They were very understanding and caring when we had to put our BUDDY down. They appreciated our donations of BUDDY's leftover food, treats and bedding. I may volunteer there. read more

I see some of these lower star reviews are from many years ago and so much has changed including directorship and how the shelter is run. I have been volunteering over a year now and have been able to be part of many FURever happy endings. I see some negative reviews on here and wanted to speak up... I ask that you take a moment and walk a day in our shoes... no 1 person is perfect AND all of us are donating our time and sources to be here, with 1 mission in mind- to help find homes for as may dogs as possible. We pride ourselves in the love and care we provide each dog that comes to Dirks. We get to know their personalities and spend a lot of time determining what type of home would best suit them. It is NOT one person who decides a dogs adoption... it's a collaborative effort. Our goal is to find the BEST fit so they are not returned or repeat being let down. We work hard to provide all the snuggles, care, love, training they need and sometimes it's exhausting, messy, not fun BUT 100% worth the efforts. :) It brings me so much joy to know I am doing my part in a small way to help advocate for dogs who are not able to do so on their own. There are so many stories I could share on the many dogs who have touched my heart... I guess my favorite is getting the opportunity to be part of a rescue mission where several of us drove over 5 hours in the snow to rescue a litter of 8 month old goldens who had been kept in a barn and never let out. We had to carry them out as they were petrified; they had NEVER been out of their pen. We all worked together to get them the care they needed and ready for adoption. I even got to name one of them. They are all now adopted in amazing homes getting the life they deserve! I got to be part of something BIG... saving a dogs life! Pretty cool feeling. I am thankful for all those who have gone before me to make Dirks what it is today... I LOVE being part of this mission. read more

Dirk's Fund Golden Retriever Rescue - Pets Near Me - Pacific, Missouri

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On my second Dirk's dog. I wouldn't adopt from anywhere else! They vet their dogs like no other rescue and really screen applicants. You know the dog you are getting! read more

one daughter and my wife and I adopted Goldens some 12 years ago. Another daughter adopted Belle six years ago. We adopted another golden five years ago. All of the dogs have been wonderful and the adoption experiences have all been great. I highly recommend you check them out if you are considering a large breed dog read more

I've raved about and recommended Dirks Fund since we met them back in 2016. On a day in October that year, we would meet a dog that would change our lives. (Thanks, Sheryl!) Cali chose US that day by putting her paw on my husband's shoulder and letting us know to take her home. Only 6 months later, Dirks Fund reunited Cali with one of her daughters in my backyard. It was a happy-tears moment when Cali put her paw on Kira's shoulder and kissed her on her face. Cali told us that Kira wasn't going anywhere! (Thanks Ed!). The people at Dirks Fund are some of the most caring, generous, loving people that I have met. We have stayed in touch with them all this time. (They may have even tried to convince me the girls need a brother a time or two! ) they comment on my many posts of the girls and love to follow along their "golden years". Cali just turned 11 yesterday. She is still kicking it and doing great! Kira is my little snore-monster who will turn 7 in May. I can't say enough good things about this shelter. Thank you, Dirks Fund! read more

Dirk's Fund Golden Retriever Rescue - My golden babies! - Pets Near Me - Pacific, Missouri

I adopted our awesome St. Bernard, Abigail, from Dirk's Fund over a year ago. I have been a volunteer at the rescue ever since. I highly recommend anyone looking for a new family member to visit Dirk's Fund. They are a wonderful group of people who love and take the best care of any animal in their rescue. And the dogs are awesome too! Please keep in mind the main concern is getting a safe, loving and great home for the dogs in the their rescue. Cheers and huge love to everyone at Dirk's Fund. read more

I'm glad to see that other people have had the same negative experience that I had at Dirk's Fund. My mom and I live on an acre of land in a municipality that does not allow fences. Because our house is older, we have a white picket fence that wraps around half of the property but not the complete property. So, to protect our two dogs, we have an underground fence. It has worked great for us. We have been wanting to adopt a large dog for awhile now. We saw a post on facebook about a dog that caught our eye, so we decided to drive out there to meet the dog. As soon as we get there, we were rudely greeted by the director. After our initial interaction with him, I already knew that we would not be adopting from his shelter. He was cold, rude, and inappropriate. Finally, we got in to see a few dogs. Once we were with the first dog, the volunteer that was with us asked us if we had a fence. We said no, and explained that our municipality does not allow them. He could not wrap his head around this - ARGUING with us. However, he continued to show us a few more dogs. When we finally got to meet the dog we had gone there to meet, the director came back buy to check on us and he yelled at the dog then started laughing. The volunteer then said to him "well these people don't have a fence so they already know that our dogs aren't an option for them". While I completely understand the fence rule and I am glad to see that they take such careful measures to ensure the proper placement for their dogs - the way they go about doing so is very inappropriate and judgmental. The environment of the entire shelter is very cold, standoffish, argumentative, and downright rude. I was uncomfortable from my first step in the door and surely will not be returning or recommending them anytime soon. It's not about the fence rule, it is about the incredibly rude and discouraging staff and volunteers. read more

I went with my Mom recently, as she is interested in adopting, and while we were out in the play yard, the director, Bob, was EXTREMELY rude and disrespectful, not only in front of us, but my 2 year old son. I had to leave the outside area with my son and return to my car because I could not listen to his immature, condescending remarks. He was talking about some woman to one of the other workers, calling her a b**** and other stuff. I could not believe he was using this language right in front of us. Then he said to my son, "Go get me that ball!" in a really authoritative way. I turned to my son and said, "What I think he meant to say is "Please go get me that ball." Bob then says "I'm not gonna say please unless he gets me that ball." There were some other remarks he made toward my mother that were also very rude. I get the impression he thinks he's being funny or something, but in reality, he is a huge jerk. This was ever so apparent by the shirt he was wearing which said "Don't like my attitude? Well take a number." Seriously? You would wear that the 8 hours a week you meet with potential families? I will never go to this facility again due to his disgusting behavior. And it's too bad too because I would like to adopt a dog someday as well, but will take my business elsewhere. I will say though, each of the other workers I came into contact with were very nice and respectful. They were helpful, polite and nothing like Bob. It's just a shame they volunteer for someone that lacks any sense of kindness or respect. read more

A year ago I began volunteering at Dirks and fell in love with Bear. I adopted him and have had him since October of 2017. I still continue volunteering there weekly because I believe in the great work we do for the dogs. That is the common theme that brings all of the volunteers together, our love for the dogs. I read some of the negative comments about Bob, and just to set the record straight you will never meet a person that loves the dogs more or would do more for the dogs than Bob. For those that had negative experiences I would just say I think it might have been taken out of context and give us another shot. Dirks Fund is made up of an amazing group of volunteers that do wonderful things for dogs and it's an organization I am proud to be a part of, volunteer for, and have adopted my dog from. read more

Dirk's Fund Golden Retriever Rescue - Pets Near Me - Pacific, Missouri

We just put down our Golden Retriever a month ago and have been going back and forth about another Golden. It is a difficult decision because of the commitment and knowing the day will come again where you will have to part with another "family member." We had our Golden for nine years and adopted him from a shelter. So like our last Golden, I have been looking online for adoptables. The two most well know Golden rescue groups are Love a Golden and Dirk's Fund. I regularly browse their list of dogs and decided today to go out to Dirk's shelter to just get a feel for the dogs they have available. They have adoption times on the weekends between 10 and 2. From the first step in the door, I felt that this place was just not for me. Talk about a bunch of righteous, over protective dog people! This is a place where they should be delighted to have people come visit them. They rely on donations to operate and people to rescue these dogs. We brought our kids and I mean, if you don't have your kids within a foot of your side they go berserk! Our kids ran to the other side of the area by the pen where a dog was and another guy, could be this Bob guy, standing in another cage was yelling at the kids and the woman who was helping us to, "get those kids away from there!" What an ass! I get it, CYA, but there are better ways to conduct yourself The woman who gave a tour was a bit cold, but not completely mean. They just give you the guilty before proven innocent treatment here. She guided us outside to see where the dogs were and you couldn't even touch the dogs. Aren't these people supposed to have a decent read on their dogs? I understand that dogs can be unpredictable, but put the questionable dogs in another area. Were talking about Golden Retrievers, dogs that will lick burglars while they're robbing your house. I understand a dog rescue group doesn't want to put a dog in another bad situation, but there has to be some better treatment of prospective new families. We are not rookies with Goldens and we are well aware of costs and commitment. We spend thousands on vets bills, among cancer, wounds and ultimately trying to save him during his final days. If they want people to not get their Goldens from breeders, than they need to clean up their act. Obviously the people coming here are trying to do the right thing because they aren't giving dogs away. There is also a rule that you have to have a real fence or an underground fence. We have trained our dogs so it has not been necessary. If that is a requirement, it sounds as if they could be adopting out to irresponsible people sometimes that will just leave their dog out in the back yard. It shouldn't be a hard rule, but strongly recommended or required for some dogs. Just a few days ago, I donated $100 to their group and I am glad it goes to helping the Goldens, but wish I would have just donated it to Stray Rescue instead. I don't intend to adopt a dog through this group and the only reason I gave them an additional star is because they ultimately have good intentions. read more

I was not impressed with the rescue. I walked in was harassed about signing in, told that tue dog I wished to meet was getting a home check in. But he was too much dog for me anyways. Um excuse me but I dont feel a volunteer has that right. Then i asked about another young pup and was very sweet young golden. Again this volunteer talked about hiw he was alot to handle. Then her and another volunteer huddled and in the next minute we were being told well actually ALL the dogs had home visits. If the sweet babies get homes amazing for them. But i have not been more rudely treated by a rescue. I just wanted to weigh my options. You made my choice so my easier! read more

Dirks fund has a very nice facility. The volunteers truly love all of their adoptable dogs and want to be sure they go to loving homes. Yes, you do have to have a fenced yard & a home visit. They don't just forget about your pup after the adoption is complete. They follow up & it's a pleasure keeping them up to date with our dogs new life. So glad we adopted through Dirks! read more

Dirk's Fund Golden Retriever Rescue - Pets Near Me - Pacific, Missouri

I adopted an amazing golden named Stella from Dirk's Fund in 2011. I came in with two young children and Bob was very hands-on in helping us find the dog that would be right for our family. She was actually the only dog he said he'd feel comfortable sending home with us, and she could not have been more perfect. They performed a home visit, driving an hour out to us and leaving her with us then when they'd decided our home was a good environment. Stella was finishing up treatment for heartworm when we adopted her. I had to bring her in to the rescue's vet clinic in Pacific for a couple of follow-up procedures, including one overnight stay. All of this was covered by the rescue. They're clearly very loving and thorough. Overzealous? Eh, maybe. But I'd rather deal with an organization that's very particular about who they adopt out to than with a "rescue" that is getting rid of dogs as fast as possible to collect steep adoption fees, keeping their animals cooped up in a disease-ridden basement and pretending it's a "foster" situation (I've experienced this other scenario firsthand--NOT preferable to a place like Dirk's Fund!). read more

Don't listen to the negative reviews- give them a chance, I'm glad we did. We are a military family living in Illinois and we heard of this rescue from a friend at work who is involved in rescue. Just today, we adopted a Great Pyrenees and one of Bob's own dogs, a Bernese. The Bernese was in his van when we went for our second meet and greet visit with our own dogs- it was serendipitous as we had just lost our Berner 2 months ago. He gave us one of his own dogs purely for the benefit and happiness of that dog! We learned Bob has quite a few dogs of his own and the Bernese just was an odd man out. Pretty selfless I'd say. Let me also add, the dog will be happy with us, but definitely is missing and looking for Bob today. Bob drove the dogs the hour out to our house personally. I think that is awesome and says a lot. Anyway, we were SO IMPRESSED with this place, we plan on driving the 45 minutes once a month to help Bob and his crew out in any manner they need. I am frankly annoyed and shocked by the poor reviews and especially those targeting Bob- who in my opinion is about as real a person as you will ever meet. You need a fence if you are going to have a dog. That is a fact- I'm horrified living in this area at the number of people who just let their (usually little) dogs out unfenced. Use your imagination and you can see any number of scenarios that this could end badly. It's in the best interest of a dog to have a secure area to romp- WHY wouldn't you want your family member to have this? Also, ANYONE who has a rescue or works in rescue on behalf of animals has a heart of pure GOLD- period. We learned he has dedicated 30 years to this rescue and the animals. Is he gruff, yes- so what? Is he obviously wonderful and doing a great thing? Very, very much so. If you are considering adopting, do it for the dogs. This is a GREAT organization and we met many great volunteers in just two days visiting. Don't let the negative reviews sway you. Bring your big girl and boy pants and just walk in like you're already one of the crew. There are several wonderful dogs there and Dirk's Fund ONLY has the dog's interest at heart- NOT the humans. Which is as it should be. read more

I'm happy to see that others have had the same, uncomfortable situation that I had with Dirk's Fund! While I'm so glad that they rescue dogs that need a home, they are pretty horrible and judgmental of PEOPLE that come through there. The people that are trying to give these dogs a home! My boyfriend and I came in and met a dog that we fell in love with and were ready to do a home visit and adopt ASAP. All of the volunteers sat around asking why we weren't married (?????????). Then when they asked about the fence, I said yes we had a closed in fence, but I do live a building with other people so we share the yard. The man that we were talking to simply could not wrap his head around having a dog in a shared apartment yard, where we would be outside with him any time he is out (much better than most families just send their dog outside for hours without checking on them). Then a volunteer called me the next day and told me that we were 'unfit' to adopt a dog and that they only adopt dogs out to people who own a home and are more settled and structured in life, which I found absolutely personally offensive. And I am also on the board of another rescue place in St. Louis, and they seemed to not care at all that I am very aware of what it takes to give rescue dogs what they need. It's a shame they have such beautiful dogs and turn down so many potential adopters, who would give these pups a happy and fulfilling life! read more

Over five years ago I adopted my first dog from Dirks. Given that it had been 13 years since I had adopted a dog I was surprised that they needed a home visit and vet records. But I feel in love with a dog and went along with it. Once the home visit was over I got why. They only want what's best for the dog and make sure they are going to the best home. The dogs are well cared for at the shelter and I have adopted more dogs from them because I know this. Read the negative reviews. But know that most people will post a negative review before posting a positive one. read more

We are a 501(c) 3 non-profit corporation and donations of money and/or land are tax deductible. If you can help our critters with this, they would certainly appreciate it. Please call us (314.966.3326) or e-mail us at critters@dirksfund.com Dirk's Fund has been rescuing Golden Retrievers for over 10 years. Some are turned into us by their owners and some are rescued from various animal shelters. All of our critters are spayed/neutered, micro-chipped, heartworm tested and on heartworm preventative and flea control. In addition, all of the critters are current on their vaccinations (Rabies, Bordetella and DHPP). read more

The guy I spoke to was a complete prick! I feel very sorry for the animals under his curation. We really wanted Elsa but will continue looking for a person who truly has the dogs interest at heart! read more

First off, let me preface this review by noting that I have been thinking about getting a dog for over a year now and have finally decided to take the leap. Growing up with several Goldens, I am very familiar with the breed and the responsibility required to care for such furballs. Being partial to Goldens, I decided to look for a rescue in the area. Google led me to Dirk's Fund. I researched their organization online through their website and Facebook and had questions about the fence requirement which was noted on FB but not on the website. I sent an email inquiring and received a very curt and terse one-line response stating that it would depend on the dog. While the response rubbed me the wrong way, I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and actually talk to someone in person. So I stopped by the shelter over the weekend. I walked in the door and I was first greeted with the question, "Do you have a fenced-in yard?", to which I mentioned the email and the woman responded that all the dogs they had at the time required a fence and seemed ready to shoo me out the door. Keep in mind I had been there for about 2 minutes after driving all the way out from the city. Now I know restrictions are in place for a reason, but you have to be willing to work with people a bit. Both dogs I had growing up did just fine with no fence and we had plenty of bunnies and squirrels around for them to chase. Although I live in the city, I'm 3 blocks away from a very large park and know full well what type of exercise will be necessary to wear out an average Golden. She also had the gall to ask me what my marital status was and judge me on it. Yes, I'm unmarried and yes, I have a boyfriend. No, it is NOT OK for you to ask me what happens if we break up -- that is none of your business. More questions were asked about my employment status. I work a full-time job, very close to home. As a 20-something recent college grad, it's a miracle that I have said job, let alone enough disposable income to be able to afford a dog. Yet this woman made it seem as if it were a sin for me to be working all day and still want a dog. We did go out to the yard to "meet" the dogs -- and by this I mean they sniffed my fingers through the fence while she continued to grill and judge me. All in all, I was probably there for less than 10 minutes and I have never felt more judged and discouraged in my life. They must be getting some sort of enjoyment out of stereotyping people the minute they walk in the door. It's a miracle that any of their dogs get adopted. I'm so glad I have experience with other rescues because otherwise this one incident would've turned me off to them for a long time. I will definitely be discouraging people from going to Dirk's Fund in the future. TL;DR Went to shelter and judged on housing, marital status, and employment status. No willingness to work with potential adopters. Will NEVER be supporting this rescue. read more

I have a 5 foot fenced back yard with a locked gate. Unfortunately, I also have a dog door allowing my Goldens, golden Mixes, and Lab over the years to go from the basement to the backyard whenever they wished. I say unfortunately, because Dirks has decided we are not worthy to accept one of their rescue dogs since the Dog Door might allow the dog out where it might be stolen. Amazing! Talked with several Vets including my daughter. None fell this is rational. Nice facility, but I don' think he is in touch with reality. Sorry I'm not perfect and up to their standards. Pediatric Critical care MD. read more

It's so funny -- I had exactly the same experience as the other poster. I went in with my family to find a dog to adopt, but the people were so unfriendly and unhelpful, we wound up adopting from another group. Great dogs, but the attitude from the people running Dirk's Fund could use some improvement. read more

DO NOT ADOPT FROM THIS RESCUE!!!!! They do NOT post accurate information on their website about the dogs. I recently saw a 2-year-old goldendoodle on their website that was tagged as "housebroken". I went through the steps to adopted her. When we got to the meet and greet, I specifically asked if this dog was fully potty trained". The response from the 3 volunteers who were meeting with me and my daughter all said "we don't know" and the direct walked away. Because I work full-time, I was willing to take a young adult dog that was housebroken rather than a puppy so I was a bit taken aback by the fact that volunteers were unable to give basic information about the dog's habits and behavior. I have rescued dogs myself and have had my own dogs my entire life so I know that if bad habits are allowed to continue they are more difficult to correct. When I informed them that I could not get in with my vet to establish care until mid November because of COVID protocols and staffing issues, I asked how we could handle getting heartworm prevention for this dog which was due on 10/1. I was informed that if I showed the paperwork with the negative heartworm test from Dirk's vet, that my vet would provide the heartworm preventative. I knew this was the case, but called my vet to confirm and was informed that prescription medications cannot be prescribed until the see the dog. I moved forward with scheduling a home visit. At that time, we discussed their fence policy of a physical, visible fence of 48 inches. I agree with a fence policy. However, one 3-foot portion of my fence was only 45 inches. The entire rest of the fence met criteria. I was informed by the volunteer that "this was an issue and could result in denial of my application. I asked if they would consider that my two current Goldens have been using this yard for 7 years and neither of them have jumped the fence. I do supervise my dogs when they are in the yard. The volunteer said they would consider this. I asked at the home visit also if there was anyway they could place the dog for a day or two with a volunteer to confirm her potty training status. Because of my work situation, I really needed a potty trained dog and was reluctant to take in a 2-year-old dog that is not housebroken. I was told "this is not possible". I have rescued dogs in the past and all dogs were in foster care where dogs were taught basic commands like sit, down, come and stay as well as potty training so that potential adopters could be informed about the dogs' habits and behavior. Again, I was told "we are volunteers and this is not possible". After speaking with my vet, groomer and fellow dog rescue friends in addition to a former volunteer of Dirks Fund, I was strongly encouraged by all to not adult this dog! The previous volunteer informed me that "they are liars," " DO NOT ADOPT FROM THEM" and "RUN". I ultimately made the decision not to adopt. The Director, BOB, is very inappropriate and used foul language in front of my daughter, attempted to engage me in political discussions by asking what party I was affiliated with. I informed him I was there to adopt a dog, not discuss politics. A little over 12 years ago, I did adopt from Dirks. One week after bringing this dog home, I took him to my vet to establish care and was informed he had a Grade III heart murmur which potentially could have caused sudden cardiac death or the need for lifelong cardiac medications. I called Dirks and asked how this dog was fully vaccinated, microchipped and put under anesthesia to be neutered without the vet checking his heart and hearing this severe of a murmur (Grade IV is the worst). They denied knowing about the murmur and did agree to do an Echo (cardiac test). Fortunately, this dog has lived a full life without issues, but the potential could have been grim and this was not disclosed. I felt misinformed by the information on their website and asked if they don't know if the dog is housebroken, they why isn't the status "unknown" or "no" rather than "yes". No one would answer this question. I also asked that since I had provided Dirks with my current pets' vet records for them to verify vaccinations, flea/tick/heartworm prevention and routine care, if they would please fax lab work and health history to my vet so that I could be sure that I'm adopting a healthy dog. They refused to do this and stated they cannot give records until the adoption is final. I was not even allowed to see the dog I wanted to adopt until they had my records in hand. DOUBLE STANDARD!!! Ultimately, I made the decision not to adopt, but waited for them to call to inform me of their decision to accept or deny my application. The volunteer, Maureen, called and informed me that my application had been denied because of the small section of my fence that was 3 inches to short. I"m extremely sad for the dog who's sitting in a shelter instead of a loving home. read more

I had previously posted a review for Dirk's Fund and have since deleted the review and would like to explain my rationale. We had a home visit by Cheryl from Dirk's Fund because we are interested in adopting one of their rescued Golden's. The home visit did not go as I had pictured it would, and there appeared in my mind no hope of ever adopting a Golden from this organization. In my frustration I wrote a review on Yelp to alert other potential adopters to the seemingly insurmountable odds. I am a professing Christian and, as such, should never have written such a review without first contacting Cheryl to seek an understanding of what I was perceiving as an unresolvable situation. I was wrong to go around talking to her and talking to the "public" per se. Last evening I received a call from Cheryl who was extremely apologetic for the wrong impression that she had conveyed at our home visit. She was very encouraging that Dirk's Fund is more than willing to work with us as we appear to be a loving dog family, and they are sure that when the right dog comes into their care, we will all be able to come to a happy resolution and we will in fact have a Golden in our home. I cannot tell you how much that meant to me to have a personal phone call, an apology, and an attitude of caring about how the organization is presented to the public. Not many organizations in today's world step outside of themselves to apologize and do so via telephone or face to face. I am extremely sorry for my poor attitude and my lack of following through and going directly back to them with my concerns. I would like to publicly recommend them as a rescue organization because of the humble attitude conveyed by Cheryl last evening. I would be proud to be a client of Dirk's Fund and someday own one of their dogs if that happens in the future. read more

I just called Dirks fund today 12-28-18 at approximately 9:20am and the "gentleman " (NOT) was rude and told me to take the dog to the humane society in Maryland Heights which will euthanize him if not adopted. What a jerk!!! Do NOT use this place EVER!!!!! read more

Our family has adopted two dogs from Dirk's Fund. The first time was approximately 3 years ago. Admittedly, my kids did feel a bit intimidated while visiting the shelter the first time. Bob was a bit gruff with them, but as we spent more time there with various dogs, he did warm up. He founded this organization I believe, obviously cares deeply for these dogs and only wants what's best for them. I didn't take his gruffness personally. We absolutely loved the dog we adopted, so this past spring when it was time for another dog friend, we returned to Dirk's Fund. Once again my husband and I brought our two boys with us, as well as our dog. They were very nice and accommodating. They seemed fine with us bringing our dog out to visit with the adoptable dogs; we wanted to see how she interacted with the dogs we were interested in. Yes, they do want you to fill out an online application (which takes no time at all) and yes, they do have requirements before they allow you to adopt a dog. They explained to us that they don't want the dogs abandoned or returned...they want them to have a forever home. Makes sense to me! We did have a home visit the first time around, and we did install an electric fence, as regular fences are not allowed in our neighborhood. We even received a discount for the fence thanks to Dirk's Fund. These people do great work, and I highly recommend them. read more

My siblings and I grew up with our first dog being a Golden Retriever. Riley, our golden, was one of the best things to ever happen to our family! I'm not 100% certain how my family got involved with Dirk's Fund originally but we fostered Golden's through this amazing rescue group for quite some time! Eventually, my parents got a call through them saying that they had a Black Lab that was desperate for a home and from what I remember, was about a day from being put to sleep until Bob and his group saved his precious life. We took Sammy in and planned to just foster him until we could help find his forever home but we just fell head over heals in love with him! Riley and Sammy quickly became the best of friends as well. A while down the road, my family decided to spend our Christmas day doing what ever we could for Dirks Fund. My family came together and helped with the things on the "Wish List" and we were very lucky to be able to spend the day playing with the many beautiful dogs at Dirk's Fund. I was only about 17 at that time and right then and there, I knew that one day, when I was on my own, I wanted to have my first companion be through this amazing rescue foundation. Bob and his crew care SO much for these creatures. Their extensive application process is for the best interest of these wonderful dogs who, in some sad cases, would probably not be here if it were not for Bob and his group. I am currently in the process of moving into my first house and my number one requirement was that the house have a large, fenced in yard! I told the realtor that I wouldn't even look at a house that did not have these two things. I am literally counting down the days until I can fill out an application to adopt a Golden through Dirk's Fund. This is an amazing, passionate, group of people and I highly recommend them to any Golden Retriever lover! read more

I called and talked to Bob about the cutest golden who would have been a perfect fit for me. He was rude on the phone, doesn't have any people skills, and wasn't willing to work with anyone in the Kansas City area. I had to have my brother-in-law call back to talk to Bob to get answers to questions I had because Bob hung up on me. My best friend drove through the city and went out of her way just to visit the dog I was so excited to meet. When my friend walked in the volunteers were whispering about how I had no chance adopting the dog. I have a fence, live at a lake where I can take the dog swimming and yet he discriminated against me. I planned to visit and adopt next weekend, but he didn't even give me a chance and it was without reason. I am very confused on how a guy without people skills or a heart is able to run his shelter. I had my heart set on that dog because she is a perfect fit for me and I've been looking for the perfect dog for me for a while. I owned a Golden for 12 years and love this breed! I provided Bob with previous vet documentation and explained how I have a fence and everything the dog would need to have a loving home, yet he still discriminated against me. read more

Only reason i gave the rescue one star is because the lady who did our house visit was very nice. Bob on the other hand is not. We really wanted to help a stray dog find a forever home. We jumped through all the hoops to adopt a dog including a home visit but never heard from the rescue again. In time i think i would donate to the rescue because I know the volunteers have the best intentions. Bob needs to receive some training when it comes to dealing with the public. When visiting the rescue during open hours I overheard Bob telling/yelling one of the volunteers you don't train the dog, you train the people. He should take his own advice. read more

I was contacted on craigslist about my golden retriever. I talked to a volunteer named Ed who called me a jerk just because I insisted on a rehoming fee. I know there are shady people as well as shady rescues that want to make money off of dogs. My dog was also fixed already so yes I insisted on a rehoming fee. The Ed guy called me a jerk just because I wanted 150 for my fully trained golden retriever. I did get an apology and the guy who picked him up named Dale did seem to be nice enough. I just can't believe someone who is charging 450 for the same dog had the nerve to call me anything negative over 150 dollars. i sure know microchip and shots doesn't cost any 450...and a heartworm test only cost around 40. Ugh. read more

Even after reading the negative reviews about this organization, I thought I would call regardless. The man, Bob, who I spoke with was an arrogant jerk, to say the least! First off, he didn't return my call but basically called me a liar about leaving a message. I wrote it off and proceeded with my questions, which he wouldn't answer because I hadn't filled out an application. I explained again to him, I had questions I wanted answered before going through the application process and also because I live in indiana. He said that was a problem because they do home visits and they don't come to Indiana. I suggested with all the technology available perhaps there was another option, he said no. I then asked if another rescue from indiana could do the home visit he said no, he didn't want to ask for a volunteer. He said they had 100"a of dogs to place and he was too busy. If he was more workable, there wouldn't be that many! I feel bad for the goldens and the foster families who think they are only going to foster briefly. This man is a complete jerk and very rude, he actually hung up on me! I recommend another rescue for sure! read more

I called to ask about a dog, and "Bob" said she might be back the following weekend. When I called "Bob" the next weekend, he said she wasn't back, so I asked about other dogs they had that would be good with kids. He asked how old my kids were, I said 6years and 3 years. He said "Well, 3 year old, they're a pain!" WTF?!??!?! I told him that offended me, and my kids have both been around dogs since they were born. We recently had to put down our 14 year old dog, and my 3 year old couldn't have been more gentle with her. Then Bob hung up on me! Wow, I would NEVER get a dog from this place. I just feel sorry for the dogs, hopefully he treats the furbabies better than that! read more

What a horrible experience. My husband and I lost our Golden/Lab mix a few years ago and it has taken a while to get ourselves ready for another baby. It is so hard to say goodbye to a family member. I have been watching the page for a while and found a Golden/Great Pyrenees mix. She is beautiful and just the right weight. She is older so we really had to think about how soon we would be dealing with vet bills but decided we could handle it. We did not go into this decision lightly. We waited all week as they are only open for 8 hours a week. 4 on Saturday and 4 on Sunday and nothing by appointment in between. We went today for our TWO minute visit. There aren't really any signs when you walk into their vestibule that tell you what to do, it says "welcome", but it didn't feel welcoming. We saw people in a room hanging out and sitting around so we went in there. We were greeted by a man gruffly yelling "what do you want?" as we walked through the door. A nice lady came over and tried her best to take our attention off of his comment. We told her who we were interested in and asked if she was still there. She said yes and immediately asked about the fence. We had gone here right after our dog passed away years ago and they wouldn't even talk to us about adopting then because we didn't have a fence. However, we have several neighbors that have large dogs and electric fences and they work beautifully for them. Is it always perfect, no, but neither is a fence with a gate. And we are talking about a five year old dog they term a "couch potato". We are actually not against putting in a fence but unless we find a dog that "requires" a fence, I see no need. If you train a dog correctly, you shouldn't need a fence. If you walk your dog often as we always have, they are not left alone in a yard to be neglected. Anyway, she asks about the fence and we say no, we were planning on an electric fence. She asks the gruff man and he rants on about how we need a physical fence and dogs could come in your yard and kids can come in your yard and on and on and on. They all look at us like - so, move on down the road. The nice lady has that I'm sorry expression on her face. Did they even ask us IF we would be willing to put in a fence. No. Frankly it was a done deal the second I said no we did not have a fence and they wanted us to go away. As we were leaving in this beautiful weather today, we noted the yard outside had NO dogs in it. None. Why would they not let the dogs out to play on a beautiful day like this when no one was there to even look at them but there were lots of people hanging out at the facility? Its really a shame. So, no we did not even get to see her to fall in love with her to see if we DID want to put up a fence for her. I will NOT donate money to this place anymore nor will I even think of getting a pet from them, there are other rescues out there that encourage their animals get adopted and be loved. read more

I've adopted 3 dogs from dirks fund. I'm also a volunteer. I'm gratified to see a few glowing reviews and dismayed by a number of negative reviews. People do not like to be told that they are not qualified to adopt. Are we a bit over protective, yes. We know and love each of these dogs and we know the type of home they require. Rescue dogs are not the same as the pet a family has raised as a pup until they have time to bond with their new family and adjust to their new surroundings. Some are escape artists, most of them are confused as to where they belong; some have been dumped on a country road, some are retired breeders, some were strays that were not claimed and we don't know their stories. Some were given up by families for various reasons. We never want them to be in a bad situation again which is the reason for the fence requirement. On rare occasions we make an exception depending on the dog and the home. We ask questions such as work hours and how long the dog would be left alone during the day. Some dogs cannot go 8+ hours without going outside. Yes we do cringe when parents let their kids run without supervision frightening dogs and sticking their hands into kennels. We never want a child to be bitten and we never want a frightened dog to be labeled a biter. We welcome families with children who are supervised and follow direction in greeting the dogs. All workers are volunteers and donate our time both during the week, evenings and weekends. If someone sees a few volunteers taking a break inside that does not mean they have not been outside playing with, grooming and training the dogs. Typically the adoption fee does not cover the vet costs and occasionally thousands of $ are spent on dogs that need special care or surgery. Plus there is the cost of the shelter itself, rent, upkeep, utilities, dog food etc. Procedure is that visitors are greeted, asked to sign in and then asked questions to enable us to know which dogs might be suited for them. We understand that people who do not meet the requirements are sour, but for the welfare of the dogs we care for we do not lower the requirements in place for their safety. We are willing to discuss this with anyone who comes in to talk about this in a reasonable manner. You will not find a rescue that takes better care of their dogs and does a better job of matching dogs to new families. read more

I give one star for this group for answering the phone. The man who spoke with me this morning couldn't have been more rude. I was inquiring about a specific dog whom I was willing to drive quite a long distance to acquire, and while I understand that rescue is not the easiest job, I thought the goal was to find excellent homes for these creatures. "Bob" just lost the best home any pet could ask for by saying, "we do more health checking than you will ever do". WRONG. He has no idea who he was speaking to. I feel so sad for the pups who lose out on wonderful homes (like ours!) due to the harsh and discourteous way in which people are treated by Dirk's Fund. They've also lost out on a contributor, as we always continue donating to any shelter we find a forever bff from. If you can get past the horrific attitude of the people there, perhaps you will find a nice dog. Unfortunately for the little guy I wanted to adopt today, we couldn't. read more

We adopted a golden from Dirks's Fund about 3 years ago and have nothing but compliments for the volunteers of this special group. They have no paid staff and still manage to take great care of the dogs they rescue. Yes, they are particular about the homes their dogs go to because they want only the best for these dogs, many of whom have lived in less than desirable homes previously. They really get to know each dog and that helps place them in the right homes ( for example, cat or kid friendly, likely to jump a fence, good with other dogs). I highly recommend adopting a dog from this group. By the way, they adopt non-goldens, too.....just check their website. read more

This is the worst rescue organization ever! They do not return emails an are very cold. If you are a "Golden person" you should NEVER adopt from them! We were very interested in one of the Goldens on their website and it took at least a week for them to respond and the response was rude! There are so many wonderful, caring organizations who donate their time to these wonderful dogs, please don't waste your's on them! read more

My husband and I sought out this facility when we were looking to adopt a Golden. We found the one we wanted on our first visit. It was love at first sight. We were waiting for the process and the home visit, when we were told four other people wanted her, too. We were heartbroken, but we hung in there. The problem was we had a cat, and they had to make sure the animals were compatible. They had already checked out our home and our fenced yard. When they brought her out to meet the cat, the two critters didn't care one way or the other about each other. So, her foster mother handed her to me and said, "She is now yours, congratulations! That was seven years ago, and we could not love her more. Do not put these people down because they care about these dogs, and aren't going to give them to people who are not serious about taking care of them for the long haul. I find Bob and his volunteers to be devoted, loving people, and the dogs they take care of are truly blessed to be so protected and well cared for. I think it is great that they have guidelines to be met by potential adopters. The reason I am even on this site now is that we are looking for another rescue and Dirk's is my first choice. We will be heading down to Pacific this weekend, with our Golden in tow. read more

I have adopted 2 Golden Retreivers from Dirk's Fund. THey are very careful as to where therir dogs are placed but treated me extremely good. Home visit was two days later and we picked our dogs up then next day after that read more

We've had a relationship with Dirk's Fund for many years and currently have our 2nd rescue through them. These folks go above and beyond to rehabilitate and place dogs with good families. They ensure that every dog is fully vetted with complete medical care and is ready emotionally and physically to be adopted. They make sure each family is fully committed to a live time of caring for the animal. Everyone there is a volunteer. They have no paid staff so every penny they collect goes directly to care for the dogs. read more

I happened across this site and I just had to respond based on what the other reviewers have said. I have rescued two goldens through them. The first was Scout, a 4 y/o male who was truly the best dog but died of cancer after two very short years. I knew I wanted another golden and so I got an 18 m/o female (Gracie) the second time (she is now 4). I found Scout while searching online and we went to see him within the week. He was being fostered so my initial contact was with a sweet lady named Janet. I knew I wanted him within minutes (well, I knew as soon as I saw his picture on petfinder.com) and Janet saw that it was a perfect match, too. We started making arrangements and they agreed to waive the home study since I live 3 hours away and I was just to bring him back if it didn't work out (we have another grump of a dog at home). There was a lady (one of the owners, I believe) who was trying to talk me out of it though, saying that he's not a nice dog. Her opinion of Scout was based on some aggression he developed after spending a year in someone's basement and then, once rescued, 4 months in their kennels. Can you blame the poor guy for being mad at the world? Janet, a volunteer, saw that this sweet dog was not doing well at the rescue and decided to foster him in her home. Her family fell in love with him and would have kept him if he didn't terrorize their cats! I can understand why others have said they encountered some cold and rude attitudes because I too experienced this from that lady and some from Bob, too. However, the second time around my experience with them was completely different. Bob cried with me when I told him about Scout dying of cancer and promised me first pick of any dog they had in their kennel. I truly think that they care so much about their dogs that they hold some resentment toward people they don't know since they've seen how cruel pet owners can be (this is a rescue, after all). I'm not saying that their behavior is right or okay, just that I think their hearts are in the right place when it comes to the dogs and wanting the best for all of them. I experienced this deep love and care for their dogs with my second rescue/current dog, Gracie. She was heartworm positive when she came to them and had just given birth to a litter of puppies (talk about babies having babies-- she and one of her puppies showed up on someone's porch). She went immediately into a foster home to be spayed (twice!) and begin heartworm treatment (series of painful injections and the dog must be kept very calm, often with sedatives, throughout tx so the heartworms don't enter the lungs). I took Gracie home with me but returned 2 or 3 more times to finish her treatment. This was a hassle (3 hour drive and the vet had to keep her 1-2 nights each time because the tx is so rough) but soo worth it because they did for free what would have cost me thousands at home. The veterinary care those dogs receive is second to none and they do everything they can for each and every dog that comes through their door (including extensive surgeries, if necessary) regardless of the cost. So, to summarize my experience, the volunteers are wonderful people with huge hearts for these animals that they take care of as they were their own. I agree that the couple (I never could figure out exactly what their relationship was) in charge can be quite off-putting, especially at first. It seems like a case of poor people skills, which I think can happen when your life is centered around animals. I'd encourage you to not lose heart if you meet some resistance because they're acting (although perhaps inappropriately at times) in the best interest of the dogs. I couldn't be happier with the goldens I got through them and still keep in touch with their "foster moms". Good luck in your golden search! Suzanne read more