I have to start this review making note of the fact that this is the first Yelp review I have ever written, and I am doing so because the experience I had here was so phenomenal. For my entire life I have wanted a dog but I was never in the right place to adopt one. However, I have spent a lot of time volunteering at shelters and rescues in NYC and New Jersey. If you're like me and you've been to many other shelters and rescues, you might expect this place to be the typical shelter experience. Usually when you pull up to a shelter facility you hear lots of frantic barking, which only intensifies when a person visits the kennel. The shelter staff, even though most are friendly, are dealing with multiple people at one time and are still trying to care for the dogs and can not always give you the attention you need when selecting a dog. My past experiences at shelters and rescues led me to believe that these places are always a little bit of 'controlled chaos'. This perception completely changed when I pulled up to the charming Save a Dog facility. It looks like a lovely home with very friendly curb appeal. When we pulled up to the rescue a few dogs were outside in the large dog runs having some supervised play time and not a single dog barked. These dogs weren't stressed and clamoring for attention and affection, you can tell they are well cared for and they are comfortable where they are. We met the puppy we were interested in in a home environment with couches and some toys. This is EXTREMELY different from the usual first contact at a shelter which is sticking your fingers through a cage door (which is never a good idea). They took her outside with us to see her play and interact with other dogs and it was great to see how she behaved in a natural environment. I have to address a previous comment made about how a dog 'would love a group of people to drop by our house randomly'. I think what is important to remember about the Save a Dog meet and greet strategy is that these dogs are NOT in a home. Dogs in shelters are often under a lot of stress and can develop many anxiety driven behaviors if they are approached by random strangers every day and are constantly caged/surrounded by other anxious dogs. Socialization should always be a positive experience directed by a person the dog trusts, not just throwing anything and everything at a dog and expecting it to cope. Many dogs in shelters behave COMPLETELY different when they arrive in a home because the shelter environment is the total opposite of a home environment. There are multiple dog behavioral problems that are the direct result of traumatizing experiences that occur in shelters. This is why I adopted from Save a Dog. Not only did I fall in love with my corgi/australian shepherd mix, I felt comfortable supporting an organization that puts the needs and well being of the dogs first before the human desire to walk through shelters to see the cute dogs (sometimes on a whim, or without the intention of adopting). The process was wonderful, the staff called our references AND our landlord which is amazing follow through for these animals to make sure that they go to a home that can accommodate them in every aspect. The staff provided valuable resources and also has been open to any questions and concerns we have had since bringing our new puppy home. They even followed up and emailed us to make sure everything was going well. I believe that this amount of dedication proves that previous reviews claiming that the staff does not care for the dogs is a bit unfounded. If you are seriously considering adoption and are ready for the challenge, I would make an appointment to meet with a dog at Save a Dog. read more

I would like to echo the other negative comments about this organization. There is "trying to find the right match" and there is being down right obnoxious and over the top. Not only were their volunteers rude and unknowing of their own process, but I literally had to repeat myself 5 times to 5 different people. They are not transparent about their process and they don't know how to communicate among their own staff/volunteers about what the heck is going on within their own organization. Their high fees and snobbery about the fact that I was in a zip car also indicate to me that they are only interested in providing homes for dogs to rich white people in the suburbs. They are also incredibly pretentious. I mentioned that I lived near a "whole foods dog store" and this woman immediately lit into me ranting about how horrible Whole Foods was. She was constantly interrupting me telling showing her superiority on a number of issues (even though I've grown up with dogs and have been a very good dog owner in the past), and after she got off her high horse, I clarified - "no, i live near a holistic dog food store." I understand the need to find a right match for dogs, but their process is way over the top and they are completely not transparent about all of the requirements. It's a simple thing to write the steps down and tell people up front that not only might they not get to MEET the dogs when they arrive, but they will certainly not be taking one home. This was an incredibly exhausting and tiring day for me and then they called and told me that they hadn't met my partner and lectured me about how that was very important. This was after I told them for the last 2 weeks that my partner would be out of town (and to which they never indicated any problem.) I get that some of this info is posted on their website, but again, they are so full of themselves that there are several VOLUMES of information posted on their website. It's a bit ridiculous for them not to just help you and walk you through the process when you first contact them (which for me was 2 weeks prior to my visit...and here I was thinking I was getting a head start!) Even though I fell in love with one of the dogs there, I decided not to adopt because I think giving your money to these people will encourage their over-the-top behavior. read more

This organization is so incredible & all the extra efforts they take for dogs!!! All the volunteers are so unbelievably committed, work so hard, so loving, generous & have so much knowledge when it comes to matching the doggies with their forever homes. They not only help the dogs that come to this particular shelter, but they reach out to help other shelters along with several organizations within the community. I 110% recommend you utilize this shelter when searching to adopt a wonderful dog!!! They are the BEST in Massachusetts! read more

On a whim I decided to check Save A Dog's reviews on Yelp. I see that many people have had the same nasty experience with this shelter as I did in 2009. The owner put me through emotional hell. She continues to take down honest reviews and responds to all negative reviews with condescending, nonsense excuses. I don't know how Yelp allows her to do this. My experience was a nightmare. Unlike a lot of people who have posted negative reviews, I was actually chosen to adopt a dog after filling out an application online. I received a telephone call from one of the shelter volunteers on a Saturday in early February 2009. They asked if I would be interested in a certain pup and would I be available to take the dog home the next day? The adoption process was very easy. Little did I know at the time but I was getting a sick animal. The shelter has a legal contract when you adopt. Let me tell you, the owner uses this contract to intimidate and threaten. The entire experience with the shelter and especially the owner was horrendous! The owner pawned a sick and vicious dog off on me because she knew I had the means to take care of all the dog's problems. The worst part of the entire experience was that she blamed me for the dog's issues by insisting that because I vaccinated the pup, I caused the dog to be vicious and sick. I reported my problem with the dog after having him for only a week. She would not take the blame for her unprofessional behavior. She threatened suit against me if I spoke out. She made my experience with adopting a dog traumatizing. I have had dogs my entire life. I had never had a problem with training or taking proper care of an animal. I even adopted a previous dog from the MSPCA which I cared for until her death in 2006. I am a very responsible pet owner!!! I would advice everyone thinking of adopting to perform their proper due diligence. Insist on getting your own certificate of wellness on any dog she has available. You should also realize that she gets most of these dogs from down south from puppy mills. She makes a hefty profit from her nonprofit. read more

UPDATE I can honestly tell you that I am someone who never posts bad reviews online. I signed up for yelp just to be able to post this because I felt people needed to know. We are two people with good jobs and 1 cat we take very good care of. We have wanted a dog for a while but we are responsible pet owners and wanted to wait for a good time and make sure we were ready. Our last building wasn't ideal and we didn't have a doggy daycare nearby and we worked too many hours. So we waited 8 months until we both cut back at work and moved to a pet friendly area. We even picked a doggy daycare and obedience school. I heard about Save a Dog through an acquaintance at work. We went on their website, read all their information (and for those of you who have been on there, there is quite a lot). We stopped in to ask questions about adopting and to make sure we had what they needed. We were basically told we could not see a single dog until a "Meet and Greet." They told us it was best to fill out an application online and then wait for the meet and greet. We got a long speech about how they are not "first come, first serve" because they believe they are not a store and they are saving lives. They look over everyones application and then decide who gets the dog if many people have applied for the same one. We fell in love with an Aussie Shepard/Border Collie puppy named Monkey. Originally he was supposed to be available to meet on Aug 20th but he had a kennel cough. I called almost everyday to check on him and see how he was doing. I was told the earliest he could be seen was Aug 23rd, if he was feeling better. I completely appreciate that you need to do what is in the dogs best interest and I was willing to wait until he was completely better. He stayed on the website until this morning. Then mysteriously his picture came down before the scheduled meet and greet. I called 6 times (no exaggeration) and left a message asking if he was available today. I finally got a hold of someone on the 6th phone call. They said he was "spoken for." I asked what that meant and she said "another family came in on Saturday and missed out on a puppy. They really want him and they are a perfect family." I was shocked and hurt. We played by the rules and did everything they asked. We wanted to go Saturday but we had been told previously, we would absolutely not get to see him until today. Clearly they lied. The volunteer had the nerve to get self righteous and tell me it was "what was best for the dog." Interesting how you can possibly know that without meeting any other families. I will never ever go back to this shelter. I'm not saying that people shouldn't adopt the wonderful dogs there because they should not be punished. Just don't get your hopes up and realize that meet and greets mean essentially nothing. ***Update*** In response to Shirley's comment below: Hi Shirley, As explained in my email, I had Monkey's best interest at heart which is why when we went to see him before the meet and greet (1 wk earlier) and they told us it wasn't the policy and he was sick, we politely said that was okay and asked to be kept updated. As further explained in my personal email to you, I called almost daily to check on him. And in case you were curious, we submitted out application Sunday August 21st at 1:43pm. I have the confirmation email in case you need to see it. I'm guessing you were confused because you only LOOKED at our application a few hours ago when I posted this review. So that is a big part of why I am "so put out." Furthermore, considering you advertise that this is not "first come first serve" why does it matter to you how much in advance we post our application? Aren't you suppose to consider everybody equally no matter when they submit their application so that Monkey gets the best possible home??? You do realize you contradict yourself every single time you respond to one of these reviews. I suggest you look at these reviews carefully and think of these as constructive criticism and not as an attack on your mission. If you spent more time addressing these concerns instead of jumping on yelp and emailing each reviewer to defend yourself, I think you would see a different outcome. We applaud the work shelters do in general but feel that people who come to adopt a dog should also be treated with respect as we are also selfless people who feel adopting is better than buying. To be clear, we have considered older dogs in the past, but we were worried about our cat, who we love and take good care of. We have done our own research and our vet has recommended that you can socialize a puppy around a cat to prevent potential aggression. Although we know shelters cat-test dogs, we thought this gave a little more reassurance. I have to agree with the other reviews that you tend to make people feel bad about themselves and feel guilty for wanting to adopt a dog. Maybe that is something you should think about. Best, Megan read more

Save A Dog is a lovely place to adopt a dog from. The staff and volunteers truely have to best interest of the dogs at heart. Whe you go to Save A Dog you are greeted by a welcoming comitee of happy dogs who are all outside being loved on by other adopters and volunteers. Many questions are asked of you and reference checks are done before you can adopt a dog but in the end you really feel like you have been matched the the right dog for you and your situation. I would highly reccomend Save A Dog to any responsible person looking for a dog. Save A Dog DOES differ from most shelters in their adoption process but in the end all the dogs get wonderful, safe and loving homes and every person getting a dog should feel like they truely are the match for that dog. read more

I called save a dog Inc. of Sudbury, Ma to help find my missing dog. They immediately responded to my call for assistance. Within a couple of hours they called and said they found my dog. They were so helpful in finding our family dog. I couldn't have done it without them. read more

I haven't done an adoption with this group but have gone to their fundraisers which are Paws in the Park (summer time, bring your dog) and fall (adults only) and both were great. I've bought food and supplies from them as well.. friendly helpful people with the best of concerns for all the dogs they bring in and others like mine too!!. I know having a dog is hard work and it takes time and money. If there are complaints about the adoption process, people should realize that no rescue group wants to see a dog returned to them and so they have to go the extra mile up front to make sure this rarely happens.. Hence, applications, etc, up front. read more

we recently lost our 12 1/2 yr old dog we adopted from Save a dog. This will be my first choice when we adopt again, which we will......soon! Save a dog dogs are, healthy, well socialized, wonderfully taken care of, they stay in lovely clean kennels, with relaxing music, have lots of interaction and playtime, not overly medicated and can provide many years of pleasure. When I visit I never hear anxious, bored dogs barking. I see happy dogs and caring staff. Shirley and the staff at save a dog are totally committed to finding the best home possible for homeless dogs who, often by no fault of their own are in shelters. Due to the demand and stress of finding the "perfect" home for these dogs maybe you caught them at a bad time? Please reach out to them and ask why/ what the problem was with your application. They really are looking out for the dogs and making sure their not returned because of a "bad fit" for the family. I definitely recommend Save a dog and am waiting to see my next adoptee listed. read more

We think the world of Save A Dog and their philosophy. We adopted our dog through them. Their number one concern is finding the best family for the dogs needs. The dogs are let out in play yards so you get the opportuinty top see them in a typical environment. The reason you need to look in the book, is to give the volunteer staff the list of dogs you would like to meet. I, for one, am traumatized by a typical kennel and appreciated the deep compassion they have shown for my dog. I recently brought her back for a visit and everyone came runnning out to see her. Any dog is LUCKY to have landed at SAve a Dog on their way to their family. read more

I adopted my dog from Save A Dog and they were wonderful to work with. They took the time to make sure we found a dog that was right for our family and they obviously go the extra mile to make sure the dogs are placed in homes where they will get enough attention. read more

Save A Dog is about the dogs and their new prospective families. They make sure each adoption is the right fit for the dog and for the new families. They are honest and very caring. When we adopted our dogs we knew exactly what we were getting.. from personality to health they are right on! Would adopt again without hesitation from save a dog! read more

My family had a wonderful experience with Save a Dog. We had 6 terrific years with our dog named Shirley. Originally, we were supposed to get her sister Laverne (get it Laverne and Shirley) but prior to picking her up, Save A Dog learned that this beautiful Bassett lady dog unfortunately had cancer and did not want us to go through the pain and suffering - tells you everything you need to know about this organization. Both dogs were about 9 years old. So instead, we decided to give Shirley a home. Yes, we were interviewed and I actually respect this. Too many families become dog owners that should NOT be dog owners. Dogs are a tremendous amount of care and if you think about Save a Dog's mission, they are trying to give these dogs a second chance on a good life for the rest of their lives. Shirley passed away after her 15th birthday and I will tell you my family suffered terribly from our loss. No question she was "Mama's baby". We tried to give her the best life possible with her own lounge chair, her own cushioned pillowed "apartment" (her dog kennel which was the one she was accustom to at Save a Dog, continuous grooming and good organic dry dog food flavored with low salt broth (recommended from Save a Dog). Thank you Save A Dog and don't listen to the critics as you can't make everyone happy but you can help to give these dogs the best home they deserve after what many have been through. We need time to recover from losing Shirley. But, I absolutely would come back to Save a Dog once again to find another new member of our family. We are returning Shirley's kennel and some slightly used pillows which may go to a good home for a dog. Thank you for everything you do! read more

So sad to see negative reviews here. Personally, I can't say enough about them. I have found the staff to be courteous and informative and the meet and greets to be well organized. I love that you get to meet the dogs outside of the kennel environment of other shelters. My friend also adopted from them and they proved to be a great resource even post-adoption. read more

We just adopted Einstein from Save A Dog and we couldn't be happier. We found that the employees were knowledgable about the dogs, friendly and very helpful. Before going to their MEET and GREET we filled out an online application and the process from then on was simple. We were introduced to many dogs so that we could figure out which one would be best for us and even though we were not initially considering Einstein, the recommendation from Angela was dead on. She spent over an hour talking to us about our needs and wishes, what to expect as new dog owners and the employees have continued to check in to make sure that Einstein and family are doing well. On adoption day we left with everything we needed plus coupons and suggestions to help get us through the adoption. We had been to a few other NO Kill shelters and we were feeling more shunned than anything, but Save A Dog staff took the time to help us. And we found the perfect pet for us. Our experience was family friendly, insightful, and unhurried. I would recommend Save A Dog to anyone who is thinking about adopting. read more

I've been working with Shirley and Polly for a few months now. These ladies are absolutely amazing and true godsend woman. My baby Hootch was so sick for over a weeks. Shirely had us go to her home and she gave me homeopathic medicine for him. And it worked!! He started feeling sooo much better in 3 days after the first treatment. She's given me a lot of helpful information. I couldn't believe that people put their dogs on Prozac and adivan and valuim. One of the biggest side effects is aggression. She also could tell just by his eyez that he has worms. When I went to her home you can really see how much she truly loves these dogs that no one wanted. Anyone who says different are crazy. Those of you who didn't get a dog from them obviously weren't good enough for these amazing dogs. You didn't pass for a reason. Without these ladies and her program my baby wouldn't be as happy as he is. Her and her husband came to my home to bring not one but two crates for him. Even though it was night and freezing out. I am going back to work and she wanted to make sure he had what he needs and was safe. He has extreme separation anxiety. He tears though the trash and that can be deadly. I leave for 5 mins and he freaks out. Shes going to give me medicine for it but he has to finish his treatment before that can start. Then cause one was too small for him, Polly came a couple days later with a gianormas crate and carried it up 2 flights of stairs. He likes to spread out on his back n put his legs on the wall. Its too too cute. She understood. I can keep going on bout this but I won't, yet lol. I pray that everyone can see what I do. read more

See all

I agree with three of the other reviews. The staff at Save A Dog are extremely rude and in my opinion try to pawn off their dogs to prospective buyers. We had been looking at a Beagle/Minpin mix and were thinking about adopting him. The woman at the front desk told us that he was a great dog and really pressured us into adopting him. We now have Max and he is a great dog, however there were a lot of discrepancies on Max's health after we adopted him. We were told by their recommended vet that Save A Dog had lied about his health and that he was in fact older than they had said. Although the vet could have been lying we trusted him because he was recommended by Save A Dog. When adopting a dog they assure you that the dog has gotten all of their shots etc and that they are in great health. Yet when we took Max to the recommended vet for the first time the vet told us that he was 2 months older than they had said and that he had not had a single shot. Now we have spent over $3000 on the dogs medical issues and he still has problems. No shots, infections, parasites etc. We are very dissatisfied with Save A Dog and will NEVER recommend them to anyone or EVER think of going back to adopt another dog. If you are thinking of adopting a dog make sure you go to a REPUTABLE breeder, vet or adoption center and do your research because you don't want to get stuck with a $3000 bill and a sick dog. Best of luck to you all. UPDATE: We will be switching vets very soon and will get their review of Max's health. read more

I learned about Save A Dog from my sister whose landlord is one of their volunteers. We'd toyed with the idea of getting a dog for years, before finally feeling we were ready for the commitment. A couple months ago, I started looking at available dogs at various shelters. January 28 I came across the picture of Scruffy, a wire-haired terrier mix, on Save A Dog's site and his picture grabbed my heart. He would not be available till Feb. 7. I filled out the on-line application and stated my interest in Scruffy. A couple days later I received an e-mail from Sue thanking me for my interest in Scruffy and asking for a little more info. She also wanted to let me know about Scruffy's availability and the process he would be going through. On Feb. 9 we were told Scruffy was available for a meet and greet. We arrived for the meet and greet at 2:30 and Scruffy was meeting another family. Janice brought us to meet Scruffy. He was a little stand offish at first. He'd been a very busy boy meeting different families. My sons, 16 and 12 sat down on the ground, and Scruffy immediately climbed in to my 16 year-old's lap and made himself comfortable. Janice explained Scruffy's history, Save A Dog's philosophy and how they try to make the right match between pet and owner. She was very thorough and answered all our questions. We were informed that due to Scruffy's popularity, they would not be able to make a decision until Sunday evening as to who would be a good match for him. They wanted to be fair to the dog and give all interested families the opportunity to meet him. It was tough for the boys, they were in love already, but we liked that they wanted to be fair to the dog and see him interact with all possible candidates. Janice was able contacted us that night to let us know that Scruffy was ours if we still wanted him. We were able to pick him up the next day. The paperwork was fairly quick and painless. Their process works. The bond between Scruffy and the boys is already strong. read more

we went on Saturday to meet Leo. The staff that show you the dogs could not have been nicer. However, the women inside did not even glance at our application or interview us. We were told to come back sunday with our 31 year old son so that Leo could meet all of the family and we brought our 6 yr old grandson with us. Again the staff inside did not interview us and we found out 4 hours later the dog was adopted by someone else. I would not recommend save a dog in Sudbury to anyone. read more

This is just my experience , My wife and I were interested in a particular dog, decided to come up from the Cape on Saturday to meet the dog at the visiting hours 12-3 pm. I called on Friday to make sure the dog was still available, I was told she was. On Saturday on the drive uptown, the phone rings at 10:31 a.m. and the shelter leaves a message saying the dog is not feeling well and will now not be able to meet people. I was driving on 128 at the time so didn't answer phone. Didn't check the message (my bad ) wouldn't have helped much anyway as we were already well off the Cape and in traffic. Up to this point I just have to write it off as bad luck, if the dog is ill the dog is ill, that can't be helped. On Monday morning I visit the website and the dog is now adoption pending! Shady, shady, shady! I guess she must have felt better later in the day. I have been around politics long enough to know a bag job when I see one. I appreciate the ladies love the animals and donate their time, but you simply don't treat people this way. Shame on you ladies. read more

Ok, for those few here who have posted bad reviews about this place, I think either you work for some place that feels S.A.D. is their competition, or you are annoyed they refused you a dog and you didn't get your way. Let me tell ya all something: I bought a SWEET little Morkie puppy 2 weeks ago froma HORRIBLE puppy mill, because I could not stand leaving her there. She was dirty, she smelled awful, she clung to me and was a bag of nerves while I talked with the salesperson. I brought the puppy home, bathed her, loved her, fed her well and then BOOM: She looked beautiful, she was so happy, she was sweet, affectionate, a quick learner, she was perfect. But I also have 3 little boys, and my youngest would NOT stop bothering her. With a lot of trepidation and tears, I called everywhere trying to find a rescue type of place, even kennels, though I DESPISE kennels. I hit a roadblock every time. After much prayer to St. Francis (saint of animals), I literally STUMBLED apon the Save A Dog phone number off the internet. The owner, Shirley, listened to my pleas and agreed to let me drop the pup off to her the NEXT DAY. I did indeed do that. shirley was not able to be there, but 2 other staff members were, and it was CLEAR they adore dogs, and want the best for them. They were gracious, understanding, and they LISTENED to me. With a tearful kiss goodbye on the top of my puppie's little head, I left Save A Dog, sad to leave her, but happy to have been told there was already a FOSTER HOME waiting for her that same evening. These people are strict because of impulse buyers like ME, and I respect that. God bless Shirley and Save A Dog. I promise readers here on Yelp.com that anything negative said about Save A Dog is BS. read more