I helped rescue Toby, cared for him for five months, and tried to bring him home again--only to be left in the dark while he was adopted out. I hate to give any Rescue a 1-star review, but in the case of Darbster, it feels like they prioritize speed of placement over the well-being of a pet. I was directly involved in rescuing Toby after he was found abandoned and chained to a tree in Miami. For five months, I ensured he received medical treatment, and spent months caring for him day-to-day, getting to know his personality, behavior, and needs--and loving him. When Toby was initially placed with a family, I believed it would be his forever home. Although I was somewhat reluctant, I supported the placement due to work travel I could not cancel. There was an understanding that if it didn't work out, I would be contacted and given the opportunity to adopt him. Unfortunately, that did not happen. When I learned he had been transferred to Darbster, I reached out within about an hour of him being listed and spoke with a member of the team same day. During that conversation, I offered to cover nightly boarding costs so I could travel and pick him up, and was told they would follow up with next steps. After not hearing back, I followed up within 24 hours confirming I was prepared to make a 24-hour round-trip drive to bring him home. Within three hours of that follow-up, I received an automated email that Toby had been adopted. I did not receive any direct communication or update beforehand and it was not until that evening that I received a brief email confirming the adoption, without explanation. At no point did I receive a follow-up regarding boarding, next steps, or any indication that they'd be showing him to other potential adopters. I had always believed rescues prioritize placing dogs in the most appropriate long-term homes, especially when there is an existing, known relationship. In this case, it felt like speed of placement was prioritized over familiarity and previously formed bonds. The lack of communication and failure to follow through--especially after I had expressed immediate commitment and prior involvement in Toby's care--was incredibly difficult, and the adoption notification with no prior update was heartbreaking. To whoever has adopted Toby: I truly hope you are giving him the loving, stable home he deserves. He is an incredibly special dog. If this message reaches Toby's new owner, I truly hope he is a perfect fit. However, if for any reason it doesn't work out, please reach out to me--I miss him so much. read more

Darbster Doggy - Pet Adoption Near Me - chichester, New Hampshire

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We made the heartbreaking decision to return a puppy to this shelter after extensive effort, training, and veterinary care. Unfortunately, the situation became unstable and unsafe for our existing pets. This decision was not made lightly or impulsively, but with significant grief, honesty, and concern for Medley's long-term wellbeing. ** It is also important to note that even at the time of adoption, Medley's behavior in our home was the complete opposite of how she was described and what we experienced. The calm, easygoing demeanor we were led to expect did not reflect the dog we brought home. The only time her behavior aligned with that initial description was while she was medicated following surgery; once the medication wore off, her true temperament emerged. Labeling her as "full of puppy energy", is an over simplification of her personality. My family has had many puppies and fostered several as well, she has far more energy than a normal puppy. She needs 24/7 surveillance at least in this stage of her life, and nowhere in her description does it even nod to anything like that. ** While the volunteers we interacted with were compassionate and kind, the office staff we dealt with during surrender were dismissive and lacking empathy during an already painful process. When we asked whether we could be notified once she was adopted--purely for peace of mind, as we love her deeply and want her placed safely--we were bluntly told to "check the website," which added unnecessary coldness to an emotional moment. What prompted this review was seeing Medley's adoption profile reposted using her original description, despite detailed, first-hand information being provided at surrender. I emailed them a 2 page document including all of the training styles used, her favorite stuff, her behaviors and needs, and it clearly was just ignored. We even called addressing the inaccuracy of her profile, and was told they'd talk to a manager and fix it... days later the profile says its current with no changes. We spent well over a thousand dollars between adoption fees, products, and veterinary care while essentially fostering her for only 2 months. (In which we spent hours every day training her, trying to tire her out, and keeping her engaged. In the beginning she was fine with our dog, then in the end we had to keep them separated at all times after she hurt my dog and cat) Then had to pay $150 to return her, which I know they'll say was in the contract, fine... but charging people and treating them like that, and then treating the dog they care about like a product is confusing. We made it VERY clear that she cannot be safely housed with cats or timid dogs, yet she is currently listed as "wonderful with dogs, cats, and children." This is not accurate. She has never been exposed to young children, has injured our timid older dog, and has a strong prey drive. Presenting her as universally suitable creates a serious risk of unsafe or failed placements. Medley is a good dog--funny, energetic, inquisitive, and outdoorsy--but she is also a higher-needs dog who requires the right environment to succeed.Portraying her as something she is not does a disservice to potential adopters and, more importantly, to Medley herself. We tried our absolute best to find her the correct home, hence why we brought her back to her original adoption location, and gave them all of the detailed information we did. Now reflecting, I wish we hadn't returned her here because we are so unsure about her future, and have no control over the situation. Beyond heartbroken over the way this matter was handled. Honest, transparent profiles matter. Especially for dogs with specific needs, accuracy can mean the difference between a stable forever home and repeated rehoming. I sincerely hope this shelter reflects on how surrendering families are treated and how dogs are represented going forward, because both deserve better. I will be including the documents I sent them, followed by their description. read more

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I have been a long time customer of Darbster Doggy (almost 4 years at the time of this review). In May of 2020, right after the start of the pandemic, my husband and I really wanted to adopt a dog. (We were dog owners before, and it took many years after she passed away for us to be ready). However, due to the pandemic, the wait lists for places and the process to adopt was quite lengthy. We stayed the course, and one of the places we applied to adopt from was Darbster since they actually let you MEET the dogs before adopting (almost all the places we'd been applying to were asking people to adopt sight unseen - based on photos only, which is crazy)! I met a few dogs, but once I met one I wanted to adopt, they told me I couldn't take the dog home with me unless my husband was also present. (Would have been good to know beforehand). We lost that dog to someone else who came in after me, however; they made it up to us by giving us a preview of the next new dogs available for adoption that might be a fit, and we also got first crack at meeting the dogs. The photo of our Mazzy was truly love at first sight.. she had such bright eyes and looked like such a lovebug. We met her and adopted her same day. She was overall healthy (was just ending a bout of kennel cough) and was spayed, etc. She was not housebroken or leash trained, and they did share that she had accidents in her kennel and that shouldn't wear a harness or collar while crated. Since adopting Mazzy over 3 years ago, we've also entrusted Darbster with boarding several times. In the fall when we went to Japan for 2 weeks, she did lose a bit of weight, but that's common for her. (She really doesn't eat much when we are gone, even if she's at home). We trust Darbster with Mazzy and we are so grateful that they rescued her and we got to adopt her! read more

Darbster Doggy - The photo from Darbster Doggy staff that caught my eye and made me fall in love with our future family member! - Pet Adoption Near Me - chichester, New Hampshire

Very nice staff. They're all very concerned about the animal and the match for the family. They test their animals around other pets so that a potential adopter can make an informed decision as to the perfect fit for their family. Great experience overall. read more

The last thing I want to do is give a negative review on an animal shelter. However, after losing my 3 month old puppy, please use caution. Here's my sad story: At the beginning of April, I Arrived at Darbster Doggy to view pets. They mentioned that we could look at some puppies and that all the puppies have a "cough". We visited the puppies and immediately loved a dog named Debo (we re-named to Basil later). Shelter mentioned that once he gets cleared for Kennel cough, he could be adopted but if we wanted to hold him, we could. Placed a hold for him and we filled out the paperwork for approval. They advised us that upon approval, there is a $20 (per day) boarding fee while he was in their care. Before approving us, we went to check his page and he was already listed as "adopted" and taken off their page....solely just from our deposit. I left my vet office and a personal friend as references for approval. Both have confirmed that they were not contacted for this approval. Charged $180 for boarding charges while he was in their care. I realized later that most shelters don't do this for pets under their care. Nor do they usually allow deposits on a pet that is currently sick. I also feel like they approved the adoption quickly so they could promptly charge for boarding...as none of my references were contacted. Week 1: Rescue never called me for update. I had to call them. Mentioned that Basil could not go home due to "parasites" and continuous kennel Week 2: Once again, I had to reach out to the shelter for an update. Mentioned that he could not go home still due to "a fever" and "his eyes need drops". We did go to visit him that afternoon to check on him. Overheard a staff member mention that she's afraid he may have a pnuemonia (we weren't supposed to hear her). Brought up that concern. Front desk mentioned that they would have him re-check with the vets and get back to us on Tuesday. WHY did he have a fever? Did the vet actually do any blood tests or xrays? Does not look like it from the paperwork. Week 3: Missed a call from Darbster. Called them back immediately. Debo/Basil had passed his medical exam and had a certificate. The front desk mentioned that "whatever he had was no longer contagious". They encouraged us to bring our senior (11 year old) dog to see if both of them were a good fit together. Later on, VCA Caves emergency center confirmed that he indeed had a pneumonia and it WAS contagious. Therefore, our current dog Bella WAS at risk. In addition, they sent me home with medical eye drops from the vet and advised me to administer to Basil twice a day. Later, my vet had mentioned that this particular action was ILLEGAL and they should not have sent me home with eye drops OR let my current dog meet with him. They illegally sent me home with prescription eye drops, my dog at that time could have potentially been infected from their negligence. The next day after he was deemed healthy by darbster: Brought Basil in for a check up with our primary vet. Basil had a fever of 103. They held off on administering his shots due to this and gave him IV fluids. The day after the first vet visit: basil still has fever. Two days later: Rushed Basil to emergency care after speaking with primary vet. Still very lethargic, has fever. Once we arrived at CAVES, they took his vitals right away. It is confirmed that he has a pneumonia. Provided overnight care for him which was not cheap. Day after treatment: CAVES advised us that the care has been successful and Basil was reacting well to the antibiotics/treatment. Gave his instructions for ongoing care. Followed all care for the next week. A few days later: Basil is still lethargic. Appetite and water intake decreased. Brought to vet to get help with administering medication. Weight loss. Next day: Returned to vet for assistance with administering medication and for Basil to receive more fluids. Still eating very little. Final day: Brought Basil in for assistance with medication and IV's. Vet mentioned that his fever had reached 105 and she fears he has distemper. Explains my options and we decide it is humane to euthanize him. We had him for a total of a week and a half. His remains were sent to UNH..it was confirmed that he passed from distemper and the specialist that performed his necropsy was concerned about the timing of his shots prior to when we adopted him. Overall, Darbster sold me a VERY sick dog and these are my primary reasons for this review and my concerns for others considering this organization. I do truly hope they learn from this so that others do not share the heartbreak we endured and that other pets in their facility are well cared for: 1. Basil could have affected my senior dog of 11 years old with his illness thanks to their negligence as they encouraged a meet and greet and "passed" him for being healthy. 2. Their vet did not examine him for distemper or pneumonia even though one of their staff members mentioned this read more

Darbster 1st claimed a dog they got in January was 3 months old when I brought my dad to meet her for a potential adoption in the middle of may. When darbster got her in Jan she was already 3 mos old so how could she possibly still be 3 mos old 5 mos later? How is it in this day & age that a dog rescue does not have a 9-month-old dog spayed before letting them be adopted? Worse than that how does a dog rescue that claims to be on the up & up allow a dog to suffer w/a painful medical condItion the entire timethey've had her and fail to get the condition fixed. Basically they did the bare minimum. Worse, she clearly hasn't been socialized, wasn't comfortable w/people or dogs, not trained 2 walk on a leash, terrified of being outside or walked, was extremely activated anytime she heard/saw chipmunk, squirrel, rodent, bird, cat, etc. Darbster isn't not at all in tune with what the needs of their dogs are. If you want a reputable rescue all over NH No. MA. They are no better than A puppy mill. I did make every effort to rectify this situation with darbster but when I reached out to them less than 24 hours after adopting her Andrew the manager said I needed to surrender her and that was the only way he would get her I fixed. What rescue in their right mind says something like that? And you know for a fact they are not going to fix her eye if they've had her for 9 months. Now granted they claimed she is 3 months old but looking at her and examining her teeth and getting the opinions of three other vets who say she's 9 to 12 months old you know she is not 3 months old. They're just going to hope some idiot adopts her unless her suffer for the rest of her life with that horrendous eye condition that even Texas A&m veterinary school says 100 without a doubt needs to be rectified with surgical intervention. I adopted this dog for my father who has not been doing well and it broke his heart into pieces to have to surrender her. It tore me into pieces as well. No dog deserves a life like that and to be placed in a glorified puppy mill. Stay as far away from this place as you can and hopefully without adoptions they will go bankrupt. Again I have had three different vets tell me that her I needs to be fixed or she risks going blind and they also told me she is between 9 and 12 months old. If this is the kind of rescue you want to support that speaks volumes of the type of person you are. Plenty of documentation attached Oh and they also say that we will provide medical help if this is needed. If that isn't the biggest contradictory statement I've ever heard in my life I don't know what is. I attempted to work through things with somebody else that works at darbster in Chichester named who goes by the name of Ellen and presents this sweet facade saying she'll work with you but in the end she is just as ruthless and cares as little about dogs as Andrew does. THEY ALSO STATE IN THEIR POLICY THAT THEY WILL DO ANYTHING NEEDED TO HELP YOU OUT FINANCIALLY WITH MEDICAL ISSUES WHICH AS YOU CAN SEE IS NOT THE CASE I will also be out in on the documentation from Tufts veterinary Medical School, Texas A&m veterinary school, Michigan State veterinary school and the AVMA PROVING THAT CHERRY EYE ISN'T SOMETHING THAT CAN BE IGNORED AND NOT TREATED ESPECIALLY WHEN A RESCUE HAS THE MEANS TO DO SO! THE MANAGERS OF THIS ORGANIZATION I JUST THERE TO PUSH DOGS ON PEOPLE WHO ARE IGNORANT & WOULD DO ANYTHING TO ADOPT A CUTE DOG WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT THEY'RE GETTING INTO. BEWARE BUYER BEWARE AND STAY FAR FAR FAR AWAY FROM THIS PLACE UNLESS YOU WANT A TRAGEDY ON YOUR HANDS read more

They really show that they care for the animals. We went for a meet and greet and found our perfect match. Good people and great pets.

We adopted a dog. She was a blue heeler. I have owned this breed of dog before. They told us she had been adopted out, but returned due to "nipping" 4 people. She was listed as being good with cats, she was NOT. My poor cat hid for 4 weeks. That is because the dog would attack her each time she came out. We tried to keep them separate as much as possible. They also said she was housebroken, again not true. She peed on our rug constantly. They claimed she was grate trained, she was not.We had signed her up for training, however never got the chance. We were forced to surrender her because she became extremely aggressive. She bit my sister, the final straw was she bit a neighbor for no reason. We couldn't take her anywhere because she would try to attack people and other dogs. We kept calling darbster and explaining the issues. They kept telling us it was just her hearding instincts. We talked to them 3 times looking for help. They said they would have their behaviorist call us. They never did. Biting the neighbor was the last thing. We couldn't take the risk she wouldn't attack someone and really hurt them. We took her back to darbsters. Not only would they not help us. I belive those "Nips" were bites. Nips sounded less aggressive. We felt we had no choice but to surrender her. I believe they thought we were exaggerating her aggression. However when we went to surrender her, they took us to a separate room to fill out paperwork. When Andrew came in with the paperwork he got a good look at her aggression. He never even stepped all the way in the room. She went after him, no provocation. He sent in a trainer, the same reaction. They didn't offer us a refund or allow us to adopt another dog. All we wanted was to help a rescue dog. Instead we are out $525.00 dollars. No money or pet. With our adoption fee of $375.00 and the surrender fee of $175.00. The other people who also surrendered her. That means they have made $1100.00 off this poor dog. They keep sitting her up for failure, they need to work with her. Not keep adopting her out to be returned. Shame on them. Because of our experience we will not be adopting from them again. We don't trust them. Very sad way to treat these animals. read more

This "shelter" is a joke. The front office women are so incredibly rude and non caring for these dogs to find a home, they're going online slamming other dog businesses with false information about them JUST to try to redirect people to go adopt dogs from here that they don't even treat properly. Setting these dogs up for failure, I've seen the living conditions these dogs are in and it's horrifying, not to mention I saw how they wrote certain dogs are sick and coughing and not being medicated but yet is around other dogs there with no care at all. Maybe step it up and learn how to run a business and treat animals before you go slamming other companies you know nothing about. These poor dogs stuck living there with these horrible employees. read more

We adopted our pup from Darbster about a year ago! Staff is fantastic and I fell in love with the atmosphere and the passion everybody has for the animals. I now volunteer and foster for them and feel so much satisfaction helping such a deserving foundation! Their doggy daycare and boarding options are also amazing and affordable! I highly recommend checking them out if you're looking for a fur baby or if you're looking for somewhere fun for your current fur babies to hang out during the day! read more

Hi I adopted (in August 2021)a beautiful 3 yr old german shepherd that you call Kris but we changed her name to Abby. And she is loved but we discovered a few problems. Abby wasn't socialized at all and is still hard to control if there is another animal or human around. She has pulled me to the ground at least 6x. She seems to be from a mill and used for breeding so her social graces are still lacking. After bringing her to my vet, it was discovered that she has a VERY bad heart murmur (5 level out of 6 ). These are 2 important facts thst I needed to share and hope to get feedback She also has a High prey reaction and is chasing my cats all day. I have brought her to basic obedience anf will continue to intermediate. I suggest a more thorough physical exam and longer solization before the dog is even shown. read more

Not a good experience. Workers are young and inexperienced. Our experience was also if things go their way they can be professional, if they don't they are rude and very disrespectful. Beware how dogs are labeled and do some deep research prior to committing to taking one. In one statement they say the dog "can be aggressive at times" in the next they classify them safe with children and cats. In my book, the two don't go together. You are also signing a paper at adoption that states they have no liability so beware. read more

This review is based on my personal experience with Darbster. I found that the staff gave very conflicting information regarding their dogs. It was hard to know whom to believe. Two breeds were listed on the paperwork. wasn't told which was accurate. I was also told that there was a biting incident by one person and the opposite by another person. After adopting the dog, my insurance company would not cover the dog because I wasn't sure of the breed, and not knowing if the biting incident really happened. I did not have an opportunity to walk the dog before adopting her. When I tried to walk her at home, I could not control her because she was very strong. I was afraid that she could get away from me or even drag me if she started chasing something. She also growled at two women friends who came to visit me. She did not want them coming into the house. The same thing happened to a man who does indoor and outdoor work for me. After two incidents of growling at me, I decided it was safer to return her to Darbster. I think that Darbster should have been more transparent about this dog. She was there 7 months. The return fee was $100. I really felt devastated that I had to return her. I have adopted many dogs in my 70 years, and never returned one. When in the process of returning her, I was told that she had been adopted 4 or 5 times prior adoption. I was later told that information was wrong, and it was a different dog who experienced that trauma. I think that any dog who goes through repeated adoptions and returns suffers from the experience. I was very disappointed and sad that I had to return her. I asked if they would make an exception to their very strict adoption agreement. To me, it merely protected them from any litigation. There is no individual consideration for an adopter. If I could have exchanged her for another dog who was a better match, without having to pay another adoption fee without so much conflicting information, I would have been satisfied. The young manager was not willing to even consider this option. No wiggle room at all. At the end of this ordeal, I had spent $960 on adoption and return fees, a comprehensive vet exam, food, treats, toys, leashes, and a harness. Everything at Darbster seems geared to their benefit instead of the dogs and adopters. I think that $$$$$$$ is the goal of this organization. I would advise anyone who is thinking of adopting a dog from Darbster to pay close attention to what you are told and check with several staff to make sure they are all on the same page. Their agreement states that you cannot sue them, but they can sue you if you don't return the dog to them. Thus more money to be made by them. Also, you are required to register your dog's microchip online. The dog I adopted was still registered to someone else. I brought it up to Darbster staff twice, but it was never corrected. I left a voicemail for the owner but it was never returned. The manager was less than helpful. No empathy for the dog or me. read more

My wife and I just adopted a small pup from darbster doggy and we were totally pleased with everything. They were by far the best adoption rescue that we have dealt with after spending months looking and dealing with many other agencies threw the entire state. They were great with dogs and with the public and all our time spent there I would recomended to you. We are totally in love with our pup and things are adjusting super.Thank You to all the people who work so hard to maintain this location. Andy and Marilyn Gaudreau read more

I recently adopted a dog from Darbster Doggy. Although I couldn't be more pleased with my dog, I would like to share thoughts on the adoption process. I asked several questions regarding my dog before adopting him, particularly about how he was with very small kids, as he would be around my 20 month old nephew. I was assured he was good with all ages. I am happy to report this is true, but after you adopt a dog, you are then given a folder which shows the vet notes from Florida, and their recommendation was Conan be exposed to kids 12 and older due to nervousness; a completely different answer than I was given. I also asked about the calluses on his legs and was advised they were due to lying on concrete in Fl. Conan had kennel cough when I met him and I was advised that he could not be adopted until he was cleared, which is true, but then the only way you can hold the dog for adoption is to medically foster him until he is cleared by their vet. I did this and took him back to be cleared and finalized the adoption. I immediately scheduled an appt for Conan with a local vet, only to find he has ear infections (mentioned in the vet notes I was not shown until contracts were signed and money exchanged) nd skin infections ( those calluses). A very expensive vet bill for things Darbster's vet should have identified. Well, at least there was the 1 month pet insurance I was given to help. No, there is a 14 day waiting period for that to kick in, which is precisely the number of days that you can return the dog due to medical issues identified by a vet. I would never have returned Conan for these issues and I have no issues providing the medical treatments, but this shows a lack of concern the agency has for the animals. If you watch their FB page weekly, you will see many dogs are returned. This is probably the result of misinformation or lack of knowledge the staff has about the dogs. Just so you know, if you return the dog for any reason other than a vet identified medical issue, they keep your adoption fee. Seems to me, they benefit monetarily from dogs being placed in inappropriate homes. Ultimately, I love my dog and am happy I have him, but if you are considering adopting from this agency, ask to see their folder. You might want to test the dogs ability to get into your car or other basic tasks. I live in a 3 story townhouse and learned very quickly Conan had no idea how to climb stairs. It took 2 days of love and encouragement, but he has mastered stairs! read more

Very disappointed with how this adoption facility is run. Run mostly by teenagers who don't seem to have motivation or care to get dogs adopted to good homes. I sent in a application for a specific dog, went to look at him and then he was adopted out. They didn't notify me at all. When I called about another dog and set up and appointment a week later they still hadn't reviewed my application and couldn't tell me why. I called that morning to make sure that dog was still available before my appointment and they said he was adopted. I would have made a trip over an hour for nothing. I don't think they would have even called me to let me know. Look elsewhere to adopt a dog. read more

Great Facility with Caring staff! Our Dog Jax loved his 10 night stay while we were away! We will definitely bring Jax back while we are away again. Very Reasonably priced and I would recommend highly!! read more

Dog Adoption. My family found a dog on Petfinder from this facility. The description they provided described the dog as "sweet and gentle", "impeccable manners and does not jump", "good with other dogs and children". I sent in an inquiry and even talked to someone on the phone. We have a 3 year old daughter and, most importantly, needed a dog that will get along with her. They told us to come down and meet this dog and could meet others as well. When we arrived we were brought to the quarantine wing, because the dog had kennel cough, which we were not told. Then immediately upon bringing out the dog, the dog LUNGED, barked and growled at our daughter. Thank god they had a good hold on the leash! The staff then introduced us to a different dog who we didn't know anything about, that dog was obviously very stand off-ish with our daughter and eventually growled at her too. I later read her description and it clearly said she would "be best in a home with kids age 14+". Why they brought her out to meet us and our 3 year old, I have no idea. We left extremely upset. We had driven an hour to get there after reviewing a description and talking to someone on the phone. We left knowing they completely lied about the character of this dog and also brought out another dog would was known to have issues with young children. It seemed like they were using our daughter to experiment and see if these goods were good with children. Utterly despicable. Be very cautious working with this group, if at all! read more

Great new place. Our dog Barney loves going and playing with other dogs. Very reasonable and would recommend.