My daughter recently adopted a lovely three-year-old dog through this agency and she is very happy…read morewith the dog and adoption process. Then, a miracle! The dog's son was adopted by her next door neighbor. Both dogs are healthy and doing well.

I adopted from Hope for Dogs PR back in August and had a great experience. Melissa truly makes sure…read moreall cats and dogs are going to loving and appropriate homes-their mission is so simple and I'm so grateful to have this sweet girl in my life because of her!

We adopted our puppy over the weekend 12/10/16 adoption event by PawSafe. From reading the previous…read morereviews, I gathered that it's best to get there first thing bright and early. My husband and I woke up at 5:30 AM and got there at 7:00 AM. When we got there the line was already beginning to build up, we were the 17th family in line. The first in line had arrived from Massachusetts at 7:00 PM (the night before) and camped out the store for the night! They got the puppy they came for - Molly :) There were a total of about 30 to 40 families. Thankfully my husband decided to pack a couple of park chairs and a blanket for the cold December morning. We were surrounded by friendly folks ready to adopt a puppy and we had a wonderful social time that helped the time pass effortlessly. At 8:00 AM the volunteers started appearing. One of the very good things they did is have us start signing in so we could secure our number and then go out and get breakfast or coffee instead of waiting till the event start time out in the cold. They asked us to be back by 9:15 AM so they could promptly start maneuvering the crowd at 9:30 AM. We decided to go out to breakfast at a nearby diner with some folks whom we had just met at the event waiting line behind us. As soon as we got back around 9:10 AM, the doors to PetSmart were open and puppies lined up in crates with their foster families. There was an air of excitement and everyone including the friendly volunteers were in high spirits. They had families line up in a separate aisle, in the order of the sign in. They called out names and the families walked over to the next aisle over with the puppies. Even while waiting in line people were happy and social with a lot of sense of humor that kept everyone laughing. The older dogs were being walked outside by their foster families. The whole process was seamless and well done especially considering it was being done by a volunteer organization. They even had puppy take home gift bags with dog food with dog treats. What was more impressive was the the gift bag was tailored size specific! We adopted a large breed puppy at 8 weeks old and the bag had large breed kibbles. This was extremely helpful since we were to overwhelmed to shop aa soon as we found the puppy of our choice cuddled in our arms. They had instructions for us on diet and care, all the vaccination and health paperwork to take to our vets. All the information we needed was ready in hand. I would like to extend our thanks to all the wonderful volunteers and foster families for effortlessly working and giving hope to so many animals to find families and make a forever home for these helpless creatures. Thank you and God bless each and everyone of you! Cheers always, Kempshall and Sanya McAndrew (Proud dad and mom to puppy Hook)

I recently adopted an adorable puppy and the process was great. I recommend any organization that…read morehelps take care of animals.

We adopted our puppy from here at 11 weeks. She had been brought up from a kill shelter down south…read morewith her brother and had been with them for about 2 weeks prior to adoption. They did a wonderful job with socializing her and starting her off on training. The facility itself is beautiful. It's very clean and well staffed. We were able to spend time with different puppies out in the main area, which gave us the chance to see how they did with other dogs, people, etc. We probably spent two hours there and never felt rushed into making a decision. Highly recommend!

Awesome experience. We adopted 2 brothers. Brianna was helpful and available to answer any question…read moreI had. The staff was very friendly and attentive. This is the place to go to adopt some awesome pets

They care about the animals in the shelter. I have had cats arrive at my house in need of rescuing…read more I already have 4 cats. I have brought cats to the shelter to be cared for. They are loving and caring.

Emily was so great and spent lots of time with me helping me find the perfect dog--this shelter is…read moreclean and bright and the staff and volunteers clearly care about the animals there. If you're looking for a new feline or canine companion then I highly recommend AWS in New Milford!

Wonderful experience. Unlike so many of the obnoxious, arrogant Shelters we visited when looking…read morefor our new family member. I say this because applied and it looked at several shelters and often after filling out long application got no response, took forever or when finally did was major hassle to see dogs. One wouldn't even consider my application because in form I would not pre agree to pay for doggie training if the dog had behavioral issues. None of that crap with this top notch Shelter. Filled out easy form online, were contacted quickly (less then a week - I think 2 days), set up appointment for couple days later. Upon arrival seen quickly, the handler (PJ?) was very nice, knowledgeable of the dogs. Asked us what looking for in dog, with few pertinent follow up questions. After this he explained why the 2 dogs we came to see might not be ideal for us based on what we had just told him. He suggested we look at 2 others but that we were welcome to see the others if wanted. We saw the 2 he suggested. The first was very nice and seemed to fit what looking for but had a chronic medical issue (which they were very upfront about). The second came into the yard and jumped in my wife's lap and began kissing her. It was pretty much a done deal from there, but we walked her and PJ gave us info. We took her that day - her shots were due in few weeks and they quickly did prior to us leaving (no charge). Processed paper work, etc all fast and friendly. Even lent us cage to transport and nice harness both which we returned in couple weeks. The entire experience was pleasant and best of all we are extremely happy with our new not so little girl. Also a week later she developed a small ear infection, I called and brought her to vet there and was given drops - no charge, no hassle - super friendly and supportive. I highly recommend adopting from this wonderful shelter.

My experience with HVAR was extremely disappointing and, unfortunately, has left me with…read moresignificant concerns regarding transparency, communication, and client treatment. First, there was no transparency regarding costs before services were performed. After my dogs were returned to me, I was presented with a total amount due and asked for payment. When I requested an itemized bill so I could understand the charges, I was told I would receive a receipt after payment was made. As a client, I believe I should be able to review an itemized statement before being expected to pay. I was also troubled by the lack of respect for clients' time. My appointment was scheduled for 12:15 p.m. I even called ahead because I was concerned bridge traffic might make me late, as I respect the clinic's schedule and wanted to be courteous. Despite arriving on time, I sat in the parking lot for nearly two hours before my first dog was finally brought inside shortly after 2:00 p.m. Waiting that long without meaningful updates was frustrating. Communication throughout the appointment was equally concerning. Rather than speaking directly with the veterinarian, all communication occurred through a non medical staff member who transported pets between the building and clients waiting in their vehicles. Because that employee was not present during the examination, they could not adequately answer questions regarding findings, recommendations, or treatment decisions. I do not know who Deidre Chiaramonte is on my receipt that examined my dogs or what discussions occurred during the appointment. One of my dogs that was prescribed a generic anxiety medication was not effective or working. I provided written notes for the veterinarian explaining my concerns. A non medical staff member later advised that the veterinarian recommended the actual brand name instead of generic with additional medication. Based on the information provided, I agreed. At no point was I made aware that approximately $160 of blood work would be required before proceeding. After reviewing the charges and discussing the situation with my spouse, I decided I did not want to proceed with the blood work and instead wished to explore a holistic approach for my dog's anxiety. I called HVAR and politely requested that the blood work not be performed. I was told I need to speak with the manager who was busy and will call back. I later received a call from "management", (no name) informing me that I was no longer welcome at the facility and that my records would be marked accordingly. The conversation felt defensive and confrontational. Which was not my intent. I did not even mention the 2 hour parking lot wait. So here I will. I have requested my pets' medical records on two separate occasions and have yet to receive them or a response to those requests. The continued lack of communication has only added to my concerns. I want to be clear that I still appreciate the important work HVAR does for animals and the community. I was also a longtime admirer of Dr. Nicole Singer and always had positive experiences during the years when she was involved in my pets' care. Unfortunately, my recent experience was so dramatically different that it has left me saddened and disturbed by the apparent change in client interactions and overall professionalism. As a longtime client, I expected transparency regarding costs, direct communication regarding my pets' care, timely service, and respectful treatment when asking questions or declining treatment. Unfortunately, my experience fell far short of those expectations.

My husband and I went to the New Fairfield/Sherman Animal Welfare Society to adopt a dog after a…read moreprevious bad experience at a different animal shelter. The employees here were just so amazing, helpful, and nice! I stopped by 4 times in the process of adopting my lovely dog and everyone I encountered there was really friendly and respectful. We had to fill out a couple pages of forms and wait a little while for them to process our information and all of that. We got such a sweet 2 year old black lab/mix from them and I am so grateful.

From the owner: New Fairfield/Sherman Animal Welfare Society provides care and compassion for adoptable animals and…read morefinds them loving families.

I got the most wonderful kitten from Second Hand Siamese back in March! Very thankful for them.read more

I couldn't have been more pleased with my adoption of Obie! It all happened smoothly and quickly…read moreand it was clear when we went to pick him up that the rescues were all well cared for and treated with love. I would highly recommend them if you're looking for a cat to rescue!

Happy Life in my opinion is a wonderful organization. They are dedicated to the welfare of the…read moreanimals in their rescue center. As with many organizations, when you fill out an application, no specific pet is guaranteed...Someone may have inquired before you, etc. I truly believe this organization cares about the pets and is very diligent in vetting applicants. My son adopted from a different organization because they had the puppy he and his partner wanted . I have read reviews in the negative about not having all information on the dogs health. My son's puppy came from a foster home that let him eat things he should not have and it was horrible, they were also not told that the dog suffered from Parvo and a heart condition....These organizations do the best they can with the information they have, especially when animals are taken off the streets...

I am very suspicious that they didn't disclose all information about our dog or that they lied and…read morewere unaware of everything as she came to us with a nasty cut on her side which we now think was from a dog fight as she is HORRIBLE with other dogs. We have to rehome her after an incident with my son so I posted on a Facebook page where another person said she had an issue with them where they lied about knowing their dog as they had only gotten her a few hours before and they ended up needing to rehome her because of dangerous circumstances too. They are also unwilling to help us with the rehoming process. I would highly recommend going through a different rescue.

Beezys pack was so quick and communicative and we had a great session! She understood our dog…read moreimmediately and gave us great feedback and instructions to fix some of her behavior issues. She also set us up with some helpful guides for the future! 10/10 recommend.

Beezys Pack provided me with great resources and tips for my pup who was dealing with bad…read morereactivity. She works with many rescues and also helped with some of the pups I was fostering. Aubrey is so caring, passionate, and knowledgeable, you can tell she really cares about the work she does / helping pups, and it makes a BIG difference. So grateful to have her as a continuous resource.