Wow this is my first rescue dog - we adopted a 5 yr old English Pointer named Stuart. This is my 5th dog, but I've always gotten puppies (3 German Shepherds & 1 small mutt dog). I wanted an adult dog to add with our little mutt dog. We've had him for a total of 6 days now. Hands-down this dog is amazing. He's a great example of why you'd want to adopt an adult dog as he's slid right into our family - exceptionally housebroken (learned the sliding glass door immediately), got right in the car & road (continues to do so as he just sits upright or down -no fuss), easy on the leash when walking, doesn't bolt to take off after anything so far, gentle mouth when taking treats, understands no & wants to please, so far no separation anxiety at all, and gets along with my older kids & little dog and knows his basic commands (sit, wait, etc). He's easier than the puppies I've had. He's naturally adjusting in that he has low growled when we hugged to long or he couldn't see - that's normal as he's learning to trust us or at my little dog when she first got too close. But its looking like he's adjusting to her better as she accidentally rolled off the couch on to him as he was sitting below at my feet. She landed on him-he just got up, no growling or anything, more like what happened as he just got up and sat. His anxiety came at night when he threw up bubbles twice but no more now. I appreciated TVAR's relaxed approach in the process when we wanted to meet. I've had a rescue want me to meet on a weekday in the SF avenues to meet the dog as they were in a hurry. For me to get over there with my family to meet meant after school so essentially I wouldn't get back till after 8 PM. We didn't do that but the expectation was too hard and didn't seem practical as we'd be rushing. TVAR was great as they just said meet at the Petfair happening at the Farmer's Market. This worked perfect as we were able to meet in an atmosphere that was us as well as see how Stuart was amongst lots of people and dogs. We were able to take the time to discuss Stuart with his foster Mommy as well as with the TVAR rep. If you ever want to consider an adult dog, I would given Stuart is a textbook fabulous dog. I appreciate the fact that TVAR took the time to save his life so we could find him. We never would have without them. Plus their description was dead-on the money - they weren't overselling him, they actually undersold him given how great he's been so far. Kudos to TVAR. read more

Tri-Valley Animal Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me - Dublin, California

I've adopted two cats and have had a wonderful experience! So thankful for shelters like this that take great care of animals in their care.

They are the best at animal rescue and placement! Their kitten program is amazing. I donate every year to this very worthwhile organization read more

Got the best cat Jeff here!! Valley humane is the best and I had just moved to Pleasanton and was really wanting a cat for our little apartment so I didn't feel lonely staying home and they took such good care of me and were super kind! 10/10 read more

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TVAR is a fantastic organization with a lot of volunteers with big hearts. They work out of the animal shelter in Dublin, and there are also adoption events at the Petsmart in Dublin every weekend. The volunteers there were extremely helpful to me when my cat ran away. Their encouragement and support were amazing. They were as happy as I was when I found my Felix. Check them out when you're ready for a new addition to your family. read more

Such a wonderful organization. We have adopted 5 cats through TVAR over the years. Yesterday we had the great pleasure of adopting a new little man into the family. We've had our eye on him for a couple of weeks and I have been so impressed that every time we have come to look at him at Pet Food Express, a TVAR volunteer has been there caring for all of the cats. They are clean, entertained and loved on and it shows. Our new little man is in great health, having been neutered, vaccinated, tested and socialized already. Our adoption process with Donna was absolutely warm, supportive and you can tell she really knows and loves the babies in her care as do all the fosters at TVAR. I have been and remain a huge fan of the wonderfully caring humans who make sure these cats and dogs find a good home, but are well cared for and loved until that happens! read more

We adopted Sonny, a black kitten, from Donna and it has been an amazing experience. Sonny is a perfect fit to our family. Donna made the adoption easy and checked up on us to make sure we didn't need anything or had unanswered questions. Highly recommend them to anyone looking for furry friends! read more

Find another place to adopt. My kids (13 and 11) fell in love with a little dog they had available. I'm a single mom, maybe that's why we didn't make the cut. Because from the get-go, we were met with a cold reception by the volunteers who simply instructed us to fill up an application online. They don't even make eye contact. I spent about an hour filling up the application and waited. The dog was adopted to another family. We found out after they updated their website. No one bothered to even respond back. read more

Such a great organization. I was able to meet the foster parent at a local pet store. After meet and greet, sending in online application, we were the lucky family and got selected. We went back to the store to meet the foster parent and the coordinator, Jeff. They spent almost an hr with us giving us the basics, filling out our forms with us and super helpful answering our questions. I couldn't believe how much time is spent by this org and their fosters to help get their animals adopted. Definitely a great org to support! read more

We adopted our German shepherd mix, Pumbaa, five weeks ago. We had a wonderful experience with this animal rescue. We got to meet the foster mom, Laura, who was great and really open and honest about her experience with our dog. In fact, we were looking at a different dog and after we shared with her what lifestyle we have and what we were hoping for, she recommended Pumbaa. We have been having so much fun with our puppy and appreciate how well this rescue knows their dogs. Prior to adopting Pumbaa, we adopted a dog from ARF and although we support this wonderful organization, they clearly do not know a lot about the dogs that are up for adoption. We appreciated the in-depth knowledge Tri-Valley had and cannot be happier with our pup. Thank you Tri-Valley for this wonderful experience and for Pumbaa. And a special thank you to Laura for being an awesome foster mom. read more

I emailed them about a puppy, was told that because I am a single person who works, I couldn't adopt a puppy. I have since asked about older dogs and don't get any replies at all. We went with another rescue and have since learned that TVAR does this often to single women...very unfortunate...the same puppy took 4 months to be adopted after I applied. read more

Last year I had a nightmare working as a foster for this rescue. My contact was Jeff and he suddenly removed a litter of kittens from my care out of nothing but spite. My children had grown attached to this litter and we had been planning to adopt two of the kittens as well. Apparently Jeff had issues with the amount of questions/concerns I had or something like that, but I am an experienced rescue who took superb care of the cats and did not deserve to be mistreated. I will never work with a rescue again after this experience and I highly doubt any of the cats we were fostering ever got adopted. I will never know because they do not care to tell anyone what is really going on behind closed doors. I would strongly advise people to adopt from more ethical rescues that respect the animals and the fostering community so that pet welfare comes first. I have since heard a great meany negative things about TVAR. read more

This is a review long over due! In 2005 I finally was in the position to get a dog. I started the look and fell on love with a 3 legged puggle mix named copper. The day I met him my heart was taken. I fell for his little face and personality! I met his foster mom and I couldn't have wished for a nicer woman to love my baby. The entire experience was wonderful and he came home with me that day! I cannot thank them enough for loving my baby until he came to his forever home. read more

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We loved working with them. We'd been looking for a few weeks at shelters and my wife filled out one of their applications for an "event" at a local pet store. There were 5 great playful puppies. Prospective owners were taken in order of when they turned in their applications. We were 4th. We watched as the pups we preferred were adopted before our turn. As it turned out, the universe had a plan. When we picked up Posey, it was love at first squeeze. She obviously had been very well taken care of and was as sweet as could be. We were able to ask lots of questions of the TVAR woman running the event. The adoption process and paperwork were fairly straight forward. Posey had already been fixed which was fantastic. Our first week with the pup has been really wonderful. They do seem a bit picky about who they allow to adopt but for puppies, there is not a shortage of families looking so I guess they can be selective. read more

Tri-Valley Animal Rescue - Thanks TVAR for this awesome pup! She's wonderful ~ - Animal Shelters Near Me - Dublin, California

We adopted a cat from TVAR about a week and a half ago and we are in love with him. The volunteers that help with the adoption (Terri helps with grown cats) and those that foster these pets are wonderful people. They are really dedicated to doing everything they can to help these homeless pets find forever homes. The fees are pennies compared to what you'd pay if you adopted outside or privately as for a $50 adoption fee, our little angel came nuetured, dewormed, had all his shots and was micro chipped. The micro chip alone probably would have cost me $50. If you are looking for a cat, they usually have some in the PetsMart adoption area. This is where we found out little guy. I think they also do adoption events every weekend (both cats and dogs) at the same Dublin PetsMart. This is the organization to adopt from if you are in the tri-valley and looking for an awesome rescue pet. And remember, rescue pets are the best. read more

No fault of their own but fault on my part for not updating this review sooner! The little doggie I spoke of prior did go back to TVAR on account that he was much too much dog for his tiny physique. We collectively could not give him the time and energy he needed to flourish into an upstanding yet little guy. I do thank his foster mom for agreeing to take him back and I thought it was very nice of them to return the money spent to adopt him although it took nearly two months to get a check in the mail. While I don't think we'll be on the lookout for another little one anytime soon, I still recommend TVAR to anyone that is. read more

When I was growing up in the Tri Valley I volunteered here and saw that they had huge potential! Small but nice facility, lots of great dogs, but unlike LA the average sized dog is less than 20 lbs. and the rotation is short for pets; my 2 years there I never saw a single pet left behind. It's near residential and commercial and they allow you to bring your current pet to meet the possible new member to the family. So bring you pets on by and bring home a new little brother or sister for them to enjoy! read more

Came here for the first time yesterday and was really impressed with the facility and staff. You can tell that they really care about the animals and it seems like the adoption process is pretty smooth. We didn't adopt a pet but are definitely considering volunteering. read more

This is a great organization and a great place to adopt a pet. They work with the animals before they adopt them out so that the adoptions are succesful. They are a huge hearted group of people! read more

I am in awe of the staff at TVAR! The volunteers and foster parents are incredible. I adopted a cute little terrier mix Courtney who was loved and very well cared for by her foster mom. They are thorough in choosing homes for their pups and easy to work with. Thank you to TVAR and all the foster families! read more

Tri-Valley Animal Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me - Dublin, California

I had a great experience with TVAR. I was working with Dawn on the adoption app to adopt a puppy. Dawn approved my application very fast. I went to the Pleasant Farmers Market to meet the puppies with my family. I asked for Dawn and Jenny already was expecting me since Dawn was not there. They brought my husband and I to the puppies and since we were pre approved they let us take our time and pick one. Picking one was the hardest part. They were all so cute. We picked Dahlia, we renamed her Rhea:) They really worked with us. We went there on a Saturday morning on our way to go hiking in Yosemite. They kept the puppy for us until Tuesday afternoon when we were on our way back from our trip. Jenny and Dawn went out of their way to meet with us. I really appreciated them keeping Rhea until we returned. Thank you again for all your hard work....my family recognizes how tuff your job is! read more

Sad to say, I am not impressed at all with TVAR. The interaction my friends and I had with one of the ladies there was downright rude and disrespectful on all accounts. Every Saturday, those who foster dogs from TVAR, bring them to Pleasanton for an adoption fair. Yesterday, my friends (who are fostering a pup) and I did just that. One of the ladies, Cindy (do not know her last name), came to the fair and immediately saw the pup and went over and talked to him and greeted him. She completely ignored my friends who are fostering him. There was a couple there interested in adopting him but wanted to see how he interacted with their current dog. Cindy, spent the whole time talking to the couple and the President of TVAR and did not even acknowledge my friends. Did not even include them in the plans to let the two dogs meet. Just took aver completely with total disregard for my friends. Before we left, my friends were standing with Cindy and the president and the two of them had yet another conversation about setting up the meeting between my friends foster pup and the couples dog. And again, they completely ignored my friends and proceeded to make plans for the dog meeting. From the time Cindy got to the adoption fair, she took complete control of the situation. Not even talking to my friends, just literally came over and grabbed the pups leash and walked away with him. She never once asked my friends how the fostering was going, how the pup was getting along or anything. At one point, another dog that was at the park, happened by and the pup and it sniffed each other and Cindy said, "Oh, we don't allow that" When asked "what" they don't allow, Cindy said, "To allow our dogs to interact with other dogs that aren't ours" The guy who was walking the other dog said, "Well, he is one of your dogs. We adopted him fro you. Cindy looked him dead in the eye and said. "Well, you adopted him, so he's not ours anymore" and proceeded to pull the pup away. TVAR rely HEAVILY and the training "skills" of a dog trainer named Shane. When Cindy and the President of TVAR were discussing the meeting of the pup and the couples dog, they said that Shane would have to be involved in the meeting. My friend asked her why and Cindy had a very perplexed look on her face and said, "Because he is a trainer and he trained the other couples dog and the pup and he can tell by their body language if there will be aggression or not". My friends said, "Well, you don't need to be a trainer to tell if a dog is aggressive. Why won't you let us and the couple meet on our own with the dogs and see how they react. Cindy said, "Oh no, we won't do that. We never question our trainers" That seriously worries me that they will take the word of a "trainer" to heart that way. When we picked up the pup from Shane, he was very skinny and when we got him back to my friends house, we fed him and he devoured the food like he hadn't eaten in days, Shane believes in the "treat motivated" way of training a dog. I almost felt as if the pup had not been fed so that Shane could make sure the pup would do what he wanted just to get something to eat! All in all, TVAR is not a very good organization. Apparently they have a "we don't give a damn about you" type attitude. I would not recommend them to anyone. read more

So heart-broken! TVAR stole my friends' dog and is refusing to let them see their pet. I know there are two sides to every story, but the staff and Board of Directors are hiding behind lawyers instead of even talking to my friend and his wife. The dog got lost from their 100 acre ranch, and my friends spent a month posting flyers and checking shelters before finding their dog. Of course in that time the dog got dirty, unbrushed, and who knows what he got into trying to find his home again, but the shelter is claiming that he was abused. Not possible. My friends have had horses, dogs, cats, kids, goats, chickens, and all manner of creatures on their sprawling ranch forever. They are solid, loving, generous, and kind people. Over the summer, my friend's wife was literally nursing a bird with a broken wing. The worst part is that the shelter won't even talk to my friends or come visit their home to see just how great of an environment it is for any animal. My friends are the MOST loving and kind pro-animal people too. SHAME ON TRI-VALLEY!!! TVAR is cruel to separate this family from their dog with absolutely no reasonable basis for their claim. How many other people's animals have they stolen??? What a terrible organization!!! read more

my sister went down there with her.whole family and got refused to adopt a puppy because my niece the youngest acted weird towards the puppy that is the same reason they were try to get a dog .... it took a whole of convincing my sister to get her kids a dog and to adopt not buy and she went through you guys and had the worst time her kids came out crying .... you guys really missed out on a good family for any of those dogs ... and you dont have to be rude its your job you chose to work there be professional read more

This is a wonderful group of people that are really trying to do right by the animals in their care. I am so glad that I found them. I thought I was highly educated on adopting a pet, but I have learned do much from the Tvar volunteers. read more

My family and I adopted a TVAR cat that we saw at PetSmart. We worked with Terry, and she was awesome. When we first inquired about the cat at the store, we found out that Terry was not on-site, and it was later in the evening when I got in touch with her. She dropped everything and met us at the store. A few months ago I fostered 2 stray dogs that were dumped on my street. I contacted TVAR to help get the word out that I had these 2 adorable dogs that needed homes. They were kind enough to pass on my messages to their facebook page, and even reached out to some foster homes in the area. I felt they went above and beyond to help me with this situation. This is a team doing amazing things for our community. Thank you, TVAR. Keep up the good work! read more

We recently went to Petsmart to get some toys for our cats and we noticed that there dogs that were ready to be adopted. We were very hesitant about getting another dog after our dog has passed but when we saw this tan terrier dog we knew this was the one. We played with him and bonded with him and knew right off the bat that this was our forever dog. We spoke with the two ladies and the foster momma and she gave us great detail about this dog. We wanted to make sure we knew everything before jumping. We have always wanted to adopt from a rescue because we believe in helping dogs versus buying from a breeder. To say the least they were VERY friendly and wanted to make sure they had a good home. We have had our doggy for three days and we could not be any happier!!! He is an awesome dog and we are so BLESSED to have him in our family!!! read more

One of the best experiences I have had in my life was with tri-Valley animal rescue. I decided to be a foster for a mama kitty and her three kittens. There was a lady by the name of Terry who stepped me through the entire process. She even came to my house several times to check on the kittens and administer shots. In the end I was able to find homes quickly for the kittens but I became so attached to the mama kitty that I adopted her myself at no cost. This is a great organization so if you love animals I would recommend that you volunteer or provide donations. read more

What a great experience with TVAR! We adopted a kitten at the Maddies event last year and she is such a great cat! We have had her for over a year now and she is just the best! Dawn did such a great job with her! I will definitely adopt from them again if the time comes! read more

This is a great organization to adopt a pet from. They have very reasonable adoption fees and requirements. They have wonderful volunteer programs: kids 10+ can join the Teen/Junior Volunteer Program and walk dogs and socialize cats at the East County Animal Shelter. Unlike most places in the bay area, kids actually get to interact with the animals when they volunteer here; its probably the best animal volunteer opportunity in the bay area for kids. Note: All these people saying TVAR has a wonderful "facility" are confused. TVAR is a foster based group; they don't have a "facility" at all. They have an office at the East County Animal Shelter. People who are referring to TVAR's "facility" are likely confusing them with the Tri-Valley SPCA, which is across the street from ECAS. read more

Love love them ! My family and I have now 3 dogs and 1 cat... I adopted my own pup this weekend for maddie's adoption program going on this weekend! His name is Stuart, he is the sweetest thing in the world, and I couldn't be happier. The staff was friendly and helpful! Who wouldn't love a bunch of amazing people spending their time to find animals a home?! read more

The people here are so sweet, and you can tell they really care about the animals. We adopted our German Shepherd mix from here years back, and the experience could not have been better. They were very helpful, and the fee is very low. read more

We found a beautiful, smart and well rounded German Shepherd not quite 2 weeks ago. This was a GREAT experience for my family. We filled out the online application and didn't have to wait long to hear back. We talked on the phone with the foster parents, both asking and answering questions. It sounded like a great match so we made arrangements to go to the foster home to meet her. She was very well taken care of and was everything that her foster parents Bob & Ginny said she was. We invited them to come to our home as they wanted to meet the entire family and see how she would be living. Everything went smoothly and she has been a great addition to our home. I would greatly recommend TVAR as they not only have great foster parents but they have good measures in place to make sure that both the dog and the family are getting all their needs met. I was very impressed with this organization! read more

Tri-Valley Animal Rescue - Beautiful girl Lotte - Animal Shelters Near Me - Dublin, California

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Tri-Valley Animal Rescue is truly dedicated to finding good homes for their rescues. Our family is now larger by one thanks to TVAR. We adopted Thor, a beautiful 2 month old puppy, who is just a delight. They responded quickly to my application, and within 2 weeks we were meeting and adopting our puppy. He is healthy and very happy to be with his forever home. We will be forever grateful to everyone involved in helping us. read more

On Saturday, June 1, 2013, we adopted the newest member of our family. Nigel has turned out to be a perfect fit. Our experience with TVAR was very rewarding. They took care of all the paperwork; all we had to do was fill out a couple of forms and he was ours. TVAR had him seen by a vet, saw to it his vaccinations were up to date and confirmed that he was neutered. The even had him groomed! We met with Nigel's foster mom. She filled us in on all the inside scoop on Nigel, e.g. he likes tummy rubs and to avoid tennis balls. To foster animals is calling for very special people. They give stray and unwanted animals a chance at life. We are very grateful to Nigel's foster mom for looking after him until we found each other. read more

Tri-Valley Animal Rescue is the best! I have received two rescue cats from them, 8Ball and Tiger, formerly Domino and Earl. The fosters at Pet-Smart were terrific. They told us about the personality of each cat so that we picked a good fit for our family. Both cats have been a wonderful additions to our family. 8Ball was abandoned with two siblings at a few days. I don't know if she was feral or not, but she was eye dropper fed and now is a very sweet, and social cat who gets along well with the other two cats and dog. She likes to snuggle under the covers and I have often wondered if that is because she did that as a tiny kitten. She and Tiger were obviously loved and cared for well by their foster families. TVAR also helped us when my daughter found a neglected stray. Today that cat has healed and has rescued a local family. We have been told that everyone is thrilled with the new family addition. Although we are maxed out with animals right now, when they become animal angels, we will be adopting from TVAR again! Thanks TVAR! read more

This is a wonderful organization. The volunteers take very good care of their animals and work hard to find good homes for them. Tri-Valley Animal Rescue does not have its own shelter. All of the animals are in foster homes and they bring them to mobile events on the weekends. This is a group that I support. They save over 1,000 animals each year! read more

I adopted my two cats from TVAR 12 years ago. They have brought so much joy to our family that I wanted to pay it forward. So I am fostering a litter of kittens now for TVAR. The support that I have been given from the foster coordinator and vet tech is amazing. They have been with me every step of the way. I think TVAR is a wonderful organization! read more

Boy, between VHS and TVAR- neither could help me. VHS just flat out turned me away without any suggestions as where to turn and what to do. TVAR did give me suggestions but when I replied back with a question about "ME" fostering this little kitten and maybe them helping me find a home I got a very "cold and curt" reply telling me she had "already answered my questions"...........wow. It's like I am asking for their right arm wanting to help them find a home for this kitten!! Disappointment to say the least. read more

THEY SOLD MY CAT!! When a representative of Tri-Valley Animal Rescue ("TVAR") in Pleasantonton/Dublin area of Northern California contacted me on 12/28/2011 to discuss a lost cat that had my info on his microchip, the conversation was nothing less than an extremely invasive and hostile interrogation. She evaded my questions throughout the entire discussion and was more concerned with assessing my credibility and ability as a pet owner. I advised her that I would immediately fly thousands of miles to pick him up, if she had my cat that was lost years ago. I told her that I would call her later that evening for further discussion and she agreed. Later, I left several messages for her but did not receive the courtesy of a response. I was able to get a hold of her on the phone at her work the next day. Now she said that the cat was an "owner surrender" at a county shelter and that her group had rights to do whatever they'd like with him. She decided to keep my cat in a cage at PetSmart in Dublin, CA - without knowing if/when this adult cat might ever be wanted by anyone ever. I reached out to the TVAR's president, but received the same response. TVAR refused to provide much info, and my only guess was that someone somehow had adopted my cat, took care of him, but had to drop him off at a county shelter recently. County shelter said that they considered microchip info irrelevant in a situation where the person who surrenders an animal does not match the person the microchip. Understandable as they probably are overwhelmed with number of daily intake of animals. PetSmart that was housing my cat said that they only provided the space in the store and nothing else. On 12/31/2011, a few strangers contacted TVAR and PetSmart on my behalf . Within hours, my cat disappeared from the PetSmart cage & their website. TVAR told me that my cat was now "re-homed". I begged TVAR to let the new owners know that I'd be happy to pay for another cat for them. TVAR refused. Surprised that a "rescue" group would act such an inhumane way, I looked into TVAR more closely. My findings were nothing less than shocking; ASPCA estimates that 2% of cats and 10-20% of dogs are returned to their owners. If 10% average rate was used, TVAR should have been able to reunite 430 pets & their owners, but they returned only 5 animals in four years (no typo, only five!) I have no idea to this day what they really did with my cat. I am angry that TVAR classifies itself as a "charity" and is funded by public donation, yet failed to return the cat - regardless of their "legal" rights. I am outraged that TVAR chose to keep this cat in a cage when he had a home to go to immediately on 12/28/2011. It pains me to think how many of those animals that they sold had owners like me, desperately trying to get their animal returned to them. I apologize to truly caring volunteers and the public that support TVAR with their time/money/hearts to help animals. But, as my personal experience proves, TVAR has lost its true cause and is just a money-making machine disguised as a non-profit organization. read more