To correct the 6/25 HFGDR response from my earlier post, we never indicated that we wanted a hypo allergenic dog. I have no idea where that came from. Our dog was a mixed breed Sato rescue from the SPCA, which was a wonderful experience. My dog before that was a mixed breed rescue as well. Our application was never denied. In fact, we were approved for an aged 6 month + adoption and I have the evidence from attending an adoption fair. It was after that fair, that achieving any follow up was very difficult, though I eventually did receive an email after many attempts. I gather the respondent confused me with a different applicant. I know there is a lot of good work done there and the dogs look great, it was just difficult to communicate so we moved on. read more

In my personal experience, I encountered practices that raised serious concerns--especially around the well-being and safety of the dogs involved. I believe these issues deserve closer scrutiny. There's also publicly available information from 2019 indicating that this organization was involved in legal proceedings related to record-keeping. Reports suggest that certain health details may not have been accurately disclosed to adoptive families at the time. If you'd like to explore that further, there's information online you can review. I encourage everyone to form their own conclusions based on the facts available. read more

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I am writing this review because I have never experienced worse customer service in my life. The dogs we saw were absolutely adorable and so sweet, but unfortunately, the staff completely ruined the experience. The employees we dealt with could not have been colder if they tried--especially the woman at the front desk. There is a respectful way to speak to people, especially when you are representing an organization, and this was not it. She was extremely rude, condescending, and completely unprofessional. I have over five years of experience as a waitress, I work as a social worker, and I volunteer at my local dog shelter. In all of those roles, I have never been spoken to as disrespectfully as I was today. She informed us that our application was denied by loudly criticizing our dog of 14 1/2 years--who recently passed away--saying he was overweight, and did so in front of other staff members. It honestly seemed like she took pleasure in delivering this news, which felt incredibly insensitive given that we are still grieving the loss of our dog. This information could have been communicated in a much kinder and more respectful way. Basic compassion and professionalism should not be too much to expect. The experience was so upsetting that it made me question how the animals are treated if this is how people are treated. My family took a long time to feel ready for another dog after losing our Jessie girl, and this was the first time we had considered adopting again since her passing. Instead of a hopeful experience, we were met with hostility and disrespect. I have never written an online review before, but the way we were treated compelled me to speak up. I will never recommend Home for Good Dogs in Berkeley Heights, NJ. Please ensure that staff and volunteers understand the importance of kindness, professionalism, and basic human decency. read more

The adoption process here is extremely confusing and poorly managed. In some places, they claim it's "first come, first serve," yet you're also encouraged to request a meet and greet--which takes weeks to hear back from. Even then, if you meet a dog at an event and are interested, there's only a 50/50 chance they're even available because they might have a pending meet and greet with someone else. None of that is made clear upfront. The staff was shockingly rude. Our application had been marked as approved for over a month, but when we were finally ready to adopt, we were told by a different staff member that it was not actually approved--because she wasn't the one who approved it (??). Then we were told there were "inconsistencies" in our schedule and that we needed to hire a dog walker before adopting and get them to contact the organization for confirmation before we could be re-approved. It felt like constant miscommunication, judgment, and shifting goalposts. The entire experience was frustrating and unwelcoming. Thankfully, we found our perfect dog through another rescue that treated us with kindness and common sense. Do yourself a favor and adopt from an organization that actually wants to help you give a dog a loving home. This place made it feel like a punishment. read more

Improvement in communication throughout every step of the process, professionalism, courtesy, and guidance with the application process.

Owner was rude and miss handled puppy during meet and greet yelling and forcing both dogs into uncomfortable situations and irritated because of the dogs reaction after what she did. read more

We filled out an adoption application and never got a reply. So we went to their event in person. After signing in, I was told our application was denied because we planned to use wee-wee pads for a puppy when needed. That reason makes no sense. Puppies need to go when they need to go. We work and have full-time jobs like most people and can't be home 24 hours a day. Using wee-wee pads is responsible, not neglectful. Their application process feels like an interrogation. They look for reasons to reject people instead of helping dogs find good homes. One small answer they don't like, and you're out. This rescue acts like they're doing applicants a favor, not trying to save animals. It's frustrating, unprofessional, and completely unnecessary. read more

Incredibly unprofessional employees who created a frustrating experience. Double booked us and then have numerous dogs listed for adoption that they no longer have. I received a snotty reply when asking if they could remove the ones no longer available from their site. Then just flat out ignored us. We were approved and had glowing references from our vet and previous rescue we adopted from. It's heartbreaking to think that these nasty people are the ones handling the fate of so many dogs in need. If you need any confirmation of their nastiness, just look at the owners belligerent responses to other people who had the same terrible experiences. read more

Home For Good Dogs Rescue - This was the helpful reply we received. We tried to rescue MULTIPLE different dogs only to be told they were already gone. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Berkeley Heights, New Jersey

They are very unprofessional not friendly they judge you before they don't know you. Some people out there love pets and treat them like they are family members,so don't judge! Get to know the people. read more

These people were really rude to me, and I was approved to adopt from them. They were the rudest organization I've ever, ever encountered. I do not understand the arbitrariness. Read the other reviews, I recently heard they've faced false advertising charges and lied about their sick dogs. We are so proud of our gorgeous puppy from St. Huberts, where everything was handled with kindness, love, communication, generosity, and intelligence. I highly recommend St. Huberts, they'll get the job done with care. read more

The whole process was amazing. Nice people and information provided by the people led to our family finding a wonderful pup. He is everything they claimed he would be and then some. We would highly recommend A Home For Good Dogs Rescue if you are considering adopting a pet. read more

A Horrific First-Time Fostering Experience - Avoid This Organization at All Costs I was beyond excited to foster a dog for the first time through Home for Good Dog Rescue. I had heard wonderful things about fostering and was thrilled to provide a loving, stable home for a dog in need. What I did not expect was a traumatizing, appalling experience that left me shaken and disgusted by the unprofessionalism, dishonesty, and outright aggression of this organization. At first, things seemed to be going well. The dog I was fostering arrived extremely anxious, but with time, patience, and care, she made incredible progress. She was learning new tricks, becoming more confident, and thriving in my home. Everyone in my community commented on how happy and well-adjusted she was becoming. Given this progress, I reached out to Home for Good to express interest in adopting her--fully aware that fosters do not typically adopt, but hoping they would recognize how much this home was benefiting her. That's when things took a bizarre and deeply unsettling turn. I received a call informing me that I could not adopt her because of a supposed "mistake." They claimed that she needed to live with another dog, as she had been staying with someone who had multiple dogs. This immediately raised red flags--she had been extremely nervous initially around other dogs, which is not typical for a dog that had supposedly been well-socialized in a multi-dog household. Then, without warning, they demanded that I return her within two hours. This was completely unreasonable, so I asked if I could bring her on Saturday, as that was my usual drop-off day. They reluctantly agreed, only to call back again and insist that I must bring her that evening. I had prior commitments and physically could not make it happen, so I requested to stick to our original Saturday plan or find another workable day. What happened next was absolutely horrifying. I received a call from my building's front desk informing me that the co-founder of Home for Good was in the lobby--threatening to call the police if I did not immediately surrender the dog. They even asked to come up to my apartment. I was completely blindsided and rushed home in a state of panic, only to find police officers at my door. This was despite the fact that I had already told them I wasn't home and I didn't want someone waiting outside my door. Here's the kicker--the police themselves acknowledged that this was a civil matter and that they had no legal authority to take the dog from me that evening. When the police and my building security asked the rescue why I couldn't adopt her, the response was completely different from what I had been told earlier. Suddenly, it wasn't about her needing to be with another dog--it was because I was a first-time foster. This blatant inconsistency only further exposed the organization's dishonesty. Of course, despite their appalling behavior, I gave the dog back because I refused to escalate an already distressing situation for the both of us. But the entire experience was deeply concerning. Thankfully, I have everything in writing--the contradictions, the threats, the absurdly aggressive actions taken by this organization. I cannot stress enough how traumatizing this experience was. I wanted to help a dog in need, and instead, I was treated like a criminal for caring too much. The lack of transparency, sudden and contradictory reasoning, and extreme overreach from this organization make it clear that they have little regard for both their fosters and the well-being of the animals they claim to care about. If you are considering fostering through Home for Good Dog Rescue--don't. There are plenty of reputable, ethical rescues that treat their fosters with respect and prioritize the well-being of the animals. This organization, however, operates with deceit, coercion, and outright threats. I regret ever getting involved with them, and I would never recommend them to anyone who genuinely loves animals and wants to help PLEASE READ THIS COURT CASE BEFORE FOSTERING WITH THIS ORGANIZATION ‼‼‼ https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/crime/2019/12/20/home-good-dog-rescue-central-nj-hid-animals-illnesses-police/2713502001/ I wish I knew this sooner ! read more

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Heartbreaking experience. Our application was approved and we had a meet and greet set up with a dog we were very excited about. The day before our scheduled meet and greet we received an email stating he had kennel cough and they would be in touch to reschedule. We emailed immediately back saying that was fine and to please be in touch. Over the course of 12 days I emailed them 7 times asking when we could please reschedule and letting them know we were still very interested. We got an email back on the 13th day saying that he had been adopted out to another family that morning. When I wrote an email back questioning why we weren't given the chance to reschedule they rudely wrote: "We are a foster based organization and operate on a first come basis. If we "hold" dogs then other dogs will die." I never asked them to hold the dog, I would have adopted him two weeks prior. We just wanted them to reschedule our original meet and greet, which they never did. Very rude and unresponsive. read more

The people who run his agency are horrible they way they talked and treated me was horrendous , I'm actually concerned for the animals there , if they treat a person like this imagine the dogs and cats The woman that i spoke to may actually need professional help Its sad because any of the dogs would of had the best life with us read more

Understand some folks are upset at times with the staff. They are very careful about who they adopt dogs out to and rightfully so. They do fantastic work with rescuing animals and trying to find proper homes for them. We have adopted 2 dogs from them and have found them to be nice but careful and I for one appreciate that. read more

Home For Good Dogs Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me - Berkeley Heights, New Jersey

The organization is racist. They conduct the interviews, check your background and approve you on paper. However when you show up to see the dog they look at you and say "none of the dogs are suitable for you". Mind you we asked if the dog will be at the adoption event. The same dog we were approved for and went to the adoption event to see. Did a back ground check on the cofounder and found she has allegations of deceptive practices, falsifications of dog records. Would not trust this organization at all. If you don't believe this review then ask ChatGPT to uncover all the information, background, allegations against this organization and cofounder for yourself. read more

AVOID THIS ORGANIZATION AT ALL COSTS!!!!!!!!!! They are extremely rude, condescending, and racist. I went through an extremely intensive vetting process to get approved for a puppy. I scheduled a meet and greet and was very excited to meet the puppy. In the email I receieved, they told me that if I was to be approved at the meet n greet that I would have the option to bring him home. My meet n greet was scheduled the morning of a foster event, when I went to go meet him and fell in love! I told her that I would sign and pay that day and would be prepared to take him home the next day. She immediately got up, gave me an attitude, and shood me out. She told me to call back tomorrow and to hope he doesn't get adopted. As soon as I left, she sent me an email saying that they will not be going forward with the adoption. I will attach our conversation below. Extremely unprofessional, rude, and openly racist. 0/10. DO NOT SUPPORT THIS ORGANIZATION they do not care about the dogs, they care more about proving points. read more

We had a wonderful experience working with Home for Good Dog Rescue! We adopted our puppy from this dedicated organization. They saved an abandoned litter of pups and our pup needed the most care. They nurtured this abandoned and vulnerable pup, giving him love -- and a blood transfusion. We couldn't be happier to have this beautiful dog in our life!! Thanks to the entire team for their endless support and care for dogs in need. read more

I wanted to adopt a rescue for a companion to our current rescue. We are a working couple. That's 8 hrs a day plus commute. We were denied based on that fact. We drove 7hrs away for our current rescue and was ready to drive 2.5 for this one who we thought would be a perfect mate. We had installed trail cams to see what our current rescue does all day. She slept each day. Even when I work from home, she sleeps ALL day. The least they could've done was call out references, the doggie daycare and the vet. I was so disappointed for the rescue who will miss out on a good home. I've attached a picture of the new rescue we DID get. And we're so happy with him and as you can see, he's happy with us. read more

I adopted my dog in 2015, I never made a review at the time but was recently reminded of my experience when a colleague used this rescue and had a bad experience. My dog was 4 months at the time, had allegedly spent 2 months in foster care, and his pet finder profile included he "loved kids." When I came to meet him he was absolutely TERRIFIED. Of me, my boyfriend at the time, of the traffic sounds outside of their office, everything. I knew very little about dog body language back then and tried to give him space, crouch down facing away from him, and was going to let him approach me on his time. I was avoiding eye contact since that can be really hard for nervous dogs. They said "oh no he's fine with eye contact" and plop him into my lap. A few minutes later he was trying to hide under the table and they DRAGGED him back out by his collar and said they don't let him hide. I was a young and dumb college kid and already in love with this dog so I didn't want to leave without him. I also quickly find out after bringing him home that my new 4 month old puppy has severe resource guarding issues with other dogs in addition to the generalized fear he came with. He was apparently in a foster home with other dogs so I can't imagine they weren't aware of this issue. I had to learn everything about how to help out a terrified dog and wound up turning it into a career but Home for Good was not open or up front about his behavior. I can't imagine what would've happened if he went to a home with children since they claimed he loved them. He's TERRIFIED of anything new and has been since the day I met him. New people, new dogs, packages getting delivered, etc. While I'm grateful for my dog, now named Steve, Home for Good is not a rescue I will ever be supporting or adopting from ever again. While we manage okay now and I love Steve to death, I'm not sure I would have intentionally chosen a dog with this level of fear. My adoption experience has always rubbed me the wrong way but I never considered it was a pattern of theirs. I figured it was a case of lack of knowledge about scared dogs and that overall they do a lot of good. Over the years I've seen them making public posts shaming people who needed to rehome their dogs. And I get it, there are some reasons for rehoming that are horrible and unnecessary but there are often genuine reasons for someone needing to rehome an animal. If you want people to make the right choice and bring their dogs back to you instead of dumping or rehoming themselves you cannot publicly shame people for rehoming no matter what the reason. I guess you can't expect a lot from a rescue that lies so much they got sued for falsifying intake records in addition to other charges. Please search elsewhere to adopt your future pet and always read reviews. You would expect an animal rescue to make ethical choices given their purpose but there are unfortunately many unethical rescues out there, including Home for Good. read more

We adopted a dog in 2020 and they told us she was a little skittish. After 5 months she still couldn't walk and was terrified of men. We loved her but they don't give you any background on the dog (she was feral!!) and expect you to figure it out for yourself. We had to surrender her and they showed no compassion. The next family she went to was a very large family, mostly men, where we knew she would be terrified. If they knew anything about her they never would have done that- it caused our family a lot of stress knowing she was in a nightmare situation. read more

Totally unprofessional. Filled out an adoption application, never received an acknowledgment by email or phone. Sent a follow up email a week later to see if it had been received. Nothing. We then drove 40 minutes to an event at their facility to see some dogs in person and follow up on the application. Was told they were waiting on me for the medical records of our previous dog (who was a shelter rescue and unfortunately turned out very aggressive and pulled out of his harness and was tragically hit by a car just 6 weeks after adopting). Anyway, I was told they would follow up, but no discussion at all about the application or any conThey never reached out so I called having collected the medical records we had and was told the adoption dept would contact me. 20 minutes later, a rejection by email (below). End of story. No explanation. I replied with the medical records and if we were still not a fit, then why? How could we improve? No response. We gave an abused dog a second chance that unfortunately ended tragically. Guess that's a strike we can never get past. Will look elsewhere. Wish I had read all these similar experiences first. read more

Home For Good Dogs Rescue - Dismissive response - Animal Shelters Near Me - Berkeley Heights, New Jersey

Not the nicest people. First we go to an adoption event. I had filled out the application the day before, so we were not approved yet. I was told at the door by a staff member that I should go in and look, then we can go from there. We found a dog we were really interested in. We were not allowed to even pet her. So we go to leave and the same lady who checked us in said, "well - hold on. Let me look at your application." She made us believe that it was possible to be approved on the spot. After 15 minutes of her reading the application and asking us questions, she told us someone would get back to us. Why make us believe we had a shot? Ok - we go home. A few days later I was approved. A couple of items to note: a had my yard already fenced in, knowing we were going to get a dog. I also work from home 3 days per week, and the other 2 days my 25 year old daughter would be home. So our dog would have someone 7 days a week. We were also first time dog owners. So I go back to the event the following weekend, and the dog we liked was still there. I ask them to please let us see her. It's only then that I'm told that I can't adopt a dog younger than 6 months, and the dog we liked was 4 1/2 months. What?!? I told them from the beginning I was looking for a puppy. When I challenged the decision, I was told that they were concerned that IF my daughter gets a job in September, that would be 2 days that the puppy would be alone. Huh?? That's the most ridiculous excuse I ever heard. How many people can say they are home 5 days a week? And by the way, IF my daughter got a job, my office is only 7 miles away. I could see if they said the reason was because we never had a dog - that I would maybe understand, but why not tell me when I was approved? They were on the phone with me. How hard was it to tell me that? So we are about to leave because I was mad, but then I noticed another dog, who was 6 months. We got to play with her and we decided she would be a good fit. So I'm standing in their office after I had made the decision and I said, "oh my gosh - I'm nervous!" The owner literally looked at me and said, "we don't like nervous- maybe this is not for you." So if you are going to adopt from these people, do NOT tell them you're nervous. I replied and said, "it's exciting nervous, relax." Fun fact - since we got her she has never been left alone for longer than 3 hours. We've had her since March. She's fully potty trained, well behaved, thriving and is the love of my life. I'd just say to proceed carefully. Do NOT tell them your feelings, and ask them when you're approved if there are any restrictions. read more

What a great group of people. Loving and caring about all of their dogs. 100% fostering really makes a difference. All of these dogs are totally ready for their furever home. Oh, and if your problem pooch needs a nail trim, Chris is THE MAN!! read more

Hey Bern! I see Morgan is still available. Really sad ; hopefully she gets adopted into a nice family. I Just wanted to send a courtesy update on my quest to save a puppy. I successfully adopted a gsd/husky PUPPY! We found the little cutie at a reputable non profit (not a 2). Hopefully you feel content knowing that the beautiful puppy found a loving home with my 90 pound unsocialized German shepherd. Addie and wolfey play in a manner only a canine whisperer could mold! So glad I have such an understanding of pet ownership. Sincerely, The Canine Whisperer read more

Simple Advice: The reviews speak for themselves. I submitted an application the other day and was approved within two hours. I was put off by the numerous reviews about the staff's rudeness but pushed it aside for the sake of the dog. I also asked in advance if we could attend the adoption event earlier in the day to see some other dogs and I was told they wouldn't let me see the dog I applied for if we did that. I was also up front about owning ferrets and guinea pigs in the application. Despite that, they didn't want me to bring my ferrets to ensure that he didn't have a prey drive towards them. I brought them and left them in the car until we checked with the foster person we met and they allowed us to show them to the dog (after much hassle and belittling). Carol was the most condescending rescue worker I've ever met, constantly insisting that it was ridiculous to let him see the ferrets despite us just wanting to ensure we were a good fit for the dog. After we had a brief and successful meeting with the dog and ferrets, we put the ferrets back in the car and went inside to interact with the dog further. As we went inside, Carol took the dog immediately into a side room closing the door in our face without comment. She came out a few minutes later and said she's not comfortable adopting to us because we "care so much about the ferrets" and his breed can develop a prey drive. A ridiculous hypocrisy considering she insisted he was cat tested and never had any issues. On top of that, I offered solutions in which we would keep the small pets separated and she simply told me they wouldn't adopt to us. I don't know why they decided to waste our time since they knew about our small pets from the start. In short, don't make the same mistake as I did and brush off the negative reviews. This place operates under the guise of caring for the dogs' welfare when in reality they're just bitter and will cast you aside the moment you don't blindly accept what they say and fork over abnormally high adoption fees. Not to mention, the responses from the owner I've see on these reviews. A very unprofessional look on their part. I'll be curious to see if that is repeated in response to this review. Edit: I will add for the sake of not being slandered by the owner as I've seen on previous reviews. Despite my complete disappointment in this organization, I was very respectful during all interactions with staff despite being treated as if I don't know anything. For context, I have worked in a (much nicer) non-profit shelter before and am a professional dog trainer currently. read more

Our simple phone inquiry was met with outright rudeness, scorn, and profanity. Incredibly unprofessional behavior.

I am heartened, in a sad way, to see that I am not the only one who has had a bad experience with Home For Good Dogs. I went this morning to an open house. I checked out all of the dogs and then asked to have one of them taken out of the crate. This would seem normal to me for someone considering an adoption. I was immediately asked if I had an application on file, getting informed that if I did not, I could not see the dog out of the cage. "To start the application process, I need to ask you a couple of questions". OK. "Have you had a dog before". Yes, two and they have passed. "Who is the vet?". He has retired. I have another that I have already spoken several times with the staff about the circumstances of our previous vet retiring. "So who put the second dog down?" My opinion is that this question is nobody else's business. I then asked if they wanted to adopt a dog out or not. She got huffy, I got huffy. Not personable in the least. I hope the dog that I was looking at finds a great home! I told the assistant that she has my telephone number and if she wants to adopt out the dog, she can call me. Word to the wise: nice dogs to choose from. Have your application already on file if you intend to spontaneously stop in at an open house. Do not talk to the older person sitting at the desk- maybe you will have better success with a volunteer around the cages. Last, but not least, look elsewhere. read more

I literally feel sick to my stomach from how awful my experience was with this rescue. I'm sure they'll respond with some "polite" long-winded response about how they are acting in the dogs' best interest. My partner and I were approved for a dog, then later told we can't adopt him due to not having a fenced in backyard. When I sent a polite email asking them to reconsider, they were extremely rude and unprofessional, and they immediately "rescinded" our approval based on slight differences between two of our applications. We had good experiences with some the volunteers, but the people "at the top" are absolutely the RUDEST people I have ever interacted with and are on a complete powertrip! Really, look at the other reviews and STEER CLEAR. read more

We adopted a dog from this organization about a year ago. The application process was terrible, they grilled us so much, but after being extremely condescending to us, they eventually decided that we were acceptable. When we went to pick up that dog, he wasn't as described (he was obviously not a Great Dane mix, especially because the rest of his litter were called lab mixes) and very skittish but we adopted him because we thought he was just nervous to be around new people. Turns out, he ended up having some severe fear aggression issues and we didn't feel safe around him. He was super protective and would lunge at and bite people who came close. After two months of trying and training we made the difficult decision that he wasn't right fit and we called up the agency and let them know that it wasn't working out. They were nice over the phone. They told us to come the next day and they would come get the dog from us at the front door. They took him and we started to drive home devastated. On our way home, we received a call from them asking about a wound that he had on his leg. (A few weeks before that, our son took him to the dog park because he loved playing with other dogs. He got into a scuffle and got bitten. We rushed him to the emergency animal hospital and they treated his wound. We went to our vet for follow-ups and took good care of him) Anyway, they called us and YELLED at us for being horrible people and that we should never be allowed to have a dog and that they were so happy that we brought him back because no dog should be with people like us. It was awful. A day later he was posted on the website with the Great Dane mix description (not true), good with kids (not true) and they also were charging the puppy fee again even though we paid it you months before and gave him the rest of his shots! What a terrible experience, and I sure hope it worked out for that poor dog. And I sure hope they treated the animals well because they sure don't know how to treat people. read more

**Unprofessional, Dismissive, and Questionable Practices - Proceed with Caution** I recently had a troubling experience with this rescue organization while trying to adopt a Boston Terrier. After renting a car and driving hours from Manhattan, I arrived hopeful and excited to potentially welcome a new member to my family. Unfortunately, my experience was anything but welcoming or professional. From the start, the communication was cold and unengaging. I was told through email that the adoption fee would be $1,500, which was significantly higher than the $550 advertised on their website. This discrepancy already felt sketchy, but I decided to proceed, thinking the rescue's priority would be the well-being of the dog. However, the moment I walked in, the owner's demeanor was judgmental and dismissive. Without giving us a fair chance to interact, she whispered to her colleague that "it's not going to work" and quickly decided against the adoption within minutes of our arrival. The second staff member, who had barely witnessed any interaction, immediately began listing reasons why we weren't a good fit. This predetermined rejection and the lack of a proper greeting or acknowledgment of my effort to provide a loving home for the dog were incredibly frustrating and unprofessional. Let's be clear: I completely agree that not every adoption is the right fit, but decisions should be made through a caring, open discussion, not a shady, dismissive process that makes potential adopters feel unwelcome. I was there to rescue the dog, not to be judged by someone who seems to think of themselves as the ruler of all dog kind. Get off the high horse and have a personable, compassionate conversation instead of making snap judgments. The dog I met was overly hyper and alarmingly underweight, and the owner bizarrely insisted that showing bones was a sign of being "healthy." This attitude towards the dog's weight was disturbing. Proper nutrition and care are crucial for any pet's health, and to suggest that a dog should be visibly underweight to avoid being "heavy on their legs" is harmful and misguided. If this is how they treat potential adopters--people willing to go out of their way to rescue a dog--it's concerning to think about how they might treat the animals in their care. Rescue organizations should focus on making the best matches for both the animals and adopters, not on hasty judgments and dismissals. If you're considering adopting from this organization, proceed with caution. My intention is not to prevent adoptions but to encourage potential adopters to look for reputable rescues that prioritize the well-being of animals and treat potential adopters with respect and care. read more

Could not be happier with Simba, the adoption process, the people that we worked with during the process, the meet and greet with our children, or the follow up. All of our questions/concerns were addressed to the best of their ability. We had ample time to make sure Simba was comfortable with our children and that they were with him. Very good experience overall and would not hesitate to recommend them, or use them in the future. read more

Home For Good Dogs Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me - Berkeley Heights, New Jersey

I recently had a troubling experience with this rescue organization while trying to adopt a Boston Terrier. After renting a car and driving hours from Manhattan, I arrived hopeful and excited to potentially welcome a new member to my family. Unfortunately, my experience was anything but welcoming or professional. From the start, the communication was cold and unengaging. I was told through email that the adoption fee would be $1,500, which was significantly higher than the $550 advertised on their website. This discrepancy already felt sketchy, but I decided to proceed, thinking the rescue's priority would be the well-being of the dog. However, the moment I walked in, the owner's demeanor was judgmental and dismissive. Without giving us a fair chance to interact, she whispered to her colleague that "it's not going to work" and quickly decided against the adoption within minutes of our arrival. The second staff member, who had barely witnessed any interaction, immediately began listing reasons why we weren't a good fit. This predetermined rejection and the lack of a proper greeting or acknowledgment of my effort to provide a loving home for the dog were incredibly frustrating and unprofessional. Let's be clear: I completely agree that not every adoption is the right fit, but decisions should be made through a caring, open discussion, not a shady, dismissive process that makes potential adopters feel unwelcome. I was there to rescue the dog, not to be judged by someone who seems to think of themselves as the ruler of all dog kind. Get off the high horse and have a personable, compassionate conversation instead of making snap judgments. The dog I met was overly hyper and alarmingly underweight, and the owner bizarrely insisted that showing bones was a sign of being "healthy." This attitude towards the dog's weight was disturbing. Proper nutrition and care are crucial for any pet's health, and to suggest that a dog should be visibly underweight to avoid being "heavy on their legs" is harmful and misguided. If this is how they treat potential adopters--people willing to go out of their way to rescue a dog--it's concerning to think about how they might treat the animals in their care. Rescue organizations should focus on making the best matches for both the animals and adopters, not on hasty judgments and dismissals. If you're considering adopting from this organization, proceed with caution. My intention is not to prevent adoptions but to encourage potential adopters to look for reputable rescues that prioritize the well-being of animals and treat potential adopters with respect and care. read more

Terrible experience in the application process. They misinterpreted the application and accused us of saying we "boundary train" (apparently that means completely off leash). That was never stated in the application and something we have never done. I stated: We train with training leads. And after maturing and training we would allow the dog off leash in our large yard to run and play fetch! Our dogs are never alone outside without our supervision and control. Their call who they allow to adopt their dogs but I agree with their other bad reviews. Baffled by how they interpreted my application. Be careful what you say if you want one of their dogs. No matter how sincere you are. I know they are volunteers but find better ones! read more

AVOID THIS RESCUE BUSINESS: 35 years of raising 5 dogs and 4 successful grown children with in a middle class family living in a large house with big yard in a Westchester, NY suburb. But some well-intentioned, yet totally misguided volunteer declined our offer to "adopt" a puppy for $550 to join our 5 year old Shepard mix who recently lost his older 12 year old sister. Huge loss for a well deserving rescue. Avoid wasting time with this place and spend your time looking elsewhere. There is no shortage of rescue dogs looking for their forever home. I should have consulted the Google and Yelp reviews as well as the dismal rating from the Better Business Bureau before wasting my time. Apparently this is not run by qualified people. read more

You hate to have to write a review like this. On a whole, the work of rescue organizations should be to the benefit of animals who need a good home. I'd like you to think twice before supporting Home for Good Dogs - and consider the reputable organizations in the Area. St. Huberts, 11th Hour, and others. Our family was undeterred by the hundreds of 1-star reviews for this organization, the sad employee reviews for how the organization is managed and seems to treat its people, and the aggressive shaming the organization has been engaged in online when people offer negative reviews, and even some of the serious legal issues that local prosecutors brought against management. When you want to share your family's love, you just ignore those things. I'll first skip to the punchline. This is not a "we didn't get a dog, and now I'm mad" review. At a scheduled meet and greet - our dog Harley's harness became loose. The organization also stated they felt her collar was also too lose. Our vet nor our trainers feel this way - but that's where we stand. We were told we had unsafe equipment and were told we could not adopt a dog. That's disappointing, but safety is first - we can accept that outcome. So why a 1-star review? 1. Application process. Yes, it's extremely intrusive. Be prepared. The part that felt inappropriate was seeing that our family's finances were being discussed. In an internal email forwarded to me by the screener, we saw that they researched our home value and discussed it. 2. Putting our dog in a bad position. After our application was approved, we asked if my wife could have 5 minutes with the dog before introducing our dog. She needed to feel comfortable with a new dog to ensure she felt good about the safety of our children. They immediately downgraded our application to only being able to adopt at an event. We had explained that our dog gets very nervous around a lot of dogs - but this was ignored. 3. Staff treatment, and lack of empathy. When we arrived at the event, our dog instantly and predictably became anxious and upset. She's great in small groups - but we knew this was an unhealthy situation. The staff were extremely rude to my wife and children, and yelled at her for addressing the new dog. They then yelled at me for trying to calm my dog down and bring her into a safe state of mind before the meet and greet. I shared above the outcome of that meet and greet - the staff simply said "We're not doing this" and walked away. That's it. My 8-year old daughter said it best "Daddy, I'm sad we couldn't adopt the dog, but I'm sadder about how those people treated us." I think that's the real issue with the organization. If you look at how many terrible, 1-star experiences that families have with them - and consider how many bad experiences we don't have reviews for.... how many of them were driven to a puppy mill? How many gave up on adopting due to the cruel and rude behavior? Is this really good for dogs in the long run? Honestly, we're dedicated to providing a good home for another dog. From a better organization. If you're in the search, or if you're feeling badly about yourself because of how this organization treated you - don't. It's not you. Call St. Huberts. Call 11th Hour. Call anyone else - just don't give up on the dogs! EDIT: We anticipated an aggressive response from the org, as their shame tactics online are consistent with the behavior we observed and seems designed to dissuade the steady stream of 1-star reviews. Again, we cannot disagree with the org's decision, as I explained above. Our dog was in an incredibly anxious state, as described above and we should have known better to agree to an adoption event. Engaging in a tit-for-tat online will certainly not change this organization, but it must be said that no dogs were body slammed (she'd be the hospital, I'm a big guy), a volunteer asked us to remove our dog's harness which was too loose, and her collar still fits properly, as it always has. read more

I would recommend this place to anyone. They are not only trying to find good homes for dogs, but, they are really putting in the effort to finding the right home for each dog. Our dog, Doxie (we changed her name from Cruella once we adopted her) is as close to the perfect dog as you can get. She is wonderful with our kids (and helped my son get over his nervousness about dogs), and, I often wonder who rescued who?!? The volunteers at Home for Good Dogs seemed to know that she would be the perfect pet for us. They were certainly right. read more

Home For Good Dogs Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me - Berkeley Heights, New Jersey

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The staff is horrible. I was told because I work full time that they didn't need to move forward with my application.

Terrible. There are plenty of shelters that want to work with you because they really want to place these dogs- this isn't that place. Rude and communication is poor at best. read more

I have adopted our dog Jessie ( formerly called Laney) from Home for Good rescue back in April 2024 . She was 1 year 2 months at the time & living with a foster family . The application was approved the next day after l had a nice call with a volunteer . Right off the start, they explained to me that Jessie seemed to have issues with men as she recently jumped & snapped at the foster's husband when opening the fridge . They felt that a single / female was a better home for her . I informed them that both my husband & me are true dog lovers , plus I work from home . No kids. I gave them the references required and informed that we had 2 GSP's for 14 & 15 yrs . After one year w/o a dog , we were ready to adopt again. And if needed we would hire a trainer for Jessie . When I met the foster mom with Jessie @ the greet & meet ( 2 days after approving application) , Jessie was so skittish, and fearful. I had never met a dog like this and it broke my heart . I knew right then that she must have been abused in the past. I asked to let me spend some time with her on my own , taking her for a walk . That's when we bonded . I will never forget how she jumped into my car when I opened the door ! Long story short , today she is a very happy dog! She was a bit afraid of my husband in the beginning but she learned quickly that he loooves her and no need to be scared. Now she loves to meet new people & everyone! adores her. I hv to say that the rescue did an excellent job when training her .... She knew all the basic commands & was obviously potty trained . I agree that this rescue organization is very thorough when reviewing applications but I do think it is necessary . There are way too many stories of neglected or abused dogs after adoption . I gave only 4 stars review as there was no chip when our vet scanned Jessie ( it can move after insertion accdg to vet ) . So we had to chip her again . Asked rescue for reimbursement of cost , but they didn't agree. In regards to friendly service , the volunteer I spoke on phone was very nice & a big dog lover herself . At the meet and greet , I met Toni - the owner . She was more matter of fact , focused to explain the adoption contract & get it done. I appreciated that Jessie got a bath next door while we were finishing up. And Toni gave some treats for Jessie for the one hour ride home . That was very nice! read more