They care about their animals. They were very responsive to my requests for adoption.

We just adopted our sweet Beau from Saving Grace and were blown away with the facility. Walking in, we were met with extremely friendly staff who were there to help us through this process. We were also met with multiple different dogs able to roam free around the complex. The dogs there had plenty of space to run and play around, as well as pools for when it's hot out. The process was seamless and they were very informative about our new puppy. They also told us about their Saving Grace Shop which has a wonderful selection of toys and treats. A bonus is all the proceeds go back to the rescue itself. Really a beautiful place! read more

Saving Grace Animals For Adoption - A black and white puppy with a rainbow tog toy Stanley cup held in front. - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

See all

WORST rescue I have EVER seen. Such a scam. They are not honest or communicative and they don't care about the health of their dogs

We signed up for weekend fostering and was able to pick up Friday night and drop back off Sunday night. The emails were very detailed and informative. The staff is all volunteers and are extremely helpful. The email asked basic questions about my housing and family. A spot to put your favorite types of dogs. They will accommodate if possible but the goal is to help socialize the dogs. Email is the best form of contact. The website seems very up to date. Their social media highlights great reviews on their dogs! Appointment only for visiting the dogs for adoption. Private residence is posted and so not able to just drive up. Rescue is my favorite breed! read more

Saving Grace Animals For Adoption - Private residence - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

Talked to them a number of times about adopting a dog and finally drove 3 hours to meet the one we were most interested in. He was nothing like what they said in his bio. They called him a snuggle bunny and laid back but what I found was a very out of control 3 year old dog that jumped up constantly, ripped a piece of skin off my hand and could easily have knocked me over and most certainly have done so to my wife!! They also informed me that he was heartworm positive but had had his first shot. I know what that means and I also know that the dog MUST be kept calm for the entire 6 months following the shots because we had to do that for a previous dog we adopted who was also HW+. I would advise anyone considering an adoption to RUN, DON'T WALK as far from the group as possible!! read more

I have Saving Grace to thank for my sweetest new family member! I had a few friends adopt from Saving Grace in the past so I thought I would check them out. The process is pretty easy and the volunteers were super friendly. After you fill out the adoption application and are approved, you can schedule a 30 min appointment to come by and see all of the dogs they have for adoption. There were so many sweet faces, it pained me not bringing them all home! I was told their "puppy days" are typically Wednesdays and Thursdays which is when we came by. The puppies are kept in a midsize playpen and you have free reign to give all the pets and to see if there's a match for you. Unfortunately we left on a Wednesday with no puppy, but quickly regretted our decision. Looking at the photos I had taken, I changed my mind and immediately tried scheduling another appointment. I emailed them a few times desperately hoping to hear back, and the next morning I did! The one downside to the appointment-only style of operation is that if you can't pick one dog in 30 minutes, you most likely missed out. I was told that puppies are typically adopted within 1-2 days. Thankfully I was able to get in and pick up Ida Barker, a 10 week old lab/retriever mix with the sweetest green eyes, the very next day. The process of the actual adoption was also very easy and didn't take longer than 15-20 minutes. My puppy came home with me and after scheduling a wellness visit with my vet the next day, found out she was perfectly healthy and actually a lab/vizsla mix! She was spayed 2 days before I had adopted her, and the people adopting another dog at the same time as me were bringing home a dog spayed that very day. I understand that they have to spay and neuter all the puppies but it was a little difficult getting my pup adjusted to her new life while also being very careful with her incision and letting it heal. Little Ida Barker is now 12 weeks old and going by Korra! She is the best purchase I've ever made. Overall, I had a pleasant experience with Saving Grace and would happily adopt from them again. read more

See all

We used Saving Grace to adopt our puppy several weeks ago- we never even considered another location during our adoption search. It's clearly a great spot with dedicated volunteers and a wonderful space for dogs to roam about. Our pup is amazing and hasn't had any health issues at all. The actual adoption process was easy- we were in and out in less than an hour. 4 stars vs 5 only because the puppy adoption timelines are difficult to manage if you work typical 9-5 hours. They only adopt pups on Wednesdays and Thursdays- and they're gone almost immediately too. read more

Saving Grace Animals For Adoption - Waiting patiently while humans sign the adoption paperwork - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

I have adopted two pups from Saving Grace. I loooooved the farm, and was so happy that dogs get to live in such a wonderful place in such a scary and unsure time. The first time, I was getting my first ever dog and the staff and volunteers were super helpful in helping us pick a dog that matched our preferences, home, and lifestyle. The second time, we saw pictures and info about a specific dog from someone who had fostered, and went and adopted that dog. We have also done one weekend foster and really enjoyed it. Re: some of these negative reviews on Yelp, I feel that people expect wayyy too much out of 1. a non-profit, i.e. a place where most of what you pay for a dog goes back into operations, and in the case of fostering, you pay nothing at all, and 2. volunteers/a place run in large part by volunteers. A little bit of empathy and realizing, especially during COVID, that everyone is doing the best they can, goes a long way. There are so many dogs here and so many things that can be happening with each individual dog, that the main important thing is communication---and I have found their communication to be great. read more

See all

Imagine devoting your life to helping others!! Now imagine helping the helpless the throw a ways and the innocent Now you understand why we support and why we buy all our pup's needs from Saving Grace... Every penny is reinvested in the protection of those in need. Please shop small your kindnesses save lives... say hello to Mollie and Michael for me... read more

Wow. I'm in awe. I was scared to post my review for the same reason as others. I'm sick to my stomach. Here is my experience: Saving Grace was anything BUT for our family. In fact, carelessness and/or ineptitude nearly killed our 11 mo old puppy Annie. They released our pup to us without being spayed and the paperwork we signed and after waiting an entire month for her turn TO be spayed, they confirmed she'd been spayed (twice). Imagine our surprise, when she went into heat 3 weeks later. They put us on the schedule with the SNAP mobile spay clinic who was adamant that Annie had to be in heat for them to do the spaying. She went through a "rough surgery" but "cleaned her out" and, AGAIN, imagine my surprise 2 weeks later when she was STILL in heat. Not only that, unbeknownst to me and my young son, our sweet, sassy Annie was slowly dying in front of our eyes. She wasn't eating, 104.5 fever, hiding, lethargic, dehydrated and vomiting. We rushed her to our vet, Trinity, who after extensive x-ray, bloodwork, and ultrasound, said she had ovarian remnant syndrome and pyometra, a very uncommon occurrence when a dog is spayed in heat and some "parts are left behind". After 1 night of hospitalization and 15 mins before Annie was headed into surgery; I got 7 missed calls in a row from SG saying Dr. Borst (the surgeon who spayed Annie) at SNAP wants to know her symptoms because surgery might not be necessary. Thanks, she's about to die and had I waited a few more hours, the remaining uterus and ovarian tissue likely would have burst and then we'd be dealing with sepsis. Once I confirmed symptoms and begged the doctor to speak with our vet, she was conveniently in surgery, but was able to let saving Grace know that she could offer to do the surgery for Annie 2 hours later at a shelter 2 hours away from us. Seriously!? After 2 nights of hospitalization, another 2 hour surgery and $4,800 in vet bills later, plus the panic, and mental trauma we've been through; I can honestly say - this will be my first and last rescue at least from SG. Minimal staff and things are missed or purposefully NOT DONE AT ALL. Important things. Life changing things. I also know that buckets of money are being pumped into this place weekly. How are dogs IN HEAT running around with 50 other dogs? How did two separate vets "miss" that Annie was never spayed. She did NOT have a tattoo or a scar. I'm a first time dog mom so I took their word for it. I'm sure at some point, it was a good place with a good mission but don't expect due diligence or that things won't fall through the cracks. They did. They offered to help with "whatever they could" but when push came to shove and CYA was needed - they spam texted and called me as Annie was going into Surgery. How is that empathetic or Helpful? I broke down at the vet not knowing what to believe or do. A "helpful" and saving Grace would be more like- "get the surgery done ASAP and send us the bill. You understandably don't have the time or desire to bring her back to the surgeon who botched the job the first time. Just take care of Annie and don't worry." Instead, they blamed me and didn't even offer me the adoption fee back. Annie is okay today and, for that, I'm grateful but we have to take it day by day. She's on 6 different medications and prescription food. She's still discharging the infection (which is actually a good thing) but we still worry. Please please make multiple visits and speak with SG many times. Write them and copy every email address (they have 5 different ones). They can and DO overlook things; I'm believing some of it is done with malice. Don't be in a rush to bring your new pet home. We waited patiently for over a month, did our homework and still...I know we're in the middle of a pandemic but, maybe take a step back, SG. You're hurting the animals you claim to be saving. Think about your protocol, policies and how well or even IF they're being implemented. Think about the financial and emotional toll your errors (and SNAP's errors) made on both 2 human lives and a sweet, young, innocent and VERY confused dog. Think about how you handled it after the fact. You blamed ME. My 11 year old counted out $375 in 1's and 5's and 10's to pay for his first and only pet. He read the contract with me like a young man. A contract YOU broke which landed Annie in 2 emergency surgeries and caused me to miss 2 days of work. I have already reported them and plan to call local news stations. I may consider bringing suit against them as they did breach a contract. I'm more than happy to talk to anyone else about my experience. I've spoken to many others with similar stories. Check out Pawfect Match or other shelters. Saving Grace is not the be all that ends all. Maybe they were at one time but desperate times....call for desperate and toxic measures. read more

See all

Y'all. This place is a scam. They do not care about the health of their dogs, just adopting them out as quickly as possible for extremely high adoption fees. They regularly adopt out dogs with massive health issues and DO NOT CARE. they need to be shut down. read more

Thinking about adding a dog to your family! Then adopt! Don't shop! Saving Grace is a must! Molly and her team at Saving Grace do a phenomenal job of matching you with your four-legged family member. From large to small, they have them all! Many of my friends have also adopted from Saving Grace and had the same experience! If you're looking to get involved or contribute to a local non-profit, Saving Grace is a a great way to give back to you community! read more

Saving Grace Animals For Adoption - Saving Grace rescued Merlin from a rural shelter. He's rescued our hearts many times over! - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

What a great shelter/rescue! I've never seen anything like it. The grounds are super well kept and it just feels like these shelter pups have a pretty awesome living situation while they're in limbo and waiting for their forever home. Some dogs roam free on the grounds and greet you when you walk in through the double gates. The facility is a appointment only adoption facility. Browse the website before you make an appointment. Also, they let you bring your whole family including your dogs to meet your maybe new family member. They try to set you up for success and that's wonderful. I got my 2nd little munchkin from Saving Grace and though he's a handful (he's just a pup), I love him and love Saving Grace, especially Jenny, his foster mom, for helping me add him to my family. read more

Saving Grace Animals For Adoption - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

I heard about Saving Grace through my brother's girlfriend who adopted a dog a couple years ago from here. I live in Connecticut so I drove 8 hours to meet the dogs. I found one that I fell in love with and was approved to adopt. I had to wait until she was spayed and fully vaccinated to pick her up and take her home which I totally understand. Why I am giving four stars and not five is purely for communication. Well aware I live in Connecticut and after telling me they couldn't give me an exact date for when my dog was going to be ready to be taken home, they emailed me one day (about two weeks later) saying that she was ready to be picked up the next day. I was shocked, just out of the blue, no notice, no call letting me know ahead of time, I can't drop everything I'm doing and my work to drive 8 hours and pick her up without notice. I emailed back because they don't use phone for contact and told them I couldn't pick her up the next day. They proceeded by telling me that it's not safe for her to be in the shelter after being spayed, I totally get that. But like I said, had they communicated her operation date and pick up time I would have made myself available and driven down there. We were able to work it out where she stayed at a foster home and I could come down two days later. I adore my dog, she was 3 months old when I adopted her and has been an angel with an amazing personality. I recommend Saving Grace, but urge them to be better communicators! read more

Saving Grace Animals For Adoption - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

Very disappointed with this rescue. I received an email The next day about a dog I wanted to come see. The email said they had an appointment open at 5:00 , I responded and said I could be there at 5:30 they said ok. I live an hour and 45 minutes away. I get there at 5:30 and the dog I went for had already been adopted! A courtesy phone call would of been nice SO i would not of wasted my time. As others have said ,it is very chaotic and disorganized. Since I was there I went ahead and tried to look at the other dogs available... however I could not get anyone to help me so I just ended up leaving. I will never look for a rescue dog again at this facility. read more

I took a dog in from Saving Grace in July with the intention of fostering-to-adopt. She was heartworm positive and had not been spayed yet. I took her back to SG a few week later to get spayed. After her surgery, she wouldn't eat and barely moved. After a few days she developed a cough and had trouble breathing. I contacted SG asking for their advice and if I could bring her in to be seen by their vet. After poor communication, they said they couldn't see her until the end of week. Meanwhile, the dog couldn't breathe and, at this point, had lost over a third of her body weight. I made the decision to bring her to my own vet and I'm glad I did because she had pneumonia. When I asked SG to be reimbursed for the vet bill since it was on them that they weren't offering care for a dog that was still technically under their care, they gave me attitude and weren't completely rude. Because I was under foster agreement with them, I had to take my dog back for heartworm treatment. After I dropped her off for her first round of treatment, I get an email saying they aren't planning on returning her to me because I broke the foster agreement by taking her to my own vet. Only after I agreed to pay out of pocket for her medical bills, including the rest of her heartworm treatment AND paid them her adoption fee, would they agree to return her to me. I beg people to please research other rescues in the area that need the awareness, resources and money. They rightfully deserve your time more than Saving Grace who only care about your money. Saving Grace's lack of communication and timely care for their dogs truly has shown me that the dogs come second here. read more

We are so thankful to have gotten our gal from Saving Grace. They were prompt, professional, and you could tell they really cared about the well-being of the animals. When we arrived, we spoke with a volunteer about what kind of pet we were looking for and then we were able to see the dogs interact with each other and spend some time walking them around individually to see their personality with us and on their own. I am so grateful to Saving Grace for providing a list of recommended veterinarians, trainers, and retail stores to support as well. We love our Maze and will definitely adopt again from Saving Grace. read more

This was our first time going through a rescue for a dog. We fell in love with a puppy and had the BEST experience through Saving Grace. They were so friendly and were amazing in the process while we chose her and filled out the paperwork. I would ABSOLUTELY recommend them to anyone for a rescue! Even if we are out of state I would make the 3+ hr drive again!! read more

Saving Grace Animals For Adoption - Our furbaby! - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

I just wanted you to know how much I loved what I saw at your rescue house. We drove up from Southport and it was my first time visiting. The farm was very clean, organized and efficient and your staff was superior. I was very impressed with how you cared for all of the adoptees. I have been bragging about your facility to all. Keep up the good work. My little guy is doing well. Thank you for all you do. You are all awesome!! read more

This is a unique shelter situation located in a rural-ish residential area of Wake Forest. This is staffed by a dedicated crew and numerous volunteers. Along with adoption opportunities, they have a weekend foster program that allows the dogs some down time from the shelter environment, gets them accustomed to house-life and individual attention. They typically send dogs out that are harder or slower to adopt. Some are older, some are tri-pawed, some are rambunctious. You don't get to choose which dog you are fostering so it's a bit of a surprise package. Note: There are specific rules and guidelines - like no dog parks, no vacations. (in case of medical issues). Fosters may put in a request to adopt their weekend dog if they find their perfect match. Very successful, well promoted program. In 2022 they found homes for over 3300 dogs. (the sad thing is that there are so many dogs here in need of families) read more

I adopted my dog from here and it was a pretty smooth process, considering COVID-19. I filled out my application and followed up a week later when I had not received a response. I was responded to within 24 hours of my follow up and told that the dog would be held for me and checked on by a vet in the next few weeks. They reached out to me about 2 1/2 weeks later with the dog's health status, which was Heartworm positive. I was then given options on her treatments, including a sponsored treatment from Saving Grace. I agreed to *foster* the dog at home with me until her treatments were complete. Each injection was about six weeks apart, the first I dropped her off and picked her up the same day. The last injections were one in the morning and one at night, in which she stayed overnight for. I picked her up the next day and filled out her official adoption paperwork. They were kind of scattered and brought my dog back out and tried to send me on my way. I noticed halfway to my car they had not yet given me my license or my card back. No big deal, my hands were full and I forgot too. However, they told me my dog could be active for 30 days after the heart worm treatment. I followed up with my vet and she said the MINIMUM was 6-8 weeks before she could be active again. This is not the first time the volunteers gave uninformed veterinary advice to me. I like the organization and the cause they stand behind, but volunteers should not be giving uninformed veterinary advice. read more

Saving Grace Animals For Adoption - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

We applied to adopt a little dog. Recently my pup of 16 years passed from congestive heart failure. My husband and I decided to give a home to another dog in need. We have 2 others and 3 cats. All up to date on vaccines etc... we donate food monthly to shelters. Own our own business in the outer banks where we live on a good sized boat in the summers, our dogs are with us all day and night basically. Have a family home in the mountains on 40 acres. We accidentally put our animals were not fixed and they asked if it was correct, so we responded quick it was an accident. Never heard back from them after that. We are amazing animal owners, they are our kids especially we have chosen to not have ones of our own and if we do we will adopt. I am in wildlife biology. Love love love nature and animals. Just to hear nothing back was ridiculous. Went to the SPCA of the Triad though, found a sweet sweet 1 year old girl we named Luna, got her after a week of an application process. The lack of contact from saving grace was just rude. It's great what they do for animals. But, not cool how they treat people. Attached our photos of our happy fur family members. read more

See all

Our experience mimics many of the other comments about poor communication and misinformation. The facility presents well on arrival parking security and friendly dogs greeting you. The web site attracted us and we picked three different dogs over two months. First two were adopted before our appointment date the last one we were told upon arrival after a 3-1/2 hour drive had been adopted. We'd brought our current dog for a meet and greet and she was terrorized upon arrival. (Should have trusted her instincts.) My feeling is SG is really a puppy mill getting free inventory that they then pass on as quickly as possible for big fees while minimizing costs by using volunteers and projecting a charity/rescue internet presence with sweet photos and cute names. read more

I recently adopted my sweet pup from Saving Grace and had a great experience! After reading some of these reviews I wasn't confident I wanted to adopt from this shelter, but a friend of mine adopted her dog from there, so I decided to take a chance. I submitted an online application and received an email response several hours later, inviting me to set up an appointment. Got in to see the dogs a few days later, on a busy weekday evening. Staff were busy and running late, but we were able to sit and watch all the dogs play for a little bit, so we didn't mind at all. A staff member met with us and asked us what we were looking for in a dog, and about our lifestyle. Turns out the dog we initially had submitted the application for wouldn't be a good fit, but we were introduced to three other dogs who they thought were more suited to us. It amazed me that the staff knew the dogs' personalities so well- the three dogs we met were much more what we had in mind than the dog we submitted an online application for, who we saw running around with the other pups. We met with the dogs they introduced us to in a more quiet area where we could spend one-on-one time with them. The staff gave us as much time as we wanted to walk and play with the dogs we were shown. We absolutely fell in love with our 1-year old mutt and were able to take her home the next day after she was spayed. She's done a great job assimilating to her new routine with us and we couldn't be happier! read more

First and foremost, do not be fooled by the Shangri La grounds that Saving Grace is on. It is quite a beautiful, serene setting, dogs are milling around and seem very at ease, and the staff appeared to be nice and accommodating at the time. I adopted a Treeing Walker Coonhound from them in September 2021 and had no idea what I was getting after I adopted him. Looking back, I found it curious that the intake person who was handling my adoption process asked, "how long do you plan to leave him in a crate?" My boy, Nigel, at the time was 2 1/2 and I thought, surely, he can handle the crate for 8-9 hours while I am at work, so that is the response I gave her. I should have clued in that when she bristled with my response, something was wrong. She mentioned he was a very active dog and would do very well to be at doggy day care a few days a week, and that he should not be in the crate more than a few hours at a time. She also told me Nigel was returned twice because, "his owners did not have the time for him and left him in the crate too long." This seemed plausible because a lot of people get a dog and don't always have the time to take care of them. Finally, she also mentioned he was in "detox, because they were over-medicating him with Trazadone" and that he was "addicted to Trazadone." Trazadone is a sedative and is not uncommon to be given to a dog who is anxious. Little did I know, a few days after I had adopted him, the second, and I mean SECOND, I put Nigel in the crate, he shakes uncontrollably and starts howling incessantly. Me, being naive to the situation left him for literally no longer than an hour thinking he would bark it out for a few minutes and then settle himself down, came home to a dog who almost pushed his way out of the latched door of the crate, was panting excessively, was in a puddle of spittle, and the neighbors told me he barked and howled the entire time I was gone. What I witnessed was a full-blown panic attack. His pupils were dilated when I let him out of the crate he was pacing, and I could not calm him down. Long story short, I wanted to return him as this is what our contract agreement said I had to do if it isn't working out. Here is part of our email exchange Me: "Are you open on the weekends? I have no flexibility in my schedule at work right now as we are extremely short handed. I do not want to give Nigel back period! I have grown extremely attached to him, but he is a difficult dog. It devastates me thinking about what he will go through once again to be up for adoption. I wonder who, what family, or person will adopt him, and if he will be in an even better situation than he has been in with me? I am not a heartless person and I struggle deeply with knowing this is not working. I have never returned a dog and you make it sound like this is a random, whimsical decision. I certainly do not want to drop him off in the dark, unmonitored and know this would exacerbate his abandonment issues. He was returned twice before I even adopted him, and I am sure he was returned because of his severe anxiety and panic attacks that he has when his owners are out of sight for as briefly as thirty seconds. I have tried everything in my power to give him his best life, but I cannot take my dog with me everywhere I go, which is what I have been doing for four months. Simply put, he absolutely cannot be in a crate because it traumatizes him the second he is in it. He shakes uncontrollably, howls, barks incessantly, drools, pants, and paces, and this happens as soon as the crate door is shut. It is absolutely horrific and heartbreaking to see this unfolding. With weather temps that have been as low as 17, it is unfair to keep him in my car while I run basic errands. My other option is leaving him unattended and roaming at free will in the house. I have done this one time and was gone 13 minutes. Within those 13 minutes, he destroyed the blinds on the front door and scratched a chair in the living room. So, what are my options here for him? When will this change or get better? His behavioral dog-trainer said it could be months, a year, or maybe never. I have had dogs all my life and have never experienced a dog with such severe panic and anxiety." Their response: "I understand this is a difficult decision for you and the return is also difficult for Nigel. We are not open on the weekends as Saving Grace is a private residence. Our hours are M, T, Th, Fr 12-6pm and Wed 1-6pm. We try to take return appts prior to when adoptions start but, can be flexible within the hours we are open. I was just being honest with you as to what is in his best interest now and how our returns operate. Let us know when you can bring him." I have opted to keep him simply because I refuse to let them have him back knowing they won't be transparent with the next people interested in him or maybe worse, he could be euthanized? Take home message, know the breed you are getting and DO NOT USE THEM! read more

Let me start by saying we absolutely LOVE our sweet pup, and she's the bestest girl in the world! But this review is not about our pup. It's about the issues we had with Saving Grace. We fell in love with a dog on their website, and booked an appt. The dog we found was adopted prior to our appt. This isn't SG's fault, and they warn you that it's likely to happen. We found another 4-5 pups we liked, and went to meet them. We arrived, and there are some dogs out and about, but none were the ones we'd seen online. After wandering (we weren't those only ones) for about 30 mins, I finally found a volunteer and asked how we can meet some of the other pups. We were told to just hang out until someone was free. 15 minutes later, a volunteer came to assist us. We said we wanted a dog who would fit our active lifestyle but would be ok in an apartment and get along with our cats. We named a few of the pups we saw online. The volunteer said they didn't have any dogs like that, and said to go look at their puppies. We entered the puppy area and I pretty much immediately spotted one I loved and asked to see her. I'd read like 200+ online reviews for SG, and most of the negative ones were folks misled, or surprised by pre-existing illnesses, conditions, etc. SO, I asked a lot of questions about the pup. I was told that they had absolutely no info about any of the puppies because they all just arrived that morning. I asked several questions, but was told that they just know is she's 4-5 months old and arrived today. We asked so many questions but they still stuck to their story of "They're plucked from shelters and we don't know anything but their approx age. We can't tell you anything because we don't have any info", and so on. We decide to adopt the pup. We're led to the payment area, we pay, and she comes out with our receipt and paperwork. The volunteer said she has some medications to take and that we should visit the SG store to buy things. I said, "wait, medications, what for?" She said, "oh just routine stuff-she was spayed yesterday, so there's meds for that". She gave us a folder, which I started reading through. It also contained a medical history going back several weeks! She was on meds due to a surgery the day before, and she had a persistent cough for the last 5 weeks. The lady told us to just wrap the pills in cheese. Why weren't we given this info BEFORE we paid? Why weren't we told that this 'calm' pup was actually doped up on pain meds when we'd asked 10+ times before? Or that she had a cough that wouldn't go away when we asked the first 10 times? At this point, I was fuming, but I'd fallen for the pup and we didn't make a big deal of it. So we get home, keep her away from our cats until we can see our vet. Our vet did an exam and said to monitor the cold. Soon, our pup's antibiotics run out, and the cold worsens-sneezing, coughing, etc. We take her back to the vet, get more meds. The vet says to avoid any dairy while she's on the meds, as it can counteract the antibiotics. The meds were the same as we got at SG, so the person who told us to wrap the meds in cheese gave us incorrect info that counteracted the meds. A few days later, both cats start sneezing. Neither of the cats have ever had a cold. Ever. Not in the nearly 10yrs they've been alive. 2 days later, they both have full blown colds with the same symptoms as our pup had. Several vet appts, lots of meds, and a lot of $ later, all 3 pets still have a cold. Not only did SG conceal our pup's condition and history from us until after we paid, they also gave incorrect advice that made for a slower and more costly recovery. SG says they're doing this for the animals, but really, they're doing it for profit. In a post on their social media account, they bragged about adopting out 133 dogs in 1 week. At $375 per pet that's $50k in a week, and that seems to be the real reason they're doing this. Please adopt a pet, just not from Saving Grace. read more

I love everything about this organization! I love that they help you find the best dog for you and that they will interact with them as long as you would like before making a decision. They provide good medical care for the dogs and I love that they are already microchipped! I have definitely recommended my friends to look for dogs here. read more

Sent in two applications. First one they answered that the dog was gone. Second one they never even responded. I'm no kid, and I realize this is a direct reflection on ownership/management. My daughter-in-law even sent them an email, unbeknownst to me- asking what was going on, nothing. I wouldn't take a pet from them for free now. Sad, a pet lost a great home because of total lack of leadership/management. read more

We registered for an appointment with Saving Grace and along with 4-5 other families, we entered at noon (first appointment of the day). A volunteer (D) attached herself to our family; she took us first to the adult section. Note: We were the only family who didn't head straight for the puppies. I'd made a list of dogs who interested me, but most were off-site /in foster care - disappointing, but they had lots of nice dogs who weren't on the web page. First we met the adult dogs who wander the farm: we walked around petting them. When we expressed interest in a dog, D ran over to a nearby building and brought back information for us. The first couple dogs that interested us had heart worms; D admitted to us that most of the adult dogs in their care have heart worms. MOST? Yikes. So we decided to look at the puppies; D explained that puppies might have the heart worm larvae in their bloodstream, but they haven't yet lived long enough for the worms to be born - so as long as they're placed on heart worm prevention, puppies won't have heart worms. I verified this on my phone. She took us into the puppy section - it's smaller, and the puppies are kept in large runs. My husband saw a puppy, and he called to me, saying, "I think I've found our dog!" I agreed. Our daughter brought her out of the run - she was so excited! D put the pup on a leash and didn't pressure us; she encouraged us to sit down on the benches and take our time - the puppy area is enclosed by a fence, so we were free to let her walk around without fear. We even kept the name they'd given her. D picked her up and carried her to the "checkout area". Two other pups were in crates up on tables (they're all about safety/ not letting the puppies touch the ground in the adult area). It was a holiday, so the "closer volunteer" worked with three families at once - she was efficient and fast. She took our IDs and walked us through paying online. The "closer" told us all about the dogs' medical care: they're all current on their shots, microchipped and spayed/neutered. Personally I wish we could've waited to have her spayed a little later, but I understand that Saving Grace wants to KNOW that it'll get done. They gave us a folder of information to take to our home vets. Our pup received an A+ report. In all we spent about an hour at Saving Grace; we spent maybe 40 minutes choosing our pup, then about 20 minutes paying /getting her information. D was attentive and took great care of us - the place was swarming with volunteers, and they were all great to us. Overall the experience was good. Pros: - The dogs are well cared for at the farm - it's nicer than the shelter where I've adopted before. Visitors have a chance to get to know the dog before they decide to adopt. Your volunteer will be assigned to you for 30 minutes, but you're allowed to stay as long as you want - you just may need to flag down a passing volunteer if you're past your 30 minutes. - The dogs are great. Volunteers take them from rural shelters, where they are unlikely to be adopted -- whoever chooses them from the rural shelters has a great eye for dogs. - The dogs are clean, free of ticks and fleas and have nicely trimmed nails. - The dogs are well-cared for and have medical care, even if some of them need "feeding up". - The experience of visiting the farm is really fun. Cons: - The adoption fee at Saving Grace is high. - Most adults have heart worms. If you find (within - a week?) that your dog has a health problem, you can bring it back - but do try very hard not to do this. We're talking about a living creature, and "being returned" would be confusing /devastating to a dog. - They aren't entirely honest in their descriptions. They describe most of their dogs as "hounds", even though my pup is clearly Shepherd - Hound /with the Shepherd being predominant. They have NO Pitt Bulls on their website, though some dogs have that distinctive Pitt grin. - Saving Grace seems to focus on big dogs; that is, if you want a Hound, Lab, or Shepherd, you're in luck - but if you're thinking of a Terrier or Shih Tzu, you're less likely to find your pup here. - You can only visit during limited hours and can only see puppies Wednesday and Thursday. Tips: - Come with a collar and leash, treats and water for your dog to enjoy on the way home. - Saving Grace takes cash or credit cards /no checks. Credit cards require a $15 fee. - If you want a puppy, you're in the majority - so try to get the first appointment on Wednesday. - Remember that you'll be outside, so dress for the weather and wear comfortable shoes. - They have porta-potties. We stopped at Bojangles /used rest rooms before entering the farm. - If you already have a dog, you can have a "meet-up" in the parking lot. Last thought: people who are complaining about this place maybe don't realize that this is a non-profit rescue operation. If you go in with the right expectations, you're very likely to have a good outcome. read more

While I don't know the people at this organization, the people that asked me to write a review for them, I do very well. I know how hard it is work in a shelter. They are animal lovers and to make tough decisions day in and day out...eats on the soul! They are angles on earth!! The only thing that offsets this is placing an animal in the best loving home to give them a second chance at life!! Adopt don't shop! read more

We just recently adopted a dog from Saving Grace, who we LOVE and are so glad came into our family. However, throughout the entire adoption process, I found myself frustrated and shocked by Saving Grace's lack of kind customer service and the way they seemingly don't know what they are doing. It's as if they have so many dogs that they don't know how to deal with all of them. We had to wait weeks for our dog to come home, and on the day she was supposed to go get spayed, they supposedly forgot her at the center, didn't know where she was, and therefore she didn't get spayed or get to come home on the original day. The people at saving grace have made this adoption process completely inconvenient, inefficient, and frustrating. read more

While this place is admirable for their endeavors, the staff could use some gentle touches with folks that foster. Especially the ones who have issues and reach out for help. They are trying to navigate difficult situations and many times need advice and someone to talk through these episodes. Don't assume the foster folk are 'done'. They don't need reminding of their 'commitment' - they need an ally. Be a friend. read more

Saving Grace is an amazing organization. I feel so grateful to have adopted my sweet dog there, and grateful for the work they do every day, saving dogs around North Carolina (most of which come, it seems, from very difficult situations). I found the application process to be quite straightforward--fill out a somewhat lengthy app, then wait to hear back from a volunteer to make an appointment. It was helpful to hear from them not to get our heart set on a particular dog from the website--both because they might be adopted before we get there, and because there are so many other wonderful dogs. Sure enough, two dogs that we'd had an eye on (who seemed compatible with us on their profiles) had been adopted, but the volunteers introduced us to other dogs who they thought would be a good match--and that's how we met our little one! We love him so much. The grounds are beautiful and seem to be a great place for dogs to live. Yes, there was a lot going on when we visited--in terms of multiple families meeting dogs, etc.--but that's because the volunteers are so busy working to give good homes to as many dogs as possible, and I think they do an amazing, organized job doing this. Thanks, Saving Grace, for the work you do! read more

I've debated writing this review since my husband and I adopted our dog in March of this year. While we are so happy with Murphy, and love her very much, I don't feel very great about Saving Grace at all. As others have mentioned, the only way to get in contact with them is through email, and I always had someone different replying to me. We have an elderly dog that we wanted to bring, but they don't explain how to manage the dog when you first get there. We made an appointment for 5:30 and I was worried because traffic was bad and we didn't end up making it until 5:45. I emailed to let them know, but there was really no point. Apparently they decided to have a volunteer camp at the same time they're adopting dogs out. It was absolute mayhem and utter chaos and disorganization. My husband and I stood around for about an hour with different people randomly asking if we had an appointment, which I always replied 'yes' to, yet no one helped us at all. Eventually my husband had to go sit with our dog in the car as we didn't want to leave her unsupervised for long. FINALLY someone came to talk to me, and when I asked about the dogs we were interested in, I was told one wasn't there (she was in foster and is apparently EXTREMELY shy - something they could have mentioned on her bio page), two were a bonded pair, and the rest had already been adopted. It was frustrating that no one told us that we essentially wasted our time driving an hour away from home to come see dogs that would never have worked for us. Also, not sure if you remember, but March 21st might have been the coldest freaking day of the year, and this is all outdoors. They put us in a tiny pen in the back corner of the lot, and brought a dog for us to see, then left. It was impossible to have someone pay attention to you for more than 30 seconds at a time, and then they leave you with a dog that you don't want to adopt but there's no one to help you. Clearly, these people DO NOT care about you having a positive experience or finding the dog that is the best fit for you. Also, they bring dogs in at an unbelievable rate - there must have been 50 puppies in these tiny outdoor areas, and they had to sleep there, when it was about 20 degrees overnight! This place is overloaded and, I assume, is just trying to get dogs out the door to make as much money as possible. I don't want to say people shouldn't go here, as these dogs can't help being housed at such a sh*tshow of a rescue organization. Just know what you're in for, and expect it to take forever and not go at all as you'd planned. We didn't leave until 9:30! FOUR HOURS and it was so cold, I don't think I could feel my toes until we got home. One last note, they send you home with the crappiest tiniest leash. We adopted a full grown 50 pound dog, and it is just not enough. They basically just shove you out the door with nothing. Disappointingly run, but I'm happy we have our dog! read more

We adopted from Saving Grace about 1 month ago. I hesitate to write this review because I know people who volunteer/work in rescue have some of the biggest hearts ever and I have no doubt the people here have their hearts in the right place. But this place was a horrid experience as an adopter and as a shelter professional, I have deep concerns about their procedures. They're showing signs of being overwhelmed and as a rescue, they have the responsibility to not take on more than they can handle both for the dogs' welfare and the safety of the community. I see signs they are crossing that line. Very long story short, but we went looking for a dog who would be excellent with our kids and 2 elderly cats. The facility was gorgeous, with dogs free-reign on the property. We fell in love with an adult lab mix but he had been there less than 24 hours. I wish we had turned and left when we heard that. Not being seen by a vet, no quarantine, no settling in period yet he was with the other dogs and up for adoption!?!? But, we had fallen in love and after a quick cat test in which he was scared of the cats and zero other info, we put our names on him, which I deeply regret. A week later we picked him up after his neuter, told he had no health issues, was about 4yo and they had accidentally microchipped him twice...that's a big needle...OUCH. But, at home he was very sick. Coughing, thick green nasal discharge, diarrhea 8+ times per day and very thin. Our vet diagnosed him with kennel cough, URI, coccidia and a bad ear infection, placing him on 7 medications. Soon, he felt great! And became a highly active adolescent (he was actually closer to 18mo) who desperately wanted to eat our cats. We came to the heartbreaking decision to return him and protect our cats. Should've been easy enough to return since it was in the contract to return to them with an appt, but no one answered emails, the phone or even FB. After 5 days, we were able to get an appt and was told to ask for one of 2 people after they sent a form making me sign a statement saying "Our space is limited and your dog may or may not be put up for adoption." I showed up at the right time, but the woman had no idea who I was, spoke to me for 2 min, telling me that statement on the form wasn't true. Then why make me sign? She had zero interest in hearing about our experiences with him and wouldn't let me back inside. My family now feels pretty traumatized. More than anything, I'm deeply concerned. They claim to temperament screen prior to adoption but having worked in animal behavior for 10 years, doing assessments, any assessment done without a settling in period is completely worthless, even more so if the dog is actively sick. Please be aware if you adopt from them. We were lucky in that he was a super social, friendly dog. Just a horrid match for us and especially our cats. They are also playing with fire. It's only a matter of time with the process I saw before they place a truly aggressive dog and if they're not doing their due diligence, no amount of contract signing will protect them from the legal repercussions. And why do they not do the simple things to make it a more adopter-friendly experience? Like keeping a basic calendar so everyone knows who's showing up. Or a book with the most basic info on the dogs. Or at least a vm or way to contact someone in an emergency? I'm not sure if this is all just because of COVID but I really hope they slow down and find a way to adopt more responsibly. I'm also hoping they didn't euthanize the highly adoptable dog we had to return but I'm fearing that may have happened. They said they wouldn't for space, but I 100% don't trust them :( read more

I adopted Bagel, formally Chula, a month and a half ago from Saving Grace. I feel I need to share my experience so that future adopters can be aware before they go to this rescue. I started out by fostering-to-adopt Bagel because she was heartworm positive. Saving Grace had a wonderful program that allowed me to take her to them for the injections which can be quite pricey. The first injection was normal, and everything went well. When I took Bagel for her second round of injections six weeks later (2 shots, 24 hours apart), I was expecting an easy trip, and to pick my dog up that afternoon. They said they had too many dogs getting treatment for people to leave their dogs at Saving Grace overnight. I got a call in the early afternoon to tell me that Bagel was fine, but she had received THREE times the amount of the heartworm injection that she was supposed to have. From what I gathered, this came from the carelessness of the vet who was volunteering that day. I was told there was a possibility she could die from this, as this is essentially a poison that is administered to kill the worms. I didn't pick Bagel up for 4 days and was not allowed to take her to an animal hospital to be observed overnight because I was only a foster at that point. It was difficult to get ahold of anyone who worked at Saving Grace to get updates on Bagel, and caused me much distress as most dogs do not survive that kind of overdose. She had for all intents and purposes, become my dog in those 6 weeks she had been living with me, and I was planning on adopting her. At the end of the day, I think the purpose behind Saving Grace is great. I am all for rescuing and getting dogs out of high-kill shelters. The problem is, Saving Grace does not have enough employees to help with the boom in their business over this time with many pet adoptions. My impressions walking away from this experience, is that it is now QUANTITY over QUALITY when it comes to the dogs being adopted. My dog was given the wrong injection, because the vet "had the right syringe, and then had the wrong one." I was told it was a busy day that day because they had 30ish dogs getting heartworm treatment as well as the SNAP bus there to spay and neuter pets. How many other small slip ups happen when there is so much happening at once? Slip ups that could cause a dog to die? I know it is a non-profit, but I believe it would be in the best interest of the DOGS if Saving Grace hired just a few more full time employees. And had someone dedicated to their phone line, or at least had more ways to check emails for those people who are already in the adoption process or fostering. The process needs to be readjusted to make sure these kinds of mistakes do not happen. I was lucky that my dog lived, and she is happy at home. I am grateful to Saving Grace for uniting us, but I will not give my business to them again until their business is fixed so these mistakes do not happen. read more

My adoption process with Saving Grace went smoothly. I filled out an adoption application and was extremely honest when I filled it out. I went and visited a week later (after communicating with the adoption volunteer) with one of the dogs in mind. I knew, that since this rescue and their dogs are in such high demand that there was a possibility the dog may have already been adopted. Luckily, the dog (Loretta) was still there when I arrived. I was greeted by a volunteer who asked me a couple more questions about my lifestyle and what kind of dog I was looking for and was then given the opportunity to meet Loretta. I loved her as soon as I saw her and spent about an hour with her before I began the adoption process (quick, only took about a half hour). It's been happily ever after ever since. She has taken both a home manners and her Canine Good Citizen courses and is an all around awesome dog. Training is CRUCIAL with ANY dog you rescue no matter where they are from. Saving Grace is a RESCUE run by VOLUNTEERS, so I'm not sure why people have high end breeder-like expectations from this place. You cannot just adopt a dog and bring them off their property and expect them to perfectly assimilate into your life. These dogs have been through a lot and educating yourself on the breed of dog you are adopting or considering adopting, educating family members on how to treat animals (especially children), training your dog (with reward based training), and providing a home environment that your new family member will be comfortable in is CRUCIAL to adoption being a success. Unrealistic expectations of how your new rescue dog will react in its new environment is not fair to you, the dog, or Saving Grace. I encourage everyone to realize that this is a volunteer run organization that is trying their best to save dogs and decrease the amount of dogs in the shelter system by spaying and neutering. If you are going to complain about how this organization is run and give them a negative review because of it, I encourage you to volunteer to help make it better :) read more

Saving Grace Animals For Adoption - Josie (formerly Loretta) - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

This place is a lie. When I went to pick up my puppy It was gone. Yet 3 weeks later it is still on the web page for adoption. So I picked another one. But could not take home because it would not be spayed/neutered until next week. Then you must take it home that day. Not knowing what kind up health the puppy was in. Their page says "All puppies and dogs at Saving Grace are crate trained, have been spayed/neutered" Not true. They are in groups of open pens and the place was way under staff for all the animals they have. read more

If you're looking for a dog to join your family, saving grace is a great place to adopt your dog. They have dogs of all breeds and ages. We recently adopted a puppy and he came w his first round of shots, vet checkup and neutered. He was in perfect health. The process was easy from filling out the adoption forms to taking home our puppy. We couldn't be happier and highly recommend Saving Grace! read more

While I admire the efforts and intentions of the founder/business owner and many volunteers, I think the churn of dogs in/fostered/adopted out has become too high for them to manage well. Our family did three weekend fosters and one longer term foster. The weekend fosters were OK but their process that clearly prioritized 1) send pics (that SG can post to get the animals adopted) and 2) send an email with info. about the pet to better match that pet with an adopted family was severely lacking. They seemed to care little for the info. on the dogs from foster families that now knew them best. While standing in line for a weekend adoption our second time, another foster told us the story of having previously fostered, loving the dog, but was initially uncertain about adoption. Within a few days, the foster dad had decided, yes, they wanted the dog but he couldn't get there for a day or two to pick up the dog due to living 45+ minutes away and business travel. Saving Grace adopted the dog out to someone else. Ouch! They were doing a week long foster right after we'd finished a weekend foster that was all work, no play with a very challenged dog. We'd made excellent progress with that dog but weren't certain we wanted to jump right into the next one. So we offered to do the week long foster if they didn't otherwise have enough volunteers and could ideally match us with one that was a little more outgoing/less traumatized. That was apparently "outside their process" and they kept emailing us to complete their form with a "yes" or "no". Gimme a break! Call on us if you need us, and try to give us an easier dog, skip us if you have enough other foster volunteers. Is your process that rigid that I must fill out your form definitively? I thought I was doing you a favor to be a back-up. My daughter hosted another dog indefinitely at the beginning of Covid-19. He had only been with SG for a few days before we began fostering, so they barely knew him. We had him a for a few days and adored him, even considering adopting. But he was clearly very sick - not taking his meds well, vomiting, almost zero energy/sleeping constantly for a young shepherd mix that should have been very energetic. We contacted SG to express the concerns, ideally get him a vet appt. They instructed my daughter to bring him back that evening, a Sunday, for Molly, the founder, to see him/change his meds and have him see the vet the next day. She hesitantly agreed because she loved the dog, wanted to assess him when he was feeling better for potential adoption, and was concerned she might not get him back to continue fostering. But she complied. She followed up via email and phone Monday to Wednesday, was told on Tuesday to fill out an adoption application if she wanted him, then finally told on Wednesday that he had been adopted out on Tuesday. We are highly skeptical whether he ever got any medical care or how/if he could have made a good match with an adoptive family as his illness & energy level didn't allow for a good read. Sheesh! They constantly post on their site the number of dogs in and adopted out - the numbers are very high, and I understand their drive here, but they are missing making best matches for dogs. They say they have adoption counselors, but we are highly skeptical that 1) the "counselors" know virtually anything about the dogs that come/go so fast, and 2) the information flow/process from fostering is used well to help make matches. Our family would not feel at ease to rely on their adoption "counselors" and process to help us choose a dog to adopt. They need to slow down their churn and improve their process to at least make better matches and be kinder to their foster volunteers, if not better care for the dogs in their custody. read more