I had three kittens. It would have been four but one I couldn't part with. I filled out the…read moreapplication and it was full at the time. (Secretly I didn't want to give them up). I got a phone call out of the blue, she said we have space. With a reluctant heart I made the appointment to surrender them. I wanted to cry. But my HOA has strict rules and really I couldn't take care of them I can't afford it. It's not fair to them if they could have a chance of a better life. I got the phone call, and I purposely extended it one more week. Just to have time to say goodbye. I came for my appointment and I showed her the pics to say this is what they are used too. I sobbed on the way home. 3 kittens and a new chance. One week and a half I got a voicemail message to tell me they had all been adopted. They didn't have to do that. The weight off my heart and soul is immeasurable it's priceless this peace of mind. Do the right thing, don't abandon them on a highway. I promise you it will work out. Give them a chance to go to good homes. This has been my one and only experience. I've nothing but but good things to say, don't be afraid.

Extremely disappointed with the Mission Viejo Animal Control Licensing Department…read more I had no issue paying the actual licensing fee, but the penalties they charge are unreasonable and the customer service is even worse. A $45 penalty on a $25 licensing fee is excessive, and when I asked if they could offer even a one-time courtesy waiver, they were completely inflexible and uninterested in working with me. They claim they "send reminders," but I told them I never received any reminder notices, and if I had, I would have paid the licensing fee immediately. Their response was basically that it was my problem, not theirs. What's even more frustrating is that it took four years before they left a tag on my door, and then they turned around and charged me $180 in late fees. Instead of notifying residents in a timely way, it feels like they let the penalties build up and then hit you with a huge bill. This department feels more focused on collecting fees than actually helping residents stay compliant. I understand rules and licensing requirements, but there should be reasonable communication and some basic courtesy -- especially when someone is willing to pay. I am not sure how anyone with fix income can afford these type of penalties. And I am surprise why no one has attempted to stop this SCAM

So grateful for this place! We adopted our two kittens…read more(formerly Trout and O'Hoppe, now Binx and Jagr) and had such a great experience. Everyone at the shelter was so friendly, helpful, and clearly cared about the animals. You can tell they really take the time to get to know each pet and make sure they're going to a good home. The adoption process was easy and organized, and we felt super supported the whole way through. Our boys are thriving, and we're so thankful we found them here. Highly recommend this shelter to anyone looking to adopt!

Horrific experience with staff. We were approved to adopt a cat. When we arrived found out the…read morevolunteer gave us the wrong name of the cat and had not scanned it when we were there to verify the name. Staff then informed us another family was approved for the cat we thought we were getting and refused to tell us if our approval was before theirs. The lack of transparency was appalling. Also told us we should have known from the black and white photos on the wall the name was wrong. Their own volunteers cannot tell the cats apart! The manager would be fired if she worked for me for how she treated us when we were clearly distraught. We had adopted our dog there and hoped to give a home to a cat. We will still adopt a rescue cat but not from this place. Never again.

We had a great experience with this rescue. They had so many kitties to choose from and they were…read moreso knowledgeable about them all. We just lost our cat of 13 years and were devastated. I ventured over to PetSmart during an adoption event and immediately fell in love with a black and white 5 month old. Took my hubby and son back a few days later and there was my little kitty but this time she had a roommate! He was just as cute and sweet and we all fell in love. What sealed the deal was the foster mom answering all our questions and taking all the time we needed with her. We adopted them both and couldn't be happier. They are healthy, well socialized and fun! Thank you Ark for our new family members. We love them so much!

I'm reviewing the cat yoga event that I participated in!…read more I'm a huge fan of cats! I'm also a huge supporter of the ark of San Juan. They usually have monthly cat yoga events to raise money for to take care and run their chattery. Cat yoga is yoga but you have cats running around while you stretch and relax. This yoga is beginner friendly. You would need to bring your own mat and be dressed and ready. I love our instructor. She's very calm and I like her cat metaphors when we go to into different stretches. It's very simple yoga that any beginner can follow. The cats present at these events are also up for adoption; it helps them adapt more to humans for socialization. Overall, I recommend it if you have the time. It's well worth it if you're a cat person...but you may want to come home with a new addition to your fur family

The best rescue in Orange County with true animal lovers that know what they are doing, they know…read morehow to take care of the animals with a smooth adoption process

I have extensive experience with cats and cat rescue. This rescue is absolutely best in class. I…read moresee people complaining about home checks... understand, these kittens are raised with love and every foster parent wants to ensure their kittens/cats are going to a safe and loving home. The animals are vetted and loved and I could not be happier with my adoption from Dream. - Matilda's mom.

Doggie Bonez Rescue is the most amazing organization that works so hard to find dogs amazing…read moreforever homes. The process of adoption is so smooth and Jackie and her volunteers are really loving people who make sure these dogs go to good people. I have two doggies from them that are now 5 and 9 1/2 and I can thank Doggie Bonez for gifting me the best dogs ever!!

After our beloved senior dog crossed the rainbow bridge earlier this year and when we were finally…read moreready to adopt another dog we scoured several area rescues looking for a dog that fit what we were looking for. We thought we found the one at Doggie Bonez. We initially reached out via the website asking for more info on a specific dog. After a day with no response, we filled out an application because we were serious about adopting and called to follow up. Our calls went unanswered and unreturned. A few days later we reached out via social media and finally got a response from a volunteer. However, everything is managed and run through Jackie so the volunteer offered to reach out to her. Several days later Jackie finally texted. We were so excited! She confirmed the dog was still available, offered to get us updated photos and coordinate with the foster family about setting up a time to meet the dog. Days went by with no reply from her. We reached out again with no reply. At this point we decided to cut our losses and move on. We had been trying to get even the most minimal information for nearly two weeks and ultimately we were ghosted. I understand being the point person for an entire rescue organization can be daunting but a simple acknowledgement that she was working on it or it was on her to do list would have gone a long way. Opening our hearts and home to another dog was a big deal for us and part of our journey to heal after loosing our best boy. Our experience with Jackie and Doggie Bonez was an emotional rollercoaster of being hopeful and excited then being let down with silence. The whole experience was traumatic for me and I would caution anyone choosing to engage with this particular rescue. These dogs deserve loving homes so I wouldn't discourage anyone from adopting but it would be remiss if I didn't share our experience. I hope we were the exception and not the rule to how this rescue is run.

About three months ago I adopted Ziva formerly known as Cassidy. The staff was very kind and…read morewelcoming. You can tell they truly care about the animals there. They were very transparent about everything. Anytime a friend mentions wanting to adopt a dog I mention this rescue! 10/10 experience.

We adopted our first family dog named Nicki from Laguna Beach Animal Shelter. We loved her so…read moremuch. She was a great family pet and she came to us at a time when we needed a positive uplift, right after our daughter Kelly (age 4.5) had open-heart surgery. Nicki added so much joy to all our lives. We stop by the shelter quite often, and we like the way it is run. The animals seem to be cared for in a very nurturing way! Pam & Doug Carrie

We got our cat here a long time ago, but I was very impressed with the facility. It's really nice…read moreand the area where you can meet your future pet is really big and comfortable. It's sunny and open and all the animals looked really well taken care of.

I got a pet from here recently and it's very clear they take phenomenal care of their animals. The…read morekennels are so clean and they come with a comprehensive medical history as well as a medical consultation. I was sent home with plenty of resources such as free vet visits, free doggy daycare, food, toys, and low cost vaccination information.

The people at New Beginnings For Animals are wonderful to work with. We found the perfect dog for…read moreour family through this rescue group. Their rates are very reasonable especially since they care for the animals, give them any necessary shots/chips and nurse them to health if needed until they find their forever home. I worked mostly with Diane and she was always punctual with replying to emails/texts regarding any dogs of interest. She always gave me timely info and answered any and all of my constant questions and concerns. Meeting times were always flexible and there wasn't a pressure to choose a dog with every meeting. They do their homework on finding the right fit for their animals which I appreciate. They have the animals best interest at heart. That means not every family will get what they want if the fit isn't right. It'd be awful to adopt a dog only to rehome/return the dog a few months later due to bad fit. Keep up the good work!

Walked into Petsmart and immediately felt harassed and unwelcome. The staff at New Beginnings was…read moreunkempt and unprofessional in how they addressed me as customer in the store not to mention the dogs they were attempting to foster or adopt out smelled like urine and feces. We will donate and go elsewhere for adoption. Beware

Extremely unprofessional and unfair place, don't even try adopting from them. I applied to adopt a…read morepuppy (a month prior to the day it was available for adoption) and left a few voice mails expressing my strong interest in adopting this particular puppy, and got absolutely no responses back. I even visited the location and was told they would call me back to schedule a meeting with the puppy (but got no call of course). I just found out from their instagram that the dog was given to someone else today. I didn't even have a chance to meet the puppy or be considered as a candidate despite following all the necessary steps to adopt and having a great application (and maintaining a positive/hopeful attitude during the entire time I waited). You would think they would at least have the courtesy to notify me that they decided to give the puppy to someone else but apparently not.

We rescued Pepe from this place and from start to finish everything was amazing! He now goes to…read moretheir doggy day care and everybody loves him!

It was such a relief to be able to go away for 10 days and not worry about our dogs. The staff took…read moreexcellent care of them and kept them together at night, which gave us peace of mind knowing they had each other. Because our dogs have different ages and energy levels, we especially appreciated how the team tailored their care to each dog's individual needs. It was clear that they paid attention to their personalities and made sure both were comfortable, happy, and well cared for. We came home to two healthy, content dogs, and we are very grateful for the wonderful care they received. We would not hesitate to board them here again and highly recommend this facility to other pet owners.

Such a great family ran place. They genuinely care for the pups. I have had both of my dogs there…read morefor boarding as well as training. Highly highly recommend.