PetConnect in Virginia - 16 months ago starting with discovering the dog had been promised simultaneously to two families - who, by coincidence knew one another! "This has never happened before" claimed Katherine. Unprofessional and unethical. Dog is a beautiful mix but the papers given to me by Katherine at adoption indicated a lab/miniature poodle and there is NO poodle in this dog! Breeder on papers indicate Amish. Again issue of morality with inaccurate papers. He had been re-homed/fostered several times by five months and that should have alerted me. Good natured and sweet but does not know when to stop whatever he is involved in, especially play with other dogs or children, is rough and extremely strong at 60 lb. According to a top/well known trainer in Potomac, "it is in the wiring" and he is not invited back to her facility. Fortunately, another excellent trainer is a family friend and does take him with the understanding that he stays with the humans rather than the other dogs, whom he tortures. Now I adore him, sharing my bed, and giving him Prozac twice a day plus CBD oil on particularly bad days. No dog parks for him though. read more

Petconnect Rescue - Rusty Howl-o-ween 2025 - Animal Shelters Near Me

Pet Connect Rescue found us the two best dogs...now our family. We adopted Blake who was found abandoned in Virginia. Our other dog, Harper, was an abused rescue from Arkansas. After we lost our 15 1/2 year old Labrador and our 13 year old Redbone Coonhound, we were devastated. Pet Connect found us the perfect dogs!!! Forever grateful to the amazing fosters who took care of our babies until they came into our lives. The adoption process was thorough and smooth. I highly recommend Pet Connect and urge everyone to visit their website, there are SO many loving animals waiting for their forever home!! read more

Petconnect Rescue - Harper - Animal Shelters Near Me

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If I could give 0 stars I would. Karen is definitely the Karen that's all over the internet. She did not even go over my application she brushed me off in a email and I applied for a cat then she told me the cat is up for adoption why would you waste my time about a cat that is already up for adoption didn't even say oh you can adopt another cat. Just good luck on your search. One of my friends got a cat from here and the cat had fleas and ear mites. read more

Disappointed to say the least. I have an indoor/outdoor cat because I adopted her as a stray . I let them know this, while also stating I'd ensure the new kitten would remain indoor only. I was treated as though I was negligent pet owner and asked how I would ensure the kitten wouldn't escape the house I own....I have a sliding door that I can shut??? Apparently not good enough. Didn't even bother to call vet for good reference or do a home check. Wasn't even going to respond to my application until I followed up 4 days later. Thanks Karen! read more

Would give zero stars if I could. I should've came here first to see other reviews. I dealt with Karen. She did not review my application thoroughly from the beginning and we were given false hope. Plus they do not respond to emails with questions and/or concerns. I never heard back from my first email with questions and then second email with a concern. I was wanting to adopt a cat (6 month old - even with no history they could give), but since my dogs are not spayed, then we were told no. I did list that our dogs are not spayed on the application. So that info was known in the very beginning! We were apparently the first family at the top of the list. Then a hard NO! I was judged and looked at like "you're one of those that doesn't care for your animals". Even though the cat I was wanting to adopt was already neutered. Apparently their policy is ALL animals in the household must be fixed. Glad I didn't mention that we have a hamster, too! We do have two cats already who are neutered as well. So needless to say, this is not a rescue I would recommend. I'm sure we will welcome home a sweet pet at some point in the future to join our family, but it won't be from this group. We are actually getting our girls spayed now for reasons we were not aware of before, but Karen, you didn't have to be nasty and judgmental. read more

This is a wonderful organization that keeps animals in loving foster homes until permanent homes can be found. When we adopted our beautiful, sweet cat from PCR, she was already spayed and well socialized with both people and other cats. We feel blessed that we found her and were allowed to adopt her. read more

They may be a good organization - there are plenty of positive reviews. But PLEASE don't get any type of attachment to a dog before inquiring and applying. I saw other reviews about not expecting an answer back from PetConnect if you didn't work full time from home, have a fenced yard...basically, check every single dog parent box perfectly. I too had this experience, when I put in an application for two different dogs and received back an email saying "these two are adopted but we will let you know if any other dogs become available." In my opinion...I'd really rather you just be honest, tell me that you are not open to adopting with me, because it's much more insulting to get that message when there are 15+ other dogs on the website available for adoption. It is a disappointing feeling to be judged and tossed aside as unfit via a short online application and not given a slightest chance. Every other rescue has at least suggested a different dog for us, or if our choices were no longer available, asked us if there were others we would consider. Over a week later and those two dogs are still listed on the website as available. So while they may be a well run organization, I write this review to simply advise not putting all your eggs in their basket. If you are denied from PetConnect, please do not be discouraged. We just adopted a dog elsewhere and I know we will be amazing dog parents! read more

I couldn't be happier with my experience with Pet Connect Rescue! I put in applications for a number of other dogs and was shocked by how many just wanted me to take a dog with no reference, Vet or home check. I won't work with a group who doesn't care where an animal is going. This rescue did all of their due diligence to ensure that I am a responsible owner and that makes me very happy to support this organization. My coordinator was exceptionally responsive and always had the best interest of the dog at heart. I couldn't be more in love with our new puppy! As for the poor reviews, I think many people expect this to be an easy and quick process - it shouldn't be. A new pet is a big commitment and it's worth the effort. I'd very happily work with this group again. read more

Petconnect Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me

I Love PetConnect!! They are very organized and well run rescue group who work hard to save countless animals in need of homes! From fun adoption events to fundraisers with local businesses, there are always opportunities to become involved. I am a current foster/volunteer with this rescue group. Fostering with PCR is a great experience as they have such a great network of resources and always available to help out when needed. If you are looking to rescue a pet, the adoption coordinators at PetConnect will with with you to ensure your new family member fits well your lifestyle. Thanks for being such a great organization! read more

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If you live in the immediate area this is probably an OK rescue. I live 1.5 hours away and was more than willing to drive to meet the puppies, however, I am not being considered because of the distance. It would be helpful if they told you upfront not to bother applying. I work from home 3 days a week, have a well behaved dog already, and would provide a more than loving home for another dog. Onto find another rescue to work with. read more

I couldn't have asked for more from this group or maybe it was just the foster Carrie Miller that was so incredible. After filling out an application she called me and gave me information on the puppies I was interested in. She asked what concerns I had and I said how they would be around my horses so she took them to a friend's house who had horses to see!!! How above and beyond is that!!! She sent me several videos so I could see the puppies in action which was very helpful. When we had our meet and greet she was honest, insightful, and open...everything I could have hoped for. I wasn't pressured at all, in fact she told me to walk away and think about it to make sure I was making the right decision. It was such a pleasure working with her and I am so grateful for the work they do. My house was so lonely without a dog and now I have a wonderful puppy to fill it with love and joy again!!! read more

I feel totally validated at this time based on the other reviews. I feel that the vetting process is unclear. I had an interest in two dogs and submitted my application to Pet Connect Rescue. The application requested more information than other shelters, but I thought that was a great way to find a good fit between the dog and adopter. However, based on the other reviews and my experience - I believe that they use the application to determine whether the individual can adopt any dog from their shelter. I had my eye on two dogs, Kim said that one dog was being adopted and the other dog needed a person at the home all day. Considering that a high number of people in the DC area work outside the house, I felt it was a huge omission on the dog's profile and an excuse not to consider me to adopt the dog. In addition, most shelters that I've gone to will say that a dog is no longer available, but recommend other dogs in the facility. I find it odd that Kim referred me to other shelters. I'm not sure if I didn't meet their standards because I live in an apartment or would be a first time dog owner, but am very disappointed with this organization. read more

My husband and I had a great experience with this organization. We had sent online applications to a handful of other rescues at the same time, but PCR was the only one that followed up quickly and clearly (from other orgs we got either no response, an automated email, or a vague invite to "visit the shelter" without acknowledging the fact that we had applied to adopt a specific dog). From there it was fairly straightforward - detailed phone interview, a virtual home visit, some more paperwork, and then getting to meet our lil' guy! I should also mention they have an excellent foster system... our 8 week old puppy was almost fully potty-trained already, due to living in a home with a few grown, well-trained dogs (in addition to his mom and siblings). They also had all his health records, and a microchip is included in the adoption fee. It's been about 6 months now and we love our new family member!! Thank you Pet Connect Rescue. read more

Petconnect Rescue - Our best buddy, back when we had just brought him home! - Animal Shelters Near Me

I had a wonderful experience with Pet Connect and my coordinator, Kim. She was friendly, kind, and answered all of my many questions. My parents even ended up Adopting from Pet Connect recently because of how wonderful my experience has been and because of the great pup I got. In fact, my husband and I are hoping to foster/adopt from them again sometime in the near future! I know there have been some negative reviews on here, but I have to say I've had nothing but great experiences with them -- in fact, Kim and Crystal have been kind enough to answer all my questions even years after I adopted my pup. So please give Pet Connect a chance...I give it four out of four read more

Very disappointed & discouraged with this particular rescue. I applied for adoption with a dual income household, ability to work from home &/or bring to office and was denied because their policy is puppies aren't fully vaccinated until sixteen weeks. Therefore wouldn't be able to use public areas. No return call, no follow up, no forum to even explain alternatives. Standard "dear John" email response. Black and white guidelines turned what should be a very happy moment to one of complete sadness. I would be leery to even apply. Unfortunately, dogs are missing out on loving, caring and financial stable homes. read more

This place let one of my friends buy a cat and get attacked and then take it away from her, terrible service, don't buy animals from here, go somewhere that will let you have your animals without getting it taken for no reason at all, there are plenty of other places to get animals. read more

Horrible management and director! My fiancee and I have spent a large amount of time and energy applying for a specific dog, which we have completely fallen in love with. We went and visited him at the foster's, passed all backround checks, had a home visit and were told after the visit that we were approved and could pick him up later in the day. Less than an hour later, we received a call from Kim, saying that we had been denied the adoption. She was unwilling to provide any logical reasoning as to why we were denied by her. How can someone who claims to be doing best by an animal lie to and mislead people who are able to provide excellent homes for them? We were told over and over that we were at the top of the list and that we would be the ones who could provide this dog with an amazing life. Now suddenly, for absolutely no justifiable reason, that's not the case? We have sent out multiple emails and made many phone calls regarding the insanity of this day... And have gotten nothing in response. Before, whenever we had questions or concerns, a reply quickly followed. I can't express how utterly disappointed and disgusted we are at this entire situation. Somehow, i feel as though we've been scammed. Instead of stealing our money, Kim and her "organization" have stolen our trust and broken our hearts. read more

Kim is the worst director ever! She screamed at our vet, never called references, made us put our current animals on chemicals the vet said they didn't need... ONLY TO DECLINE US WITHOUT CALLING ONE REFERENCE OR DOING A HOME VISIT... gee? She knows MORE than our vet?? Please contact me if you would like to join our civil suit against them as this lady has cost me and my household money and stress because she is burnt out on her job! read more

Ah, I cannot say that I am not pleased to see that this organization got awful reviews. I can personally attest to how HORRIBLE they are and yes, like most of you had to deal with Kim. My experience is from a fostering standpoint. I initially said I would foster an older dog whom they agreed upon. A quick change was made and they asked me to foster a young hound who they assured was potty trained and crate trained. Apparently, he was pulled from the shelter a week prior and placed with a girl who had never owned a dog before and could not handle him. Talk about a red flag right there...why in god's name would you pair her with a clearly rambunctious hound dog when she had no prior dog experience? They assured me he already had three applications in on him so it should only be a couple weeks fostering experience. Funny, never heard about any of those applications after that... I felt like he was just thrown into my arms when I went to pick him up at the adoption event. I brought him home and could tell right away that no, he was not two, he was definitely still a puppy. Within, 10 minutes he was peeing all over the house and I mean all over. I have worked with dog's for several years so needless to say, I have seen my fair share of crazy puppy antics but this was concerning. I was assured he was potty trained with the occasional accident but there is nothing "occasional" about every 15 minutes. I ended up expressing my concerns and brought him promptly to the vet who told me that his blood work and urinalysis are fine, he is just an 8 month old hound pup who clearly had never seen the inside of a house. Oh, and about the whole he is crate trained thing? Yeah, not a chance. He would howl the whole time he was in there and immediately poop and pee in the crate. Poor guy. The next issue arose pretty soon as well. Turns out that yes, this guy is dog friendly but is severely food aggressive with other dogs. How did I found this out? How about he put a nice size hole in the top of my mother's 8 lb dachshund's head that required medical attention. Did I ask them to pay? Nope, because I was still being naive and figured I would give them the benefit of the doubt. I immediately called and emailed to let them know of the incident, however, and I absolutely appalled to see that they were completely unapologetic and shooed it under the rug. At this point, I am starting to think what the f***? Fast forward a couple months and I have decided to move out because he cannot live with other dogs. Yes, I completely changed my whole lifestyle for this dog that I initially was supposed to only have for a couple weeks. I eventually got past Kim and spoke with Catherine I believe. I basically gave them an ultimatum and said that if anything else happens, I cannot keep them. I felt like this is what I had to resort to to get attention. All of a sudden they went from unresponsive to telling me that they will take him and take them to their facility to train. Uh, what? This has been going on for months and we could of been doing conservative measures and now we have to jump to this? By this time I was attached to him for obvious reasons. I had basically raised him from a pup and felt a connection. I also would of rather cut off my left arm then have given him back to the organization at this point. So, I agreed to adopt him. I was informed that I still had to pay the adoption fee but would get a great discount rate of 50 bucks. I was so enraged at this point that I simply had nothing to say and me and Goober moved on with our lives and tried to get past this horrible foster experience. So here we are now...Kim has resurrected herself with her horrible grammar and informed me that I need to fill out an adoption application. Ok, cool it, I will but first I told them that I did not feel like I should have to pay the adoption fee at all. She was astounded at this! I wasn't asking for money, she said!!! Weird, because I received an email a few months ago saying I would be paying the adoption fee. She berated me and told me that she did her best and distance was a problem (I am located in Warrenton, a whole 30 minutes from Manassas). Keep in mind I am trying to enjoy my vacation in Florida all the while trying to decipher her demeaning and frankly unprofessional texts. I get back from Florida with plans to send in the adoption application sans the fee. Unfortunately, I re injured an old back injury and was bedridden for a week before I had to have emergency surgery. So here I am, hulled up in bed and receive another rude text from her asking for the application. Yes, I will send it and no, I am not giving you my new address because frankly I don't want you to have it. I explained the situation about the delay and she replied, you never said you were having back surgery. Right, because that's information I would share with you of all people. Long story short, I thought Lucky Dog was bad but they take the cake. read more

Like many others here I have had an unprofessional experience with this organization and Kim in particular. Extremely rude (borderline hostile) and dishonest to potential adopters who would provide an amazing home. I won't go into detail but they were non-apologetic for mistakes they've made throughout the entire application process. Recommend you look anywhere but here as these are the kind of "rescuers" who drive people towards the breeder. read more

My wonderful pit bull mix would not have survived past 5 months if Petconnect hadn't rescued him from a high kill shelter in Virginia. We've had him a year now and can't imagine having a more loving dog. Every day I'm grateful that they saved his life and took the time to find him a home. I only wish there were more agencies like this one. read more

I applied for dogs at several different rescues in the DC area. I felt like I was being rejected because I was not an ideal candidate. I was a working, non-married renter without a yard. I had all but given up on adopting until, one evening, I saw a tiny, scared, black poodle on Petfinder.com. I applied and received a call from Tammy the next day. We had a lovely conversation and set up a time to meet in person. My fiancé and I drove to Potomac and we fell in love with the little poodle. We happily adopted her a week or two later. PCR truly cares about their dogs. Tammy was worried about giving the dog to us during a snow storm and that it would add another obstacle. I also give props to PCR for covering the cost of surgery *after* we adopted her. She had 20 teeth extracted and an ear infection. The irony is, in the 6 months that I have had my dog, I got married and bought a house. I'm happy that PCR gave us a chance to welcome a dog into our lives, and realized that our then-status as apartment renters w/o a yard was not indicative of whether or not we had a loving home. Thank you! read more

I wanted to give PetConnect 5 stars, but I had to take 2 off. Mike, an adoption coordinator, is amazing. He was incredibly helpful. Come to think of it, all of the adoption coordinators were great. Unfortunately, their web site is pretty bad. The dog descriptions are nothing like what the dog's personality actually is. We tried to adopt this handsome guy and was told to get in touch with his foster mom. We did, and she seemed nice and said she would get back to us as soon as she reviewed our application. Well, 3 or 4 days passed and I began to think, hmmm...this is interesting. After getting back in touch with an adoption coordinator, we were finally told the dog doesn't do well in apartments and needs a home with another dog. I don't want to think about whether or not we would've ever heard if I didn't pick up the phone myself. Despite all this, we are still looking through them in the hopes we get a better foster situation! read more

I had a very strange experience with Pet Rescue after I filled out their application. I have a fenced in yard and two active young boys. I also work from home and would be able to give a dog a very nice home. I run 3 miles a day and go for evening walks every night. My dog of 13 years just died about 6 months ago... and my sister is the local Vet. Yet Kim just sent me an email that she had no dogs that we could meet - in spite of having 47 dogs on their list. read more

We adopted our best friend through PetConnect Rescue (PCR). Randi and the entire team are dedicated to finding the right home for cats and dogs. I have kept in touch with PCR over the years and continue to be impressed by their passion and life changing work. I highly recommend going through PCR to find your next best friend. read more

If I could give this place a negative 100 I would. Idk what it is about these rescue places in DC who have adoption coordinators, but are too busy to respond to emails, set up calls, OR EVEN ALLOW YOU TO ADOPT A PET! Why hire people who clearly do not have the time to do this at all?!?! This is really a pain to deal with and becoming exhausting! read more

Pet Connect rescued our pup, and we couldn't be happier. The vetting process let's you know they truly care about this animals, and it's refreshing to see in today's world. Kim, who runs Pet Connect was responsive at every turn, and answered all questions that we had along the way. I will be volunteering with them every chance I get. read more

I have volunteered with Petconnect Rescue and you would be hardpressed to find an organization who cares more about the animals and their welfare. Not that are not any problems,,, animal rescue is a high demand, stressful environment where you have to depend on the kindness of volunteer foster homes.. the amount needed are hard to come by. Some of the fosters may not be great on getting in touch; most have other responsibilities, but, they are savings lives with each dog or cat . read more

I had a great experience with them and ended up with the BEST support for a very sick dog. He is now doing beautifully and we thank Pet Connect for their generous support while we were fostering. PROPS to them. We now are interested in adopting a kitty from them and I sure hope it works out. I would have no hesitation in recommending them to ANYBODY. I would volunteer if I lived closer. Thanks, thanks thanks! read more

I can't believe they call themselves a rescue. We fostered two dogs for them and they were both abandon by the this "rescue". One because he needed knee surgery and the other because it seems he was not pretty enough for them. read more

I fostered for PC for nearly a year. I was brought to the rescue by the adoption coordinator who I had worked with at another rescue. I usually fostered two dogs at a time, and encouraged others to foster and volunteer as well. As Manager of a kennel, I donated boarding costs and doggie daycare, saving PC large sums of money. I asked my adoption coordinator to save a Border Collie scheduled to be euthanized as I had asked for specific dogs previously. My adoption coordinator and I have maintained a wonderful working relationship, and she had the authority to pull dogs from any shelter she wanted. Dexter was a lovely dog, meeting all the requirements of the rescue-great with people, other dogs, and no food aggression. After Dexter arrived, the local partner vet discovered he had a luxating patella. The rescue's Director of Operations decided he would cost them too much, and said he was now my problem. My adoption coordinator appealed to the president of the board, without success. She offered to fund raise for the surgery, but was declined. Not only did Pet Connect "dump" Dexter, they expected me to reimburse them for all prior vetting! While I was desperately contacting other rescues for help, PC took in another dog needing an expensive surgery! They claimed to have no prior knowledge of this dog's surgical need, however this dog had a clearly visible mass. Numerous volunteers and fosters have felt like they have been treated like dirt by their Director of Operations and have left. ...There are many rescues in the area with better track records in respect to the value placed on fosters and volunteers. I no longer donate my time or resources to this group, and encourage others interested in saving needy dogs to do so with another rescue group. read more

Not a fan of this rescue so far. I have been looking for kittens and it's clear that most organizations care about giving their pets loving homes, which is supposed to be the point of this place. An adoption coordinator never contacted me after putting in several inquiries through adoptapet.com. The foster mom that called me seemed too busy to return phone calls and seemed to actually want to keep the kittens I was interested in, she wouldn't even let me put in an application until the other people who expressed interest "decided" whether they wanted the kittens or not. Additionally, she was completely condescending about the entire process, letting me know that it was "pretty standard" for the organization to not contact interested adopters if the kittens inquired about had already been picked up. I'm not chasing this lady or this place to adopt kittens. I'm preapproved at two other places and there are other organizations that are actually interested in giving kittens proper homes and meeting willing adopters. This place is a no for me. read more

I really fell in love with one of their cats and was happy to hear that it had all its shots etc etc. Teddy was/is still listed online as adoptable on multiple websites. He was also shown as adoptable at the Petco in Lutherville when we went to meet him. I called time and time again trying to adopt, and they finally called me back saying I could meet him in a few days. I pay the adoption fee, then on a late Sunday night I get a call saying he was never adoptable in the first place and he should not have been listed as adoptable. No refund on the fee. I look a week later and he's STILL listed as adoptable. Am I being lied to?? I should get refunded, or I should have been told that he wasn't available. This is a scam, don't try getting a pet here if there's no way you can be sure that's it's available. read more

Great experience with PetConnect Rescue. The volunteers are kind, quick to respond and certainly have the best interest at heart for all of the animals. I started as a foster caretaker with PetConnect, then went on to adopt the kitten we fostered. The adoption process was seamless. Highly recommend this organization. Excellent job! read more

After two weeks of back and forth with the organization, I just gave up. It took days for them to review my application, and another week to let the foster person decide if she wanted to keep the dog or not. Then, they left it up to the foster person to call me arrange a visit with the dog. So, of course she didn't call...Don't bother adopting a dog from this organization! read more

My experience with Petconnect is similar to a number of other reviews posted. If you're trying to adopt, it all depends on who you wind up talking to. Some adoption coordinators never respond. Some turn down applicants without providing a reason. For all animals, basic vetting is covered, but if a dog is heartworm positive or needs a surgery, PCR bails. Most rescues their size are 100% volunteer run. PCR is not. For me, that was the biggest red flag. I would urge people to check out guidestar.com. There are 8 paid employees. Salaries in the last fiscal year reached 100K. Are all the people affiliated with PCR bad? Of course not. Some spend countless hours networking to save animals, all unpaid volunteers. It's their ethics, or lack thereof, that drove me away. read more

I adopted two dogs from PetConnect - one in 2012 and one in 2017 and had a great experience both times. The volunteers seem to really care that the pet and the adopter are a good match. read more

Let me enforce all the negative reviews on this thread. Unless for some reason you're looking to be treated like a suspected criminal and mental defective stay away from these people. They have absolutely no respect for your time or your judgment and will make you regret ever trying to rescue a pet. First, they made me fill out the entire application before they would tell me whether the dog I was interested in was still available -- surprise! It was not. And in evaluating that application they refused to believe I was capable of the simplest task: quarantining a puppy for a few weeks until its immune system matured. If that puppy had in fact been available I can only guess what further insults and abuse I would have endured from these arrogant people. I'm a super qualified pet owner (a retired professional who has owned this breed before) and they've put me off the whole idea of adoption -- all in the name of "protecting" these animals. Well done! read more

I foster for petconnect and from my perspective they are a great organization! They really make an effort to pull dogs with good temperments that will do well in people's homes. Once in a foster home, they support the foster's and step in if there are issues or concerns to help. From the adoption perspective, the organizations rules are reasonable and understandable. I have been involved with other rescues who's rules were (in my opinion) unnecesarily strict and illogical. Pet Connect does phone screenings, asks you meet the dog before making up your mind, they do a home visit, and if you have other animals they try to find a way to test if the new dog/cat will get along with your exisiting pets. We really make an effort to make sure each animal is a good fit into your home to minimize returns and stress/heartache to everyone involved. All the volunteers are here for the animals and really care. We can only save as many animals as we can find foster homes, please if you're interested in volunteering, let us know. read more

You might initially have a very pleasant impression of this shelter, however, this quickly deteriorated when push came to shove. They refused to live up to their promise to return my money, and the refusal was short and rude, in spite of promises made. The dog turned out to have multiple behavioral issues, none of which the shelter told me anything about. It was impossible to obtain the dog's immunization record. I offered to supply them with what immunizations my vet did--but they couldn't care less, obviously passing an unnecessary burden to the next owner. I sincerely suggest you go to a different shelter. read more