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Stray From The Heart

4.5 (80 reviews)

Services - Stray From The Heart

Animal shelters

Pet adoption

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We approached Stray from the Heart with an open mind about which dog we wanted to adopt and ultimately chose to to trust Toni's instinct on the right dog for us. We spoke to her on the phone and texted regularly as we were making our decision, difficult as it was, and she provided photos, videos, and any information we asked for. As others have said, it's nerve wracking to adopt a dog without meeting it first. We realized, though, that even meeting a dog at a local shelter won't necessarily give you an accurate picture of a dog's personality once it's in your neighborhood and home. Adopting a dog is always a gamble no matter what. It was actually reassuring to work with a partner who clearly cares so much about making the right match. Stray from the Heart has high standards about who they adopt to and they want the absolute best for their rescues. They make the pickup process as simple as possible for you. Coming in on a plane is an extremely stressful experience for any animal. Our sweet dog Mandie was clearly (and understandably!) anxious for the first few days with us in her new environment, but she bonded to me pretty much right away and with love she has blossomed. She arrived fully crate trained and house trained, and a local vet confirmed she was in perfect health; it's obvious her foster mom in PR took excellent care of her. A month in to her new life in NYC, Mandie is a superstar snuggler and the love of our lives. While shy and still scared of city noises, she's extremely tolerant and trusting. She clearly feels more comfortable being in a "pack" with both me and my husband when we take walks; it takes patience and understanding, which we are more than happy to provide, to build her confidence, and we are thrilled that she continues to make major progress. She's ecstatic to be let out of her crate in the morning and greets us with zoomies and kisses and snuggles. She *loves* attention, being petted, and taking naps: her greatest mission in life is to snooze on the couch with you by her side. She's also a goofball with a huge smile. She loves other dogs (that's her chilling with a new friend) and running and playing outside in quieter areas--she's faster than we are! Basically, she's exactly how Toni described her to us. We love Mandie so much and highly recommend adopting from Stray from the Heart! Would do it again in a heartbeat.

Toni and the Stray from the Heart team are upfront, communicative, and the work they do is beyond an adoption service -- it's a calling. Our family was looking to adopt a special stray and we certainly found one in Jeremy -- a four-year-old doxy mix. Jeremy had been rescued and lovingly fostered in Puerto Rico before making his way to us in Brooklyn. We spoke with Toni several times to make sure this was the right fit for all, and Jeremy arrived with very accurate paperwork from an excellent vet in PR. If you have love and patience to give a dog in need of a safe home, we highly recommend adopting through Stray from the Heart.

Molly & her new brother Riley

Great organization. Very straight forward & honest. Kept in touch with me the whole adoption process. Made pick up at the airport very easy. I would %100 recommend stray from the heart. Molly is the sweetest, loving dog ever!!

Randi C.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! Stray From The Heart is unlike any other dog rescue I've ever worked with--this agency is OUTSTANDING! Literally, it stands out from the rest of the pack, pun intended. I have applied for many dogs through MANY other NYC-based agencies, and this is the only one that actually took the time to get to know me, my partner, and our now rescue dog, Chippy, to find the perfect/best match possible for everyone involved. The founder, Toni, called me on the phone numerous times to ask questions, answer my questions, and give me updates on how the approval and adoption process was going. They truly care about finding the best home for the dog, by taking time to learn about the adopters/humans. We also had the opportunity to speak over the phone and text with the foster, who had saved Chippy down in Puerto Rico. She sent us videos, photos, and as much information as possible so we could make an informed decision to adopt Chippy. Not every agency allows you to speak with the foster family, for reasons I don't understand. After receiving abundant amounts of information about Chippy, we felt confident in bringing him home. SFTH organizes the flight from PR to JFK. On the day of arrival, Toni and another volunteer met us at the airport to facilitate the first meeting with our dog--making sure everything ran smoothly, as the dogs are scared and confused upon arrival. Since you are unable to meet your dog in person prior to adoption, they have a "no questions asked" policy that states, if the match isn't a good one, they will re-home the dog. We were at first hesitant to adopt a dog before meeting in person, but with this policy along with the time and care they showed throughout the process, we felt comfortable to trust their process. We brought Chippy home just 2.5 weeks ago, 4/8/23, and could not be more in love!!! He has quickly come out of his shell, and knows we're his new Mom and Dad! He's the sweetest, most loving little pup, and we feel so lucky to have found Stray From The Heart!! Thank you for everything, Toni, Ketty, Patricia, and the rest of your team PS--They did not ask me to write this review. I am so moved by the experience that I couldn't help myself. I am gushing with gratitude :).

Lauren K.

I had a wonderful experience adopting my pup, Everest (formerly Lupita), through Toni and Stray from the Heart. From day one, Toni was open and honest about the process and the dogs available. We had an initial conversation about what I was looking for and less than a week later, Toni had called with the perfect dog. Her and the other volunteers provided as much information as they had on the pup and she has proven to be exactly as described. She is a total sweetheart, playful, good natured, and eager to learn. After adoption, Toni checked in multiple times to make sure we were doing ok and to offer up help / advice as needed. Her openness and willingness to help made me feel completely comfortable and at ease throughout the entire process. I'd highly recommend adopting from this organization! (I'm already hoping to adopt more pups from them in the years to come!)

Megan W.

I adopted my dog, Quincy (better known as Q), from Stray From The Heart in April 2020. First, the application process: I applied online after seeing my (hopeful future) pup online and was promptly reached out to in order to continue the process. Second, the interview process: The team was concise and responsive. They made it clear that this was just as much about finding the dog's right fit, as it was finding my fit. They asked follow up questions from my application, specific questions relating to the dog's demeanor, and answered all of my questions. They also followed up with videos and photos, as I'd requested. Third, the adoption: This is where I really cannot speak highly enough of the team. From a global health perspective, we are in a challenging place (to say the least) and the team was transparent throughout the experience and made it clear that their initiative (once I was approved!) was to make sure me and the dog found our way safely to one another. We walked through all of the options available and were in touch every single day. Toni and her team were amazing to work with and I am so grateful because I could not have asked for a better furry companion. Quincy brings so much joy to me and my boyfriend's lives. He fits in so well (he loves couch snuggles, jogs, and chicken) and is such a good dog. He's playful, yet chill and so very loving. We love him so much. Thank you, SFTH!

Brittany B.

I had an amazing experience with Stray from the Heart and Toni! I got my dog, fka. Walter, within a month from starting the process. Although I did not have the chance to meet him prior to picking him up from the airport, he was the perfect fit for my family. Prior to adopting Walter, Toni talked with me about my lifestyle and the type of dog that would fit best. She then told me she would get back to me in a few days with a potential dog that needed a home. I was skeptical at first that she would find a dog so quickly for me, as most of the other rescues/shelters had zero puppies due to everyone adopting during the pandemic. However, just three days later she sent me a picture of an adorable big eared, wide smiling dog -without even meeting him, I knew this was the dog for me. The process to pick up Walter was a bit different since airlines have more restrictions now.. I had the option to fly down to Puerto Rico to pick Walter up or I could wait until a volunteer could bring him to JFK. Since I wanted Walter ASAP, I chose the option to fly down to PR and pick him up. I can honestly say that when I met him at the airport, Walter and I instantly clicked - which was amazing because we had our first flight back to New York together an hour later. He is an absolute joy and has made the mundane days of quarantine so much better! In addition, I cannot say enough good things about the foster mom in PR and Toni. Toni made sure that every question I had before picking up Walter was answered and went above and beyond once Walter made it to NY to make sure he was handling the transition well. The foster mom also made sure to give me a full debrief on Walter's habits and schedule before leaving PR. Highly recommend adopting your next dog from Stray from the Heart!!

Cleo, SFTH alumna
Melissa C.

My sister had a wonderful experience adopting a dog from Stray from the Heart so when she sent me a picture of a dog on their website, Cleo, I was compelled to apply. After I applied on a Sunday, I heard from Jamie the following day. We scheduled a time to speak about my application and Cleo just 1 day later (on Tuesday). After speaking for about 20 minutes, Jamie was able to assess that Cleo would be a good fit for our home, but would let us know we would hear it we were the *best* fit of all the applicants by the weekend. By Sunday, Jamie reached out to tell us we were selected for Cleo! We were ecstatic. The short waiting period made the process much more tolerable. From application to finding out we were selected took only 1 week! Having a lab and a husky already in the house, I was a bit apprehensive about bringing a small dog into the mix simply because of the size difference. But I had no reason to be apprehensive: Jamie knew her stuff and Cleo is the most perfect fit for our family. She's playful, feisty, and keeps up with the larger dogs with ease. The 3 dogs are best friends and it's really incredible that Jamie was able to determine this via an application and phone conversation. She's a real expert. SFTH made the entire process of adopting a dog from Puerto Rico extremely smooth. I recommend them to anyone I know who's looking to adopt. Thank you for connecting us with Cleo; we couldn't imagine life without her.

Mia and Chloe
Kathy H.

We can't say enough how lucky we were to find Stray from the Heart. When we saw these two girls we were excited and applied to adopt right away. At first hesitant when we learned we would be adopting from Puerto Rico without a chance to meet them in advance. But after talking with Toni, we learned more about the girls and their personalities while in foster than we would have learned in a meet and greet. SFTH and Toni stay in touch to make sure the girls have settled in. Toni gave us great suggestions on preparing for them to arrive and what to expect while the girls settled into our home. SFTH just doesn't hand you a dog and leave you to figure it out. While we are experienced dog owners, we still learned so much on how to introduce new dogs into our home. SFTH truly loves dogs and does everything to ensure a positive experience for dogs and their new owners. We are forever thankful to SFTH that we found our 2 golden girls aka PR Lovebugs! Its now been 5 months and we are one happy family!

Laura K.

Stray From the Heart has been absolutely amazing from moment one. They helped me find the perfect pup to fit my lifestyle. I've had my little Mochi for three weeks and I truly cannot imagine life without him. Toni was so kind and helpful through the entire process and clearly cares a great deal for these amazing pups. If you are wondering if finding a pup from here is for you, the answer is YES! I can't say enough amazing things and would adopt from Stray From the Heart again and again. I love my furry friend so much and am so grateful to you all!

Our pup just hanging out
Michelle R.

We had an excellent experience with Stray from the Heart. We were contacted almost immediately to let us know there was a little boy that matched our application needs/ skills. They gave us an honest and accurate description of the dog, including the circumstances from which he came. They also checked in with us after adopting him to make sure that things were going okay and to offer us training resources should we need them. 10/10 would adopt from them again! We love our boy and are grateful to Stray from the Heart for helping us find him!

His favorite spot

We adopted Alfonso in October 2020. After a very frustrating journey with other agencies (it was impossible to get an application through the door), SFTH was so easy and such a pleasure to deal with! They contacted us almost immediately after applying. Toni and Ketty were amazing! (Both v overprotective of their fur babies but that just shows how much they care). Alfonso (AKA Fonzie) couldn't be a better match! The process: We initially applied for a different dog but when our application was approved he was no longer available, instead, they offered us Fonzie. Even though we didn't meet him before, he was just a perfect match for us! We still can't believe how perfect he is! The adoption process was easy but it was a bit long because of the pandemic (flying dogs from PR to NY was not that easy). In the end, we went to PR and picked him up (they deducted the ticket amount from the adoption fee). Ketty greeted us at the airport in San Juan and we brought our baby home! (We also volunteered to bring his brother, Willy to NY so that's why you see him in the photo). After that they continued to check up on us online and we were happy to send updates. *Fonzie was very healthy and almost completely potty trained which was a big bonus! Overall we had a fantastic experience with SFTH! They really know what they're doing!

I cannot begin to describe just how thrilled we are with our experience adopting from Stray from the Heart. We had always had a plan to adopt a dog when we finally purchased a home. We adopted in the height of the covid pandemic, and the SFTH crew worked tirelessly to get our girl on a flight home. Due to the pandemic United Airlines was not flying pet cargo, and the team did everything they could to bypass United and find a transport flight for our sweet Lucy. I cannot commend Lucy's foster mommy (Ketty) enough for the excellent care she received. It was obvious that Ketty worked hard with our girl. She enjoys her crate, walks beautifully on a leash, is gentle taking treats, and is a class act around the dinner table. When we took her for her first vet appt here in NJ her doctor commented on how well taken care of she was! She has now been with us for a little over a month, and we can't imagine our lives without her. She is the perfect hiking partner and sweetest cuddler. We ask ourselves "how did we get so lucky?" nearly every day. Looking to adopt? Consider Stray from the Heart to match you with your best friend. You can't go wrong with a Sato!

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Ask the Community - Stray From The Heart

Review Highlights - Stray From The Heart

Toni was so kind and helpful through the entire process and clearly cares a great deal for these amazing pups.

Mentioned in 49 reviews

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This organization is absolutely fantastic! They brought our girl Eden to us last summer, and we…read morecould not have asked for a more perfect dog! She adores my son and keeps an eye on him. She's wonderful with our other pups. Jeff Berri and his team are incredibly compassionate. He has an enormous heart for all these pups! We will be rescuing another survivor (or possibly two) from them. We are so excited! If you are seeking a truly honest and caring rescue, NDLB is the one for you. They have so many babies in need of homes.

Our family adopted a dog from one of NDLB's Chinese Sanctuaries in East Asia 7 months ago. I have…read morenothing but praise for all of the staff encountered throughout our adoption process, (which from start to finish took a little more than three months). NDLB is an incredible 501(c) (3) non-profit and their global mission of rescuing dogs and cats from immense suffering and complete abandonment, along with their exceptional care and concern for each survivor (no matter the gravity of each animal's injuries), is nothing short of outstanding. The dog we happened to adopt is a Japanese Akita Inu and happens to go by the name Romeo because he happened to be saved from slaughter on Valentine's Day (on February 14, 2020). The founder of NDLB , Jeff Beri, and his crew actually risked their lives twice to save our dog. Once (due to the strict Covid-19 Restrictions in China at that time and a second time to challenge the people who were about to slaughter him). I personally found all of the NDLB staff I interfaced with during the adoption process very personable and easy to connect with. More importantly, I found the staff demonstrated great care and concern for their animals throughout the adoption process. While waiting for Romeo's freedom flight to New York, we received multiple videos and photo's along with ongoing communication from the NDLB Chinese staff who were with him daily. The New York staff made sure I (along with my husband), understood all the possible challenges that came with adopting a dog from overseas and wanted to make sure we were up for this type of challenge. All I can say is Romeo has completely changed our family's life. Our family over the years has had three dogs. Romeo was our first overseas adoption, by far, he is the most considerate dog we have ever had the pleasure of owning, and is always looking out for our well-being. One last positive has been, over the past months, being able to maintain on going contact with Romeo's team in China, and being able to send photos and videos of him here having all sorts of fun in the USA. (See Romeo enjoying sunbathing below).

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Flatiron

Not sure why this store doesn't have more stars. I picked up my 5wk old kitten today and upon…read moreseeing just how small he was knew I more than likely would need a bottle and formula. I had the absolute pleasure of being helped by Ann, she is the epitome of "great customer service", she was extremely knowledgeable and helped me get formula and bottles and I also purchased a can of kitten pate. Ann was kind enough to take me to a counter in the back to allow my kitten out and provided me with a paper plate and fork and allowed me to feed my little baby bean since he hadn't had breakfast yet. I had a kitten before but it was more than 20 plus years ago so all the advise she provided me was beyond helpful. I went to this location on a whim and glad I did she was so helpful. I didn't get the cashiers name but she was very pleasant and friendly.

I had my dog scheduled for a grooming seeing here, but once I arrived, they refused to do so. My…read moredog's hair had become extremely long and matted in certain areas. I explained that our but was told I could come in-- the initial lady I spoke to for some reason thought my animal was a cat instead of a dog. Once the groomer comes out he's immediately dismissive and refuses to do it. I was not going to put my dog under anesthesia. It wasn't just him refusing but he's literally walking away as I'm talking. I'll never return to this location and stick with the Petsmart in Brooklyn and Staten Island.

Stray From The Heart - animalshelters - Updated May 2026

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