I have been so impressed with the wonderful work Dogma has done for the animal community in saving lives. Duane at Dogma brings in some damaged and broken dogs into his program where their healing begins. He has helped thousands of dogs over the years. They have regular adoption events at Animal Kingdom in Sebastopol a few times a month where you can go and meet all kinds of lovely dogs available for adoption. They keep their website and FB very up to date and is user friendly. Theor adoption fees are reasonable and there is a lot included. He does wonderful work and continues to save lives. read more

Adopted a puppy in December, paid $600 for adoption fee to include spay. Have now been told Dogma is no longer affiliated with the animal hospital to provide spays, and Dogma lost their non profit status. I'll probably never hear back from the multiple emails I have sent, since they have no phone number. read more

All of the 5 star reviews are from people who love their dogs... But the organization itself and the man Duane, the "president" is extremely rude and will call you names if you try to give any criticism or explain why he is wrong. It didn't matter that I sent Duane everything needed to allow me to adopt, including a screenshot of an email from my property manager AND an ESA letter. He said he called my property management office and talked to someone else who worked there, someone who who was NOT my property manager, but still said I do not qualify, and i would have to "work it out with them". I was completely honest on my application about being a renter, gave Dogma the name of my specific property manager who had my ESA letter on file and knew I was trying to adopt a dog. Despite all that, they denied my application. I sent him a follow up email explaining that working with them had been the worst experience and that they are causing people to lie to them to even be able to adopt. I also sent him a screenshot of the laws regarding ESAs, but that really pissed him off. He decided to respond calling me a spoiled little girl, a liar, an idiot, and continued responding to the email to add more insults. I have known 2 other people who have adopted from Dogma. One of them told me they lied and pretended to be their mom, using her housing info and everything, so she could get a dog, which lives with her in a whole other sate now. The other person told me she had her friend, who owns a home, pretend to adopt the dog and then give it to her. So what Dogma is actually doing, is making people lie to them so they can adopt their dogs. I was very honest, and supplied them with everything they would need, but I dont own my home so I guess i'm not good enough. After that whole thing, I decided to adopt from anywhere else, and while looking at other organizations I noticed Dogma has more PUPPIES than any other adoption place in sonoma county... and they cost about the same as just buying a dog... Overall, seems a little shady and sketchy, and Duane seems like the type of person who would happily profit off puppy sales. It's very suspicious, especially since they seem to be very particular about who they adopt to... Unfortunately, my suggestion to anyone reading this is to adopt a dog from literally anywhere else, and if you have to go through Dogma, pretend to be your mom. read more

Dogma Animal Rescue - Pet Adoption Near Me

Adopted a puppy in January. Paid the $600 fee which in the contract states the spay was covered. No longer is affiliated with Animal Kingdom and they don't respond to emails or messages. Adopters beware. read more

We just adopted our puppy from Dogma and the entire process went so smoothly! The foster parent and the owner of the rescue, Duane were wonderful to work with during our adoption process! Everyone was very responsive and on top of everything. Such a great organization trying to find loving homes for these adorable animals! Thanks Dogma for blessing us with our sweet puppy! read more

We found our forever addition to our family through Dogma. Frankie is absolutely perfect. It was quite the drive to get him, but 100% worth it. From the moment we met him he became part of our family. Thank you again Dogma! read more

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We were fortunate enough to rescue the best puppy from Dogma. He came house trained from his foster family so we only had to get him adjusted to our house - took only a few days!! Dogma is a great place to get a rescue dog and they always have a wide variety of breeds to choose from. I have two friends who have also gotten their dogs from here and we all have nothing but great things to say! Adopt Don't Shop!!! read more

Dogma Animal Rescue - 8 week old Tyrion on adoption day ! - Pet Adoption Near Me

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Welcome home peanut! The 15 year old chihuahua that broke my heart when I saw her at the shelter!!! Duane at dogma is the sweetest most kind hearted person! This is our second dog we adopt from dogma and chewy was the first and he's the best! Thank you Duane for all you do and I share your posts often! read more

Two years ago, after the loss of 2 dogs and unexpected and untimely loss of the kids' grandfather (my dad), we decided to rescue/adopt a puppy. We had adopted a few older pets over the years, each with unique challenges and needs, but felt a puppy would be both therapeutic and a good distraction from our grief. Because we still had a dog that was selective, we agreed adopting a socialized pup from a rescue group would be best. I followed countless rescue groups all over northern and central CA. We patiently searched over the next 6-8 months, occasionally submitting apps. I eliminated several groups from my search, for various reasons. Being a savvy owner and having been involved with animal rescue in some capacity for many years, integrity was important to us. It's wasn't hard to see which groups stood out. Month after month, I watched Duane and his crew at work, always selflessly extended themselves, in awe of their commitment to the dogs. We knew we wanted an all black male pup, so when the Hunger Games litter appeared online, we submitted our app. Having gotten prematurely excited for a few pups previously with other groups, we tried not to be too anxious. Correspondence was timely, our app was approved without hesitation, even though we were out of the immediate area. We are rock-star owners, but that's not always easy to convey on an app. :) During transport, 1 of the pups had had diarrhea. All 6 adopters were required to accompany the pups to the vet for a check and treatment as well as given the option to return them to foster until cleared, at no cost to us. It was obvious the health of the pups was their top priority. In the months that followed our adoption, I remember one story, in particular, that pulled at my heartstrings as it unfolded online. I don't remember the extenuating circumstances for the owner(s), but an adult Dogma dog was taken back into foster. That dog had become bonded with another non-Dogma dog in its adoptive home. The other dog had been surrendered to the shelter. When Dogma learned of the situation, they scrambled and pulled her from the shelter, too. They find a way, they get it done, all for the love of dogs. I have referred many people to their group and will continue to support Dogma. read more

Dogma Animal Rescue - Pet Adoption Near Me

SHADY & RUDE! First two words that come to mind from my experience with Dogma Animal Rescue. Their customer service is terrible, the correspondence was condescending and so unprofessional. We were ready to open our loving home to a puppy in need and we got wrongfully accused of having bad intent while wanting to foster a dog before we someday adopted one. This organization should not be claiming to be an "animal rescue" when they are literally driving perfectly good homes away with their terrible service. Please take your business elsewhere. I know it's not the animals fault but this organization doesn't deserve your money. This was a very eye opening experience - Dogma is a hard no! read more

Although I have great admiration for the volunteers, Duane himself is a rude, unprofessional, self absorbed example of an entitled little man. read more

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Really, really rude people. No need to be rude either. I sent them multiple applications & got no response. Then we went to one of their "events." The lady running the event had zero conversation with me. I gave her our application and we looked at a couple of the puppies. I immediately knew we would not be adopting. The dogs were big. Not what we wanted. But we looked for a few minutes because puppies are cute. Then the rude lady YELLED across the parking lot that we are ineligible to adopt because we are from out of the area. I live in Marin, literally minutes away. Then she followed up by yelling that since we don't have a yard we are ineligible. Then she tells me the only dog they will consider letting us adopt is a chihuahua. What? Literally what just happened here? I didn't want to adopt ANY of those dogs but a rude lady is yelling at me telling me that we aren't worthy because we live in Marin and don't have a yard?!? All of the foster families turned away from us like we had the plague and my 11 year old son was stunned and nearly in tears. We left, and my son asked that we didn't return. I agreed. Then I get a text that she has reconsidered but they are shutting down the event for the day. Mind you, I decided we weren't going to adopt any dog at that event minutes after we arrived. However no one from Dogma would know that since they never asked me a single question. All they did was rudely yell. I then sent an email describing this situation to the owner of Dogma. His response? He called me an "entitled Marin housewife." Seriously. He said that. For starters, I'm not a housewife. I work for a nonprofit & my husband is a transit supervisor. We have a quiet family with 14 + years of dedicated experience raising a dog. These rude people nearly brought my son to tears, called me names and made weird and wild assumptions. They categorically deny dedicated pet owners the option to adopt, then gas light. It is weird. One more final thought. Dogma seems to specialize in puppies. No other shelter or rescue has so many puppies. Where are they finding all these puppies. They sell the puppies for around $700 each. Let's do that math... a few litters every month and someone is making bank. Super sketch vibes. read more

I was looking to find a positive way to spend my time. I met Duane thru a mutual friend and became very interested in his outreach to help care for and love animals as much as I do. I was fortunate enough to be able to foster and eventually adopt a pair of pups (brother and sister) that have become a treasured part of my life. The assistance and support i have received from Dogma animal rescue has been more than anyone could expect. Duane is more than a animal lover, he is a protector for the the most innocent and unfortunate. Truly happy.. D.. read more

We only got as far as the inquiry phase. Duane seemed unhelpful and unwilling to answer questions about the dog we inquired about. He was condescending, suggesting that we do more research before adopting a dog, despite us having two dogs and being lifelong dog owners. He was also provincial and elitist, implying that because we live in Lake County, we should look in the Central Valley. Worst of all, he gave totally false information. When we inquired about the adoption fee compared to better rates from say, Sonoma County Animal Rescue, he said they would not cover neutering or microchipping. This is utterly false, clearly stated on SCARs website and corroborated by staff we know there. With the multitude of shelters and rescues in the area, I'm not sure why anyone would want to work with this man. He's truly doing the dogs under his care a huge disservice with his terrible customer service and overall rude bearing. read more

It's misleading to state on your website to fill out an application for pre-approval if you are not from the area (because you won't be able to just walk in and adopt a dog otherwise) then tell me " Oh, well we don't allow adoptions outside of the area." Not the Bay Area, just the Sebastopol area. Now I've given you all my personal information through the application process for no reason. You need to clearly state that information on your website. That's very unprofessional. read more

We were fortunate enough to find this place and adopt a wonderful puppy. He's been the best dog ever and I'm so happy that we found out about this place and were able to adopt him. Highly recommended. read more

Thanks to Dogma we were able to bring home our fur baby Hank (fka Tank) over 3 years ago. He was raised by such an amazing foster family that he already knew basic commands when we got him as a puppy. We are so grateful for Dogma since in most cases mixes like Hank would have definitely been put down, especially with such a large litter. Duane, all of your and your teams hard work does not go unnoticed. Your dedication and heart to your cause is amazing. Thank you for all that you do! read more

Dogma Animal Rescue - Pet Adoption Near Me

What I appreciate most about this rescue is their thoughtful selection of the forever homes of their pups. They were initially nervous about apartment dwellers (at that time, now homeowners) adopting an active breed. However, we worked together and talked about our outdoor lifestyle and shared backpacking photos of ourselves and our beloved sharpei who had passed. The rescue took a chance on us and we ended up with an amazing pup who had now been on SO MANY adventures and so many more to come. Thank you, especially to Duane, for all that you do to save the animals. read more

We've worked with many animal rescue orgs in several states over the years, and Dogma Animal Rescue (DAR) is one of the best. Someone recommended them to us, we checked out their website, saw a potential new dog, and contacted them. Within a few days, we'd met our new pup, and now she is officially ours! Turns out they ONLY host dogs and cats who have been rescued from kill shelters. Our puppy had some serious health issues when they got her, but she is in GREAT health now. Their animals are all in foster care until they find their forever home, and our puppy was obviously well-cared for, healthy, and loved. She's also well-trained for a puppy her age. (Thank you, Libby!) Duane, the manager, did all the background checking, including contacting our landlord to ensure we were allowed to have dogs (we are!), and kept in touch with us every step of the way. So if you are looking for an org with integrity, who truly care about the animals in their charge, who vet the potential new owners as well as they vet their critters, this is the place. Every requirement for new owners is to ensure that every pet will find their forever home. with a responsbile new human. read more

Dogma Animal Rescue - Our happy and healthy new pup from Dogma Animal Rescue! - Pet Adoption Near Me

I would not give them a star at all but you have no choice. 1st of all a volunteer by the name of Shannon came across beyond rude and disrespectful. We were trying to give a dog a forever home. This was our 1st time applying for adoption. Duane (president of Dogma) Did not like my answers on the application and said I left blanks which were unacceptable. My response to him was... I answered "adult" for age because it's of no consequence to owning a pet and you can't even ask that on a job application. He didn't like that a answered I was self-employed and a business owner on other questions. The blanks that were left did not apply to me because I answered that I owned my home in the previous question. The following questions pertained to renters and landlords. I had no idea that I had missed a couple of phone calls while I was at work from Shannon who volunteers for them. The email I received from her explained that she called a couple of times and bad she would call on Tuesday but if I missed that call she wouldn't be calling me back. She had stated that she would not be available on Monday. My daughter begged me to call just to check on Monday so I did. Today I received another email from Shannon stating that my application had been denied because I cannot follow directions because she told me she was not available yesterday and I had called her. Her lack of empathy and compassion for a family that is excited on potentially bringing in a new sweet pet to be a member of their family is extremely disheartening. 1st of all not everyone's schedule is on the same page. She may not have been available on Monday but I was not going to be readily available on Tuesday. What makes her schedule more important than mine? Due to COVID-19 we cannot not go to a physical business place so it makes it extra hard on families to work it out. If they could step outside of their egos perhaps they could understand the other side of the coin. Instead they would rather have a family suffer or be disappointed that they cannot give a forever home to a pet. If you want to adopt a pet from this organization make sure you kiss their backsides royally! I on the other hand will be more than happy to allocate my money to an organization that cares more about the pets and the families trying to give them a forever home. Adoption is not cheap. We have a beautiful home and we have beautiful hearts to offer. Sadly a dog from Dogma will never know because of people like this. read more

Amazing experience with Dogma Animal Rescue! We found them on Petfinder and although they ordinarily don't adopt outside of the area, Duane took a special look at our email and gave us a call. We were able to adopt two special little babes and meet the fosters who had been taking care of them for the past few weeks. We love following Dogma on Facebook and seeing all he beautiful animals they're committed to helping day in and day out! Thanks again for trusting us and adopting out of the area- Mickey and Daisy are so loved and have a great home! read more

Dogma Animal Rescue - Pet Adoption Near Me

These guys are FANTASTIC! We rescued a fantastic puppy from them and he's been a perfect fit for our family of SIX. Dogma's due diligence on where the rescue dogs come from and go to is unmatched and was extremely important to my family. Their process is worth going thru! read more

We adopted our dog from Dogma and couldn't be happier. Although we live outside their adoption area they reviewed our application and found someone near our home to perform the home inspection. I see some reviews on here complaining that they only do local adoptions, but that's not true. It takes more time and effort to complete out of area adoptions. I understand why they would prefer to keep their animals closer to home. Great organization and I highly recommend! read more

We got our Dog Daisy from Dogma animal rescue about a year ago. The adoption process was easy and they covered her spay when she was old enough. We are so happy we adopted from them. read more

Dogma Animal Rescue is an amazing organization where so many dogs are saved and given a second chance to live. We adopted our dog from Dogma 2 years ago, and she is a fantastic dog. Duane, the founder, truly understands dogs and strives to save as many dogs as possible. read more

We had a terrible experience with Dogma. We wanted to adopt a dog and contacted them via their listed phone number. That literally was one of the worst Exchange over message we have ever had. They were rude and abusive. The reason because they are busy taking care of the animals they have!! This is not over the phone. No call back or they will get back .... nothing. Simply abusive ... simply because I messaged them asking why won't they reply. Non profit? Volunteers? I hope the poor animals are treated humanely!! read more

The worst communication I have ever experienced from a business. We sent in an adoption application for a puppy - we live outside their adoption area but it says on their website that they will do outside adoptions in some cases, so figured we could at least talk to them about it. We have a huge fenced rural property, tons of previous experience with dogs, and work from home so it's pretty much an ideal setup for a dog. We got back a response that basically just said "we don't adopt outside our area." I attempted to follow up and ask why, citing their own website. Heard nothing back. Saw a week later that the same puppy still needed a home so followed up again asking if they might reconsider our application. Again, no response. Finally, I had the president of the SPCA here in Santa Cruz reach out to them on my behalf (I've done a lot of volunteering with them and also fostered several of their dogs.) STILL heard nothing back. Eventually (weeks later) got back a one line response: "the puppy has been adopted. Apologies." Wow Dogma. I understand that you are volunteer run and probably busy, but this level of poor communication is pretty unacceptable from ANY business. read more

Best animal rescue I have been around. They really care about the pets and the fosters are amazing you will not be disappointed

This rescue has been around for a very long time, and has helped so many puppies, dogs, and senior dogs find their forever home its hard to keep track. Looking at their page, shows endless pictures of the perfect match being made. I myself have a Dogma Rescue, a sweet little boy rescued from the centeral valley. He is such a huge part of our family, we can't imagine our life without him! The best thing I can say about Dogma, is they make choices based on whats best for the dog, chooing the most quilified adopters to place their furr-babies. Thanks Dogma! read more

We adopted our sweet Harvey from Dogma Animal Rescue..they will go the extra mile to be sure all their foster pups are given excellent care, vet checkups and loving people that interact with the pups until they are adopted. I am grateful for rescues like Dogma that open their hearts and homes to be sure each and EVERY pup is placed with a loving family.. thank you for all that you do.. read more

I was instrumental in my friend adopting a momma dog from Dogma. She got a sweetheart. This was from a hoarders home where the dog was one of many, many. Nothing but praise for Dogma. Great rescue facility. If I could care for a dog I would adopt from this agency. J. Miller read more

If you are looking to adopt an animal from Dogma, let me save you a headache and suggest you immediately look elsewhere because Dogma will not respond to you. My experience was the same that Lizzie S. described in her review. I reached out to Dogma multiple times to multiple email address's, as well as their fax number, over a two week period of time and received zero response. Completely unprofessional behavior from an organization seemingly dedicated to finding homes for animals in need. What's more, the puppy we would love to adopt is still up on petfinder.com. read more

This is a fabulous organization that goes to great lengths to save and protect animals. I got my little pup, Diesel, from them and I am so grateful they rescued him. Donate when/ what you can. read more