I have adopted five dogs through DWR and would highly recommend this organization. The love, caring and interest in the dogs does not end when they are adopted. read more

We adopted our beagle from DWR about five months ago. The process was very clear, not pushy at all, I knew that if it didn't work out I could have called Breshkie to return the pup. I knew about his medical history as much as we could know about it. Scout is adorable, and I am so thankful that DWR pulled Him out of the shelter. Is he perfect? No, he is not, just Like a AKC dog from A breeder isn't always perfect. I will certainly adopt from DWR again when the time comes. read more

I am glad I didn't read these reviews before we adopted in 2010 (Bailey) and 2020 (Pepper). It has been nothing short of perfect. No issues. DWR was fully transparent on both dogs, both dogs have integrated very well into our home and family. Transparent is a relative term since these dogs have been "rescued" from less than ideal conditions. There is only so much DWR or anyone can infer from the known experiences of the rescue, reliable literature on known experiences and potential future issues, and observed behavior during the transition time from rescue to adoption. Don't be unrealistic about the potential gaps that DWR cannot control or predict. Not to equate pet adoption with buying a used vehicle but there are some things that may come up that no one can predict, even a vet or mechanic. Ever bought a car or house and had issues that mechanics and home inspectors did not predict? Sure you did. Pepper had heart worms and we were advised of the complexity of managing the treatment process and that nothing was guaranteed regarding outcomes. Pepper is doing great and getting along well with Bailey. We keep in touch with DWR and have been financially supportive beyond the adoption fees because we value the work they do. We were tentative about another pet since our first dog passed away in 2000 from cancer. We were heartbroken but Bailey and Pepper have filled that void and I would not hesitate to adopt another dog from DWR. read more

This is my first review on Yelp. It's long, but I hope you'll read it if you're interested in adopting a dog from this organization. My initial experience with Dog World Rescue and it's founder/owner, Breshkie Gardizi, was positive. I inquired about a dog and she responded via email quickly. We have never owned a dog, and I have two daughters, ages 6 and 8. I made clear to Breshkie that we needed a healthy, even-tempered, and safe dog. She suggested we visit with Clover, a beagle mix who was 14 weeks old. We were excited to meet him, as he was described as being very healthy and a calm, sweet dog. We visited Clover at his foster mom's home and my girls fell in love. That is where our positive experience ended. I asked about his health and Michele, the foster mom, told me he was up to date on shots and was healthy. She mentioned he had soft poo, but that it was not serious. We decided to adopt the puppy and picked him up later that day. Michele said Breshkie would email Clover's health records later that day. Since he was a "healthy" puppy, it didn't seem urgent. Clover was VERY tired all the time. Being a first-time dog owner, I attributed this to his temperment. He could only walk about a block without having to lie down and rest. And his poo was consistently very soft, and came very often that first day. But since he was "healthy" I tried not to worry. I emailed Breshkie once again for his records (which she sent late the second evening) and made an appointment at the vet clinic Breshkie recommended for a check up. However, the soft stools turned into severe diarrhea that night . When I read his records late that night, I discovered he had had Parvovirus the month before we adopted him, which is very serious and can lead to long-term and expensive health considerations for the dog. I was stunned, as neither Breshkie or Michele felt it necessary to inform me of this important information. Had we known about his past health history, we would not have adopted Clover. He deserves to be with a family who has the resources, time, and significant money to care for a dog with a compromised immune system after battling Parvo. I immediately took Clover into the doctor the next morning. Breshkie said Clover had seen one of the doctors at the practice, but when I brought him in, they had no record of him ever having been treated there. The doctor told me very honestly that Clover had lots of problems. He was also dehydrated. He hadn't had a heartworm preventative medication, nor had he been treated for fleas and ticks. So I paid for him to be dewormed, his labs, his fluids, all his medications, and also food and vitamin supplements for him to eat that would help him feel better. The doctor told me they had seen many dogs from this organization. All of them were very sick, some with sicknesses that can be passed to humans. The people adopting the dogs were usually blindsided. I called Breshkie immediately and told her what the doctor said. She proceeded to berate me for listening to the doctor's diagnosis, insisted Parvo isn't dangerous, and that I was overreacting. I said that the best thing for Clover was for us to turn him back into the organization because we couldn't give him appropriate care. When she picked up Clover, I gave her the bag of meds, food, supplements, and the food I bought for him, as well as a few of his toys. She told me that it's better for Clover not to live with us because we don't have enough love in our hearts for a dog, as well as other ugly things - all in front of my kids, who were crying. She insisted Clover was in perfect health. According to her, Clover's biggest problem was his 36 hours with my family. He was back on the group's Facebook page and website that day with no mention of his health issues. The group's volunteers were saying online that Clover is a happy, healthy puppy ready to be adopted. The doctor called me the following day and informed me that Clover had giardia, hookworm, and roundworm. I emailed Breshkie explaining everything the doctor discussed, and have not heard anything back. I also texted Michele to inform her of these things, as she has a baby in her house, and she hasn't responded either. We are heartbroken. But with little girls who have issues of their own, I can't adequately care for Clover. As first-time dog owners, we needed a good start with a healthy dog, and this dog has very special needs. Breshkie should have explained Clover's health history before our initial visit with him. We would have had all the information, and known of his special needs due to his history of Parvo. We could have avoided all of this heartache and made the appropriate choice for our family. If you adopt with this group, make sure you inquire very carefully about the dog's current and previous health, and bring the dog to the vet IMMEDIATELY for an accurate health assessment. Thanks for reading. read more

We adopted a male, neutered, pit/dalmatian mix from them about a year ago. The dog is deaf and we were told beforehand that he is submissive, docile, and "needs a doggy friend". He was also advertised as a lab mix, who just happened to be stocky with a perfectly square pitbull jaw (yes, this is sarcastic). We already had a dog, 4 yo at the time (male, neutered) who overall got along with other dogs (our previous second dog passed away in 2019). We brought our resident dog for the meetup at Breshie's farm to make sure they got along before doing anything. The adoptee arrived with the then-owner. Very calm, clingy. The owner claimed he was housetrained. The dogs got along pretty well-sniffed each other, explored the area a bit, and that was it. We said OK, we can definitely give it a try. Lo and behold, the then owner pulls out every single thing the dog ever owned-including a half-eaten jar of peanut butter-and they tell us to take the dog, and they leave, promising to send us more details about the dog afterward. Fishy, but maybe they were in a rush. I ask for an adoption fee or paperwork, and they go "no, just make a donation to the rescue and if anything goes wrong, ever, bring him back". Uhm OK. We take the dog and all his belongings and head home. He was calm for about 3-4 hours after we arrived home, after which all hell broke loose. Turns out, he wasn't housetrained and calm at all. This wasn't a case of that he wasn't housetrained in our home, he wasn't housetrained, period. Ever. He wouldn't walk outside, at all. He continuously got in scuffles with our resident dog. Fine fine, all minor. The thing that really was alarming was the anxious behavior-he started pacing, howling, and barking on day 1 and hasn't stopped until we took him to the vet. The vet immediately prescribed him Trazodone, and he has been on a maximum dose ever since. On 600 mg of Traz/day, for a 60 lbs dog, he just turns into a high-energy dog, so go figure. Add gabapentin to the mix, does nothing. I am a PhD-level neuroscientist scientist who studies animal behavior for a living and in the 1 year we had him, this dog displayed every single thing most dogs get euthanized for, including aggression. He is extremely aggressive towards unfamiliar people on and off the street. This would all be fine if we were told about this beforehand, but we weren't. The thing that really runneth the cup over happened a week ago. Our resident dog got cancer and the new dog started attacking him left and right. We consulted with veterinary behaviorists, they said the situation cannot really be helped as this is a common opportunistic behavior in dogs. Fine. We call the rescue and explain the situation, asking for them to take the dog back. Breshkie says, "no euthanize him" and " oh well, it all makes sense, after all, he was returned because the previous owner was afraid for her daughter". Wow. Just wow. So they all knew about all of the issues this dog had and KNOWINGLY put him up for adoption, to a couple that plans to have children. Good job, DWR, good job. No, the dog is not euthanized-we hired yet another behaviorist and added Fluoxetine to see if it helps the dog-dog aggression (together with behavior mod). We will train him until we can't because we can and it's not the dog's fault the Dog World rescue is a scam. But: beware. If you want to adopt, go for it, but find a responsible rescue that does not beg for donations and is honest about their dogs, like SPCA or Humane Society. read more

I hope you'll read my previous review of my experience with Dog World, because all the facts there are still true. But I just came back to this page for the first time since the summer, and having read a lot of the organization's volunteers' angry 5* reviews, I want to add a few more thoughts. Yikes, sorry this is long. First, I've had the chance to meet a couple of Dog World's volunteers at my local dog park. We share a community, and I imagine that as fellow dog lovers, we run into each other all the time. Meeting them has only confirmed what I suspected before - a lot of wonderful people have given their time to this group through the years, and a lot of good dogs have come through it. However, what happened to my family and (allegedly) a lot of others was not a typical or acceptable rescue experience at all. When we decided we were ready to get a dog, my fiance and I spent months researching the pros and cons of rescue and entered into the process fully aware that we might adopt a pet who needed medical attention for worms, mange, or any of the other hard-to-prevent conditions that affect many shelter animals. We lined up our puppy's first vet visit within fifteen minutes of adopting him. Parvo, which our puppy had when we adopted him, was much, much more serious than the mange or worms he also had. It's a 91% fatal virus that is highly contagious and hardy but very rare in the DC area because it is easily preventable with basic hygiene standards, such as isolating new and susceptible animals and cleaning boarding facilities with bleach. The virus has an incubation of about ten days, so outbreaks can be sudden and devastating - but easy to learn from. One parvo outbreak is a tragedy. A steady trickle of parvo-infected animals coming from a rescue over the course of a year, as evidenced by the other stories on this page? That's something altogether different. It speaks to - at best - an organizational culture of ignorance about what it takes to save dogs without all but occasioning their deaths down the line. The interaction my fiance and I had with Dog World after our puppy got sick also exemplified this ignorance. After being blamed for giving our dog parvo - medically impossible in the time we'd had him, let alone the fact that he was sharing the ICU with two other infected Dog World dogs - we were instructed by Dog World's president to check our puppy out of South Paws, the best-reviewed animal hospital in the area, and take him to one of the worst. She told us all we had to do was find a vet to give the puppy 5 or 6 shots a la carte, and he'd be fine. The disgusted South Paws ICU vet said that following this advice would likely do nothing for our puppy, who at that point was critically ill. After we made the decision to keep our puppy in South Paws, we contacted the owner of Dog World in writing to go over what had happened and asked her what the organization planned to do to prevent something like this from happening again. She responded that she had forwarded our letter to her lawyer, but she never told us whether she was actually going to change the way she ran her organization. A few days later, she sent another brief email volunteering to take our puppy back from us, but again, there was no word about what exactly she was going to do to change her organization. We never heard from her again. It was anger and frustration over this that led me to research Dog World more thoroughly, finding several other adopters who had similar stories to ours. Hell yes, I contacted animal control, as well as the pet stores and boarding facilities on Dog World's website and Facebook. It turned out that both boarding facilities and at least one national pet store chain had already blacklisted the group. After hearing our story, another national chain started an investigation that confirmed what we had to say and led them to sever their relationship. If Dog World were operating to standards that were in any way consistent with acceptable rescue, I doubt any of this would have happened. I just don't understand Dog World's response to any of this. Instead of responding publicly or directly in any kind of official way - or even just contacting disappointed reviewers to tell us how they've changed - the organization's privatized its Facebook page and flooded Yelp with passive-aggressive 5* reviews that choose to concentrate on the 1* reviewers' knowledge about pet care - and in some cases, their class and character - rather than the organization itself. I have nothing but respect for the 5* reviews that don't fall into this category, but I was so disappointed to see the woman who fostered my puppy neglect to mention that she worked for Dog World in her (filtered) review knocking people who spend "endless amounts of time bashing an animal rescue group." I'm not some mean-spirited troll. I hope my other reviews make that clear. This is the last time I'll write on Yelp about Dog World. Thanks for reading. read more

Just a quick update: My wife and I adopted a dog from Dog World about two months ago. The dog we got was skittish, malnourished, sick (hook worms, tape worms, and giardia), and lacking in dog-like happiness. He had been in the care of Dog World for several months. The dog we have now -- two months with us -- is healthy, happy, playful, and has gained over 10 pounds. When we first identified that Ash was sick with parasites, we notified Dog World via email. SInce then we have heard nothing. Their website claims they follow-up with the owners to check on the dog's progress, but that is false. While I still appreciate that Dog World is providing a conduit for people to adopt rescue dogs, I am very disappointed with the quality of service/care they provide. Be very cautious if you plan to adopt from them. read more

I adopted my dog as a 3 month old puppy over a year ago from Breshkie. I love my dog, She has separation anxiety which I was told about before adopting and asked how I was going to handle it. I just recently discovered my dog and another dog from the same litter go to daycare together. I told Breshkie and sent pictures, she said it would be nice to do a reunion with the whole litter. I had such a nice experience with adopting my dog from Breshkie that I volunteer for her and her staff when I can. read more

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I haven't adopted any dogs from Dog World, but I have attended their events. It's hard to believe so much negativity based on what I saw. read more

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I don't know where to start about this group other then Stay AWAY!! My husband and I had a TERRIBLE experience. We adopted a puppy last fall and we were told that she was healthy and up to date on all of her shots, we even saw her in person on that Saturday and she looked great! On Sunday Breshkie and a male worker (Her Boyfriend) showed up at our home running several hours late with our puppy. We were left with nothing but informed that she had kennel cough but would be fine in a few days. We scheduled an appointment with the Vet that Breshkie stated we should see for Thursday. The vet told us things were fine but gave us a medication for the Kennel Cough. Friday morning we woke up to a puppy with horrible diarriah. Our playful loving puppy wouldn't move or eat. All day we were in contact with the Vet who stated to not bring her in and just attempt to hand feed and give water with Gatorade in it. Hours past and we felt something major was wrong more calls were made to the vet yet they continued to say that she would be fine. Several e-mails were sent to Breshkie and Mary Beth in an attempt to get some help/guidance. Finally at 7pm that night we contacted several emergency hospitals in the area and took the puppy to one. Once at the hospital the Doctors looked at our puppy and informed us that she tested positive for parvo and that she had pneumonia. We called Breshkie after being informed by the Vet that the parvo had been contracted before we had gotten the puppy and Breshkie did not answer. We admitted the puppy to the hospital and were finally able to get a hole of Breshkie on a phone number that she had called us on when dropping the puppy off that actually belonged to her boyfriend. Breshkie told us that the puppy would be okay and that she would help us pay and would be in contact with us by Monday. Monday came and there was no phone call. We were in constant contact with the hospital who were doing everything they could to save our puppy but by Monday her organs were failing. We hunted Breshkie down (googling her to find phone numbers) and finally got in contact with her. At this point her attitude completely changed and she stated that she would not help us with any of the money, Mind you that we have now spent $4,000.00! We made the horrible decision that we could no longer keep the puppy and that she would need to be put down. Breshkie stated that she would go pick the puppy up from the hospital once we paid for everything due to the return policy. Needless to say, we were out $4,000.00 on a puppy in which Breshkie only returned us the adoption Fee. Please Stay away from this group!! It will save you heartache and money!!! read more

We adopted a dog last year from Dog World Rescue, and can easily say it was the best things we've ever done. My husband and I were looking for a dog for quite some time and decided that adoption was the best way to go. We came across Dog World Rescue and decided to stop by and check out one of their local events. That's when we met the owner of the organization and our future puppy. She took the time to introduce us to two dogs that she thought would be best suited for my husband and I. The entire staff was amazing throughout the process and we couldn't have felt more comfortable with everyone involved. When our pup arrived at our door for a home visit, he was happy, healthy and ready to play! All of his medical records were given to us the night of the adoption and the volunteer was more than willing to answer any questions we had concerning past health issues. At no point were we left in the dark about any aspect of our pup! We adopted him at 4 months and now at 14 months, he is happier than ever...and so are we!! He is the love of our lives and brings so much joy to our home. I cannot say a bad thing about our experience with the organization. We also asked a lot of questions along the way and followed up with a vet of our choice shortly after we adopted our pup. He had a clean bill of health at the vet with no issues to treat or be weary of. I have recommended the group to a number of friends that are looking to adopt a dog! I also recommend stopping by a Dog World Rescue event and meeting the group. The owner takes care of these dogs out of her own pocket and truly cares about each one. She loves to hear how the dogs are doing! read more

Dog World Rescue (DWG) is an amazing, great dog rescue choice. Just adopted from DWG! The entire timely and informative process can best be described as not only one with multiple (dog breeds and ages) choices, but also as a simple (stress free) process - without pressure or coercion. After a thorough, careful interview; the dogs are perfectly matched and placed in the best home! DWG is also digitally (web-based, email) interactive! This helps ensure an informative customer and a well managed adoption process. DWG founder Breshkie Gardizi is a sharing, caring, thoughtful dog person! Breshkie has excellent project management & interpersonal (people) communication skills - always responding to all perspective owners' questions in a accurate, timely manner! As a new owner of a rescue dog, I couldn't be happier. I look forward to staying in touch with Breshkie Gardizi & DWG for future doggie play dates & get togethers & sharing information & experiences, Who knows, in the future I might just adopt another DWG rescue! In summary, I would recommend DWG to people wanting to adopt. There are many positive & negative DWG reviews on Yelp! My DWG adoption experience had been nothing but a blessing as the dog I adopted has brought our family nothing but joy & happiness. read more

I am sorry about the negative and sad stories being circulated about this group that truly loves and cares for their dogs. We adopted a wonderful and lovable puppy 7 months ago and she is doing great! She gets along great with other dogs and people and has been a treasure. I truly think Breshkie and her crew do everything humanly possible with the dogs they rescue. They rescue hundreds of dogs that are fine and have been placed in good homes. On another note, Breshkie has kept in touch with me to see how Gabby is doing. She really cares about her rescues and does a good job placing them with the right people. read more

I'm surprised by the negative reviews of this amazing organization. Dog World Rescue is still in their first few years (maybe first year... I'm not sure) of operations and seems to have some kinks to work out. I understand that Breshkie and the other volunteers are doing this out of the goodness of their hearts and probably can't afford to give every dog every vaccination but I also understand that there are many MANY shelters out there who don't do this either and euthanize the animals. It seems that Dog World Rescue is trying very hard to save as many animals as possible so that they can find a forever home who will be able to care for them properly. Shelters and rescues are a temporary place for an animal. They are not meant to be neglectful but, realistically, they are non-profit organizations and can only handle and afford so much. I've had friends that have spent a thousand dollars on a dog from a breeder only to experience a life time of problems due to inbreeding. I think a few parasites at the beginning of a life-long friendship can be overlooked. I have only had wonderful experiences with Dog World Rescue. They obviously care very much about the animals and the two rescue dogs that I have are both healthy and happy and wonderful. Thank you Dog World Rescue for everything that you do! read more

Dog World Rescue (DWR) is a non-profit pet adoption center that serves DC, Maryland, and Virgnia. I was first referred to DWR by a friend who forwarded me a link to one of their adorable hounds. It didn't take long before I was immediately taken in by their cute puppies. I took some time to explore the website, get a sense for its purpose (wanted to ensure this was not a puppy mill), and investigate the puppies that were available for adoption. While I'm a sucker for puppies, I didn't think I could afford a dog, nor did I think at this point in my life I wanted the responsibility of a dog. However, these concerns went out the window when I saw Daisy. Daisy is a darling lab/hound mix, with a caramel coat and huge brown pools for eyes. Given how cute Daisy is, I had a feeling she was probably already snatched up, but I decided to complete an application anyway. The application wasn't complex (not as complex as I thought it should be, honestly), but it did ask probing questions about your pet history, job status, where you live, and the character of your home/apartment. These are very relevant questions and I felt comfortable answering all of them. I grew up with a dog, live in a large house, and while DC is an urban area my neighborhood is teeming with families, kids, and dogs. To my surprise, Daisy was still available and Dog World Rescue agreed to a house visit. I was thrilled at the prospect of having a new puppy (my girlfriend even more so)! The day of the visit I talked to a local veterinarian and found out she is taking new patients, priced puppy food, and contemplated how I would puppy-proof my house. Not only that, but my girlfriend even baked cookies for Dog World staff! The visit was scheduled for 8:00 PM. DWR called me at 7:30 to say they were early and asked to stop by early. Unfortunately, I missed this call (I was busy preparing for their arrival). At 7:45 I saw that I missed their call and immediately called them back to let them know they were welcome anytime. This is when things got interesting. I spoke with Breshkie, DWR's presumptive director/owner. Breshkie said she drove around my neighborhood and was not sure about it. I said really, what's wrong? Breshkie claimed there was "not a patch of grass" to be found" in my neighborhood. I was stunned. There are grass stretches, not only outside my house and on my block, but up the block at the local elementary school. I also reminded her that I live near 2 dog parks and would be taking Daisy there for play/bathroom time. Breshkie then said that she was surprised that H Street was still under construction, and that Daisy was "not a confident dog." I said yes it is still under construction, but told her I don't plan to walk a three month old puppy through a dangerous construction zone. Breshkie then said that the sidewalks in my neighborhood were "unwalkable." This made me laugh out loud because I walk these sidewalks everyday. In fact, so do the three dogowners on my block, the numerous families and their children, and the school children who attend the local elementary school. At this point I knew it was not going well, but thought maybe if Breshkie met me and saw my house she would see that I would be a caring and responsible dog owner. Unfortunately, I did not get this opportunity. When I asked if I was still going to be able to meet Daisy, Breshkie said she had turned around and was going back to Virginia. In other words, they cancelled their visit five minutes before they were scheduled to arrive. This as you can imagine was very disappointing. It's not like DWR didn't read my application and didn't see where I lived. I live in Washington, DC, for crying out loud, not some open farm where dogs and livestock can roam free. They knew (or should have known) well in advance what my neighborhood was like. If they didn't like where I lived after reading the applicaiton, they should not have let me get my hopes up by scheduling a visit. They should have rejected me outright. I will never be able to prove it, but the facts (particularly the H street comment) lead me to believe that they drove through the neighborhood, saw individuals they did not like, and made a judgment based on those visuals. This stereotyping, coupled with a complete disregard for my time, merit even less than one star, but unfortunately Yelp doesn't offer a lower rating. If you are looking to adopt a dog from DWR, I would proceed with caution. Actually, I would avoid it altogether. read more

We Adopted our beautiful dog from world dog rescue and had a wonderful experience. First off, these people are all volunteers, doing what they do out of the goodness of their hearts. They are clearly making a Difference, both in the lives of the animals they rescue as well as with the people who are fortunate enough to be matched as a forever home. Breshkie was very professional and thorough with us. She was well informed about the dog we wanted and asked us all the right questions regarding why we were hoping to adopt and what our commitment level to our dog would be. Admiral George, our boy, came from a high kill shelter in North Carolina and was picked up the day he was to be euthanized. Breshkie gave us a complete history on him and assured us that we could contact her or the other members of DWR 24 hours a day. She gave us her personal cell as well as her email. We have not had one issue with George nor have we had a problem getting in touch with the shelter with questions. This is the first dog we have adopted, our previous came from breeders. We would recommend Dog World Rescue to anyone. patience and love is all that is needed when you adopt...the return is immeasurable. read more

We took in our beautiful foster pup Nyssa through Dog World Rescue. This organization has been supportive and easy to work with, even allowing us to bring the dog to our own vet. Nyssa needs a lot of physical and emotional rehab- as a rescue she has four different kinds of parasites and is incredibly fearful, but I believe that Dog World Rescue wants the best for her and for us. I would absolutely recommend working with Dog World Rescue, and making sure you are aware of the challenges that come with rescuing a dog. read more

First, I must say, my friend adopted from this group, and although the dog had a number of health issues, she is a great dog who is loved very much by her family. Even though I was aware of the negative reviews, I decided to inquire about one of their dogs. I was told, in an email, by Breshkie, that they were not holding adoption events at any venue and just to fill out an application. Well, living in the area, that very weekend, I was running errands, and I ran right into one of their adoption events. I'm not quite sure why they are being so secretive, but that sent a huge red flag right there. After reading all of the reviews, I am thinking the glowing reviews are written by her volunteers. It seems the first step in trying to save a failing rescue would be honesty, but if the director can't even be honest, why should the volunteers? read more

I didnt read any of these reviews until after I found Dog World and adopted a little guy from them. These negative reviews SHOCKED me. I cant believe that anyone could have had a bad experience working with this first class agency with loving staffers. Every dog that comes in is immediately taken to the vet for full check ups and they are not up for adoption until all is good. Do yourself a favor and work with Dog World! You will be amazed at how caring and special the people that work here really are! The individual that runs the rescue said a line that I will never forget. "How often do the dogs get to chose their forever home? We like to meet a handful of potential applicants with the dog to do our best to ensure they can choose!" Bottom line is the dogs always come first. read more

Hi all, just wanted to share my own experience with DWR. We got our puppy from them in the summer of 2010, and he has become an integral part of our family. We found DWR by persuing Petfinder.com for a dog to adopt in the DC area that summer. Scrolling through the puppies we came across a dog that looked promising (Snap, and he had a brother and sister named Crackle and Pop, respectively). We made an appointment to visit DWR the next day and stopped by after work. Before coming they asked us to fill out some forms from their website and bring them along. The dogs were being held in the backyard of a residence in Annandale. At first it seemed odd to me to have 30 dogs in your backyard but thinking through dog adoption this probably makes sense. The family there explained that members of DWR take turns watching the dogs during the week and then take them to pet stores on the weekends for those adoption fairs. Seemed reasonable. There were a ton of beautiful dogs, all looked healthy to us. We found out that Snap had already been adopted, but Crackle and Pop were still there. Crackle totally did the storybook dog adoption thing - following us around and paying attention to us when the other dogs got bored. We were smitten, and took him home that night. They told us that he had just arrived from a kill shelter outside Charleston in rural South Carolina. This was my first dog adoption and I had heard horror stories of people being put through inquisitions before being allowed to adopt. I think that some background checking is a good thing, but I was concerned it might be overboard and I would get annoyed. DWR asked us a few questions, had us fill out some forms and write a check, and that was it. Looking back, I think more diligence would be preferable, but at the time I didn't think anything of it. That is reflected in my 4/5 star review. DWR did ask some questions, but in terms of protecting the dogs it could have been a bit more extensive. Either way, it worked out for us because we are NOT dog abusers and have given Crackle a great home. Crackle's records were provided to us. He was about 6 weeks old, had been neutered already (DWR knew that it was early for this but explained it as unfortunately necessary for some reason that I do not remember) and had gotten his first few rounds of shots. When we took him home he was healthy and happy. The provided us with a few cans of soft dog food for his first few days. I see some other reviews on here mentioned parasite. Crackle got sick about 2 months after we adopted him, but at the time he was visiting our apartment complex's dog park a lot, and our vet told us that was probably where he picked it up. It's been 3 years, and Boone (we renamed him when we got him) has become a great part of our family. He grew up to be 35 pounds, and is lean, built for running. I frequently get him out for runs, hikes and walks. Last month he went on a 3 night backpacking trip with me in Shenandoah. We recently had our first child and Boone even tolerates the baby as he gets his ears tugged (we're always right there, no worries on bites!). Lastly, Boone grew up to have a crazy affinity for frisbees. Seriously, he's amazing. One of the most athletic dogs I've ever met actually. His favorite thing in the world is going to a big field and chasing down my frisbee throws until he is exhausted - leaping 6 feet in the air to snag the discs. My point is just to share that the dog that we received from DWR has remained healthy and grown up to be a great dog! Clearly there are some polarized opinions of DWR on here. All I can do is offer my opinion though - and for us it is a very positive one. If I can answer any questions for you that my review didn't cover - just ask! read more

I felt compelled to add my experience with DWR and with Breshkie the president. Please note I am not a personal friend or know anyone personally in this group this is a sincere very objective review based on solid facts. I have adopted not one but two dogs through DWR. I would not go any where else. They are very cautious, have strict guide lines on health issues they follow and have done nothing but show on a consistent basis what a professional, caring, giving group of dedicated dog loving folks they are. I read some negative posts that prompted me to write this as I can tell u .....I really don't believe all the things that are stated. I am calling no one a liar but I do think perception of what is the truth and the truth can be easily miss understood. I adopted one dog that was heart worm positive and DWR has taken care of all the fees associated with her care. The other dog was less then 24 hrs away from giving up her life in a high kill shelter. Both are great dogs and all issues have been and are being taken care of very efficiently through Breshkie. This woman has donated and dedicated her life, her pay checks to saving dogs lives and I know that to be a FACT! I highly highly recommend adoption through this organization. Help them to save lives it takes a 'village' not just a few dedicated folks but a lot of folks working together. These dogs. Come from horrible circumstances in most cases, yes they are exposed to much and it is impossible with rescues to know all of the medical problems that could come up. But the DWR dogs are rigidly screen, blood tested and treated! This group genuinely cares and loves every dog it saves! I highly recommend DWR and Breshkie if you want to save a life! Deb read more

Echoing the sentiment of the previous review, I wanted to share my experience with DWR as well. Long story short, we have adopted two dogs from them, had very positive interactions with Breshkie and her team, and are very grateful to the organization. We adopted Sherman (formerly known as Timmy) in the summer of 2010. He was healthy (as any rescue dog can be) and otherwise came as advertized. One year later, we contacted DWR about adopting another dog. They recommended Rosie (formerly known as Serendipity), and were very forthcoming about her issues. She was extremely shy, never properly socialized, had suffered some severe abuse, and would take months - if not years - to fully integrate into our household. Again, the challenges were explained to us up front. We did a "foster to adopt" program where we could return Rosie within a few weeks - no questions asked. Within a few hours, it was clear Rosie wasn't going anywhere. In the two years since we've adopted Rosie, she's make remarkable progress. It has been a long haul, but she's a normal and affectionate dog, albeit, a bit moreskittish than most. Breshkie was very helpful in answering any questions or concerns we had along the way, and a great partner with helping Rosie adjust to her new life with us. This post in no way is meant to contradict or invalidate the stories of others. Rather, I wanted folks to know of a good experience that one family had with DWR. For folks considering adopting a dog, here are a couple of general points to consider: * - never assume your rescue dog is healthy when you adopt him/her. no matter what, you'll have a hefty out-of-pocket vet fee. we have adopted three dogs (one from another organization), the costs of vet care in the first 6 week average about $1,000 (dental issues, btw, are big cost drivers). many shelter dogs come from truly awful situations, experience serious neglect, and the record keeping is often shoddy. also, truth be told, vets are just really expensive. incidentally, our dog that we adopted from an organization other than DWR was by far the most expensive...he was severely malnourished and required multiple rounds of medication, treatment, and checkups. * - many adoption organizations are at least a little disorganized. DWR is no different in this regard. I'm not excusing it, but just remember, these organizations tend to be run by volunteers, there's no formal training, and sometimes this can be frustrating to prospective dog owners. try to take it stride. be prepared for multiple follow up emails and calls. If you are considering adopting a dog from DWR and want to hear more about my interactions with him, please feel free to send me a message offline. P.S. There is one factual point I would like to correct about parvovirus, which is discussed in depth in subsequent reviews. Parvovirus is NOT fatal 91% of the time. According to wikipedia, it's fatal in 91% of UNTREATED cases. As a point of comparison, human cancer is fatal nearly 100% of the time in untreated cases, but the overall mortality rate is considerably lower when factoring cases where people receive treatment. Again, this is by no means an attempt to invalidate the points raised by others, contradict their experiences, or minimize the gravity of their situations. read more

It takes a special heart to welcome an adopted pet into your home. I think we can all agree that rescuing our pet was probably one of the best decisions we could have made. My husband and I adopted our dog last June from Dog World Rescue, and everyone involved with the adoption process was quite helpful. The process was in depth and I took comfort in knowing people couldn't just show up with money and take home a puppy the same day. My dog was not perfect, he came with his own baggage, but I realized I had baggage of my own - he is perfect in my eyes. He came from a bad home and was scared of his own shadow. He sat in the corner of my living room for days and wanted nothing to do with my husband, myself or our other dog. I can't even begin to imagine what my dog was feeling or thinking, but what I was sure of was that I needed to give him time to know that he was safe. The one thing my dog has taught me about his character is resiliency.... He is a survivor. It is quite unfortunate that Dog World Rescue will now be associated with such negativity and not for all the good they have done in the few years they have existed. And really the only ones suffering from all this negative publicity are the poor, defenseless, and homeless dogs sitting in shelters just waiting for an ounce of hope for another day. To the reviewer who has gone out of her way to ensure the demise of a rescue organization - shame on you. I challenge you to spend one afternoon with this rescue group. While I can understand your frustration, I cannot, and will not condone the consequences of your actions. Having done your research, I am sure you must know Dog World rescues its dogs from high kill shelters in North and South Carolina. Why there and not the DMV area? Well, you must also already know that it is because these states are mostly rural and are overrun with breeding farms and strays that are not spayed or neutered. You must also already know that the shelters where these dogs are rescued from are busting at the seams with dogs. The adoption rate for such shelters is less than 10% - which means 9 out of 10 dogs are euthanized.... and NOT humanely. You must also have found through your research, that because funding is limited euthanization practices include drowning in water and or bleach, death by gun shot, gas chambers, while those who are "lucky" receive injections to the heart. Of course, you probably already knew all this. If you are this unhappy with Dog World Rescue, their adoption process, and the manner in which they responded to your concerns, why don't you return the dog and request that your vet bills be refunded? Since you are such an "advocate" for dogs, I assume you have spent some time volunteering either with a rescue group or a shelter? I would encourage you to spend some time with one of the shelter's in North or South Carolina so that you can see first hand, the many challenges faced by rescue groups. I assure you, you WILL leave broken hearted. Obviously, there are three sides to every story: yours, theirs, and the TRUTH. While the truth may never be known, it is unfortunate that all this work is being put into shutting down what otherwise is a successful rescue. Have you stopped to think about the magnitude of your actions? And what it means for these animals? I assume your dog survived the parvo, I am sure it was probably a nerve wrecking time, and I am glad your dog pulled through. But have you thought about what kind of life your dog might have endured had it not been for the people at Dog World Rescue? He probably would have been euthanized... that is what statistics say. There is NO guarantee for an animal's health, regardless if you adopt or buy from a puppy mill or a breeder. You are naïve for thinking so. All rescue dogs are survivors. I think in the midst of all this blaming and he said/ she said business you might have lost sight of that.....we all might have lost sight of that. I have nothing but kind words for the director, her volunteers, and the numerous dogs that have been in their care. Before you make a decision to blow off this rescue group due to the negative reviews posted here, I encourage you to visit Dog World Rescue's adoption events. Take the time to meet the people and the dogs, and then make your judgments. As I mentioned before, countless dogs are awaiting their death sentence, and it is through the good work of rescues such as Dog World that they are able to have hope. We are fortunate to be able to voice our opinions; to be able to jump on Yelp! the moment we are unhappy with someone's services. We have a voice.... dogs do not. read more

Adopting a new pet can be anxiety- inducing and stressful. For me my anxiousness was in choosing the right canine pal. When they ALL need a home, how do you choose? The wonderful thing about rescue organizations, as opposed to an average shelter, is that the foster parents often learn the personalities of the dogs and can make a fair assessment of how a pup will do with cats, or children, staying alone while you're at work, etc. I fell in love with, I think, four dogs when I first met Breshkie's group at Petsmart in June 2010. They all were a little bit different, but each was beyond the puppy stage, and all were still young enough to enjoy a morning run or playing at the park. I put all their foster names on my application and looked forward to hearing who Breshkie would bring for the home visit. I was surprised, happily, that she brought Banner, a wonderful 8 month old golden retriever. He was one of my four choices, but I thought another family application might have gotten in before mine. I wondered about the other three pups, but honestly, in retrospect, I think Breshkie knew that Banner and I were the best match. I think she helped ease the anxiety of choosing. She new Banner was a handful at 65 pounds, and needed someone comfortable with a large and energetic dog. He needed obedience basics and socialization, but SO lovable. He's been my best friend ever since - a beautiful dog that has matured and now serves as a therapy dog. There hasn't been one moment that I have regretted Banner's arrival in my life and I am grateful that Breshkie and her crew saved his life. To pay back the kindness I have fostered three DWR dogs so far - all with great personalities. It is common for them to have intestinal parasites and heartworm - Breshkie has always assisted me with providing medication - and the heartworm treatment requires extra care. Choosing a rescue dog is a wonderful endeavor - so many are wonderful and need a home. But it isn't an easy choice and it's a big commitment. Some indeed need additional medical care. When you commit to providing a forever home you have 72 hours to try it out, and you also commit to a full veterinary exam with 72 hours. DWR will not be able to address all health issues prior to adopting out. I highly recommend adopting rather than buying a dog, and supporting any of the local rescue organizations. It's tough work. For peace of mind, take the dog to a vet before you fully commit to its care. read more

We adopted our dog, an adorable lab mix we named Rocky, from Dog World Rescue and had a very positive experience. Breshkie and the volunteers were very professional to work with and really cared about getting the pups a loving home. They even put us in touch with Rocky's litter-mates a few months down the road so that we could meet up for puppy playtime. I would and have recommended this rescue to my friends looking to adopt a dog in a heartbeat! read more

I adopted my dog just over a year ago from this group and I've been meaning to write a review. First of all, let me say that I absolutely adore my dog!!! However, we got off to a very rough start. I was first told this dog was about a year old. When I took him to my vet, I was informed that he was more like 3 years old. no problem. My bigger concern is that I was told my dog had already received his shots and was up-to-date, but I was never given any of his records. Breshkie told me she would mail them to me because she was still trying to track them down. After a few weeks and emails went by, it became clear to me that I was never going to ge these records. So I had to get every vaccination from scratch. I'm less concerned about the cash, but more concerned about the lack of care and good record-keeping. It's a bummer to think my dog was vaccinated unneccessarily. Also, while I was 'digging' for more information about his previous vet records, I was informed by a former foster parent (in North Carolina) that my dog had been treated in the past for PARVO! This parvo seems to be a continuous these with Dog World Rescue. I was never informed of this fact up front. Now that's it's been a year, I'm happy to report that my dog is in great health and absolutely spoiled rotten! I just want others to know that this is not the best rescue group out there. Know what you're getting yourself into. read more

We rescued our dog Mica from DWR almost 2 years ago now. She was only 4 little months when we got her and she has been an absolute joy! Breshkie has been GREAT to work with. Very knowledge and also very attentive to our needs. When she gave us Mica she had medical records, rabies vaccine, and micro chipping all set. Any questions or updates I had about Mica after wards she was still very attentive about. It was really helpful and awesome to know we had support! We recently fostered our first pup from DWR and it was also another great experience. Breshkie really cares about these dogs and makes sure they go to wonderful forever homes. She walked me through the process of finding our foster a loving family, and gave me all of his medical records to give to his new owners. He too was up to date on all that he needed with medical check ups and vaccines. She was also VERY responsive to setup his vet appointments when he needed his neutering to be done. DWR is still fairly new and improving everyday. In the very short time I've known Breshkie I've seen her work hard and tirelessly to get these dogs out of harms way and into loving homes. I am impressed with how organized she is and how she's continuing to find ways to better this organization as the overwhelming need to help rescuse dogs becomes greater. Lot's of rescues coming in and tons of applications to review. DWR was the best choice for us. read more

Hi I adopted my dog from Dog World Rescue after first stating that I would only be a foster and would not adopt her. Well that obviously didn't work out so well as she is now mine. Breshkie who is the creator of DWR had been working with me for some time as I had wanted to adopt a Beagle and I first met her back in March when a little guy became available. We first chatted on the telephone and then arranged a home visit. We quickly learned that the dog would benefit greatly from being around other dogs and humans daily and so I did not adopt him. She kept me in mind and as the spring turned into Summer she contacted me about potentially fostering instead of adopting. I said yes. I met her at 4 am on a Sat morning to meet my pup off the transport truck. I can clearly say that this was the saddest sight but also a happy sight ever as all these animals were saved. Many may not realize it but DWR pulls their animals from Rural High Kill shelters in GA, SC and NC. The information DWR is provided with about the dog is only as good as the person conveying it. My pup who was only 3 months old was on the transport with her Mom whom went on to NJ. Breshkie informed of best practices for my foster pup to quickly get adjusted to my home and how to get some sleep. We did great and Breshkie check in several times over the weekend. My pup got scheduled quickly with the vet and the only thing they discovered was that she had hook worm, which is very common in shelter dogs. I was amazed as a foster mom to watch Breskie pay hundreds of dollars just for my little foster pup's innoculations, topical flea meds, monthly heartworm meds, etc etc. Very quickly I fell in love with my foster pup and bit the bullet and adopted her full time. I can honestly say that the adoption fee that I paid after fostering her for 6 weeks came no where close to the money Breshkie put into my pup's vet bills and care on top of her Spay and miro-chipping. My adoption fee didn't even scratch the surface of what DWR paid. The rest of the funds come from donations and kind souls whom decide to contribute to the care of these animals. After adopting my dog Belle I decided the only other way I could give back would be to foster again, and I have. All of the animals I have encountered or welcomed into my home have been cared for, looked after and tracked by DWR to ensure they are in good health and are doing fine. Breshkie has even come to my house just to clean ears on one of the beagles I had, cause I was a nervous nelly about getting too much fluid in there. I have since mastered it don't you worry beagle folks. I can honestly say that my continual volunteering with DWR is something that brings me joy. It is a small way that I can continue to help out a very small non profit trying to help save the lives of some of the most endangered animals coming out of the Southern States. Everyone has a different experience, but I can honestly say that those whom have posted a negative comment I did not have that experience and everything that I have seen so far is above and beyond. And not just from the volunteers but Breshkie who puts her heart and soul into caring for these animals. I say thank you to DWR for introducing me to my baby Belle - even through the difficult puppy stages. Belle's Mom - Rachel read more

Kudos to DWR for their work in placing rescue dogs in loving forever homes! I have had dogs all my life, and the current 2 are from DWR. The first is a special needs pup, very loving but phobias. We spent a summer having her split time with us and Breshkie while Breshkie worked on building her confidence. We are so grateful to DWR and all the volunteers for all they do! read more

I feel like the people at Dog World Rescue did not even consider my application before sending the dog to another family. I entered an application as soon as the ad was placed for the dog and got no return e-mail until the next day, after the dog had been placed with another family. I am looking for a companion for my 8 yr old dog and wanted to give this dog a loving home. I feel like I wasn't even considered. read more

Just thought I'd weigh in with my experience with Dog World about 2 years ago, when I adopted our dog. We had a good experience. The volunteer I dealt with loves dogs and worked really hard to find me a good fit temperamentally. They accommodated my schedule. I found their setup a little quirky -- they brought the dog to me, which was a bit of a "hard sell" though they were doing it as a favor to me b/c I couldn't attend their adoption event. He had some trouble adjusting and they were very helpful in following up and providing advice. And he is a wonderful dog! read more

I am not connected directly to the owner of this organization but I do have personal knowledge of the wonderful care Breshkie and the volunteers who assist provide to all their dogs. I am very suspicious of the negative reviews in Yelp and believe it is done personally to discredit Dog World Rescue. Notice the dates of all the negative reviews. There's a reason for it. Try DWR and see for yourself. Don't believe this landslide of negative reviews that are all from 2011. Ridiculous! read more

We have the love of our life, Lucy, thanks to Dog World Rescue. We have also been fortunate enough to care for and foster some of their dogs. These reviews claiming they Breskie and crew are ANYTHING but amazing, dedicated and LOVING is preposterous!!! I have nothing but wonderful things to say about them and I would adopt from them again and again and again if my husband would allow it. They are always very concerned about how the dogs they need fosters will fit in with our two dogs and they put the dogs needs first and work tirelessly! I've had lots of contact with DWR for 3 years and they are wonderful. I'll always be dedicated to them...the dogs they rescue and get heart worm treatment other surgeries and care for. Can't say enough!!!!! read more

I rescued my boy from him, a wonderful dog whom is such a huge part of my family, the rescue were amazingly helpful both during and after the adoption process. As a well informed individual I know and have extensive experience of the shelters these animals come from, I can't help but laugh when a previous poster said they called animal control because there dog had parvo this is a very common and very awful infection. These dogs that this and other rescues go to have an awful start to life. Awful is an understatement. They are starved and left to for in he cold from underfunded shelters who kill them off after a few days, they sit in their own filth with no human interaction. When rescues such as dog world rescue take these guys on, so much is and has to be done just to keep them alive, my boy had many things wrong with him and the staff of volunteers helped with every step to get him better. With kindness and finiance. You can see the love these people have for all there animals, it breaks ny heart that not more rescues like this could open but it is very expensive to do so and is run completely of of volunteer time a d money. What angels! They noy only give these dogs a second chance they give people like us a chance to meet the dogs that otherwise would of died alone in he middle of NC or SC or rural VA. They drive for days and days to save these babies from he clutches of death. No rescue can provide a promise of an entirely healthy animla after the things the animals face.. but these guys come up top in my book! They never stop helping, and that love shows in the dogs they rescue. Thank you DWR I pray every day for more people like you, more doors to open and more hearts to realise these animals need help. A wonderful rescue!! read more