Thank you to whomever took care of the dogs today (May 23). They seem to be very calm and happy now.

I adopted a young (7 month old) German Shepherd that was an owner surrender to Saving Paws Rescue Arizona (SPRA) a few years ago. She's been great and I was so impressed with the experience I had with this rescue that I started volunteering there. The rescue takes in mostly German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois from puppies to seniors and from various backgrounds - strays, owner surrenders, from other shelters (some on the e-list), medical hardships, etc. Once under SPRA care the dogs are well fed, are walked and/or get play time outside of their kennels 4 times a day, receive medical care if needed, etc. The volunteers and staff also work with the dogs on socialization and basic training. It's also important to know that SPRA is a no kill shelter. Bottom line, if you're looking for a German Shepherd or Belgian Malinois please check out Saving Paws Rescue Arizona. They have so many wonderful dogs looking for a family like my pup pictured below, adopt don't shop. read more

Saving Paws Rescue, Az - Animal Shelters Near Me

I made a one time donation to Saving the Paws and they continue to charge my account $29.99 every month, without my authorization. I have sent several emails and left a VM message asking them to correct the error. I have received no reply from them. I now have to close out my account to stop the charges. Very unprofessional!!! UPDATE 2/6/26: I have been informed that there is a fraudulent website using the Saving the Paws name to scam people out of money. The legitimate Saving the Paws had nothing to do with my issue above. My apologies to the real Saving the Paws organization. read more

I love this rescue shelter. I adopted 2 dogs from Saving Paws. The 1st one was 5 years ago and the 2nd was 3 years ago.Everyone at the shelter are amazing volunteers who dedicate their time to caring for these dogs until they find their forever home. They even offered us a doggie wheelchair free of charge when our elderly GSD was unable to use her back legs anymore due to being diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy. They are an amazing non-profit rescue organization. Thank you Saving Paws for all that you do for these wonderful animals. My fur babies King and Diamond are a wonderful addition to our family. read more

We adopted a Belgian Malinois and could not be happier with the whole experience. Everyone was helpful and friendly.

I love the staff, volunteer, & the love put into these dogs. Thank you SPR!

Very compassionate group dedicated to saving GS and Malinois. I was able to find an incredibly good GS from them.

Unless your looking for a German Shepard this isn't the rescue your looking for. I went to donate dog food to this business and they made it so awkward since it's out of their house and asked me to leave outside. Yeah Thank you Too! read more

SPR AZ is an outstanding rescue that truly cares about the dogs. They take in many medical cases that would otherwise be put down. They recently had multiple litters of puppies and volunteers worked around the clock to ensure these puppies were safe, well fed, and their medical needs were taken care of. For the comments regarding the coof adoptions, the rescue IS non profit. However, the cost of each dog may vary depending on the medical expenses the rescue has had to pay out for the dog. The rescue is also very conscious of the adopter applications and make every attempt to ensure the right dog is paired with the right adopter. If there is a delay in this process, please remember that these are all volunteers trying to make these adoptions happen. These folks have jobs and families too! read more

Not sure what's up with the recent bad reviews... My wife and I adopted two German Shepherds from Saving Paws, Shadow in 2017 and Dakota in 2018. We had nothing but great experiences with both adoptions. The process was easy but thorough as they only want to place dogs in good homes. A recent review spoke of adoption costs, and they are obviously unaware of all that Saving Paws does for these dogs. Dakota came to the rescue with a broken leg as she was hit by a car, then abandoned, and they spent over 1k on medical bills alone, in turn our adoption cost was only $350. Running a rescue is expensive between feeding, housing, medical, and other bills, along with caring for dogs that are hard to adopt/unadoptable. I have told plenty of people about the good that Saving Paws does and would recommend them to anyone, they are a professional organization run by great volunteers. read more

Saving Paws Rescue, Az - Shadow (adopted 2017) and Dakota (adopted 2018) - Animal Shelters Near Me

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Their voice Mail claims you should turn your dog over to the pound because they are full or can't take it BUT if u have a puppy up to 6 months old they will take it ( they charge you $500 for puppies but they only make you pay $300 or so for older) so I think they save their room for the puppies they SELL for 500 and let older dogs rot in jail I heard from someone they adopted a dog made the first payment then they came and took the dog back accusing the adopter falsely but never gave the money back Pretty good way to make money off other people's puppys read more

This rescue is run by an incredible group of angels who sacrifice everything for these dogs. They not only save lives, but rehabilitate and restore dignity. I really love Saving Paws and all they do. They've adopted out over 200 dogs and still remember each one by name! When a dog comes into Saving Paws, it leaves with a new life and is no longer just a dog... It is forever a loved Saving Paws adopted baby. Thank you for all you do!! My parents and I both have rescues from Saving Paws and we will forever be grateful for everything they do. I think it's important for potential adopters to understand that rescues are very strict about who their dogs go to because they want to make sure each dog goes to its final forever home. They wait for that perfect fit. These pups come from terrible situations, and Saving Paws does everything they can to ensure a dog goes to the best possible home - they deserve nothing less! All it takes is a trip to the "dog house" to see that the utmost care and affection is dedicated to all of their furry guests. Or you can ask one of us - the lucky ones who already have a Saving Paws baby at home! read more

Saving Paws Rescue, Az - Sierra says: "This spoiled life I live is because Saving Paws gave me a chance to become the diva I always wanted to be! Woof!" - Animal Shelters Near Me

I can't say enough good things about Saving Paws Rescue! We adopted Harley (FKA Taffy) from one of their rescued mama's Dolly. Tara was so great to deal with through the adoption process and the puppies had been well taken care of by Tara, Charis and others. They prepared us with everything we needed to take a 9 week old puppy home including food and toys, checked in often, came to the house to give her other shots after the adoption. The rescue also has a trainer, Jeff Mason, that volunteers his time with SPR dogs! Jeff hosts free (yes free professional training) for all of us adopters. He even went out of his way and came to our house on the weekend to start our training. This group saves so many German Shepherds and devotes their lives to making sure they have great homes. We are grateful to give one of their dogs a forever home. read more

Saving Paws Rescue, Az - Harley (Taffy) at 5 weeks! - Animal Shelters Near Me

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f you are in the situation of needing to re-home your dog, or considering donating to a rescue, think twice before contacting Saving Paws and read the negative reviews present. (If anyone would like the names of rescues that *are* amazing and totally deserve your donations, please message me.) They recently 'assisted' my friend in rehoming her dog Riley. (I say 'assisted' because they never actually had the dog in their possession). They merely networked and found a willing family, then arranged what amounted to a supervised swap in their parking lot. They then proceeded to turn around on Facebook and post a very dramatic post about how my friend had threatened to euthanize and the 'clock was ticking', her family had given up on her, not cared for her illness, etc etc. Instead of getting to breathe a sigh of relief that Riley was happy in her new home, my friend got to read about what an irresponsible monster she is. The post was 95% exaggeration and fabrication (probably to tug on heart strings and get donations). I know for a fact that my friend and her husband spent a lot of money on vet treatments, between medications and special eye goggles, and 1.5 years trying to make it work out. In the end, after their toddler was injured multiple times, they had no choice but to re-home. They never threatened to have her put to sleep. There was no Doomsday Clock. (Question: What does this rescue expect them to do, carry on in the situation until the child gets knocked over so hard she incurs a brain hemorrhage? Lock the dog in a room for the rest of its life? This is no quality of life for ANYONE in the scenario.) Upon being confronted, the rescue responded both publicly and privately with more lies and awful words. They then blocked my friend and her husband from their page, presumably as punishment so now they cannot even see updates on the dog. I am further incensed to find out today that they charged my friend a $100 surrender fee for the privilege of being made to feel like a terrible person. They also charge adoption fees to new families... So they very likely made somewhere around $300 off a dog that was never in their care. It's obvious this organization is run by martyr/zealot types who have never been forced into a position of having to give up their pet. It would be poetic justice if they ever had to walk a mile in those shoes - maybe then they would get real. People are trying to do the right thing and are made to feel like monsters. I have volunteered in rescue and seen the outcome of this - the dog gets dumped at county or given to someone off craigslist. You are NOT helping the dogs by shaming the owners. Think about it - is someone really going to go "That mean rescue lady is right, I AM an awful person, I'll keep my dog" ? No. They are going to get offended and hurt and avoid rescues that might actually try to help. My friend is grateful they found Riley a home, but Saving Paws behavior after the fact was totally unacceptable and unprofessional. In 15 years, I have never seen her so upset - she was distraught enough at having to surrender the family dog and now she gets judged and talked s*** about. An apology is certainly due to her. It would do Trish Houlihan & Co. well to learn some empathy and humility. read more

As my recent review on this rescue was taken down. I recommend to any person who is interested in getting a German Shepherd to stay away from this rescue. They claim to be a nonprofit organization but they are not. The adoption fee changes upon person and "adopter." Their adoption fee is far beyond what it actually takes to provide for that animal at the rescue. As a previous employee this company is not what you think it is. There is a lot that goes on behind closed doors with Trish. Be careful of this rescue and there volunteers. There is a RIGHT way to rescue animals and there is a wrong way! Choose your forever furry family member from a safe rescue! Volunteers are rude and have god like complexes! read more

Amazing and caring rescue! We adopted our girl from them and love her so much. She was going to be put on the e-list at County due to her skin condition/ medical. This rescue intervened, covered vet costs and medication, and got her healthy again. It is pretty sad to see some reviews saying they're out to "make money". Clearly they have no idea the amount of medical bills ANY rescue covers. Also, they're a nonprofit. Any "money made" goes back to covering the next medical case and even then, I'm sure doesn't even begin to cover it. If you're looking to adopt a Shepherd or Malinois, definitely check out this rescue. Highly recommend and can't say enough great things about them. read more

My wife and I have volunteered for SPR for 9.5 years. It would be hard to find a better rescue organization. We have done all types of duties like cleaning, feeding, medicating, bathing, transporting, fostering, adopted etc. This is my first time looking at their reviews and would like to respond to a few of the negative ones. So, I'm a little late in regard to some. My response to Pam B., Jeff S., F S, Lucky F., & Lilah B. SPR is a volunteer organization. Volunteers who have their own lives with their own issues like everyone else, with some living over an hour's drive away from rescue. They juggle jobs, families, pets and all things that life entails, so there is not someone always at the rescue and available at a moment's notice to meet you and hold your hand. We sometimes get pregnant moms and then the puppies, but we have dogs of all ages. Trisha has a soft spot for seniors and medical cases, so we have dogs that have been with us for years and if never adopted will live out their lives with us. We DO NOT profit from adoption fees. I will give just 2 examples of my own experiences. Two of our fosters, Caden & Heidi. Caden was in such bad condition he was reported as a dead dog on the side of the road. Heidi was a senior who experienced bloat while in foster and during surgery to repair was found riddled with cancerous tumors. The medical expenses for these two alone exceeded $15,000. Caden was adopted for a normal adoption fee. That fee was all the rescue received for the $15,000+ SPR spent to save their lives. Unfortunately, these stories are not unique and happen all too often. So, SPR does not SELL or PROFIT from their work! We rely on donations and the normal adoption fees. If someone adopted from us and we took the dog back, then it was for good reason. It had to have been a bad home. We are not in the business of taking dogs back unless necessary. We don't have the room or resources to do that. Common sense tells you that. So, I would like to extend an invitation to the negative reviewers listed and others. Since we are doing such a terrible job in your eyes, please feel free to step up and help us since you are obviously experts. I guess you missed the part of our website that says, 'How I can help'. I know you will not help and will justify your reasoning with some lame excuse. Like most critics, it's easier to sit back on your lazy asses, tell lies and point fingers rather than 'put your money where your mouth is'. Please come volunteer so you can see for yourself the abandoned, neglected, abused & tortured animals that SPR sees on a daily basis. Why don't you 'do' something by helping rather than blame others who actually do help clean up other people's messes? read more

My family are big animal lovers! I wanted a German shepherd for years and years but my mom was a service dog trainer and so we always had about 6-7 dogs in the house at a time, my mom left the business and worked at a vet office when one day a German shepherd was brought in! My mom feel in love with her instantly and when she got home from work that day she told me about this German shepherd! Eventually my mom found out that Saving Paws Rescue, rescued her and where trying to get her back to health and as soon as my mom found out she got in contact with the rescue and turns out her name that the rescue called her was "Hot Lips Houlihan" which was from a show my moms father loved and the whole family knew it was meant to be! Once she got all better she got to meet all of her new siblings and got along great and we got to take her home! She was my dog and I gave her the name "Eva Joan" she's been apart of our family for about 3-4 years now! I ended up moving from home and traveling in a trailer for a while and decided to not take her since she's a pretty big girl and didn't want to take her from the rest of the family but every time I visit she's so happy and loving! Know I have a puppy of my own and recently brought her home over Christmas break and Eva was like a mom to her! I 1000% recommended this place! They do such amazing work and care for these pets! Thank you for everything! read more

Go check other places Rude people with the worst customer service, Care about their pocket and not about dogs, Over charge price , adoption price, and all the surprising fees that comes at the end... Not the most clean place for dogs, My friend adopted a dog,and find our she paid way over price....................... read more

The sole intent and purpose of this review of Saving Paws is to protect pets and their owners from experiencing a situation I would never want anyone else to. It is the simple truth, and in no way meant to discredit the good things I have heard they've done, belittle their company, "drag their name through the mud", detract from their business, or discourage the purchase of their dogs or use of service if one is truly intent on surrendering their pet to them. I only ask that if due to unfortunate circumstance, you find you must rehome your pet, but still love and care for them, to consider all possibilities and think on this wisely. The chance of probability that you may never see or hear from such loved one again may be higher than you think. A few months after I got a puppy, I was diagnosed with a health condition, making strenuous and lengthy activity difficult. We were happy together and he had a loving home with good food, vet care, and he was perfect. I worried for his future happiness, as he would be an active breed, and had outside pressure on the situation, giving me anxiety for months. I made the decision to entrust him to a rescue instead of a stranger. Two days later, I regretting doing so on an uncertain future. I requested him back if possible, and was sent a condescending email asking if I could keep up with him in the future, saying that he was at a foster to adopt home family, and that I would be kept updated. That never happened. I sent a few emails over the next five days, one simply a "? mark" because they never responded to my answering their questions. I was very polite, made no threats or demands, just asked that I may possibly buy him back or possibly contact the adoptive family. There was no answer to either my emails, facebook message which I saw that they had seen, or even my parents. I had only wanted what was best for him in the future, but soon realized it was unlikely I would even ever hear about him again. Through Nextdoor and social media, I attempted to warn the community much as I am now, so that nobody would have to experience such a thing. As such, I told the honest facts of the matter and did not swear, threaten, or name-call. To internet trolls, I repeatedly said it was my own fault for my decision, they obviously had legal rights, and I was not blaming them for anything- simply expressing disappointment in the unprofessionalism of zero response. They's been quick enough to reply when I was surrendering him, but not even a simple no, update, or answer in any form was given to me. I expressed that even a kill-shelter would have replied and given me a chance (they actually did when I asked advice on the matter.) Eventually, the trolling on the internet got to the point where Saving Paws received and believed their lies. They contacted my parents and I was returned my dog as long as I removed the internet posts. I did immediately and sent a nice apology and thanks, as I had not wanted to cause trouble, was simply relaying facts to protect people from heartbreak. Their only response to me in this entire episode was a rude insinuation that they had saved him from something, "hoped they made the right decision," and discredited my apology over the fact that there was "no room for interpretation" based on an x I made through their logo to show that the posts were not by them, endorsing them, and obviously wasn't a promotion. I believe in peoples' actions, not a grape-line of internet trolls that apparently stalked me through the various sites and ignored all my assurances of responsibility for my own actions. My dog was recovered not at a foster to adopt family's home, but one of their foster farms, where he was covered in (horse?) poo and sick with giardia afterwards. My parents were still emailed the day after about the online posts, even though I had already removed all of them. Eventually, everything was over. I apologize if any of you have endured a similar situation in my keeping quiet, but I hope this will encourage people to love their pets and keep them close as possible. read more

We brought Vixen to her new forever home today! She is a super girl! The volunteers did an incredible job with this pup - she was malnourished and in bad shape when she arrived at the shelter. Now she is happy and ready for training and lots of long hikes! Thank you to all of the wonderful volunteers!!! read more

Saving Paws Rescue, Az - Animal Shelters Near Me

Saving Paws is the only GSP rescue you should ever consider. The love and care these rescue dogs receive while they wait for their fur-ever homes is beyond compare. We found our furry baby girl through Saving Paws and she was more than we could've ever hoped for. See Pic. To adopt there is a process which includes filling out an application and making an appointment to meet the dogs. This is for the safety of the dogs so they find the right home and have no more heart break. The people at Saving Paws are also amazing donating all of their free time to running this large rescue. I commend them for their hard work and efforts strictly motivated by their huge hearts. Saving Paws is 10 stars with me. read more

Saving Paws Rescue, Az - Meet Delilah. She was found by Saving Paws so she could rescue us. - Animal Shelters Near Me

Saving Paws is an outstanding Rescue. I have adopted 3 dogs from them, two of whom began as Fosters. The Director Trish is comply dedicated to saving as many as she can, and assuring that they find the perfect home. The current Volunteer team is as well. In just over 5 years, SPR has saved over 1300 German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, and a few 'honorary Shepherds'. Many of these dogs would have been euthanized, and some had severe medical and/or behavioral issues. This Rescue is absolutely dedicated to saving these dogs, and giving them the best homes. I cannot recommend them highly enough if you are looking for a German Shepherd or Belgian Malinois. I also believe that for most people, nothing beats a rescued dog read more

They gave me the love of my life. Wonderful, loving rescue. Their work is their life and they have rescued countless shepherds lives.

I have been looking for a German Shepherd dog for a while now. I was told by a friend that Saving Paws had puppies so I filled out an application letting them know I was interested in a female. I was contacted the next day by Laura and told there were only 3 males left. So I made an appointment to meet the puppies for that day. While there I met Trisha and Sandy; and I found a boy that I liked; Another family came in to view a female, One of the ladies that works at the rescue shared with me she felt a Shepherd dog was not a good fit for this family. So I let her know that if a female becomes available to let me know. This was on a Friday. Sunday I received a email from Sandy to give her a call. She informed me that the female puppy is available for adoption, I was next in line for a female and to come by at 3pm. My boyfriend and I made the long drive from Chandler to Glendale to meet the female puppy. I fell in love with her instantly, I spent an hour with her and told Laura that I wanted her. Laura wrote my name down on a piece of paper next to the female puppy's name and told me she was mine. My boyfriend also fell in love with the 2 remained male puppies. We told her we would like to take the female and one of the males. She said there was another woman coming to view the remaining 2 male puppies the next day. That whichever male was left we were welcome to take. We were so excited to get to have a brother and sister. There was another lady there named Michelle who does their website, she took a picture of me and the female puppy for their website and let me know to come back the following Sunday to get a picture of my new puppy with Santa. I was so excited to get to take her home. That evening I sent an email to Laura and Sandy thanking them for everything, they replied that they were excited for me to take the pups home. Then Monday night at 7:30 I got a call from Laura. She said the the woman that came to view the pups wants the female I was already told was mine. I was very confused on why this woman was even allowed to view the pup that was already promised to me. Laura explained that their policy is based on the date a person fills out an application. This was news to me because the 2 times I was at the rescue this was NEVER mentioned to me. I even met Laura, Sandy and Trisha but still this was never mentioned to me. All Laura could say to me was "I'm sorry I wish this could be undone". Still I was confused on what was done, why were they taking the puppy I was told was mine a day before away from me. This policy was not posted on the application or their website and this was the first I was hearing back it. Basically if I filled out an application first then came after all the puppies were promised to others I would be able to pick ANY of the pups? That makes NO sense. I told Laura I wanted Trisha to call me because she is the main person at the rescue. The following day I heard nothing. I called the numbers I had for Trisha and left a message. I emailed Sandy and Trisha. I received a email at 4:50am the next day. Trisha stated that the puppies were not on a first come first get, it was based on the application date and this was explained to people when they were applying. Which is a lie, at least in my case. I have emails between the three ladies and I that never says anything like that. I spoke to all of them in person and again this was never explained to me. So because they messed up and made a mistake I am left to suffer. I told Trisha that they should have made the appointments based on the applications then so that someone like me doesn't come in, fall in love, and then become heartbroken. I have always been pro-rescue when it comes to getting a fury family member. But I would never recommend this rescue to someone. I am very disappointment about how they are handling this. They made the mistake and I feel they have done zero to fix it besides saying sorry. I understand that there are lots of loving pups that need homes so I will find the right one for me. I just wanted to warn people that might be dealing with this rescue. I do not want this to happen to someone else. read more

This rescue ripped the hearts out of my children twice! They allowed us to adopt a dog that wasn't ready to come to our home, came and got him from us the next day then two months later called us to tell us that he was ready to come home and the day before we were scheduled to pick him up called me and said that he would not be allowed to come home with us ever! They are so irresponsible with the hearts of people and obviously care more about the dogs than the feelings of my 9 year old and 16 year old sons! Despicable! read more

Savings Paws is truly a miracle rescue. We were able to adopt one amazingly, beautiful incredible German Shepherd Miracle Dog from them. We found Saving Paws to be super friendly, totally loving and supportive of all the animals. From the moment we filled out the application until well after our adoption, we have seen nothing but love, care and total support. It's the only place I would get a German Shepherd from. We put on the application what we wanted in a dog, and they more than delivered. I highly recommend Saving Paws to anyone considering a German Shepherd. But, they also want to make sure their dogs go to a loving and supportive home, which I am totally 100% in support of. Love their place! read more

It sucks that I have to even give this place 1 mark. On the day of mar12 i was involved in a roll over accident. My puppy scurried out undetectable and i was rushed to hospital unconscious. Somebody tied my puppy to a tree and another person untied him and surrendered him to a Saving Paws Rescue here in the valley. Where they never posted found dog. About 7 days went by frantically looking for my puppy to with no avail. I was going to both pounds everyday, didn't think I would have to check every rescue in the valley if that were the case no one would get their dog back. Unless the rescue is on the up and up and list a found dog. I saw a similar looking dog around the 18th at the west valley shelter. This was not my dog but it said it had been rescued by SPR, so I looked on their site and sure enough there was my dog. They (Mary)said he was surrendered because i tied him to a tree which is false. I tried to explain the situation to be combatted with rudeness and an effort of no help . My friend started adoption papers that night to get my dog back for me (i was ignorant to the law) but next day they said he has been adopted. They attached a total sob story to him and got a bunch of donations then rehomed him for even more money. The lady told me i was a day to late that their stray hold time was up and they adopted him out and there was nothing i could do about it and was very rude. Remember this is a rescue they should have listed my puppy as a found dog it would have led right back to me. This owner Trish told me to get over it that they never had my dog and that I was a liar and no way started adoption papers. Well here is an email from manna the adoption coordinator. Griffen is what they called my dog but his name is MAGA.From: Manan Dave davemanan3@me.com Date: March 18, 2019 at 6:51:51 PM MST To: nica@gmail.com Subject: Saving Paws Rescue Hello, Thank you for choosing to adopt from us. Griffin has already been adopted. Please keep checking our website to see if get in any other dogs that may work for you. Thank you Manan Jay Dave Saving Paws Rescue Adoption Coordinator Iam no liar and this place should be ashamed of themselves Im still trying to reunite with my best friend and everyday it just gets harder Trish so I can't just move on. What if this was your dog. Look at all the reviews on your place, there is something definitely wrong with you... read more

Well run rescue by people who genuinely care about saving German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois. I was able to adopt our wonderful shepherd Gunner from SPR back in Mar 2014 and Trish and her wonderful volunteer crew went above and beyond to not only help Gunner, but me and my wife as well. In our search for a GSD, we went through several rescues/organizations, none of which were as helpful or informative as Saving Paws. Please take the time to check out this wonderful rescue if you're even the slightest bit interested in adopting a GSD or belgian....you will not be disappointed. read more

This is a wonderful organization full of volunteers that have huge hearts! They save German shepherds and malinois from dangerous situations and from county shelters, etc-it's amazing how many success stories they have! We have fostered and adopted from them. They are charitable non-profit and are always in need of tax deductible donations. Note: If you order from smile.amazon they also donate a portion of the payment to help out! read more

The group at Saving Paws Rescue are such great people. I got Lexi, my German Shepard, over a year ago and was so thankful of the process they used to match us up. They took a lot of time and care to make sure Lexi (fka Cher) fit into our family. We are again searching for a new member for our pack and Saving Paws is out first choice of where to look. The staff there are such amazing people. Love what they do for their pups!!! read more

I had heard so many wonderful reviews about Saving Paws that when we decided to adopt a second GSD, they were my first go to. We had a meet and greet on a Friday. They told me that the dog had been returned by someone else because their kiddo was allergic to the dog, but prior to returning the dog to the rescue, he had been enrolled in service dog school and had been doing well. So, that sounded great! Also lived with 7 other dogs in foster so seemed to get along with dogs. We decided on 8:30 am for the volunteer to come here and I said it was fine as long as my husband didn't need to be awake as he was working a 20 hour day on Thursday and wouldn't be going to bed until 2:00-4:00 am Friday and there was no way he'd be able to get up at 8:30 after being awake for over 24 hours. Joanne said he didn't need to be awake that was totally fine. So, they brought him out, first off, this dog was pulling me down the street like I was a feather weight (for the record I'm 135 pounds LoL) and would not listen to "heel", "stop", or even me just tugging on the leash. They had no training device on him just a regular collar and a leash. I literally could not control him. Wouldn't heel, wouldn't stop, wouldn't sit, NOTHING (uh, what happened to service dog training??). I finally got him to stop, I came back and we decided to have me bring my dog out, so I go in my house to get my dog (also a GSD). I come out and am standing with my dog and the volunteer has the other one, we're 15-20 feet from each other and the other dog is going BAT SHIT CRAZY, lunging on the leash, barking his head off and won't stop. My dog was whining a little bit but stopped when I corrected him and so he just sat there with this other dog barking at him. Volunteer makes some phone calls, they can't figure it out because the rescue dog lives with 7 dogs and is fine. So, 3 houses down a person is going into the house and the dog then starts barking at the person too. Volunteer says lets walk them and see how they do. So, I muzzled my dog at the request of the volunteer (as my dog is selective on people) and walked him. Still no barking, just some whining here and there but that was it. I walk him and we're trying to walk but other dog is still going absolutely crazy barking (really I thought someone was going to call the police due to noise it was that bad). After walking for a few minutes he finally did stop and we came back to the driveway and so the volunteer allows the rescue dog sniff my dog. Now the rescue was ALL over my dog's head and face sniffing and licking him (my dog is still leashed and muzzled), my dog growled and the dog kept licking and was all over his face and head so my dog snapped. I corrected him and he stopped that was it. Volunteer was like, yeah this isn't going to work so I should probably take him back, which I completely agreed it was not a "love connection". He recommended we go to the facility and walk our dog with like 3-4 other dogs and see which one he "clicked" with, said that's what he did when he brought his dogs together and it worked well. I said okay, that I would contact Joanne to figure out a date/time and we went out our merry way. So, I text the rescue about a week later as I hadn't heard anything to see if we can find a date/time to go out there and see if another dog would be a better fit. Joanne emails me and says she had talked with the rescue owner, Trish, and she didn't feel it would be safe to adopt a dog to us due to my dog's behavior. And that they were not very happy that none of my family was there to greet the rescue. What? I had verified my husband not being awake was okay and even explained why and my 15 year old was here! He stayed in the house for the most part because he was eating breakfast and I told him not to worry we'd have him come out if the dogs were okay with each other, never got to that point so I let him sit and eat and do his morning chores. I asked what in the world MY dog did wrong, because it was the rescue who was going crazy. Yes, my dog snapped, but he didn't try to maul him and it's not like it was unprovoked and he stopped when I shut it down. All Joanne could say was it wasn't her decision and she was sorry. I'm just so disappointed. So, now I should add, that after all of this, I contacted a different rescue who found us a fabulous GSD, we met her, they spent an hour and a half with us the first time for them to sniff each other, play together, walk together, etc. We waited about a week and then they came to do a home visit, brought our new dog to us, and again stayed about an hour and a half, dogs were doing great with each other and we have now had our newest addition for 2 days and they're doing fantastic! Laying together, playing in the yard and romping together. Absolutely no growling, snapping, barking, NO PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER. Unfortunately our experience with Saving Paws, in the end, was terrible. I will say, however, that Joanne was very kind and nice read more

I am with another rescue myself and have to say that I think the world of this Saving Paws. Why? Because they really really care about their dogs. I read some of the reviews and if you are reading the one star review, here's my take. The rescue did nothing wrong, this is why we have the meet and greet. Your dog may not like the rescue dog and vice versa. No dog is at fault. It's just the chemistry that didn't jive. This is why meet and greets are so important and the resident dog has to be happy. In this case, the resident dog was muzzled. That's a flag. I'm happy to know that the owner found another dog from another rescue that worked. If you are looking to adopt from this rescue, know that the volunteers are seasoned and they work endless hours to find the dog a forever home. No one is to blame, but the chemistry needs to come together for both dogs to live and love to live a happy co-existence. read more

I am so relieved to see the bad reviews for this "rescue". I adopted my first GSD from them 6 years ago and my second after my beloved Cooper passed away from bloat that same year. A couple years ago I had adopted a third dog from them. After a week of having him home, a man from the rescue showed up at my house saying that my neighbor, Jill, who volunteered with the rescue reported me for dog fighting in my backyard. He stated that if I didn't give him the dog they would call the police and take legal action! This was completely absurd! I wasn't fighting dogs in the backyard and if anyone has ever heard big dogs play, they bark sometimes when they get excited or are wrestling. A week after that they sent me a letter from Trish that said I should return my other GSD since he obviously wasn't being taken care of and that they would be doing anything in their power to take him from me. I attempted to call Trish who refused to return my calls. Ever since then, I have made it a mission of mine to tell everyone about what a horrible excuse for a rescue this is. My dogs have a great life and they are happy and healthy. This place is run by a bunch of miserable scam artist who take dogs from the pound and charge purebred puppy prices for them. When I received my second dog from them, he was covered in ticks and was filthy. It's become all about the money and I STRONGLY advise no one ever adopt from them. Save yourself the frustration and from getting scammed, their are a lot of other rescues out there. read more

If you are specifically looking for a German Shepherd Dog or Belgian Malinois, this is the rescue for you. Our last 5 dogs have come from various rescues, but this rescue is head and tails above the others we have used. Owning one of these breeds takes a special kind of person, not just someone who "wants a dog." These breeds need some very specific training and understanding to be successful. Most of the SPR dogs have come from some very sad and abusive environments which can make training and rehabilitating these dogs challenging. From the moment these dogs are taken in by SPR, they are treated like family. This is an all-volunteer, charitable organization made up of people who practically lay down their own lives in order to save each and every dog blessed into their care. Through the adoption paperwork and process, the rescue does their very best to make sure the dogs will be nearly perfectly matched to the individuals/families that are interested in adopting. The adoption process may take a little longer, but in the end you will have found that special GSD or Mali you have dreamed of having as part of your family. You will NOT be disappointed adopting from Saving Paws Rescue, AZ. read more

We rescued our first, an 8 week old female german shepherd puppy! YAY! Saving Paws is fantastic! They care about their animals and it shows! We have been taking our puppy to a trainer that also volunteers for the organization and it has been a terrific experience. Exceptional service by mostly volunteers! So pleased! read more

Saving Paws is an excellent rescue. I adopted my female GSD from them. They are always there to help you and answer any questions you may. They love to stay in contact with all their previous adopters. They even try once a year to have a reunion BBQ. What a wonderful organization with a marvelous staff and beautiful shepherds read more

This is probably the best rescue I have ever seen. These unselfish people volunteer their time for the welfare of German Shepard Dogs in need. This rescue, unlike the others in town, truly cares for the wellbeing of each dog that it "rescues" from certain euthanasia. They find a way to provide vetinary care, love and support for each canine that is lucky enough to find its way to their doorstep. I have never witnessed the level of commitment that this organization exudes on a daily basis. It is more than inspiring for me to know that these animals, when they are ready for adoption, are well socialized, are in great health ( spayed/neutered, current on vaccinations, chipped ), and come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee !! No questions asked. They even provide FREE obedience training on Wednesday evenings in a small group setting. Who does that?!? If you are looking for a GSD....your search is over. Keep in mind, an application will need to be submitted and reviewed, once approved there will be a home visit. Again this is in the PETS best interest. In my humble opinion, Saving Paws Rescue is one of the finest rescues available in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. read more