MatchDog Rescue has given me and my bf our first love, Hewitt. Before attending the event in Atco, we were given a phone call with a proper run down on how the event would work so we were not confused when we got there. They are extremely communicative, and the events are usually held on Saturdays, but the transport that was bringing the dogs in had troubles and the event ultimately had to be moved to Sunday. I had my phone call at about 11:15 and about 1 PM hours later I was informed about the date change. It is not a typical adoption shelter that I have been to in the past. At the event, there is a ticket system, as in, the earlier you get there the earlier you will be called. While you wait you mingle with the volunteers and the dogs. You get a vibe on which dog feels like the best fit for you. However, be mindful that the crew with MatchDog Rescue does their due diligence and wants the best for EVERY SINGLE DOG. We went to the event with a very specific dog in mind. One that was on the medium/large end. However, the staff that reviewed our application and lifestyle, let us know that the dog might not be the best fit for us in terms of training and size of our home. While it was disappointing to hear, we knew at heart we wanted what was best for the dog and us. As mentioned before there is a mingling period while waiting to be called on by staff. During this period you can meet dogs of all ages, sizes, and all types OUTSIDE of dog cages. We had met several different dogs during this period, just to name a few that I can remember, Nevada, Hewitt, Cassidy, Dukie, and Garret. We bonded with several dogs early on, but with our hearts set on a specific dog, we just enjoyed their presence. However, after being informed that the dog we had our hearts set on was not a good fit for us, we knew which of the many dogs we met during the mingling period we wanted to go on a walk with. We asked if Hewitt was a good fit for us, confirmed he was, took him on a little stroll around the lot, and knew that our hearts were set on him. We went through the process of adopting him and each volunteer we worked with, remembered Hewitt and always told us how he was such a great dog and a cute little snippet or fun fact about Hewitt. There was never a doubt in my mind that Hewitt was not loved under their care. On our way out with Hewitt, the last volunteer that we worked with walked us to our car, ensuring that Hewitt was buckled in and safe and had their very loving and sad goodbyes with each other. Hewitt has been with us for about a week. We are a very calm, but active couple and Hewitt matches exactly that for us. When we are relaxing, he is relaxing. When we are running, Hewitt is right there running with us. It is not something that I considered when I was looking into adopting a dog, but I am extremely grateful the staff at MDR let us know before adopting a dog. If ever in the future I am looking for a second dog, there is no doubt in my mind that MDR will be the first adoption agency I look into. read more

MatchDog Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me - Waterford Township, New Jersey

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Match Dog Rescue is an incredibly organized, compassionate, thoughtful, and well-run organization. They go to great lengths to vet potential adopters and match dogs with the right "Furever" family. Their volunteers coordinate with partner rescues in areas with an abundance of overcrowded, high-kill shelters. They travel to these areas, rescue and transport the pooches to New Jersey, where dedicated fosters await their arrival. The fosters nurture, care for and partner with veterinary professionals to ensure that the rescued pups are primed to thrive in their new "Furever" homes. We highly recommend Match Dog and are eternally grateful to them for bringing our beloved Jessy "home" to us. - Steve and Anna C. read more

I've dealt with various fosters and rescues over the years and my friends just adopted as well. I have to say... adopting Biloxi (now Finn) from MatchDog was a standout experience. They were super organized and made sure their adopters had all the information that they needed to be setup for success. On top of that, their pre-adoption veterinary care was very thorough. Finn came with all his vaccines, months of heart & tick protection, a healthy gut, neutered, and microchipped! So many dogs pickup a parasite, cough, or another illness during the rescue process which makes the already stressful introduction period even more so. Having a healthy pup allows you both to concentrate on bonding. read more

They are so organized and kind and helpful. It is a little daunting when you decide you want to rescue and then you miss out on dogs because they're already spoken for. But MatchDog is so helpful and they have wonderful volunteers who check in and answer questions. We finally adopted Jeni (whose name will likely change but we haven't landed yet) she is such a sweet little girl and we are smitten!!!! Thank you MatchDog! read more

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The whole process was very smooth, from meeting one of the marchers to the adoption process.

After filling out paperwork, providing medical records & personal data & phone interview I was to meet dog Saturday @ adoption event. After spending+/- hour getting to know dog, I was told I was only approved to adopt senior & not one I was interested in. No where in their literature were any statements about age. They had possession of all my personal data. My impression was that I'd be taking home a dog. Why did they keep us waiting an hour to tell us of the rejection. They pushed for adopting a senior dog & sent an email pushing for adoption of senior dog. Very angry about how this was handled. read more

I am sorry to say my experience wasn't good and never had the chance to meet any dog not even the one i chose and my 2nd choice She is probably adopted by a younger person When filling out the application it ask for your age, which I am 74 in good health and always had dogs since i was19 I was honest on the application, i could have lied I can understand why this rescue would take precautions with older people I get it but it is still hurtful and also makes me angry I questioned them about it, said we need to meet you before approving your application & maybe not approving it. Then was told i would get a call and never did! The conversations i had with them was per text or email Most rescues do not ask your age when filling out the application. I feel I have been discrimated against even though part of me understands the reasons for the precautions The dogs are most important when all is said and done I read all the wonderful reviews about matchdogrescue I am happy for all you who got their new furbaby and had a great experience!! read more

MatchDog was very organized from the second we arrived at the adoption event. Everyone there was personable and super helpful. After meeting and choosing our new family member, they set us up with registering our pup's microchip and with free 30 days of life insurance through MetLife. We also received a smart wag tag, and we were set up with accounts and discounts for petco, petsmart, and embark. All vet records available were given to us. They also gave us a recommendation for an affordable clinic for the future. We are very happy with our decision in choosing to adopt through them and will refer them to friends and family. Thank you, MatchDog. We love our Leia Rey! (aka MC) read more

I was a little skeptical after reading a lot of abysmal reviews, but when I expressed these concerns to a volunteer (my assigned "Matchmaker"), she called me on the phone and talked to me in detail about how the rescue operates. It was a little bizarre that the dogs were pulled straight off a truck from down south, but they were all clean and looked to be in good health. The one thing that I wasn't a huge fan of was that you could only see one dog, and if you weren't 100% sure that the dog you reserved a meet with was a good match then you would have to wait until every single reserved meet was completed and you could basically see what dogs were left over. There were quite a few dogs on the website that I was interested in so I would have liked the option to reserve a meet with multiple dogs instead of just one. Fortunately, though, I did immediately fall in love with the first dog I met and I didn't feel the need to wait and look at others. It was a long morning and took a while for them to bring the dog out to us, but in general the event was run pretty smoothly and lots of family went home with huge smiles and happy dogs. The volunteers were all extremely pleasant and very clearly passionate about what they do. The $275 adoption fee included spay/neuter, vaccines for rabies and kennel cough, a microchip, ointment in case the microchip injection site became irritated, medicine to help calm the dog's stomach after transit, a coupon for 20% off at PetCo, access to a dog training webinar every Saturday, access to a Facebook group solely for MatchDog adopters, a professional photograph with your new dog, and even a collar and leash plus a "MatchDog" tag. The only additional costs were $12 to register the microchip and $5 for a doggy seatbelt since I didn't have one already. Some rescues charge $600+ for the same or fewer things! read more

MatchDog Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me - Waterford Township, New Jersey

We adopted our dog a month ago. We love him. Thank you all. They had a good system and we love our Frankie boy ! read more

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We were lucky enough to adopt our third MatchDog pup last weekend. Once again, the adoption process focused on a true "match" for both pup and potential family. The main focus is the needs of the pup, as it should be. Again, the process was an extremely positive one and we felt well informed throughout. Match Dog also provides various resources to utilize post-adoption. Yes, you do need to put your day aside for the adoption, and when you see that it is so ALL the dogs on the transport can be cared for properly and adopted out with great care, it makes sense. This organization pulls dogs from high kill shelters and off euthanasia lists, vets them, transports them safely across the country, and into your family if there is a "match". It is a massive task, especially when you consider these are volunteers who have full time day jobs. I cannot recommend Match Dog rescue enough. While our fur baby family is now full, our family will continue to support them in the future in various other ways. Thank you, Match Dog rescue! read more

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From start to finish, this was such a wonderful process! Everyone we encountered at MatchDog was so nice and helpful. We submitted an application for four dogs and heard back within a couple of days. From there, we spoke with a volunteer who gave us a rundown of what to expect throughout the remainder of the adoption process, including transport day. Everything on transport day ran so smoothly. They were running a little bit behind schedule, but that's okay. We prepared for an extra hour or two and planned for it to be a long morning. There were about 80 dogs coming in, 50 of them being adopted that day so of course it was going to take a bit of time to get through everyone. But it was all very clear and each step was smooth. The volunteers were so knowledgeable and all helped each other out while getting folks set up at each station. We're so in love with our pup and I'd recommend MatchDog to anyone looking for a rescue! read more

I adopted my puppy In February I saw her on their website and submitted my application. It was the best decision I made. She is the cutest and sweetest puppy. She was spade and up to date on her shots and microchipped. It is true when people say that they know you rescued them and are so grateful. She came from a kill center in Corpus Christi, Texas. I am so grateful that Matchdog Rescue brought her into my life. They are doing an amazing job in saving these beautiful dogs. I had been scammed by an alleged reputable breeder on Facebook right before Christmas. I was so grateful a few months later to find Matchdog, they are a wonderful organization and the fee to adopt is $275.00 for your future best friend. read more

October 2021 Update: Received a letter from a lawyer about these reviews. What kind of rescue retains a lawyer to scare people into not sharing their experiences? Beware! They also posted on Facebook that there is a small minority that have negative experiences. Please note: Matchdog removed the "Reviews" portion of their Facebook page. Ask them to reinstate it for transparency. Post states they offer refunds/apologies, but we haven't got one yet! Found their financials and posted below as well. Original Posting: My partner and I had been searching for a dog this spring. When we received a phone call from Matchdog, we were ecstatic. We were offered "Cider," from the Donut Transport. Then we got a call back saying we could take Cider OR Cronut, as we had matched with both. We called back and said that we would like Cider, as we wanted a lab. WE WERE THEN TOLD THEY HAD JUST OFFERED CIDER TO ANOTHER FAMILY, but could definitely take Cronut. So we went along with it. Family members asked us about the bait and switch, but we figured it was an honest mistake. We went to the transport, which was disorganized. Again, I was giving them a break as COVID-19 has thrown a wrench in everyone's plans. We were there for the earliest Window and sat around for about an hour and a half (so other groups that had just arrived were getting their dogs and we were still sitting there). One of the volunteers was annoyed for us, and noted how poorly it was going. We took Cronut home and he was great the first day. Very peaceful and calm. By the second night, he started to get aggressive towards me, we perceive because I'm a male. The same family members above asked us "Do you think the dog was drugged?" because between the time we had Facetimed the first day to the second, it was clear that he was acting very differently. The third day, things escalated. Every time I moved around the house, the dog would growl and bark. I texted Kerry, (the president of Matchdog) and she told me that the dog was just vocal. I sent the same video to multiple veternarians and a trainer, and they said this was a warning sign that something wasn't right. We got an anxiety medication and tried to keep working. We struggled for about a week longer, with the behavior getting worse. He was unhappy, we were unhappy. We finally realized that this was a terrible fit. He was aggressive towards all men, hated going on walks with us because of the fear-based aggression towards other dogs (and basically every other house has a dog in our community). We had trainer, behaviorist, and 2 vets all agree that the dog had to get out of our house as it was bad for everyone. So they reposted Cronut- same profile but changed his name to Prosecco to match the upcoming transport. Here's the kicker in all of this- once you surrender, they don't actually live up to the name Matchdog - they DO NOT match you with another do! They do not refund. We spent $350 (they call it a donation) for Cronut, and then $100's of dollars on food, trainers, behaviorists, vets, for him to be surrendered, and they won't even work with you to find your perfect dog. I actually put in an application to volunteer, as I felt guilty about a situation that was out of my control. But reading back through the text messages with Kerry, the president, she tries to shame you, and to make you feel like it is all your fault when it is not. Then, I saw the despicable nature where they will post private contact details of people, which is unacceptable, and then POC asked some really good questions about their inclusiveness as a rescue. I'll give you a hint- most of the people adopting look like me, Caucasian. Search Facebook for Matchdog PUPdates. Their description- "* Please note: this is a happy, fun place... an escape if you will and is heavily moderated to keep it that way. Please do not take offense if your post is not approved if you are seeking behavior advice or other issues...there are many other resources and venues where that sort of thing is more appropriate. Thank you and we are so glad you are part of the MatchDog tapestry. " I basically think they do try to maintain the illusion that everything is great for everyone. Image is everything in their eyes, even if it is not what is best for the dogs. They only allow positive posts on their update group. They just changed the Facebook Banner to a picture of POC to show that they are inclusive after questions were raised. tl;dr- Promised one dog, then another dog. Dogs personality changed 24 hours after adoption event. Received bad advice from President of Matchdog. Reposted dog under new name so no one would know. Everything is about image for Matchdog. PM me with any questions about this and I will be happy to answer. OH- and they import dogs from Mexico and supposedly don't follow the USDA guidelines- sort by negative FB reviews and you will see a heartbreaking one about a puppy that passed. read more

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PLEASE do your research on this organization. BE CAUTIOUS. I don't want another family to go through the same heartache that we encountered by losing our sweet dog in just 13 days. We adopted Cane (ID: PS1099320), a stray that was found abandoned on the sugarcane field in Texas. We took him home on June 9th. On June 16th, he had a runny nose. On June 18th, he started coughing and we rushed him to our primary vet. Blood work, PCR tests, and antibiotics were given. On June 21st, he wasn't feeling better and again, back to the vet. This time, even more tests were performed. When we noticed that he was having seizures, we rushed him to the ER. The ER vet reviewed his results and confirmed that he had distemper. With guidance from the ER vet, along with our primary vet, we had to let him go. Our hearts are broken. When I reached out to Matchdog Rescue to alert them of the situation, their response felt accusatory. They said that I should have contacted them and they would have taken him to the vet if "deemed necessary". The day we took him home, he was part of our family and he would have the best of everything, including healthcare. I have all of his medical records from our primary vet and medical notes from the ER vet. This information was provided to the rescue. So far, no response. He was not properly vetted and came to us with distemper. This is negligence. This rescue has put in jeopardy my dog at home and the dogs that he may have come into contact with, either during transit, at his foster home, or those that have already been adopted out. If you have adopted or plan to adopt from this organization, please make sure your dog is tested for distemper and rabies. Getting the vaccine is not enough if the dog was already exposed to this deadly disease. @Matchdog Rescue, please re-consider your vetting protocol given that you rescue and shelter dogs in an area that is high risk for distemper. We don't want another family to go through this same pain of losing their dog. read more

MatchDog Rescue - Cane - Animal Shelters Near Me - Waterford Township, New Jersey

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Generally speaking, we had a great experience adopting with MatchDog. We love our lil guy TJ. He has some issues that we were surprised weren't mentioned to us (mostly stomach issues -- he's allergic to chicken and he's so terribly shy outside of the house). The adoption process was straight forward, we were never asked for a dime (although we did donate because we had a good experience) and now we have our best friend for life. read more

MatchDog Rescue - TJ, our pup! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Waterford Township, New Jersey

We adopted our dog Rocky from match dog rescue last Saturday. He is fun, sweet, and loving. We are really having a great time with him. I took Rocky to the vet for the first time yesterday. He got a clean bill of health. If we ever decide to adopt another dog, MatchDog would be the first place I would look. read more

MatchDog Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me - Waterford Township, New Jersey

I adopted a dog through MatchDog in August 2020. I had a great experience and left with a great appreciation to all the volunteers who make this all happen. We applied to a couple puppies. We never expected a call/email regarding our application status. When you fill out the application, it explicitly says they don't have the volunteers to individually respond. I kept checking their website for their status: to see if they were pending adopting or still reviewing applications. We went to a virtual Zoom adoption event, which was so helpful and beneficial! One of the puppies we applied for was posted for the event. We were able to talk to volunteers and review our application with them. I also saw them give suggestions to other people on how to improve their application or to broaden their dog choices. I recommend attending a zoom event or meet & greet at the Marlton PetSmart. The volunteers are really nice and helpful. The puppy I applied for was really popular. I could tell by all the Facebook comments asking about her and the people in the Zoom asking about her. With the pandemic, a lot of people want to adopt! I didn't think we would be selected because I assumed there was sooo many applications. I made sure to include so many details and provide a lot of information about my home life and pet experience. I wanted to give them a clear picture of the kind of home/life I could provide a dog, so I think that helped. You can add up to 4 dogs on your application. You can donate as little as $1 when applying or email them to get a no-fee application. All this information is explained on the online application. read more

MatchDog Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me - Waterford Township, New Jersey

We had an awesome experience with Matchdog Rescue! We picked up our pup, Brittain, but now is named Rip yesterday! The pups come from high kill shelters and travel very far so the volunteers feed them, take them potty and do one last check up on them before giving them to their owners. My boyfriend and I applied for our dog and heard back within 3 days. We then had a video interview to confirm we were a good match, which thankfully we were! We picked him up yesterday at 10:15am and we're out by 11am! It was a super easy process and well organized. They were constantly communicating to use the process and gave us some time for the dog and us to know each other prior to paying then leaving. Would definitely recommend Matchdog Rescue to anyone looking, especially since they rescue pups from high kill shelters. read more

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This organization is horrible! I applied for a dog online and was approved. We drove almost 2 hours to get there. We stood waiting for 1 1/2 hours only to be told that we were only approved for an adult dog not a puppy. No reason could be given as to why we could not have a puppy. We wanted a puppy or young dog. We feel that it was due to our age. I am 61 and my husband is 76. We are contacting an attorney as we feel they discriminated against us. read more

So happy with our new puppy! We wanted to get a rescue dog since there were so many in need of a home and we thought it would be a good thing to do. We visited the MatchDog Rescue website and learned about what they do and their process. There's plenty of information there so it's worth the visit. Their volunteer Sue was terrific in helping us choose our dog. We really appreciate their efforts to ensure a suitable home to these beautiful dogs. We picked Kitchi who our daughter has renamed Sandy. Adoption day allowed us to spend time with our dog and make sure she was right for us. It was impressive how organized the volunteers were to help us. She came with papers showing her shots and history. It's been a week since we brought Sandy home and she is still acclimating. We have visited our vet for a wellness check and are happy to report that all is well with her. We appreciate all the work and vetting to ensure a suitable home for our puppy. We are thrilled to have her and grateful to MatchDog Rescue for saving her. Highly recommend MatchDog Rescue! read more

MatchDog Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me - Waterford Township, New Jersey

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If you are considering adopting from this place, DO NOT. Go read reviews on Reddit and Google and you'll see that adopting from them might become the most HORRIFIC experience of your life. I have a wonderful dog, Lumi, who's been with me for two years, who was adopted from a very trustworthy rescue Waggytail. Lumi is gentle, friendly, laid-back, the perfect match for me thanks to Waggytail's detailed description and thorough vetting process. Now, seeing my success, my roommate decided to venture out and adopt a dog of her own, and found Matchdog's dog "Lia" on Petfinder. Lia was described as a gentle and calm dog good with other dogs, plus she just waned her puppies (which should be a red flag but stupid of us not to see it). Lumi had also had puppies before she ended up in shelter. So we naturally though that Lia would be the perfect addition to our household, and a good playmate with Lumi. To ensure that we got Lia, my roommate rented a car and drove 2 hours to Matchdog's adoption event. I went with her to support her as a friend. During the event, we were in a room filled with dogs and Lia seemed anxious, but we thought it was just because of the environment. When my roommate went to sign the forms, Lia really started to jump up and down in anxiety, which, another red flag that we should have seen... but all the staff said that they have never seen Lia like that (really?). Now, here's the good part. Literally the LAST MINUTE while my roommate was signing the adoption form, a person casually said to her: oh btw Lia has heartworm, just so you know, which she contracted while she was in foster and we had not treated at all because she was nursing and which you need to start treating. Here's a bag of pills for you to give her for about a month and then you need to take her to the vet for three shots and then you need to spay her because, oh yes, we did not do that either. Now, my roommate is NOT an experienced dog owner and did not know everything about heartworm. And, already fallen in love with Lia and being the kind and gentle person that she was (plus, overwhelmed by all the new info that should have been in Lia's description but was NOT), my roommate found it hard to back down and signed the form. After we took Lia home and after two days of decompressing, Lia finally started to show her personality. She is a great dog, yes. Inquisitive, smart, cuddly, and playful. But NOTHING like how Matchdog described her. First off, she has separation anxiety and would start wining, shaking, pulling out clothes from closet, etc, if the person she bonded with (my roommate) was not with her. Second, although she was not hostile towards other dogs, she was clearly young and did not have a lot of, if any, experience interacting with other dogs. She did not understand boundary and, being the dominant dog that she was, constantly, albeit unawaredly, bullied Lumi by mounting her and one time even trying to piss ON her. Luckily Lumi is a super gentle dog and tolerated these behaviors as best as she could but the tension was clearly making Lumi unhappy. Now, these behaviors can be trained, yes. With time, skill, and patience, Lia could become a great companion. ButMatchdog, when writing her description, clearly knew nothing about her. She should have been matched with a more experienced owner with the skill to handle her medical condition and she should NOT have been labeled "calm and good with other dogs." In my personal opinion, she should have been an only dog, at least for now. Oh, just so you know, we only found out that she did NOT have her rabies shots after we went home and checked her medical records. No one mentioned a thing to us at the adoption event even when they knew we had another dog back at home. And after we visited our trusted vet in Jersey City, initial examination showed that Lia filed all her teeth down to half what the length should be, probably because she was kept in a cage with her puppy for at least a month while being extremely anxious. read more

They are a scam.. DO NOT PAY DEPOSIT FOR ANY DOG.. I paid a $150 deposit for a 2-year-old female dog and already had puppies, not that it bothers me, but I'd rather have a younger dog. When I checked their website, I saw that they had her puppies for adoption (5 months old) , so I texted them asking if I could have one of the puppies instead of her; after about 10 minutes, they sent me a long text saying that I was not a good fit to adopt one of the puppies or any of their dogs and good luck with my search, but refused to refund my money. The correct procedure should be either to tell me they can't switch the dogs and offer to refund my money or tell me that can be done and if I still want the dog... WATCH OUT FOR THESE PEOPLE. I PUT A COMPLAINT TO NJ CONSUMER AFFAIRS (CHARITY INVESTIGATION) , SO I ADVISE ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE SAME PROBLEM TO FILE A COMPLAINT AS WELL, SO WE CAN STOP THIS ORGANIZATION FROM STEALING OUR MONEY. THIS IS THE LINK: https://njconsumeraffairs.nj.gov. Also, these people claim I signed a contract, which is not true. I do not know what this lady is talking about; I ATTACHED THE PICTURE FROM HER TEXT TELLING ME THAT THEY REFUSED THE GIVE ME THE MONEY BACK, AND MY ANSWER TO HER.. PLEASE READ THIS POST IN REDDIT https://www.reddit.com/r/PetRescueExposed/comments/11a08l5/sketchy_animal_rescue_in_new_jersey/ read more

MatchDog Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me - Waterford Township, New Jersey

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I have been looking for a scruffy terrier since we lost our last one (we have had 2) and when I saw Mason on MatchDogRescue my heart melted. Even my husband who said "No more Dogs" agreed. This is the sweetest and most snuggly dog ever. This organization goes above and beyond to resuce from high kill Texas shelters and bring them to the NJ(PA) area and their adoption is just $275. We are so happy Mason is part of the family, thanks to MatchDogRescue read more

MatchDog Rescue - Adoption Day, June 1, 2024 - Animal Shelters Near Me - Waterford Township, New Jersey

Dog was not as represented. Owner was not honest. She became outright hostile, in the calmest scariest kind of tone. All around red flags. This may now be a multimillion business with huge assets listed and likely is one of those places with deals with puppy mills that are documented in Tx, purchased at auction. Rumors of preference for "acceptable types of owner abound. And yes I was approved for an adoption, so please do not lay false claims upon my perception that this is part of new industry creating increased demand for putting pets at risk through transit instead of "wrong people" or no money to be made in areas dogs could be rescued more safely. Do your research. This is not good for many dogs or people. I am sure there are good and honest dog loving volunteers. I am also sure the person owning this business and her behaviors and statements were beyond unprofessional with me. I hope it was a bad day for her and her deal with me was a one off. I do not think so. The poor dog was not healthy, and definitely not as my requested pet --a healthy not special needs dog as was repeatedly described until I met the poor fella. I suspect this is not in most dogs interest. I am thrilled vulnerable people have dogs they are willing to accept, even as I had agreed, after seeing the dog had poop that demonstrated illness, was unable to calm outside, and likely wouldn't be the non-anxirty ridden healthy, sure you can go to work for several hours tomorrow dog promised. A lot of promises in writing. A lot of broken hearts silenced by FB page now asking in screening if you agree to give five star Google reviews. For the place people who adopted might find shared experiences -- good or bad. read more

I recently adopted a small dog from MatchDog Rescue in early January 2024. I absolutely love my dog. She is so sweet and pretty much as described by MatchDog. The application process was pretty straightforward. I did attend an adoption event where I met in person with volunteer staff to get matched with a dog. I really just looked at the website and was able to choose a dog that I would like to meet the following week when the transport arrived, I put a deposit down and was told, if during the meeting of the dog, I decided she wasn't for me, I would get my deposit back no questions asked. That was fine with me. The following week when I met my dog, I fell in love and decided to take her home. The process took a couple hours as all the 87 arriving dogs were being microchipped among other things. So there was a lot of waiting around. Since I was adopting on my own, the volunteers said I could bring a friend which I appreciated. MatchDog is run by volunteers so while I have no complaints, I wonder if that where some of the negative reviews come from. I had a nice experience with all of the volunteers that I worked with. A friend of mine adopted a lovely dog from MatchDog a few years ago and she had a positive experience too. I'm so glad I went with MatchDog and now have my new best friend! read more

On Feb 10 our little Matchdog Honey joined our family. Here it is April and she is doing great. I want to thank the Matchdog family for their diligence and responsiveness through the adoption process. These are dedicated people, volunteering their time. I highly recon's s this group of young are looking to adopt a dog. Thanks Matchdog! read more

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We recently adopted a dog from MatchDog Rescue and highly recommend them if you are looking to add to your family. The process was very organized from the first contact to the day of adoption. The price is very reasonable as well! read more

We adopted our two sweet babies there. First Scotty in June 2023, whom we renamed Chester and he's great and so sweet. We thought Matchdog was great, especially he was neutered and microchipped as well. We returned February 2024 and adopted Oretta, whom we adore too and she and Chester are best buddies and love each other. She was also spayed and microchipped, their process is great and they really care about the dogs to be adopted out. I recommend them to everyone and they save so many lives, hope they keep doing what they do! They are two wonderful puppies we adopted from them and they have great fosters as well too, also if u want to be a foster, you can apply for that as well. Such a great rescue with lovely people, fosters and volunteers and the sweetest babies who need loving homes. read more

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Got our baby angel from MatchDog! The experience was overall good. I'm impressed by how well behaved all the dogs were at the meet up with the chaos! The fosters must do a wonderful job. The adoption process was simple, just be prepared to wait at the event a bit. It is outside. We did go to meet another dog, but that was miscommunicated by the volunteers. I would improve upon how they send out invites to events to be more specific. However, everything happens for a reason and we are so happy with our baby!! She is the most perfect and well-behaved girl. I would definitely work with them again. THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS!!! read more

MatchDog Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me - Waterford Township, New Jersey

I adopted my "Oregon" MatchDog (Damascus, now Cooper) on 1/6/24 transport day. I wouldn't have been able to bring this amazing boy home without the help of my Matchmaker Susan and her dedication to finding the perfect match. She was patient with answering my questions and understood what I wanted in a furry companion. She told me upfront the information she had on Cooper and if he had any health conditions or needs she would share the information with me. She communicated with me only when necessary and told me to trust the process, everything will be fine! She ensured I got the best MatchDog that fit my needs. I put a deposit towards meeting Cooper which transferred over to my entire adoption payment on Match day. I received an email a few days before transport day with my meet time and all the necessary information for match day. Pulling up to the MatchDog headquarters we waited in our car eagerly waiting to be received by a volunteer. They gave us a rundown of what will happen and directed us into a parking spot. We were greeted by a few other volunteers and waited in the car until they brought Cooper out to me. Meeting him for the first time truly was love at first sight. He jumped in my arms and was ready to come home. I have been waiting for this day since I signed the meet day contract and trusting to process truly did work. Id like to add the weather was awful Saturday, freezing cold, rain/snow, and the volunteers were wonderful throughout the whole experience. Most of them outside in the weather the whole time. At no point did anyone push for donations or any additional payment incentives. We were happy to donate considering all they did for the dogs and us. Since bringing Cooper home he has been the biggest blessing and best boy. He's loving, gentle, doing great with potty training and sleeping in his crate. Going from the south to the northeast during a blizzard is a big adjustment and he seems to be acclimating very well. Truly an amazing dog. We just had his wellness visit and the vet said he looks and sounds great. He was up to date on all basic/necessary vaccines when I brought him home from MatchDog and he was neutered. Matchdog sent me home with a probiotic and antibiotic to ease his upset stomach due to the transport, vaccines, and de wormer he received prior to Match day They also microchip the dogs and help you register your information. You absolutely should adopt with them. Thank you so much MatchDog! read more

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Applied for a young dog with my roommate, and showed up to their adoption event to meet the dog we were interested in. Immediately, volunteers were huffing and puffing when people were not in a line to sign in, even though there was no clear direction or organization. After waiting for about an hour, a volunteer called us over to talk to us and make sure we didn't want to put in applications for other dogs. We explained we had our heart set on that particular dog, and didn't think it would be fair to put down other choices just for the sake of doing so. The volunteer then informed us that the dog was being adopted by someone else, and they were already working on the process... but that if it fell through, we would be called. Throughout the whole conversation, the volunteer was very standoffish and unkind to both myself and my roommate. Fast forward a week later, the same dog is posted all over social media, begging people to adopt it. Very odd. Perhaps we were not a good match for the dog, but they heavily encouraged us to keep applying, which I found weird. Will not be adopting from them in the future read more

This place is a scam if I've ever seen one. I was very excited seeing their website on the availability of many small dogs. I am all about rescuing a dog as that's all I've ever had and been very successful with. I immediately started following them on social media. I found out that there was an event at PetCo the upcoming weekend. Multiple dogs were advertised as being in foster and available. I applied online. Prior to going to the event a matchmaker texted and asked for information/clarification. They then called my 3 references. I was told my application was approved as I was standing in line at PetCo. Then things went downhill quickly. When it was our turn (over an hour later), we were told that there were no dogs to be seen at this adoption event actually only dogs that had a preset meet and greet. However, they were having an event tomorrow at their meetpad. If we would like to go to meet one of the dogs that we are interested in that was in foster, we would need to provide a $150 Deposit. We would have to be there by 9:30 in the morning and not more than five minutes late or we would lose our deposit and it would become a donation to the rescue. Because of icy conditions, and the fact that I am handicapped and couldn't guarantee we could be there at 9:30 on the dot, we decided not to make the deposit (plus the fact that seemed pretty sketchy to us...money down to meet a dog that may not be a match...cash or Venmo only). The next morning we were at the event at the time it opened. It took several hours to go through the process of re-registering. The dog that we were interested in and were told that we were a perfect match for was there. We spoke to several volunteers about this dog, and we're very excited. We were told that if someone else took her before because we did not make the deposit, then we were out of luck. However, we talked too many of the people there, and no one was interested in her. Most were there for the new puppies that were coming in by transport. A few of the other fosters did get adopted before it was our turn, but she was still available. We were not allowed to actually interact with her however until we spoke to a matchmaker on sight even though we were preappoved. After three hours, shivering in a cold warehouse, where this dog was also shivering, I was talking to some others about how uncomfortable this process was and how arduous but my excitement of giving this precious dog a perfect home was worth it. We were told we were next in line. Suddenly the matchmaker that we did speak to the day before appeared and asked if we were still interested in Meadow. She said she was very sorry, but there was another applicant that had come in and was being vetted for her because we did not make our deposit on her. They were gone and had not been preapproved like we were but had applied supposedly somehow before the we got there so was first choice. This was AFTER talking to many people including the owner of MatchDog about her availability and this same matchmaker seeing us sitting there for 3 hrs without saying a word. She said had I made the deposit and showed up on time she would have been ours but no deposit meant it didn't matter I was approved. We wasted 6+ hours on this for nothing! Lessons learned about this "rescue": They advertise that the fee is only $275 but you also have to give an additional fee of $125 bringing the total to $400 and it must be cash or Venmo. When navigating Wagtopia none of the dogs up front that hook you in are available to actually meet. Only dogs that have a ZZ in front of their name are in foster and can be met (only with a deposit or take your chance at the weekly meetup events). If said dog has an * they have a meetup setup and are unlikely to be available. Dogs with a zzz are pending adoption. (See below for screenshot of Meadow the dog we wanted to give a loving home taken 15 minutes ago). Talking to reputable rescues and reading others accounts of experiences with this so called volunteer rescue organization, it's a buyer beware situation. read more

MatchDog Rescue - Poor girl missing out on a loving home and wonderful life - Animal Shelters Near Me - Waterford Township, New Jersey

Part 1: Let me start out by saying I successfully do have a dog from this organization. It was an extremely rainy October day and there did not seem to be enough volunteers. The process was definitely rushed, I paid more than expected and I left with my head spinning about the additional things I had to do to suffice the adoption.(vet appointment within 7 days, microchip, & give a baggy full of pills???) Chino was apart of a supposed "hoarding case" and very skittish from the jump. He was too cute not to take so I decided to give him some space and have patience. Unfortunately, 11 months with me and there are still days Chino does not fully trust me or my husband and keeps to himself the majority of the day despite having dog siblings wanting to play with him. We are hoping with a little more time he will have a more fulfilling life and not be so skittish or cautious. Fast forward to this Summer and I have been itching to continue growing our pup family. Well I saw the cutest puppies available through MatchDog and decided to put an application in. I choose a tiny boy named Sandy. I was texted and called within a couple of days to do a Meet and Greet (something I did not have to do with Chino). I went to the event on a Saturday and waited over an hour past my "appointment" only to be told that I could only observe the dog and then someone would talk to me. This happened to several families who found the process strange, as we were all huddled in a small backyard area with10 puppies in a pen. No one could comfort them or touch them except the one teenager trapped inside with them. When I finally did speak to someone I was told to choose a couple more choices between the 10 pups and even other dogs online. I caved and choose the other 2 male siblings (Camper & Sailor), thinking I would be lucky to get any of them. I was then told to wait until the organizers could come to a decision on who should get what pup. None of them were ready to go home yet, but instead to be picked up at a later date. As I talked to other families waiting I was noticing a pattern of everyone having to choose additional dogs and multiple people thinking they were up for the same pup. Only 2 people from that group left, almost 4 hours later, with a confirmation about actually getting one of the 10 puppies. I felt rejected and annoyed, but left hoping to hear from someone. When I didn't after a couple days I reached out to my point person through text Kim. Unfortunately, she did not respond, so I also reached out via IG when I realized all 3 pups I put in for were going to be at another event at the end of the week. Still no response. I then made a last ditch effort and called Kim, leaving a message about feeling in the dark and somewhat rejected without any real confirmation as to why I would not be adopting this pup. Kim then called me that same night apologizing, saying that my applications had fallen through the cracks and that I was approved to get Sandy and his brother Camper. I could have BOTH DOGS if I wanted. I was appreciative and excited, I also said one pup would work because I knew so many others wanted these pups. I filled out the rest of my paperwork and paid the full fee through Venmo ($475) as instructed by Kim. My appointment was at 9:30 am today (8/5) and I DID NOT walk away with my pup. I instead was embarrassed and questioned about my line of work (I am a teacher), my daily schedule, and additional caretakers for my current dogs. The woman Kerry Morlino (the owner) made me feel as if I had no right to these dogs and was looking for any excuse not to let me have one. She told me that Sandy (one of the smallest) would NOT be available to me anymore and to choose a different dog, so I said Camper or Sailor. She did not like those answers either and eventually moved me away from the general population near the pups. Kerry kept cutting me off every time I would try to counter what she was saying and she also twisted my words in front of another volunteer. She then had the audacity to say I was not walking away with any of the 10 puppies, but I could choose from their online small breeds that were not puppies. I called her out on her bulshit and said that she was a real piece of work with how she handled the situation and I demanded my money back. read more

If you are looking for a small(er) dog, this is absolutely the best place to find one! It is a volunteer based rescue and they do an amazing job with the dogs. They take the time to really try to match the right dog with the right person. Dogs who don't get adopted straight away, go into foster homes in the area. This organization really does take great pride in caring for the dogs as if they were their own. As a foster for the rescue, I know first hand that these dogs are loved! read more

We adopted our girl this weekend from Matchdog rescue and it was so amazing! It is my first dog and they made the day so special. They were so kind and our girl is exactly as they said she would be. I would definitely rescue with them again in the future! read more

MatchDog Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me - Waterford Township, New Jersey

I reached out to matchdog in hopes of finding the perfect older dog for my mom. My sister donates to matchdog and recommended them. We are so happy with our " baby." However, these people were so rude. I'm actually going to say rude is an understatement. The owner, a woman with a British accent, threatened to unmatch my mom and baby( and actually did). Our matchmaker yelled at my sister on the phone and hung up on her mid sentence. These people were very unprofessional. I fully understand that most are volunteers, and for the most part, some of them were friendly. The people that I personally interacted with were some of the meanest, cold people I have met. The owner actually said to my 73 year old mother " are you sure you want this dog bc it doesn't seem like it." She made that comment because my elderly mother did not know how to use my cell phone to complete the appropriate paperwork. I am so glad I do not have to have contact with those many. Kudos to the volunteers who appreciate the odopters and respect them. Dog also has tics. Waiting on vet. read more

MatchDog Rescue - My mom and her baby. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Waterford Township, New Jersey

We adopted our sweet puppy boy from them in April 2021. I found the application process a bit rigid but fine and liked that they use venmo. The meetup was great. The fees are not that straightforward and are quite expensive considering the dog is not fixed and the microchip is not implanted. By day 2 post adoption, my husband and I (both human physicians) were concerned that he seemed to have pain in the mouth/neck area, and he was whimpering at times. I texted the rescue's emergency line which the contract says to text if you are concerned about serious health issues within 7 days of adoption. I texted that we are concerned our puppy might be unwell. Two of the responses I got within the from the owner in the first minute included "you've only had him for 2 days," and "he was in tip top shape when he left us." I tried to end the conversation and resolved to call the vet in the morning. After much arguing back and forth, eventually I sent her a video of the puppy at a good time that night and a bad time, when he whimpered. Besides the whimpering and apparent pain, nothing else was amiss except the puppy was unusually calm and in retrospect, that was likely a sign of illness. She offered us a visit with her vet the next day but after sending the video said she wasn't concerned and it wasn't an emergency. So I said we would just try to get in with our own vet who we were going to establish care with anyway to get him checked out sooner, rather than the original appt I had made for a well visit. She told me ok and to update her the next day. The next day, I took the puppy into my established vet. They were very concerned and the differential included possible meningitis, CNS infection or distemper (although the puppy had been reportedly vaccinated for some time) and they wanted us to proceed to Mount Laurel Animal Hospital for emergency care and to see a neurologist. I texted the shelter emergency line again. I explained the situation and asked them to call me ASAP. By the time I received a call, it was almost a half hour later and we had decided to heed our vet's recommendations and take the puppy to MLAH. During the call back, the rescue owner accused me of "going rogue" with the puppy's medical care because we were heeding our vet's advice. She accused us of putting the puppy through unnecessary procedures because our vet was unfamiliar with "their dogs." (up to this point, the only things done were antibiotics and blood work). She continued to be hostile and fixate on the fact that we had decided not to go to her vet after she had brushed off the problem. Her husband (who also was on the line) helped me get the records for the dog which at this point, had not yet been uploaded to petstablished. The owner asked me to surrender the dog back to the shelter because she thought we were overreacting. I declined. She also began to talk about not paying the bill to our vet, which I never asked them to do and quite honestly, the bill was the last thing on my mind. Both the emergency vet and neurologist at MLAH felt the differential was similar to our vet. We had multiple conversations about a differential that included several serious or fatal diseases. We were heartbroken and on an emotional rollercoaster. Our puppy got treatment, perked up and was allowed to come home on abx and steroids. Later I got a text from the owner asking me again to surrender the dog back for escalating amounts of money. I declined. After I got the final text asking me to surrender the dog it was followed by a text lamenting "now the poor dog is on steroids." This was the last straw for me, because now we had 3 vets from 2 hospitals recommending this treatment and here is this non-vet Rescue owner still assuming she knows better because "she has done 6000 rescues." Unfortunately his tests later came back for distemper and mycoplasma. I suspect he got better bc of the treatment active against mycoplasma since distemper is not really treatable. Distemper is highly contagious and often fatal. Our dog was reportedly in their Texas facility since Feb 2021 (Almond, from the "milk crate pups"). Obviously something is wrong with infection control/quarantine/vetting their dogs. Luckily, it is looking like our boy is recovering and I am slowly starting to believe that I don't have to worry that he's going to develop seizures and die. We did have his distemper viral load rechecked some time later and he was still positive (but lower), suggesting this was a true infection and not a false positive. I can't in good faith recommend this shelter to others, if they might have the experience I had (and now I know multiple families have had). If you do adopt from here, separate the dog from any of your current dogs at first and get them checked by your own vet. read more

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Stay far away from this so called rescue. Their business model is to grab as many dogs from Texas or Mexico as they can, bring them to NJ as fast as they can, and "adopt" them out as fast as they can. They do the bare minimum to make sure the dogs are fit to be adopted. They claim to quarantine their rescues before being them up here. But the dog I adopted was kept for at most 5 days before he was transported to NJ to a foster home. Our little guy ended up being distemper positive and had to be euthanized because he developed seizures. When we informed them, they became defensive and implied we did something wrong. There are many other cases of other adopters going through the same heartache. And instead of acknowledging and trying to change, the refuse to admit fault and delete bad reviews. They went as far as delisting themselves from Google and creating a new listing with no reviews. read more

We got our new baby from them today! The people writing the negative reviews may need to remember they are a RESCUE. Yes, our girl was dirty and will need some vetting, but she is now in our home, loved and -most importantly- alive because of this wonderful group of volunteers! The process to get her WAS difficult- lots of interviews- but they help find the best home for their dogs, and the best dog for each adopted. We showed up right at the time for our group and only waited a few minutes! We were given preventative medicine, a microchip and a collar/leash, as well as opportunities for free training and discounts for pet insurance. We are thankful to this team for their dedication! I hope to volunteer with them in the future! read more

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