Re: Nicole's condascending response: Absolutely no offer of convenience was made, it was a plain threat -we will take her from you! Similar to the other review see photos of police being sent to another! An animal rescue with 3.7 rating on yelp? isn't that odd?
Our Family Dog Was Taken From Us During a Health Crisis -- Milo Misled Us
To anyone reading this: please continue to adopt -- never buy -- but do so from rescues that act with compassion, integrity, and transparency. Sadly, Milo Foundation showed none of those!
During a time of medical crisis, Milo took our dog -- a beloved member of our family -- and misled us through every step. Our children weren't even given the chance to say goodbye.
We adopted Latte over a year ago. She was part of our lives every day -- holidays, school walks, hikes, church, birthday parties, and even had her own birthday cake. My kids adored her. She was loved, well-socialized, and happy.
Then I had a serious health emergency and was told to go the ER. My husband, overwhelmed and scared, called Milo for guidance. Nicole Bonfilio told him to fill out a "foster" form to begin rehoming. At no point was it clearly explained this would transfer legal ownership of our dog. This same man brushed her teeth and coat every three days and ran with her daily, must have been heart broken.
Two weeks later, as my health stabilized & diagnosed, we contacted Milo and asked to stop the rehoming process. Latte remained in our care and received the same love and daily care. We explained the duress, apologized, and asked to keep our dog.
Instead of empathy, Nicole told us:
"This is our property now. I can send someone to your house today to take her."
When I explained I wasn't part of the decision, she said:
"Then maybe there's something wrong with your marriage, and your dog shouldn't be there."
And: "You're just doing this for the kids. I don't have kids... I only care about our dog."
I was stunned. I asked to speak to someone else -- the founder. Nicole claimed she didn't have that contact and gave a general email (which bounced). I eventually found another address and sent a detailed, heartfelt letter. The response?
"The board has reviewed your case. Someone better than you is adopting her tomorrow."
Nicole told us that the kids didn't need to say goodbye-- that if it didn't work out, we could "take her right home." We believed her and spared our kids that pain.
An adopter interested ("K"), who was an angel &supportive when my husband explained our crisis & told her that we didn't want to lose her
We arrived at Milo the next day, hoping to talk but no adopter was there. Nicole said they coming in an hour and insisted we leave Latte despite my begging and fear of Latte being in the shelter. She promised:"She'll only be in the kennel for an hour."
But Latte remained in that kennel -- the same one we rescued her from -- for a week! It destroyed our heart. We also learned K had not been contacted by Milo at all before review of our case! K confirmed this directly and they only talked to Nicole because they themselves went to Milo to plead on our behalf. That's when Nicole warned them:
"Either you take the dog, or we'll give her to someone else. Don't talk to the family or you'll be blacklisted."
We realized Nicole had no confirmed adopter lined up when she forced us to return our dog. The "board decision," the urgency, the claim someone was coming -- all of it appeared fabricated.
When we confronted her again that day at the rescue, her only reply was:
"The dog is Milo's property now."
When we explained we didn't understand the legal implication of forms signed under duress, she told us -- in front of two witnesses at the desk:
"Oh well, then I'll just change the forms."
We are not the only family this has happened to. See "Justice for Reeces - A Milo Foundation Story" and many other 1-star reviews posted in photos below. The patterns are clear: lack of communication, inflexible policies, and cruelty masked as procedure.
There was no one lined up! We were miseld by Milo!
To Milo's board and leadership:
If you reviewed our case and believed we'd abandoned our dog or that someone was ready to adopt her, you were misled. If you didn't review it at all, your name is being used to justify cruelty. Either way, your silence makes you complicit.
This wasn't abandonment; & wasn't surrender. This was a family in crisis asking for help -- then, once stable, begging to undo. We were punished for our honesty and misled at every step.
My kids still ask:
"Why didn't God answer our prayers?"
"How can someone be so mean?"
We cry often. We still sleep with her chew toys. We did not give her up. She was taken!.
This review isn't out of anger. It's grief. We trusted Milo. Instead, were deceived, intimidated, and discarded. Rescue work should be rooted in compassion -- not technicalities, power and control.
Please don't do this to another family.
-- A grieving family who never stopped loving their precious dog read more