We recently adopted a dog from Milo and had a great experience. The people who work there are amazing and I highly recommend adopting from them. Thank you for our beautiful, sweet girl, Poe! read more

The pains me to say, but my experience with the Milo foundation has not been a good one. I adopted a kitten early May. During that adoption I was told if ANY health issues came up to reach out to the first. She was sneezing, had horrible diarrhea, a prolapsing rectum and had tapeworms. I found out she also had Giardia and had to be treated for that as well. There was no record of and FLV test but they vaccinated her for it. The pads of her paws were peeling almost as if she has been on hot cement or something. I reach out early on, as requested and was called back late that day, only to be told to call the emergency number and explain the situation to them. I did just that. I texted the after hours number and got an auto reply that they were driving and would get back to me. After that i attempted to send the video of the sneezing and the photo requested but they would not go through. Any additional texts to this number went undelivered. Blocked? After that no one ever called, I took her to my vet, and had everything treated and an FLV test done (about $400). Keep in mind I paid the adoption fee of a total of $225 and I also made a donation of another $50 to their organization. I emailed them trying to get some answers and i got an email reply when i requested someone call me about all this and then once i explained the situation i received no reply. I even followed up a week later with "following up on this as i haven't heard back" and that was more than a week ago. I love my kitty and would not want to return her so I just bit the bullet and paid for the stuff she needed. Needless to say I'm disappointed. I have always told people that this rescue is amazing and to support them, but after this I will think twice. read more

I think this place is using rescuing dog to fool people with money. First, their service is terrible. On their website, it says if you want to apply specific dogs, you should contact them. But once you contacted them, they will never get back to you and seems to know nothing about the dog. It doesn't make sense that your application ended up with foster to review and never provide any feedback. Very poor management and the staff there seem just don't care the animal get adopted or not. They are not trying to help dogs or either people want to adopt animals. All they want is running this platform and taking advantage of the adoption fee when they are doing nothing. Very bad and strongly not recommended for going to this irresponsible place! read more

We have adopted all three of our amazing doggie friends from Milo. The wonderful staff, foster hosts and volunteers there are the best! They really care about the animals they rescue and do their utmost to find them a forever home that is a good fit for both the adopting family and lucky doggos. We rescued our most recent dog from the Milo Sanctuary, and he has turned out to be such a sweetie! Please support this organization - they are doing great work in finding every animal a place where it can be safe and happy! read more

The folks at Milo were super sweet when we went to meet our new dog. They gave us ample time to spend walking and hanging with her before we committed to the adoption. They take great care of their dogs and are a wonderful place to adopt from. read more

Milo Foundation - Pet Adoption Near Me - Point Richmond, California

The process goes as follows they appear to have many puppies mixed breed etc. You are required to fill in an in depth application form to which a volunteer called Carol calls you up and arranges the visit with your puppy, I made a special trip to Novato to check out potential puppy with my current dog as I was approved very quickly. I met the pup and it was a really good fit. This was a Saturday. I was very clear that I work an intense job and I could not pick up the puppy till the following weekend which they told me was fine since he hadn't had his final shots, he is only 8 weeks old. Carol called me repeatedly Sunday and I was out and could not take her calls and said I could talk on Monday. I got a slew of texts saying they had lots of people interested and I needed to pay immediately $650 to secure the puppy. They sent a link using a platform called shelter luv which asks for hundreds of additional dollars for insurance and other items and no receipt of payment. I was concerned that this may be a scam to get people to pay hundreds of dollars. Apparently I had to do it that Sunday or the dog would go somewhere else. I would not have troubled myself with driving all that way if I knew I would have to drop $1000 immediately. I offered a deposit for half the amount in cash but they require a credit card payment and won't accept cash. I offered a number of solutions. I was called by another carol on Monday, who sounded the same as the first carol. I would be required to fill an additional form and pay In order to secure the pup. I offered a myriad of solutions including cash but they won't let me adopt the dog and I've come away with an awful experience of meeting a dog and then falling in love and being "hussled" for money . You need to explain your process and provide greater transparency to where the money is going , and explain that you only take credit card payments before someone takes time out of their schedule and who has gotten invested already. The calls I had with two of the Carols left me quite upset. It was clear they had something in mind or someone in mind. Explaining a bad process after the event is not a good practice and putting people over a barrel to get as much as possible as soon as possible without providing anything. I felt discriminated against. They put as many blocks as possible to make sure I couldn't have the pup . read more

I have two beautiful cats from Milo who I love so much. I really like the Milo facility. My only complaint is that the staff is not very attentive. However they are very busy so it's not the biggest deal. read more

Milo Foundation - Pet Adoption Near Me - Point Richmond, California

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Staff were nice but I just wasted time on coming here. All I wanted was to look at the dogs because I am interested in adopting in the future, not now due to college. I had to fill out an application & was told I was not approved because I am not 21+ and because my roommates weren't here as well. I live near Sacramento for college & my roommates as well, I cannot just bring them over just for me to look at dogs. Mind you, again, I was just interested in LOOKING at the dogs to get an idea of what kind of dog I would like to adopt in the future since the pet shelter in Pinole shut down which is where I would go before to look at the pets. I asked if I could at least look at the dogs & they said I could not. I came here because it's the only other pet adoption shelter I know, but it was a mistake coming here. Wouldn't come again. Very disappointed! All I wanted was to look at the pets, nothing more, nothing less. read more

Milo is awesome. We recently adopted our beautiful baby girl puppy Scuttle (formerly Celine) and we absolutely love her. Everyone there as genuinely friendly and helpful. Thanks for all you do! read more

We have adopted two fabulous dogs through the Milo Foundation. This is a great organization, rescuing animals from high kill shelters and finding them new homes. Milo Foundation provides top notch care for animals in need and they work hard to ensure a good match between adopters and adoptees! Staff and volunteers are very caring and helpful. Foster parents are wonderful. Our experience with both dogs has been great - I highly recommend Milo Foundation to anyone seriously looking to add a furry member to their family! read more

I got my first pet (a cat) in 2015, and just got my puppy a few days ago. When you first walk in, you smell the place. The conditions in the building are HORRIBLE. There is little to none organization, and there was a pen in the front with a puppy rolling around in poop that had clearly not been picked up in days. Milo takes in as many animals as they can, which is amazing, but it is clear that the shelter has too many to take on/care for properly. Although the conditions seriously need improvement for these poor animals, the staff and volunteers were lovely. They help you as much as they can, and they are clearly animal lovers and people that want to do the right thing. The staff and volunteers are doing their best, but it is Milo's founder that needs to care for the welfare and conditions of the building and its pets. Clearly, this founder is failing at doing so. While the people you interact with during adoption are wonderful, the condition of this place really needs to get better. read more

Ok, ok I don't really want to write a bad review about a place that rescues dogs because that alone should get 5 stars but my experience wasn't all that great here, unfortunately. This may get long, sharing my story but to sum it up, if you fall in love with a dog here, yay!...I just wouldn't get much more involved here and would look elsewhere first, as there are just as great dogs available for adoption for lower cost but again, who could put a price on a dog, do what feels right and thanks for adopting and not shopping! So, here it goes...My partner and I were interested in adopting a dog and searching and in the meantime, until we found the perfect fit decided to foster. I followed many rescue groups online, keeping an eye out for fosters needed and dog available for adoption alike. There was this one post on facebook from Contra Costa County Shelter Dogs in Need, if I remember correctly, Contra Costa Animal Services had posted the story of 4 dogs rescued from a canal, one was put down not long after rescue, one was made available and the two others "Buddha" and "Hazel" were posted on the other page in need of a rescue to come forward. I commented, hoping to foster. The clock was ticking and no one was taking action. One rescue group stepped up for "Buddha" who was sadly hit by a car and killed during rescue. And soon "Hazel" was picked up by Milo, who was in contact with me about fostering. They went and assessed her and days went by, with no communication. Milo mentioned they were going to determine who was best fit to foster her, with information given. It had been over a week, at least, maybe two and out of the blue I got the message asking if I was still interested in fostering Hazel...yes! And they asked me to come pick her up the next day and I was there! I had no idea what to expect, not much information was given to me about her besides she was shy and submissive. I didn't know if she was good on a leash, or anything, really! But I guess, neither did they. So fostering with them maybe very unpredictable!!! But this sweet girl just walked out, happily! Milo gave me a crate, food and food bowls and we were on our way home. She was renamed "Henna" because they had another Hazel, which was a much better fit. Turns out she was a pretty darn good pup. We were happy to be her foster parents! And we posted updated photos and updates about her on facebook and shared around, providing Milo with the same. WE were being proactive, trying to find her a home! She needed to be fixed, which we were proactive about, too. Communication lacked between us and Milo, I felt I was the one reaching out. I get it they may be busy and are juggling hundreds of animals but don't bite off more than you can chew. We had noticed an issue with her eye and when we brought her to the vet to get her spayed, we mentioned it to them. She was prescribed some eye drops but we never got a chance to talk to vet about it and questioned receptionist about what was wrong, with no luck getting more information. The eye drops ran out, the problem persisted. No interested adopters, months now, with many other dogs being featured on their social media pages. And guess what? We fell in love with her and she turned out to be the perfect fit we were searching for! We finally made the decision to adopt her! And told them the news, went in to do the paperwork, return the goodies and pay the $300. And that was it, not much happiness and congratulations expressed from staff. I felt happy leaving there with Henna's tail wagging, thinking we never have to go back there again and deal with them! We were done! Henna was ours! Months go by her eye never got better, multiple vet visits, to three different vets, and a costly surgery she is now healed! I'm writing this Yelp review, without having reached out to them. What's done is done. I wanted to think they'd offer us a deal to adopt her since we fostered her for so long but no but that was ok, I get it...and the idea to tell them we had to pay to fix a preexisting problem, that we had made aware to see about a possible refund has crossed my mind but I just don't see that happening and it is what it is. What matters the most is she is finally healed! And Henna lived happily ever after... read more

Milo Foundation - Foster Fail, she's a keeper. - Pet Adoption Near Me - Point Richmond, California

We adopted our new baby, a six-month-old kitten, from Milo a few weeks ago. He's very happy, healthy, and well-socialized. Milo's adoption fees are notably higher than the other East Bay shelters, which wasn't an issue for us but may deter some families. While the adoption fee includes spay/neuter, our kitten is still intact. We're on a waiting list at Milo's partner vet - they quoted us no surgery until Feb 2023 but swear Milo will cover the expense. Luckily our baby is indoors-only and our other cat is spayed, but this hassle is not ideal. We called around to other vets and the wait seems to be normal right now. We had to provide written proof we owned our home. Everything else was pretty seamless. Would happily adopt from Milo in the future. read more

Got my forever pup there nearly 2.5 years ago. We're having a fantastical forever time. Adopted straight from the founder :-)

I used to think the world of Milo Foundation, but I have lost faith in the organization. I think they have strayed too far from their mission. I've adopted two dogs from Milo. In both adoptions, the dogs were essentially handed to me with no interview. On paper I look like a perfect dog owner (fenced acreage, home during the day, loads of experience owning and training dogs, keeping my dogs until the ends of their lives, etc.), so maybe that's why no one scrutinized me. But this lack of attention bothered both times. My second dog was very ill when I adopted him (when I commented on the green snot on the dog's nose, the Milo employee told me it was just an upper respiratory infection, but it was distemper). Still, I supported the organization because they worked to improve their sanitation and general animal husbandry practices. (They built that beautiful Richmond facility, with a quarantine area for sick animals because they had been cited for mishandling animals in the past.) So I always believed that Milo did their best and had the best intentions, even when they failed in various ways. But I no longer believe that to be true. I think they have grown too big and are now too focused on maximizing the monetary potential of each animal. When they began charging higher-than usual adoption fees for the best looking dogs, I thought that was a bad move. But now I see that they are auctioning off a puppy to highest bidder, at their upcoming fundraising party. So much for treating animals with respect. I question some of their management choices, too. In the last year or two they decided to get into the horse rescue business (obtaining likely meat animals from livestock auctions), but I see that they seem to do few placements of those animals. It makes me wonder whether the nonprofit is supporting a hobby of someone in the organization. You either are a horse rescue service or you aren't. Dabbling in it is not an option. All told, this is why I no longer send donations to Milo. I think they have lost the thread. It is absolutely marvelous that they scoop up animals from rural kill shelters and give them a second chance (I think a lot of that driving is done by their sainted volunteers). But I am deeply conflicted about the way they operate as an organization. read more

I've adopted two dogs from Milo Foundation and they are fantastic - supportive, helpful, committed to helping you find the right dog for your family. Good people doing good work. read more

I attended a pet adoption fair that was held at the county fairgrounds in Pleasanton on September 14, 2019. After connecting with an adorable 10 week old puppy, I decided to adopt her. When I picked her up, she coughed and the lady who assisted me stated that she probably had kennel cough which Milo would treat. I didn't believe this rescue agency wouldn't follow through in providing medical care so I proceeded with the adoption, paying Milo $500 for the puppy. Once the puppy was in my home, the coughing got worse. On 9/15/19, I sent an email to the Milo Foundation explaining that the puppy was coughing more (a video was sent demonstrating the coughing), she was not drinking water, her eating was limited and what she ate, she vomited and had no bowel movements. A response came back on that same day suggesting that she had kennel cough and that she could be brought in any day except Tuesdays and recommendations were made about the food to give her. On that same day because her condition seemed to worsen, she was taken to an ER where she underwent x-rays and other testing. She was ultimately diagnosed with pneumonia and medications were prescribed. The ER and medication costs exceeded $600 and the veterinarian advised that a follow up examination should occur after the medications had been completely given. All of this information was shared with Milo in another email on 9/16/19 (2 days after the adoption) along with a request to reduce the $500 adoption fee given the costs associated with the ER visit. A Milo employee, Alexander, responded on 9/21/19 indicating that he would speak to the bookkeeper about my request for the adoption fee reduction. I never received a response from Alexander so on 10/07/19, I sent another email to Milo asking about a medical follow up appointment and my request to reduce the adoption fee. No response was received. I made a telephone call to Milo on a Tuesday, 10/15/19 and because they were closed, I called again on a Wednesday, 10/16/19 and left a message. Not only was there was no response to the email or the phone call, an effort appeared to be made to erase the emails. This company has demonstrated that their interest is all about money rather than the health and welfare of the animals. read more

Staff are friendly but respond too infrequently to major concerns. I requested a specific dog to pull from a shelter and foster but Milo gave me an entirely different set of dogs with zero background information. I understand the chaotic nature of rescue but you owe your volunteers a little more. read more

Milo Foundation does such phenomenal work in this world. There are so many furry friends that need a loving home. I just adopted a young dog who melted my heart at first glance. Turns out she is a perfect fit for our household. She found her forever home with us. I am so grateful to the Milo Foundation for taking such good care of her and for saving her life so that she can be our forever dog. read more

I am totally appaled by this organization, a complete waste of time and energy. First off I filled out an application for Finley a German Shepherd, I got an email confirming that my application was approved, I spoke to the foster mom on Monday she was great and communicative who also disclosed that one of the litter siblings that (they found on the side of the road) had a heart murmur but everything was fine, so I spoke to the foster mom and everything seemed to be going so well I communicated with her through text, she wanted to put the dog in a good home soon because all of his littermates have been adopted and he was alone, so I said we could come see the dog the next day a Tuesday, she wanted to to confirm before we drove down that Finley was 100 percent available but turned out Milo is closed on Tuesday so we had to wait until Wednesday to speak to anyone. Wednesday comes and we are anxious and ready for news, the foster mom tells us that everything seems good to go and that Carol will call me shortly, it took a call to the shelter and until almost closing time for her to call and tell us everything is fine and that we are good to go and meet him on Thursday, so my boyfriend takes a day off from work since they require us to all be there to meet the puppy, we are halfway there to get a call from Carol saying "she didn't know the dog had medical issues" and that the visit has to be postponed, we live an hour and a half away and to be called when we are halfway there and made all of these plans is SUPER UNPROFESSIONAL. We are so disappointed by the unprofesionnalism and lack of communication and will not be adopting from such an uncoordinated establishment. They got our hopes up for nothing and broke our hearts. This place is a scam. Especially if you're having someone spend 700 on a dog you found on the side of the road. From what I was told Carol is the head of the estalblishment so I'm sure she's lying to us about "she didn't know about the dogs health conditions" unless she just doesn't care about the animals there or her job which may be likely because I was told early on that one of his litter mates had a heart murmur but everything was fine. AND, WHY ARE ALL OF HIS OTHER SIBLINGS ALREADY ADOPTED AND IN HOMES ? read more

I saw Tigre on the website and thought he might be a fit. After the volunteer collected my info, she said "he's perfect for you" and brought him out. It's now a little over a week since I brought him home, and I can't understand how this sweet boy ended up in a shelter. I'm so happy I found him, and grateful to Milo for sheltering him. He's an absolute gem. read more

An amazing rescue no kill shelter!! They provide other services besides sheltering and have amazing well trained kind hearted volunteers!! I personally vouch for their loving excellence read more

They make the adoption process hard, and the girl who speaks to you about it has really bad attitude. Another girl was not welcoming at all either when I arrived, loved meeting with the dogs though. Only nice one was the volunteer read more

Adopted my wonderful new cat a few weeks ago. She is healthy and loving. I like that they give you special contact information if there are any serious problems. It feels great to adopt a rescue and Freya (her new name) has settled in and it feels like it was meant to be. Thank you to everyone at Milo for all their hard work and big hearts. read more

I highly recommend adopting a pup or cat from the Milo foundation. They worked with me to make it a pleasant experience. I love my pup fletcher! read more

So far so good with my new puppy! 4 stars because it's not perfect, but it's alright. For what they're doing, it seems they're doing the best they can. I went in to meet two puppies. Yes the facility was chaotic and not the most organized, but what can you expect from folks who are rescuing tons of dogs with only donations. Process: The puppies were ready for us when we came inside. Because of parvo-risk we could only interact with them on an L-shaped bench, which worked fine. Be prepared for the mayhem and overstimulation of all the dogs barking, all of them. There is zero sound barrier between dozens of worked up dogs and your precious thoughts in this crucial moment of decision making. Staff were hands-off enough to let us feel comfortable getting to know the dogs. In fact, some more orientation would have been helpful (e.g. treats are behind you and you can feed them whatever they like). We took as much time as we needed to meet both puppies and do some temperament and intelligence tests. Rules: Despite all of the "everyone in your household must be present" type of communication, I showed up with a mixed group (parents, roommates' kid, but no roommates themselves). I think they maybe didn't bother checking who was with me, as long as I didn't show up alone -- whether or not these were my literal housemates on my application, it didn't make enough of a difference for them to crosscheck. I was grateful for that. After reading other reviews, I came prepared to argue that these were the people who mattered when it comes to approving the dog, even if those listed on my application weren't present. They also didn't do any of the "checking with my landlord" situation. Covid: I had read somewhere that the meet & greet with the puppies would take place outside and that was not the case. In fact, in the email I received from Milo it said that everyone must wear masks, but the person who attended us during our time had her mask down to her chin for most of our interaction. Having brought an unvaccinated 2 year old with me, I found this frustrating, and we made arrangements to exit the building while doing paperwork. Vibe: They had the puppy I was destined to take home, so I can't say I would have gone elsewhere. Overall it was tough being in that much noise (and with a toddler and two more adults with me) trying to make such an important decision. The staff were nice enough, but also gave me vibes like they just wanted to get me out of there. Had the environment and interactions been calmer, I would have thought to ask more questions before I left and would have felt more grounded in this massive decision. Other: I submit an application first thing in the morning and had a response that night. They provide all vaccinations for puppies if you bring them back on the right date. They also work with a vet hospital to provide free spay/neuter as part of the cost. Plus they gave me coupons for pet supply shops as part of my take-home paperwork. Lastly, such a minor thing: I noticed later on that the photos on their website were mixed up. My puppy had two other sisters and she was only identified by her microchip which was which. However, later I noticed that the photos (presumably of my dog) on the website were of a different dog (slightly different markings). Just something to be aware of if your pup has look-a-likes. read more

Like other reviewers here, I too have a host of issues with the lack of communication and organization at the Milo Foundation. I found a cat that I was interested in adopting online, and went down to the San Rafael location to met her, since nobody answered the phone after repeated attempts. The cat that I wanted to meet turned out to be in Willits, even though there was no mention of that anywhere on their website. The staff, all of which seemed less interested in talking to me than looking at a computer screen, said that the cat "might be brought down to Marin in a few weeks". Might be? The cat hadn't made up its mind whether it wanted to make the trip? One of the staff then showed me another cat, who was undergoing treatment for Ringworm, so I couldn't touch him. He seemed sweet and I expressed interest in meeting him when he was medically checked out. She said she would call me when he was ready. I filled out an application- I have a stable home situation, no kids or other pets, and have adopted cats before. 3 weeks later, no call. I have tried to call repeatedly, which usually goes to voicemail and messages are not returned. The one time I did get in touch, she said "oh yeah, he still needs to be checked out, I'll try to get authorization to get him seen by a vet". Ok, I've done all the legwork, I filled out the app, I expressed interest, I have the money and a good home for the cat. Nobody seems to care. Seriously, what is the point in offering adoptions if you can't even make the effort to deal? A disservice to me, and a disservice to the animal. I will not be dealing with the Milo Foundation in the future. read more

I am writing to share an experience I had with Milo Foundation in Marin. Since this experience, I have done an informal investigation and discovered that my experience is part of a larger trend. I am not satisfied that the only way for me to review this organization is through Yelp and word of mouth. Included in this letter are a brief explanation of my experience and a summary of my overall concerns. In June of this year I adopted a puppy from a Milo Foundation mobile event in Oakland. When I adopted him he was currently in a foster home and had what they described as "kennel cough", for which he was taking antibiotics. I was not allowed to take him home until two weeks later. Fast forward a month or so and I noticed that his adult teeth were growing in completely rotten. In addition, a twitch he had since we adopted him had gotten worse, causing his chest and paw to spasm for long periods of time. I was also concerned about the extremely dry and thick skin on his nose. A trip to the vet ensued. I was informed that Watson had just recovered from a bout of distemper, which usually kills puppies. All the symptoms I was seeing were a result of that infection. Since this diagnosis, Watson has had to have multiple surgeries, causing discomfort and costing upwards of $2500. Additionally, he infected his foster mom's dog, requiring her to need medication. My contact with the director and other leaders at Milo left me frustrated. Their replies were contradictory, and they did not offer to reimburse my costs. (I only got a refund of the $350 adoption fee.) I informed them that Watson had all of these symptoms on the first day I met him, that it was their duty to take him to a vet, and record lot numbers and expiration dates of vaccines. Here are there responses to those statements: "...he had a harder time but it seemed that he was the "odd man out" anyway and presumably had weaker genetic structure or something like that...." "With the number of animals that we rescue we do not keep track of lot numbers, but we do buy directly from reputable companies that make the vaccines..." His foster mom provided this statement: "I contacted them multiple times to let them know that he was still ill. They told me not to take him to the vet, and to continue giving him the antibiotics they had given me. In the meantime, he only got sicker. Also, they asked for him to be at the mobile adoption, though I voiced my concern over this....Ethel did become sick with fairly severe kennel cough after less than a week. I had to follow up with Milo repeatedly to get them to reimburse me for that." Further, I contacted people who are very involved in the dog adoption world and they informed me that this is not acceptable practice: "...disturbing, VERY disturbing because i believe they're an organization that has a lot of money and their reputation is critical to keep that well funded position... that's a clear trail of horrific practices and NO concern as to consequences once their rescue animal is out the door." I have a voice message from a vet stating that he and several other vets have written numerous letters to Milo regarding their isolation practices for sick animals. Importantly, I know there are innocent animals who need homes at the end of this. I am following up on this because I feel strongly that public pressure will lead them to change their ways or at least report their practices/results. The fact that they put Watson up for adoption (and charged $350), exposed him to numerous other animals, and last, that this was not a one-time freak accident concerns me greatly. read more

We recently adopted a one year old dog from Milo. We had a wonderful experience. Based on their website we knew exactly what we could expect when we showed up. The adoption application was easy to fill out and they were able to pull it up and start matching us with potential dogs quickly. We enjoyed being able to walk Roo down the street and get to know him a bit. Everyone was so kind and when we walked out with him everyone said goodbye in a way that told us how much they cared for him. I would recommend Milo to anyone looking to adopt a new furry friend! read more

If you work from home or are lucky enough to have a big trust fund and do not have to work, they might let you rescue a dog. I was told that because I work during the day I cannot have a dog and that I should not own a dog until I don't work. What? It's unfortunate that they won't place the 300+ dogs they have in good homes of people wanting to rescue them vs making the dogs sit around the "foundation." I get that they have to screen people but there is a limit within a good screening process and irrational over-controlling micro-managers. I found their prices to be the highest of the area too. I'm starting to see why they have so many dogs. If you are "allowed" to adopt an animal from here, I congratulate you. If you are not, welcome to the club. read more

Nice people.....bad communication skills I went to their mobile adoption Berkeley last weekend and it was really chaotic. We went there to see a certain dog, whose foster parent overslept (it started at 12!) and then never brought her. The Milo people there were all very nice and helpful. I filled out and emailed an adoption application for the same dog the next day trying to arrange a meet & greet. First I got an email saying there was no application attached (which there definitely was, I double checked the sent folder). Then I attached the application again and never heard back..... When you want to charge between $300 and $600 for an adoption, you might want to step up your customer service..... read more

During the time that MIlo was on Solano Ave, I visited on many, many occasions as my vet was across the street. What I saw was dedicated volunteers (Girl Scouts, parents and the like) who were tending some of the sweetest and cleanest animals I have ever seen. And those animals were being adopted...by my neighbors and friends. It was a win-win for everyone. I was amazed to find out that a controversy had begun at the site about Milo's presence in the neighborhood. It appeared that neighbors (on the residential side streets rather than the commercial Solano side) had begun to complain that MIlo dogwalkers were *using* their streets to walk dogs. NOT leaving dog poop on streets, not blocking intersections with their cars, not abandoning animals to their own devices...it was simply about *walking* dogs down their residential streets. I don't know what poltical demons have been unleashed to cause Milo to be singled out for public chastisement. I do know, however, that references to the *bad* situation of Milo animals on Solano Avenue seem grossly exaggerated. That's my opinion and I'm stickin' to it....meanwhile, folks, just what do you plan to do for all of those critters in county shelters? Just wondering.... read more

Much like other negative reviewers for Milo Foundation, I would like to state that my review is not about me not being awarded a dog through Milo's adoption process. My review is about the disorganization as well as its staff's desire to make snap judgments about prospective pet adopters, even without meeting them or having an extensive conversation with them. I was interested in adopting a Lab/Cattle Dog mix puppy and I contacted Milo who said that they were at their sanctuary but would be available for viewing in the Bay Area in the near future. I was encouraged to send in an application, which I did promptly, and I also asked to be notified of when they could be met in person to see if she would be a match. About a week goes by and I had to go out of my way to find out that she and her littermates were already available for viewing on my own, which is fine, I understand they are busy. Once I got in contact I was encouraged to come see the puppies at the earliest I could, however since I lived in an apartment they felt it may not be the best match, due to my lack of a yard. This was fair of them to say, since they know their dogs. I am more than willing to accept that a certain breed may be unacceptable to my lifestyle and living situation. What I really find insulting is a follow up email shortly after my phone call stating that after re-reviewing my application that "frankly" I would not be suitable for ANY puppy of ANY size, due to my apartment situation. Really? Has a puppy never survived in an apartment? Not only that, I find it especially unfortunate that Milo would think a puppy of any medium sized breed would be appropriate for us without even meeting us or getting to know us. We live in a very comfortable 2 bedroom condominium apartment, committed to providing the training and attention a puppy needs, lead active lives (running and hiking everyday), live near many parks and open spaces, have flexible work schedules that allow us to work at home when need be, can provide a social environment with our several friends that are dog owners, and are more than financially capable of treating a new puppy the way it needs to be treated. We were recommended to adopt a small adult dog. We don't feel that a small dog is suited to our lifestyles, and also look forward to the attention and work that a puppy requires. Additionally, there are at least 5 medium to large breed dogs in our small condo complex that seem to be happy and healthy. But how would they know that unless they met us...or asked us, which they don't seem interested in doing. Perhaps if apartment/condo living (in the Bay Area?...oh so rare, I know) is a concrete roadblock for puppy adoption, you should state this somewhere on your website, pet application, or pet description? Why had I wasted a week waiting to see this dog, when they could have skimmed my application and told me right away that I wouldn't be able to adopt it in their eyes? I am very concerned that a rescue organization is willing to eliminate people with the means and who are willing to be devoted pet owners from consideration even before meeting them face to face. It makes me wonder why I don't just go to a breeder to get a puppy that we think is suitable for us, which I was hoping to avoid by looking for a shelter dog. Its just too bad that our brief interaction with the Milo Foundation has soured us on the proposition. read more

I am writing because I was saddened to read the recent negative review about Milo. To preface, my husband and I are recent volunteers at Milo and we occasionally foster dogs from there when we are able. We came to know Milo when we were looking for a dog for us and we luckily found the perfect dog for us. What makes Milo special and different from other programs that I've personally encountered is their trial or foster-to-adopt program. This lets you test out the dog for almost as long as you want until you decide whether the dog is a good fit for your household and lifestyle. I highly recommend it before committing! While it might seem sad to try out a dog, and then decide it's not for you and then return it, the guilt is assuaged by the fact that you are still helping that first dog by giving it a warm home, nice food, and a comfy bed during that time. My husband and I fostered 2 dogs in our search for a permanent family dog before we found the right one. Now that we have the perfect dog for us (i.e., a super lazy, goofy couch potato) we find ourselves making the time and space to continue to foster dogs for Milo as our way of giving back. I don't claim to be a dog expert at all. After all, I've only owned one for 3 months. But when I was looking for a dog, I was reluctant to rely on statements of any other person regarding specific behavior predictions because dogs (like people) can change behavior in different environmental settings. Dogs are not products that you pick up off the shelf. They are dynamic creatures and can be unpredictable in their responses to their environment. especially in the first months. I think it's unfair to blame the shelter for a dogs particular subsequent behavior or temperament. After all, no one is perfect, no one is a god and no one can predict the future. That's why I believe the trial/foster-to-adopt program is great. I don't claim to know or understand the circumstances surrounding April D's situation and do not endeavor to investigate it, and am not representing Milo at all on this. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry that that happened. But I'd just like to say that whatever happened with that particular adoption is not representative of the majority of adoptions that take place at Milo, based on what we've seen. The great thing about Yelp is that readers can read about many different experiences and decide for themselves. Lynne is a good person with a seemingly tireless soul and is completely dedicated to the rescues. We have had great experiences with working with her, have seen how vigorously she is out there rescuing animals from kill shelters, and respect her deeply. Milo will always have a special place in our lives and support its efforts. read more

I adopted the puppy I was looking at, on the Petfinder.com site, through Milo Foundation. But I had to be vigilant and keep asking about him, because I wasn't getting the response I was told I would get. I was afraid I was going to lose him. But persistence worked & I was able to adopt my puppy. The people at the Milo adoption site (PetFood Express, where the pup was brought to), were awesome to work with & very informative. I will be recommending Milo to family & friends! We are very happy with our new little guy! Thanks !! read more

I wanted to love this place, I really did. My mother found a dog on Facebook that was from Milo, so we drove an hour to meet the dog. We filled out an application, then we're told that this dog was going to an adoption event that she had to go to. The woman who helped us told us that our application looked great, but she still needed to go to the adoption event to find the best "fit". Later that day I was searching their website and found that they raised the price on the dog by 100.00. Seems like to me they try to get the most money out of each adoption and don't really care about the "perfect fit". If I was willing to pay 450.00 for a dog it would be from a breeder because at least then I know the dogs history. I do like the fact that they are a no kill shelter, but I adopted my previous dog from a kill shelter for less than half the price of Milo's dogs. I'd rather save a pet from a kill shelter because I feel like I am doing my part to save a life. read more

After finding a dog online that I was interested in, my daughter and I drove to San Rafael location to inquire about her. No one at the desk knew which dog I was referring to and I was told to find her on their website and show them. They told me she was in one foster home and would be changing to another foster home and might be coming in that day, they would check. Then they took us to the back room where we stood and looked at the dogs in the cages. One was very cute and we asked if we could see him. After holding him and asking questions, we thought he was adorable and we were interested in adopting him. We were told we could not because I work and the dog would be left home alone during the day. I'm sorry, but many, many people work and their dogs stay home and they are fine, loved, pampered and happy in spite of their owners having jobs to support their dogs lifestyle and well being. So they told me to email the address on the website about the other dog to find out when I could meet her. I did so, and never received any response at all. They also do not answer the phone and seemed very disorganized, having me talk to at least 4 different ladies about 1 dog because none of them really knew anything about the dog. Also I heard mention of kennel cough twice while dealing with them. While I certainly admire organizations rescuing animals, I did not feel good about the experience there. Their restrictions seem some what unrealistic to me, and after an extremely pleasant, organized and successful adoption with Wonder Dog Rescue in SF, I would never recommend Milo! Not because I didn't get a dog from them, but because their customer service sucks! Even my daughter said she "liked the people at Wonder Dog way more than the people at the other place" (Milo). I just wonder how they actually place any animals in loving homes?? read more

I adopted a kitten from Milo. When I saw her interact with the other kittens in the group room, I said that she looked bonded and that I didn't want to separate a bonded pair. They insisted that she would be fine. The whole time she spent with us, she was missing and grieving her bonded friends, and as much as our cats tried and as much as I tried, none of us could make her happy, and her behavior showed it. She needed to go out as one of a bonded pair. Milo clearly doesn't understand feline social needs and doesn't respect people who can see what is going on after just a few minutes of observation. If they are going to sell themselves as a group who take a lot of care with matching people to animals and charge so much money for it, they need to up their adoption counseling game a LOT and not just behave like salespeople selling pretty objects. and trying to get the kitten out the door as quickly as possible. Also, this kitten clearly had digestive issues which they hadn't even noticed. I would look at the negative reviews re: medical neglect before adopting from Milo. There are conscientious groups like Nine Lives in Redwood City who have a dedicated vet (who specializes in shelter care) and whose cat facilities are as good as/better than Milo's and whose aims of rescuing from the high-kill shelters are the same. read more

I am a big time dog advocate, and want all dogs placed in healthy families. Unfortunately I was recently very disappointed by Milo's staff and director's "rough around the edges" style. It is great to want to be a public hero, but to do so at the expense of both humans and dogs is unethical. Milo, do yourself and all of us a favor and scale down, focus on quality of rescue work and care, as well as respectful and kind treatment of properly trained staff. Oh, and rethink you volatile approach toward volunteers while you are at it. I am very sorry to have to write this review, and look forward to revising my POV when appropriate. read more

I'm a bit stunned by the negative opinions expressed here by those who were turned down for adoption by Milo Foundation. In no case is there a clear description of the specific reasons that were given for rejection. Instead, there is just the defensive rationale that "I would have been a good owner." Understandable. But these reviews are one-sided and unfair. Here was my experience with Milo. After the sudden death of my old dog due to a heart attack, I was heartbroken and not sure about adopting a new dog. I started looking at the Milo website just to see how it felt. Milo has a pretty good website that is fairly up-to-date - not perfect, but pretty good, especially considering it's relies so heavily on volunteers. I also learned that a lot of dogs on the website are fostered, so they're not necessarily available if you just drop in at the center. So if you see a dog you like on their website or petfinder.com, I recommend you call them to find out if the pet is available for meeting. I don't quite understand people who negatively describe Milo as "hectic" and "disorganized." Of course they are! They have many animals to take care of, and walking into one of the kennel rooms is cacophonous. My wife and I met quite a number of dogs. It was on our fourth visit that we found the one we wanted - Lola, a precious 6-week-old pitbull-boxer mix. As I had completed an application on my first visit (they require this before they allow you to visit with a dog in order to ensure that you're serious), the adoption process went incredibly smoothly. They wanted to understand what kind of situation the dog would be in, and none of their questions were inappropriate. Although my wife and I both work, Lola goes to doggie daycare, where she gets to play all day, go on two long walks, and not get left alone for 8-9 hours a day. She has access to a safe, fenced back yard. Here's the real deal, folks - Milo takes in an incredible number of dogs and cats from other counties where they would be euthanized. They take animals with horrendous health problems and rely on their volunteers to help bring these animals back to health. For all of their "faults," they are an amazing organization. For people to say not to deal with them because they were turned down - or they didn't like the tone of the refusal - says a lot about pettiness. Who are those reviews really hurting? Milo? No. They hurt the animals who need homes. You want pleasantries and no questions asked? Go to a breeder or a pet store and have a perfectly nice experience with somebody who is more than happy to sell you a dog. That's not Milo. Milo takes their rescue seriously. You may not like their policies, but those are based on what they believe is doing right by those animals. As for Lola, she turns 1 next month. She's a healthy, incredible, friendly, and loving companion, and I'll always feel blessed to have her. Please give Milo a chance - so many people there are devoting their lives to saving animals, and they deserve your consideration. read more