We e adopted 3 cats from them over the period of 12 years and every experience has been wonderful. They truly care about the animal as and were responsive, courteous and kind to us. I would adopt again and again. read more

Wonderful rescue. So caring. They have helped many dogs from my shelter animals where I volunteer wonderful homes. Giving them a chance to decompress out of a shelter life. Fantastic place! read more

Compassionate rescue that goes above and beyond for some of the hardest cases....including a dog that gave birth this morning and had adopted three orphaned puppies as well! I work to organize transport to them for some of our NC dogs who are out of options, and it's wonderful to see them get prompt vet care and move on to happy homes! read more

My husband & I have adopted two cats & a pup for HFL in the last year, but unfortunately we will never go back. Not because I think they're cruel to the animals but because i literally never have a pleasant experience. last week was our first puppy experience & was a tad stressful. I know I overthink pretty much everything when it comes to our fur babies but HFL was extremely unresponsive about any questions I emailed/texted prior to adoption when we had her as a quarantine and honestly, this experience with them sucked. The last few days prior to adoption I just didn't reach out at all because they didn't answer me ever.. Took me like four days to even find out if she was on heartworm preventative (i literally emailed/texted 20 times or something crazy about little different things like bumps on her ears, shots.. without any type of acknowledgment).. i know these things could be nothing but just a " hey that seems fine" or " those bumps are new keep an eye on them and let us know " or " how is she doing" super frustrating. I acknowledge, respect and appreciate what they do at HFL & I know they're a small shelter.. just think there is a disconnect amongst staff concerning foster/adopters & organization/communication. My experience was topped off by some of the staff members that are consistently unpleasant. I've had very few experiences where I actually walk away and think "what an enjoyable visit". When I went in to sign foster paperwork, one of their staff members raised her voice at an adopter about a shot. Wasn't necessary the adopter was asking questions not arguing. There was some sort of disconnected~aka information not relayed till day of adoption. I just think some of them need a reminder that you can talk to people calmly & respectfully. Not every adopter is looking to argue with you or call you/the shelter incompetent. I commend any facility that aims to protect/save animals. It's brave and beautiful.. However, the adoption day of our pup was ruined because someone made us feel significantly uncomfortable. A staff member, Nicole, went to give our puppy a shot & was pretty aggressive w/ my husband. Very big ego when he gave her literally no logical explanation to get triggered. Flip a coin on what the reason was either she's had one to many negative experiences with people being rude to her & got defensive OR she truly was deeply offended and took my husbands asking if a table was clean as a personal attack on her character/the shelter. Pretty much ruined the adoption experience for us tho. We followed the shelter on social media and we noticed that one of their dogs had parvo the day prior and since our puppy isn't fully vaccinated we originally didn't even want to bring her in but she was due for a shot and we wanted her protected as soon as possible, so we took her in a stroller. Even if we did not see the shelter had a Parvo case, we would still be overly cautious about our 3 month old PUPPY whom is at risk.. . My husband thought she'd get her shot in her stroller but she said no for that (w/a attitude btw) but also fine she wouldn't do it, we weren't about to fight over it. Then my husband said " Oh okay, is everything wiped down back there " in a very calm tone.. just being a scared/worried dog owner. She SNAPS at him and goes " don't talk to me like that I do this for a living" ... big attitude & tone shift... talk to you like what?? asking if our unvaccinated pup will be in a clean/safe environment? sorry but shouldn't you be happy that we care so much about our puppy to even ask? He wasn't deeming you/the shelter incapable.. he was just worried for our dog. He not once gave you an attitude. There are a few staff members who need a professionalism & customer service course ASAP because they are reactive & scaring good people off. I cannot stand unjustified mean/nasty behavior. There is literally zero place when it's okay to talk to another human poorly unprovoked.. just kinda ruined my adoption experience & made me super sad. Her coworker, Tracy, the one who was actually helping us complete the adoption was incredible. She is extremely sweet & kind. When Nicole was snappy with my husband, she stepped in and informed us that everything was cleaned before/after an animal is cared for. And that the shelter cleanliness very seriously. So thank you to her for calming our worries and understanding we were just scared!! The same goes for Noriko & Courtney. Both always extremely kind with a warm disposition whenever we go in. read more

They stole my dog!!! I have provided emails with vet history and the owner told m to take her to court. My husband died and the dogs belong to me. Please do not help this organization. read more

Hope for life Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Most people are volunteers that honestly care for the pets. I adopted my Maltese from them and they checked on us frequently the first couple of weeks. I felt very comfortable with them doing that and appreciated their concern because they took time out of their busy schedule to check on my pet & I. read more

Dear Hope for Life, This email is in response to your email in which you informed us we are no longer under consideration because Peanut is not neutered. While I understand you have a policy in effect, you didn't even ask for an explanation, and I certainly wouldn't subject him to that now. As stated on the application, he will be 16 in April, and the veterinary records support that. He has a clean bill of health, except for normal aging issues, which you can clearly see in the veterinary records we provided. We adopted Roxy as a rescue from the SPCA and there was no issue at all. They asked that we complete the application, provide his vet records and to bring Peanut and other human family members to the facility for her to meet everyone, so the staff could see that everyone is compatible. I am also trying to comprehend why you do not acknowledge the urgency in getting her placed, as the best age to place a blind puppy is between 8 - 12 weeks old. Now is the time to place her so she can start adapting to her new home. I can't imagine you have a lot of people who are willing and able adopt a special needs pet/family member or to make any appropriate adjustments in their home as well as with their work schedules to accommodate her needs. Peppermint Blues tugged at my heart strings when I first heard about her and the other puppies being abandoned in a storage box in the middle of the woods. It was also extremely hot out and is a true miracle she survived. My husband and I were ready right at that moment to add her to our family. My biggest concern at this point, especially after reading some very negative and horrific reviews, is that she will not receive the care she needs. I am also concerned that you will place her at an age that will make it harder for her to adapt, if you can in fact get her placed. I understand your standards for placement and recognize the importance of it, but you clearly do not do a thorough vetting if you base every decision off a piece of paper and pictures, and do not attempt to meet or talk to the applicants. If you are that understaffed to be able to do that, then one can only wonder about the rest, including the care you give each animal. It does make me wonder how many wonderful and decent people you turned away and how many animals could have been in a loving and happy home. I truly pray she finds a safe and loving home soon. Possibly you can learn some things from the SPCA and other animal welfare organizations! They have the animals' best interests at heart! cc: Virginia Beach SPCA Tidewater Humane Society I will say that Pauline contacted me and we discussed this over the phone. She was very nice and I was told that my application was perfect, however, it was not the fact that my almost 16 year (almost 112 in human years) old dog isn't neutered, which was what was provided in an email telling us we were not longer being considered, it was then discussed it is because they can't place a female in a home with an unneutered male. It didn't matter that she would be spayed soon. I even consulted with a staff member at my vets office and read up on the subject and and both said it was highly unlikely anything would happen. After reading several reviews, especially by former volunteers, my concerns deepened for the care of the animals and only pray they are taken care of properly. read more

I just want to say that I love this rescue they go out of their way to accommodate the most neglected and unwanted animals. They have helped me more times than I can count With animals needing help they are all dedicated hard-working people and deserve a standing ovation read more

I'm really struggling to understand how so many good homes get denied but see so many people walk away with rescues who never should have been selected. I've seen this happen throughout the years but this one was more personal and left me flabbergasted. A friend of mine wanted to add a puppy to her family. She found what she felt was the perfect little girl at HFL (she's been following a while waiting for the one for her) so she put in an application. I was one of her references and so was her dog sitter. I knew she was a perfect pick and would most likely be an easy YES! one less homeless puppy! She has two dogs, a husky mix and a German short hair pointer and they have gotten to a point where she feels she has the time and ability to add to her group. They have perfect vet records, she owns her home and has a fenced in back yard. She goes for miles long walks with them daily and takes them on hiking trips. Her favorite thing to do is being active with her dogs. They have always been her highest priority. Her children. The pointer came to her from a home where she was locked in a crate and deemed "too much" by her previous owners. If you know anything about GSP you know they are very high energy and need constant mental and physical exercise. Specially when they are puppies. She had behavior issues and had so much pent up energy she didn't even know how to be a dog. My friend poured into that puppy her time, energy, love and money to get her training and work with her to make her a more balanced, thriving pup. She never gave up on her when most people would have thrown in the towel and said she was too much work. She was patiently awaiting a response from HFL when she got one. "You work too many hours for a puppy. Maybe choose an older dog." And went into detail about what it takes to raise a puppy and how common it is for them to be returned. The thing is...she knows. She's been there. She has always had things in place to make sure her dogs would never be left alone for long periods of time even now that they are adults. She has a dog sitter that comes and plays with them (not just potty breaks) family and friends that help out, a boyfriend, not to mention her ability to take breaks and come home or work from home. When they were younger they enjoyed going to doggy daycare. I decided this was an easy fix! They just don't understand her story. Her commitment. Her experience. So I wrote a new reference explaining all of this to them so it would ease their mind about a young puppy "being locked in a crate for 10 hours" because that simply wouldn't happen. I asked for them to ask her some follow up questions or do a home visit or a trial run so they can see she's a great choice. They responded the same. No. 10 hours in a crate is too long. That's it. I do very much understand they want to be picky about who gets their animals. I do. That's why I believe there should be more than just a checklist type application to go off of. Their concern could have been eased with a simple follow up. But it was just a no. They make posts about having too many animals and not enough time or money.....which must be really stressful. But they literally bypass good owners by dismissing them over one area of concern that could be cleared up. Specially after someone reaches out and explains why it would be a mistake to pass on such a perfect match. I didn't even want them to blindly approve or take my word for it. I wanted them to follow up with some questions and a home visit so they could see for themselves. They do that with a lot of their pups so why not this one? She will find the perfect puppy for her elsewhere. That I am sure of....its just a real shame they wouldn't let it be one of theirs. "Adopt don't shop!" But there's so many requirements and hoops and "no"s when it comes to rescues like this one that people end up choosing a breeder simply because it's easier. They don't have to get excited about a new addition only to be let down. I do believe in making sure a rescue animal goes to a good home....but for many it feels impossible to please these rescues. I did a Facebook post about this and I got SO many comments saying they had the same or similar experience with certain rescues. It's wild! This rescue isn't the only one like this but we have both been following them for a long time and thought they were better. Different! So this is just a heads up for people who think they have everything it takes to get approved....you may get turned away without an opportunity to show them that truth and be left scratching your head in disappointment. read more

Former foster here. Stay FAR away from this place. I made sure to screenshot my Facebook post because of the limitations to reviews, but there's about 50 pics and a video that should help catch you up, if you checkout my Facebook. The post is numbered 1 - 7 to help you follow along. HFL covers up health ailments to their adopters. HFL DOES euthanize a percentage of their intake. HFL pushes aggressive dogs onto people, dismissing their predictable aggression and safety of others. Pauline even tried giving an aggressive dog to a family with a child, FULLY AWARE of that child's risk. Luckily, another employee stopped it. There's a reason most of the dogs at HFL aren't getting adopted or are being brought back immediately. They've actually had to stop receiving dogs recently because of the constant returns. Please stop Pauline Cushman and her corruption at Hope for Life. Check out all of their reviews and even Reddit to see the MANY terrible stories about this shelter. And if you're one of the many HFL Victims, please don't hesitate reaching out. I'm not the first one to deal with them and their cover ups, but I would like for us to be the last. Your stories are valid folks and so are your feelings. This has all been so traumatizing for us and the last thing we want is for someone else to feel this way too. I think it's time for the news to get involved. This place needs to be shut down. Sorry they're a bit out of order! Checkout my Facebook for MORE details And no Pauline. This isn't "False" or "Spam". Your irrational and emotional responses to anyone that disagrees with you speaks volumes about you as a person. read more

See all

absolute horrible rescue. these outrageous people let my friend foster a kitty because they were desperate to quarantine her accepted her references got her family attached and when they wanted to keep her then denied her adoption. absolutely disgusting. they should only be put in foster care if they can adopt and if you don't plan to let them adopt TELL THE FOSTER that. absolutely wretched. she was good enough to help them. i looked for kitty and they had someone else foster and adopt. absolutely horrendous scumbags. read more

I have never had a problem with HFL and have adopted 4 dogs from them. People that complain about the health issues of these animals, don't you understand you are rescuing dogs that have not had the best life and many of them maybe not even any health care. I had one dog that I loved dearly and put $10,000.00 into the dog to make her comfortable. This is probably the last stop for these dogs. read more

I fostered for this rescue and they gave me two sick dogs one that I had to go through being euthanized and because I wanted to foster a certain dog, they would not let me because they said I was getting aggressive with their staff, but yet they're putting dogs downleft and right saying that they're needing money and they don't have enough space and they don't have enough fosters but yet when I tried to help them they pretty much shit on me read more

This place is a puppy flipping factory. They don't care about the families or the SICK puppies they sell to families. Dont believe me? Test me - Before you decide to adopt - call A FEW veterinary places and hospitals in Virginia Beach EXCEPT PET CARE (whom they are in cahoots with). Call a few agencies -. Ask them what they think about Hope for Life. Once you call around and find nd out what real animal professionals think of this place, then scroll through all of the reviews right here on Yelp. Get out of the first page where yelp puts all the 5;star reviews. Go to the real reviews from real people and not just friends and staff bloating fake ones. Read what REAL families have to say and what they went through with their infected animals. THEN you make your decision. Don't just base it on the glamorized FB page in which ALL Negative Comments are removed. DO YOUR RESEARCH then make your decision. read more

I'll start by saying that we adopted a kitten from Hope for Life several years ago. We adore him and he's living his best kitty life. When we got him he was infested with fleas from there. Ok fine. We treated him and moved past it. We returned today to see if we could adopt another kitten. Sadly this place makes it almost impossible to even get in the door now. There's an application to fill out before they'll let you in. Seemed odd but I started filling it out. Well, I stopped when they wanted me to upload photos of my family. Excuse me?!? What?!? Then I see they want to know my employment information. I closed the application and walked away. I understand wanting to get animals in the hands of loving and responsible owners but don't make this so difficult. A kitten could have had a home today. read more

This rescue does not show any concern for their animals after they are adopted, even when those animals may now be facing euthanasia if they cannot be re-homed. To be fair, the adoption took place a couple of years ago, but the circumstances, which involve violent behavior, call for a more understanding approach than HFLR has so far shown. read more

I adopted two kittens from Hope for Life last year. The staff was very caring, calling my vet to make sure I was a responsible owner before agreeing to allow me to adopt. The kittens were kept in their own separate room, and my family chose two kittens to bring home. While we were there, we witnessed the staff doing their daily checks of the kittens to make sure they were healthy. We brought the kittens (one of whom was healing from having her tail amputated) to our vet a couple of days later for a checkup. Besides a case of worms (very common in kittens and puppies) both kittens were very healthy. The rescue also handles the vaccinations and spay/neuter Now my kittens are 9 months old and I can't imagine life without them. I love Hope for Life and would gladly adopt from there again! read more

Hope for life Rescue - Kittens a week after adoption! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

See all

Got our pup from them not too long ago. They are awesome! Always nice, and whenever I message them online to ask questions they always answer. They're always so patient and understanding. If you're looking to adopt or find a place to donate, this is the place read more

DO NOT ask ANY questions during your appointment!! Especially any about policies and procedures. They will be considered RED FLAGS and your family will be turned away. We were told that we could speak to the director the next day but once we got home they had canceled our meeting with her. Save you and your family the tears and disappointment. read more

I called them to see if I could drop off a food donation . I got a recording with too many options. They said if I left a message they would return it within 48 hours! I left a message and said if you call me back in an hour ,I'll bring you a lot if food. No one called. I have heard from others that this center is under staffed. I guess so! read more

Me and my husband are steadily looking around ready to adopt another fur baby to the family as soon as we walked in we felt judged pretty quick. We were asked what we were looking for we said a dog. They asked if we have any pets at home and we mentioned our chihuahua and they followed up asking if she was spayed and we said No and we were immediately told they wouldn't allow us to adopt because they don't want breeders and mentioned how they had dogs that came in with ovarian cancer that wasn't spayed. My dogs apart of my family I'd never do anything that'd harm my dog. Felt disheartening being turned away instantly, not looking to breed my dog we're looking for a little sister for her. Many of other shelters around. read more

They get a 0 I made an appointment to go and adopt this puppy and they had excepted my application. They give u the appointment to come and meet and greet the dog that you are adopting and when I got there they had given the puppy to someone else that was there but websight states come and meet the dog you are adopting. This place sucks and I do not recommend anyone to go there. The elderly lady was rude when she opened the door and the young girl who informed me that the dog was already adopted with the people sitting there and I said what I had appointment to Come and adopt her and she said well she has been adopted. I was livid on how this was handled and done. These people do t care about you or your time and effort to come get a animal to give it a loving home. Not only did I walk away disappointed but I was angry that these people would do this to people without any regard of their appointment or how upsetting this can be to someone and the disheartening feeling and you take away someone's joy. They are disgusting and I will never go back there ever. The only reason I give a 1 star is because they don't have a 0 to choose from. read more

This place is a true disgrace to rescue organizations that are in business for the best interest of the animals . I will be sharing my story in as many media outlets as possible as I think they are used to taking advantage of people. I currently live in LA, and my elderly mother was taking care of my dog named Mushka Fox temporarily while I was working 12 hours a day . My mother was told she was going to be evicted from her apartment because she was only allowed to have two dogs , and my Mushka made three dogs for her. Naively , my mother surrendered my pet to this disgusting shelter thinking most " no kill shelters " would be in the best interest of the dog . Within 48 hours , my mom called this place crying asking to get my dog back . They would not give her to her . This morning 4/8/2019, my mother and a friend whom I have known for years showed up by noon and were even willing to pay the $200 adoption fee to get Mushka back. Furthermore , my friend and mom saw my dog being walked . I called the shelter from LA and left three messages explaining the situation with no return calls . They staff even hung up on me later in the day saying I was " harassing them." When your baby is getting taken, and these people are clearly not in the best interest of the dog , of course one will continue to call . I wanted answers . I have proof of ownership . My mom was simply trying to avoid being evicted from her apartment . I explained over several voicemails that my mother had no authority to surrender my dog . They threatened to call the police on my mother ( my mother crying ) and my friend who was willing to pay the adoption fee to get my dog back ! I left messages via Facebook and on the owner's cell phone. The owner's , whose name is Pauline Cushman, according to the VA Secretary of State documents, was acting in complete disregard to our situation . This Pauline character would not return my calls as I had her direct cell phone line and she received my messages . I am appalled by this facility and their actions . Now, not only will I have to go through a lengthy court battle , but the new " owners ," will have to get involved in a situation that this facility has caused when they could have simply done the right thing . I will prove ownership of my dog and fight to get my dog back from this evil place . It is very sad that they look at an animal as a piece of revenue rather than positioning themselves as a rescue organization that is in the best interest of the animals . Do not donate to this place . Obviously , if they are so quick to essentially claim ownership of a dog without valid documentation when they had the opportunity to do the right thing , they are also misrepresenting funds that are donated as the evidence will suggest once I dig further into this poorly run facility . I just wanted my dog back who was there for less than 48 hours and was surrendered by my mom who was scared she was going to be evicted from her apartment . When we are willing to even pay a fee to get the dog back , and they would not even answer or return my calls , it is clear they are NOT a genuine rescue organization and need to be shut down . Whoever " adopted my dog ," I hope you read this . We will pay the adoption fees to get her back . Otherwise , I will continue to fight this as I don't believe in organizations who take advantage of other people . My number is 304-282-9873. Please call me and we will make sure you are fairly compensated for the trouble they put you through as well . As you will also be dragged into this mess this organization has created , which is also not fair to the people who " Adopted" Mushka. Based on the way this was handled , I am sure this is not the first time something like this has happened . Pauline , I hope you can sleep at night because I sure could not if I treated animals as a revenue generating product like you do . My mother literally was told she would be arrested if she did not leave the premise when she was simply trying to get my dog back after realizing what a huge mistake she had made by dropping her off here. read more

Hope for life Rescue - This is the ad of my dog . They adopted her out before she was even there for 48 hours . - Animal Shelters Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

See all

I am so grateful for Hope for Life. Not only are they a wonderful place to find animals, they help the community and those that are already owners with services like spay/neutering. I am lucky enough to have adopted a beautiful cat from them and will be coming back to them in the future when it's an appropriate time for my fur family to expand. read more

Hope for life Rescue - Thank you for this sweetie Hope for Life! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Not military friendly at all i had the door shut in front of me i had to call multiple times and email 2 and 3 times to get a response as to why my application wasn't accepted only to hear buy and house and then come back. read more

I adopted my dog from here at the beginning of April. On their site they had her listed as 5-7 years old. After I did the 2 week trial period I fell in love with the dog so I decided I wanted to adopt her. I was aware that she had heart worms but I wasn't aware of how bad her health was. While I had her for the trial period I had to give her the heart worm medicine given to me. No instructions were given for this. I had to call my mom who works at a vet and she let me know it's best to give Benadryl before and after you give the pill. That night my dog still got really sick and I contacted the rescue. All they said was that they would contact their vet about this. After I told them I wanted to adopt her I was told she was 8-10 years old and had also been treated for an ear infection. I had fallen for the dog so I was okay with this but wasn't aware they were still going to charge me $250 for a senior dog with many health issues. I also wasn't aware of the heart worm treatment process until I called the vet and they explained everything. The rescue told me nothing about how intensive and long the process is. It is almost August and my husband and I have put in over $3,000 in vet visits to try to get our girl healthy again. This rescue needs to keep their dogs longer so they can inform the adopter of any health issues that the animals have. I love our dog but I wasn't prepared for a dog this unhealthy. This is our first and last adoption from this rescue. read more

I am so impressed at how well this rescue cares for their animals. We adopted a puppy from here and were incredibly pleased with their communication, adoption fees, and coverage of vaccinations and post-adoption procedures. I would recommend them in a heartbeat to anyone looking for good places to donate funds or puppy supplies or to adopt! read more

I went in with my 10 year old granddaughter to see what animals were available for adoption. The owner was very rude and told me that I could only adopt an animal that was five years old or older because of my senior citizen status. Even though I would be home all day as I am retired I was not allow to adopt a puppy. I find that to be age discrimination. The owner tried to push a 7 year old dog on me that was about 20 pounds overweight and looked like he was going to drop dead any minute. A young couple was also in the shelter and was looking at puppies. They were told they couldn't adopt because they lived in an apartment. I find this to be reprehensible on both us. I will never go back there again. I was even considering volunteering there. Rude, rude, rude. Their policies need to be more friendly to our community. read more

My sister wants a dog and I want a Maine Coon, so we've been doing our rounds at all the shelters and pet adoption centers in Hampton Roads. Hope for Life was one of our stops and out of all of them, I would say this operation needs the most improvement. It's hard to tell who actually works there and who is a visitor. People and children are just wandering around and so are the animals. This shelter is set up as a home-like environment where the animals can just wander around freely in their rooms. It's nice that they're not confined to kennels but some animals would run out into the hallway when a kid opened the door and we witnessed a lot of aggression and animal-animal abuse. That day there were 5 playrooms that had pets: one with all cats, two with all dogs, one with a mix of cats and dogs and a kitten nursery which wasn't open for visiting. First up, we played with an older yorkshire terrier and chihuahua, Coco and Princess, in the small dog room. My sister had her heart set on Coco, but then Coco flipped out which is understandable because a woman in the hallway told us Coco came from an abusive home and eye contact puts her on the defense. Then we went to the cat room. Before entering, the same person warned me to be careful because the cats are a mix of ferals, strays, rehomed, and young cats and the feral ones might tear me up if I tried to pet. In the playroom, there are over a dozen cats in a 10X8 room. Most of the cats were hiding. But an orange tabby, black tabby and a one eyed white tabby were roaming around freely. They would follow me around the room and seemed nice enough. I spotted a BEAUTIFUL red Maine Coon, who was hiding underneath a bench. He looked just like a lion but he seemed shy. I signaled to him to come over. He started walking over timidly and as he approached me, the orange and black tabbys wailed on him with lots of hisses, bites and scratches. He ran back under the bench to hide. When I tried to approach him myself, the orange tabby came over to harass again. The Maine Coon ran into a play tunnel and wouldn't come back out; he wanted nothing to do with me. It seems like the other cats are hiding because they're scared of the gangster cats. This is troublesome to me because the cats should not be facing constant abuse from the other cats. Furthermore, the cats are sharing a litter which will cause even more fights and abuse from the dominant cats since cats are territorial. The aggressive cats need to be kenneled or kept in a separate room because they are causing more psychological damage and abuse to their peers. read more

Can confirm the owner is rude and discriminates if you don't own a house. Let's animals roam around where they can get hurt or dirty. When we were there, they were painting and a cat fell in a bucket of paint. Made us sit for 45 minutes to see if we could adopt a puppy, and the owner shut us down the moment the word apartment was mentioned. We wanted to explain we rented a dog centered apartment with lots of walking areas and a dog park, but didn't matter. Renting = thrown out. Need more proof? Every google review that is negative has a snippy reply telling the customer they're wrong. Norfolk SPCA puts this place to shame. read more

Will not respond to messages, phone calls, left voicemails, or email replies. I understand this is a non-profit but if you have a family ready to make a 10+ year commitment to save an animal, be considerate of their time. read more

I am very disappointed in this so called rescue. My fiancé & I were looking to adopt a 4 month old pup from our local shelter in NC. When we arrived at the shelter they told us that the dog was not available for adoption until a rescue took her in to get her the medical attention she needed & that we would have to follow up with the rescue. We've had our hearts set on this baby for 2 weeks now. We were prepared to pay the outrageous adoption fee of $250 & make the trip to bring her back where she was taken from. We actively emailed & called Hope for Life letting them know we wanted this pup & letting them know, we know the situation. All in a matter of 2 days. We wanted & are still wanting this baby. In return we were met with emails as well as Facebook messages stating they were only allowing a "local" adoption. Mind you, they are not putting Nora up as "local adoption only". Also, whomever runs the Facebook page was extremely rude. When we explained to them that our local shelter told us she was not available for adoption until she was taken in by a rescue their reply was "You could've adopted her when she was there. We will be adopting her out locally". As far as I'm concerned, people drive cross country to rescues because they have their hearts set on that one pup. We had our hearts SET on Nora. They didn't even look at our application or anything. They just flat out told us no. Now seeing the reviews about these people; I worry for the pup we are wanting & have no idea how to go about getting her within legal reasoning. To be a "Christian" based organization; there sure is a lot of discrimination & prejudices going on behind closed doors. & if I find out the rumors of abuse are true, you can say goodbye to your so called rescue. read more

Hope for life Rescue - The rude messages that were sent via Facebook messenger. Needless to say our families hearts are shattered. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

I give it 2 stars simply for the setup they had to display the animals and the care they showed, BUT that was it. What got me main thing was that they advertise it being very easy to get approved for your favorite dog, but fail to mention the weird policies they have like if you have EVER had an animal who wasn't sprayed/neutered, you do not qualify to adopt a pet... I feel they should have their policies clearly displayed as to not waste peoples time and break their hearts. Hope you find your dream home Donut & Bam Bam :/ read more

If I could give them ZERO stars I would! so me and my husband lost our baby (Denver) who was a chocolate lab in January. initially we didnt want to get another dog but later on felt we would be great parents to a rescue dog. We found Hope for life rescue on Google and saw we needed to fill out an application so we did. 1st I want to say the application is extremely long and super invasive wanting pictures of my family with pictures too, pictures of our home and where the dog would be. I understand that you want to make sure they're going to be in a safe place but there's such a thing as be intrusive. so after filling out everything and sending in ALL the supporting documents THEIR website asked me if I wanted to schedule an appointment to go look at puppies but made it it clear we couldn't take one home until we were approve. we scheduled an appointment 2, Google maps was having a hard time finding the place so we called multiple times to let them know we were lost and going to be a couple of minutes late...no answer. We got there at like 2:11-2:15 and when we were getting to the door an employee walked up to it and locked it but we didn't think anything of it so I walked up and knocked on the door hoping to get to see some adorable dogo's. the employee slightly cracked the door and asked how she could help us so I told her we wanted to see dogs for possible adoption. she told me they were closed mind you there's multiple employees in there at this time, their answering machine says they're open between 1-4 on sat AND so does google BUT more importantly their website let me book the appointment. So finally they let us in and they look up our appointment by name. Then another woman came up to us and said "your application hasn't been processed yet so you shouldn't been able to book an appointment and I don't know why it let you" keep in mind there weren't any other customers there yet since that time slot was for us. So me being frustrated and confused I asked "so we cant see any puppies until then"? She told me "NO once we approve or deny your application we will let you come in" we were out of there by 2:20 at the latest so later on when I got home I saw that our application was denied at 2:16...which would mean she denied it while we were standing right in front of her as she told us she would review our information. they didn't give a reason as to why it was denied but my suspicion was because we're a blended family, we weren't rude or nasty to them we didn't make a scene either. my husband is in the Navy and I'm a Respiratory therapist. we have two kids and live I'm an large apartment until we get the keys to our new house. We don't have other animals and have NEVER hurt any animal...there is literally no reason to deny our application other than personal reasons. we ended up adopting from another shelter. read more

This place is literally the worst and I never write reviews. Upon coming the lady slams the door and asks if we had an appointment. Fast forward we filled out the app and was denied with 0 notes as to why we were denied. We have no other dogs and have our own place with steady jobs. Feels weird they ask to see what you "look like" in the attachments on the applications. I should've looked at the reviews first. I'm annoyed. read more

Not military friendly. I called to ask if they made exceptions for military on their 'owning a home' policy and was told that they do. So I went and filled out the application, only to have it basically crumpled up and thrown away in front of my face and the owner tells me that exception is only for officers in the military. I guess enlisted personnel are the only ones that get rid of animals and being an officer makes you more trustworthy because 'they just don't do that sort of thing'? Do not recommend. read more

We adopted our puppy dog, Bear, here almost 4 1/2 years ago. It was a wonderful experience. Today, we volunteered at the rescue and had a great time. If you are interested in seeing our time volunteering and what the rescue is like, check out our video. https://youtu.be/SOpguCPQe_w read more

While the intention of this shelter is wonderful, the customer relations and courtesy are not.. not to mention the honesty of health. I only adopt from rescue shelters, always have. I went to the SPCA and here looking for a cat. Did my research and checked reviews. I asked about a previous Yelp review complaining about a recent adoption that was brought into a home ALREADY sick. They ASSURED ME the cat I was interested in was healthy. I paid the 'suggested' $150 adoption fee (SPCA only $80 and same neutering and vaccines covered ) only to bring cat home and give my other cat the exact same sickness I was assured the cat was not afflicted with. The owner not only did not return my two calls, she refused to pay any money when I showed up with my veterinary bill,with notes from veterinarian stating exactly what occurred. SO- please DO adopt, however prepare to have immediate veterinary bills,too. Sadly I will not return to this facility in the future. read more

HOPE FOR LIFE RESCUE MORE LIKE HOPE FOR MONEY I adopted a puppy from here just a few months ago. Apparently some of the puppies of that litter came down with parvo, a deadly disease in dogs that spreads very quickly. My pup had symptoms and WORMS!, but Hope for Life later posted on facebook that the litter had officially had it, shortly after adopting mine. So about that, why is it a "rescue", when they sell sick untreated dogs and cats? Some other reviews state that they have been sold cats and dogs with various medical problems that they were not told about also, and their vet had to tell them. What is going on with Hope For Life vets? They can't even figure out very obvious issues with the animals or just lie that they are healthy for profits. Let's talk about my personal experience. My family had no formal dog experience at all, which we had expressed in our application. Luckily, we did not have any problems with the application getting accepted like some people had stated in their reviews. However, like the other people have said they did not even tell us we were approved until an hour before our scheduled appointment. The application's requirements were strict compared to the adoption experience and overall atmosphere of the shelter. You have to upload a picture of all your homes rooms, your current pets and more details which you can go read the application for yourself. Which is not a bad thing, as many rescues want to make sure the animals are going home to a good family. HOWEVER, the "appointments" are more loose than they make it sound on the application than when you get there. For example, at Virginia Beach SPCA when you schedule an appointment, they are very helpful and you sit in a room and get to know the dog or cat, and they are willing to answer any honest questions about the animal or anything else. When we got there the atmosphere was chaotic, the volunteers seemed irritated as it was a crowded weekend. As I said, before this we had no dog experience or experience with how adopting an animal should go. All they told us to do was walk into the puppy room and look at the puppies. We were alone with the puppies, no assistance except for "which one do you want" said by an irritated, busy volunteer. So someone in my family was like, "You know, we have never done this before, what kind of food do they need?" questions like that and the volunteer said she would bring us some of their food and extra puppy pads. Also, a puppy crapped on the floor and no volunteers picked it up so my family member had to clean it up. When you get there, it's first dibs whoever gets the puppy first, no "real" appointment or time to spend with the puppies or time to prepare for it coming home, especially as a new dog owner. We asked if we could hold the puppy while we got supplies, and they said we would have to get it right then and there or it might be taken. We asked again for some basic stuff a rescue SHOULD supply you with such as their food, puppy pads and favorite toys but they just gave a half bag of puppy pads and handed us the papers to get us to buy the puppy ASAP. Didn't give any advice for new owners, and did not reason with the fact we needed supplies and time to prepare (Obviously because we were just looking at first, and later found out we had to adopt on the spot or the puppies could be gone). So that's another reason why it's more like a pet shop than a rescue, they just want your money and don't make the effort to make sure the pet goes home to a well educated, prepared family. Now the costs. Puppies cost $350 here. That covers the adoption fee and spay/neuter. However, at Virginia Beach SPCA adopting a puppy is about that price and covers all the shots, 30 days of pet insurance, flea/tick/heartworm prevention, vet exam, spay/neuter of course and 4 weeks of puppy training classes at Zoom Room which I HIGHLY recommend to new puppy parents especially for high energy dogs PLEASE DO YOUR BREED RESEARCH PEOPLE because your not going to get any help at this organization anyways. They always have lots of beagle, lab and mutt pups for adoption, so if you want a lab with a helpful skilled breeder or a purebred AKC registered beagle you could get one for the same price. As my conclusion, for new and all puppy, dog and cat owners, just go to your local SPCA. They will help you so much, and give you the attention and time you need to make sure you and your new pet are the right match. Highly recommend Virginia Beach SPCA, they are a very calm environment and are open to people just looking or appointments. Very sweet people there every time I go in, Go check them out!!! They even have a retail store so you can buy supplies and be super prepared! This is just my opinion, so just go check it out for yourself. However, their social media is highly glamorized anyways so take that into consideration. The only thing this "rescue" is good at is making good, cute posts. Do YOUR research and read reviews read more

Beautiful and loving rescue. Not at all what you would expect going into a rescue. During open hours the dogs and cats roam freely together (which was good for us because we have a cat and home and were lookin for a dog). After hours the rooms the dogs and kittens stay in are not cages (surprised by this). They are larged glassed in rooms. Some of the dogs and kittens room together so there is not a privite room for each dog though but I guess it works. Their adoption applications ask a lot of question to try and pick the best adoptive parents . We did have to put 2 references and they advise they have to contact both be for approval to adopt. Our references weren't available to answer the phone so we couldn't bring home a dog that day. But 2 days later after both my references called back we were advised we were approved, went to rescue and adopted the cutest little puppy! read more