I have been really impressed with this organization. I adopted our dog from Toni at AWFA in July 2017. The website had some really great descriptions of the personalities of the dogs which I felt was important because I wanted a good fit with my family, situation, etc. I fell in love with the dog I adopted, but based on my experience with other rescues, I assumed the one I loved was already taken. Tony took all my needs into consideration and said, "what about Brownie? I think he'd be a great family dog." I was so happy! Toni arranged a meeting with me and gave me some helpful information on how to care for him. And she was absolutely correct. He is a super spoiled family dog and my boys adore him! read more

A Wish for Animals - Animal Shelters Near Me

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

My sister adopted a dog from Toni and we had the best experience . Toni was very helpful and patient with us, as my sister had many questions as a first time owner. Toni gave us a lot of advice and told us we can contact her any time if we have questions I referred 2 more people after my sister adopted ,and they all ended up adopting, and were very happy. In fact we still send Toni pictures months later. I really recommend A Wish for Animals ! I also really appreciate what this Rescue is doing by saving those homeless animals. read more

This is one of the best rescues I've worked with. We adopted our dog Ziggy from them almost 2 years ago and he is such a joy in our lives. Toni let us foster to adopt to make sure he was a good fit and she was so helpful throughout the process. Toni works day and night to help so many animals- we wish more people would be like her! read more

I am very happy and impressed with my interactions with AWFA. I am fostering a beautiful, senior German Shepherd mix for them. It has been very rewarding and fun experience for our family including my 2 and 3 year old boys. Wiley has joined our pack of 2 rescue patties and been with us for a few months when a couple of medical questions came up. Toni has always been very helpful and supportive, discussing the issues with me during evenings. Always responding to text messages and phone calls. She is knowledgeable and has been a great resource for me and showed compassion and true care for Wiley. Without a doubt - her top priority are the dogs! Without people like her most of those dogs would be euthanized in the shelters. Thank you, Toni for all you do! read more

A Wish for Animals - Animal Shelters Near Me

AVOID AT ALL COSTS. DO NOT FALL FOR THIS SCAM This place is a nightmare. This is not a real pet rescue. They are not licensed by the ASPCA, and they have no central location. The owner Toni is a con-artist. She finds stray dogs and then promises they have been cleared by a veterinarian, vaccinated, spayed/neutered, and microchipped; all of which is a lie. The ASPCA and LAC Dept of Animal Services both have open files on her with multiple complaints. Here is my story. I found a beautiful dog on Petfinder.com, a husky that was a supposed rescue with AWFA. I contacted the organization through Petfinder and was quickly contacted by Toni about the adoption. I was sent an application to fill out which was a standard template, and then I sent it back. I was told the dog was being boarded at a kennel in Fontana, and that I could meet the dog there. I live in Woodland Hills, yet I was so interested in adopting this beautiful dog, I drove to Fontana anyway to the supposed kennel. Upon getting there, the place is surrounded by a chain link fence with a trailer/house on the right side and another fence separating the dogs. You could hear what was probably hundreds of dogs behind this place, I cant say for sure, as the lady who came out to meet me said it was against the rules and she would bring the dog to me. Why couldn't I see where the dogs were being kept? Anyway, once she brought her out, the dog who has terrible social anxiety and most likely a history of abuse instantly jumped into my arms and bonded with me. I wanted to bring her home that night. So I contacted Toni who was not there, and told her the situation. She agreed to let me take the dog home even though the requirement of a home visit had not been fulfilled, I offered to pay the adoption fee that night to the boarder but was told to give this money to Toni. I agreed. Upon getting the dog home she did well in settling in but I started to notice she wasn't feeling well. She had a hot nose, a persistent hacking cough, continuous vomiting and diarrhea. This went on for days. I contacted Toni and told her I was concerned about kennel cough, and other possible infections and was taking her to my vet. She called me back and told me not to take her to the vet, but instead to meet her at a gas station in Santa Monica, where she would give me antibiotics for the dog. Wait don't you want to come do the home visit? She replies No, I don't have time. ...SHADY Anyway I reluctantly drove the hour south to santa monica and waited for Toni. An hour then two hours went by and she wasnt showing. I work night shift so I couldnt wait all day, finally. she calls me back and says she was running late but would be there soon....I waited another 45 mins and then finally she shows up. She gives me a file on the dog which basically shows she has only had two vaccinations, parvo, and kennel cough. No rabies, no heartworm preventative, no spay/neuter, no micro chipping, nothing. I was confused but Toni ensured me that it would be taken care of. She gets in the back of my car and before I realize what shes doing, she jabs a 12g needle into the dogs back to do the microchipping...and what happens she misses and has to do it a second time.. The poor dog was in agony and I was just speechless. Then she gives me a ziplock bag with pills in it and tells me to give the dog a dose daily to treat the kennel cough, gets in her car and leaves....ummmm.... The next day she texts me and says she wants the $300 adoption fee, and that the home visit isn't necessary, that I can just send pictures of my apartment.. I question where the money is going since this is a supposed not for profit organization to rescue dogs, and since nothing had been done to help my dog why would I pay $300? I never said I wasn't willing to pay, I simply questioned where the money would be put to use. Well she flips out, starts acting really unprofessional, calling me names, saying I was a terrible person, and saying the adoption was cancelled and that she was coming to get the dog..HA good luck with that! She continued to harassed me for a couple days and then puts another lady up to contacting me, stating she is on the "Board of Directors" for the rescue. Another lie, I looked the lady up, she isn't even involved with the rescue, I assume she is a personal friend. Now I have a guy claiming to be an attorney emailing me, saying that I have to pay the $300, and get the dog neutered myself or they will File Suit Against me... So in Summary: I travel two hours to adopt a dog from a terrible living environment The dog has terrible social issues, is a biter, and is sick upon adoption Nothing that was promised had been done, no vaccines, no spay, no neuter, no microchip, And Im the bad guy? This is a scam do not fall for this ladies lies, she is nothing but a con-artist looking to make a few extra $$. Read the other reviews, I bet you will see a pattern. read more

Upon reading the most recent negative reviews about the Rescue and about Toni herself, has inspired me to write my experience and maybe help clarify aspects of the experience that some may interpret as negative. Firstly, Toni is EXTREMELY knowledgeable about the dogs she is working on. We specifically were interested and a few Urgent Pit Bulls at the Carson Shelter that are only able to be released to a Rescue Group. Our only hope was to find a Rescue to help us quickly and thankfully we received Toni's number. We immediately reached out and she returned our calls promptly. We spent at least 2 hours discussing our situation and the dogs that we had mentioned. She was well aware of their personalities and behaviors and it was obvious she has access to very accurate information directly from the Shelter. She gave us time to decide which dog we felt would be the best fit based on her extensive experience. We notified her the next day to set up a home check which she completed the very next day and all while communicating with the Shelter in order to keep the dogs safe while she worked out this plan with us. We didn't want anything to go wrong that could end up with the dogs being hurt. Once the Home check was complete and she gave some great tips to dog proof our yard, we set up a day when she would go to the shelter and pick up the dog that we had met at the shelter. She picked her up and immediately took her to her Veterinarian to get a work up and to see is she had any symptoms of kennel cough, but it really was Pneumonia. We were told she would have been contagious to our other dogs so she was cared for at the Vet a few days until she was well enough to come home. (LARGE VET BILL ALL PAID FOR BY TONI'S RESCUE) Before introducing her to our dogs we already have we needed tips and support from the Rescue and they went above and beyond by setting up a training to be there for support. (PAID FOT BY TONI'S RESCUE) Needless to say the intro went well and we now also have a training contact we value highly if we ever need it in the future. Toni assisted the transition and then left us after she felt everything was going well. This whole process was time consuming but extremely professional and it was also well worth it! Also Toni called us that night and again the next day to see how everything was going and she continues with weekly check ins to say hi and get updates which we LOVE to share. I feel so supported by this Rescue and I appreciate her ability to see the good in the dogs that have been mislabeled and discard by the shelter. She charged an Adoption Fee and in my opinion it as well worth that plus much, much more. In addition to getting us our beautiful new baby hippo, she made sure it went successfully and I feel we have a life long support if we ever need anything. Unfortunately the people that have left the negative reviews may be a bit confused and not completely informed about everything that has to happen for a Rescue to help a dog. It also costs them quite a bit money as well, not just the Shelter fees.... I recommend Toni to anyone and everyone that I know looking for a dog...She is truly an angel for my baby Carly. read more

We adopted our dog through this organization. The foster parent we dealt with was very kind and prepared for our arrival, had taken great care of the dog, and was very forward and honest with us about all issues. However, the agency through which the foster parent acquired this dog was A Wish for Animals, and our $300 adoption fee check was made out to them. The $300 fee is quite high for a rescue adoption, but we were assured that the organization was top notch and had seen to all his vaccines, microchip, certificates, etc. The only problem is that A Wish for Animals had done none of that. The $300 check certified absolutely nothing. We asked at least 10 times for the dog's records by email. After great lengths, we were given documents that simply said the dog was "up" for his vaccinations and boosters, not that he had received them. Moreover, A Wish for Animals said that in lieu of failing to provide proof of vaccination, that they would pay for the vaccination to be done again. The only catch is that the vaccination had to be performed by "their" recommended vet that was not near our residence. This was a lowly rated "discount" vet in the area that we were not comfortable with using. So we just had to pay out of pocket for all new vaccinations from the beginning. We were also never given any certification of him being fixed, which is required to obtain a state dog license. Also, we were never given his microchip number. Our initial paperwork simply said "unknown" under that field. Overall, I don't really see what this organization does except make money from naive clients that have the good intentions of rescuing an animal. This organization has the good intention of moving animals out of shelters and into foster homes to eventually find them a forever home. However, I don't see this being done in good faith given the amount of money they ask for compared with the very low level of support given to clients in return. If I had to guess, this organization is simply one person that does this on their free time as a part time gig. read more

Toni is very aggressive and performs her duties in a completely unacceptable manner. My wife and I have been dog owners our entire lives. Together we currently have our happy and healthy 15 year old and are looking to add another dog to our family. Toni who believes that coyotes have overtaken the planet and feasting on dogs in Buena Park 24/7, completely trashed us for allowing our 25 lbs 15 year old dog to use her doggy door for her entire life. She then proceeded to trash our food choices for her over the last 15 years. Again - healthy 15 year old that still runs daily, and is super active and playful. To top it off, we caught her in a couple lies about the dogs we were inquiring about... If Toni ever figured out to communicate with people in a proper manner, honest manner she would have so much more success in finding homes for her rescues. read more

I tried adopting from this organization and the bad reviews are probably all true. I got a response when I said I wanted to adopt a puppy named Molly but after that the email responses were few and far between. I got an email at 12AM saying I would get a phone call to follow up the application I submitted and still have year to hear from anyone. I'd steer away from these people seeing as they are probably a scam. UPDATE** So the woman emailed me back finally and she let me know that she had contacted me and left a message. Wrong-I don't have voicemail set up. Then she said that there would be an adoption event at a pet supply store and gave me the address. She said the dog I wanted wouldn't be there (of course) but her siblings would be. Before wasting my time I googled the address. Needless to say it wasn't a pet supply store, it was a Mexican food restaurant. read more

Our puppy died within a few weeks, and A Wish for Animals would not refund our purchase price or any treatment expenses. The beautiful puppy we purchased from this company quickly became attached to our children. Our three little boys - ages 7, 5, and 3 - all loved her dearly in such a short amount of time. Sadly, the dog had Coccidia, which it could have only received from the litter it was born into. We treated the dog at significant expense, but she continued to get worse. We finally called Tony from A Wish for Animals to get help, and she refused to refund us for the dog, even though it obviously had not been treated correctly for the infection. She was rude to us and very unprofessional. We are still working on ways to claim our expenses for the dog, but overall we are just disappointed with the experience. Please save yourself the trouble do not purchase an animal through this organization. read more

A Wish for Animals is so good to its dogs! The owner's heart is in the right place and their clients are the dogs, not us, which is how it should be! They treat them so well and will only pair them with the right home that can provide the right training. Go to them for resources after adoption with any questions or concerns. They are willing to help even though they are extremely busy (so be patient). read more

I wanted to take a moment to commend Toni and her organization for their tireless work on behalf of so many amazing dogs. I really appreciate a rescue that takes the time to do things right with the proper home checks, inquiries, etc. It is obvious from my experience with AWFA that their primary concern is to find the right dog for the right person so that every adoption results in a successful match and a forever home. I could tell right from the start when I met the furbaby that Toni suggested for me; it was love at first sight! Every day when I look at my sweet sensitive girl I am thankful to AWFA for bringing her into my life read more

I was visiting my daughter from out of state. Went to PetsMart for something and saw a cute little puppy outside for adoption. I waited for maybe 2 hours while Toni, the owner (apparently no one could help me adopt him but her), micromanaged the other women and then insisted that she take us through the store to show us which toys and food to get. The $300 adoption fee was supposed to include neutering, but since I lived out of state she said she would arrange for a local vet to do the work. The agreement I signed stated that the neutering had to be done within 30 days. I contacted her numerous times. Initially she was responsive, but after awhile it became very clear that she hadn't even tried. Finally, with only a few days left before the 30-day window, I wrote Toni and told her I wanted a refund for the neutering. It was at this point that she became very aggressive. Suddenly she cared about the welfare of the puppy, reminding ME that it had to be done within the 30 days--this, after stalling for the entire month! Unbelievable. She said she could refund a portion of the fee but wasn't required to. I had already figured it was a lost cause and had made an appointment to get the puppy neutered. But the fact that she dragged her heels for almost a month, didn't get back to me, and then acted as if she cared about the puppy and demanded that I get the surgery done because she cared so much--it still doesn't sit well with me. I never sent her the receipt for the neutering, even though it was within the 30-day window. She was such a total jerk I didn't want to deal with her again. I figured she'd maybe send $5 after nagging and threatening and it just wasn't worth it. And for all her care about the puppy, she has never once written back to see if I got him fixed. It is clear to me that, while the other women working there seem to care about the pets they try to place, her desire is purely money. She IS making money, that much is clear. She was a jerk. It has crossed my mind to notify PetsMart what kind of person is running this "non-profit". I think they would not be happy about it, since her presence there is an implied endorsement. Read the other reviews, including the ones that are hidden. It's consistent except for the ones who seem like obvious plants. Have no illusions that she is doing this out of the goodness of her heart. It's a money-maker, clear and simple. I love the puppy. I'm glad I got the puppy. But I wish I had really supported an organization that has its heart in the right place. Not in your pocketbook. read more

I am writing this review because I am concerned about a dog I have fostered for this organization for a month. Delilah is a 3 year American Staffordshire/Lab mix that Toni has listed as "good with kids and dogs". Delilah was great with my family (we have 2 older boys ) but very aggressive and leash reactive towards other dogs when we walked her. My kids and I really loved the dog and considered adoption and I asked for shelter papers (to see the history) and medical records but Toni told me I would get all that after I pay the adoption fee. I found that to be very strange because I want to know what I get myself into BEFORE I adopt. Then Delilah also growled and snarled at a 5 year old neighbor child, totally unprovoked and and I put the adoption on hold. I brought my concerns to Toni's attention and she downplayed them, saying the dog had been in her house for a month and had been fine with other dogs (which might me true for dogs Delilah knows but not the ones on the street). Toni basically blamed me, recommending to show the dog "tough love" and be more alpha and meet a trainer. We meet with the trainer Toni recommended and he wanted $2500 for training,promising the dog would be great after the training. I was still not sure if to adopt and researched for days the type of dog aggression she displayed and got to the conclusion that it was too risky to have a dog that is aggressive towards kids. I told Toni we needed time to reconsider. She was upset and told me she had a lot of people interested in the dog and I told her to send them. The first couple that came was shocked when they saw how Delilah barked aggressively at another dog being walked by, mentioning they thought she was "good with other dogs and kids" because that's how she is listed. They left and I told Toni to please change the listing to reflect the dogs actual behavior, "NOT good with strange dogs and little kids." She refused. Long story short, a couple of days later Delilah ripped the leash out of my hands and went after a tiny dog and bit it. My boys and I were shocked and I called Toni to give her back because I did not feel I could handle her. She took Delilah back and still lists her as of today as "good with kids and dogs". She also refused to have the rescue take of the vet bill for the little dog that got bitten, saying it was my fault. I am concerned she will adopt the dog out to unsuspecting people with little children and that the dog my bite a kid. Please be aware! Delilah's pet ID# is 12634865 I want the best for the dog, she is a lovely dog for an experienced dog owner but everyone else should look elsewhere and stay away from Toni and her organization. read more

Responding to the obvious plant reviews happening in this thread defending this company's "coyote concerns". I'd like to point out that I put in an application for a puppy and was contacted and made to feel bad about coyotes living in the entire county where I and this organization are located! I did nothing wrong here. All this shelter owner had to do was not all call me if she had concerns about our application. Instead she called me, got our hopes up, and then treated me like a criminal for owning a well fenced in home. Not only that, but I was more educated about coyotes than she was and answered her "concerning" questions. Honestly, I don't see how people can defend her and her organization. Please read the other reviews before you adopt from here. There are many many awesome organizations that have dogs that need good homes! BTW - we have adopted three other dogs (some over 10 years ago that are still with us) and have had plenty home inspections and applications reviewed. This is not a new process to us. I'm looking at you Ted. So, don't pretend to know my history and what I'm familiar with. The nerve. read more

5 Stars, would give more if I could! Do not hesitate to relie on this wonderful and caring group. We have had a wonderful experience, staff is so dedicated and informed! Their top priority is the needs of all the sweet animals they rescue. They are so thorough, concerned and careful to match you with the right fur babies. They are quick to respond to any concerns or questions, guided us through everything we needed for our 2 sweet pups who have brought us such joy and comfort after losing our 2 older doggies. They are reliable, dependable, knowledgable and gave us wonderful support for everything to get our pups off to a healthy, happy start. They provided parvo shots, paid vet bills for spaying, chips and could not have been more wonderful. Can't recommend them enough! I was so surprised to see some reviews which were not 5 stars which is mind boggling because every exchange with them was so positive! This incredible rescue group volunteers their time and to do such humane and caring work!! Our lives are richer for having met them! read more

I am giving a one star email because I was attacked via email. Their email was extremely passive aggressive and blamed me for the dogs potential death. I have never been attacked by a company before and am seriously confused as to what to do. For a company who claims to help animals, I found it to be extremely unprofessional. Do not waste your time with them. They took months to respond. I have proof as well of the email if needed. read more

Before you go to a Wish for Animals adoption event, be sure to bring A LOT of patience. It's probably not going to be a fast transaction...a lot of things need to happen before you take a dog home. The screening is pretty thorough. I was there for three hours before things fell into place, and there's nowhere to sit. But, it was worth the wait. read more

I had a truly wonderful experience adopting my dog from this group. They believe, as I do, that the dog chooses the person. I'm lucky they connected me with the sweetest little girl I ever could have found. Also, I feel like they really took the time to get to know me and my dog. read more

I am in absolute awe of the selflessness of Toni & her team of angels. They work tirelessly on behalf of the animals, giving up their days, weekends, time and money. They truly CARE about rescuing the dogs and placing them in GOOD homes. The application process is to ensure that there is always a love connection with the fosters/forever home parents and their new family members. Thank you A Wish for Animals, without you there would be a lot less love in these animals lives. read more

My boyfriend and I just adopted our new baby from this organization. We met Toni a few months back when we first looked at a couple dogs. They were not the right fit for us and we were not living in a place that allowed dogs yet. We knew we would be moving very soon so we wanted to get a feel for the kind of dogs we liked. Toni replied to my email within a day the first time even when i openly told her we were NOT living somewhere yet that allowed pets. After meeting the first bunch, we passed. But about 2 months later we circled back to the same organization when seeing another dog we were interested in. Toni again responded within a day..after we passed on dogs the first time. She could have easily thought we weren't worth the time but that wasn't the case. She went out of her way to arrange a meeting with the pup we were interested in. Toni is hard working and very passionate about her organization, I have worked with many non-profits animal and non animal related and I can tell you the person running the organization is always the same. After meeting her twice at two different adoption events I can see she is the typical non-profit team lead. Passionate, hard working, and simply a no bullsh**er..excuse my french but they are so busy they have to be serious. They may not hold your hand and return every call because it is NOT a business. When it comes to adopting an animal, you need to persist, you need to prove this is the animal you want and you are willing to fight for it. I don't completely trust these reviews below after my experience with the organization. I've seen the animals she has in her organization and they are all taken very well care of. At time of adoption Toni herself will walk you through the pet store and educate you on food, treats and vaccinations. The dog we adopted was already neutered and had his shots, and had been microchipped by his family. I had no problem with the $300 donation because I know it will be put to great use by this organization and I feel blessed we got matched with our new pup. read more

We adopted Buddy with the help of Toni at A Wish For Animals. She was fantastic. Her priorities were to find the right home for the dog and to look constantly for the right dog for our family. Buddy was a wonderful match! I would highly recommend A Wish For Animals to anyone searching for the right new family member. read more

I adopted Levi, a Black Retriever Mix (white cow patch and white tips on his hind legs) from A Wish for Animals. I have to say at first I was a little hesitant as being a long term dog, rabbit, and horse owner, I have adopted dogs either from the street or someone would come to me that they cannot keep the dog and if I were interested--never from a rescue, and most recently I had two bad experiences with two local rescue organizations, one in which I had to report to the Humane Society. Additionally, I was born into a family who at my birth had a full bred Cocker spaniel and a Rough Collie, the latter from the litter of the Lassie TV series. I am 61 years old and never have been without one pet in my house or at a stable. I have trained dogs, rabbits, and to some degree horses, so I am an experienced pet owner. Having said all that, I contacted Toni about Levi as I was looking for a companion for my lovely Golden Retriever, Bob, who is a special needs dog. On AWFA website they described Levi as a "doll, one who loves to lick and cuddle and is looking for a forever home", and is submissive. This lovely creature had been in the rescue kennel for two years yet since I have owned him he is very socialized, house trained, and fairly good on the leash. After a month of having Levi, he is a bit of a chow hound, enjoys play fighting with my Golden, and romping on our beach. Despite what other reviewers have said, which not knowing their circumstances perhaps they did not have a good experience, but everything Toni related to me about Levi was truthful about his temperament. As my Bob (the Golden) is playful, but is generally submissive I did not want an overly domineering companion for him. As far as vaccinations and microchip, AWFA were up to date. When I was at the vet to check out Levi, Toni was very accessible to speak with the veterinarian to confirm dates stated on the vaccination records that she provided me. Toni is in the apparel business which I was as well as in footwear. Being a veteran of the fashion business, which is a highly competitive industry, I am surprised that she is able to have the time to do such a great job at adopting annually thousands of dogs out and finding responsible owners for them. Moreover, given her tasking schedule, she returned my call about adopting Levi in a timely manner and followed up after I adopted Levi. I waited to give this review until I allowed a month to pass owning Levi, but I highly recommend Toni and the good service that she provided me. read more

If I could give this place zero stars I would. Awful experience, owner could care less about the pets it's all about the money.

I reached out on 2 different occasions and was responded back to each time from Toni. I had my eye on a lab-mix who I knew was meant to be a part of my family... when going to meet this good boy I was asked tons of questions and was so touched knowing I was slightly being a interviewed by the rescue staff (WHICH I AM THANKFUL FOR) I couldn't have been more impressed with the kind, loving, and protective staff members working here. When getting a rescue you never know their history and patience and commitment is key. I would hope that all animals everywhere are always cared for and treated well, but I saw for myself the genuine care that was given to these fur-babies. These ladies were honest, genuine and the kindest souls. I couldn't be happier with how this all worked out and I couldn't love this guy more. Thank you so much for Hershey he's happy and never going anywhere!! He's found his "furever" family. read more

I am sharing my experience because I feel like so many of these reviews are unfairly negative. Toni works very hard in this rescue and deserves some credit. After all, how much have YOU done lately to save animals from kill shelters when their ticket is up? Here's my story: I wanted to adopt a 2nd dog and found one of Toni's rescues that looked like would be a good fit. Unfortunately, it didn't work out as my first dog (also a rescue, but from 3 years ago) and the new dog could not get along and I was worried about both of their safety. When I contacted Toni to re-home him, it did take a few days to connect with her, as others have said here. And, as others have said, Toni can be a bit short in her communication when stressed. However, she did re-home the dog and she did act honorably in all of our dealings. I admire Toni's fortitude for continuing in this very difficult, and often thankless, work and wish her well. I also encourage others that, instead of pinging her here, consider kindness and patience, and if you believe saving animals is important, consider becoming a regular financial donor to this charity. read more

BEWARE! DO NOT ADOPT OR FOSTER FOR THIS "ORGANIZATION"/TONI EAKES!!! First of all, notice that there are exactly 2 types of ratings/reviews for this organization/Toni - it's either 5 stars or 1 star. That's a HUGE RED FLAG that those 5 star reviews are completely planted! I looked up Toni on social media and saw that her friends are the ones who posted the 5 star reviews. She's a vile, lying, greedy, angry lady. My experience: I contacted this "organization" to adopt one of their dogs I found through Adopt-a-pet. Toni calls me and is gushing about the one I'm interested in. House trained, up-to-date with all medical needs, good with kids, good with dogs, good with cats, the sweetest dog in the world, lies lies lies. I found out that the dog listed WASN'T EVEN PART OF HER RESCUE! She was going to charge me $350 for a dog that belonged to a shelter! I'm fortunate that I shared the picture of the dog I wanted to adopt with a friend, and my friend recognized the dog as one that was listed at a L.A. county shelter. I couldn't believe it! I called the shelter and sure enough the dog was there - NOT BELONGING TO ANY RESCUE ORGANIZATION! I went to the shelter to see for myself and all of what they said was true! PLUS the dog was NOT house trained, not to be adopted to a family with kids, and NOT good with cats! I asked Toni about this "adoption process" of hers, and she wasn't even going to do a home check! I asked her to come with the dog to my place to meet the dog while she does a home visit. "Not necessary." Instead she said to give her a couple days then to meet her "somewhere in Santa Monica". She said the dog was being fostered and she needed to contact the foster family. That's when I asked why the dog was at a shelter. She went from this nice, sweet toned, sugar coating lady to this crazy, aggressive, angry person! The nerve of this low life!! DO NOT TRUST HER! read more

We just recently adopted a 10 week old Lab from A Wish for Animals rescue. In the beginning the response time was a little slow. However, once I spoke to Toni and was able to arrange a time to go see the puppy things moved quicker. We adopted her that same day. The organization seems a little over whelmed with the amount of families waiting to get their newly adopted pets. All in all, I believe this organization is doing all it can to help animals get placed with a loving family! read more

I got my baby here a few years ago and couldn't be happier. I am so grateful for all of the hard work that Tony puts in as well as the rest of the volunteers. If you're looking to adopt, this is the place! read more

Unfortunately, the yelp reviews are all true. I looked over their site, and found many dogs that I was interested in. I filled out the application, and was told I would get a call once received. Not another peep. I emailed 4 times, and called 3 - leaving 2 voicemail's. From there I did some more work and started to look t reviews from this place. It appears that they have a very more ethic of calling people back and helping out their dogs. People are trying to contact and they do not care. I finally emailed them that I would like a call back, but was startled by the negative reviews I was starting to see. 5 minutes after that email was sent, I got a rather rude response saying they left me voicemail and tried calling the day before. This is a blatant lie. Unless you are using a phone from a decade ago, I do not know of voicemail's or calls magically disappearing from cell phones. The fact that they would lie about a simple phone call is enough for me to see the writing on the wall. This place is a joke. And its sad because I really want\ed to adopt a particular animal. These animals deserve much better.... read more

Alright.. It's time to write this review... I wish that I read these YELP comments before I adopted a puppy from this terrible "rescue"! I adopted a puppy from Toni at AWFA and this actually was the worst experience I've ever had in in my whole life! (1) She asked us to wait for her in the park to bring us the puppy that we wanted to adopt. We drove all the way from Orange County to Los Angeles. We arrived on time and had to wait for her for another hour until she arrived. This was not professional at all. (2) The puppy looked very sad, his face was full of tears, and he was super dirty. Toni actually cares about the money more than innocent animals. (3) She lies about the puppy's health and training. I asked her several times is he trained? she said yes. I asked, is he sick? she said no. I took him after a couple of days to the groomer who was his previous foster. Her name is Ashly. I told her about my struggle with my puppy's potty training. Even though I walked him a lot, he keeps everything until we went back home! She confirmed that he is not trained and he likes to do it in private with her too. I asked Toni and she said that she has a backyard not an apartment and she did not know about that! She was so aggressive and not professional and she claimed that it was my fault to choose a puppy and she stated that she does not like puppies because they are usually not trained and they are too much work. I took my puppy to the hospital and he was very sick. He has an advanced infection in his ears. We paid (on top of the adoption fees) for the puppy's training and medications. When I informed Toni about that she said that the training and the health points are my responsibility not hers according to the contract (I have proofs of everything listed in this point). (4) The puppy's potty training caused us a lot of anxiety since I am a pregnant woman. It affected my health and my doctor was mad and asked me what did I do the last month. I never experienced any health issues with my pregnancy before and it all came up after my awful experience with AWAF. Now, I am under bedrest and threatened to have a premature baby (I have proofs of everything I said here and I have medical reports). read more

I tired several times to reach this "rescue". I called the phone number and sent an email. Someone responded via email asking which dog I was interested in and when I told her I didn't hear back for quite some time. All the email said was they would try to see the fosters availability? If you're goal is to find homes for dogs with NO home and someone is eager to find one, I would think you might want to show a little more eagerness to place the dog. Completely unprofessional. I contacted about 8 adoption agencies and they were by far the slowest to respond and least courteous. I am going to give a dog a wonderful home but it won't be a dog from "A Wish for Animals". I pity any animal who gets caught up with them. They'd be better off at an animal shelter. read more

Horrible!!!!! Toni, who I worked with was one of the worst, most aggresive people I have ever worked with. In fact, I will be reporting her and her agency. They lied and said dog was current with vaccinations and potty trained and she lied!!! There are so many good dog people out there please don't waste your time! read more

It is very sad when a human being cares more about money than innocent animals. It breaks my heart that our newest fur baby was brought into such a terrible "rescue". They sent her to us unfixed and not fully vaccinated. She didn't even have her rabies shot when sent to us! We had to waste a whole Saturday to drive 30 minutes away to a clinic to get her spayed and for the rabies vaccine. We then had to pay extra because the 300$ adoption fee doesn't include the Bordetella vaccine. Soon after the adoption we noticed her fleas which was very unfortunate and we are still struggling with the infestation. The really disappointing fact is that they LIED about deworming our puppy! How AWFUL and RECKLESS. But thankfully we found out quickly because we discovered she had roundworm and tapeworm. So now we are out another 250$ because we had to get her treated and dewormed... Our primary vet said there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY that she was dewormed the three times they claimed they did. My vet found it so shocking a "rescue" wouldn't deworm an animal, because the process is very cheap and easy. My vet was so appalled they put this "rescue" on their "watch list" for future clients. The vet was also appalled because it put our poor baby in danger of heart worm. Which we got tested and thankfully showed up negative. Bottom line is they nickel and dime so they get the most profit, at the extent of innocent animals. They didn't full vaccinate, no flea control and didn't deworm. And lied about it all. For a 300$ adoption fee we expected more but now realize we were conned. We love our puppy though and it breaks our heart someone did this to her. I don't recommend adopting from here but if you fall in love like we did, I would urge taking the animal to your vet and have them checked out that same day. read more

I purchased a puppy from this organization. I didn't realize it at the time; however,she was full of ticks. I started pulling them off her over several days. The ticks moved from the dog into my carpet and infested my house. Unbelievably horrible experience. I appreciate the holistic way to approach the animals - lavender for flea's / ticks, organic lotion for the fungus infection on her face . . . there is a point where medication should be used for the serious giardia infection she had, prescription fungus medication and strong flea/tick medication. It took 4-5 months to get the parasites out of my house and yard. My original dog, my young son and myself were finally safe. The ticks weren't just biting the puppy . . . . Additionally, I did have the dog neutered and chipped at my local vet with a promise from Toni of reimbursement. Three months later, after three emails and one phone call . . . still no reimbursement. I appreciate the no-kill concept and understand how finances must be a challenge . . . I'm disappointed with this organization and would be VERY careful of the animals adopted from them. read more

What's up with all of the haters on this feed? First off, when you adopt a pet, you're not BUYING a pet. You're adopting it. No pet is guaranteed. You're not buying a car, you're taking in a homeless living being. We went though the same process. Toni went out of her way to drive three hours in the pouring rain, to bring us our prospective puppy. She spent about an hour going through a very thorough checklist and made sure we were legit. That's only fair. The last thing any rescue wants to see someone take a puppy home thinking it's going to be wonderful, they return them because they can't handle it. If Toni is controlling or concerned about coyote's that because Orange County is filled with them. They're being more and more accustomed to people and animals. There are brazen attacks on small pets daily. They regularly hop my wall and hang out in my yard. If you feel that Toni's approach is too rigid, consider that most of these animals were dumped on a street, abandoned or offspring of fertile animal. The few hundred bucks they take in is a donation. It's tax deductible. Kind of like buying a trip in a silent auction. Only in this case you get to take home a lifetime buddy. This is not a profitable organization. The small amount they ask for covers things like vet care, shots, transportation, shelter, food and all of the other things it takes to keep these homeless pets healthy, create awareness, and get people to adoption events. She's not getting rich off this as another review implied. According the ASPCA, there are probably 70 Million strays in the US. 1 in 5 pets in shelters find a home. 2.7 Million pets are euthanized because they don't get adopted. Again, you're not BUYING a dog. You're adopting a homeless animal. read more

Avoid this shelter at all costs. The lady that runs it, Toni, is unprofessional, rude, and uncaring. She made no attempt to help us adopt.

I know for a fact that this kennel is legit. I have been there and of the 5 dogs that I have fostered, 3 of them were through AWFA. For meet and greets, Toni drove many miles with a few dogs for me and other potential homes. This is what she does on her day off from her real job. She also had food and crates arranged to be dropped off when needed. One dog I fostered is named below as Levi. He found a forever home. I also fostered a black pit bull named Booker. His name is now Koda, lives in an apartment (it is possible), in the same town as I do. Ready to foster again, I drove to their facility and walked with about 5 or 6 dogs. I wasn't connecting with any of them. So I asked which dog needs a home the most? I drove home with Simon. A timid goofy fearful 75 pound pit/lab mix. Once he felt comfortable, his true nature revealed a faithful, loyal, mellow, playful personality. He even trots and runs along side the bike with me. Great sweet submissive dog! When given a chance, most dogs are wonderful. They may not show well when you first meet them, but all they need is exercise, boundaries, and love. I ended up adopting Rocky since no one could see pass his fears. When you bash the company, you harm the dogs. Have a heart, have a wish for a better life for each dog. Maybe you feel better whining and complaining, doesn't make the dogs feel better. Affects them much differently. I feel better being a part of the solution. All dogs deserve a safe home. Sometimes that means going from a high kill shelter to a kennel. Adopting a dog is a labor of love, a commitment to a pet that may live 15 to 25 years. Just because an interest and application is filled out, doesn't mean that you will pass the strict qualifications of a worthy home. These dogs have already been bounced around and are stuck in the system. They wish a forever home for them. As for the cost, do you know where dogs go that are free or too cheap? Dog food alone will cost you more than $300 a year. Dogs are family members, not children's toys, dolls to dress-up or whimsical impulses because they are cute. A Wish for Animals has good intentions, great results, and some very lucky dogs. It's all about the dogs and matching them to homes. read more

I adopted a dog from this place and found out later that the dog was twice as old as I was told, and he did NOT have the micro-chip I was told that he had. I found them extremely hard to get a hold of, never returned calls or emails after the adoption. For the fee of $350, not a reputable place to adopt an animal. read more