Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Coastal German Shepherd Rescue

    4.4 (70 reviews)

    Services - Coastal German Shepherd Rescue

    Animal shelters

    Coastal German Shepherd Rescue Photos

    You might also consider

    More like Coastal German Shepherd Rescue

    Recommended Reviews - Coastal German Shepherd Rescue

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Love at first sight!
    April Z.

    We could not be more grateful or impressed with Coastal GSR as a rescue and matchmaker for furry family members. Our accolades specifically go out to Lorraine - volunteer extraordinaire. It was through her attentive guidance, timely and consistent communication, generous listening ear, and knowledge of the available dogs that we now have Duke in our family. He's the most joyful, snuggly, brilliant dog on the planet. Lorraine knew exactly who we needed and nudged us in the right direction. It was love at first sight. It is immensely important to listen to the advice of the volunteers who have the most valuable and truest insight into each of the dogs. When we began the process of adoption we had an entirely different GSD in mind. We've owned GSDs and a Malinois...each of them perfect. We thought we knew exactly what we wanted and needed. However, after chatting extensively with Lorraine we realized, together, that the dog we were initially interested in would not be a good fit for us. Had we dug in our heels and ignored Lorraine's insight, we would have missed out on the most amazing GSD. What a loss that would have been. Lorraine took the time to listen to our wishes and goals as much listen to the challenges that we didn't want to deal with. When she pointed us to Duke he wasn't even on our radar. Once she gave us his name, told us about his personality, and answered questions that we had (for example...he's a boy! we've only owned girls! eeww!) she made us want to meet him as quickly as possible. And after that first meeting his future, and ours, was set in our hearts. He was everything she mentioned and more. For Lorraine and the Coastal staff, the dogs are the only things that matter. I commend them for putting these amazing creatures first before the needs of the potential adopters. No one, most definitely not a complete stranger searching the internet, knows these dogs like they do. Period. These animals don't have voice and so many of them have had a rough start. They need the volunteers to speak for them and make sure that they receive the happily ever after they so deserve. These dogs cannot afford to be returned or treated with less than a perfect life. Life has already treated them unfairly or they wouldn't be in a rescue in the first place. We applaud Lorraine and all of the others who speak on their behalf and do such diligent work to find them their furever family. In a nutshell, Lorraine is brilliant. Thanks to her we have the most amazing hiking partner, super snuggler, smartest learner, and silliest boy on the planet. Duke is the whole, beautiful GSD package. We look forward to all of the years ahead of us.

    Our first family pic!
    Dan G.

    We will always adopt a rescue but we weren't really looking for a "Shepherd" exactly- just a dog that would be the best for us. Actually, my wife cruised Coastal's web site often and eventually became attracted to a dog that wasn't a Shepherd at all. Once we completed the home visit process (Cal was great) we went out to have a look. Lorraine introduced us to the dog that my wife was initially interested in and we found he wasn't the right fit. After Lorraine asked us some questions, she then offered some suggestions and showed us a couple more dogs. There was one in particular that she said we would love right off. She was right. After filling out some paperwork, we took our new baby home. Coastal is one of the few rescues that will take in senior dogs and those with medical histories. Had that not been the case, our new family member might not be alive today. Thank you to Lorraine and Cal (and everyone at Coastal German Shepherd Rescue) for your input, your knowledge and your love for canines.

    Ashley S.

    My husband and recently adopted a pup from Coastal GSR and have nothing but great things to say! From application to adoption was 5 days and Lorraine was honestly about what dog would be right for us. She spent plenty of time in our home talking with us and when we settled on a dog to adopt, we did a nearly 2 hours meet and greet with our older dog to make sure they were a good fit for each other. Lorraine was also really upfront about the fact that the dog we wanted to adopt is an escape artist and a rough player. She was spot on about this and we appreciated the honesty. The great thing about CGSR is that we feel like we have a great support system in place. Lorraine is always available to chat and help us out if needed. They work with a lot of trainers and even have free training sessions included in your adoption. Great experience!

    Greg P.

    We were looking for a dog and came across the Coastal German Shepherd Rescue OC. We submitted an application and Lorraine contacted us to talk about what we were looking for in a dog. Together we went through several profiles online and based on our discussion, she was able to match us with the perfect dog, a 2 year old named Justice. The next step was to go through the verification process which was detailed but not overwhelming, you can tell they care about the home and where they place the dog. She worked with us to arrange the meeting with the foster mom, Shannon, who went out of her way to accommodate our schedule. We live in San Diego and she came quite a distance to meet us in a park that put Justice at ease. Shannon did an amazing job in the short time she had Justice. He's socialized, friendly, and well behaved. Within the span of a week he's feeling comfortable in his new home and is just the perfect dog for us. We can't thank Lorraine, Shannon and the Coastal German Shepherd Rescue OC family enough and we can't recommend them more strongly - 5 stars isn't enough.

    Todd L.

    So you're interested in owning a German Shepherd, and have decided to rescue one instead of going to a breeder. Congratulations, I think you're making a considerate, compassionate, and commendable decision. There are so many deserving animals out there in need of a loving home. And you're doing well enough for yourself because it's not easy to live in Orange County, right? You're ready to bring one of these animals home and shower it with love. It's easy to think that adopting a rescued German Shepherd should be a rubber stamped process. I know. I've felt that way myself. Here's the thing about Coastal: they want what's best for the dog and what's best for you. Honestly, they probably care more about the dog. They're not looking to move dogs as quickly as possible, if that means a dog and a family are ill-suited for one another. I'm impressed by their restraint because as we've discussed there are a lot of animals out there hoping to find better lives. It's not easy being told that you, your family, or your living situation isn't a good fit. But pause to think about this: if you ever had to place your own pet with another family, wouldn't you want the best you could do? And if someone recommended that you bring a pet into your own family, wouldn't you want to be reassured that it was the best possible match? That's what Coastal is trying to do. Last year we had to put our last dog down due to cancer. He was a rescued German Shepherd. After the new year we were ready for a new dog. We found one at Coastal that we really liked: there were pictures and even a video. We passed the home inspection with flying colors and then received a call from Lorraine to talk about the dog. In her estimation, he wasn't going to be a good fit for what we wanted. What? We've owned GSD's for over twenty years. We know what we're doing. We have a yard. We are committed to our pets. We've already started thinking of this dog as being ours. Your approval should be as quick as stamping our application. Lorraine and I continued to talk. She asked me what we really wanted in a dog, what we couldn't live without. I told her that it was very important that the dog get along well with other dogs; our last dog was very tense around other dogs, which often brought out the worst in all of them. She asked if we had seen Zed on their site. We had, and he was a handsome dog. Were we willing to meet him? Sure, I guess so. We set a date and time to meet this dog that wasn't the one we originally wanted. It turns out that Zed is exactly what we wanted. He's calm, gets along well with other dogs, is patient and exuberant. He quickly warmed up to me because I attached his leash to my belt with a carabiner for the first three days: he was 1.5 years old but had never been housebroken. Make no mistake, you're going to put in some work for any animal you adopt whether it's a puppy or an adult. The difference is in the type of work you have to put in. I strongly recommend Coastal German Shepherd Rescue. They will take the time to find a great match between dog and adopting family. And if for whatever reason they don't find a suitable match for you, then try not to be too upset: there are still many other German Shepherds out there hoping that you will find them.

    Taylor D.

    Rescuing our Jax was an amazing and smooth process. Coastal also does a great job interviewing candidates to make sure your home is the proper fit for your new furry friend. We absolutely love our GSD and we love that through his foster home experience, he was crate trained and potty trained which made for an easier puppy experience. He came micro chipped and had all his puppy shots covered. We are in love and will forever be going through this rescue. Something that goes unnoticed is how TIRELESSLY these volunteers work. The phone interview and application process took a couple days so please, please be patient. They are out rescuing, raising, retraining and loving these pups making sure they're right for you and your home. The very last photo is with him, his foster brother and his sister we had a play date

    Shelby
    Michael W.

    I am genuinely proud to be a member of the Coastal family. My wife and I will sometimes stop and stare at the dog and think out loud together, "how did we score such a rad dog?" We left Orange County a few months ago for the Midwest but our dog Shelby will always be a Coastal California girl at heart. When the time comes to rescue another there is only one place we're gonna be flying! Thank you Costal!

    Gretchen M.

    We adopted Ana 3 weeks ago and believe me, we are all rescued! Our rep., Loraine, was extremely dedicated to helping us find the best dog for our family! This is our second rescue from Coastal GS and the organization works diligently to place rescue dogs with the best families. From the home visit to the interview, where we think we are interviewing the dogs, the Volunteers are accessing a "good fit" for lifestyle circumstances! Thank you all VOLUNTEERS that walk, board and care for these abandoned animals We highly recommend adopting from this amazing organization! Gretchen & Wyatt Malcolm!

    Our new dog Heidi on a walk
    Matthew D.

    My wife and I looked to Coastal German Shepard Rescue after other rescues didn't work out for various reasons. We are so happy that we ended up at Coastal because they made all our dreams come true when it came to getting our first dog. The entire process of adoption was easy and straight forward. They started with a phone call to discuss what we were looking for in a dog and then we schedule a home visit with a rep from the rescue. After that, we went to an adoption event to look at dogs even though we had one in mind already. That one dog was Heidi who we ended up adopting later that week. We are so happy that we did because she is the perfect dog; obedient, respectful, and a great walker. Our friends all love her and she is making friends with her canine neighbors. We also wanted to say THANK YOU to Lorraine from Coastal who helped us through the entire process and still continues to do so via text should we have any questions about Heidi. To anybody looking to adopt a German Shepard from Coastal, Lorraine will definitely set you in the right direction.

    Before his second surgery.

    I rarely write reviews but Coastal German Shepherd Rescue has been the best thing that has happened to us during this difficult time in our lives. They have the biggest hearts and truly care about the dogs well being. My husky recently had eye surgery in the hands of an incompetent veterinarian who neglected and did not perform the proper surgery on Max. Max was left in so much pain and without any medication. I was desperately looking for help as I did not have any money. I was contacted by Lorraine who offered to provide veterinary care for Max. Max had a second surgery to have his eye removed and just two days after, Max was his happy self again. I will be forever thankful for everything Coastal German Shepherd rescue has done for my furbaby. From the bottom of my heart thank you so much for being awesome!!!

    I came in with a shepherd rescue who was too big for her britches! Almost 7 months old, she had her vaccines late due to an illness when very young. She didn't know any dogs and few people. She bolted during a training class, tearing the leash from my hand! She's large and very strong. I knew for her own safety and mine (she was biting) I would need specific training. I found it at Coastal! It was better than a TV show! In an hour, the trainer had her walking with a loose leash and following a few basic rules. I was so freaking happy! My puppy was following instruction and she wasn't going to eat me! She's a lot more fun now! I have the dog I knew she could be.

    LEXI 2 1/2 yrs old.

    After a frustrating series of phone calls/emails with other adoption rescue orgs, it was a breath of fresh air working with Lorraine. She quickly zero'd in on the kind of dog which would fit into our lifestyle, and Lexi really made herself at home. We are so pleased with how this unfolded that it's our pleasure to recommend Coastal GSR to anyone looking for a quality experience adopting a German Shepherd, purebred or mixed.

    Freddie!
    B G.

    We just adopted a beautiful German Shepherd from Coastal a couple of months ago (a male who was a little over 2 years old.) We worked with Lorraine, who phoned me after our application was received and arranged for a home inspection by another of the volunteers, I believe his name was Ed. After everything checked out, and our application was approved, we were good to go! One of the things that Lorraine asked us about was the type/temperament of dog we were looking for, to make sure the dogs we were interested in meeting would be a good fit for our family. Because Lorraine and the other volunteers work with and walk the dogs daily, they have the opportunity to see how the dogs interact with each other as well as all of the different people they meet while they are living at the rescue. She recommended a couple of dogs, based on the temperament we needed; most importantly that he got along with our current dog, who is sweet, but would need a sibling who was more submissive. The dog we were most interested in turned out to be the perfect fit for us. So sweet and gorgeous, we absolutely adore him. We found that he bonded with us immediately, but he still needs to build his confidence, which we are working on with a trainer. I am so glad to have worked with Lorraine who gave us all of the background info they had on our sweet new dog, because their goal is to make sure that each dog is matched with a suitable FOREVER home. We have told several people we know about Coastal, and we would definitely adopt another dog from them in the future if and when we are looking to expand our pack!

    The boys!

    See all

    Photo of Nick H.
    1163
    2706
    8896

    3 years ago

    Helpful 16
    Thanks 1
    Love this 11
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ilene C.
    63
    29
    12

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Shawn B.
    18
    132
    40

    5 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dave M.
    32
    52
    60

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dan G.
    39
    14
    9

    7 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Greg P.
    26
    16
    4

    7 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Todd L.
    40
    10
    3

    7 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Taylor D.
    737
    27
    175

    7 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Michael W.
    125
    25
    13

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kiley J.
    164
    10
    4

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 9
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of R S.
    0
    6
    1

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ted G.
    97
    3
    0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 7
    Oh no 0
    Photo of B G.
    0
    20
    12

    9 years ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of clay j.
    109
    17
    3

    10 years ago

    Helpful 10
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of S. M.
    0
    11
    1

    10 years ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of J B.
    0
    8
    0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    11 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of holly v.
    54
    15
    10

    8 years ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 9
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Coastal German Shepherd Rescue

    Review Highlights - Coastal German Shepherd Rescue

    We passed the home inspection with flying colors and then received a call from Lorraine to talk about the dog.

    Mentioned in 35 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Animal Shelters 3,838 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Irvine Animal Care Center - Max when he was a bit younger and healthier!

    Irvine Animal Care Center

    (243 reviews)

    I'm confused by all the reviewers saying they had trouble with the staff when trying to turn in a…read morestray animal that was found. I worked in Irvine and frequently ate lunch at the food court on Main Street/Jamboree. One day, leaving the food court, I found a dog outside in the pouring down rain vomiting by the trash cans. The dog gladly jumped into my car to get out of the down pour and I drove it to this animal shelter (yes, it vomited all over the back seat of my car). Not only did they take the dog in immediately with no questions asked, they helped me clean up my car. This place is amazing

    I thank Irvine Animal Care Center for their patience with my childhood dog, Max, and taking care of…read morehim during his time here when he was wrongfully dropped off a few days prior. The process to have him back was easy and communication was perfect since all my questions were answered today. Even providing me with multiple resources for possible low-cost euthanasia services was also very helpful for me and saved me a lot of time. The staff were all very friendly as well. Thank you guys for listening to my explanation on the matter. Because I was able to have him back, I was able to move forward with euthanizing him at a pet hospital that my friend works at and was able to be with him in his last moments just a few hours ago. I really do appreciate all of your help for allowing me to be with him and let him go peacefully. Thank you so much.

    Southern California Pomeranian Rescue - PetCo, Brea adoption event held on the 1st Sunday of each month. www.socalpomrescue.org

    Southern California Pomeranian Rescue

    (28 reviews)

    Hard to get a puppy there's always someone waiting for the pup before you! They say these people…read morehave been waiting for 6 months! It's not a fair situation!

    ADVICE: "BE PERSISTENT"…read more Thank you and kudos to SCPR for taking their time to rescue Pomeranians and finding them the right fit homes. They are a trusted organization and the volunteers/staff truly care for the Pomeranians an want the best fit. The Poms come spade/nurtured, vaccinated, and microchipped. My Pom came with a ton of commands and housebroken and pad trained. Because of them, my heart is overly filled with joy knowing I am a human to that infamous CHLOE! I adopted Chloe on August 28, 2019 after 3.5 weeks of stalker her and sliding DMs to the organization/volunteers - more like blowing up their DMs. LOL. Like I said, "be persistent". - Continuously keep reaching out - Attend their events - Be vocal to the organization and volunteers how interested you are and what is the next step - Good luck being the right fit for your future resume Pomeranian The organization is great. Til this day they keep in touch! HERE'S MY STORY. I have given up trying to adopt a dog because it seems daunting and never ending with dismissing inquiries - it belittled my confidence in ever adopting a rescue. I decided to give my dog search one last try and I saw a picture of Chloe. When I want something, I will go beyond measures to get it. Chloe stole my heart and I knew she'd be mine. I went to the SCPR website and emailed them, followed their social media, and sent messages and received no response. I even noted their address and was determine to drive 1+ hrs but realize it doesn't look like a dog rescue facility. I did my "investigating" on InstaGram and connected a key person (Jasmine) in the organization and slid DM's her way. She connected me to the temp. foster mom (Theresa) caring for Chloe via phone to know more about her personality. She didn't tell me just the good stuff, she truthfully told me about who/how Chloe is - I appreciate that because I've had other organizations say anything just to loadoff the dog. Shortly after, they texted me about the meet and greet event coming up in Irvine that weekend and then it was announced online. I wasn't sure what was expected and so I arrived 2hrs early and waited near by. And was the first person to arrive at the event to meet Chloe and spend time with her. A ton of people were there to check out Chloe and I started to lose my confidence assuming maybe those people are better fit because this is my first dog as an adult and all these other people have dogs an etc. I stayed an extra 1.5hrs observing Chloe and chatting with volunteers and of course checking out my competition. I then asked the organization "what's the next step, I'd like to do a trial". According to them, I was the only one who stepped up and asked and so I got my chance. Little did they know, I have been observing Chloe through pictures and social media for 3 weeks that i have prepared for her to live with me even though I have yet met her (bought her a bed, tons of food she might like from a special dog deli, bought her a few mini tennis balls, bought a camera for my home so I can spy on her, seemed out local small dog parks to take her) - yah, I'm THAT dedicated type of person. Couple days later they arrived in San Diego to do a home inspection and drop Chloe off - I was truly ready for her. Our week trial went great, we were the right fit. While on trial, Chloe got fleas from the dog park and the organization allowed me to take her to their vet to get checked and get medication for her. During trial, they followed up to make sure everything was okay. Their lines of communication was open and I could reach out to them about anything. After a week, we went forward in making the adoption final! They given me a chance to love a rescue dog and I hope to provide Chloe with #livingherbestlife moments in San Diego.

    Coastal German Shepherd Rescue - animalshelters - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...