I am so incredibly grateful for the work that this organization does. I am a biologist working in Puerto Rico and I took in a pregnant stray dog named Lola when I first arrived. Lola gave birth to six beautiful puppies that were in desperate need of good homes. You see, there are hundreds of thousands of stray dogs on the island of Puerto Rico, which is about the size of Connecticut. Despite this, there are only 5 shelters to care for them and the kill rate at these shelters is 99%. Dogs and puppies relinquished to these shelters often do not survive more than 48 hours. Aware of this issue, I knew that I needed to send Lola's puppies to a rescue organization in the states that would adopt them out to loving homes. Having already found a home for one puppy in the bay area, I contacted Rocket Dog to see if they would find homes for the remaining puppies. Within 24 hours I received a reply to my email from Katie Whittaker, an amazing Rocket Dog volunteer. She told me that they would be more than happy to help and even offered to help Lola as well! Katie and her fellow volunteers campaigned on social media and were able to find homes for the puppies within two weeks! I shipped the puppies via United's Petsafe Program and Katie even housed them in her own home while making final arrangements for adoption visits. Thanks to Rocket Dog, these puppies have a bright future and will not become another stray statistic here in Puerto Rico. This is a fantastic organization staffed by courageous and compassionate volunteers and I cannot thank them enough! My sincere thanks, Dana Herman read more

Rocket Dog Rescue - Puerto Rico puppies - Animal Shelters Near Me - Oakland, California

I cannot express how wonderful everyone at Rocket Dog Rescue has been! I am particularly grateful to Angel for her assistance with the foster-to-adopt process. I saw a dog on their website who had a bio that fit what I was looking for. I submitted an application & was contacted by email within less than 12 hours. I then had a phone call that same evening with the adoption specialist handling Frankie, the dog that I was interested in. I was able to speak at length with Angel & get all of my questions answered. Both of us were a little concerned about how Frankie might be with my cat, Meeko, since he'd never been cat tested. I came to see Frankie & fell in love. We talked about doing a "foster-to-adopt" since we all were unsure what Frankie would do when it came to Meeko. I came back to see him again before brining the whole family down. He charmed them too. We brought him home that day & fostered him for about a week and a half before admitting that we couldn't live without him. Meeko still isn't in love with Frankie, as Frankie is still a little too curious about Meeko, but we are all working on it. Thank you Rocket Dog for giving me my beautiful boy! read more

Rocket Dog Rescue - Sleeping after a shower - Animal Shelters Near Me - Oakland, California

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Rocket Dog is a great organization. I went to one of the mobile adoptions after seeing a puppy I was interested in online. It didn't seem like things were as organized as it should be though. Nobody knew which dogs were going to show up for sure and when. Luckily, I waited around for an hour after I filled out the application when I saw the puppy I wanted. I was able to take him home the same day...which I'm glad because he's the cutest dog I've ever seen. & I am so glad to have him in my life. That was four months ago and I have yet to receive paperwork for him. (-1 star). At the adoption site, they said it would be sent to me within a week. Each time I've emailed them, I was told that they were going to look into it. Doesn't matter now though because I got all the necessary paperwork done to show that he is mine. Check at his photo...his name is Barney :) read more

Rocket Dog Rescue - Barney - Animal Shelters Near Me - Oakland, California

I've been volunteering since 2013 and everyone who has been involved has been so generous and self sacrificing. Those who help out have poured in countless hours to rescue, transport, feed, take to the vet's office, and host adopts events -all for the sake of rescue dogs! One thing to keep in mind is we are all volunteers. We aren't paid to do these tasks. We rescue all breeds and all sizes of dogs. Rocket Dog holds weekly adoption events as well as pop up events. It is a joy to see beautiful dogs go to loving homes. read more

Rocket Dog will always have a special place in my heart. I can't bear the idea that my sweet dog Lex, who I adopted from Rocket Dog almost 3 years ago, was on his last day in some horrible Central Valley shelter. Pali scooped him up, got him up the Bay Area, in to foster care and paid a ton to get him up and running (he needed to be neutered and have several teeth removed). He is an older Chihuahua (usually not very adoptable) but he is just what I was looking for and he is amazing. Thanks to Rocket Dog for giving great dogs with good years left a chance! read more

Rocket Dog Rescue - Lex (formerly Macho), adopted June 2005 - Animal Shelters Near Me - Oakland, California

We adopted from Rocket Dog - look no further if you are looking to adopt a dog or support an honest, worthy rescue foundation. Our dog was saved from a certain death and after having her in our family for 1 year we can't imagine not having met her. They have a talent for finding wonderful dogs in need of loving homes, and are staffed entirely by great volunteers. Look for the purple star tag (all Rocket Dogs have them!) and give that dog a hug! read more

Want to preface this review with the fact that Rocket Dog Rescue was actually recommended to me by friends who have had positive experiences/successfully rescued their dogs through this organization. If you like happy endings, read a different review because this one is not for you. I do admire the work that this rescue does and feel bad giving a "not so positive" review but I really wanted to share my personal experience with people considering adopting through Rocket Dog. The facts: 1. I attended the Bay Area pet fair with my boyfriend on September 16th, 2017 and filled out an adoption application and adoption agreement through Rocket Dog for a 2 month old puppy (we will call her A for the sake of this review). 2. We were told that A was too young to be taken home and needed to get her 2nd set of shots and undergo her spaying procedure before she could be released. We were told all of this would take place within the next 3 weeks. 3. We were told to expect a call after 3 weeks to pick up our puppy, A. What happened after September 16th: My boyfriend and I would have been first time dog owners and it was our first time adopting through a rescue. We didn't really know what to expect. Two weeks went by with no correspondence and I was curious to see how our puppy was doing. Had she gotten her shots? Was she recovering from her spaying procedure? Though I didn't want to be bothersome, I figured it wasn't unreasonable to expect an update after 2 of the 3 weeks had passed. We decided to call the foster after two weeks, left a voicemail, and received no reply. We waited 2 days after leaving the voicemail and texted just to make sure the foster had received the voicemail. The foster replied to the text and said that A was getting dewormed and that she was going to get her shots and procedure done afterwards. After this text, SILENCE for 2 weeks. At this point, it had been 4 weeks and past the timeline the rescue had told us. We were confused why we had received no update from the rescue or the foster. However, we were a little hesitant to text the foster or the rescue because we knew they were busy taking in dogs that were displaced from the recent fire in Napa. We eventually texted the foster twice during the 4th week but received no reply. I was getting worried so I decided to reach out to the owner, Pali, directly. I texted her every day for three days straight until I finally received an update. Except the update wasn't what I wanted to hear. According to Pali, A had gotten sick, was taken to the vet, and had passed away from what they guess might have been a "congenital weakness" since the puppy's mother was "likely unvaccinated." I was shocked, devastated, and confused at the same time. When did all this happen? Is this the reason why I got no reply or update from anyone? Had I not diligently texted every day during the 4th week, would I even know this by now? Or would I still be expecting to take A home any day now? I know that these things happen - puppies get sick and sometimes, they don't make it but I think the rescue should have gone about this situation differently. They should have kept communication with us and informed us when the puppy got sick/when she was taken to the vet. Just hearing news saying "Sorry, she didn't make it." without even knowing she was fighting for her life is just too overwhelming. It's only been 3 days since I found out the terrible news and I'm still in shock from everything that has happened. I've read a ton of success stories from people thanking Rocket Dog for letting them adopt their dog. I know the organization has changed many lives - both people and dogs. But to those of you who have experienced/are experiencing less than adequate communication from them, I feel your pain... read more

This is by far the worst rescue I've ever tried to contact. My wife and I filled out their ridiculous 10 page long form, and never heard back. We emailed, called and texted them multiple times and never heard back. We just physically drove to the rescue to find a rundown looking building. We heard dogs inside and tried knocking and ringing the doorbell and no one came out. You would almost think they aren't trying to find homes for their dogs. Just horrible read more

I love love love love Rocket Dog Rescue! My partner and I moved to San Francisco a little over seven months ago, and one of the first things on my list of things I needed in my life was a little furry friend. We looked around at East Bay SPCA and the SPCA in the Mission but didn't find the perfect dog. Finally we heard about the adoption fairs that Rocket Dog Rescue puts on at the Stonestown Mall, and so we made it there. We immediately fell in love with Texie Garcia, a little spaniel mix, who was named after a Dick Tracy character. We also made the can-do-everything Valerie who was fostering Texie. We spent some quality time feeling out Texie and her feeling us out. We then filled out the paperwork and finally paid the fee (which is now $280). Texie needed to be spayed, which Valerie kindly did. A couple of days later we took her name and named her Kurt Lewin. She was a little down on energy after her surgey and also very skiddish because of the new home. Fast forward seven months and Kurt Lewin smiles at us and barks in the cutest ways. She is completely potty-trained and we love her so much! read more

Rocket Dog Rescue - Adopted a dog! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Oakland, California

I can't say enough great things about this organization. I adopted my little Lola from them. They are lovely people with big hearts who do what they can to help those little species that don't have a voice. Highly recommend them. read more

Entirely unresponsive. In my experience from other cities I've lived in, a rescue operation at least bothers to respond. Literally everyone in the Bay Area is busy so that's not a real reason in this day and age to ignore calls and emails from clients. read more

My boyfriend and I have been looking for a dog for over 6 months. Yes, the application takes some time but we were glad a rescue puts lots of effort to not only thoroughly screen their adopting families but also to match each family with their ideal dog. Our dog's foster dad Jon Engdahl gave us a thorough background of our doggie Grace. When we went to meet her, he took his time to answer all of our questions, walked us around his property, and gave us a good idea of her personality. It's amazing what he taught her in just a month. It was very clear how attached both of them were to each other. Jon and the RDR have been very responsive with any questions we have and we cannot thank them enough for providing us with our missing piece to our family. We love her so much and she is such a great dog. read more

Rocket Dog Rescue - Our sweet girl Grace - Animal Shelters Near Me - Oakland, California

I'm glad to see that so many people have had such good experiences with Rocket Dog, because I know it's an organization run by people with their collective heart in the right place. But after our experience, I would never, ever recommend that someone adopt a dog from them. We were told that our guy was about 5 years old, that "the vet says his gray hairs are the result of stress," and that he'd recently had surgery to relieve an unfortunate mass growing in his anus, but was given a completely clean bill of health. I'll spare you the heartbreaking details of the following 11 months, except to say that we adopted--and fell completely in love with--a dog that was very old (at least 11, said our vet) and very ill. We repeatedly tried to get in touch with Rocket Dog, by telephone and by email, with pleas for help with his medical bills, which eventually reached into the thousands of dollars, and never received so much as an email response. I wouldn't trade our time with our dog for anything, and I feel good knowing that we gave him a to-the-end home where he was comfortable, well-cared-for, and very loved. But my anger that we were not told the truth about his condition--and stunned disbelief that we were never contacted when we reached out to the organization that made us sign paperwork promising we would return him to its care if we could not care for him--have taken a long time to subside. We loved him, and we would probably have adopted him even if we'd known the truth. But at least we'd have been able to prepare ourselves, emotionally and financially, for what was to come. read more

I attended the Rocket Dog Rescue Big Blast event this past Saturday evening, which was FUCKING AWESOME. If you didn't attend, you're either a TOTAL LOSER or dog killer Michael Vick. Held at Cydonia Glass, a studio space with weighty frosted glass doors and statuary, the event was HOPPIN'. I walked in just as Andy Bell belted out the final chorus of "A Little Respect", which prompted an orgy of screams and tossed glitter. Okay, not quite, but it was still a welcome throwback to the good old days when men were men, and they were all blowing each other. Some of the most defuckinglicious vegan food was on offer, including sausages courtesy of Underdog (http://www.yelp.com/biz/ZEjD3H78NtbrHzSdD2BopA) and -- of course -- enough cupcakes to satiate the most discriminating palate. The vast array of items offered in the silent auction were tabled. Everyone wrote their bids on a sheet of paper: Millennium gift certificates, baseball memorabilia, fine wines, Kiehl's gift boxes, glassware, even a bronzed elephant sculpture. Unfortunately, I didn't win anything, but there must have been some kind of technical problem since I was waiting for the ebay outbid emails to arrive and they never did. Strange. In addition, I discovered a few things about some of the fabulous yelpers who were in attendance. For example, DID YOU KNOW: - laura b is HOT - megan w is also HOT - maria d is HOT, too - Beah B is feelin' HOT HOT HOT - Speaking of HOT, have you seen Starla? - HOT Definition 1. Shatangi O. - No one is HOTter than Kristina R - In fact, Kingpin X is HOT - Liz S. est CHAUDE - "Jeff Troy McClure is HOT" is actually redundant - "Amir A" means HOT in another language So I had a great time, but it was tempered by nostalgia. I thought a lot about Lovey while I was here. Lovey, my third dog, was a Jack Russell terrier mutt. Large, elliptical eyes, with a taste for fun, mischief, and human food. She would follow me everywhere: into my room, into the kitchen, outdoors. She never left my side. I miss her. Dogs, in their infinite wisdom, can teach us a lot about ourselves. Their loyalty, for example, is a serious reminder of our own failings -- failings brought on by circumstance or design -- in this world where we jump from job to job, drop 'friends' once we have used them or no longer find them 'cool' or 'convenient', and otherwise behave like the assholes we can sometimes be. I see Rocket Dog Rescue, and organizations like them, as guardian angels in two senses. First, they rescue dogs from the kill lists, foster them, and find them families. The second sense may be more important: by saving these dogs and insisting on their humanity, they in turn safeguard ours. I strongly encourage you to donate your time and/or your money, since RDR is an organization run by volunteers. DO IT, BITCHES!! PS, laura b just PMd me and said that if my review was any less than five stars, she'd murder me. No, I'm KIDDING. I'm a kidder -- she's actually standing over my shoulder as I write this. read more

Let me preface this with, there is no other dog that I'd rather have than Hugo Hefner. He and my other dog Sid are the lights of my life. When I contacted Rocket Dog to rescue a dog because my other dog had passed away due to a ruptured gallbladder. When I inquired about one dog I was steered toward "3 y.o. healthy pekingese". They told me that he had some eye problems that would be cleared up with some eye drops and afterward he should be fine. However, when I brought my new love to my vet, he told me the exact opposite thing. Hugo was not, in fact, 3 but 13-15 y.o. In addition to having minimal sight, he has chronic eye problems and will need medication for the rest of his life. Hugo also had horrible allergies, psoriasis, and chronic ear infections. The worst part of the first visit was that my vet informed me that Hugo had cancer and would need to have an operation to remove the tumor. Over the past few years, I have paid over $25,000 for Hugo's many surgeries, medications, office visits... Attempts to contact Rocket Dog were not returned. I understand that they do a great thing but, I would have appreciated full disclosure on Hugo's health problems before I took him on. My advice is to bring a dog you are interested in to a trusted vet. I love Hugo and wouldn't give him up for anything but it has definitely put a huge financial strain in my life. read more

This is my firsthand experience. Many dogs are saved by this organization but they will not get one more second of my time (after I finish writing this review. Ha.) I saw a posting that an overnight foster was needed for some puppies. I volunteered. I was told that the pups were 10 lbs and did not bark. I know you saw this coming, but I didn't. Pups are almost 20lbs each and bark. Lots, progressively louder and more difficult to quiet. I was upfront that I have a complainey neighbor and could not tolerate barking. I would drop them back off the next morning, as planned. I picked up the puppy pen and pads at the pet store and headed over to get the puppies. After an hour and a half of waiting, I took them home and bathed them. They barked and whined and fell over each other, my neighbor complained. I texted Pali. Let her know the problem an that I would drop them off the next morning. You know, I'm sick of writing this but I want to warn others. To make a long story short, I spent EIGHT hours in my car with my dog and two puppies being strung along by Pali, hour by shitty hour. Yes, I'm sure she'll blame me for volunteering. And yes, I will be sure to never ever volunteer again. And I'm sure this review will be flagged and removed, but I'll keep posting because it's true and people should know what they're getting into. Sadly, I will never consider fostering another dog as I was treated like absolute crap. Beware. Just a note, I wrote this review a few months ago when this happened, but waited until now to post, just to get some distance from it. This review is my own true experience and all the above is accurate. read more

Rocket Dog Rescue flagged and had removed my first review which was actually kinder and less explicit in my accusations against them. So silly. Now the person who runs the org has responded with more outright lies, still hasn't provided me with contact information for their board of directors or with their annual report. At least she apologized here, which is more than she did when she was screaming at me over the phone. Sigh. RDR treats some of these hard-to-place dogs like cooked pasta, throwing them at families to see if they'll stick. I suppose most of them do for various reasons that have nothing to do with being a good fit - guilt, shame, fear of the woman who screams at you on the phone. Let's be honest, most people want to avoid conflict so if you're reading about some of the same exact terrible tactics here consider that these are the folks who are not only willing to confront RDR about their shady stuff, but are also taking the time to write about it. Do the math and imagine how many more you don't read about. Best thing to do? Support another another animal rescue organization - even SF Animal Care & Control has some great dogs and they do follow their own rules and regulations which include full disclosure before you take your new pet home. read more

{My previous review was removed at Rocket Dog Rescue's request due to the critical nature. Yelp requested I only convey first person experience.} I dealt with an unfortunate situation caused by RDR and have some recommendations for RDR and anyone adopting pets from a rescue: My roommate, "X", volunteered to foster through RDR. When she said that she wanted to foster through RDR, I was hesitant to support her decision based on MANY negative stories I've heard while working with 3 other rescues in the Bay Area. But, I kept my mouth shut & hoped for the best. Shortly (days?) after calling them, X was contacted about a dog that failed a temp test and "needed saving". X asked me to come to meet the dog at shelter as I have much more experience than she, so I went with her. RDR did not meet us at the Shelter as X had been promised. (I witnessed the phone conversation w/ Pali and many phone calls following trying to find someone to meet us.) Since the dog failed the temperament test by biting the handler and showing signs of stress, I was very concerned about X being able to manage the dog's emotional & training needs. Surprisingly the shelter allowed X (and me) to take the dog, regardless that no one from RDR signed off on the dog's ownership. So we took him into X's car and again tried to contact RDR, again. Finally when we got home, we reached Pali's subordinate. As X has very little dog experience, she asked me to speak for her so that all the appropriate questions could be asked. This dog had medical issues along w/ behavior issues and was obviously in physical distress. I could not understand why RDR would place a dog like this in an unexperienced foster situation, but again hoped for the best. So I asked for the name and contact info for the dog's sponsor, the person who did the home check, and who would be helping X find this dog a permanent home. Pali's subordinate was VERY evasive and admitted THERE WAS NEVER A HOME CHECK and that we could call Pali if there were ever any issues. {A home check is a basic NECESSITY to prevents many problems including unsafe environments including hoarding. It also allows the rescue to determine if the foster home is even ALLOWED to have a pet (or two). } I was horrified as I know our lease specifies ONLY one dog. I assumed our landlord approved this dog, so was shocked to discover RDR didn't confirm that we are permitted to have an extra dog. {Our place is about 33% less than it should be due to rent control and RDR put both our housing at risk by not checking.} In the course of the next week, RDR continued to evade OUR phone calls as this poor pup was having medical issues that needed immediate attention. We finally took the dog to our vet and discovered a condition that required medication. This dog has since been passed on to an adopter. This adopter was told the dog was healthy, when everyone involved knows this was not the case. It will likely cost him thou$ands to fix the problem, or more likely the dog will be PTS. RDR still has no idea where X and I live, yet we again have an other dog. Similarly RDR did not show up at the shelter. So my advice for anyone adopting or fostering through RDR is to understand that although their intentions may be honorable, the process is not perfect. It is far from perfect. The fact that RDR would be constantly soliciting for fosters and then not verify the home's safety, once again shows that RDR is not what the vast PR machine proposes. Please do your research! And be careful! RDR (and all good rescues) should provide hoops for you to jump through including a home check, an extended adoption period, to verify the dog is a forever dog, and health guarantees when you decide to adopt. Don't be a victim to those who will willingly take advantage of your well meaning actions. When you do adopt, do so with a clear understanding of what you are looking for in a pet AND knowledge that you should get the dog's health and temperament tested by a respected CERTIFIED professional evaluator. And if you want to foster a dog through RDR, make sure that you've researched alternative rescues for a clear comparison. For Dawg's sake, if they don't require a home check, land lord approval, and for you to follow appropriate procedures for dog-dog intros, crate training, and for a quiet time when you first get the dog, just walk away... (For the record I was contacted through YELP by a RDR Board member regarding my criticism. I responded "When RDR completes the home check, I will remove/edit this review." Since no home check has been completed in the 3 months since I was contacted, I guess they haven't updated their policies and procedures.} This speaks VOLUMES about how RDR consistently takes advantage of people. The stories about phone calls not returned, bills going unpaid, misinformation, etc are unfortunately well known in the SF Dog Rescue community. Do your research before you adopt. read more

I believe they have their hearts in the right place but need some solid leadership. I also believe that if you attend one of their on-site events, you will have a much better experience than I did. I contacted Rocket Dog because they were recommended by a friend. She is a foster dog Mom. She works with the Solano shelter and Aardvarks dog training. She knew of a dog at Rocket that she felt would be a great fit for my family & I. I went online, found the dog and filled out the application. Then I waited...and waited...and waited. I tried calling. Their automated message said to email them. So, I did (again)....and waited...and waited. I tried messaging them on Facebook. 2 days later I got a reply saying that there were other dogs needing a home and my application would be forwarded to the foster parent. So, I waited...and you get the idea. I got another message, informing me that they couldn't find my application. My best friend contacted them to supply a reference. They mentioned to her that the dog I had inquired about was dog aggressive. Why didn't they tell me that directly? I have owned a dog aggressive dog in the past & handled it properly. 2 days later I got a message from someone else telling me that they had a lot of dogs in need of a foster home. I gave up and went down to my local shelter, where I found my new love that was actually available to adopt. I understand this group is run by volunteers but they need to focus on their organization. I wonder how many other qualified, happy homes give up due to a lack of a proper response? I share this review in hopes that someone will be alerted to the situation & make some positive adjustments. Thank you for all of the good things you do for these dogs in need. read more

I appreciate what all rescue organizations like this are trying to do, as i adopted my previous dog from a rescue agency like this one. HOWEVER, i am very upset with how difficult it is to get ahold of these people. The foster mom of the dog that we are currently trying to adopt (Angel) takes days, and sometimes even WEEKS, to respond. We were informed that the foster mom is very attached to Angel and is considering keeping her. I'm all for the foster mom getting first dibs (even though my boyfriend was the ORIGINAL owner of this dog but unfortunately had to give her up a few years ago), but the point of these agencies is to get these dogs ADOPTED. We have been told that Angel has been a foster dog for over a year. If the foster mom wants her, she should ADOPT Angel and make it final. We would be happy knowing that Angel has found a good, permanent home. However, instead of doing so, she has been stringing us along for almost a month now and has been very rude on the phone. I really hope the agency looks into this in order to make sure that dogs who have people WILLING to adopt them get placed in permanent homes, instead of having people try for weeks and eventually give up, leaving the dogs without permanent families and homes. The thought of this really breaks my heart. read more

I love dogs. Practically all of my charitable giving goes to local and national dog rescues. Rocket Dog, I applaud your steadfast effort in rescuing dogs in need and working diligently to find them good homes. I think when it comes to the dogs you work so hard to save, your heart couldn't be more in the right place. But after the most recent (and likely my last) Rocket Dog benefit at El Rio, I just can't see myself attending one of your functions again. I just don't understand the attitude. I pay to attend these benefits, always forking over the max contribution. I get there on time and bring friends to support Rocket Dog as well. But every single time I go to one of these events, I feel incredibly unwelcome. It's like this 'Old Boys (Girls) Club' which doesn't acknowledge anyone whom the director doesn't personally know. Just getting in line for some of the "free" food is greeted as if I were entering a stranger's kitchen and raiding their cabinets without an invitation. I'd wager that if you guys were a bit more welcoming and inclusive to those that want to support your cause, you'd see a much better turnout than you had this past Friday. Finally, I used to volunteer at your weekend adoption drives, until feeling like a burden rather than a helping hand (I offered to do whatever was needed) drove me to stop doing that as well. read more

My boyfriend and I adopted our pup, Brandi, from this shelter a little over a year ago at their adoption setup in Stonestown. She's stolen out hearts!! Our experience with the adoption process was simple and easy. the volunteers and staff helping us that day were so sweet. I've emailed them over the year and they're still so responsive and helpful. Thank you, Rocketdog, for leading us to our happy gal :) read more

IQ and I have a little loaf of sunshine in our life. Every time Buddy leaps into the air and catches his latest favorite racquetball, or rolls over in bed next to me and shoves me to one side with his hot little-big feet, or snorts and snurffles face first in a bowl of Canidae mixed with cottage cheese to keep his pooper pooping just right, I smile and I am sooooooo glad I adopted a dog who might otherwise have had a very different life. But what's also cool is that IQ and I have a different life because someone found Buddy, and we found that someone, and Buddy found us. There's this little loaf of sunshine shining on us every damn day. Every night, there are dogs going to sleep around the Bay Area with full bellies, clean fur, healthy bodies, and the contentment and security that comes only with love, because of Rocket Dog and other rescue organizations. And there are families who smile about 30% more often every day because of their own loaf of sunshine, all because of Rocket Dog and the other rescue groups. We didn't get Buddy from Rocket Dog, we got him from a different rescue group called BAARK. But I know our Laura B and I've seen the work Rocket Dog does, and I love them for it. Thanks Rocket Dog, for making this planet a little better for the loaves of sunshine. read more

I'm genuinely shocked that Rocket Dog Rescue has such high ratings. My experience with them was worse than bad -- it was actually traumatic. I went to a Rocket Dog fair to find a dog to foster with the intent of making him my forever dog. I met Bear, a beautiful chow mix, who was in a pen with a sign on it that read "I need a foster home!" According to them, Bear was fully trained on commands, as well as house-trained. I brought Bear home and within a few days, realized he had some pretty serious issues. Besides not responding to a single command (we started clicker training him), he started barking when I left the house. We have other pets in the house and my housemates were concerned the nonstop barking would freak them out, so I called Rocket Dog. They instructed me to buy herbal anxiety medications and a shock-collar (or a "sensitivity collar" as they called it). Shock collars are NOT my style and I was not enthused about this idea, but since it was technically their dog, I did what they told me to. Neither the meds nor the collar seemed to help, and shortly thereafter, Bear started to pee in the house, even when left alone for very short periods. I called Rocket Dog again and they told me to pick up dog diapers, and that they would drop me off a kennel to use (and reimburse me for the cost of the meds and shock collar as well). Dogs don't pee where they sleep, they explained, so if I keep Bear in a kennel when I'm gone, he won't pee in the house. It sounded cruel to keep a dog in a kennel to me, but again I followed their instructions. I tried to coordinate the kennel and reimbursement drop-off on multiple days. Their founder would text me in the morning telling me she'd be near my house in the early afternoon and would let me know when she could come by. I wouldn't hear from her for hours and would finally call to follow up, and she told me she had already left. This happened multiple times. Finally, she instructed me to drive way out to East Oakland to pick up a kennel from a friend of hers who had an extra one out there. She told me he would also reimburse me for my costs, and he would give me some heavier duty anti-anxiety meds to deal with Bear's barking. I was very unhappy about the idea of giving Bear prescription medication but was starting to feel helpless at this point -- Bear was peeing all over the house, barking constantly, and basically couldn't be left alone. I picked up the kennel, meds, and money and brought them home. I immediately started trying to kennel train Bear. I brought him outside and put him in the kennel, as Rocket Dog had instructed me to do. Immediately (as in, within five seconds), he peed in the kennel. Welp, so much for a kennel as a solution to his peeing. I realized around this point that I wasn't going to be able to keep Bear. Foster parents are expected to write the descriptions of the dogs for the website. I wrote a description of Bear that was honest but gentle -- it explained that he needed a forever home where his separation anxiety could be addressed and he could be trained on his commands. I sent it in to Rocket Dog, and the next day when I saw it on the website, it had been completely altered. Beyond leaving out some of the stuff about him being a high-need dog, they changed his description back to saying that he had full grasp of his commands! At this point, I was outraged -- how was Bear ever going to find a forever home if they were LYING about him on the website? I called Rocket Dog and talked to the woman who had posted the description. I explained that he did NOT have full grasp of his commands -- in fact, he did not know ANY commands. I explained we were clicker training him but it was slow-going. She told me that before I got Bear, he had gone through a complete one-on-one command training with a trainer. I was completely shocked, as there was absolutely no evidence of this in the Bear that I knew, and as I probed more, it came out that he had been trained with a SHOCK COLLAR. Of course a dog will respond to commands if they're being negatively reinforced if they don't! And OF COURSE that dog will completely cease to follow those commands once the shock collar comes off! This is dog training basics 101 -- every one of my dog walker friends I tell about this is blown away that Rocket Dog did this. The other major detail I found out on this phone call was that I was Bear's FIFTH (yes, 5th!!!!) foster home. He had been returned four times before me. Yo, you do NOT foster out a dog that has been in that many homes. You find him his forever home. No WONDER Bear had such intense separation anxiety! Eventually, most likely due to his prescription meds, Bear bit me while we were on a walk, and I had to return him. The Rocket Dog founder showed up a half hour later than planned to the drop-off, making me late for work. I sobbed all the way home. I think Rocket Dog is great if you get a low-need dog. Otherwise, they're a mess. read more

I will be very careful dealing with these people! Dogs are not objects and if you don't have time to really care for them and do the job you are suppose to do, you SHOULD NOT do it. The dog I had my heart on and was waiting for a month to meet and adopt was given to someone else over a weekend without me knowing. They don't understand that when you fall in love with a dog you get emotionally attached to them and you get very hurt when you don't get it. All I can say if you don't have time, DO NOT run an organization like this which needs 100% of your commitment and your time, dedicate your time in other dog centers that have full time employees and need the help! read more

Can I just say amazing, amazing, amazing organization! Lola wants to find her brother or sister through Rocket Dog. We had a blast at the most recent fundraiser. Can we say they know how to throw a party?! Pali, Laura, everyone else at RDR thank you for the amazing service you provide! read more

I am writing this review purely based on trying to go through the adoption process online. I found Rocket Dog through craigslist since they are always posting pups there (with pictures), so I checked out their website. I found 6 dogs I was interested in meeting, so I called the number on the website. The guy was nice enough, but instructed me to fill out the forms online. I went through the process online to fill out the forms, but then in addition I used the contact information provided for 3 of the 6 dogs (a personal email address) and send them the application, the names of the dogs I was interested in, and how to contact me. I never heard back. Ever. Not even a "we will get back to you"...even after I sent a follow-up email. Luckily, another rescue group did get back to us, and thanks to them we have a new love of our life (a shepard mix). However, I was so very disappointed that a rescue group that has so many animals would completely ignore a potential adopter. I hope I just came across a glitch in their electronic system and that they continue to find homes for all the deserving animals they are trying to save. read more

We recently adopted "Pepi" who now goes by "Penny" through Rocket Dog. She's said to be a chihuahua/dachshund mix. But her legs are *super* long, so who knows. She does have a very doxie face though. We met Penny at a Rocket Dog event in the Castro. We weren't sure about taking her home right then and there. So, we went home and sat on it, slept on it. A few days later, we contacted Penny's foster mom, and decided Penny was going to become a member of our family. At first, Penny was very nervous. She was pulling on her leash, snappy and bark-y at other dogs and people. We took her for a walk the first day home, up on Bernal Hill, and she was very anxious. But with some consistency, love and lots of treats, Penny has really blossomed! She now is not barky and snappy, towards *most* other dogs (we're still working on it) but she is MUCH more friendly with other dogs. She now actually approaches other dogs and tries to get them to play! She also walks much better on a leash, AND she's REALLY great off leash! Her favorite thing now is hunting for the elusive gopher who never seems to be in his hole! But in less than a month, Penny has made such leaps and bounds, she is so much more confident, less anxious and an all around happy pup! What made me so proud of Penny, was last night at El Rio's Rocket Dog event. We brought Penny with us to the bar. She was VERY well behaved. And Pali, the owner of Rocket Dog, came by to collect donations, and we told her that we had just adopted Penny/Pepi a few weeks ago, and she was surprised! She remembered Penny and said that Penny looked unrecognizable! That she looked so good now, so relaxed and looked like a different dog! That made me so happy. It just validated to me that Bill P. and I are good doggie parents! :) Thanks Rocket Dog for being a great organization! We are so proud that Penny is an alumni and so glad that she is a part of our family! read more

"Sing With Me People" To the tune of "Roxie" from Chicago: The name on everybody's lips - it seems to be: ZuZu! The puppy rakin' in the chips is gonna be: ZuZu! I'm goin to my forever home - That means somewhere that Lola is Not! They're gonna love every inch of me - My ears, my tail, my nose, my paws! From just some pup tied to a fence - now I am the ZuZu! Who says that Bullys are not sweet? And whoever says I'm fierce and mean... Has never been kissed by me - Queen Bean! ZuZu Belle! In August of 2003 I found a skinny, mud encrusted pit bull puppy tied to a parking lot fence in the Fruitvale District of Oakland. I took one look at her brindle self and I knew she was a pup in trouble. So. I took her home. Even though I already had four dogs of my own. And three cats. And a husband to explain this to. ZuZu Belle went into heat the next day. So. We kept her. (My huzbeau is a saint). Fast forward a year: Countless hours of training. A bloody hell of a fight with my pitty girl, Lola. (Do not fuck with me --- I broke a pit bull fight. I don't scare easy. And, I am telling you, the huzbeau - he's a GD saint). More weekends than I can count at adoption events and Finally! The clouds parted, the angels sang and the sun shone on Rocket Dog Rescue's Pali Boucher, High Priestess of dogdom , when she said to me, "these people are looking for an adult brindle female pit bull." The crowd on the corner of 18th and Castro parted and there they were in the golden light: ZuZu Belle's forever people. My heart broke and sang at the same time. After intense negotiations, ZuZu went to live with them mere weeks before we were set to move to Seattle. Now ZuZu Belle lives in the foothills of Mount Tam with two people who adore her. I've heard rumors she may be getting a brother for Christmas. Ferghal and I are driving down to California next week to hang with the Zu while her people take the first vacation they've had since she came to them. Thanks Derek and Nancy, I love you for loving ZuZu (and not changing her name). Thanks Pali, who never asked me for anything, but welcomed me with open arms, er, paws into the fold. You so made a difference for us. And thank you ZuZu, who brought out the dog in me by teaching me what loyalty and commitment are really about. read more

Rocket Dog Rescue - ZuZu - Animal Shelters Near Me - Oakland, California

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In December 2007 my husband and I adopted our 5 year old chihuahua mix, Peanut, from RD. My last review was a bit harsh...I am sorry for that. The adoption process was a bit messy, but you know what? They help so many dogs and they are volunteering their time....how can I hold that against them? I can't. And that is why I am taking down my old post. Peanut has had her issues (she still does) but she was saved from abuse and my husband and I are totally head over heals in love with her. (Room for growth: the only thing I suggest is RD offer a little more help when it is discovered that the baby you adopted has medical/behaviour issues.) Thank you Julia and Felicia for helping our little "Angel" and thank you Rocket Dog for being a wonderful organization. read more

This rescue needs to check it's self! I signed up to foster a dog named Fozzie, I was told he was emaciated and had an infection that would clear up.. I got the dog and he was in terrible shape. Sadly Fazzie is in complete kidney failure. I took him to the vet due to his pain and was told the best thing to do is to have him put down. Rocket Dog Rescue has chosen to put him on IV in a kennel to suffer. This is not what dog rescue is about. The dog is suffering. His infection is worse. He can't sit due to pain of his kidneys and prostate infection. It is so inhumane that Rocket Dog Rescue has had the vet put him in a kennel on IV treatment to suffer . And to be told after the fact that Rocket dog rescue knew he was this Ill and they just want him to have had a few happy loved days. He has had that. Let him go so he isn't suffering. He is in full kidney failure!!! He is in Pain. Update: Fazzie has been in care of the vets for a week now. HE STILL HAS KIDNEY FAILURE that CAN NOT be fixed. From my understanding he will live what ever time he has left on pain meds that will dull the pain but will not take it all away. He is in a kennel at a vets . Rocket Dog Rescue has chosen to spend a lot of $ to keep a dog in a suffering state. And to top it off, I am the dogs foster and Rocket Dog Rescue has yet to contact me about the dog I have been checking in on him. They have had no contact with me for over a week now. This saddens me greatly! Think twice before donating or adopting from a rescue that does not have the animals welfare at heart. read more

I've waited quite a while to write this review as it is complicated. We love our dog. That said, our experience with Rocket Dog ended up being brutal. We had one volunteer who was particularly nice and I don't believe she is at fault, she was probably going on what she was told. We chose a dog who wasn't available because someone was in front of us. That family fell through and she came available. We had my daughter meet her because safety is important and getting a dog who's a great fit is too. We put a deposit. Then the previous family changed their mind and Rocket Dog almost gave the dog to the other family. That was stressful but it worked out. The issues we've had are: they stated she was good in crates and should be crate trained. After taking her to the vet, we find out her teeth are worn because she was likely locked in crates and tried to get out. She has spots where the fur won't grow back from being in a tight crate. Needless to say she can't be crate trained. We were told she could be left, she has the worst separation anxiety you've ever seen. They said she was 3-4. The vet and all indicators are she's at least 5 and more likely 6-7. They said she was spade. How the heck do they get that wrong when she was even hospitalized when in their care? Well, we paid for a spade dog and then paid to have her spade. They told us she was healthy. She had one of the worst ear infections the vet had seen. It took 2 months of antibiotics and anti fungal to get it all fixed. They told us she was fine with other dogs. Not even close. After 9-months she's now showing aggression to humans, despite training and the most loving house. We may have to return her now after thousands of dollars and almost a year of bonding. The human aggression is not Rocket Dog's fault, but the rest... read more

Since I am a staunch supporter for animals, especially when there are so many out there, whose negative outcome was due to their lack of homes and abuse, I doubly support the groups and volunteers and their efforts and time in picking up where most of the owners have left off. Rocket Dog has a great site and a list of dogs that are available for adoption into loving homes willing to give them a second chance when their first ventures into previous homes did not work out, or the owners were losers who did not take their responsibilities very well. I have no tolerance for people who are too damn lazy and can't take the time to care/train/pick up after their dogs. It's a lifetime commitment and people who break that circle of trust should be lashed. Why are you even getting a pet when you can't commit. 5 plus and more stars for a group that represents a part of society that can't speak for themselves but demand our respect. read more

I reached out for guidance with rehoming 2 dogs and received a rude response back from one of the staff. I asked a follow up question (nicely) and they never responded. No longer going to donate to them. Thanks for nothing. read more

I recently adopted Oso from Rocket Dog Rescue and had a great experience. I love Pali and admire her passion and dedication to rescuing animals. It's a noble calling that I only wish I had the strength to pursue. I'm sorry to hear that some people were frusturated with the process and didn't feel like they were told everything they needed to know about their dog. However, I think it's important to set the right expectations when you're going through this process. Pali, Lena and the other volunteers work tirelessly to save animals on death row and do their very best to answer calls/emails and handle all of the paperwork, in addition to their "day jobs" that actually pay the bills. Please be patient. At the end of the day, you're all working towards the same goal - to save a life. :) Dogs will behave differently once they come home with you. Many of these animals have been through some difficult situations. Pali has been nothing but forthcoming on what I should expect with Oso. Your dog wants to make you happy, but it's your responsibility to get the training necessary to teach your dog to be a great family member. read more

This is a great group of people who really care about dogs and save lives every day. I fostered a dog here and found him a wonderful home (smooches Manuel, I miss you) I can't wait to help another deserving dog find a good home. read more

Thank you so much Rocket Dog Rescue! I adopted my dog (an American Staffordshire Terrier, aka a pit bull) through RDR almost 4 years ago. I was a "foster failure" - meaning I fell in love with my foster dog and adopted him. I signed up to be a foster, connected with a volunteer who performed an interview and a home check, and then met my wonderful dog King at SF's ACC. It was his LAST day - he had been in the shelter for more than 3 months and was about to be put down for no other reason other than he had been around too long. He had been surrendered because the owner lost his home. RDR agreed to pull him if they could find a foster, and that foster turned out to be me. It was the best decision I ever made, both for him and myself. He is the biggest love bug ever and has added such joy to my life. Because RDR is a volunteer organization, you have to take that into account in your communications with them. Sometime it takes them a while to get back to you, but their first priorities are with saving the dogs and making sure their needs are met. I appreciate that, and my doggy appreciates that. ***I should note that I went to several Stonestown adoption events before deciding to foster my dog. The process took months, because getting a rescue dog is not a decision to be taken lightly. It requires a lot of work. We also discovered that my dog tore the equivalent of his ACL while in the shelter. RDR crowdfunded the $ to pay for his surgery and vet bills. read more

It is exactly two years today since I adopted my handsome lil bugger, Nacho. I am forever grateful to Rocket Dog Rescue and I am sure Nacho is, too. If you or anyone is considering a dog, please consider working with Rocket Dog and avoid working with breeder who breeds for profits. You may not get the exact breed of dog you wanted, but what you end up will nevertheless enrich your life in amazing ways! read more

I'm in love with RDR for two reasons - the first being that they brought my lil puppy, Riley, into my life. And second because they were so genuinely helpful and kind. My boyfriend and I were going to brunch one Sunday and we happened to walk by the RDR adoption event in the Castro and thats when we spotted the puppy pen with 5 or 6 of the cutest puppies. I picked one up and he just melted into my chest. He was such a good boy and so well behaved. We filled out their application right then (which admittedly is quite lengthy) and a week later he was ours. So we brought him home and he was perfect but then he suddenly got sick. I wont go into the details but it was not pretty. I called Diana from RDR who had been helping us and not only did she provide us with the best place to take him for emergency care, but she actually came and picked us up and drove us to the pet hospital. Absolutely amazing. And even better than that, she stayed and waited with us until we knew what was going and brought us back home. She's an unpaid volunteer, people! That's dedication right there. Overall, I'm so happy that I decided to rescue Riley rather than buying a dog from a breeder. The concern that I got from Diana and Pali (the founder of RDR) was genuine and so kind. I'm not sure I would have gotten that had I just ordered some dog from online. If I ever decide to get another dog, my first stop is going to be checking in with RDR. read more

Racists! My boyfriend and I sent in identical applications with the only difference being that he listed our address in Lafayette and I listed our address in Oakland. It was my third application. I never heard anything from them. He was contacted immediately. read more