Amazing Rescue! What a fantastic organization. We submitted our application and were quickly contacted by GRFR for a phone interview, which was followed up by a home visit 2 days later. Lucky us! We met and fell in love with our beautiful boy and now enjoy puppy antics daily. It is disheartening to read the negative reviews as they are completely opposite of our experience.. we were in daily contact with GRFR volunteers to make certain that the process went smoothly. They have also reached out several times to check in and make sure all was going well. We will adopt again from them as soon as our amazing puppy matures a bit. Thank you to all at GRFR for being so wonderful to work with! read more

Golden Retriever Freedom Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me

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9 months ago I adopted my Golden- a 3 1/2 year old breeder mom from a puppy mill. She was a girl in distress. She was ill when we got her - Giardia and severe ear mites. No decent vet exam. We were pushed to spay her after having her less than 48 hours- by her foster who brought her over to our house and dragged her up and down stairs that she had never been on in her life. She is doing great now. But I have no kind words for the bully Nicole who fostered her. Our vet - when she examined her - was shocked by her condition. I am positive that others in the organization have negative feelings about Nicole but to my knowledge she is still active. Puppy mill dogs are very damaged and need enormous amounts of love and patience. Be careful who you adopt from. read more

GRFR is an amazing organization that has helped rescue dogs for over 20 years. I find it disheartening when an inexperienced foster homes fails to follow protocols and sets an aggressive dog up for failure. Any dog who bites should be handled with caution and when the foster parent acknowledges the dog doesn't like men.. then takes the dogs to a males house.. is not a situation best suited for that animal. Clearly there are foster homes that make it more about them then the safety of others and an animal. I have several GRFR dogs and have fostered for them for years. This is a small sample of the lives saved from abused homes.. and these dogs didn't attack people. Come to a transport, meet our dogs, hear their stories and you will understand that not all can be saved but GRFR has truly done great work and saved thousands of lives. To belittle them for your own self interest is unforgivable. read more

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I foster for GRFR after a friend recommended them to me, and it was been a fantastic experience each time. GRFR takes in so many dogs that come from sad backgrounds, and they're all SO grateful to be in the dog loving state of Colorado! The owner of the rescue, Nicole, is AMAZING, and I've never felt alone while fumbling through how to foster a dog with an anxious Aussie in the house ;) All of the homes our fosters have gone to have been well matched and it's so rewarding knowing they are going to such wonderful and loving homes! I'm sad there are so many negative reviews here. They're truly doing a wonderful job and helping so many dogs in need! read more

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This group is awesome. They are thorough and love what they do. They are supportive and kind and want the dog to be the right fit to ensure they will go to a forever home. We have adopted twice from them, and both experiences yielded exceptional pets. read more

GRFR has been nothing but supportive and loving. We were able to adopt a puppy from them a year ago. She had some health issues and they covered all of the vet bills from the pre existing issues. Their follow up was fantastic and it blew me away how much they truly care about the dogs that come through their organization. Thank you for bringing our Lucy into our lives, we couldn't picture our home without her! read more

We are on our 4th rescue from GRFR (first one in 2005) and they do amazing work. So much so that we started volunteering and fostering and helping in any way we can. A visit to the transport or picking up a breeder release dog may just change your life forever. It did ours. Maybe negative reviews are made by those that simply do not understand rescue dogs or rescue organizations. We did our homework and we chose GRFR! read more

I truly appreciate any and all organizations that help animals. I appreciate the volunteers that give their time. GRFR I am sure has the best interest of the dogs in mind, but they do not have the best interest of the adopters in mind. I jumped through all of the hoops that they require, only to be dropped from site. I sent emails, made calls with no response. I had a particular dog in mind and sent an email with that interest. No response. It is as if they don not care to place these animals into qualified homes. It has been over a month since I completed and passed a home inspection, no contact even after emails and phone calls. I have since moved to other avenues to adopt a dog. Sorry Buddy, I tried to make you part of our family. read more

Golden Retriever Freedom Rescue is like heaven for most of the dogs that are taken in by this organization. It is a nonprofit all volunteer group that has some of the most caring and personalized volunteers we've ever met. All the dogs are taken in and given excellent care and treatment by their foster homes until their new family is found. The best part is that because the dog is in foster care they know exactly how to match you with the best dog ! The process is a little longer requiring an application and a home visit but this ensures the best fit vs going to a shelter and only getting 20 minutes of visiting time and not knowing any of the dogs true habits or quirks. We have adopted a *wonderful* 4 year old Golden from GRFR and couldn't be happier ! He was (and still is) the perfect addition to our family ! We can't imagine life without him! If you're looking for a worthy cause to support financially or volunteer your time, this is an excellent organization. Thanks GRFR for all your hard work to help these dogs ! read more

Golden Retriever Freedom Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me

GRFR really cares about the dogs they rescue and they go the extra mile to make sure the dogs are healthy and matched to the right family. They mostly have PB Goldens, but also get some wonderful mixes. Like my Bailey that I adopted through them who is a Lab/Golden mix. I've now adopted three dogs through GRFR and will only use them for future adoptions. They are an army of dedicated volunteers too. And will gladly welcome your help if you want to volunteer to help dogs. read more

We have rescued 5 dogs over the years with this rescue. We recently had to euthanize our last one. Even tho we are now in our 80's we are active and share a large home with a daughter and family. They agreed that if anything happened to us they would assume care of any dog we had. So we applied again wanting to see one dog they had available who was small in size versus our most recent one who weighed 90 lbs. communication with this rescue is very poor, never identifying themselves in emails. We were told dog went to another family. I suggested to them when a family is considering a dog put a hold on that dog on the website. the email received back was not nice to me. So I terminated my application. A week later this same dog was back and available. Meanwhile we knew of a friend who wanted to adopt a Golden. She applied and was approved. Then she asked in an email about an available dog and received an email saying her application was being terminated. Volunteers or paid staff should not treat people this way. I will never recommend this rescue again. read more

I have rescued dogs for years, including goldens. I have fostered, advocated, volunteered at shelters, and donated thousands and thousands of dollars. I have fostered and adopted 3 goldens in the past and was hoping to adopt another as I adore the breed. Inquired about a few dogs as I had submitted my application quite some time ago and heard nothing. Well apparently Durango isn't part of Colorado, as they don't adopt down here. So if I can't adopt a golden from my state golden rescue, and can't adopt from another rescue as virtually all only adopt in their own state, I guess I have to give my dream of having another golden. Whoever responded to my inquiry told me to "check Petfinder". Well that is all great, and that is how I found my last rescue dog, but I am rescue savvy enough to know I am not finding a golden on Petfinder. The response was a bit condescending. read more

Wonderful Rescue not just for Goldens. My first dog I adopted was a 1/2 Golden and 1/2 Lab and he is totally amazing and of course I am madly in love. But, he really needed a buddy after I lost my lab he would whine every time we would walk by other dogs on our walks. I decided it was time to look for a buddy for Sammy. There are many many wonderful rescues to work with now so searching for Mr. Right #2 should be easy but it becomes very overwhelming. Many rescues don't give much information about the dogs they take in so it could be a mystery as to their personality. It became an overwhelming choice. I decided to focus on a few rescues and of course GRFR was my first choice. I contacted them directed and told them I was looking for a buddy for Sammy. They instantly put me on the top list and any dog I inquired about I got to meet right away since I already adopted from them in the past. After a couple of dog meets, we found our forever friend and buddy for me and Sammy. I could of worked with a number of wonderful rescues but I know that GRFR gets all of their dogs from unfortunate high kill shelters in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska to name a few. Most of these dogs are beyond wonderful and just need a chance in life. Knowing I am helping this cause of saving these wonderful dogs means a ton to me. I now have 2 rescues from GRFR and could not happier, in fact Sammy who is quit the looker even won the calendar contest for 2013. How cool is that? Thank you GRFR for making my home a happy and fun Golden home!!! read more

I reached out to this organization on Facebook, sent several emails, and called them with no response from anyone whatsoever. I was genuinely interested in adopting a specific dog and I became very frustrated that they were not responding to any of my messages. They also deleted a comment I left on one of their Facebook posts and still neglected to reach out or apologize. It's very unprofessional and it seems like this has happened to other people. I just want others to be aware. read more

This place is awful. They are unprofessional, unreliable, and impossible. After we filled out an application, passed the phone interview, passed the home visit and began looking for dogs to adopt, they backtracked on EVERYTHING. Our home and our family was praised by everybody who met us or visited us, we have a huge back yard, are active and animal savvy. They all knew that we had a young son, but for some reason, they just couldn't find a dog for us. We met two dogs that the foster families thought were great fits, but the volunteers who talked to them after convinced them that they shouldn't be in our home. I have a friend who fosters for another reputable organization in the area who found no surprise at all that I had such bad experiences at GRFR. In fact, she said that she and other fosters in her organization refuse to work with GRFR because they are so difficult. Their adoption process is the longest, most ridiculously drawn out process that is completely unorganized. They have no idea when the left hand is talking to the right hand and never actually give you a clear picture of how to get a dog to your house. They tell you to show up to their "events" and you never hear back from them. If my friends were looking to adopt a shelter dog, I would NEVER send them to GRFR. For the same reason, if you're looking to adopt, please look elsewhere. There are many reputable and good organizations to adopt from...go support people who are going to work with you! Why make yourself miserable waiting for them to play God and "gift" you with the perfect dog. You'll be disappointed, frustrated, and infuriated if you try to work with this place. read more

I would not recommend Golden Retriever Freedom Rescue to anyone! My experience with Melissa was one of the worst experiences of my life. We were trying to adopt a Golden as our 16 year old passed away. Our 6 year old was depressed and forlorn so I put in an application. Please note I have adopted 6 dogs from another Golden Retriever Rescue over the past 25 years with no problems and even put them on my application as a reference as well (as the President from another local shelter). From the very beginning, Melissa continually found problems with our application and us. Finally, after several discussions and because we have a doggie door into our garage (which is how we let the dogs in and out) she found us unacceptable to adopt. ("We are not comfortable continuing with a dog door into a garage. If you decide to permanently close off that dog door we can reconsider at that time.") She could never explain why that was a problem except that we'd need to agree to board it up before she'd consider us. She'd evidently prefer our dogs stand outside rather than be able to run through about 10 feet of garage to get into the house. We are the best pet owners ever! We have a big house with a huge fenced yard - my husband works from home so our dogs are always with us and seldom left alone. When they are left alone they are left inside and it's just for 1-2 hours. We take our dogs everywhere with us - they are our family!! Anyone who knows my husband and I would tell you we're the best dog owners/caretakers they know. Trust me - if any other Rescue had dogs available, I wouldn't have even worked with Melissa as she was negative, condescending and unwilling to speak with us on the phone or visit our home. Many of the dogs we were interested in are still on their site - weeks later!! Those dogs were denied a great and loving home because of Melissa and her mean-spirited unwillingness. I pray she is removed from the staff as she is doing a huge dis-service to that facility and those precious animals. The ironic thing is we've been approved (spoken to by phone and then had a home visit and approved) with 5 other shelters. Melissa would say I should go to those shelters for a dog as it sounds like their standards were lower. I'm pretty sure all Shelters and Rescues have the same standards and want to be really sure a good, well-meaning and loving person is adopting their dogs - I wouldn't expect anything less. However, it is my opinion that Melissa makes assumptions and comes to quick judgments without fully getting to know each adopter . After reading the other posts I see there are several others who were turned down for silly reasons! That breaks my heart!! Shame on you Melissa!! Several of my friends commented on what an awesome pet owner I am when I posted this on Facebook and Freedom Rescue removed my post and their comments - guess they do have something to hide. read more

Speaking to one of the application processors, Melissa, I was accused putting dogs in dangerous situations because this Melissa did not fully read my application. She had assumed that I tie my dogs out on a lead and leave them outside without supervision. I am extremely disappointed that this rescue that I had heard such great things about just decides to delete an application because they are unclear on terminology and basic English. They need to get people who are interested in finding the right homes for these dogs, and not just arbitrarily delete applications and refuse adoption because they are unclear on wording or language. read more

Don't expect a call back from these guys. We had a wide timeline and broad parameters of what we were looking for in a pup. After 3.5 months, they STILL haven't called. I was actually told by someone there that they have their own personal things happening in their lives and that maybe I should check out a different rescue. So it ISN'T about saving the dozens of dogs on your page, right? What a joke. read more

It has taken me almost three years to calm down enough to write this review. I absolutely despise this rescue. My husband and I were conned by this group from the very beginning. We were told that when you look at a dog there would be no one else looking at the same dog at the same time so we would have right of first refusal. We set up an appointment to meet Buddy and were very excited to have a new love in our lives. A year earlier we lost our 18-year-old Golden, and we were lonely. The night before we were to meet Buddy I received a call from his foster mom stating that someone else was looking at him, and we would have to wait for them to decide if they wanted him or not. This appointment had been set up after ours, but they could get to her house before we could. I told the foster mother that this was not acceptable, and I was very disappointed that they were not honoring their rules. She called me back and told me if we could get there before the other family we would have the first pick. This situation created a strange sense of urgency that I did not appreciate. We dropped everything and hightailed it to her house. There we met Buddy, he was such an angel and we fell in love. We were told he was ten years old and severely underweight but not to worry we just needed to feed him puppy food to put the weight back on. We were also told that he cried a little at night, but that was to be expected with a dog of his years. Her explanation sounded strange but I wanted a dog so bad I ignored my gut, and we brought Buddy home. We took him to a vet; the vet told us that he was more like 15-16 years old, and that is why his weight was low; he was also concerned about the night crying. He thought he felt something on the dogs back knee and wanted to do an x-ray. We had Buddy one week before we found out he had bone cancer that had eaten out most of the knee. I notified the foster mom, and she begged me to amputate and told me that the folks who were going to look at him before us specialized in prosthesis' for animals. I felt sooooo duped!!! These people knew about his cancer and did not disclose this to us. We spent $1000 and had Buddy three weeks before we had to euthanize. I have never felt so angry, hurt, and heartbroken in my life. Then to top it off I received a sympathy card from the prosthesis folks whom I have never met. My suggestion to you, go to GRRR for your Golden Retriever. read more