We found the process extensive which is better than just giving dog away so we were ok with this. Our problem is that they listed the dog being in not only the same state as us but also the same town as we lived in. Once selected to be able to adopt we were then told our dog was in another state and two hours away from us. Which we did go ahead and adopt but found that all the vaccines were done in an order that made them no longer affective so we had to do all vaccines ourselves. It also seemed to be listed as if our dog had been micro chipped but he was not. Also seems weird that they had several puppies rescued at the same time but didn't know who the mother was which makes me nervous that this could potentially be a dog mill rescue. I also had another friend try and adopt a sibling of our dog where a date and time was set up for the zoom home inspection only to have the person never call for the zoom and never again contacted to reschedule. When my friend asked about this they were told another family had adopted the dog. This seems wrong to do this to someone who took the tone off from work to do a home inspection only to never be contacted to say this had been canceled. This was not even the first step he had already got three references interviewed and and an over the phone interview and vet contacted from previous dogs history and was now just waiting to have the home inspection thru a zoom call never be call again until he reached out to the rescue to see why no one had contacted him at the set time to be then told the dog had been adopted by someone else. This was heartbreaking not only to the guy apply for the dog but to me as someone who had referred him to this company to only have this happen. We lived close by and could have had sibling doggy play dates. Very disappointed. read more

They took a lot of time w texts and reached out to our references which were all glowing. Zero reason for denial and not even a phone call to explain, just a template email denial. Maybe because we are a same sex couple? Bad business. read more

With any rescue it's a very serious process to get approved to be an adopter. If you read their website details about adopting, it lays out the timeline you should expect to wait for each step of the process. They really do a great job of following that and once you are approved and you get to pick your new best friend it's all worth it. I adopted a pure bred german shepherd from ECCR, and she's amazing. They work really hard everyday to save these dogs lives. Everyone is a volunteer and they work their regular jobs and then spend hours reading applications, interviewing people, and organizing rescue missions for these dogs from down south. I praise every member of this organization, without them I wouldn't have my best friend. read more

East Coast Canine Rescue - Baby Kash! - Pet Adoption Near Me

I believe this rescue organization is a scam. They post dogs that are not available and try and get you to adopt another poor dog. We wanted one particular puppy and stated that in the beginning process. We were approved only to find the puppy we wanted was adoption pending. How can that be when the puppy was used in an advertising and still being posted. There answer was they had a clitch in their computer system and could not remove Knox the puppy. Guess what! Knox is still listed for adoption. This place cares nothing for there animals and have to resort to scams to get your business. Be warned this place in "No GOOD" read more

I just adopted a puppy from them they are an amazing group of volunteers that make sure your a good match and a safe home for the dogs in their care the application process is simple and they do check all references I'm simple amazed with all of these wonderful people that volunteer with them even while having jobs and families of their own I would definitely check them out again if and when I'm looking for another rescue fur baby Thank you again east coast canine rescue you all are awesome people read more

East Coast Canine Rescue is an unbelievable selfless rescue, with Vicki Gagne at the helm of the ship, with her crew, fosters and volunteers, they are unstoppable at getting loving homes for the thousands of dogs they gave rescued. I adopted Annie from them during the pandemic, everything was done virtual, and the process was smooth. I drove up from Cape May, NJ to Morristown to pick her where a loving daughter and Mom were fostering her, they were awesome as well. I am a petsitter and I can truly appreciate everything they do, I just can't say enough wonderful things about this group, they are the best!! read more

East Coast Canine Rescue - Annie, my treewalker coonhound adopted from East Coast Canine Rescue - Pet Adoption Near Me

I cannot even begin to describe my upset with this agency. Unfortunately, when working with a Rescue you are at their mercy. I came to this Rescue sort of in a reverse way because I knew a person fostering a litter of puppies. My husband and I fell in love with one of the litter and were referred back to the Rescue to follow the proper steps to move towards adoption. I completed the application, provided my references, completed my home visit etc. I was approved as a provider and sent an email with available puppies. The puppy I came to the Rescue for was not there. I replied to this email and asked if the puppy I was looking for was still available and was told yes, if you would like him you need to pay the adoption fee. I paid the adoption fee at which point I was informed that the puppy must be neutered and microchipped within 6 months. I then asked if the neutering was mandatory as I have grown up with dogs who were left intact (from a holistic standpoint)- and I would have liked to observe the dog's temperament possibly before making the decision to neuter. I made sure to express that I had no intention to breed this dog but would like to remain open to option of leaving the dog intact. I then read the contracts that I was sent which included a mandatory clause to agree to neuter the dog. I immediately communicated to the rescue that I had not read this stipulation they had and I was happy to abide by it if it was their policy. My question was not answered- I was immediately informed that the adoption was cancelled because my question was concerning to them as a rescue. I called and begged for them to reconsider even giving them the name of the Vet I had *already* contacted to procure an appointment for neutering after I read the policy expressing it was mandatory. I have since perused the Rescue's entire website to ensure that I did not miss this policy somewhere in their literature- I did not. To say I'm upset is the understatement of the century. I paid the fee and signed both contracts with the agency - including the one to neuter which clearly states it is legally binding. That did not matter my "question" was enough to bring my entire character into question. Of note, I want to make perfectly clear that the foster provider of these puppies was magnificent and had zero involvement in what transpired with the staff at the Rescue. I unfortunately found the poor reviews here after. I post this so that anyone who may come here for information is simply well informed prior to entering into contract with this agency and doesn't "ask a question" as I did. I understand that the Rescue is concerned for the lives of the puppies they adopt out- but is wholly unacceptable to terminate an adoption because of questions that came up when new information was presented. Truly unreal. read more

I adopted my rescue almost two years ago and east coast canine has been amazing the whole way! The process to adopt (during a pandemic!) was thorough but simple! They matched me with an amazing dog and were very supportive when I struggled with the transition in the first few weeks. They were kind, caring and not judgmental at all! I couldn't recommend this rescue enough! read more

East Coast Canine Rescue - Pet Adoption Near Me

It took almost one full month to go through the application process. VERY SLOW.. I was finally approved, and then get on the phone with the puppy coordinator (for dogs under 6 months) and when I asked about a meet and greet, I was told SORRY - we don't allow you to meet the dog beforehand. You just need to pick one, pay the fee and that's that! I have a young child that I wanted to test with a dog first, as well as an older dog that I wanted to meet the potential new dog, also. I explained all this and asked why in the world I would not be able to meet the dog first. All they kept responding with was "It's not our policy." Well in my opinion that's a truly TERRIBLE policy! I am reading all these bad reviews about dog adoptions that didn't work out and wondering, if these people had been able to meet the dog first, maybe the placements would have worked out better!!! I would NEVER adopt from a rescue where a dog is 25 minutes away from me but I am still not allowed to meet the dog first! There are SO MANY great rescues in Connecticut - my opinion is find a more reputable one who actually cares more about the placement of their dogs and lets you MEET THEM FIRST! read more

My daughter and son in law filled out an application to adopt a dog from this rescue. Not only was their application denied with no explaination but their communication methods are horrible. My daughter and son in law currently have two rescue dogs that are treated like royality and our family has never been without a pup in the household. They also live on 4 acres of property! Then you wonder why people buy and don't adopt. Never would I reccomend this rescue. read more

The ECCR rescue is a great place to adopt. We were able to adopt our second dog there recently. The foster family was so easy to work with. Overall, the rescue seems to care deeply about providing good homes for the animals and that is proven with the long evaluation and approval process. Though this was pretty demanding (including many interviews, references, video calls and vet references), it is great to know they do their research into new owners. My few small complaints were receiving replies took a bit more time than I would like, the timeline for dog pick up is quite strict, the process is a bit long, and the dogs in the emails provided did not match what was available on the website. They are a great rescue overall! read more

I'm a BIG fan of this rescue. We adopted our 8 week old pup in Sept 2018. I was so impressed with the vetting process as the rescue takes a lot of time to make sure you are qualified (and prepared, esp if you are a first time dog owner). Since then, I have fostered a number of ECCR puppies for adoption and have helped to place about 20 ECCR dogs (to-date) with friends, family and other people that have already been pre-approved as a way to "pay-it-forward" as I'm such a big proponent of this rescue. Everyone has to go through the pre-approval process in order to adopt a dog with ECCR. One of the best decisions we have made. read more

My experience with the head of this rescue was just appalling. The "Director" of this establishment was more interested in the money ( $500 per puppy = $1000). I adopted two. It was clear to me on the first night that the pitbull mix was fearful and showing signs of a future aggressive resource guarder. Instead of being met with helpful insight or direction, I was told that the puppy needed to be given some time to adjust. This was fine for the immediate future but moving ahead, the puppy physically hurt the other puppy several times. This pup was well equipped with the jaw and fear/resource guarding instincts to kill the younger puppy that our family had also adopted through the same rescue at the same time. In my opinion this dog would have thrived fabulously as an only family pet. Instead of listening, blame was directed at me personally even though I saw this problem on the first night! Not only did the "Customer Service" turn out to be really bad, I was also lied to about the breed of this dog. According to the rescue, she was a shepherd/collie mix and it turned out through DNA testing she was half pit bull. I was also told that the dog was chipped and given a chip number yet no chip existed or shows on any registry. I certainly would not want either of my pups to be traced back to East Coast Canine Rescue anyhow! A good amount of pain and suffering would definitely have been spared to the both of these beautiful animals if The situation had been properly addressed. I am grateful, in a way that this fearful pup was put in my hands and not another's. I honestly believe in my heart that if another family had had to go through what we have endured with no help from the rescue that this sweet pitbull mix would have been euthanized. The bottom line is...steer very clear from East Coast Canine Rescue! I hope that they do not have the ability to take down my review. I very well may file a motion in medical costs since the rescue was unwilling to help with the very very clear eminent issue. I would post a photo of my beautiful puppies. However, this does not deserve to see them. I just want to make it known that my particular experience with this rescue was disastrous and I would not recommend them to someone that I didn't like. If you want to adopt a puppy and do not need any help from the rescue moving forward then maybe this is the place for you. Initially I was told upfront that the pup was good with other dogs and cats it turned out that this animal was completely fearful and was in clear need of professional help. She should not have been adopted out to someone who was not familiar with a neglected fearful puppy. This was supposed to be a RESCUE!! read more

I helped my Mother adopt two dogs from East Coast Canine rescue and then started fostering dogs for them. They are a wonderful organization with terrific professional volunteers that make rescuing dogs a passion. read more

East Coast Canine Rescue - Adopted - Pet Adoption Near Me

I adopted my dog Sport from ECCR almost four years ago. They are a great Rescue and processed my application in a timely manner. They bring up lots of dogs/puppies from southern shelters each month so there are tons of dogs to choose from. Most of the foster homes the Rescue use have kids and other pets so it's easy to find a kid, dog friendly dog. The rescue brings up adults as well as puppies so clearly care about the animals. They are always there for support when needed! A great Rescue! read more

East Coast Canine Rescue - Sport - adopted in 2018. - Pet Adoption Near Me

I recently sent a donation to this rescue. It was returned as address unknown. It's a PO Box!!! I emailed for an explanation. Still no response. I'm having doubts about this place! read more

My experience with East Coast Canine Rescue could not have been better! It is clear they care deeply about the homes that the dogs go to, and many questions are asked multiple times by different people. Because of COVID-19, the home tour was done virtually. From start to finish, I spoke to 4 different people (I believe I was told they were all volunteers) and each one was friendly, accomodating, and asked appropriate questions regarding the adoption. The last person I spoke to was the foster mom who actually offered to meet me halfway to cut my 2-hour drive in half. That was SO kind and completely unexpected. I would recommend anyone looking to adopt a dog to go through East Coast Canine Rescue. read more

I was recommended to East Coast Canine Rescue by a friend that had recently adopted a dog through them. She said they were amazing - and boy, was she right! From the moment I filled out the applicatio, it was obvious how serious they take finding the right furever home for their puppies. While we initially applied to adopt a specific dog, that one was spoken for before our application was approved. What we didn't know at the time was that after the appli approval, you get to talk over the personalities of the puppies to see if they match your home life, and our initial requested puppy would not have been a good fit with the other animals we own and out young kids. Instead, we got to adopt the original puppy's brother (Louie, formerly known as Mister) and he is absolutely the dog that was meant to be ours: he's the sweetest, most patient puppy that even in his puppy crazy moods will stop everything to come give the kids kisses. Thank you so much ECCR for helping us find the newest member of our family, and for helping save so many dogs from a life at a shelter or worse. read more

This is my second adoption from Eat Coast Canine Rescue. The first time they called my references and my Vet. They where truly amazing and thorough and made sure they where adopting a puppy to the right family.. now almost 4 1/2 years later I have adopted again threw them! There fosters families are amazing. I adopted Remington at 8 weeks and he was 90% trained outside and we were pad trained inside. He is an amazing puppy.. He was very healthy when I got him and he continues to be.. no issues at all.. I keep in touch with both foster families and the administrator of the rescue! Im a happy puppy momma!! Thank you ALL at East Coast Canine Rescue!!! read more

East Coast Canine Rescue - Remington adopted from East Coast Canine Rescue - Pet Adoption Near Me

Our experience with ECCR was great until we found a puppy that we were willing to adopt and started asking questions. Nothing out of ordinary. I understood that in order to book the puppy I would need to submit a payment. I'm not sure if this is how every other rescue works, but the payment needed to be submitted fully (not a deposit) just to secure the puppy. And it's not something that could be refunded if something goes wrong. Their policy is to get full payment from you and then the next step is to send you a contract to sign. I asked to view the contract before any payment is submitted. I would think, just like with any other contract, you read it first, agree or not agree to it and after that you pay what you agree to or walk away. Not when working with ECCR. You are requested to pay first (remember - non-refundable) and then you will receive a contract. God knows what's in it. Honestly, I don't even think this is legal, but don't have time to investigate. As we planned to drive to pick up the puppy I wanted to at least have an idea where the puppy will be located. Just to figure out the travel time. No address could be provided prior the payment is submitted. I got a general "East Connecticut" location. The only thing I could get about the puppy was its photo. We would not be allowed to meet the puppy in person until we pick it up, but you would think at least a video would be nice. After all they did not mind to do a virtual visit of our home. So it's pretty much like buying that "cat in a bag". We really wanted the puppy, but more questions I asked more skeptical I was about the rescue. My last question was if the puppy was healthy. Not everyone is able to take care of a disabled pet and I felt I had a right to ask about it before I bring the pet home. At this moment I got a lengthy e-mail from the ECCR Adoption Team that we might not be the best fit for this adoption. To me this whole process felt like one-way street. They wanted all, but nothing to be provided in exchange. Even though their e-mail stated they care about finding a proper fit for the pet, it felt the only thing they cared about was getting that $500. Just be careful when doing business with them. That's all. read more

I recently rescued an 8-month-old miniature Australian shepherd from East Coast Canine Rescue ('ECCR'). We could not be happier with our new pup and are incredibly grateful for the volunteers at ECCR who made it happen. All the individuals within the organization are highly professional, helpful, and compassionate. With flexible scheduling and frequent communications, we were able to tick through the checklist of pre-approval items at a quick pace. The organization operates efficiently and effectively, ensuring a close line of honest and open communication during the multi-step adoption approval process. While the process might sometimes feel cumbersome, ECCR performs these comprehensive checks to ensure that the homes their animals are placed in are safe, happy and suitable environments. I would highly recommend ECCR if you are looking to rescue a pet in need! read more

I got both of my dogs, Mandy and Ethel, through fostering them for ECCR. Vicki and the rest of the team truly care for the dogs and many times take multiple dogs into their homes and while they already have a full house and full time jobs. I still can't believe how lucky I am to have my girls. I fostered Mandy first and after a few days of decompression I knew I had to keep her. She is the most well mannered dog I have seen. I must say I was very shocked when I took her on our first walk and she just walked right beside me. No pulling, no barking, and sits next to me at the traffic light. She is an absolutely incredible dog. I started fostering Ethel 4 months later and they immediately fell in love. I had their kennels next to earn other to let them feel each other out before letting them interact but they were wagging their tails so hard I was worried they would hurt them selves. I knew then I had to keep her too . Took a month to convince my fiancé but I succeeded. read more

We adopted a dog back in January. The bio said the dog can be with other dogs and kids. It turns out that this is not true. We had previously adopted a dog through ECCR so had no reason to believe there would be a problem. our new dog engages in resource guarding which cause a problem with our first dog. he attacked our first dog several times requiring emergency vet visits on two of those occasions. We hired a behaviorist for the dog and she recommended that we contact the rescue and let them home he needs to be rehomed in a home with no kids and no other pets. my husband texted Meggan and emailed the rescue after the final attack that caused an emergency vet visit. We were told that Meggan would contact us. She never did. My husband emailed and texted again with reassurances that Meggan would contact us. Still we hear nothing. After two weeks, I called Meggan who was at work. She told me to submit a letter from our trainer stating what we have done with the dog and her recommendations. We also needed to fill out the surrender form online and send pictures. After about a week, I completed these tasks with no response. I followed up a week later with photos and still have yet to receive any response. I called Meggan today and left a lengthy message about next steps while venting my frustration. We are trying to abide by the contract and their rules, but ECCR does not honor their own contract. read more

When our older lab passed away, we couldn't imagine getting another dog. We started looking at local rescues and found East Coast Canine Rescue. It was the start of the pandemic so there was a tremendous request for dogs. We went through a very thorough screening process and gave references. This made me feel really great knowing that they care about their dogs to do such a thorough screening. Then came Ruthie, up from Tennessee. She was a senior dog and just seeing her picture We fell in love. Fast forward to 2022 and we can't imagine our lives without her. The staff at ECCR is all volunteers and they genuinely care about the dogs and ensure they are being placed into the best homes. I am eternally grateful to them and all they do. read more

We adopted our wonderful boxer/pit mix from this rescue. They made the process so easy and even allowed us to foster her before officially deciding to adopt her. read more

This is a long post. Myself and partner completed an application and were approved to adopt around the end of April. The first person I spoke with regarding my application was one of the co founders Erika. I was then set up with a volunteer Meggan who would text me pictures of available dogs. She sent me pictures on June 10th and we had interest in two dogs. I told Meggan our lifestyle, where we lived, home size, etc and she stated which one would be the best fit. She reported he was kid and dog friendly. I never spoke with her on the phone which apparently should have happened according to Co founder Erika. Meggan was also supposed to send us information on crate training, decompression, etc. by email when we adopted which she never did. I also was told by Meggan that he was found as a stray and brought to a high kill shelter, and the agency rescued him before being euthanized. This was also untrue. I found out what shelter he was in and called them. They told me he was an owner surrender and the owner could not care for him anymore because of where he was moving too, and that he was one and a half not 3. I asked Meggan twice for the shelter he was in so I could make contact with them to get his back story; she only provided me with the rescue he was brought to in Tennessee before he was moved up north to Eccr and stated she did not have the information on what shelter he was in prior. -myself and partner were very excited to adopt derringer and did overlook some sketchy things about the agency. The agency never had any pictures of the dog we were interested in posted on their website or bio of him pre adoption. I spoke with the foster mom and she sent pictures and stated he was kid and dog friendly; she had kids in the home and another dog. -we adopted on a Sunday and unfortunately the placement did not work out. He was very reactive to seeing other dogs; and we live in a city area where there are dogs everywhere. My boyfriend had to keep him from lunging at another dog and potentially getting into a fight. If we were told he was reactive we probably would have made a different decision on adoption or if we did we would have been better prepared to accommodate him. It also seemed he needed a more experienced adopter; this was our first pet. we truly did care for him but the environment we live in was not the best fit. We spoke to friends/family members that have dogs and trainers who reported this was most likely true, and usually pit bulls are not recommended to first time dog owners. -we talked to Erika when we decided this was not the best environment for him. She told us during the conversation, "off the record" that Meggan was best friends with one of the other co founders; which is why she was able to be a volunteer. She reported that Meggan has been the cause of many placements that have resulted in returns. She also told us off the record to write a yelp review about our experience so others that worked for the agency would know about this. It seemed like the agency had a lot of in house issues to work out. Long story short we ended up talking to another co founder Vicki who texted us shortly after we talked to Erika. She told us that we may not have been assertive enough with our dog and that we needed to establish dominance. She also told us that what Erika said about Meggan was untrue. She asked if we had spoke to Meggan thru out the adoption process and I told her no, we only communicated thru text. She reported this is not the way things are supposed to go, but then stated Meggan said she spoke with us several times and with my boyfriend, which was completely untrue. We never had a conversation with her. Vicki offered us a refund, we did not ask for this; and we brought dog back to his foster mom. Vicki reported she had tempter tested him and he was a friendly dog, and we were the only ones that experienced this with him. Erika told us during our conversation with her that sometimes foster families lie about the temperament of the dog. Why would you state that during conversation: it seemed like no one wanted to take accountability for a placement that was not working. We were initially told it could take days or months to find a new placement, but we explained to Erika and Vicki that would not be best for him. We have yet to receive our refund. We are glad he is back in an environment where he seemed to be okay, and hopefully he is adopted to a family that can provide him the care he needs. read more

Buyer beware, avoid making the same mistakes I did, and choose a more reputable place to adopt from. I submitted my application for a dog that I found on petfinder on January 14th. I heard back about a week later and had a conversation with the only person I dealt with who seemed to actually care or want to facilitate an adoption, Taylor. She checked the references and we had a phone conversation, and the process moved forward from there. It took about 10 days from there before I finally heard back about a virtual home visit. The visit was scheduled and completed on January 31st. I was supposed to hear back from a puppy matchmaker to match us with a good puppy for our home. It took almost 3 weeks, until February 17th, until we finally heard back from Meggan to set up a phone call. I was still trying to be patient at this point, but felt like this was a ton of waiting, and a bunch of hoops to jump through in order to adopt a dog. After we talked, she sent me 8 available dogs. Most of the dogs didn't fit my criteria, but there was one I was interested in and said as much. She said she would reach out to the foster, and the next day I heard back that she was adopted already. I asked if she had any other dogs available, she said she did, and sent me 4 more dogs. Of those, 3 were in the first batch she sent that I wasn't interested in, and another didn't do well with other dogs. She was aware that I have two dogs currently, and still suggested a dog that had a profile saying he should be the only dog in the house. She said that "he is good with other dogs, but he is rough, so we would have to keep an eye on him". Misconceptions like that are how dog attacks happen, and the fact that this rescue would suggest a dog that could potentially cause physical aggression was more than a little concerning At this point (February 24th) I reached out to Taylor again and explained the situation. On March 1st, I got a text from Nicole regarding a call, set it up and chose a dog from the list that we were interested in. The next day we got a text that the fosters had started to like the dog more and wanted to keep her now. So now being 0 for 3 (the dog I saw when we applied that was long gone, the first one that meggan offered, and then the one Nicole offered) and a month and a half into this process, I started to really get fed up with this entire process. She had sent some more dogs along with the information about the fosters wanting her, but none of them caught our eye, so we went back to the original email and found another one that caught our eye, deciding to give it one last shot with this rescue. I asked Nicole about her, she said she was available, offered the fosters to reach out, and within an hour we were on the phone with them, and everything seemed like a perfect match. The entire process was finally worth it. Or so I thought... I told Nicole we want to move forward with her, and she said I just need to pay the adoption fee, and sends me a link to the rescue website. I go to the link, and there is nothing about paying an adoption fee, only a part that says "donate". But I'm not donating, I'm paying a fee. And not wanting to end up making a mistake, I messaged to clarify, asking if I use the donate link on their website, or make the payment somewhere else. She messages back with just a url, no information or answer regarding if i use the link on her website, and sends me the text "https://www.paypal.com/donate/". So, thinking that this person knows what they're talking about, I click the link, and it brings me to the PayPal donate page with a search bar to find your charity. I search for them, find them, fill out the info, and submit. $550 donated to them, confirmation email and receipt received, and I think I'm good. I tell her it's all set, and she said she will check in the morning because she doesn't see it. Following morning she says it's still not there, and sends me an entirely different URL saying "she wants to confirm I went through their website to make the donation" and that it should have brought me to the new URL (note that i asked if i use the link on their site, and she ignored my question). I tell her that I went to the URL that she sent me last night and made my payment through that, and included a screenshot of the receipt. She said I should call and cancel and make it through the new url she sent, and that they can't let me adopt until it's paid. After spending half my day on the phone with PayPal and the bank, no one is capable of doing anything. PayPal can't stop the charges because even though it apparently never "got to the rescue", they greedily accepted my money by the very next morning. My bank can't do anything until PayPal denies my request to return the money. And PayPal is going to take until March 24th to resolve my dispute. And they can't honor my payment even though I have documentation that I sent my money to them, and even though I followed their instructions read more

What a great group of people involved in this rescue. They all have there heart in it 100%. I highly reccomend this rescue. I have personally adopted from East Coast Canine Rescue and I wouldn't have it any other way!! Thank you for the additional perfect family member. read more

We adopted a puppy through ECCR a couple of months ago and they have been so incredibly helpful throughout the entire process. The staff members are always available to answer questions. They work so hard to save these dogs it is incredible! There is a Facebook page where you can connect with other families who have adopted pups and with a dog behavioralist. I have been extremely impressed with this organization!! Highly recommend . read more

I have rescued dogs before but this rescue required everything but a credit check and a rectal probe to be approved. The process is ridiculously long and stressful. 3-4 weeks. They grill you about everything. They are not very warm and fuzzy people at all. Everyone I interacted with had zero personality and treated me more like a criminal applying for parol instead of a dog lover wanting to rescue a homeless animal. My virtual home visit felt creepy. The woman requested that I show her every place in my house. Even the bedrooms, bathrooms, basement and garage. I had to show her the front of my house and what my street looked like. I had to walk the perimeter of my huge fenced in back yard despite part of it being thickly wooded. Despite this I had to walk through it all because she did not believe my yard was fenced in. It is fully fenced. She even asked how many gates I had and how old the fence was as if that even matters. She even made it seem like my yard was too big to allow a puppy to play in. It felt invasive and she was not friendly at all. I felt like they were casing my home as opposed to making sure I had a safe home for the dog. I actually broke down in tears after the virtual home visit that's how bad it felt. Don't even bother applying for a specific dog. They do not update their own website. I applied for a specific dog that was on their webs site and no one would tell me is he was still available. After I was approved for an adoption that was when they told me he wasn't available. That was 3-4 weeks after the initial application. I ask about another dog but was told she was adopted too even though her picture still remains on their website 3 weeks after. They sent me biweekly lists of adoptable pups but it was the exact same list every time. At this point I started to question if the dogs really exist. I did not end up adopting from them because I felt their process was sketchy. I went with another wonderful rescue that I've used in the past. I understand they are volunteers but at least pretend to be friendly with people who are attempting to give homeless animals a wonderful forever home. Also they contacted my references at 9:30 at night which I find very unprofessional. I don't think this rescue has it together. I'm not even sure they are legit. It was not a pleasant experience and I would not recommend it. read more

I don't know why I am being asked to write a review after so much time but here goes. I adopted a dog my daughter was fostering. She filled out the application for me and I paid the $450 .One of my existing dogs wasn't spayed. I agree she should have been. She never had a litter. Vicki was pretty mean about it but my daughter got a call saying I could have the dog if I prepaid the spay at my vet so I did. Then I start asking and asking for the puppy's vaccination records so I could take her to the vet and get her next set of shots. I asked and I asked. I got all kinds of excuses about her being too busy to mail them but I could ride an hour and a half to her house and pick them up. My vet even offered to accept a picture of the records texted to them. Instead of getting the records my daughter got a bunch of late night, vulgar text messages from Vikki about what a horrible human I was for not spaying the dog. She was given to us by a neighbor who asked me not to spay her for awhile because she looked just like her mother and he was hoping she could have a litter of puppies. I didn't see what the big deal was, besides, he never asked me about it again. She assumed I was a dog breeder. (Which I am not) I wouldn't put the language she used up on the board, but it was pretty offensive and upsetting. A few days later I get a call from them asking to do a home visit. I do not want to let anyone in to my home who behaves like she had. I tell them no and this sets off another string of nasty, vulgar messages from Vikki to my daughter. Some other person calls and asks me again, she offers me a small partial refund for having to repeat vaccinations on account of no records if I allow the home visit. They assured me it would not be Vikki. A very nice woman came, she met our other dogs and gave us her recommendation. I finally got all the records about 3 months later, I had to pay my vet to repeat the process. When I asked for the partial refund I was promised I got another string of vile texts threatening to take legal action to repossess the dog. Although we love our dog and wouldn't trade her for the world this rescue is unprofessional, caused my family a great deal of stress and I suspect not as not for profit as they claim. Stay away from them read more

Despite having $10,000 in verifiable assets and a permanent living situation where the home owner was the first reference, application was denied only after being asked to come down to an event where they denied my in person due to telling them I don't currently pay rent or work. They said it was in the best interest in the dog. This is clearly false as spending 24 hours a day available to a new puppy is the ideal situation. Requiring me to abandon the puppy for hours on end due to work and furthermore requiring I pay rent despite speaking directly to the home owner is NOT an ideal situation for the puppy. The judgements of this rescue do nothing but harm the puppys lives. read more

Terrible rescue. Poor service. Scam artists. I was interested in a puppy who happened to be ill. I was never advised until after I was asked for $450 adoption/transportation fees. I didn't feel comfortable paying anything until it was confirmed that the puppy was mine. I was given the story that it goes towards helping animals and it is not refundable if anything should fall through. I was very skeptical at first. I was then asked for all of my information and my current dogs vaccinations to confirm their well being. I was short one dogs vaccination history because we lost everything is the recent storm that New York had. I provided them with the vet where I went and had them call to prove my dogs were vaccinated and everything was up to date. They did so. The delay was longer and longer. After one month, several calls, many text messages, 3 page application and 2 home inspections we made, we had some progress. "Kit Kat" as they called her was being delivered to a near by pick up location (up to one hour away-even though I pay additional $50 transportation fee), she was coming on a Wednesday. I was thrilled, my kids even more! The night before our newest baby was arriving (though we thought) I sent a text message asking about what time we should expect her. I was told that their 2 volunteers are both sick and no one was able to bring the puppy to me, BUT I can pick her 3 hours away in another state. After saying that wasn't an option the president promised to get the puppy to me that Thursday or Friday if they could find a volunteer... and for my troubles her assistant promised to give me a $50 refund fee for transportation. Thursday morning came and I texted "President Vicki" asking when the puppy was coming to my home. Vicki didn't bother responding but 6 hours later she had her staff text me and say that Saturday someone will bring the puppy because they are traveling this route to another event. I text back and informed her about a major event I was attending with my husband and 3 children on Saturday and how limited we were, but would certainly cancel if was a guaranteed meeting and wanted to know when my small refund would come through for the $50 transportation fee. Seconds later Vicki calls my cell phone and was so mean to me and told me I wasn't good enough for the puppy because there were too many problems and how dare I ask for a refund for transportation. She also mentioned that my current dogs weren't vaccinated (after her assistant got all the records) I apologized for her feeling that way and told her we really wanted the puppy and how disappointed my young children and I would be.. She didn't seem bothered and kept talking over me and finally hung up on me. I did everything they asked of me and was very patient with each person I dealt with. I truly am shocked at the action and problems I have encountered for the last month with East Coast Canine. Adopters please beware and go somewhere else, fast! This rescue will eventually be non existent from seeing how poor and unprofessional they treat their adopters. read more

Stay away from these people! In it for the money only seemingly! They fake it till they make it... the sale that is. They DO NOT work hard as another review states. Well Vicki doesn't anyway. I fully agree with Margaret R's review... I'm surprised they are still in business! We attempted to return our rescue dog because we were not home enough.. this pooch needs her people, told them this, and was scorned by Vicki about 'my' ways of handling it. "You shouldn't just want to give her back!" "I" want to do what's best for the dog.,.. too bad Vickie doesn't! I didn't ask for our money back, I simply said she deserves a home where there are people and children! I fully disclosed that we are not home a lot during the week as we both work and that our last rescue was perfectly fine with being alone during the week.... this one not so much.... When we applied for this pup, Vickie said there were 15 applicants and we were picked.... so tell me why the other 14 applicants couldn't have a try with her or at least screened to see who is home... Vicki didn't see it this way. ps. we did not give her back to ECCR! Stay away from ECCR!!!!! read more

There were some great aspects of working with this rescue and some absolutely terrible aspects. I feel that a three star is the average of the everything. The pros. Some of their volunteers were very quick to respond and got in contact right away. The people did the home visit called me as soon as my references cleared. Also, the foster coordinator call as soon as my home visit cleared. They seemed to be caring and excited to help get me a new family member. The bring up a lot of young puppies so if that's what you're looking for, it's a good rescue. The adoption fee is reasonable at $400. They are very attentive if the puppy is sick. The whole litter that my puppy was from was ill (not seriously) straight off transport and they stayed in contact with adopters very closely. Cons Some people did not call or get in touch as promised. Took a week for my references to be contacted. And that's after she had stated that she would be calling four days prior. Also took five days for the adoption coordinator to email me back. (I wasn't sure if I was going to take a foster or adopt or both). The whole thing took almost a month from application to adoption. There was a lot of confusion on when and where to pick up the dogs. The puppies were a lot younger than what was stated. There is almost no info or video on the puppies so it's very hard to figure out which dog may suit your lifestyle. (And yes I know this is hard with puppies, but they do have personalities). The puppies are not microchipped. Nor are they spayed:neutered. Although they do offer to pay a portion of the cost if done by your own vet. If you use their vet it's free. They push to get you to give them the adoption fee. In my case they asked for it without even confirming that the dog I was interested in adopting was available. I had to be very clear that I wasn't giving them any money till my questions were answered. It was really off putting. Their website is awful and not up to date. All in all it wasn't a bad rescue to go through, but it wasn't great. Very frustrating with the lack of communication. And the time it takes to clear adopters was ridiculous. They are a newer rescue I believe and it is all volunteer based. But I got the feeling that they might've bit off more than they could chew. Still, they're doing this for the dogs and are working to be able to save southern dogs and transport them up north to new homes. I did get a puppy through them and if I ever wanted another puppy, I may go through them again now that I'm an approved adopter. But if I had to start all over with them again, I may go somewhere else. read more

We had a wonderful experience with ECCR! Yes, it took a little while for everything to fall into place but that is the nature of the beast when you have volunteers running a business. The people you work with are not getting paid and simply want to ensure these dogs are being placed into loving homes. Different people are assigned to do different things and they have to work around their own schedules as well as yours. So, although the process took about a month, and we did have to travel about an hour and a half to pick up our new fur baby, he was TOTALLY worth it. He is a wonderful addition to our family and is fitting right in. If I had to give one criticism I'd recommend being able to meet the dogs prior to placement. In our situation all worked out well but often times some dogs just don't get along. I'm not really sure what would happen if we couldn't get our older dog to mesh well with the new one, but that is NOT an issue for us at this time. Thank you ECCR for all you do! We would recommend you to our family and friends and when the time comes that we're ready to save another life, you're on speed dial! :) read more

We adopted our wonderful girl through ECCR. They were professional and caring. Our application, references and pickup went smoothly. Once we think Lucy (and we) are ready for a young sibling we will go through them again. In the meantime, we try to support them as best we can for all their good work. read more

My husband and I went to look for a dog between 6 to 12 months old. We have been looking for 2 months for the right one. See my husband needs a companion dog he is a Vietnam vet and still has PTSD very bad he doesn't like to be around many people or in crowds. We noticed when he had a dog with him it was much easier for him to come out in the public. We found a dog from this shelter meet all are needs so he could go through companion training. I explain this to Vicky and asked if she worked with any of the Veterans programs that help pay for dogs. She said no she would not allow him to be adopted as a companion dog or support dog or anything else! That it could cost us thousands and thousands of dollars and they where only puppies 6 and 7 months old. Then her story changed to they wouldn't be good at any of that anyway. I just want people to know this is her view, it is sad that she has no idea how she could help this and other Vets. read more

I filled out an application online for a puppy, it took weeks before someone even contacted me, in which they would tell me a specific time for a phone "interview" and then they would never call. I spoke to several different people, who clearly did not communicate with each other. One person tells you one thing, then another a complete different thing. You fill out an application for a specific puppy. They make you go thru the entire application process/ contact references /home inspections, and multiple phone interviews with different people. Which all take multiple weeks to complete. And before the process is even completed the puppy you fill out the application for is already adopted and you've wasted weeks of your time, and you were never actually considered for the dog you wanted in the first place! Then they tell you, "you can adopt a different puppy", and they also do not spay/neuter prior to adoption. Don't waste your time. read more