We used this rescue group to get a forever pet. After filling out the application and paying the fee. We were interviewed by a volunteer to To see our living situation. We were placed with our new dog child. Her name is now Gladys and she is perfect. Our thanks to Patricia for all her help navigating the adoption process. read more

They answered my prayers when they found my special Lab the perfect home. I had to give him up and trusted them to keep him safe. They took special care to listen to what I felt was best for him and they went above and beyond!!!1 read more

Great dogs great cause great people. They actually care about the dogs and where they are going.

I love this group and what they do to help dogs. They go to every effort to make sure that every dog finds its perfect home. Some people don't like if they get rejected but it's the best for the dogs. We have had many labrador retrievers from this group and they have all been just wonderful animals. I highly recommend DLRR. read more

I cannot say enough good things about this organization. I've been volunteering with them for almost 1 year now and am so impressed with how well organized and helpful everyone has been. The work behind the scenes to get these fur babies rehabilitated and into new loving homes is just astounding. read more

Desert Labrador Retriever Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me

I was kicked out after showing interested in adopting a pup. First time around I inquired about a dog and last minute I told them that our bathroom was going to be renovated after water damage and I felt like it wasn't fair to have people coming in and out and have a new pup. We had an emergency plumbing situation..Second time we were going to meet a dog named Chloe and my son and husband ended up sick with the flu so we felt like it wasn't a good time to bring a new dog in. We are a good family and they lost out on finding a good home. Our 4 year old son was very sad about Chloe, this letter was the cherry on top. We weren't even given the chance to reschedule a time to meet the pup. Just treated like we were nothing and they moved on to the next family. Luckily we have a sweet lab of our own. Sad that they make it this hard to adopt . Please adopt somewhere else. Even the humane society had some amazing dogs that doesn't make it this hard. read more

Amazing organization for all dog lovers! I've adopted two of my girls from this organization and am considering my next adoption from them. These are caring individuals who provide you with all the information necessary to better understand your new pet and also provide you with trainers, nutritionists and other experts to make the transition for these dogs a seamless one. read more

Desert Labrador Retriever Rescue - We lost our precious Karlee in October 2019. We will find our next princess from DLRR soon. - Animal Shelters Near Me

This rescue has so many hard working and caring people. It makes me sad to read some of the bad reviews. Truth is, the volunteers are doing the best they can in order to give these dogs the best life. They watch some dogs suffer before things get better, they dedicate their own time to training and treating them, they give them everything they can before doing their best to give them what they need, and some sacrifice their own vacations to ensure the dogs feel safe and loved. I know some of you may not understand because you wanted that one dog but these volunteers know these dogs, cared for them, understood where they came from and what they need to be better, and that may not have been you or you may not have been the first to respond. It's not personal, it's about timing and the animals. I love this rescue, the care they have for these dogs, the time they put into making sure the dogs feel loved, the time they take to make their volunteers feel cared for, the money they spend to get the best care for the dogs, and the commitment to finding as many as they can to save. When the time is right for me and I'm no longer mourning my Coco, I will adopt from this rescue. read more

The only reason I did not give a five star rating is the dog I adopted came with a huge bladder stone. Had to pay $2000 for the surgery. The prior owners are being asked to help with this cost. Moral is have your adopted dog get a physical before you adopt. read more

In October I lost a 12-year old Chocolate Lab to a debilitating illness. He had been with me since he was a small puppy. He was a great friend and companion. In November, after dealing with the loss and the loneliness of a dog-less home, I viewed the DLRR web site and made the choice to pay a $10 "adoption fee" in order to submit an adoption application with DLRR. I then waited. And waited. And waited. After close to a month had passed without response from DLRR, I decided to attend a PACC911 sponsored Adopt-a-thon. While there I came across the DLRR booth. I stopped by the booth and inquired about my application. The volunteer indicated that it was highly unusual for someone to not receive a response on their application in a month. She unsuccessfully tried to access my application using her smart phone and then took down my name and contact info and said she'd look into it. The following week a DLRR home visit volunteer contacted me regarding a home visit. The home visit volunteer indicated that it was more challenging to get a home visit scheduled for someone living in the east valley. She then made arrangements on a time that she would come to my home to complete the required home visit. On the selected day of the visit this volunteer, a second volunteer, and an older yellow lab showed up at my home. Once in my home, the Yellow Lab was allowed to sniff and investigate the home while the volunteers looked around. We then walked out into my backyard where the Lab was allowed to investigate further and do "her business". At the conclusion of the home visit, one of the volunteers commented on a dirty spot on my tile floor but noted no other issues. They then explained to me the process I would need to follow when I was approved to adopt. The following day a generic letter was drafted by DLRR's Board of Directors indicating that I was not approved to adopt. No explanation. No reason why. I emailed the President of the rescue asking for clarification. To date I have not received any response. Given the lack of response by the organization I have no choice but to assume that the rescue discounted my application due to some arbitrary reason such as my housekeeping skills or the number of weeds in my yard. In planning for this review, I read other Yelp reviews talking about how this organization is staffed by volunteers and how people should be more understanding. Unfortunately there is a big difference between being understanding of individuals and being tolerant of organizational behavior. In my opinion, DLRR does not live up to the standards that I would have expected from a PACC911 member rescue. At this time, I would not recommend DLRR to someone looking to adopt a dog. While the volunteers who support DLRR may be awesome individuals, it's my belief that the Board of Directors of DLRR has created an environment where they use arbitrary and unpublished criteria to select potential families to adopt their dogs. Dogs in need of adoption need a safe and happy home, PERIOD! DLRR needs to be transparent and communicate clearly with their supporters. Anything less is a disservice to the wonderful dogs that they represent. read more

Had issues with the website accepting payment and the site support was not helpful. Finally realized it will work on a computer and not a phone. Paid the fee and have contacting them a few times through email about doing the home inspection so we can be considered as an adoptee-never received a response. Went to in-person event and volunteers had no idea how to answer my questions. Frustrating trying to work with them. read more

I think this organization just wants to foster their dogs forever and accept donations. I've tried calling and left e-mails, and a week later, still no response! Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that Labs are being cared for. However, if they'd like to keep folks interested in possibly adopting a dog, at least return inquiries regarding the adoptable pups. Oh well. Off to the county kennels to find my new best friend. read more

We adopted a 10yr old yellow lab female to keep ours company after she lost her companion. They have been bff's since the 1st night they met! Great organization, very thorough, & compassionate. read more

We just lost our two old labs and are not ready to adopt yet, but we had the in home visit and it was lovely and inspired confidence in the true love these people have for labradors. read more

We are interested in two dogs that were on there web site paid the application fee and did the application. the next morning the dogs were off of the web site so I tried to call and email with no reponse from them at all. be aware even though it is a rescue manners aren't part of this company all we asked for is a response on the application read more

ADOPTERS BEWARE of this UNSCRUPULOUS organization!! On 8/24/19 I tried adopting Max this cute 4.5mos old black lab puppy from Desert Labrador Retriever Rescue. I was told I needed to fill out an application form and pay $15 to apply. I immediately applied and paid. I then received an email saying that I would be contacted by someone from the rescue to schedule an in-home inspection visit. One week went by. I NEVER HEARD FROM DLRR AGAIN. 9/1/19 I went back to their original FB post only to find an UPDATE that Max was ADOPTED. I purposefully & intentionally applied to adopt Max based on the PHOTO SHOWN posted on DLRR facebook page. I read and followed the application process instructions. All week I waited and sadly I was not contacted or told he had been adopted. I made a comment on the post wondering why I never heard from them and asked for my application refund. DLRR responded to me and said "DLRR does not match applicants to a specific dog". Wait WHAAAT???!!!! WHY would DLRR post a picture of Max on the DLRR Facebook page saying he was up for adoption and looking for his "furever home". Thus getting people excited to apply to adopt the DOG SHOWN IN THE PICTURE that was posted????!!!! ANSWER: it's a BAIT & SWITCH SCAM. It's a scam to get people to pay $15 thinking they have a chance to adopt the dog in the photo posted. Apparently they collected 50+ applications for Max at $15 ea. That's a lot of people thinking they could adopt Max. You do the math. $$$ Apparently once you apply & pay your application fee, then you'll wait around for a in-home inspection visit with the POSSIBILITY of becoming an "approved adopter". IF approved, then your application goes into the DLRR data base as an "approved adopter". Then ONLY AFTER you've received a in-home visit AND been"approved", you'll have access to a "Dog-a-log" where you're able to see what dogs are available for adoption. On 9/1/19 in a FB comment from DLRR they told me "DLRR does not match applicants to a specific dog". Upon discovery, Max was never available to new applicants. He was only available to DLRR already "approved adopters" that already exist in the DLRR data base. Only existing "approved adopters" in the DLRR system had a chance to adopt Max. Something DLRR NEVER TOLD ME. I'm quite sure they didn't tell anyone else that applied either! If I had been told by DLRR previously to submitting & paying my application fee, that I was not a contender to adopt Max at that time (because to qualify I would have already needed to be an "approved adopter" to adopt Max)...... I would have NEVER APPLIED! He was the dog I wanted specifically! I'm quite sure I'm not the only person who thought this...and as I was inquiring and writing my response comments on DLRR facebook post...they blocked me from their facebook page. DLRR blocked me from their Facebook page so I could not write about this bait & switch adoption experience. Shame on them. I guess if you have nothing to hide and you are running an organization with honesty and being forthcoming...you wouldn't have to block people DLRR. They also have since deleted their original post about Max. Not surprising. Desert Labrador Retriever Rescue was dishonest regarding this adoption situation. Huge disappointment. Waste of time, energy and emotion. I will never support this disgusting unscrupulous organization. On 9/1/19 I emailed Valerie Miraglia and Amber Forwalk at Desert Labrador Retriever Rescue and asked in writing to have my $15 refunded to my credit card. As of 9/14/19 I have not been refunded my money. read more

These people are lame. I filled out their application and paid the $10 deposit and exchanged a few emails with Patricia. She said that because I already have a dog that is "unaltered", (he is an 8 year old rescue himself), they would not be willing to let us adopt a lab even though we've had labs in the past and even had a lab with the current dog we have ... She promised to refund my $10 as I wasn't really expecting or knew of their "unaltered" policy before I filled out the application. It's been almost two months and she hasn't returned the money or email. Lame ... read more

The dogs seem great, beautiful & happy. I have had a few very rude & lying fosters. One time we met a local Tucson dog, that foster reported to another volunteer that we will not consider a male dog when we never said that. Another set up a meet then cancelled because a Phoenix adopter wanted to see the dog. Your policy says first calls get priority, obviously not in that situation. Then we called about a dog & the foster was only available on that Saturday, we were busy that day but not on Sunday. She then rudely told me that if I couldn't just drop everything & get there Saturday, I wasn't fit to adopt the dog. Basically I've experienced blatant rudeness from several fosters which isn't a good reputation for this non-profit. read more

It breaks my heart to write a bad review for an organization who is saving animal lives, however please read this before using this organization. We were approved to adopt one of their labs who was being fostered down in Tucson. The foster mom stated she would hang onto the dog until we got back from a few days vacation. We get back, foster mom says we are a "go" come down when you can, no hurry, "he isn't going anywhere". The next day, one of our dogs had an eye injury and had to have eye surgery. We call the foster mom and tell her what happened, and said we didn't think it would be good timing for a new dog in the family, can we postpone adoption for 10 days until our dog gets his cone off after surgery? "YES" she says, "no problem, I will hold onto him for you". 10 days later, we call and say we can go to Tucson the next day to finalize the adoption, and she says "Oh, well, I couldn't wait any longer, and I'm going out of town tomorrow, so there is another guy coming over to adopt him today." WHAT????? WHAT??? Are you kidding me?? So, we contact Desert Lab, tell them what happened, they apologize and blame the whole situation on the foster mom. "She should not have done that; that is against our policies; she should have never made any promises; we don't 'get rid' of dogs just because of vacations" type stuff. So we take their word for it and think it was a one of a kind fluke, and move on. We find another one of their labs we'd love to adopt in Phoenix. We get approved, and adopt. On paper the dog we were getting was 6 years old, had cataracts starting, and no signs of lameness or joint problems; and is a "heavy breather". She was quarantined at the Scottsdale vet this rescue uses for a week because of "kennel cough". What we adopted was an "at least 12" year old dog; with no cataracts but eye changes due to advanced age; the most severe grade of hip degeneration possible; and a paralyzed larynx (a life threatening breathing condition). All these conditions including the "at least 12 years old" were verified by 2 different vets costing us a few thousand dollars within the first week of ownership. When we contacted the vice president of Desert Lab with this news, she kept repeating over and over that we can return her, "return her to us". We informed Desert Lab that once we commit to an animal we commit for life; no matter what, so returning her was absolutely not going to happen. What we did ask the VP to do was to charge us the senior adoption fee instead of the 'middle-age' dog adoption fee (a difference of about $100). She informed us that she needed to "check with the board of directors" on that. WHAT?? We just laid down several thousand because your organization, nor the vet clinic where she was for 7 full days, can't adequately figure out a dogs medical conditions nor age?? And you have to check with the board on a $100 difference we should not have to pay because of her real age? WOW. And it gets better. They never called us back. Couple weeks go by and after leaving voice messages and emails we finally hear that they "don't agree that her adoption fee should be reduced" but they will accept the lower adoption amount. Gee thanks. And it gets better. We ask about transfer of microchip. Again, they say they'll get back to us. We call. We email. We call again, multiple times. Nothing. SIX months later - no microchip transfer. So we take matters into our own hands, get a hold of the microchip company and after hearing our nightmare story, the microchip folk agreed to change ownership on their end, thankfully. We LOVED this dog, for her condition we purchased her cooling mats, installed webcams all over inside and outside - because dogs with paralyzed larynx's cannot cool themselves down; they cannot pant - heck they can hardly breathe. She was a cherished member of our family and we loved her deeply for the short time we had her before we had Happy Endings come to the house to say goodbye. At the end, she could not breathe well- even when she was resting - because the condition gets worse over time; and she was not a good candidate for surgery. So we loved her no matter what. So she had a fantastic home, and as much as I love labs I will never use this rescue again, and you better believe there have been many who have heard this story. I'm sorry but this organization needs a serious lesson in customer service (not to mention that vet needs to go back to school!). NOT once did they ever say they were sorry that we got a significantly different dog than what they had 'advertised'. GO ELSEWHERE. Use Petfinder, find your lab at another organization or the county shelter. We just got an amazing yellow lab (who looks purebred b.t.w.) from the Westside Pound. The county offered him to Desert Lab but they passed on him because he was "too old". He's 9!! And full of life; and the most fantastic, goofiest dog ever. Glad we got him and not Desert Lab! read more

We have adopted 2 dogs from DLRR. One was 8 years ago and one was 2.5 years ago. As our older dog is aging, I think more and more about how fortunate we were to adopt both of them. This organization takes the adoption of pets seriously and will not simply give a dog to someone who is not committed to supporting that dog until the end. At first, we thought the adoption paperwork and home visit was strange, but can now see why these are important steps in the process in determining our level of commitment. Also, paying for the dog's adoption goes so far beyond YOUR dog. The money is used to help rescue the abused dogs who need more medical care before they can be adopted. We contribute annually to this organization. They use the money wisely and share the financial report with all organization members. We are proud to be DLRR dog parents! read more

These rescuers are the best! I trust them and will continue to call upon them for help in the future. Save a life~ adopt a lab

After reading the two reviews for DLRR I am disappointed because they do not capture the essence of this rescue group. I became familiar with DLRR through their website and Facebook page. I attended their Corks and Collars fundraiser, which is an incredibly fun event with amazing people. I talked with some volunteers during the event and decided to become a volunteer as well. Although I am fairly new, I believe through my experiences I can adequately talk about the rescue organization. First, this rescue is 100% volunteer. These are diligent, hard working people who care immensely for the dogs. They are determined to find the perfect home for each dog. The volunteers, including fosters, work hard with each dog. This organization consists of dedicated people who are doing their absolute best to find the right home. This group does not just take money for applications-they explain why there is an application fee on their website. There is also a home visit that is completed before approving an adopter. This group rescues dogs with many medical needs and sees to it that their rescues receive excellent veterinary care. You can learn more about DLRR through their website at www.dlrrphoenix.org Check out their Facebook page and 5-star ratings from 133 people Attend a meet and greet or a gift wrapping fundraiser. The next fundraiser is on Dec 14th at Barnes and Noble Desert Ridge read more

What an amazing organization! I was so impressed with everyone I came in contact with. The original welcome call, meeting for the home visit, and all of the foster families we met were so incredibly helpful. DLRR truly wants to make sure their dogs are with the right families. I appreciated their transparency re: the dogs pros/cons and why we would or wouldn't be a good fit for certain dogs we were interested in. We adopted a beautiful yellow lab puppy, Cooper (previously know as Brahms). Cooper's foster mom had worked w/ him while he was in her care and when he arrived at our house he was crate trained, 90% potty trained, and responded to basic commands! It doesn't get better than that!!! DLRR did an amazing job orchestrating doctor appointments, shots, neutering and answering questions re: dog care. I can't say enough good things about this organization. We are so thankful for all of the hard working volunteers that helped us adopt this awesome puppy. read more

Desert Labrador Retriever Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me

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I am all for rescuing and adopting dogs, hence why my husband and I were in contact with DLRR; however, I did not have a good experience and would not recommend them to a family looking for a puppy/dog. My husband and I were looking to adopt a dog and had a home visit, met with the volunteer, got on the emailings, etc. We were interested in meeting a few dogs from older puppies to three year olds.We called several foster parents to meet and it seemed every dog was in surgery, taken off the list for medical reasons, or we never received a phone call back. (There was one very nice foster mom who had Red). There was one younger puppy we were interested in who was about 6 months old. We called the foster mom and she responded more than a day later with a text saying she had family in town and couldn't meet..ok... My husband texted back asking if a few different times/days would work. She suddenly had time to call back and asked my husband if we both worked. He said yes and she claimed that DLRR doesn't adopt to full working homes because their dogs need constant attention. Oh hell no. I felt like this was the working mom vs. stay at home mom debate. Do you think any other questions were asked like: what hours do you work, would the dog have access to the outside, etc? Nope. Understandably the foster parents have an idea of the Dogs personality, but it appears there's a trend with this rescue that many of these puppies/dogs stay with the foster parents for a longgggg time. Oddly enough, I never saw that dog get adopted. The only reason I gave two stars was because we had no issues with the volunteers even though they essentially had no say in the dogs. There was also a foster mom that was excited about bringing over a dog, but we already adopted our dog from another rescue. read more

It's very sad to see how many low reviews this organization has. I had a good experience adopting my dog from them. I can tell you that they want to make sure their rescue dogs go to good and safe and loving homes. Some people are bothered by that, but you can't blame this organization for wanting to be careful; these dogs have been through a lot of heartache and rejection already. I adopted a 5 year old dog from them the day I met him; I had already filled out an application and had a home visit, so I was an approved adopter. I think they are doing the best they can in a really difficult job. read more

Please remind yourselves that everyone working here are volunteers, that being said this is their second or third job. After you fill out the $10 application fee you have to get approved for a home visit. I followed up about my home visit once a day until they came about 5 days later. After that they send you a dog log every Tuesday and Friday. The website is not up to date so you have to go off of these logs. As soon as you see a dog you like call the contact number. They'll talk you through your application to find out if you're a good fit. If you said you don't want a puppy and you call about a puppy, chances are you won't be getting a puppy. I saw two dogs within a weeks time after my application was approved. Follow up with them about your application and you should be ready to go in no time. read more

We went through the process to be able to adopt a lab or lab mix through DLRR-the minute we were given the green light we started arranging meet and greets for dogs. Within two weeks we found the perfect dog for our family and the foster parent had so much information about him. read more

I am a volunteer for this organization and was aghast at the 2 deleterious reviews recently posted. DLRR is a wonderful group of volunteers who are dedicated to rehoming Labrador Retrievers of all ages from shelters, puppy mills, owners who can no longer care for their dogs, and strays. The dogs all go to the vet for a full physical. Spaying and neutering is done only if it had not been done previously. The veterinarians used by DLRR are some of the best in the valley and would NEVER, under any circumstance perform unnecessary surgery on an animal. The reviewer below insults the credibility and the professionalism of those veterinarians with her untrue and unsubstantiated accusation. DLRR pays for all of the medical care required to get a dog to the point of being adoptable. This may be a simple as updating shots, but has included repairing broken bones, removing diseased teeth, treating Valley Fever and heartworm infections, treating cancers to name a few. If needed, some of the dogs have even gone through training to address behavioral issues. The application and adoption fees go toward all of the expenses the group incurs. DLRR is completely non-profit and without the application fees, adoption fees, and funds raised by donation or scheduled fundraisers, would not exist. As a foster for the group, I had to complete a foster application, I had to have a home visit and it was more rigorous than that required for a potential adopter. Why? Because as a volunteer foster I would ultimately be responsible for determining if a dog was suitable for a specified living situation. To do that I have to understand dog behavior, I have to be able to "read" the dogs I foster and determine how active they are, if they get along well with other dogs, of all sizes, cats, children and what ages. As a foster, I am also responsible for providing care for dogs recovering from illness or injury, working with shy and terrified dogs to bring them out of their shells, and providing a lot of manners training (come, sit, stay, down, leash training) that in most cases their previous owners did not take the time to do. I also have also housebroken dogs that have spent their entire lives prior to DLRR outside or in a kennel or run. All of this information is provided to potential adopters, we don't hide any of it because we want to find the right home for each dog. We are up front about additional training a dog may need, medications a dog may needs for life (e.g., allergies) and we take the time to know our adopters because the last thing we want is to have a dog come back because it was a bad fit. That's why we have a 24-hour waiting period after a family or individual meets and decides it wants a specific dog or dogs. We don't want them to regret a decision made in the heat of the moment. Dog return is an extremely rare event as a result. As to the allegations of not returning calls or e-mails, the adoption application is very clear at the top in big letters that NO calls or e-mails will be returned UNLESS they come from approved adopters. This is to allow our adoption coordinator and the fosters to focus their communications on families and individuals who are approved and ready to adopt. We do not have a "reserve a dog" policy, where calling in allows you "dibs" on a dog. We do have a first come, first visit policy wherein when multiple adopters are interested in one dog, they are told where they are in line (I once had 8 families wanting 1 dog) so they understand the situation, and that we will perform visits to have the dog meet the adopters in the order that the requests were received. Again, we are up front and truthful with our approved adopters so they don't get upset. Our fosters also review the approved applications to see if the dog they are fostering would be a match and will reach out directly to an approved adopter if they believe they have one. The fosters volunteering with DLRR are some of the best people I know and they have one goal for each dog: to find it a forever home. As to dogs "disappearing" from a web site. If a dog "disappears" it's because it has found it's forever home and a foster is happy and sad at the same time. Happy that the dog has found its forever home and sad that it is no longer with them. That is why our fosters are so terrific, they genuinely care for their foster dogs and want them to have the best possible lives after they leave their care. Home visits are handled as fast as possible by a dedicated group and once completed and approved, all fosters are notified and at that time the adopters are given access to information to contact fosters about specific dogs. My impression of the 2 bad reviewers is that they filled out the application and thought that entitled them to a dog. At DLRR the dog's best interests are our focus and that requires a bit more effort than just filling out a form. read more

Some potential adopters are disappointed by rescue groups because the groups don't allow just anyone to point at a dog and say "I want that one". DLRR takes great care in finding great homes for their beloved breed. Of course, this creates some bad feelings for those denied a dog. It is a hard part of what we do, but our focus is the DOGS' best interest. I am proud to count myself as a member of this group. read more

I originally came across DLRR about 6 years ago when I was looking to adopt a second labrador. I applied online and had a volunteer do a home visit and it was all professionally handled, although I know the rescue to totally run by volunteers. I ended up finding a dog through a friend's rescue while I was going through the application process but loved the rescue's mission and ended up volunteering for DLRR instead and foster dogs in my home and have done for almost 4 years now. Being on the inside of the rescue I am extremely impressed with how DLRR is run, they take in dogs of all ages, many with medical issues and don't balk at putting time and money into these dogs and do their best to finding the perfect permanent home for the labs. read more

Don't waste your time. We signed up, had a representative from DLRR come meet us at our home to approve us as a family qualified to adopt. Two months ago, my husband drove 1.5 hours to Tucson to be the first to meet a lab up for adoption. He let the foster parent know he was coming from the phoenix area. When my husband gets there with our children, the foster said "oh it's not first come first serve" and two days later gave the dog to another family. This past weekend they advertised on their private adoption page for people who are registered to adopt a dog who named Ginger who would be at a meet and greet an hour from our home. I sent a text to the foster parent saying we were coming to the meet and greet to meet Ginger. We were all very interested in adopting Ginger and after all that, the foster mom Patti says "oh she has an appointment to meet another person on Tuesday.' Why are you bringing a dog to a public meet and greet if you already have it for another family??? So one volunteer is telling us its not first come first serve and another is. They do NOT have their act together. But hey will gladly take your donation. If your interested in dragging your children to meet dogs only to tell them later they have been promised to another family. Then this is the organization for you. read more

Over the past 3 years, I have been involved with DLRR as a foster, as a volunteer and as an adopter. I can tell you personally that it is a wonderful organization. We have no staff, only volunteers, and every one of the volunteers is a dog lover through and through. For me, the adoption/approval process simply comes down to this: The "mantra" that all fosters have when approving the adoption of a foster dog is: "Would you adopt YOUR dog to this family?" I can promise you, that if I was adopting my own dog out to someone I did not know, I would require that they go through a very rigorous screening process. Any dog lover would agree. Why should our rescue dogs, who have already been through terrible disappointment, sadness and often abuse/neglect, be treated any differently? They become "OUR" dogs and we ensure their next home is their forever home and they will be loved by their new family as much as we love them. Please check DLRR out for yourself and don't believe what 2 people, who are terribly unfamiliar with the organization, have said. read more

Horrible rescue group...they use Vets that just cut open dogs unnecessarily with no tests to verify spaying. Untrained volunteers with no behavioral/body language or dog training experience doing evaluations on dogs temperments for placement. Un-returned phone calls and coorespondence, keeping deposits of potiential adopters and never approving them to name just a few unsavory things this group does. read more

My family and I drove 45 minutes to visit a DLRR event today in Cave Creek after a friend of ours recently adopted a dog through the organization. The ladies running the event were very friendly and I completed the lengthy online application process and paid the $10 fee. My husband and I have three children and a 4 yr. old male German Shepherd who comes from a long line of prized show dogs. Due to this, we have not neutered him. He has been through extensive obedience training and has the best temperament. He is not aggressive in the slightest. Without even coming for a home study or meeting my family and dog, a lady phoned me to tell me that we would not be allowed to adopt unless we neuter him. We were interested in a 5 year old dog to adopt, not a puppy, in order to provide an aging dog with a permanent family and playmate. It's very unfortunate that a decision should be made without ever meeting my dog first. I could easily have a neutered German Shepherd with an aggressive disposition and would have qualified for adoption. Does that make any sense? My family and I were looking to take in a dog that someone else abandoned but apparently we aren't suitable to do so. To DLRR....you should state this policy on your website BEFORE you accept money from potential clients. read more

They are understaffed so it takes forever to even get a call back when you show interest in a dog and submit your application. Since our dog is also a rescue and protective of her home, we gave specific instructions to ignore the dog until it warms up to them. This works all the time since we entertain a lot and have new people entering our home. We also have a lot of friend's dogs come over to play with our dog when we are entertaining. She did not listen to our instructions within the first few minutes of meeting the dog. This created a lot of anxiety on our dog. After the visit, she still said we were accepted and sent us the dogalog so we could contact the one dog that we really felt would be a perfect fit. We contacted the foster parents and had a great conversation. They also felt it would be a good fit. We were ready to go meet the dog when we received a call stating that they felt we were not a good "fit"! Why don't they ask for recommendations from family and friends about how the dog is and how great we care for it. OR Why don't they contact the prospecitve family's vet to also ask about the dogs demeaner etc.?? When I asked why we were told we were accepted at the time then declined she simply said she was sorry for the change in status! Why couldn't the person who did the home visit have the guts to say that face to face? If they are really concerned about the well being of the dogs then why don't they answer calls etc quicker AND get recommendations from people that know the person/family wanted to adopt a rescue. Very unprofessional and judgmental!! It's too bad and it's only the dogs that truly suffer. read more

We have adopted from this organization twice. The volunteers are dedicated, kind and devoted to finding forever homes that match each dog's personality or situation. If you want to adopt a lab, fill out the application, schedule the home visit, and then see which lab will fit into your life. It is not a one day or even one week process, but then it shouldn't be. You are adopting a pet for the rest of their life, so you need to respect the process. We LOVE our dogs and could not think of life without them! They are the best and it all started with Desert Lab Rescue! read more

I tried adopting a male Lab about 3-5 years old when the male yellow Lab I had was getting older. I was told that because my guy wasn't neutered I wasn't eligible. And this was three weeks after my application when I Ieft numerous messages and emails with no response. They did not even have the decency to call and let me know. My first thought was, why does my Lab have to be neutered, I am looking to adopt another male so no chance of a puppy mill here. The whole ordeal was just too much. This people are rude and ignorant in addition to being elitists and they are depriving dogs from getting good homes. My heart goes out to the poor dogs. My guy is now gone as of last May and I will be getting another dog but it won't be through them. I think they only want to collect the adoption application fees read more

I adopted 2 beautiful labs from this rescue, I had such a great experience, I am now a volunteer. Wonderful group to work with and so rewarding when we find the perfect home. We do not take deposits for dogs. Bitter people write bitter things. read more

Just had a visit from DLRR for a home visit. I found the volunteer Patricia to be dedicated and very sincere. She was informative and answered all our questions about adopting a Lab. Thank goodness for people who take the time and are dedicated to finding animals good homes. This organization was very prompt in responding to our e-mail about adopting a dog and following up with a home visit. I highly recommend them. read more

They require a $10 fee for the application, then send a unsigned letter saying our application was rejected. They came to my house and meet my wife and kids. I have owned many dogs over the years. I have no idea what their basis for our rejection was, I guess they would not approve of the way I raise my kids. Oh well boys, back to the hospital you go. I could care less, but my boys were very excited to get a dog. I thought I was doing the right thing in getting a rescue animal and not a puppy. Live and learn. read more