refused to pay for anything when it came to Paulie and Said, " well, we have so many fosters willing to pay so much more than you, and not sure why you're not willing to" see that right there means she's all about money. And trying to manipulate and guilt trip us. when i told her that we have spent so much on this dog. She Never offered food, but said we have to feed them the best in order to foster? On our own dime? Nor did she do any promotion to get him a home unless I've posted it. And wants to collect the $300 homing fee?! I've had over 600 shares on social media for this dog. With 5 potential homes that didn't work. She's brought me 1 potential home. She only home checks via video, and if she saw how small the yard was for her potential adopter and is ok with letting a dog go to those conditions is saying a lot. It was maybe 500sqft MAYBE. All cement. That's a very good home check. NOT! I DID THE HOME CHECK AND WENT TO THE HOUSE NOT HER. Add this, SHES NEVER EVEN MET PAULIE. Not one time. At all. She has also done this to people I have referred to her to foster and they have proved that she has done nothing for them too. She says she brings them food? Ok but it's donated so that's not out of pocket is it? She threatens to take him to a boarding facility which is basically a shelter. Giving is a guilt trip and we'd never allow that obviously, but that's how SHE works. She's the only rescue that charges $300 that I've found. People from the Carson foster team have told me multiple times they do not even tell her about dogs cause she has to many. How many other dogs are suffering at the hands of this woman? She's said I'm defaming her by saying she's for profit! When I'm actually repeating what SHE has said herself to me. She's defaming herself. And is mad cause I have somewhat of a following on my social media. My clients and colleagues and friends have all decided to investigate this further. They have millions of followers. Also the rescue on our paper work is NOT AWFA!!!!! Also let me throw in there, she tried to pit my fiancé and I against one another too. That's who Toni E. Is. AVOID HER AND THIS PLAce. DO NOT WORK WITH THEM. read more

A Wish for Animals is an incredible organization! We adopted our beloved "Cocoa Pup" on 07/22/20, during a pandemic. She truly has been our "sweet," in a time of uncertainty. Our family had lost our dog, Sparky, in February. Being a family who loves our furry family members, we were definitely missing something. Working through our grief, we decided to look into adoption. Our family believes A Wish for Animals is a unique and special organization. It was clear that they wanted all of their prospective adoptive families to be able to provide a safe and loving environment by the extensive interview and home inspection process (which, because of COVID, was still conducted but via ZOOM). My family and I drove over an hour (from where we live to Orange County) to have the opportunity to adopt. We were not only greeted by A Wish for Animals' dedicated volunteers, but also from the foster mother of the litter of puppies! This was truly priceless, because we felt they were able to match our family with the perfect puppy for us! Cocoa has brought so much joy into our family's life, as well as to our home, especially during such an uncertain and dark time in our world's history. She has completed our family, and has brought us even more love, loyalty, and laughter! We are fully aware and sincerely grateful for the hard work of A Wish for Animals, the dedicated organization that brought us all together! read more

Here is Charlie's story- She was hit by a car and brought to a local vet office and left there, no owners were ever found :( Enter, AWFA. After several surgeries she was brought to live with an amazing foster family who tended to her many wounds and nursed her back to health. After 4 months she was healthy enough to be listed for adoption. I was lucky enough to meet Charlie at my first adoption event and took her home that night. I had been wanting to adopt a dog for a while but was concerned about the safety of my cats. The adoption process took a few hours. There is an application and an informal interview along with a training session on how to properly care for your new best friend. It was very clear that everyone involved with this group loves animals and wants nothing more than a successful adoption resulting in happy owners and pets. I have since been back twice to help find a dog for my boyfriend and my boss. Yay for 3 successful adoptions! So sad to see such negative reviews here claiming this group is a scam. The adoptions are $300, this pays for all shots, spay/neuter, and housing as long as needed to find a home. In Charlie's case, her medical bills alone were over $5k, and I still paid only $300. This is because the fees help other dogs in need. The owner Toni clearly does this out of love for animals and a passion for saving them from the streets and shelters. read more

A Wish for Animals - Animal Shelters Near Me

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An amazing organization! Recently adopted our dog through them and he is amazing. The entire adoption process was seamless and professional. Their foster based rescue benefitted our dog and U would absolutely recommend adopting through A Wish for Animals to anyone! read more

I put in applications to 10 different rescues because my one dog that I had was extremely lonely and only one rescue got back to me to say the dog I was interested in was gone I ended up going on an email list through adopt a pet and responded to an ad were the dog was with a wish for animals. the very next day a girl named Hayden who was fostering the dog contacted me and said she thought I was a match. she set me up for the day after the next which was Saturday and on Saturday I drove home with a new beautiful puppy who is part of the family now and makes my current dog very happy. I highly recommend adopt a wish. Tori is one of the ladies who runs it and was following up and being very helpful after I adopted the dog I am very happy and highly recommend them. read more

Tony was very helpful and caring. She matched us with the perfect dog. We love him so much! Unfortunately we lost our house and we're unable to rent a house that would accept a pit bullour dog's name was Bouncer. He's still at the rescue. He's a wonderful dog. If your looking for a dog or know someone that is please check in to him. Thank you Tony for all that you've done for us! read more

I love my puppy. This foundation saved her life along with 45 others from Riverside Shelter. Lena is well mannered I see reviews on the fee this fee covers all the shots for the puppy including rabies and being spayed. I had a great experience from start to finish. Thank you for everything the Wish Foundation does to save animal. read more

I absolutely love this animal rescue! From the initial call from the foster mom to all the follow up texts as she has followed up so well with me. I truly consider Momma Maggie a friend! From her holistic approach to feeding and healing these amazing souls to her wit. Truly will refer and use them again should the need arise for another fur baby! read more

Three years ago, my son and I decided to foster this cute and affectionate Chi-weenie. A couple of weeks later she becomes our fourth dog, Noona. We feel so lucky and blessed to have such an affectionate and sweet pup. We are often told she's not like a normal Chihuahua, she's nice. Our experience was so good, we decided to foster on a regular basis for A Wish For Animals. We see how many dogs need good homes. The group of Volunteers are amazing. There's always good care, concern for matching them with the right families, days teaching them how to sit and behave, taking care of their health, bath day and helping them feel safe and tell their forever home is found. Not only have I met a great group of volunteers that devote their time and money to help in these dogs, I have met some really great friends that have become parents of some of the babies. Families and friendship that lasts a lifetime. read more

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They should be in prison! This organization is a complete fraud and will tell you whatever you want to hear just to make their money. We were told the dog was in good health, great with kids and other dogs, spayed and would be an excellent companion for an older person. None of the above is true. This sweet creature has neurological problems which were evident almost immediately so would have been noticed by a true caring rescue. She is also not spayed and aggressive towards people and dogs. Expenses have run into the thousands for medication and Toni has been completely negligent in forwarding any health records or assistance with spaying costs which were supposedly done. She is very dismissive and accusatory IF and when she returns calls. Any issues we are experiencing are the fault of her current environment. What are WE doing wrong?! Our first mistake was believing that this organization was legitimate and Toni was working hard to save lives. She should be investigated and shut down immediately for cruelty to animals and those that love them. read more