Our 3.5-year-old Frenchie jumped off our bed and ruptured a disc. Griffin couldn't walk or stand…read moreup on his own. His legs were becoming more stiff as the hours went on. The local vet in Napa said we needed a neurologist and sent us for emergency care at SAGE in Redwood City. They told us that he was becoming paralyzed and that we needed to get him an MRI ($3000) and an aggressive back surgery that was only an 80% chance he recovers from this. That would cost us approx $18,000 dollars. Not to mention the aftercare costs. If we couldn't do that, then we should euthanize him humanely there that day. We cried it out and begged for an alternative so they sent us home with a gloomy diagnosis that the steroids will probably not help and to have him put down if he become fully paralyzed and struggled with his breathing. We were trying to figure out what else could be done and our family friend messaged us with Linda from Bay area Animal rescue crews information. Linda from BAY AREA ANIMAL RESCUE CREW called us and immediately suggested we take Griffin to Concord, Alpine Vet Hospital. That night we showed up to the Clinic at 6pm (they have great hours for working families too! )Linda Greeted us and took us in to meet Dr Freeman who in detail explained this Hib Laser that could help Griffin to walk again for hundreds of dollars not thousands!!!! He also did a few tests in front of us to test Griffin's reflexes. And he quickly was able to explain Parysis vs Paralysed. Griffin had a shot. And the Vet scheduled 7 visits for this HIb laser in a matter of 2 weeks. After the first treatment, it was clear we had some results. Griffin who was not lifting his head on his own, left the clinic with his head up! Linda called us that night for after care and to make sure we were doing everything in our power to give him the best chance. She double-checked our meds. She advised on what food we should be feeding him. (he wasn't eating at the time) her suggestions and help did not go in vain. I truly believe she is a godsend for our Griffin and for us. We kept him on the Steriods and he's been on some anti-inflammatories and pain meds for the last 27 days. I am happy to report Griffin is 90% better! He still doesn't take the stairs or do any jumping (we will be limiting that for a long time ) But he is walking with the occasional stumble. I feel like Linda and the Rescue crew and Dr Virk and Dr Freeman and the rest of the staff at Alpine are a Group of people who deserve this praise. And a BIG HUGE THANK YOU! OUR family is healed and this help means more to us than I can put in this review! They were kind to us and helped us as if it was their dog suffering! I will be singing your praise for years to come. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts !

Very knowledgeable people. They Care for all dogs that come in and are willing to help out with…read moreeverything and anything. New puppy came with shots, spaying and micro chipping for the price that we paid. We were unfortunately unable to keep they dog so I paid them to care for the dog until she found a new home. The dog was happy, well fed and went to a loving family. They genuinely care about taking care of dogs and have so much experience. I would recommend this place, especially if you are new to having a dog. They can teach you so much. Thank you Linda for caring for Coco and assisting us with finding her a new home!!

My best friend lost her mom to cancer a few weeks ago. My friend lives out of state- so I have been…read moreassisting her locally. Her mom adopted the sweetest chihuahua from Arf back in 2021, the fur baby went blind about a year ago. So we were really concerned about how she would settle in a new environment, and we're trying to rehome the dog I went to Joybound a few weeks ago to ask if there was any chance they take back their animals in these circumstances. The woman at the welcome desk was so helpful explaining yes they do. She walked me thru the process to fill out the forms online They got back to my friend promptly to setup an appointment for a behavior assessment and vet evaluation. We had our appointment yesterday at 2. We arrived a half hour early so we wouldn't be rushed , and to help Lily stay as calm as possible. Everyone we encountered was delightful and so kind. No judgements- Lily came alive with tail wags and enthusiasm to be back at such a supportive rescue group. She was just basking in the attention and love. She passed her behavior test with flying colors. We were told she most likely will be going to a foster home first for a few weeks before she's available for adoption. We were told we can follow her online with her name, and see when she becomes available and she won't be on the website anymore once she finds her next loving home. Thank you Joybound for standing behind your animals and supporting families We also did not have to pay a surrender fee. We were encouraged to take our time and enjoy complementary coffee or tea, also offered a box of tissues We were already pulling out of the parking lot before our scheduled appointment time Can't think you enough for your kindness all around this hard experience

I had multiple excellent experiences with Joybound in several different atmospheres. I first…read morediscovered them when they held a pet vaccination clinic in Antioch. I had two new kittens that I took in as a foster, but of course my family and I fell in love with them and kept them. At this event I got both of their first kitten shots, rabies shot, microchips, flea medicines and some cat food all for free!! Everyone was so nice and although there was a lot of people there taking advantage of the free services, they communicated effectively and everything was organized and not chaotic. I joined their mailing list and found out about their next event in Richmond. The kittens and I went down there to get their second kitten shots and cat food, for free! I got on the waiting list for low cost spay and neuter clinic. Friendly staff, nicely organized. I was suprised when I got the call from them for the neutering appts quicker than expected! Brought both kittens down, everything went well, again for free!! Today my husband, our daughter and I went down to their free pets stocking decorating event. Met with smiles, super cute room filled with stockings and puff paint pens on the tables. They had cookies and hot apple cider. All for free. We decorated stockings for the kittens and our other cat, it was a lot of fun and they had a good turnout! While our stockings dried, we walked around a bit and found they had a boutique! We made Christmas donations for both cat and dog items that they matched! And we got our large dog some Christmas Jammie's on clearance for $5. Boutique was well priced, my husband got a Joybound hat! So onto the animas they had there! First we passed the cats. All of them cuddling in super nice beds, they had nice toys, scratch pads, colorful wallpaper in their individual rooms, information sheets on each door for each pet. The dogs had the same, nice fuzzy beds, toys, little slots to give them treats down this tube. So cute!! I typically can't look at shelter pets because I feel so bad for them. These animas all looked happy and very well taken care of! There was staff walking around regularly checking in on people since they had adoption available. I asked a few questions they were able to answer no problem! They seemed very caring and committed to the animals and putting their best foot forward in helping the get homes. Building super clean, staff super nice, animas all cozy. Overall, we have a great opinion of Joybound with all these diverse experiences we've had with them. The people are so nice and welcoming. We're so grateful for them and the help they provided my kittens, saved us a ton of money!!! And for all they do, thank you!!!!!!

I cannot believe it was just last month that I was on my way to meet my beautiful little Opal…read more My experience with this location was something to remember for all time. Not only was the staff incredible, they truly love what they do. Opal has a mild case of CH and I currently have a little with a severe case. And I have a soft spot for giving these beautiful souls a happy home. From the phone call to even just arriving to the parking lot for directions I was definitely delighted to see friendly faces from the staff. The volunteers were so incredible, they were nothing but transparent and loving to all the littles in the venue I felt bad that I wanted to adopt when they have such great people. I think whoever is looking for a new addition should really consider adopting here. Every little is treated so incredibly well.

I was looking for a kitten online as one has recently adopted me and needed an indoor playmate -…read moreand I read the reviews so I was a little apprehensive. but truly I have to give them the highest stars- there were comments like it did not smell good, the hours were challenging etc. But I have worked in easily 20 shelters in the bay area- when you keep a number of kittens in a small room- well, it can smell like a number of kittens in a small room- the box was clean the care was great (as an architect, I can admit that a vent in each room might suit) but overall I found it way more clean and cared for than any shelter I have fostered through or worked in. there were other comments which amounted to taking their work seriously and turning some away perhaps. but there again, I ask you to consider- it is a volunteer organization with very devoted people giving their time. At least when I was there, all the kittens had come from fosters so they were readily more socialized and outgoing than any barrage of kittens one sees at overloaded shelters. and if they put you through the paces to adopt a cat- just consider that anyone who has seen as many cute kittens adopted and later returned at a much less adoptable older rate- I thought their care and questions were warranted. But overall I would say- if you are looking for a feline family member, I would absolutely go there. the hours are slim (their webpage could be a little clearer) but you will find a super well socialized feline companion where they know the name, the personality (feline-ality) , spayed or neutered and well cared for. I truly thought they were brilliant for a volunteer organization on a shoe-string budget. My new litte one is home now- made herself home within minutes...even won my 15 year old pup over- she sleeps with him. I think they are wonderful and I cannot thank them enough for their time and care.

Gabby saves lives!!! I adopted a high arousal dog. She has given me the skills to manage him…read morewithout frustration. Tyson is still a work in progress and so am I ! I have learned skills that will help me with future fosters., I have learned its the human directing boundaries and behavior. Tyson will never be perfect, but with the right tools he is able to live a fun and enjoyable life (so am I). I cannot stress enough how important training is when owning a dog, even if that dog seems 'perfect' . We still need the knowledge when there are other not so behaved dogs that we are able to handle the situation. I cannot say enough about Gabby, her patience, her knowledge and dedication to the dog and human are beyond just training. She continues to help me learn and understand managing Tyson, she never gets frustrated with questions and re-teaching (me) the tools for success. She treats every dog differently as they are different in every way. She takes the time to get to know them and what they need. I cannot say enough about Gabby and how she has made having a highly reactive dog pleasant to walk . Training is never done, I learn something new at ever class.

I work with a non profit dog rescue out of San Francisco. We were in need of another reliable,…read moreskilled, and experienced trainer who we can send some of our behavior cases to for board and trains when needed. We knew we struck gold when we met Gabby! She is knowledgeable, knows her breeds, is a VERY fair trainer to the dogs (which is also incredibly important to us) and she is very invested in the dogs she works with and their ongoing success. From her prompt responses, to communication when transferring over the training and giving excellent homework as the dogs adjust back into fosters, we couldn't recommend her enough. While she works with all breeds, we love love her true speciality with the bully breeds. Highly recommend if you are looking for a great dog trainer who will really invest into you and your dog!

We were a 16 year foster for them and while they mean well they have a single paid employee who is…read moreoverwhelmed which means not all dogs get the care they deserve. Communication is lacking, they are slow to respond to requests and at times you as a foster are on your own. That makes it hard, because we all want what's best for the dogs but in doing that we let the rescue off the hook and do their job for them which just reinforces what's wrong. Maybe they will get back on track, but we will no longer foster for them.

We rescued our beloved Minnie from Copper's Dream Rescue. This rescue is incredibly near and dear…read moreto us, and they do so much good. They have helped save so many wonderful animals. We have volunteered as foster parents for dogs for Copper's Dream and the rescue helped our foster babies find amazing forever homes.

Dedicated volunteers and leaders with a wonderful mission to save these beautiful animals!read more

From the owner: Rescuing, rehabilitating, fostering and finding homes for unwanted, abandoned and abused Northern…read morebreed dogs: Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, Samoyeds, and mixes of these breeds in Northern California. ​

Community Concern for Cats has been an important part of my life in multiple ways: as a foster…read moreparent, as someone who has adopted cats, and also donated to the organization. Running a rescue is incredibly hard, especially when it is 100 percent volunteer run and dealing with such a high volume of cats. Despite this, the care and commitment they show is remarkable. It is very clear that they deeply care about the cats, and it shows in how well the animals are treated. Every cat I have fostered and every cat I have fostered or adopted from Community Concern for Cats has been extremely well cared for and truly loved. These cats are very lucky to have ended up with this organization, especially when so many other cats are euthanized simply due to lack of space or resources. Spay and neuter has unfortunately not fully become the norm in the San Francisco Bay Area, although it has improved over time. Organizations like Community Concern for Cats are essential in making spay and neuter a reality and saving lives. I cannot say enough about the sweet, dedicated volunteers who care so deeply about the cats and work tirelessly on their behalf.

It was easy to bring our donations to the thrift store and drop them off. We had several boxes and…read morethey even provided a wagon to use to get them from the car

It was my first time here with my Pomeranians. They are excellent. I have zero complaints and I'm…read morepicky since my girls have a lot of fur. Thank you.

We rescued one of our pups (Milo) from here and was excited they have grooming now. I brought both…read moremy dogs here for nail trims - $25 each, not cheap. But I figure support what they do. Milo came back with most of his front paws appearing untouched. Nina, my smaller one, had most of her nails looking pretty good but her dew claws were untouched. They sent me a feedback request and I told them about Milo. They said being him back within like 3 days and we did. Milo would not cooperate and they gave up and that was the end of that. My time wasted a second time. The issue is, why not tell me the first time that they could not get Milo to cooperate and that's why they couldn't do his front paws? (And give me a refund?) Why waste my time another day? Other places can and have done his nails before so I'm not sure what the problem was but I'm not coming back here for nails again.

I rarely write reviews, but people need to be warned…read more I paid $3,500 for a French Bulldog from this breeder and was told the dog was AKC registered. After reviewing the paperwork myself, I had serious concerns about its legitimacy. Now, at just THREE YEARS OLD, my dog is losing bladder control and quickly becoming paralyzed. This has been absolutely devastating for my family--especially my youngest daughter, who is heartbroken watching her dog decline like this.(myself included) From the beginning, my dog has had ongoing health issues, including severe allergies requiring constant vet visits, Cytopoint injections, and expensive specialty food. The emotional and financial toll has been overwhelming. I've since learned more about serious conditions like IVDD (Intervertebral Disc Disease), which can be more common when breeding is not done responsibly. Based on my experience, this raises major concerns. I will also say this: my interaction with this seller felt unusual. Meetings were arranged in public locations rather than at a residence, and I was never given a clear sense of where the dogs were being raised. Looking back, that lack of transparency is something I would not overlook again. In my opinion, charging a premium price for a dog that develops severe, disabling health conditions this early in life is unacceptable. Do your homework. Ask hard questions. Verify everything independently. Learn from my experience.

NorthCalFrenchies is a wonderful resource. We have a 3yo frenchie and just purchased another…read morepuppy! Such happy, healthy and bright dogs! Highly recommend.