A viewpoint from the other side of things: shedding some light to some misperceptions. I am a volunteer for Noah's B'ark, so obviously I think absolutely amazing things about the organization. I would like to give everybody the absolute truth about us. We are 100% volunteer run, that means when there is a dog brought in a 9pm severely matted and covered in poop, I don't get paid at all to bathe them and shave them while they freak out. (not an easy job by the way: even with 3 people) Everything is done out of the goodwill of our hearts. That being said, not many people have 20-30 hours a week to volunteer- yes it makes things hard and extremely stressful, but we enjoy what we do and giving these dogs great homes is our main priority. In order to adopt, a person must fill out an application and will then talk to a volunteer so we can get a feel for them and make sure they would have the right home for one of our precious animals. Then there is a lot of paperwork and other things that we go through (it's not that easy to just adopt, we want good homes so we do make it a process). We follow up with the adoptive families after a week and periodically after that and see how it is all going. There isn't a 2 week trial period. You can't just simply return it and say it's defective. The adoption is an adoption, the 2 weeks is more of a last resort thing if the dog absolutely does not fit in with the family. Then we do refund the money except for a $25 donation. We also accept our dogs back at any time. For example, a dog was adopted 6 years ago, their owner went through medical issues and couldn't care for the dog any longer, the owner surrends their dog back to us no questions asked and we find the dog a new home. Dogs are lives, not merchandise. And for the adoption fees. When you go to the vet, an exam costs anywhere from $40-80, any vaccines are piled on top, and if the dog needs antibiotics or surgery, you can only imagine how much that bill can amount to. The adoption fees are high because vet costs are high. We are lucky that the clinic we work with is nice enough to discount the services, but they are by no means free. We are a non-profit organization- nobody pockets money, it goes straight to the animals. For instance one dog may have only used $120 of their adoption fee, so the extra $80 or so goes to another dog like Tina, our girl with thousands of dollars worth of life-saving orthopedic surgery. It also covers the cost of kenneling about $20 a day) and food, fresh towels... The costs just rack up quickly! To address the kenneling- the kennel space that is donated to us is used as a last resort. We are trying very hard to have 100% of our animals in foster care; we just don't have enough fosters sometimes. They are checked on several times daily by staff at the clinic as well as the volunteers that pop in and out to take care of them and play. That room gets visited at least 20 times a day. So please, before you are so quick to discount our organization, take a look at all the things we do, just for the joy of it..... Would you do what we do? read more

We just adopted our little Yorkie mix, Trixie, a week ago. Noah's B'Ark was wonderful. We had to put our very special little dog down in July and were heartbroken. We happened to go by PetSmart and saw Noah's B'Ark having an adoption fair. We were able to talk to Rawna and a number of the individuals volunteering there. It was so obvious that they all care so much for the dogs. We have always had rescue dogs, so we could really appreciate all the volunteers were doing for the dogs. Anyway, we saw a very cute terrier mix name Karma, who had the sweetest eyes. It turned out she was pregnant when Noah's B'Ark rescued her. We really liked her, but she was already promised to someone, but Rawna pointed out that Karma's puppies would need to be adopted when they were old enough. We filled out an application and waited. Rawna kindly sent us photos of the puppies when they were about 1 week old. Later, when they were 6 weeks old, we were able to go and visit the pups at their foster home. What an incredible family that the puppies were able to foster with - a home that was very loving and special. That is where we fell in love with Trixie! So very cute and she has her mother's sweet eyes. We were finally able to bring Trixie home after she was spayed. She has been such a doll since then and is so much fun. She has charmed everyone in our household. We are really impressed with how caring everyone was that we met from Noah's B'Ark and how knowledgeable they were. We would highly recommend Noah's B'Ark to anyone who is looking for that special rescue dog! read more

I talked to Robert about adopting Kima, I emailed Lilia and sent in an adoption form! A lady named Kathryn calledme & said she couldn't deal with it now & had to go to Stanford. I now know that she is NOT staff or a volunteer!!! She left Lilia a long message on MY phone regarding Kima. This is suppose to be pet rescue NOT stick her in a kennel to keep her away from children & other dogs. I already have a dog run and NO children or any other dog. We also have a 1.7 acre ranch that is completely fenced with Beware of dog signs posted in two locations Robert.....or Lilia, please contact Roxanne !!! I've raised two Grey Wolves without any problems. Kima needs her freedom, love and lot's of understanding. Not to forget training. I personally know two dog trainers. One for domestic's and one for Police dogs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would like to hear from either Robert or Lilia. Thank you abundantly. I'm sorry that it had to come to this but no one but Kathleen has called here and I really did not appreciate her comments to Lilia on my phone. Retired HSSC & FFSC staff member. Please call me!?!** PLEASE DISREGARD THIS MESSAGE ABOVE!!!!!!!!!!!! 4/25/2012 I now know the truth about Kima and her Wonderful family. She is still at her home with her family of three years. They are blessed to be able to keep her where she belongs. Sorry Robert & Lilia !!! Roxanne M. read more

Sandra! I have to correct you. You mentioned their facility and that the rescued animals are only checked a couple of times daily...?!!! The pets are kept adjacent to and inside of a 24 hour veterinary emergency hospital. Perhaps you should have done a little more research before posting your opinion. I've adopted 3 dogs from this rescue. One had multiple pelvic fractures, a fractured femur, and a crushed foot. She was incredibly tiny and frail, but Noah's arranged for a top orthopedic surgeon to repair her injuries. It has taken months for A to get her confidence back, but she has always been very sweet. BR was attacked by a pack of dogs and had extensive scarring, he was literally saved by this rescue and today everyone thinks he is the cutest little guy they've ever seen. Don't have enough history on O, but he also went through a lot. He has recovered nicely. All of these dogs would be deceased if not for this rescue. Maybe a re-think of the pressures of trying to do rescue work in a terribly down economy with more and more great pets being dumped due to foreclosures and job loss...and an offer to help out might have been a better way to help this rescue. No pets are helped by slamming their reputation. My doggies are all happy, healthy, and loved to death...and the adoption procedure for the first adoptee required an extensive inter view and questionnaire. Once they knew our home, it was simplified. read more

We just adopted two dogs from Noah's b'Ark, Gypsy and Freckles, and are very happy. We knew they'd be a little work as they'd just had surgeries and very recently rescued. Freckles and especially Gypsy were extremely shy and scared when we first met them at the vet clinic, due to being rescued from a home with 120 under cared for dogs, but we rapidly fell in love and had hope. In less than 72 hours our dogs have made a remarkable improvement, become so much happier and more playful, warmed up incredibly to the whole family. My 14 year old daughter has never been this delighted Robert was wonderful to work with, as was Bob the dog walker who first introduced us to the dogs and helped with suggestions for our family. To think of the state these darling little gals were in before. The adoption process is what you'd expect, a bit of paperwork and some intuitive guesswork on their part to make sure you're going to be good to the animals they rescue, and seem to genuinely love. A friend recommended Noah's BArk, has been very happy with her puppy who is now 2, and noted her positive experience using the vet care after wards. We've not needed it yet, but appreciate the gift of ShelterCare pet insurance, 30 days of coverage. All in all we're pleased and if you're looking for a pet, would suggest looking into adopting a dog in need from Noah's B'ark. read more

My husband and I were looking for a second dog to be a part of our family and a friend to our dog, Molly, after losing her lifetime companion, our 10 year old dog, Ted. My friend got in touch with a volunteer from Noah's B'Ark who brought over Emma (F/K/A Sheets) to meet us all. After watching her and Molly play and chase each other around the backyard, we decided to do a trial. It took about 24 hours for her to pass all of our tests and she became ours forever. Thank you Melissa, Rawna and the rest of the team at Noah's B'Ark for the wonderful gift of Emma. She is a special dog who deserves our devotion and dedication to her care which she has from us wholeheartedly. The love and care the team takes in finding the best match for dogs and their new families and their willingness to take all the time a dog needs to be ready for that adoption day is inspiring. Emma waited months - and we are the beneficiaries of it! She had a chance to wind her way into the hearts of her caretakers, and I want all of them to know we will treasure their sweet girl. And I let her know that her best friend Chance got adopted on the same day she did and waited just as long -- how wonderful is that?!? I swear I think she smiled....... read more

Ok- first hand knowledge that this rescue does not screen adopters, does not do home visits, or any of the other things a good reputable rescue would do. How do I know?? Well we know someone who went there and adopted a dog for the express purpose of getting that dog away from this rescue..and the rescue did not do anything to check the adopters out... Also..for all you bleeding hearts for the rescue, you SHOULD go and help there..they are STORING dogs in crates inside a metal container somewhere on the property..and the dogs are subject to the heat and cold of the weather made worse by the metal containers..maybe someone should go check it out...I also hear multiple complaints have been made against this rescue and their cruel treatment of the animals..and guess what?? Animal control doesn't do anything because this rescue pulls so many dogs from them...hmmm...if I was really wanting to help the dogs..I would take the next step and go above the animal control to their boss in the county to force an investigation...I believe the person who observed the adoption process with the puppies and posted below me is DEAD ON..!! Instincts correct..thanks for sharing your most astute opinion... read more

I can understand your concern Sandra. I have seen this group at PetSmart many times, but I have never seen anything like you described with the 5 week old puppies. Did you ask any questions to the volunteers about the puppies age or shots? I would have. Puppies don't get ALL of their shots until they are 6 months to 1 year old. They get some vaccines at 5-7 weeks, so maybe you misunderstood the head volunteer lady telling the man that the puppy didn't recieve ALL the shots yet. I hope so anyway. It's easy to judge a group like this just by walking by and making assumptions. It's chaotic, it's stressful, and maybe they need more resources and volunteers, but they are saving the lives of animals. If you think you could do better, by all means, please volunteer your time or donate. If you seriously consider this group to be a danger to their animals, report it to animal services. DO SOMETHING. Just simply writing a scathing review on yelp does nothing to help the animals. read more

We've always adopted rescue pets but the last one we got from the RoPo Animal Shelter had serious issues that did not become apparent until we were already in love with him. The folks at the Humane Society where we took him for a nail trim said that he NEVER should have been placed in a home. After he died, we said, No More! Then we found Noah's B'ark - what a great organization. We recently adopted two dogs from them - Bochy and Harbaugh. What can I say, we're huge SF sports fans!! Bochy is two and a perfect angel; Harbaugh is ~5 months and as puppies go, he's pretty darn awesome. Noah's B'ark has been in contact with us throughout and has offered support and advice. I cannot recommend them highly enough. We are ridiculously choosy about to whom we give our charity $$ but they will certainly be on our list going forward. If you are considering adopting a pet - be sure to contact them! read more

Noah's B'Ark North is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit local pet rescue organization (Non-Profit ID# 95-4677862) committed to finding permanent and happy homes for homeless pets and to reducing pet over-population. We adopted our puppy from them and we are more than impressed. They have excellent volunteers who give their all trying to help their rescue animals. They do not just adopt to anybody who applies. They take the time and consideration it takes to place their rescue animals into the right home. Their tax deductible adoption fees are average and very fair, and you can see their pets online, or in person at PetSmart in Rohnert Park every Saturday and Sunday from 12pm-4pm. Also, if you can, they need foster homes, volunteers, and supply and monetary donations. Trust me; it's a great organization that's well worth checking out! read more

I adopted 2 small terriers approximately 2 1/2 years ago from Noahs Ba'Ark.The young man who processed my application seemed to go by intuition - which in my case was fine. I had just lost my dog to Cushings Disease that week and was absolutely lost without my constant companion. My sister was with me and when I began to share my story I broke down in tears. The young man seemed to understand. Sometimes doting all the i's and crossing all of the t's is not as important as trusting your gut instincts. In order to keep my dogs together (they are sisters/liter mates) they lowered the adoption fee. I am grateful for the understanding and compassion I experienced. 2 1/2 years later I can not imagine my life without the "Psycho Sisters." They are the center of my world. read more

We just adopted our little girl and had a great experience, the volunteers that work there are very nice. The adoption went along with out any problems, every one was so helpful and all our questions were answered and we took our puppy home that day. She is just a great little dog it seems like all the volunteers go out of their way to help these doggies find the right home, they seem to be taken care of very well until they find their forever home. We just want every one to know that poppy is doing great, she is in training class now and a very smart little girl. Oh, a very special thanks to Rawna, and Robert they made sure that every thing was ok, and a very special thanks to Carol who fostered our little one until we adopted her and brought her home. read more

K.V. Our family had a great experience with Noah's B'Ark! We adopted our puppy from them three years ago. It is amazing that there are so many volunteers willing to dedicate many hours trying to find good homes for all these dogs and cats who desperately need a home. They are friendly and informed and went out of their way to get information that we needed. They truly believe in what they do. I was at PetSmart today and I was touched by the puppies that were rescued from Taiwan. These puppies had a tough life on the street and probably would not have made it to adulthood! They are beautiful and friendly. Thank you to everyone at Noah's B'Ark for all you do! A very special thank you to Robert for your gentle nature and humanity. Thank you! read more

I was a dog walker for this group last year. They were so creative in creating an environment for the doggies! The copied the German architech and converted a insulated shipping container. They has double glass windows installed and heavy duty doors, with easy clean laminate floors, heat, air conditioning, etc. I could live there! We dog walkers got cool in the summer when we were cleaning up after the "oops" of the doggies, and were toastie in the winter doing same. It's so cool that they used little money in a creative way for the sake of their doggies. They usually find homes for them becasue they are at Petsmart, and there's lots of foot traffic. After I finish my thesis, I hope to start up again as a dog walker! read more

We had a wonderful experience with Noah's B'ark. The volunteers were great, very informative and knowledgeable. The adoption process went very smoothly. Robert followed up that night for microchip information and provided us with the 3 month pet insurance they offer at no cost. I would like to extend a special thank you to Robert and Rawna who made adding "Buddy" to our family possible. They were so kind and supportive. It was a great experience and we are absolutely in love with Buddy. To the crew at Noah's B'Ark, thank you for the loving care you provide for these animals in need. Thank you for helping them find their forever home. read more

I went there last summer to meet my Bisquit...I got to go into the shelter and meet my new dog....I did the application, but everyone was nice, in spite of the long application...I got approved. It was a neat clean place and the people seemed to really care about Bisquit (I can't remember his original name)....he was going to be put down by a county shelter because they said he was a fearful biter...but he was really swee)t. This place didn't care, and saw thru this bad classification...he just needed a home with love, and I had this for Bisquit....this group takes on the dogs that get overlooked, which is great! read more

My wife and I adopted a great little Chihuahua a year ago...she turned out to have some health issues, but the volunteer was upfront about our new dog and the fact that she came from a shelter...she explained that they did not have all the funds to absolutely determine that a dog was in perfect health. The great thing is that they are truthful, and also provide six weeks of health insurance, and that covered most of the health costs. We appreciate that these volunteers do what they do, and that they are not Veterinarians so they cannot see into a crystal ball....they save lives and that's what counts. read more

Rawna, Lisa and Robert do a fantastic job with the rescues and with the screening of people before hand. Rawna is very particular (as she should be) with whom the dogs get placed, the home, people, etc.....Having met Rawna in person , is like meeting a long lost member of your immediate family. Personable, loving and caring, which, without a doubt, is carried over to the animals she saves! My hat goes off to Rawna and her crew. That goes for you too, Drew! We couldn't have gotten a more perfect pup for our family, little Buddy! read more

I know for a fact that puppies adopted out at Petsmart must be vaccinated and altered..so they are the appropriate age..and they have a 4 page application that gets reviewed (and some turned down if they do not meet requirements)...also they do drive an old/donated van...it's crumby, but its all they can afford. These are all volunteers who do this on their days off work, so it is not some puppy mill. If someone complains about how the operation is carried out, they need to "step up to the plate" and volunteer with this group. read more