We put in an application to adopt a cat through JR. it did take a few weeks, but I feel like they thoroughly vetted our application. They were forthcoming about our kitty being extremely shy and scared. Our adoption went off without a hitch and we felt well informed. Our kitty has been with us for a month and because we were well informed we took things at her pace; she has completely warmed up to us and is the perfect addition to our family read more

They rescue animals but make it impossible to pass the review stage. We were denied which is absolutely ridiculous. I feel very badly for the animals that are not getting loving homes. Look at other rescues. This one will break your heart read more

I wish I could give this place no stars. I found the most beautiful Golden Retriever puppy on their website. We are looking for a sibling for our very active, high energy 1 year old German Australian Shepherd. The description of this dog seemed exactly what we were looking for! We are an active family; I run multiple days/week, enjoy hiking, we have a sizable yard and a cottage with a small lake for our dogs to romp, play, swim and get dirty. I work from home so there is someone here most of the time. We had lost our 12 yo German shepherd mix a couple summers ago and our 15 yo lab mix last April. They were a bonded pair and there passings broke my heart. It took us some time to decide we were ready for another dog when we got our German/Aussie and are now ready for her to have a sibling. I felt we were the perfect match for this puppy! I filled out their VERY lengthy application a month ago. The email that is auto-sent in response says to not call or email repeatedly and that application status would be decided within 3 business days, if you don't here from them, please consider another rescue. First of all, to not contact someone to let them know they were denied is just awful. Waiting around to not hear anything is heartbreaking. Someone from JR emailed me the same day I sent in the application to ask for pictures of our fenced-in yard. I immediately sent them in. We don't have a chain link fence, it is wire but are on our 3rd dog using that fence. I assumed he'd be a highly sought after pup so tried not to get my hopes up. When I didn't hear back I figured they found another home for him. He is still on their website today, apparently still looking for a home. I did email and text to find out his status because it doesn't seem I was denied because he found a home. NOTHING. They did not contact my references, did not contact my vet, did not email me to let me know I was denied. NOTHING! I heard absolutely nothing from them after I sent them the photos of our fence. I even scoured my spam folder just in case I missed something. I wish I had looked here before even putting in the application to save me the heartbreak. read more

I found a really sweet looking dog on their site. Filled put the application as honestly as I could. I know my home and my ability to take care of an animal. Being 70 years old, the animals I've had are numerous over that time and all lived to a ripe old age. Being turned down or not contacted didn't even enter my mind. After my son did some internet searching he informed me not to hold my breath about being contacted. Having lost 2 dogs due to age within 2 weeks of each other, I was very lonely and certainly had alot of love to give. Time passed and as suspected.....nothing. finally decided to go to an area SPCA and got approved the same day and brought home my new addition. Playing all day and snuggles under the covers at night are so good for a mending heart. I really wish the sweet faced doggie on their site could have had the same outcome, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. As many of the other reviews mentioned...don't be surprised if you never hear anything. read more

We adopted our hound mix Garrison and two cats from Joyful Rescues. The adoption process was similar to the adoption process we have had with three other dogs, Scarlett who we adopted two weeks after we adopted Garry in January 2005 and our present sisters Molly and Patsy we adopted in Monrovia CA where we've lived since 2018. Scar-Baby passed 7/20/19 and Garry passed 11//06/21. We adopted our cats Ellie and Tucker from Joyful Rescues in the fall of 2010 after our big boy B.D. passed. Our adoption experiences with all of our 8 other cats and the greyhounds we adopted before Garrison and Scarlett were all very similar to the adoption experience with Joyful Rescues. The adoptions went without a hitch. We still contribute to Joyful Rescues annually even though we moved to Southern California in 2014 so Joy and her volunteers can carry on the work that brought Garrison, Ellie and Tucker into our lives. read more

PROCEED WITH CAUTION!!!!!! We adopted a an 8-month old dog from this place. The write up was everything were looking for: Affectionate, non-aggressive, good with people/kids/cats. PROS: Dog was very friendly and goofy. CONS: First red flag: none of our references were checked! They called our vet but Our vet does not know us personally nor know how we care for our dogs on a day-to-day basis. Doesn't seem like the best way to find the right owner for a dog. When we visited the dog the day we took him home, he had a bleeding, jagged dewclaw on one of his feet that he kept licking. When we pointed this out, Joy looked surprised and clueless. The day we got the dog home, he was having non-stop diarrhea. When we called Joyful Rescues, they did not seem surprised. Said he probably had giardia (a harmful parasite) from drinking from their pond. Someone dropped off medication in our mailbox and frustrated and concerned, we made a vet appointment. WHY ARE THEY LETTING THEIR RESCUES DRINK FROM A PARASITE-INFESTED POND??????????? Later in the day, we noticed the dog's eyes kept getting pus in the corners. Another medical problem that was overlooked or intentionally not disclosed when we picked the dog up. Again, we were upset, but were willing to take him to the vet and pay to get him treated. It took four phone calls to find a vet who could see him immediately (ghiardia can be severely harmful if not treated quickly). However, we discovered this dog had food aggression and toy aggression, and snapped, growled and bared his teeth at my husband several times. Obviously, Joyful Rescues Claimed he had no aggressiveness without doing an EASY test on food and toy aggression. We've had a severely aggressive dog in the past which bit a child, but we never gave up on him although our lives were severely limited because he couldn't be around new people, animals nor could be boarded. We chose this dog very much based on the advertisement of non-aggression. Our hearts were shattered when we made the choice to return him. The woman at Joyful Rescues could not hide her anger/annoyance with us. This experience was heart-breaking and guilt-provoking, and we haven't stopped crying over this dog. It's our experience that Joyful Rescues does NOT do everything they should to be sure their animals are healthy and "as advertised". If you are looking to adopt an animal, we strongly advise taking what joyful rescues says with a grain of salt and do your own homework and research. There are some good dogs there, but we don't believe they are being cared for very well. read more

Our neighbors were interested in a dog that "joyful rescue" had up for adoption. They inquired about and filled out their application and waited. Crickets. They then found out the pup was going to be in Orchard Park for an adoption event. Even though "joyful rescue" never got back to them, they decided to drive to Orchard Park (1 1/2 hour drive) to see what was going on. While on their way they finally got a call saying they are being turned down because they had gotten an elderly dog years earlier from someone that "joyful rescue" is accusing of operating a puppy mill. This elderly dogs final years were filled with the best care and love a pet could want by the way. After this fiasco, I wouldn't do business with"joyful rescue" for anything. Their method of operation is disgusting. I don't know if they receive sponsorship from any companies. If they do then those sponsorships should be pulled. Jeff M. Fairport, N.Y. read more

We were unfortunately among the masses of loving families trying to adopt who were denied by JR for no reason. Our previous dog lived a happy, healthy life until he was 14. We found a dog at JR that would have been the perfect fit for our family and would've been able to live out a wonderful life with us. But, there was a small misunderstanding with our vet and despite us providing additional information that would have resolved the matter, our application was denied. Our references were never called, and there was no effort to follow up or to actually see who we were as a family. There was no actual reason given for our application being denied, only a tersely rude email stating that the dog had been spoken for. Remember the soup n*zi from Seinfeld? While I wouldn't use that particular word, the person processing applications here definitely shares his disposition. I mostly just feel bad for all of the animals that are missing out on being adopted into loving homes due to their caretaker's unwillingness or inability to properly investigate applicants. read more

We adopted our new pup on Saturday and the process could not have been smoother. Joye and team were very friendly and knowledgeable. The premises were clean and all the dogs were happily running around in the big field at the back of the house. We have the most amazing new four legged family member and I cannot thank Joyful Rescue enough! read more

Had a similar experience as many others. Our family was sent a blanket rejection without any explanation. No references were called. Our vet wasn't called. They never met us. We're experienced with dogs and have had our two earlier rescue dogs for 12 and 15 years. We were interested in several different dogs at their shelter and were open to them seeking an optimal placement. We have a wonderful environment for dogs to live in (large house and yard, lots of love, ample resources, and an adult is nearly always home). Either not good enough or they didn't even bother to read the application. The "decision" process appears to be completely arbitrary and denies nearly everyone who applies. I think they are only letting a handful of people adopt so that they can keep the appearance of being a "shelter" without bothering to do the work of placing most of the animals. This appears to be an animal hoarding operation and not a legitimate pet rescue. They are reporting over $500,000 in profit every year, which doesn't seem right for a non-profit pet shelter that keeps most of the animals who enter the shelter. Their business practices are unethical and they've been reported to the BBB many times. read more

2011 was looking for a rescue. Had been approved by 4 different rescues just hadn't found on until Joyful Rescues had a sweet dog I was interested in . Like many of these comments I was met by Rude, Indifferent comments, as well as Extremely poor communication. After fooling with them for a few weeks, they turned me down. No Explanation, No validation. Something Very Fishy. Adopted Miss Lola a few weeks later and she is a wonderful happy, adjusted dog. What I would like to know is how a Non-Profit Rescue files $580,000 annual income. WAIT? WHAT? Cuba's a sweet small country town, not filled with wealthy folks. Plus how many Rescues do you now that have that kind of profit. Most in my experience are run from hand to mouth. Steer Clear of this place. read more

We have been recued by 2 dogs ( @ different times, last being 1 yr ago) each dog has been in very good health. wonderful companions. We would not hesitate to adopt from Joyful rescue again. read more

My family was just denied for adopting a dog, their reasons were for using a tie out, which we only use when we are outside as well (Now I'll agree that it's their "prerogative" to deny anyone who doesn't have a fenced in yard... I guess that's the only way a dog can live a happy and healthy life, I know "who knew"?) But their other reason was that because we have a 24' above ground pool in our 1/2 acre yard there isn't enough room for a dog to explore. Since they never came to our house I can only assume they judged us off of google maps. The google earth image of our house is at least 3years old and doesn't show all the changes we made(removed trees, remodeled and smaller decks etc). they never cared to ask and confirm the layout they just decided to deny us. I also just want to point out that these are the specific reason they gave for denying us. They should call themselves an agency rather than a rescue when their primary concern is with finding some specific picturesque home layout rather than caring most about finding good safe homes with caring and loving parent owners. I mean what is it your really screening for if not to find the caring ones. read more

Unfortunately we didn't pay attention to all of the negative reviews. Please do, there is truth to them. After filling out the extensive application and being totally honest as to how sure I was about adopting this particular dog (I said I would have to meet it first and spend a bit of time with the pup) I was contacted by Joye and we planned to meet the dog at a PetSmart event. The day of the event I tested positive for COVID but they offered to drop him off at my house. The woman who came was very nice but did not know the dog and wasn't able to give us any information as to behavior etc. No copies of medical records were given. It was all very rushed. We were told that if the dog wasn't a good fit for us, Joyful rescues would work with us to find another dog. What ensued was this - the posting for the dog did say he came from a hoarding situation. I'm not familiar with the behavior or condition of what this implies and I think I should have been told. The dogs vocal cords had been cut (Joye seemed surprised) and it was obvious peeing and pooping anywhere was the norm (they told me he did not soil his bedding area, not true). After a day and a half it became clear to us that this dog would do better in a home with other dogs to show him the ropes and with someone who was more experienced than we were at training a dog with these unique challenges (I've had only one dog for the past 15 years whom we also got from a rescue. Our best boy Buddy passed away in April). They came and took the dog back and he is currently being fostered and has not been put back on the website for adoption (it's been over a month). I take responsibility for my ignorance of the behaviors a dog kept in a hoarding situation would have. I understood the $700 we paid was not refundable. I've contacted Joye to inquire about his welfare and to meet another dog in their care that I thought would be a good fit but..... No response. We've been ghosted! Now on to their financials. How "joyful" is Joyful Rescues? With revenues of more than half a million dollars a year -VERY! With 30% of revenues going to salaries (the last year Joye actually reported a salary, it was $52,000). This business model is unlike the majority of other rescue groups. To me this is a red flag. Their financials and those of other rescue groups can be found here: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/651183542 Does Joyful rescues work to save or vastly improve the lives of many animals? Yes, but they don't seem to put a priority on placing those animals with people who will provide a loving, caring, safe home. Buyer beware. read more

I like so many others do not get this place at all!! Have been a dog owner my whole life, filled out a lengthy application which was ok with me, to make a transparent judgment to those who would like to adopt,. Did not hear nothing back, never called references, the vet, Nothing!! I ended up adopting 2 dogs from our local animal shelter and couldn't be happier!! I would never reach out to them again!! read more

I also had a terrible experience with adopting a dog. I went through the process was approved but when i questioned the adopt fee I was immediately ghosted. Last dog i adopted i paid $90 but the fee with Joyful rescue was $500. I was honestly fine with paying the fee but just felt it was high. i honestly believe they are hoarding the dogs. They are also not separating dogs that have not been spayed or neutered. So they are adding to the problem of dogs without families. It is very sad! My kids were heartbroken when they found out we couldn't get the dog. I wish someone would just close them done. read more

My parents adopted a dog from JR about a year ago. They did not disclose that he had any aggression. I have worked with dogs, and am very careful around dogs, especially rescue dogs because of the questionable history. The dog acclimated well to my parents home at first, then about 3 months in started to show signs of aggression that included unprovoked snapping at people. We now have him in training, which is extremely expensive and it is hard to train a dog who is 7 years old. There was an incident where he busted through the door and bit a post office worker (federal employee) and it was a 4th degree bite. We were fortunate that we did not get sued, however we no longer receive mail at our house. He is a great dog, however it is concerning the level of aggression and unpredictability that the dog is showing and it seems to be getting worse. He has snapped at me and my parents quite a few times and the training (the trainers are amazing) has not really worked much. I feel that they didn't do a thorough behavioral evaluation on this dog at JR, which makes me think that they are running an unethical practice. We love this dog dearly, however due to him having this bite history we are very very careful when we have guests over and barely have any strangers over anymore. It is truly become a hard situation. Aggressive behaviors need to be disclosed, it is not fair to the families who have to find out the hard way. This dog has had food / resource guarding since day 1. Which we know how to deal with, as our previous dog had those issues. However the unprovoked snapping is really concerning, it has happened multiple times. We have gotten blood work done, and other diagnostic tests and he is healthy. They also did not disclose that he was not friendly with other dogs... luckily my parents do not have other dogs. Just an overall bad situation that we are currently dealing with. I see a lot of complaints/ reviews regarding the application process... for some reason that was not an issue for us.... I would proceed with caution when it comes to this organization. They are not fully transparent. read more

just now Very unprofessional, rude, unaccomodating. Put an application, never heard anything. Called and left 2 messages. They said they respond quicker to email which i did 2x. Finally got a response that my application was basic.. to which responded I filled everything out and wasnt sure what they meant. She responded saying basically go find another rescue . Guess they dont want their dogs going to loving pet adoring homes. read more

It comes with great regret I have to write this poor review, however, I feel it-necessary to warn other potential rescue applicants. Jr came recommended to me by a co- worker, so I didn't look into reviews or ratings, which my firs off, please do yourseld a favor and check rescue outfits out, read reviewa!! Wished I had... I was so excited to go through there dogs to adopt, fell in love with one, went through application process with referrals, etc. sent it in, records the confirmation and eagerly waited .... Days went by I emailed and inquired , no response, called, no response. 9' days went by so I deceived to re-apply. Received an email saying recorded and reviewing to call my vet to give them permission to call them, which I did. Couple days ever by, anxiously waiting and getting hopes up! Called my vet on 2nd day and they said they never received a call. I knew they'd be at Pet Smart in Webster 11-2 Saturday so I went and spoke w manager Callie (doll) she said w a smile oh we adopted the one you wanted out yesterday to a great home! Not that yours isn't .... My heart broke. She told me to email jr, I did and the response was a ....."" i then asked why was I dined ?? Just the appeared ...... I then looked them uo to see reviews and ratings .... Well can you guess what I found ..... 1 s and terrible reviews from wonderful families. this non for profit operation is anything but "joyful ".... people do your research or go the Lollypop .... They don't discriminate, and are wonderful employees !! Respectful and professional!!! my rating on joyful rescue is -1/TERRIBLE read more

We were not happy with this group. The earlier "God complex" comment is right on. After trying to adopt with these people you may feel like your only option is to adopt from a pet store. Don't do it. With a little more searching we found the Monroe County Humane Society ... thank goodness!! read more

My family had the most wonderful experience with Joyful Rescues! We submitted an online application and heard back immediately that they received it and would be reviewing it. Within 48 hours of the submission we were notified that we were approved. They responded very quickly to any emails that I sent (and there were quite a few of them) inquiring about possible pets for adoption and they really helped us to find a good match for my family. On November 9, 2019 we adopted a beautiful puppy! We returned the following week and adopted a 3 year old playmate for him. Both adoptions went smoothly and they were very thorough with explaining all of the information. All of the volunteers and employees that we have encountered have been wonderful and very loving with the animals. I would highly recommend this rescue to anyone hoping to find a pet! read more

Wouldn't even think about getting an animal from here it's probably someone's else's dog that's been out looking for weeks.. I have heard 4 different people telling me that they intentionally hid there dog and said they did not have them 2 of which were found on the property by the dogs owners other to just miraculously showed up a few days ago not even 1/2 mile from them Non profit organization makes $550,000 a year read more

The best rescue!!! So thorough with their applications!! The people who are complaining are just complaining because they were denied. Animal Rescues are allowed to deny you if they don't feel your home will be a good match! THEY know these dogs! That's what you WANT out of a good rescue and I applaud them for their great work finding homes! Thank you for our forever friend read more

I'm currently looking for a new dog and I'm saddened to have to cross this rescue off of my list of possibilities. It's not because of the contraversial comments I've read and seen in local news and social media, but I'm seeing too many red flags with the organization itself, and I'm not confident it's legitimate. 1. I see nowhere, any pictures of the actual living spaces of the animals, and visitors are refused unless already an approved applicant... Which goes straight to... 2. The application seems intentionally designed to be misleading and trip people up on simple things. It seems intentionally picky so there is more "wiggle room" for the rescue to reject you. I've contacted them to ask for clarification on a question stressing that I want to ensure I'm understanding correctly and I've gotten no response. I hope this facility is regularly inspected for the safety and well being of the animals is all I can say. There are so many animals listed on their site, and they can't be bothered to return an email, I can't help but wonder if the animals are the true priority here. read more

I'm not going to say anything bad or good about this rescue. I've used the same answers for every other rescue and was approved but not by this one. I wish someone would have given facts rather than butt hurt comments so I too could have made a better informed decision. Just some facts so you can decide if the rescue is for you or not 1) the application is long (this is a good thing to determine if you are a good match) the flip side you can spend an hour pouring your heart out and they can reject you ( their choice but you need to be prepared for rejection and rejection happens ALOT read the reviews on here) 2) You can be rejected without your vet, references, home being checked ( once again their choice, you accept that when you apply) 3) Do NOT apply if you work full time and do not have someone home with the dogs all the time. I come home on lunch during work days to play with my sheltie, and this was not enough. ( I know people are outraged here but it's there decision, you are armed with the knowledge use it appropriately) 4) I own a home, married stable, huge fenced yard, sweetest sheltie so prepared for high energy and lots of grooming, Do not take it personal if you get declined. Just be prepared to get an email saying thanks but no thanks and no reason why. Seriously you will never find out, don't bother pestering them to find out. 5) You are not being rejected from the one dog you applied for, you are being rejected from the rescue as a whole. Please don't fall in love and re apply. Find a new rescue, there are so many that need loving homes. Don't let this get you down. 6) I recommend a backup, don't just apply here, like I said the rejection count is high and their are so many amazing pets that need a home read more

If they offered zero stars, that is what I would have chosen. With so many adoptable dogs and cats, it makes no sense that this rescue site does not approve more applications. I submitted mine on February 14th, and after hearing nothing after one week, both my boyfriend and I made inquiries as to the status of my application. They never gave us the courtesy of knowing if they did in fact receive the application nor if we were denied. So why no contact. We recently moved into a safe suburban neighborhood and awe so ready to adopt both a cat and dog. If this is the best they can do, this is anything but "joyful". read more

They don't have the animals best interest at heart. Or even try to get them to a good home. They turned us away and didn't even check reference or even offer us to come look at other dogs available. They told us to look elsewhere. What? Again.. they didn't even meet us or anything? Our entire family have rescued and owned furbabies forever. They are apart of our family. And the babies live in the country life! Spoiled beyond spoiled. We met the criteria and then some. It's a shame. Not only did a pup miss out on a great home. Possibly another did as well. Because had we been give the opportunity to at least apply for another rescue dog. He.. she could had had a forever home. And what's sad. Is some of thier dogs are still sitting there waiting for a home. And have been. Horrible place!! The poor animals. And don't get me going on how long it took them to respond. Good news is. We found another wonderful dog at a different adoption place. No problems and she is very happy. As are we. But something is very off and Odd about this place. Proceed with caution read more

We adopted our Biso 6 years ago and he is the best dog. When I arrived to meet him, after Joyful Rescues accepted my application and checked out my references and approved my home, the place was filled with very happy dogs looking for homes. All of the dogs were clean and well fed, the facility for them is terrific, and the staff there truly cares about the welfare and life of each animal they have. I was very happy that they checked us out so thoroughly. If I ever get a friend for my Biso, it will be through adoption at this wonderful place. Thank you, Joyful Rescues, for finding me my best friend! read more

Joyful Rescues - Biso (aka Lentil Soup) - Animal Shelters Near Me - Cuba, New York

I had to give it a 1 star just because you have to or it would have none. We applied for a dog but it seemed disorganized as to who to speak to. I made several calls and after speaking to someone who was worried about animals coming in my yard like deer. I was confused. I live in a great upper class neighborhood and have another small dog that uses a dog door for more freedom. I had to make several more calls and then received an email stating we were denied because of dog door. Just strange. Seems like a rescue dog would be better off in a forever home than a rescue. We had a harder time adopting a dog from there than fostering a kid. I would not recommend them just due to lack of communication and strange unexplained denials. It's also to bad Petsmart does business with them but maybe they are unaware of these people's practices. read more

My husband an I have been looking to find an adult female beagle for a few months, we were denied from a few rescues because of the age of our other pets, or the fact that we had other pets... I don't understand why this happens. We found our little angel on Petfinder and she was being fostered with Joyful Rescue. We got to Joyful Rescue and foster mom and Joy both greeted us. They were super helpful and we have a perfect match. We have had a fantastic experience with Joyful Rescue! They save hundreds of dogs from untimely deaths. Adopt don't shop people. read more

I'm writing this because I stumbled upon the awful reviews of Joyful Rescues and I am super saddened by what I've read. I've adopted 3 dogs from Joyful Rescues, perfect loving dogs that are an absolute joy to have in my home. That being said this is not the first time I've read that they are hard to adopt from. My own personal friend who put me down as reference was rejected by joyful rescues for a dog as well. I am horrified at some of the reasons people said they were rejected (a veteran!) and I am sad to see so many stories of heartbreak after picking out the perfect dog just to be rejected or given the run around. I have supported this rescue, donating and adopting for a while now and I think this will be the last of it. I'm sorry to everyone who had a poor experience, and I think this rescue needs to be taking this to heart. read more

I have to agree with some of the other reviews. I filled out an application but was never told if I was 'approved'. I had to contact them again to check on the dog I was interested in and was just told that the dog needed to go to a home with another dog and without a cat, however they never bothered to update the dog's profile and he's still waiting for a home. Other rescues that I checked into contacted me and tried to help me find a dog. I finally got a great dog from Canine Lifeline in Ohio. They were great to work with and really wanted dogs to find new homes. It's interesting that on their site they actually say that they can reject you for any reason and don't need to tell you why. read more

I tried to adopt a dog last year. He was a senior dog with a medical condition that required costly medicine monthly. I own several businesses and have a nice fenced yard and thought I have the financial means and I would adopt him. I have always had dogs and lost my last dog in 2016 at the age of 15. I filled out a very detailed application to only be denied. I was very upset because I have never been denied for anything and they wouldn't give me a reason why??. I only bring this up now because I found another dog I really like online and was saddened when I found out that Joyful Rescues was the group that had him. I will not go through that again. SO my search goes on. read more

Attempted to adopt a dog last October. One of their workers brought the dog over and we took him that night, because she said she wanted us to take him right then and there. We got the dog on a Friday. He wouldn't eat, drink, or move off the couch. He wouldn't interact with us or my other same breed dog. I called Joy to ask what to do because his pee was dark, and she said they would pick him up due to dehydration. I assumed they would pick him up to treat him, but they picked him up with the intention to not return him. I emailed Joy when I didn't hear anything back and she said the dog was fine. I sent emails after that stating I wanted my money back, as I only had the dog three days and she would not respond. I filed with the BBB and her statement was I was not patient with the dog. Patient? Let's see how patient would have worked if I had kept him for months without eating/drinking. So, she has the dog back and he's up for adoption again and she kept my money and donation. Also, the dog was given to me filthy, absolutely filthy and smelled. The day after we got him, I bathed him twice and the rinse water was pure brown. Disgusting nobody could even bother to wash this dog before he went up for adoption. You're welcome Joyful Rescues, you got my money, the dog, and a free grooming out of me. Stay away from this place. Joy can make any excuse she wants, there was something wrong with this dog when he was brought to my house and she refused to make it right. Thanks to this horrible experience, I'm back looking for a purebred instead. read more

There application is lengthy. I applied for several dogs. Never got any response back. There policy for adoption is very non-transparent. After filling out the lengthy application they dont even bother to send a one liner email updating on the status. read more

I want nothing to do with Joyful rescue. I had to apply two times to get a response. I was denied a rescue dog. They even called my vet and got a rave review for me, but still denied me. They wouldn't give me a reason and they were rude about the whole thing. turns out they had a showing of pets in PetSmart in Orchard Park. I asked the women who was there why I wasn't given a reason. She was rude and said we don't have to give you a reason. I met all the requirements and have raised many pets and they all lived to be a ripe old age. She kept avoiding me. She didn't want to speak with me any further. read more

I wish I was kidding about this but I was told straight to my face that they would not place a dog with me because I am a veteran. It was a humiliating and painful experience. I drove all the way to their location in Cuba to see a particular dog and was told that because I was a veteran they didn't want any dog of theirs placed with me. This was years ago but it still hurts. read more

What a wonderful organization! The application is lengthy, but I appreciate their thoroughness in matching the right pup to the right home. The adoption process was quick and easy and we ended up with a wonderful dog that is truly a perfect fit for our family. Thank you Joyful Rescues! read more

Not very responsive. I was told I needed to volunteer with rescue dogs before being able to adopt. On the one hand it seems like they're begging for people to adopt these dogs but then I get turned down immediately with my first application. I mean you're not even gonna let me meet the dog before you tell me I'm not a right fit?! Ridiculous. read more

We adopted Stan the Man 4 years ago from Joyful Rescues and when he passed in February we went back to Joyful Rescues on August 5th to see if it was possible to find another "fur" baby to adopt. Joye and Tracy went out of their way to help us find the perfect dog for us. Thanks to their love for the dogs and their determination to help our broken hearts, we found "Punky" who we later renamed "Katie. She is the love of our lives and being only 5 months she keeps us on our toes and puts a smile on our faces everyday!! I can't say enough good things about Joyful Rescues!!! They love the animals that are in their care and go out of their way to make sure both the humans and the dog are a good fit!!! Thank you also to the foster couple who loved her and who said good bye when we adopted her! read more