After losing our Bernese Mountain Dog to cancer two years earlier, we were ready to embark on bringing home another "big" dog into our homes and hearts. We had applied with multiple rescues across Sacramento, but many were non-respondent or had old legacy listings for dogs that were no longer available. When we saw "Fuggle" pop up on AdoptAPet.com one morning, I knew I had to put in an application for our family, despite feeling hopeless that it would not go anywhere. The application was quite thorough, but was quite similar to those we'd filled out for our Berner. I received an auto-reply stating they would reach back within a week, and lo and behold 7 days later, I received the happiest news and sweetest email, "I am happy to tell you that we have selected you for my favorite puppy! He really is the cutest.  What is your schedule like? I am hoping to do homechecks this week and then have the puppies picked up from the adoption event this weekend.  Just to make it easier for us to get it done :)" We quickly got in touch for a homecheck after work one day, were officially approved and were able to take "Fuggle" home just 13 days after submitting our application. The adoption process was so incredibly smooth and easy, and everyone at Recycled Pets was incredibly nice and professional, from the home visit, to the foster parents, to the adoption day. We've since attended a puppy reunion with his litter, and have joined a wonderful online community that celebrates everyone's extra-special love for their Recycled Pet. I'm so happy that Recycled Pets helped us find "Fuggle" but just as happy that we have such a caring and loving rescue organization here in Sacramento. read more

Recycled Pets NorCal - Animal Shelters Near Me

How unfortunate to see political photos on their banner. I hope they see that this could damage their ability to gain support and raise funds for their organization. Since they say they don't have anything political displayed, I'm going to post this screenshot. If they didn't put those images there, they can take this opportunity to fix that. read more

Recycled Pets NorCal - Animal Shelters Near Me

My partner is visually impaired and attempted to adopt a visually impaired dog from Recycled Pets NorCal. She thought he would be a good match for her since she could relate to him and understand what he was going through.The very first response we got back from them was accusing us of being cruel. Then instead of asking questions to clarify any doubts they may have had, they accused us of being abusive. Mind you, neither my partner nor I would ever beat or hurt any animal in any way. We are avid animal lovers. Their responses were unprofessional and downright rude. Unfortunately for their pets, we will never attempt to adopt a pet from them again. read more

RPNC volunteers are blessing pets and families all at the same time. We are forever grateful to the people bringing our fur child, "Bear" (Oso) into our lives. The hard work and love given to our Bear-Bear before his adoption does not go unnoticed and is never forgotten. read more

Recycled Pets NorCal - Puppy dog - Animal Shelters Near Me

I adopted my dog from Recycled Pets NorCal when she was about 10 weeks old. The care and effort they put into their adoption process is fantastic. She has brought such joy to my life, I cannot thank and recommend this organization enough. They are wonderful. read more

Recycled Pets NorCal - Aurora enjoying her neighborhood stroll - Animal Shelters Near Me

We adopted from Recycled Pets two years ago, and every day we are thankful for their diligence. We read about people being irritated by the intensive application process, but it's worth the time. I appreciate the love and concern that each dog is given to make sure they are placed in the right home! If you are ready to adopt an amazing new family member, start here! Thank you to all the Recycled Pets staff and volunteers! read more

Emailed about a dog, filled out the questionnaire and was told I could apply but they are weary because of problem behaviors that could start as the dog matures. That's like turning someone down because they could have possibly left the sliding door open and the dog ran away. While always possible, not definite. While the concern is hopefully coming from the right place, whoever answered the email seemed misguided. Seems like after reading through reviews this is common and the customer service is severely lacking. Unfortunately rescues like this don't help out with the adopt don't shop movement because they leave a bad taste behind for potential adopters. read more

Rude, snotty organization. They should really get off their high horse. There is nothing special about them. They deal with pets, it's not like they're performing open heart surgery in the ER. They are ridiculous to potential adopters which makes me really question their organization. read more

RPNC has been amazing. We adopted our boy 6 years ago. He had already been socialized, used the doggy door and was very used to other animals. We have adopted from shelters before - adopting from shelters is an easy process ... most of the time in and out same day. With rescues like RPNC they want to make sure you know the animal you are adopting and will be a good match. They do the best they can to provide permanent homes and have already worked with the animals they have for adoption. I personally feel that it made for a much easier transition for our family. I love what they do and appreciate all of them! I highly recommend taking the time to adopt from a rescue like RPNC if you can! read more

Recycled Pets NorCal - Byggs ... formerly known as Momo - Animal Shelters Near Me

I agree with the many posts on Yelp of possible rescue volunteers writing their own review and giving themselves 5 stars! Staff are rude with their responses to potential families who would love to adopt one of the many sweet animals that they have. The poor animals are missing out on amazing families because of the volunteers. I don't think this rescue gives people a chance or "equal opportunity" to adopt. I hope things change for the animals. read more

RPNC is an amazing group of fearless crusaders helping to find deserving homes for dogs of all ages. I adopted my first girl 7 years ago and then my second 4 years ago. I can not say enough how wonderful the experience was both times. The adoption process is very thorough! Candidates are fully vetted in the best interest of the dog. They are a wealth of information through their private facebook group (all adoptees are invited to join) and have many great referrals for all your pet needs. And the pictures are the best!!! I so appreciate the love and care they give every single dog and the lengths they go to ensure every dog finds a loving forever home. If your looking to add to your family this is the only organization I would go to. read more

I cannot say enough nice things about this rescue. They really care about the animals and try their best to place the dogs with fitting forever homes. We got our amazing dog Gizmo from them. We just happened to stop into a local pet store and they were having an adoption event. We were not really looking for a new family member at the time but fell in love with Gizmo, and hoped She would get along with our other dog. It took a couple weeks and back and forth emails. you have to realize that this rescue is volunteer run And they have lives and very busy schedules nothing is going to happen over night. We've had our newest member of the family over a year now and she is wonderful. I will also add that they stay in touch with the family's and have been great about any questions or concerns that have come up. read more

Recycled Pets NorCal - Our baby Gizmo. Best dog ever. Thank you Recycled Pets for saving her so we could add her to our family :) - Animal Shelters Near Me

RPNC is an amazing organization. I adopted Wilbur formally known as "Wilford Brimley" from here & they took great care of him. Their adoption process is thorough without being overly intrusive. I would highly recommend them. They are great people doing great things. read more

Recycled Pets NorCal - Wilbur formally "Wilford Brimley" - Animal Shelters Near Me

RPNC really cares about the animals they rescue and rehome. They do thorough home checks before allowing a pet to go to a home. They are also a great resource for info, help, advice and just all- around pet knowledge!! We love our Lily girl that we adopted almost 3 years ago. read more

Recycled Pets NorCal - Lily is the smaller, blind pup we got thru RPNC. We added Jameson two years later and they are best buds! - Animal Shelters Near Me

A while back I came across a scared little stray in danger on a busy street in a bad neighborhood. I managed to catch him and tried to return him to his owner but without success. After holding him for the requisite time to allow him to be reclaimed but without it happening, I contacted RPNC for help. Already being aware of this rescue and knowing they are very picky about to whom they adopt, and are very thorough in their adoption form and home checks, I felt confidant that if he were taken into their program he would be safe and wind up in a wonderful home. He was taken as a foster by one of their volunteers and a short time later adopted out to a couple who will love and appreciate him and give him the life he deserves. Well done, and thank you Recycled Pets NorCal; another (and personal) reason I am glad we have this group of dedicated animal lovers in the Sacramento area. read more

Recycled Pets NorCal - This is the little guy I rescued off the streets and then RPNC took into their foster program and adopted out. - Animal Shelters Near Me

I highly recommend this rescue. We had a wonderful experience with our adoption process and it's obvious that they truly love and care about all of their animals. We are super happy with the new addition to our family and will definitely look at RPNC in the future if we add more to our family. read more

We adopted our fur baby Juniper from Recycled Pets NorCal. We met her at an event in Roseville and we were ready to take her home right away, but RPNC has a very thorough adoption process (which we appreciate!). The volunteers worked with us to make sure our fence was tall enough to bring her home and she has been a part of our family ever since. My husband and I were just living together when we got her and she has been with us through our engagement, wedding and now first year anniversary. We would never adopt a dog from any where else! read more

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I adopted my sweet Marty from them & they made the transition seamless. I highly recommend this rescue that runs on a shoe string budget.

My daughter convinced my husband and I to add a small dog into our family. We live in the country on three acres and own our house, so why not?? My friend just adopted a dog from them, so I filled out the insanely long application and waited anxiously to hear back...which I never did. So, I reached out to them via Facebook. I got the following response: Recycled Pets: I forwarded your application to the woman fostering ****. I will check with her, but I believe the distance is the issue. We require home checks and our volunteers aren't able to drive to far, hence why we only adopt locally. Sorry about that! My response: Is your rescue in Sacramento? I am less than an hour away from the city center... If I am going to provide a good home for a dog in need, does the extra time driving really matter? Recycled Pets:Thank you for your interest, however that is too far of a drive for us. Really people??? If your only job is to find unwanted, possibly abused animals, you can't be bothered to drive 45mins to "approve" me?? Thank you for doing a crap job of helping animals Recycled Pets. May all the dogs under your care enjoy living out their lives in foster homes. Update: I did post a comment re-guarding my treatment via Facebook and was attacked by them and their supporters...beware! If treated unfairly do not call them out on it!! They don't like it :-/ Ohh, and it was debated how far I really live...at tops, 58 minutes... read more

We got our Alice from this organization. This group is amazing and what they do is wonderful for these pets

Recycled Pets NorCal is filled with loving and big hearted fosters and volunteers lead by an equally great owner. They truly go above and beyond in making sure dogs in tough circumstances are given supportive foster homes and lasting forever homes. I have adopted my 2 perfect puppies from them and cannot recommend them more. read more

We recently found our sweet pup through this wonderful rescue organization. We had specific requirements in mind (good with children, cats, could go hiking with us, etc) and this group was very up front and honest about each dog's personality and behavior. Our dog came to us spayed, house trained, crate trained and generally well mannered. It is clear she was in a wonderful, loving foster home (you're the best, Elaine!) before finding her forever home. I was appreciative of their thorough screening process and the time her foster mom took with us both via e-mail and in person to make sure we were the right fit for each other. I couldn't be happier with both our dog and our decision to rescue through RPNC. read more

Recycled Pets NorCal - We just adopted Ruby! - Animal Shelters Near Me

I adopted my beautiful little boy, Vader, in 2015 from Recycled Pets NorCal. I met him at a Petsmart event and fell in love immediately. Communication was done online, and the foster parents came to my home to make sure he would have a great home. I then met his foster mom at a park to pick him up and take him home. This is a volunteer organization so keep this in mind if the process isn't as seamless as it might be. These are loving, caring folks who want to do the best for these little babies. I enthusiastically endorse them and have been a happy mom to my boy for about 1.5 years. read more

This pet rescue is wonderful! They're all dedicated volunteers who take their time and care for these animals. We got our rescue from them 2 and half years ago and we love him. He's definitely a part of our family that we love! read more

We got our Macy from here. The application process was painless. The interview process was painless. We had a great experience & adopted an amazing dog into our family. They even have a Facebook page for the families that adopt so we can post pics, questions, stories, etc. read more

We adopted our little Jasper from the rescue in 2014. Before I adopted, I followed them on FB and read the blog posts. I knew the rescue was entirely staffed by volunteers and that all dogs were fostered in private homes which appealed to me because I figured that meant the dogs would be more likely to have some basic commands and socialization skills. I saw that the rescue really had a heart for injured animals and Moms with babies and I wanted to help way before any specific animal captured my heart. I started giving to the rescue when I could and then I saw a litter of puppies that just spoke to me. They were not what I was looking for, but exactly what we needed! We got our little boy in September and immediately joined their support group for adopters. I am a much better pet parent as a result of the ongoing education and support that RPNC gives all adopters. I continue to support them with my time and finances because I believe in their mission. read more

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This group's approach to using a poorly-structured questionnaire (i.e., online paperwork for potential adopters) to make decisions about the appropriateness of a potential forever home, without adequate follow up, is gravely flawed. More importantly, it is not in he best interest of the dogs. Very disappointing and sad. Their hearts may be in the right place, but their process is sorely lacking. The dogs are the sentient beings who end up suffering ... read more

I have been a volunteer with Recycled Pets for almost 2 years and it has been the most rewarding experience of my life. In that time I have attended pretty much every adoption event, including a couple extra events, have done fund raising, event planning, fostered dogs, foster failed and adopted a dog from them, done website design, answered countless emails, finalized many adoptions and so much more. I have learned so much, not only about dog rescue, but about dogs in general and continue to learn. All of the volunteers of Recycled Pets are here for the animals but they are great people and have become some great friends as well. Recycled Pets works very hard to create a family environment between our volunteers, fosters and adopters and it works. Us volunteers love getting updates on dogs that have found their forever homes and we hope our adopters enjoy having a safe environment to share photos, stories and questions about their RPNC animals. RPNC has made it a mission not to just re-home dogs, but to help educate and inform the public from posts on Facebook to long involved blog posts. They also try to give back to the community as much as they receive by donating dog sweaters, treats, food and other items to the homeless and by offering a spay/neuter grant for chihuahuas. In my humble opinion, Recycled Pets is one of the best organizations in town and we're just getting started! read more

I really can't emphasize what a lovely, simple process adopting our dog from RPNC was! I have been following the rescue on Facebook for years, and feel like I have a really good feel for the people running it. While yes, the person in charge has a strong personality that seems to have offended some people, can you really work a full time job and put in the hours she does running a rescue (that she HAS to lose money on!) without one?! I really don't think you can. Things this rescue will not compromise: 1. The welfare of their dogs. 2. Their goal to end dog overpopulation. 3. Their standards for adoptive families. Things they don't have time to care about: 1. Your feelings when you don't fill out an application correctly or don't meet their requirements. 2. Answering your email within minutes of you sending it. 3. What you think of their name. And frankly, aren't those the things you absolutely want to see from a rescue? You may have to wait a little longer to get your dog and go through a home check, but guess what? Your new puppy won't be underage! It will be healthy, it will be vaccinated, it will be spayed/neutered, it will be micro-chipped, it will be socialized, AND you will have the longterm support of the rescue community as you go through life with your dog! Those are all things that you can't always guarantee from "rescues" immorally/illegally run (cough cough--1 Love Dog Rescue!). I don't see how you can get any better than that! With those things in mind, if you're willing to put the effort into the application--which is really the least labor intensive aspect of adopting a new dog--and you are a responsible member of society who meets their qualifications (fenced yard, etc.), then your experience will probably be as seamless as mine was. We applied for a puppy and got her within 2 weeks of submitting the app. Someday when we're ready for a second, we will absolutely come back to RPNC. read more

Recycled Pets NorCal - Animal Shelters Near Me

Omg. . .love them and what they do. . We've had our girl going on a year and we love her. . .can't wait to get our second dog. .. this place does good! read more

Rude rude rude. I attempted to inquire about a dog they had up for adoption... Being extremely excited about the potential I not only (over zealously) contacted them by a Facebook post of the dog, but also via messenger. The first response via messenger directed me to send an email... so I quickly sent an email... After sending the email I responded in messenger saying "email sent, thank you!" At that time I was told via messenger to go to their website and fill out paperwork, which I immediately started, again I was very excited about the potential. In the mean time I received a slightly rude email pointing out that they "clearly stated...." I had to fill out paperwork before meeting any animals... I explained that I sent the email before being directed to their website, I pointed out the rudeness. I expressed that I no longer desired to donate or adopt from them, I then received another email expressing how they are "too busy to hold hands throughout the process." I understand they are too busy and are wonderfully simply volunteers, but 1- don't tell me to email then get mad that I emailed 2- don't be rude.. If you're rude to someone trying to adopt these poor babies then I can only imagine how you're treating the animals. 3- if you're too busy to answer questions then don't continuously send emails about being too busy to answer questions.. Also if you decide to leave a less than favorable review on their Facebook page you will get hounded with rude comments.. Their "followers" making rude comments about you, your children your personality (like they even know who you are, just rude /and inaccurate assumptions) to the point you don't even want to leave your personal experience out there. Good luck! read more

Can I just say I love these people? I have been trying to rescue another doggy since mid September, when my kid stayed home sick and to keep her company, we looked at potential dog rescues (this after she asked me to google CheapLabradoodlesDOTcom which by the way does NOT exist, go figure) and so the hunt was on for a buddy for our current dog, a giant Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, tipping the scales in height and weight for his standard. So, we wanted a smaller, more medium size dog, as in 20-40 lbs. And that is what we found several times on Petfinder over the next two months. I applied 6+ times. And was either rejected or notified that we are not a good fit for THAT dog (but there may be a one eyed chihuahua puppy that would be good for us--that made me laugh, I work and have a 2 year old) or I received no response, even though I can see weeks later that the dogs are still up on the sites. Seriously. Rejected. Me! Responses varied from, "we know we said she was good with kids, but we meant kids 13 and older" to an email that said they didn't have any dogs that fit my criteria (my criteria: medium sized female wirehaired or long haired adult dog, good with kids/cats/dogs--just like the one I had applied for), good luck with another facility. I actually followed that one with a phone call, because I was near tears, and the gal was almost encouraging until she read my application and said, "You crate? We have had dogs come in with their TEETH worn down from crating." (This was the first time THAT was an issue, usually it's because I have kids under 10.) Every app says very clearly that I have kids (and their ages), cats, a dog, I work, I crate and I rent. In fact, my last landlord was my vet, and my current landlord told me I "need a buddy" for my dog. Those applications are long, and not standardized, each rescue group has their own screening tool. My friend told me about Recycled Pets and sent me a picture of some doggies that need fostering, they are just my style, and I went for it (before they are even adoptable.) This is a long application, but it gave me room to explain things. And for the first time in 2.5 months, I was approved for an adoption, just need the home check. We are going to meet the doggies we are interested in, but I am so thrilled with this group for being so open to our family and understanding that people work and dogs are okay being crated for the work period of time, that I had to write this. All the emails I've gotten from this particular rescue have been SO encouraging and I am really excited. I also cannot wait to tell my 8 year old and my 2 year old that they are going to get a sister. This will be a very loved doggy. LET'S DO THIS! Heck, I may be able to talk my husband in to becoming a foster-er. :) UPDATE: We have now had our great little dog for 3 weeks, love her to pieces, and I'm a huge fan of RPNC, they are wonderful for local, Sacramento folks. Please think about fostering or adopting from them first if you live here! read more

We drove two hours to meet Fauna. When trying to meet the dogs and ask if they were the rescue, we were ignored. When we finally did get someone's attention and got to meet Fauna, we fell in love and asked how we could take her home. The ladies were real quick to give us a card and tell us to apply online but when we told her we drove two hours, they cut us off mid sentence and said we only do local and walked away. We tried to ask again if there were any possible way we could do the adoption process with an alternative way to do a home check and every worker avoided us at all cost. Very rude. We could have given this dog a great home filled with love and affection. read more

I waited for over a year for a pug. They received six pugs from a family. They put the pugs on Face Book and I commented how pugs shouldn't wear collars. They commented back I was just sad. I put a application right away. I am looking for a dog to spoil the perfect choice. I went to their event they seemed totally unorganized. I won't go to them again and would not suggest it to a friend. read more

Unfortunately, I believe some of these five star reviews were written by the RPNC volunteers themselves, especially the vague reviews. All I did was email "Recycled" Pets NorCal expressing my willingness to foster a large Senior dog, while letting them know I also have cats so anyone I fostered had to be cat-savvy. I also briefly mentioned my dislike of their name since "Recycled" has an extremely negative connotation and when I was a Vet Tech years ago people used that word in a derogatory way. They may as well be called USED Pets NorCal. It's not a thought-provoking name, not a clever name, it's... kind of a rude name frankly. The response I got was that I needed to be able to separate anyone who didn't get along since they have no idea how their rescued dogs are with cats because most of them come directly from shelters. The reply also stated that I could fill out an application to foster but if I did I shouldn't criticize the rescue's name, implying that that would be held against me in my evaluation as a foster! You would think they'd allow any good-hearted person to be a foster who is willing to take in a strange dog (especially a Senior) until it could find it's forever home, but evidently not if that person doesn't like the rescue's name. VERY weird reply from them. So, the reviews here from people stating they got the perfect dog that got along with their other animals and that RPNC ensured that, seem to be false, unless RPNC only cares about placing the right dog with their ADOPTIVE families, not with their FOSTER families. I guess fosters are expected to put up with any antics or issues the dog has rather than RPNC trying to MATCH dogs with them so they'll be in a pleasant, non-stressful environment... which would make the foster parent want to do it again in the future. In any case, my reply to them was that maybe I didn't fully understand how their rescue group works since the response I got was very odd and a tiny bit insulting. I apologized if I insulted anyone with my feedback about their name, but also said that a better response from them might be something like,"Oh that's an interesting take on our name, we didn't realize some people felt that way" instead of threatening me with the possibility that I wouldn't be considered as a foster parent if I was honest with them about their name. I don't think this rescue actually DOES much, they're just the go-between taking dogs from shelters and passing them off to fosters who do the real work. I realize they have lives as one reviewer stated here, but I think if they learn the old adage about getting more bees with honey than with vinegar, they might attract more fosters and adoptive families. Perhaps they just need someone different with actual customer service skills that answers their email (their important FIRST LINE of communication). As it is, I'm just going to check other rescues and local shelters for opportunities to foster. Good luck Recycled (yuk) Pets NorCal. You're going to need it unless you change your attitude. read more

See I can't even say I had a chance to honestly see how this business works, but what I know is that I applied to adopt a puppy, and wasn't allowed. That's not the issue. The issue is how the email was sent to me; I got a rude response saying how I wasn't allowed to adopt because my dog at home wasn't spayed, which again isn't a problem, but the person emailing me stated that I wasn't a GOOD dog owner. Because I stated that I wanted to "maybe" one day, have my dog have pups. Which regardless is my business since it is my dog. Then I got called naive and ignorant because they are killing a bunch of chihuahuas because of people like ME and my mindset. Honestly I was willing to adopt a dog, and take care it, and love it, but I didn't. read more

Fantastic, dedicated people, who put the animal's needs above all else first. These folks connected us to one of the furry loves of our lives. I would highly recommend them, and look forward to working with them again someday. Please rescue instead of "buying." You will be so glad you saved a life! read more

I have worked as an animal advocate in some capacity or another my entire "long" life and this little rescue is "as GOOD AS IT GETS"! RPNC volunteers and their founder Elsie Lodde, are amazing. Every one is dedicated to providing a nurturing environment, quality care and finding the best families for each animal fortunate enough to come their way. In addition to the seemingly endless hours and resources they devote, Elsie and the group work full time jobs. While they do not broadcast it, I have no doubt they often dig deep into their own pockets for funds when needed. We were approved as adopters by RPNC last year and a 16 week old, stunning purebred Australian Shepherd named Victoria was brought to join our family ("Torree" is special. She happens to be blind and deaf, a result of irresponsible breeding. She is what is called a double-merle and was taken by the breeder, along with three litter mates to be killed because they did not meet "breeder standards". (One of Torree's sisters could see and the other two were simply too "WHITE"!!) Elsie took them all. They thrived under her care and were all placed in loving homes. Last month we adopted from RPNC again, our second pup, "Elsie Marie Cool Jett", a spirited and beautiful Boston Terrier mix from Elsie and RPNC. RPNC has become part of our extended family, we love them. "Get to know RPNC. They're good for the soul!" read more

I'm happy to have found my puppy through RPNC. I adopted mine the day after Christmas and it was a great experience. I'm glad that this rescue has such high standards. Thanks RPNC Daisy gives a big paw up! read more

Thank you to RPNC for all they do for special needs animals and often overlooked dogs in our community. Last year NorCal was heavily impacted by wildfires. I witnessed the founder, Elsie, load up her small van with hard to adopt dogs from shelters outside of Sacramento so families could have a local place for their pets while they manage their way through the devastation. When we adopted our Spina Bifida bulldog from RPNC in 2017, the foster teams were available for questions at all hours of the day. We later adopted a nervous girl and she has completed our home. This is a tremendous organization! read more