I found SOAR through adopt a pet.com. I found a couple pictures online of some adorable puppies and there seem to be a variety. The ranch was about an hour and a half from my house. I called and made an appointment to come see the puppies and Melissa was prompt to answer and respond to my communication. I drove to the ranch and there was plenty of space for all the puppies. They all had food and water available and it seemed most of them had just been bathed. The facility was quite clean. The young lady Britney who was tending to all the puppies seemed to spend a lot of time with them and was knowledgeable on where the came from. Our particular puppy (and the litter) was relinquished by the owners. One group of puppies we looked at was just brought in from a high kill shelter. I was pleased with the transaction and my puppy. My puppy did have worms when Melissa received her but she dewormed her and gave her her first round of vaccines. Melissa requires you to see a vet within 72 hours and our check up went well. She had some residual worms but we got her medicated. This is to be expected when puppies are retrieved from neglectful owners or found dogs. We had our puppy delivered b SOAR to our house 1.5 hours away) on Christmas Eve and she's very happy and so is our family. I think it's great what she's doing for these dogs and not everybody can save dozens of dogs at a time so I am grateful for places like this who have big hearts for animals. read more

We adopted our handsome puppy in August 2018. I was very impressed with Melissa and Brittany's flexibility in working with our timing to get our pup adopted as we could only come later in the day and needed to waited a week before picking him up (unique circumstances). I was very impressed with her knowledge of, love for, and ability to care for these pups and dogs the way she does. I would adopt from her again. I was also glad to see that she had separate enclosements for each age/size of dogs. Each kennel had a concrete flooring and also some soft ground for them to play on. And, they were visibly well fed and watered. It is a beautiful place for these pups as it is also a refuge for horses and has a beautiful green pasture directly across from the dogs. Our pup did have worms when he was examined by the vet, but this was not Melissa's fault. Melissa gave our pup his first de-worming medicine in front of us, and she gave him his first round of vaccines that week while she had him. The fact that he had worms did not anger me because most pups are born with some form of worms and must be treated. It was likely he would have them since he was so young and had only been with Melissa a week; that's not nearly long enough for her to administer the needed number of treatments in order to get rid of the worms completely. Therefore, the presence of worms was due to our timing in adopting him. read more

My experience with Starting Over has been a good one. We adopted Ryder last May. Yes, the property is gated and guarded but the dogs were not dangerous or aggressive toward us. The rescue was clean and there was construction going on to rebuild after the hurricanes came through. All the enclosures were clean and all the puppies and dogs were in good health and active. We were warned that Ryder had worms and was being treated for them and told to follow up with our vet. We received paperwork showing he'd seen a vet, gotten his first vaccines and tested positive for worms and had been treated twice. He had also already been started on heartworm prevention. We followed up with our vet and he was treated two more times to totally get rid of the worms. Worms are a tricky thing, having worked for a vet before I know this from past experience. Even though he had worms he was in good health of good weight and continued to grow. He is now 1 year old and weighing in at 135#. We are extremely pleased with this adoption. Every adoption we've done before (3) others have cost us $200-400. The dogs we have from breeders were significantly more. That said, Ryder's health is as good as our other dogs, his temperament is the best of them all and is a true gentle giant of a dog. I would adopt from Melissa again. read more

We drove from Gainesville to the rescue. Just adopted a little labrador from Melissa. MELISSA'S THE NICEST!!!! She obviously LOVE and care about her dogs A LOT. The dogs at the rescue are healthy and happy. When we arrived, I saw some tiny young puppies that are sick and just arrived. I asked Melissa about them and she says they're going to be treated - YES, TREATED. It's wonderful to know there are people out there who still truly care about dogs rather than just put them down because "it takes too much to try to save them". The dogs have plenty of space at this rescue - it's on a huge farm land. The little fur babies are full of energy and greeted my husband and I as soon as we walked in. I was initially concerned about some of the reviews written here. I just wanna call them bull. The rescue is clean, well organized, and lively. Adopting our forever friend here is the smartest decision I've ever made. Some dewormers are sent home with the puppy too! It was such a pleasure meeting Melissa. She and her daughter love these animals so much and I know they take very good care of them. They're all very very very amazing people. If you're looking to adopt a dog from someone who cares as much as if not more than you do - adopt them at Start Over Animal Refuge. read more

Run from this "rescue." I wish to God I had read this previously. I would not have set foot on that "Ranch." Which is guarded in the front by two extremely aggressive dogs. I should have trusted my gut and run. The owner is impossible. I purchased a puppy for $400. I wouldn't set foot near those dogs, so my husband signed the contract. He got in the car and said the "ranch" was disgusting and completely run down. And that he signed an insane contract to get the puppy. We did not know who we were dealing with, we should have run. Later, I take the puppy to vet. The vet tells me she doesn't want to spay her until she is 9 months old. So I paid in advance to have her spayed when the vet determined it was appropriate. Well, I check in with the Rescue to tell her. She immediately starts threatening me criminally and civilly. Saying "this isn't my first rodeo". And her attorneys name is Nick Spardlin, and she was going to sue me immediately for INTENT TO BREECH. And I would be placed on 5 years probation. This woman has serious emotional problems. And apparently on top of that, she's a fraud and a thief. I believe every word of the previous reviewers. We are returning the puppy, so we can extricate ourselves from this woman. read more

I grew up on this farm and of course people will say my opinion is biased because she is my mother. I have never seen my mom neglect a single animal, she will spend every dime she has on these animals. EVERY DIME. She had adoption contracts that you must abide by because it's a legal binding contract. NONE of our dogs have been bred. NONE of our dogs are intact. NONE. We don't believe in breeding. We believe in spaying and neutering. PERIOD. These people are crazy. Yes, she does purchase some of the puppies to ensure they have forever homes on ADOPTION CONTRACTS and not sold to every tom, dick and harry. People get pissed off because of the prices, or because they have to spay and neuter their pup. They are read the adoption contract verbatim and they can choose to sign or walk away. Yes, the adoption fee is $400. We have MANY puppies and my mom will drop $1500 a week on food, vaccines, dewormer, everything. Don't listen to these people. they're bitter. this is my moms life guys. Don't believe the lies. read more

I have adopted four dogs over the last 7 years from Starting Over and will continue to do so. I live in St Cloud but make the drive to Ocala purposefully because I believe in this rescue 110%. These dogs are well socialized and cared for while there. Take the drive yourself to see just how well they are loved and treated. My dogs all became integral parts of our family immediately upon their arrival to our home and I credit Melissa Candow and Starting Over with that. First I adopted 2 GSP mix brothers, Hunter and Gunner, back in 2012. Then Riggs, an Australian Cattle cross, joined them in 2016. Most recently in December of 2018, we adopted Bella, a dachshund mix. Each and every one of these dogs was happy, healthy and loved all people and other animals when we brought them home. I highly recommend Starting Over and hope you'll give them a visit when looking for your furever friend. read more

Starting Over Animal Refuge is truly an awesome rescue! From the moment we connected with them, it was clear that this is a place run with so much love and dedication to the animals. Mellissa, you are absolutely amazing! Your care, compassion, and commitment to every rescue is inspiring. We had the pleasure of adopting a wonderful Lab/Pointer mix, and we instantly fell in love. It was obvious that he had been well cared for and loved before coming to us. The entire adoption process was smooth, and Mellissa made sure we had everything we needed to give our pup the best start in his new home. If I didn't live so far away, I would absolutely volunteer my time to help this incredible organization. If you're looking for a pet, I highly recommend Starting Over Animal Refuge--you won't find a more caring and devoted rescue! Thank you again! read more

Any one who complains about the fees here, criticizes the care or conditions of the animals here, or claims in any way that this place is a "scam" of any kind - is full of crap. This lady works her ass off for these animals, and the world is full of jealous haters. Her animals are professionally vetted, healthy, clean and well cared for. THAT's what costs a little more - and believe me, it's worth EVERY penny. I adopted an 8 week old GSD puppy, Jax, that was healthy, sweet, had all his shots, and was just beautiful. He grew up into a stunning adult and has turned out to be one of the best dogs I've ever owned. It's been 4 years now and I would make the drive out from Tampa again in a heartbeat... I've been thinking about getting Jax a puppy to play with. Stop with the attacks and the whiny bitching, you're not fooling anybody with that crap. read more

I did not read these reviews before adopting my puppy. This place may charge a lot as the "adoption fee" for puppies and my puppy did have worms when I got him. However, in front of my eyes I watched the woman bathe him since he had fleas, give him a vaccination and a give him a dewormer. When I took him to the vet after he did have to get additional vaccinations but keep in mind this is NOT the dogs fault. These are still puppies that need homes and he is now the most perfect dog I could have ever asked for. It is difficult to keep up a ranch of puppies and overall he is healthy. He is a great dog and I am glad I could give him a home. So don't blame these dogs and "return" them or not adopt one because of these reviews. Dogs are family and if you want one in yours this is a great place to get one even if they may come with worms or fleas. read more

I had a great experience working with this Starting Over Animal Rescue. From the start, Melissa was incredibly responsive and answered all of my questions quickly, which really helped put me at ease. I'll admit I was a little skeptical about the $40 fee to schedule the appointment, but it turned out to be completely legitimate and well worth it. Melissa followed through on everything she said, and the process was smooth and straightforward. I was able to meet my puppy and bring him home the very same day, which made the experience even more special. You can tell she genuinely cares about the animals and wants them to go to good homes. I'm so grateful for the experience and would definitely recommend this rescue to anyone looking to adopt! read more

I have adopted 3 beautiful dogs from this rescue. They were all very healthy and happy. 2 were over a year old and one was a puppy. For those who say they were not well cared for obviously does not know how special these people are that do rescues. Melissa does a great job in giving these animals another chance at a happy life. Her whole family helps out and these animals are bathed and washed when needed. All three dogs were healthy and I only had the normal boosters vet visit after getting them. She rescues these pets from terrible situations. If you do not know how rescues work then you should not judge these wonderful people. read more

I have been to Starting Over and spent over 4 hours there. I watched Melissa clean pens, wash puppies, and love on all the puppies. Went out in the field and met some of the horses. The kennels were spotless. Her energy was beyond normal. Loving every minute with her dogs and her baby. Chloe is a puppy magnet. She loves on all animals. My friend has 2 wonderful dogs that she got from Melissa. She is a wonderful person. Can't believe that PEOPLE want to ruin her reputation. I believe it's jealousy. I consider Melissa my friend and she is the best with her Starting Over Ranch. Don't be afraid to adopt from Melissa. read more

I have been to Starting Over Animal Refuge several times and have always had a favorable experience. I have three healthy, beautiful animals that came from Starting Over. I can not say enough about the excellent care that the animals received prior to finding their forever homes with me. The facility is always clean, animals appear well cared for and I was never met by any aggressive or poorly behaved dogs. I would highly recommend adopting from this refuge, the owner is very honest and knowledgeable. I apologize, somehow I voted on the negative reviews and belief me, there is NO WAY that I would count that review as useful. read more

Melissa is possibly the hardest working person Ive ever met! You can tell she really loves the animals in her care and makes sure they get everything they need to get a good start or a good start-over in life! Very attentive, gave clear instructions on care and feeding, and ensuring a successful adoption. All the animals in her care were in beautiful healthy condition and well cared for in clean pens and surroundings. My own puppy passed his vet physical with flying colors and is a happy, healthy addition to our family! I cannot say enough good things, I highly recommend Starting Over Animal Refuge! read more

I had a wonderful experience with this rescue. Melissa clearly has a deep love for the dogs in her care, and it shows in everything she does. The facility was exceptionally clean, and every dog looked happy, healthy, and well cared for. It was obvious that each dog receives plenty of attention, compassion, and quality care while waiting for their forever home. It's so reassuring to see a rescue that truly puts the well-being of the animals first. I would absolutely recommend Melissa and her rescue to anyone looking to adopt or support an organization that genuinely cares about its dogs. read more

I want to start by saying that this is a fake page with fake reviews to hurt the reputation of this shelter. Even the photos at the top are not of this shelter. My wife and I just adopted a dog from here for Christmas and Melissa was amazing and very accommodating. We called her day of and we drove up to Ocala. All of the dogs here are very well taken care of. Our puppy had his first vet exam today and he is very healthy! You can tell there is a passion and love here for these animals. When looking at this page, please ignore the bad reviews and photos for they are fake. read more

This is our first rescue/adoption and Melissa made it so easy! Rex( formerly Sport) is a lab mix and was 10 weeks old when we got him. He is the healthiest puppy we have ever had! No kennel cough which is a 1st for us! our vet says he's perfect ( and we agree). I would definitely go adopt from Melissa again! She truly cares about these babies ! Melissa asks for updates on these babies which is heartwarming! To make sure they are loved and taken good care of. speaks volumes!! We drove from Apopka to Ocala which was a haul but Melissa said come anytime and we did read more

I adopted my boxer from this rescue almost a year ago , the animals at this rescue were all so beautiful and well cared for, the kennels were well maintained! I recommend adopting from this rescue as Melissa is very knowledgeable and professional. Handling a whole ranch of unwanted animals I'm sure is not easy but she never once complained or made this seem as if it were a burden. She rescued my boxer from a high kill shelter after she was left tied to a tree. She is spayed and vaccinated and such a great addition to my family! read more