Edit: A quick, cursory search on the IRS website using the MAR business EIN 46-0841798 (which is public record) shows that taxes have not been filed for at least the past 10 years (see photos previously uploaded). This business is not registered with the IRS and subsequently shows that no tax documents have been filed for at least the past 10 years. Do your own research before using this business. A complaint has been filed with the BBB (which also has not accredited this business, and the BBB shows multiple previous complaints). Initial review: Beware- this rescue claims to be a nonprofit and claims that donations are tax deductible, however it is not registered with the IRS. There are plenty of other shelters that are reputable and law abiding. I've uploaded screenshots (see most recent photo uploads). read more

MAR - Mercer Animal Rescue - Pet Adoption Near Me

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Beverly picks and chooses which emails to respond to. And when she inevitably chooses to email she is rude and unkind. I would truly look elsewhere to adopt and that's heartbreaking to have to say but you won't know if your application was received, whether you're being considered, if you are incompatible nothing. These beautiful dogs deserve a home but her personality and the way she runs this business is going to continue to deter others from adopting from here. If you look at the other reviews you'll see this is incredibly common unfortunately. I hope others have a better experience from here on out! read more

We adopted our sweet Elton nine years ago. Don't believe the low reviews - Bev is the real deal and she cares deeply for the animals she rescues and places in homes. MAR isn't any kind of huge organization, and she cares for many animals herself. Sometimes it may take awhile for her to get back to someone, but that doesn't make her unprofessional. Our experience adopting our dog was wonderful and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend MAR to anyone interested in adopting a pet! read more

MAR - Mercer Animal Rescue - Dog on couch taking a nap - Pet Adoption Near Me

MAR is absolutely wonderful. We met our sweet AJ through them. They saved him from a kill shelter in Memphis, where he was going to be euthanized. His foster family were truly some of the most kindhearted people we have ever met, and checked in with us on AJs wellbeing after adoption. MAR takes great care in placing dogs in the right homes for them, so they can live long, healthy and happy lives. read more

MAR - Mercer Animal Rescue - Pet Adoption Near Me

Beverly is amazing! The work she does to save these animals is incredible! I was searching for a pup after one of my rescues crossed over and she was a bright spot in what had been a sad time for me. She brought our baby Onyx up from Illinois to NJ over the weekend. It was a 12 hour drive and when I met my baby and his siblings, I could see how well they'd been taken care of, in addition, she kept in touch with me throughout the week, even sending me pictures of my baby getting his routine check up at the Vet. I am SO eternally grateful to her and would not hesitate to reach out to her at any time to adopt another one of her amazing rescues! My pup is happy and healthy, not to mention so sweet and smart! He is VERY well loved! read more

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We had the best experience with MAR and Beverly when we adopted our Hobie (formerly Charlie) in 2018. Hobie was well taken care of before we met him and Beverly was so communicative and helpful. To say otherwise is completely false and probably was not said for the most honest and kind reasons. We will always hold MAR in our hearts and whenever there is an opportunity to donate goods, we always try and do so. Thank you so much to MAR. Our family is so much better with Hobie. read more

MAR - Mercer Animal Rescue - Pet Adoption Near Me

We adopted our perfect pup, Brody, from MAR in March of this year. He truly is the best dog we could ask for, and was in great hands with Bev for several months. She got him the heartworm treatment he needed, as well as neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped. This was my first dog adoption and the process was very smooth. Quick responses from MAR, received medical records promptly, and got to meet and spend plenty of time with Brody before deciding on adoption. I can't thank MAR enough!! read more

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We have adopted 3 pups from MAR over the last 10 years! They are such sweet cuddly pups and I am so grateful to Beverly for them. When I adopted Odie 10 years ago, I had a laundry list of questions to ask about him. Beverly was very honest and helpful in her answers; it was clear she just wanted the very best for the little guy! There are few people that love animals as much as Beverly does! She goes to the ends of the earth to help as many puppies in need. All 3 dogs were neutered/spayed and fully vaccinated when they came to us, which is amazing considering how expensive these procedures are! I recommend anyone looking to adopt to check out MAR! read more

MAR - Mercer Animal Rescue - Pet Adoption Near Me

My boyfriend and I have been fostering dogs for Beverly for over a year now and we adopted our puppy from the litter we fostered. She has always been supportive, when we needed someone to watch our foster dog for a week, she found someone. When we needed puppy supplies, she brought it to us. If we ever had a health concern for a dog, she addressed it as soon as possible. She allowed us to have a say in who the dogs go to because she knows the fosters get lots of insight on the dog's personality. Just keep in mind that this is a very small rescue so if you're wondering why she hasn't emailed you back yet, she may be on some country highway with no service, trying to catch a stray dog that desperately needs saving or she's taking 3 litters of malnourished puppies to the vet to get their first checkup. Also, I want to say that fostering a litter was a life changing experience and if you have the time and space, please apply to foster. It was amazing (and messy, but mostly amazing.) read more

MAR - Mercer Animal Rescue - Foster Litter - Pet Adoption Near Me

Bev Mercer and the MAR team are wonderful. They rescue the dogs who need it most and are tireless in their determination to saving pups and helping make happy families. I adopted this handsome guy, Louie, almost 10 years ago. He was a stray in Mississippi who likely wouldn't have made it in his own and now he is living a wonderful life in Chicago. I highly recommend adopting from MAR if you are looking for your new best friend. The dogs come with their shots, are spayed or neutered, microchipped and MAR is a nonprofit with very reasonable adoption fees. I hope to start fostering for them soon so we can save even more lives. read more

MAR - Mercer Animal Rescue - MAR rescue pup Louie on one of his favorite pillows. - Pet Adoption Near Me

I have had the pleasure of working with Beverly Mercer for many years and she has always put the well being of the dogs above all else! I specifically had Toad in my care for a week prior to handing him off to Beverly and was tempted to keep him he was so amazing and wonderfully sweet! Anyone who adopts this guy is a lucky soul ! I am thrilled he has been returned to her because he deserves a family who will love him unconditionally ! read more

Do not use Beverly who is the shameful, disgraceful owner. She cares little about treating people at least baseline well who sincerely want to adopt animals. I drove 3 hours to see a dog and had my application approved and setup my whole house (gigantic house) to then be told that the dog needed a yard, which my application already noted. The foster parent said the dog wasn't very active out of the litter and didn't need as much activity. On top of that, she calls the vet after I visit and had my application approved to say I'm now denied because "vet" said no yard. Oh please. Shame on you. Shame on you for inappropriate, false pretenses, and unprofessional practices! After reading the review below how you treated them the same, it hurts me even more that you're so miserable with your own life that you take hurt out on people, and animals who can't speak for themselves. read more

My wife and I had a very unpleasant and unprofessional experience with the owner, Bev. We adopted a Jack Russel mix who, according to the description on their site, is a great "city dog". We met him on a horse farm an hour outside of Chicago and he was very playful and wonderful. Unfortunately, when we brought him back to our Chicago apartment, the poor guy was obviously very stressed and uncomfortable in his new environment. He constantly paced and whimpered, refused to go up or down stairs (we live on the 2nd floor of a two flat) and he started biting us. He's a young dog so I thought he was just nervous at first, but after 24 hours the biting increased and he couldn't get comfortable. None of this is the dog's fault. We are experienced dog owners who know when a dog's temperament is right for us or not, and we could tell quickly he was meant to be in a home with a big yard and maybe other dogs to play with. He may be a "city dog" but that city is not the North side of Chicago. It was one of the most difficult decisions we've ever had to make, but after alot of crying and soul searching, we decided to bring him back to the horse farm. The foster mom was great and understood where we were coming from. However, when we emailed Bev, she responded as if we were irresponsible people who didn't want this dog. We desperately wanted this dog, which is why we were in tears during this whole return process. Bev also accused of lying, despite me providing photo evidence of the biting. (I've noticed in the negative reviews on here she consistently accuses the reviewer of not being honest, so I expect she'll do the same here). Instead of showing empathy to people who just wanted the best for this dog, she rubbed it in our faces by sending us photos of the dog looking comfy in his foster home and said, "Anyway, we are very happy to have him back and clearly he is happy to be back." Obviously, we knew the dog would be happier there, which is why we brought him back. Ironically, in the photos were the many toys we bought this dog to make him feel as loved as possible. It was unnecessarily cruel, and makes us very hesitant to help rescue dogs in the future. read more

I got my fur baby from Beverly and she was reluctant to give us our Quinton at first because we have allergies. I can't say that I blame her. Beverly isn't here for us, she is here for these beautiful animals. She made us promise to give Quinton back if we had any issues, which we agreed to. Ten years later, we could not be happier with our decision to adopt our boy. He is everything we ever wanted and I am crying as I write this because i can't imagine my life without him. If Beverly is being conservative, it's because it's in the best interest for the dog. She does her due diligence and puts the needs of the animal before anything else. read more

We adopted our little dude in January 2020. The process was super smooth, and the rescue was even able to work around us being on vacation over Christmas in December 2019. We are thinking of adding a new friend to our family and will definitely consider adopting from MAR again. read more

MAR - Mercer Animal Rescue - The photo for the adoption listing - Pet Adoption Near Me

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I'm shocked about the low reviews. Adopting with MAR was so easy and hassle-free that we adopted another dog through them a few years later! The foster for the first dog called me and told me all about the dog I was going to adopt, making sure I was truly interested in him. The application was easy to fill out and we met all the requirements. Payment and then finally receiving our pup was effortless. Bev was absolutely great, she followed up with us after our dog arrived to make sure he was doing well. A few years later my mom fell in love with another dog up for adoption by MAR, and because we had adopted before, we were chosen within a day! They are the sweetest, most hilarious dogs ever. They're endless sources of joy and love. I have a feeling some of the negative reviews are from people who were turned down during the application process, either because there were tons of other people wanting that dog too, or their house/home did not meet the standards MAR is looking for. MAR wants to adopt out dogs to their forever homes, and some dogs need to be the only dog in the family, or a no-kids family. Doesn't matter how "mature" your kids are, or how "nice" your other dog is. Take all these reviews with a grain of salt, because some of these people are exactly that... salty. read more

I adopted my dog Ellie a few years ago. Couldn't be happier. Mercer Animal Rescue and sanctuary does a great job at rescuing animals in need in a part of the country that seems to sadly have too many dogs being abandoned. I like the fact that they make sure their rescues are put in proper homes based on the needs of the rescue. read more

Marley has been the best dog we've ever had. Bev with MAR is really wonderful. She's 100% dedicated to getting neglected dogs into loving homes. She is so friendly and easy to talk to, and the adoption process was straight forward. Bev and her helpers have every dogs' best interest at heart. Even though we moved across the country, we'll be adopting from MAR again! read more

MAR - Mercer Animal Rescue - Marley - Pet Adoption Near Me

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Zero stars! Bev Mercer is the most unprofessional person you could ever work with. My husband and I tried adopting a dog and didn't hear back, so we reached back out. She said she didn't even look at our application but would take a look that day. Immediately, she approved our application. Seems nice right? But she didn't even call to make sure we even knew about the breed (which luckily we do). Then she sends the contract that night. Two hours later, she sends ANOTHER email saying she'd like us to sign and pay that night. The contract is all kinds of sketchy. Saying things like, after adoption they want to know all addresses you move to in the future. They also "have the right to visit at any time" after adoption. That same night, we got a call that my father in law is passing away. Clearly not a great time to get a new puppy. We wrote her an email explaining this and Bev wrote back three emails how we were lying and inconsiderate and not fit to adopt. HOW UNPROFESSIONAL!! This woman is a complete disaster of a person. DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH HER. I work at a vet and there are plenty of great shelters that you can use that have good values. read more

Updating because I just saw Bev's response which is entirely false. That was not the dog I was interested in and I have a yard. My guess is she's just confused and not lying, which tracks entirely with what I said in my initial review: "Bev is just a bit overwhelmed. It would be great if she could get some help or join forces with another group." read more

People definitely underestimate the hard work that goes into savings dogs and placing them in homes. Bev and her team work day and night to make sure that these dogs are safe and ensure that they are placed in the right home. This includes selecting a family that is good for the dog's health and happiness. We had a great experience with Bev. If it weren't for Bev we wouldn't have the best dog ever. So happy with our experience. read more

MAR - Mercer Animal Rescue - Mercer rescued and adopted dog Max - Pet Adoption Near Me

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We adopted our dog from MAR in July of 2020. Brie is a wonderful dog and Bev at MAR was super responsive and helpful when we had questions right after our adoption. We are so glad we chose MAR! read more

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BEWARE! This rescue is NOT on the up and up! Beverly Mercer tried using pressure tactics from the very beginning but we tried to look over it because we really felt that Luna (formally Harley) was meant to be ours. We drove to Chicago 8 hour round trip for us to meet Luna. We fell in love and brought her home. I contacted Beverly the next day to remind her to send the medical records and she sent me the wrong dogs records. No big deal, I simply emailed her that she had sent me the wrong ones and I ask for clarification on a couple things that she had said that were contradicting each other and didn't make sense. But again they were just simple questions. SHE then sent me an email and then a voicemail ranting that I have complained more than anybody in the past 13 years. My husband and I were like "what"? I simply had asked for the correct records and I did it in a polite way and I asked for clarification on a couple things. I saved the voicemail and I have all the correspondence between us. then I took Luna to her first appointment here. Beverly had told me that she had already been micro chipped and had her 1st shots and rabies. Our vet tried two different times to scan for microchip there was NONE on her, so we looked up the microchip number that Beverly had sent me and it's not a registered number! So come to find out she was lying about that and so chances are she was lying about Luna having any shots because the rabies number wasn't valid either and I was not given a tag. I was very upset and I let Beverly know that she had been found out and that me and my veterinarian are going to reach far and wide to do research and get the word out on her so-called rescue. Not to say that some people including me didn't end up with a special animal to give them a home BUT why all the lies and where are the animals coming from and how are they being treated before a possible adopter sees them? My vet is looking into some things she has some great contacts who are on this! I just wanted to give people a BIG heads up! I don't believe she is in it for the right reasons, I believe it's the money! I got on google and looked up "how do you tell if a rescue is fake" there are a lot of links you can read. One in particular had a list of 13 things and about 4 of them were huge red flags for Mercer! 1). If a rescue does not network animals locally. 2). If the rescue always gets animals from far away. Why are they not helping in their local area or more locally to where they live? Are they unable to get animals closer to where they live for some reason???? Their reputation perhaps. (Her dogs come from Southern states.) 3) If the rescue starts attacking people that are asking them normal rescue questions in an effort to try to divert attention away from them and answering the questions you asked them. (BOY that one hit home!!!! ) 4). If a rescue does not call your vet to see if you have a good record of taking care of your animals! (No call) 5). If you find bad reviews online that basically are bad reviews for same reasons/ tell the same story! And every bad review she responds by bashes the person as if they are an animal abuser and just terrible things. Never takes accountability for any of it. Never tries to make anything right just bashes the person. I'm sure there will be a response from her on mine as well. Who knows what she will make up this time! But I could care less, nothing will stop this snowball from rolling down hill now! Well I could go on and on but this is too long already, if anyone has more information they would like to share that I could gather with the information that I am gathering contact me privately through like messenger. BUT I suggest you think long and hard before adopting from her. I can only PRAY that LUNA is going to be healthy. She will be loved like family and have the BEST life. Please DO rescue animals! So many precious ones with no home it's heart breaking! BUT don't get caught up in the picture as I did. Do your due diligence and research and make sure you're adopting from a reputable rescue place. read more

MAR does so much good for so many homeless animals. Beverly works tirelessly to find GOOD homes for the animals. My Izzy brings me joy every day. I'm so grateful to Bev for bringing us together. I always say I hit the rescue dog jackpot. read more

MAR - Mercer Animal Rescue - Izzy - Pet Adoption Near Me

Amazing rescue organization that works incredible hard to help save as many animals as possible. They're caring, considerate, and responsive. read more

Bev and her crew work so hard to rescue as many dogs as they can and place them in homes where their needs will be met. We are incredibly thankful for MAR for rescuing our dog Sally and her 9 puppies. We are forever grateful for their heartfelt and giving work!!!!!! We wish more people would donate to this organization so they could save more dogs in the high kill shelters where there is overwhelming need. read more

Excellent organization! Loved working with MAR. They helped find my family our greatest addition Be prepared for background checks and veterinarian referrals. I love that this is done, to assure a loving and safe home for all their animals. read more

Thanks to Beverly we have this happy fuzzy boy!! After our old dog had passed we had a void in our family and wanted to give another dog a home. Beverly was super helpful in helping us adopt Cody and getting him transported up to the northeast! We can't thank MAR enough for our sweet boy! Bev and team do amazing things for animals, adopt from MAR!! read more

MAR - Mercer Animal Rescue - Pet Adoption Near Me

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Inaccurate health records for both my puppies adopted, they both had numerous parasites that their records stated they were negative for. When I reached out to Bev regarding this she stated she didn't believe me. Our vet has serious concerns about the living conditions of the puppies at this rescue and encouraged us to report this rescue. Luckily our puppies are doing somewhat okay for now - our vet stated they would not have made it had we not gotten them into care. I spoke with a girl who adopted a puppy from the same litter and her puppy was equally as sick. read more

We have adopted 3 dogs from Mercer and most recently began to foster. Bev has been very easy to work with and really cares about the dogs finding a home. These dogs would not have a chance, if it wasn't for Bev. She's gets them from horrific conditions, takes them into her own house, gives them love and then brings them to the Chicago area for a better life. She has saved countless dogs from an ill fate. The application process is easy and the dogs are mostly young pups that wouldn't stand a chance. Fostering is a great experience and I'm glad she's allowed me to be a stepping stone in helping these dogs find their forever home. The true test, though, is when things don't go as planned and the response. Bev has been very supportive, refunds clients' money and all to make sure that the dog has the best opportunity for success. As the foster mom of Toad, it was very disappointing that his adoption didn't work, but at least he was returned quickly and monies refunded. This little guy had been through a horrible life and was terribly misunderstood and not given a chance to be the great dog that he is read more

Seems very disorganized. I emailed twice and called about potentially rescuing a dog and nobody bothered to get back to me. Hopefully these animals are doing so well that it's not a concern for them to call people back? read more

We adopted our dog, Oskee, in May 2020. We had been trying to adopt from other rescues for months and rarely heard back. When we found MAR, it was only a short period of time before we heard from Beverly and were accepted for our boy. MAR works tirelessly to save these dogs from the streets, and bring them to new homes to live happy lives. I wouldn't hesitate to adopt from them again. read more

MAR - Mercer Animal Rescue - Pet Adoption Near Me

This rescue is a joke I'm not sure if they are racist or going for the highest bidder. I submitted an application early June for a dog they listed on a pet finding site heard nothing. Mid June submitted another application for a different dog they posted on FB. Heard nothing reach out a week later was told the dog was shy so she couldn't be adopted yet. 1 week later submit another application for a dog on FB. I emailed to inquire about my last 2 applications. I was told the shy dog received over a 100 applications she had to review and the last dog had just been listed. 1 week later both dogs are listed on the pet finding site. Don't waste your time with this rescue. Beverly the executive plays games instead of trying to find a really good home for these fur babies. read more

I had nothing but the most amazing experience adopting my hound dog pup from Mercer Animal Rescue. They were clear and communicative, focused first and foremost on the needs and well-being of the dogs (as any good rescue should be) and so committed to finding a good match for dog with a new home. The volunteers they worked with for the transport for my dog from the rescue down south to up north were wonderful as well. They made very clear that they had a commitment to my dog in an ongoing way--that if anything was a problem or if I couldn't keep my commitments to my dog, they would want to make sure they could get her back. I wouldn't want to work with a rescue that didn't have this kind of deep commitment to the dogs. More than all of this, the pup I got from them is the sweetest, most delightful and loving dog--she was just a couple of months when she was brought to MAR and it's clear that they gave her lots of care before she came to me, because she's such a loving dog. I continue to support MAR, with gratitude for my amazing pup! read more

MAR - Mercer Animal Rescue - When I first got my pup from the amazing folks at MAR. - Pet Adoption Near Me

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Such a hard working rescue that does everything possible to help as many dogs as they can. Their social media speaks for itself with daily saves and adoptions. The world needs more people like Bev and the MAR staff! read more

I've adopted two dogs from MAR in the past year and so beyond grateful for all that Beverly and her volunteers do for these dogs who would otherwise end up in high kill shelters or on the street. Beverly has always been very responsive and patient with my questions and she also spent a lot of time talking with me about my dog owner experience and life style when I adopted the first dog from her. I also appreciated the language in the contract about MAR being able to visit anytime and the requirement of the dog going back to MAR should something happen to me or my ability to care for them. It showed me how important the well-being of these dogs are to MAR. I cannot imagine running a foster based rescue like Beverly does. We need more people like her on this earth! This is a wonderful organization and I highly recommend for people who want to adopt for the right reasons and are committed to the responsibility of taking care of a dog. read more