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

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

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

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

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

My dog passed away, I contacted the animal control/shelter number from here. I was told I was good…read more 6 months later I get a citation for no license, $100...it's bad enough my dog passed away and now you want me to license a dead dog. Also if I want to go to a hearing, I need to pay the $100 and mail a letter. I was healing from our loss, this is all too much.

Well, my first experience with CARMA at the Petsmart in Foothill Ranch was a slap in the face! I…read morenever got the chance to meet Delphine & never told by anybody at CARMA that she was adopted! I fell in love with this kitty, decided to open my heart & applied for her on March 30th! I couldn't wait to add her to welcome her to my family! She would have 6 other kitty siblings to play with & snuggle with! I waited 2 days, the sign says after you apply, somebody from CARMA will contact you in 48 hours! Huh, found out April 3rd, 3 days later at 1:43am through Adopt A pet, that Delphine was adopted & her profile removed! April 3rd at 9am I messaged them to see if that was a mistake & around 1:40pm I get a text from Tina. She said she tried to contact my manager & yes Delphine was adopted! Like yall couldn't contact me to ask about my manager? Your sign says in 48 hours you'll contact me, not my manager right away! I texted Tina back explaining about the planned power outage we had on the 2nd & that the manager's office was closed, nobody was there! Tina texted back requesting the number & the complex I live in so I did, then she texted back she'll contact her & me, both never happened! Tina lied! Besides if she was adopted, why do you need to call? I was confused & hurt! Not an apology or even suggesting another kitty! I feel like CARMA discriminated against me! April 8th I messaged CARMA & Rita Gatto responded. Again no apologies or no suggestion of another kitty, nothing, just "Well I don't know how a power outage affects the phone call" to "We're all volunteers with a day job" excuse! Well with the power outage & the manager's office being closed because of it, nobody's there to answer phones, yet you couldn't contact me? You couldn't hold Delphine until you do? You sign again says in 48 hours you'll contact the applicant to meet the kitty, not my manager right away! Yall ass backwards & screwed me out of an adoption! CARMA doesn't care about how I had decided to open my heart to Delphine & how much it hurts that they literally f***ed me over! Rita Never responded to my second email because to them, you're not allowed to be mad! I reached out to other adoption agencies & they all told me they always let applicants know that the kitty or puppy has been adopted & always suggest to come down & see another pet they may like. They never treat people coldly like CARMA did to me! When I posted my situation on social media, other people came forward with the same or similar situation. Some even said they discriminate against people with multiple pets, some say that CARMA can be very racist & also it's about adopting to rich people or people with being comfortable financially! Not people with heart or experienced cat owners like me! I faced discrimination at the last place I lived & had to move out because they didn't want me rescuing cats. I moved out after 18 years & was homeless with 7 cats & my elderly mom that I care for. We we're homeless for 4 & a half months! Most people would drop their cats off at the shelter or dump them on the side of the road! I kept us together! I took Pintobean to the vet & spent $600 on getting his bloodwork done, xrays & other things, but the vet told me he was fine, then a week after the vet, he died! I opened my heart to this kitty Delphine, her birthday was te same, different year, but not one apology or suggestion, just the cold shoulder! Also, I know for a fact if I didn't send that message on April 3rd, nobody from CARMA would of contacted me because they are all lazy & full of excuses! I bet Delphine's new parents never had to struggle in their life or really know the meaning of being a cat parent! Oh yeah, the CARMA volunteer at the Petsmart wanted me to give them a positive review...LMAO!!

Tiffany, Gregg and everyone at CARMA was incredible in finding the perfect puppy for our family. We…read morecould not be happier and more appreciative of everything they have done.

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

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

I got the best four month old German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois mix. He has been a blessing to our…read morefamily, kind and gentle to females and children very protective through the dog with the best heart I've ever around where he can be gentle, and if our home our family is threatened, he can become very intense very quickly, and yet effortless switch back to the loving pet we've always known I have four grandchildren, and he worships the ground. They walk on. A Wish For Animals is by far the best, most ethical honest and knowledgeable. I've ever dealt with what you want be patient and wait it will come through

This rescue is not a nonprofit and they engage in unscrupulous and unethical practices, at the…read moreabsolute very least. They have been banned from most local shelters and use various deceptive tactics to circumvent this restriction. Verifying a company's 501c status is pretty straightforward since it's all public record. We looked up AWFA via both the California DOJ website (you can look them up by name or by their EIN 202331353) and the IRS's tool for nonprofits. AWFA's status with California had been revoked since 2016, due to multiple violations against the Supervision of Trustees and Fundraisers for Charitable Purposes Act and therefore they're not allowed to conduct any activity or solicit charitable assets in California. The IRS page shows that AWFA's status was revoked federally on 5/15/2021. We fostered with this "rescue" once and that was enough. The dog we fostered was injured, traumatized, and arrived with no supplies. When we expressed concerns and ultimately decided to get legal advice out of concern for the dog's safety. We stayed in contact with the rescue and requested they not contact us until after we had sought legal advice. The rescue's operator showed up at our door several hours later with local law enforcement who said they had documents establishing ownership, but which they refused to furnish for our review or verification. When one officer suggested we could "do this the easy way or..." we unfortunately relinquished possession of the dog. The dog became terrified upon seeing the rescue owner, to the extent that she lost bowel control and shook uncontrollably. This rescue is a giant red flag. Do not facilitate the harm they inflict, they should rightfully be shut down. This review is real. I am real. I did obscure my identity given this organization's history of weaponizing law enforcement.

We had a family member, who unfortunately had to move out of their home and into a small apartment…read moredue to finances, and their health issues. This is the miracle location, that assisted the family to provide a loving forever home for their furry member of the family. The pet adoption center, took care of all the paperwork, did labs to make sure the dogs were healthy, and provided medication, medical treatment, check ups, dental, etc. because they adore our canine friends. They accept donations, and volunteers to walk, help assist, taking care of the dogs. I believe for a small fee, one can adopt a dog here. This is a blessing, having this pet adoption center locally in the community!

Horrible Service. I was looking to adopt an animal and I have been calling around to see if I could…read moredo walk-ins or make an appointment. Unfortunately when I called this establishment a lady "April" answered the phone extremely unprofessionally and rudely hung up on me after she confirmed they had no hypoallergenic dogs. Not sure how much they're changing for rehoming fees because I didn't get any information before I was interrupted by the hang up sound. But I'd expect decent respect from people who are running these types of businesses. If you can't be respectful on the phone, how are you treating these poor animals...smh

We had a really wonderful experience with this organization. Since we already had 2 kids and a dog…read moreat home and wanted to add a second one- we weren't sure the best way to do that. But they worked with us to find the best possible pup to match our family and that is how our family grew by sweet and perfect doggy Zahara!! She is an angel and everything they said! We will forever be grateful they saved her from a high kill shelter and found a foster home for her to keep her safe and well trained until we found her and gave her a forever home! Everyone here that we worked with was excellent- such care and devotion and loyalty to these dogs they are passionate to save and entrust to homes. They organized a first meeting to create the best introduction for us all and our other dog, plus spent over an hour of incredibly helpful dog training advice in person to help us incorporate her into our home. We'll never look anywhere else if we ever want another animal! We are their supporters for life! Thank you Little Red Dog!!!

From the start to the end this organization was professional, organized, informative & kind. Most…read moreof all I could see that they truly cared for the dogs that they rescued & attempted to find good matches & the best homes for the pups. They don't cut you loose after the adoption either. I've had texts asking how it's going & cheering me on. Plus they have a great trainer on board that I already met with at the greet & meet & he went over tips & techniques. He's also on staff. Plus they have a weekly pod cast. Having been a business owner myself I'm always impressed with customer service & this biz has it in spades. Their first concern is the dog & that is the way it should be!