I adopted my doggie there in Dec. I had a great experience. They were very responsive with my questions on adoption. Great experience. I encourage people to check them out . Wish I could give them all a home. Check out sweet boy Cosmo and cat Gus if they are still there. Thank you!!! read more

To the person who adopted Annie If you adopted a brown chihuahua mix named Annie, I am her foster mom and wanted to you to know a little about her personality. please know she was very loved and she's very smart and knows many commands. She loves her little squeaky piggy toy to play fetch with. She eats Pure farm to bowl small breed kibble brand and bacon treats are her fav. She absolutely hates going potty indoors and if it happens on she will get your attention and wants you to clean it asap. So making sure she goes out to do her business is very important her. Wish I would have been able to give the new family her toys, clothes and just insight on the her daily routine and likes and dislikes. Now my review of the rescue and this is solely my experience with fostering for this rescue. I decided to foster after my dog passed away. They asked me to come in and take a look to see who was a good fit, but when I got there I was immediately given a dog to foster. I was rushed out of there and given the bed, blanket and a bag of food. Laura the person that runs the rescue maybe great with the animals but terrible people skills. When I brought the Annie home she was eating her poop which means she was being starved. We quickly corrected that behavior. Whenever I brought the dog in for an adoption event which for the TWO years I fostered her was only 2 events and one appointment every time Laura stated the dog was overweight at 18lbs mind you she was a chihuahua mix so of course she was not your full breed average weight but this dog was loved, spoiled and kept on a routine of a daily walks to the park and an afternoon walk on the block. She was getting great exercise and proper nutrition with proper vet care because I took on all the financial responsibilities of vet bills and the best minimal ingredient foods. She stated that fat dogs don't get adopted. If a person is going to say this about a dog then they should not be allowed to adopt at all. I never heard from Laura, no one ever checked on the dog. This was so weird to me because how is the dog supposed get adopted if you don't show her at the adoption events. They don't keep up with social media like other rescues. Commutation with this rescue seriously needs to improve. This was probably the worst experience I've had with fostering. The last time I took the Annie in for a potential adoption appointment, was the last time I saw her. Laura promised to upadate me and send a video of her with her new family but I never got that. I asked and she said she was not adopted but never asked me to foster again. I also hesitated to offer because it meant that I would have to continue to deal with Laura. All communication just stopped. They are so crowded but yet don't care to have fosters for their dogs. It wasn't until we checked the website recently that we found out the dog was finally adopted. We are sad that we didn't get to see her adoption and would never help this rescue again. read more

VIDA Rescue - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Rowland Heights, California

Review for Vida Shelter Called Vida Shelter thinking I'd get help adopting a pet -- silly me. Instead, I was met with a condescending attitude and a "process" that makes zero sense. I asked about one specific pet and was told I needed to scroll through every bio on their site first. Seriously? If I wanted to waste my afternoon reading pet bios like it's a full-time job, I'd at least expect basic respect on the phone. The woman clearly couldn't be bothered -- rude tone, constant interruptions, and acting like she couldn't hear me (or maybe just didn't want to). I ended the call because it was clear: they don't want to help, they want to make it as difficult and unpleasant as possible. If you enjoy being talked down to and sent on a scavenger hunt just to adopt a pet, this place is for you. Otherwise, do yourself a favor and look elsewhere. Time is valuable -- especially when you're trying to do something good like adopt. There are shelters that respect both your time and your heart. Vida is not one of them. read more

I think Vida Rescue is great! I adopted my puppy there back in Aug 2022 to pair with my senior dog and it was the best decision ever. It was quick and seamless since I had already zero'd in on a couple of potential dogs. Right when I looked at the puppy they brought out I immediately snatched him! I think people need to understand that shelters/rescues are very tough environments, if everyone is expecting these dogs/cats to be in perfect condition when they get them, then I don't know what to say. Adopting a pet is serious stuff and can be a big financial/time burden. This isn't going and picking out a toy. VIDA Rescue is doing God's work in my opinion. read more

Update 8/2 - Five freakin weeks later and we are STILL dealing with the constant headache of ringworm. Which is highly contagious and there was absolutely exposure at the facility. It's a giant pain in the ass. Kitten has been isolated in a bathroom for the entire 5 weeks. She's clearly restless and bored, and not getting the socialization she needs. I feel terrible and interacting with her as much as I can, but it's vet's orders to isolate her. :( Not to mention having to jam a syringe of medication in her mouth every day, which gets harder every time because she hates it. It's awful. The cleaning required for ringworm is never ending. I'm talking every few days - laundry, vacuum, swiffer, lint roll all fabrics, dust, mop with bleach, and wipe down our ENTIRE HOME. The whole ordeal has been incredibly exhausting, stressful, time consuming, and expensive. I'm glad I saved this poor kitten's little life and she's almost totally better, but good grief! This is not at all what I thought I was signing up for when Vida insisted she was "healthy and good to go!" Vida is just plain dishonest. I've received replies to my previous review and seen newer reviews saying they experienced the same - multiple surprise health issues: ringworm, fleas, URIs, worms, FIV, etc. in supposedly "healthy" animals. I know they want to get them adopted, but lying to people to achieve that is not okay. I have no doubt that the absolutely disgusting, unsanitary conditions at Vida contributed to these poor animals' health issues. I thought we would have all summer to bond with and socialize our new kitty, but instead she's been locked in a room almost the entire time. :( Do NOT adopt from here unless you are willing and able to care for a potentially very sick animal. If you are, kudos to you - that's amazing! but adopters shouldn't be tricked into it. They should have the opportunity to make an informed decision. Not everyone has the time, money, or resources to care for animals this sick for months on end. Not to mention the risk it presents to other pets in the home!!! read more

They steal family pets and list them for adoption, tearing families apart in the process. My goddaughter just lost her father, and Daisy (who VIDA RESCUE renamed "Aurora") became her emotional support dog through that heartbreak. Instead of reuniting Daisy with the loving home she already had, Vida Rescue is exploiting her, putting her up for adoption when they were supposed to simply hold her after being rescued from neglectful breeders. My best friend, a single mother, has been the one financially and emotionally responsible for Daisy. She gave Daisy stability, care, and love. But Vida Rescue refuses to give her back. This organization does NOT protect animals, they profit off people's pain. Don't be fooled. Don't support them. read more

After weeks of research and dealing with other really shitty rescues and shelters, I found Jack (now renamed Jagger) at Vida rescue through petfinder. His eyes pulled at my heartstrings. The team at vida rescue were kind, helpful and made this a wonderful experience. From the team member I spoke to on the phone, to the team that helped me via email with all of my questions and application. They were responsive and friendly. When I arrived at the rescue they had Jack and another dog I wanted to meet read to see me. They answered all my questions and made me feel very comfortable with the process. He is healthy and a sweetheart who is potty trained and well behaved. I'm so grateful to have a new adventure and snuggle buddy. Thank you Vida team. read more

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As a volunteer at VIDA Rescue I see that all the dogs and cats are very well taken care of. The staff welcome all volunteers to work with the animals or around the facility to keep it clean and safe. The staff are very patient when explaining new tasks to people. read more

A year ago my 80 year old grandmother wanted to adopt a cat. I contacted VIDA to inquire about cats, and I was invited into the cat sanctuary where I met so many loving and cats in need of a home. I picked a few that I thought would be a good fit for my grandma. I let them know she was in a wheel chair and wanted to meet cats before adopting, and the area was handicap accessible which was so refreshing and nice. Fast forward to a year later and we have the most loving and loyal cat, Bella. VIDA took the time to make sure we got the perfect cat for our family. They were friendly, informative & quick to get us through the adoption process. Will always recommend to my friends and family read more

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We adopted our dog Peanut from her back in November and I'm so happy with our new fur baby. I want to thank this organization for taking such good care of the animals in need. Thank you especially to Laura Sandoval for being such a great foster parent to our little Peanut. He's so loving and happy and well behaved. We couldn't have asked for more. The staff at Vida rescue were all very nice and professional and I hope that all their sweet animals will be rescued and taken to loving homes. read more

I applied for a dog and was contacted the next day. They were very kind and I was able to have a trial week with the dog to see if it was a good match. I got lucky. A week later, he was mine. Everything was done over the phone and it was hassle free. The -1 star is for not reporting that his skin was neglected. They didn't show this in the pictures either. Based on other reviews, it seems like they avoid talking about the negatives of the animal. Nevertheless, this didn't deter me from adopting my new dog. I know the work that comes with adoption. Overall, I'd recommend VIDA based on staff promptness and easy communication. Thanks you VIDA! read more

At first I was skeptical about adopting my doggy here because of the other reviews but my family and I went ahead and made an appointment to meet one their dogs. I am so glad I did! He is completely healthy (I've taken him to my own vet they did blood work/test). When we went to meet our puppy they gave us enough time to interact with him. I have two toddlers so this was important to me. The staff was really friendly and welcoming! They told me they would send me all my puppy's paperwork within 3 days. I never received them in 3 days, I called and the lady that helped me (I believe Laura) right away sent me the paperwork within a couple of hours of contacting her. My family and I are so happy with our new family member! Thank you VIDA Rescue! read more

VIDA Rescue - Our little Hunter happy in his new yard! - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Rowland Heights, California

I reached out for information on rehoming my dog and the volunteer who responded to me was so rude and out of line. Sometimes circumstances don't allow for people to keep their dogs. It's not the place of a volunteer or anyone for that matter, to make us feel guilty for that. I could easily "Dump" my dog at any animal shelter regardless of what will happen to him. I use the word "Dump" because it is a favorite among people who run rescues. Rather than easily leaving my dog at a shelter, I'm trying my hardest to find a good home for him. I was told by this volunteer that "they are tired and frustrated working around the clock because people dump their animals" After reading the reviews about all their dogs being sick, I'm glad I changed my mind on this place. Don't want to leave my dog at a place where he will get sick read more

This is a great rescue! We were looking for a brother for our Dog Meatball, who we rescued from LoveJoy back in May. We found a great dog at Caring Songs but they wanted $650 for the dog, which was a bit steep so we decided to keep looking. We found Brody on Petfinder and inquired about him. Kirsten contacted us and we set up a meet and greet with Brody and our Dog at their shelter in Rowland Heights. They got along great so we decided to pull the trigger. The adoption fee was $350 and they provided some food, treats and a leash, which was really nice. They were getting the dog neutered and contacted us when he was ready for pickup. Since we live in North Hollywood, they met us at Griffith Park to pick up the pup. Great Rescue!! read more

VIDA Rescue - Hubby taking dogs for a walk - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Rowland Heights, California

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Please consider reading all, as we would not have adopted here had we known the following: We adopted princess (renamed her to Millie), a 4 month old border collie on March 19th. We tried to sit down to talk to someone at the agency for our adoption appointment, and we met with the Laura. We were supposed to meet with Jocelyn, but we were told that she didn't come in that day. No one came to talk to us as we met the dog. After a few attempts to talk to someone at the agency about the dog, we were told by Laura we had to make a decision in two minutes because the director had somewhere to be and she could just adopt the dog to someone else the next day. She told us that the dog was well behaved and sweet, so we decided to take her, as it sounded too good to be true, which it was. When we picked her up she had already been spayed, which seemed young at only 4 months. She did not have a cone on, so we got her one as to not pick at stitches. After two days in the apartment, it was clear that the dog had needs that were greater than we could provide in an apartment (showing signs of aggression, stuff/rigid body language, snapping at other dogs, lunging at people, an attempt to bite our neighbor, snarling and barking at everyone she saw). These could be properly addressed if we lived in a more rural area and not a city, with minimized stressors to meet her where she's at and work on her behavioral needs. After speaking with multiple people including a vet, and doing research, we decided to return her to the facility in hopes that they would adopt her to someone who has more resources than us. While trying to speak with someone, Laura would not sit with me even though I insisted that this was important, she continued cleaning promising me that she was listening but that she had an adoption appointment in 5 minutes. We were told again by Laura that we were overreacting, and that the solution was to tug at the collar when she barked and it would fix itself. We told her that this was not normal behavior but she insisted that since she had not seen the dog behave this way that they would not inform the next people of this behavior. We told her we had advice from a vet (a professional), and she told us that we saw a vet too soon and that vets don't always know dog behavior???? She also denied the need for the cone due to her not seeing the dog pick at the stitches. The interaction ended after she attempted to hand us a random puppy since we still had credit for a dog. Of course we declined. We are beyond upset at the lack of respect and professionalism when the life of another animal is being discussed. If we could take her back and bring her to another agency we would. Please be careful if you come here, you will not have all of the information and it may end with you being very upset and frustrated. read more

I gave VIDA a 1 star because they gave me an extremely sick cat that will forever have corona virus. (This means every single cat they have now HAS corona virus) be AWARE! If you have time, energy and money to go SAVE these cats and dogs please go and adopt here! If you are looking for healthy animals this is NOT the place. I had a whole situation with these people, called them emailed them to ask for help about why she was sick when I got home with her ( I was Fostering her I didn't even buy her yet!) they took 1 week to reply and they had the audacity to say she wasn't sick when she was there when in fact she was and she had feces all over her. I decided never to bring her back and heal her myself after 3 vet visits and the advice they were giving me. ( I started a go fund me due to how much it was) I saved her life but these people are terrible and my cat that I got from them would've been better off on the streets then in there HANDS! Feel free to comment and ask questions about my whole experience with this SHITTY - NON RESCUE center. read more

Like many other reviewers has stated, they are giving you sick pets! I adopted my puppy two weeks ago. Brought her home, and noticed she was not bathe properly and had matted, dried poo stuck to her fur near her anus. We also noticed she was suffering from frequent diarrhea. We, initially, thought it was due to food sensitivity from a new dog food brand, but her symptoms progressively gotten worse, and she was having diarrhea nearly 5x/day with bloody stool. We rushed her over to the vet. The vet ordered parvo test, stool test, antibiotics, and gave her some fluids (due to dehydration from excessive diarrhea). We got our puppy's test results back and she tested POSITIVE FOR ROUND WORMS AND PARASITES. Vida rescue is appalling!! They don't screen their pets to make sure they are healthy before posting them for adoption! Within two weeks, I am spending $300+ on vet bills to treat our puppy's roundworms. F*CK VIDA RESCUE!! THEY CHARGE YOU $475 FOR A SICK DOG!! read more

Incompetent staff- I adopted a puppy here, and they assured me I paid for ALL vaccinations and neuter to be done later. They are very rude volunteers, sent me 4 different sets of (different) inaccurate medical records, and then didn't even know who the puppy was 30 minutes after they gave him shots. After I complained that they gave me 4 different sets of conflicting records they responded with the following message: (Copy/pasted)- "I don't know what you're complaining about. You got a third DHPP at no charge. He is done with series of puppy shots. Whatever error was made on a date you need to put that behind. We are humans you got a third set of shots for free." FYI- I did NOT get anything for free but offered to pay anyway! read more

We adopted a puppy from this organization and within a few days she was exhibiting some serious issues. Constant diarrhea and coughing at night. We took her to our vet and confirmed she had roundworms, giardia, and kennel cough. After approximately over $500 of our own money on vet exam fees, treatment/medication, and multiple stool samples we were able to confirm she was parasite free. The owner i believe Laura is probably the most unhelpful and dishonest person we've dealt with and this was after just a 5 minute phone call. We called to inform her of all the health issues we had with our puppy and the very first thing out of her mouth was "kennel cough is like nothing, its just like a cold". Straight out of the gate, she was deflecting, and avoiding any and all responsibility and complete ignorance to the situation. All she kept asking was if we texted her about the issue. I told her we did not leave a text but we called over a dozen times over a span of a week and we never heard a callback. Basically she said she cant help us because we didnt inform her via text to her personal phone. The only thing she offered to do was to get a quote of how much the medication cost for the parasites. I told her we have half a dozen invoices from our vet and the total was a little over $500. She basically laughed it off and said shes not reimbursing us anything close to that amount. When i confronted her about her yelp page and just how many other people here confirmed their pets had parasites after adopting from her organization, she got defensive and started raising her voice at me saying "DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE DROP OFF PETS? WE DONT HAVE ENOUGH MONEY AND WE DO THIS FOR FREE. WHY DONT YOU VOLUNTEER AND HELP?" At this point i lost my temper and cursed at her and she immediately hung up the phone. The other serious issue beside the owner being unprofessional is that this company boasts the fact that they offer FREE Pet Insurance for the 1st month of ownership through a Pet Insurance company called Met Life Pet Insurance. Vida provides the paperwork to all adoptees to be qualified to register for the free month HOWEVER Vida's SOP (standard operating procedure) is that they will EMAIL the paperwork to adoptees within 24 hours. We got our paperwork about 3-4 days after adopting our pet and this was after I called them several times after 24 hours of not receiving the paperwork. We registered for Met Life Pet Insurance literally the moment we got the paperwork via email. When we submitted all our invoices to Met Life so they could cover our cost, we got denied due to the fact that we didnt register our puppy the day we adopted her. We told MetLife we didnt get the paperwork until 3-4 days after but they couldnt help us so we ending up paying for all medical bills. VIDA KNOWS THIS and they are actively scamming people by providing paperwork late and Laura has nerve to tell me through text that it was my fault i got denied because we didnt file the paperwork correctly. Please avoid adopting from this organization. These people need to shut down as they are completely incapable of running a rescue org. They are providing false information on their services, their facility apparently is extremely dirty considering the amount of other adoptees that have had similar health issues with their pets. We witnessed a kitten that was caged with a big sign saying "RINGWORMS" right next to a bunch of free roaming puppies. Keep in mind they dont deworm their pets until they are adopted, so they have a bunch of animals running around and they havent been dewormed. And lastly they feed all their puppies with adult kibble. When i asked if thats safe the employee said its fine. When we told our vet tech she said the complete opposite and to make sure we put our pup on puppy kibble (which we as soon as she came home with us). Please do not adopt from this place, they need to shut down and just go away for good. read more

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I hate leaving a bad review about this place because I truly love what they stand for but with that said we adopted a beautiful bloodhound from them. She was 30-40 lbs under weight, had sores (which most had healed by the time we adopted her and was put through misery with her previous owners. The adoption was so quick and I love that they vetted us. What gives them the one star is the dog had cancer. She had a very large mass that we were not aware of and it ruptured 6 days into our fur baby living with us. After a very bloody run to the emergency hospital and two more vet visits, a CT scan and an ultrasound sound later (all within 15 hours of the rupture) we were told there was no saving Mabel. I sent a message to the intake lady hoping something would be said. Not a peep. Now I'm well aware this rescue does not guarantee health but a simple I'm so sorry for your loss or even a when the time is right come back for a discount. Nothing. We're heart broken and now out $3,500. I wouldn't change a thing because Mabel was so special and so wonderful (even only after 6 days of having her) but it would have been nice to get an apology or something. The staff and everyone there was so wonderful I just expected more. It was also noted by all three vets (all different clinics) that the tumor would have been noticeable when the vet of the rescue spayed her due to the size of the mass. Which was even worse knowing. Again wouldn't change adopting Mabel but we would have put that money towards healing her immediately if we knew. There are people/families out there who are willing to care for a sick dog and put the money into it. Her appointment with our vet was the day before she died which wasn't enough time. If I can give any advice I would say have an ultrasound & physical done immediately once you adopt. It could have saved our baby and our heartbreak. We sadly feel so scarred by this event I'm not sure if I can trust even a breeder at this point. Our kids were devastated and my husband and I didn't stop crying for days. Now all we have is our new fur babies ashes which sit on our mantle. This was our first dog ever and she was one of the best things that happened to us but the heartbreak is horrible. read more

DO NOT ADOPT ANY PET IN ThIS SHELTER!! 1 The adoption agents DO NOT TELL YOU EVERYTHING. They only gave me like one paper of adoption file, another for a microchip, and the other two commercial ads. It looks VERY unprofessional! However, when I return the kitten to the site, the owner Laura insists they have a file, BUT NO, I DO NOT HAVE IT! 2 their cat has FLEA, and they DO NOT TELL YOU THAT! The day I brought him home, I have to bath him 7 TIMES because he has flea EVERYWHERE! I don't think they don't know because the fleas are very, very big. However, I asked the agent when I adopted him, and she said she is extremely sure the kitten does not have flea. That kitten brings flea into my house and affects my other kitten, my boyfriend, and myself. I spend over 400 dollars on treating both kittens for the flea. Also, I have to exams him for FIV and get him the FIV vaccine because, apparently, this shelter does not do that. They also charge 179 for adoption fees, which shelters charge adoption fee over 150 certainly do FIV test and vaccine. 3 BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE. I contact the one in charge of cat adoption, and she told me they would refund me 224 dollars. However, Laura argues to me in the shelter for like one hour and cuts 20 dollars off my refund. She is the most disrespectful person I've ever meet in my life. 4 This shelter is tiny and dirty. 6 people in a room no bigger than my bathroom. It smells like poop in there, and THE BUSINESS OWNER LAURA HAS NO MASK ON! She is also RACIST because she makes fun of my name. I HAVE TO SPELL MY NAME 3 TIMES for her and wrote down once. The rudest person ever. Keep away. There are a lot more great shelters out there. read more

It was my first time adopting any pet and I'm so happy I found one of the most loving cats out there. No regrets whatsoever. A small rescue but full of beautiful pets and friendly volunteers/workers. Communication needs more work. It would take awhile to receive a response when I had some important questions. I'm not even sure who I'm exactly suppose to contact since I was talking with 3 different people. Also, my cat's records and other adoption paperwork took awhile to process and be sent via email. I figured they're busy since they're a small rescue so I didn't really mind. As long as I got them, that's all that mattered. Overall, a great experience! read more

This was one of the only rescues in Los Angeles county that let you go in and meet your cat in person before adopting (until the CDC lifts pandemic restrictions, that is). I live in the city, but the L.A. shelters never answered the phone (I was on hold foreverrrrrrr both times I tried!) and it was nearly impossible to arrange an in-person "meet and greet"-- even as a fully vaccinated person--at other rescues in the city. I understand and respect those who don't allow in-person visits, but this was a dealbreaker for me--the personality of my cat is super important, and you don't know how they'll react to you via Zoom. Kim from VIDA responded very quickly to my inquiry. Make sure you put in an adoption survey--if you can provide a good "forever home," they will have you make an appointment to come in (my appointment took place just 2 days after my initial email). Even if you don't "mesh" with the cat you were first interested in online, you can go look at all the others they have. Also be sure you're really ready to adopt--they'll ask you to take the animal home with you the same day you meet them, if you like them. I'd gone to another rescue and found animals in bad shape (I fled in horror), but this place is great. They clearly love the animals and take good care of them. The owner is also a veterinarian, and it's fantastic that the adoption fee ($175) covers all the "startup costs"--spaying/neutering, vaccinations, health checkup. They also did a heartworm and feline leukemia virus test right on the premises for $35--very affordable. I can go back in three weeks and get the second feline leukemia vaccine for just $17. Although "Mystique" was a little underweight, she was well socialized and used to people. When I walked up, they were cleaning out litter boxes. I also checked out the "cattery," and the cats had plenty of room to move around in. They had individual beds and cat trees. Some of the more feral animals were kept in separate cages ("that one doesn't play well with others," one of the staff told me), but all the cats had access to food, water, and clean litter. One of the staff was walking around with a snoozing kitten in her pocket--too cute. My last cat had been adopted from a city shelter, and she'd been so traumatized by the experience she suffered from various neuroses her entire life ( not trusting people, hating to be confined, etc.). This cat was so different--she'd clearly been given attention and love at the shelter, and she adapted quickly to her new digs. You can really tell the difference with cats that have experienced less trauma before being adopted. I saw the staff interacting with many animals, and I saw nothing but appropriate and loving concern for their charges. Many of the cats (including the one I adopted) had come from rough lives on the streets of Mexico. It's neat to have a cat with a "Mexican passport"! I did see a review on here that said they were given a cat with fleas, but that was not my experience. I checked my cat with a flea comb when I got home, but she was free and clean. Her fur was a little greasy (probably the anxiety of being around so many other cats had made her less inclined to groom properly), but a bath and some good brushing did the trick. She'd been given Advantage and de-worming treatments upon arriving at the shelter, and I was very happy with her physical condition (despite her need to put on a couple of pounds--I'll be taking care of that with plenty of treats!!). If you can, support a nonprofit rescue like this--even if it's donating money or items they need. It's so much more humane, and the animals are treated so much better than at city shelters. read more

VIDA Rescue - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Rowland Heights, California

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Okay, so I clearly had a completely different experience than these other reviews. So here goes.... I first reached out to VIDA because I wanted a cat. I've always had dogs my entire life, never owned a cat. But I had a calling to get a cat. Call it post-covid lifestyle changes LOL. I saw a beautiful cat named Chauncey on petfinder.com. Kim reached out to me and said he was actually being adopted by another family. No big deal, anytime an animal finds a forever home is the best situation! So I saw another cat that caught my eye - his name was Dexter. Something about him, I was like that's my cat. So I told Kim I was interested and she set me up with an appointment with Josie to meet him. Yes all of our interaction was via email, but as a woman on the go, I appreciated that just for my own convenience. I will say I was confused to where the entrance was when I got there, thank god there was a couple walking in through the gate! So if you try to go there - know you have to open that sliding gate to enter - it's open! Just make sure you close it all the way! I met Josie told her I had an appointment, and she brought me into the cat room where they house all the adorable kitties and cats. I was like is this heaven? Can I be surrounded by cats all day please? Dexter was chilling in a cat bed in the corner and he was soooo relaxed & chill. I took one look at him and said, yep, let's do this, he's coming home with me. So Josie said, okay let's get this going! The adoption process was quite easy. I did bring my own cat carrier, as instructed prior to the appointment in case I did want to go through with the adoption. That made that part easy breezy. Filled out paperwork, received a collar & microchip information, as well as a packet for all that was included with my adoption. Not only was the microchip included, but I received 30 days of pet insurance, food at a local pet supply store (WHICH WAS AWESOME BTW - VIDA, THEY ARE AMAZING!! TY!), neuter, dewormer, flea & tick treatment for 1 month, a free visit to a VCA hospital, and 10 days of treatment post adoption if needed. They also had some goodies to purchase (toys, crates, scratchers, etc.) all the proceeds go to the animals. So I picked up some toys & a scratcher - great pricing too, plus I love purchasing things that go to donations. And we went on our way home - well after we picked up some goodies & food/supplements at the Friends Fur Ever Pet Food & Supply in Walnut that they partner with (Arcana Cat food BTW!!! PRIMO!). My cat's new name is Biggie Smalls, so he is no longer "Dexter." But they knew just who he was when I tagged VIDA on Instagram posting about him. Like, they truly know their animals :) He did, however, have a little boo boo after his neuter, which I promptly emailed Josie about. She told me to bring him in, which I did, and the vet examined him and sent us home with some ointment. No problem at all! I have already taken Biggie Smalls to my own vet, and he has checked out with a 100% bill of health. No issues at all! I cannot thank the people at VIDA enough for all they do, and helping me find my forever kitty. He stole my heart. :) THANK YOU!!! read more

VIDA Rescue - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Rowland Heights, California

Just make sure the animal is healthy. I paid $225 for a kitten and about two weeks in my entire family had ringworm!! Sooo gross. My poor son was covered. So was I. It's been months and we still have it popping up here and there because spores can live in the carpet for up to a year. We took the cat back with no refund of course and they said well ringworm goes away. No apology. Goes away? It took months to go away! The place is pretty dirty when you get there so I should have known better. read more

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I got my new best friend here. I originally found my pets profile off of petfinder and it led me to this tiny shelter. I found my little baby here and she is so so amazing. Thank you Vida Shelter read more

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So grateful for Vida Rescue!! We have been looking for a dog for a long time during Covid. When the dog we wanted was already adopted they stayed in touch and helped us find the perfect dog for our family! We couldn't be happier. Thank you Vida Rescue for all that you do to care for these animals and connect them with families that will love them and receive their endless love in return! read more

VIDA Rescue - Learning how to get along! - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Rowland Heights, California

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HORRIBLE DOG "RESCUE" I adopted what I was told a corgi mix from this terrible place,the dog is a dingo,everything I was told about this dog was an absolute lie.She is bad with other dogs,cats and people.I called after a week to express my concerns and was told she needed time to adjust to the new environment.Its been over a year and she has been on Prozac and other medications due to her behavior.I was just hung up on by a nasty employee there claiming I was the problem.I Would NEVER believe a thing these people say!DO NOT GO TO THIS RESCUE! read more

Vida works diligently to screen public to adopt their pets out to families that will enjoy the animals and care for them. I've fostered kittens for them and adopted one myself. Please go here to adopt your future pet. What you get in return is of great value for their fees plus you help the rescue out to continue rescuing more animals. read more

VIDA Rescue - Cat - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Rowland Heights, California

I highly recommend because I volunteer here and the people and the doggies are so nice here if you want to adopt a dog I highly recommend just the people are so nice and and the dogs are so cute and everyone volunteer it would be really good for whoever. Loves dogs, I love dogs and animals so that's why I volunteer here every Saturday or Sunday. I highly recommend you guys get a dog or a cat here because that means all dogs get adopted. read more

I was really disappointed when I came to this facility. I was approved very quickly to adopt one of the puppies there, and she looked so cute in her pictures and was a perfect match for my family. I was so excited to meet her and was very optimistic about bringing her home. I have a 4 year old dog that I decided to bring with me to meet the dog before we made the decision to bring her home. On the drive to the shelter, I decided to look up this place on yelp, which I now regret not doing prior to applying for the dog. It seems every other review was someone talking about their dog coming home with fleas, tapeworms, or some serious health condition that was not disclosed before the dog was adopted. I saw the most recent bad review was about a month ago, so I just hoped maybe they had improved their ways since. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by one of the ladies who works there (Can't remember her name) and she was nice at first, but seemed to be rushing us into making a decision. She brought out the puppy we were intending to adopt, and although she was very cute, she was extremely dirty, she looked underfed, and she was infested with fleas. We were pretty horrified that our worst fears about this place were true. Obviously as we already have a dog we love very much at home we were worried about our dog contracting fleas or something worse from her. When we pointed out the fleas to the woman working there, she said she would just give her more flea medication, and applied the topical flea medication right in-front of us. This was really upsetting to me because although I do appreciate the work they are doing finding homes for these dogs, it is extremely concerning to me that they let all their animals just become infested with fleas, and who knows what other parasites. We told her we were concerned that the dog wasn't a match for us and she brought out another very cute dog that was even skinnier and had even more fleas. So obviously all of the dogs there have them. Me and my fiancé decided not to adopt any dogs from here and after we got home we noticed our dog was scratching himself a lot, after only about 30-40 mins of being at this place he had contracted fleas. Unless you are prepared to potentially pay thousands of dollars on vet bills immediately after adopting your new pet, I would be extremely wary of this place. Will not be coming back and I really hope they improve the way they treat their animals. read more

We adopted him at Barktober event in OC, adoption fees included all his shots, neuter, microchip and grooming. He is a blessing to our family thanks Laura and VIDA pet rescue. read more

VIDA Rescue - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Rowland Heights, California

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I requested a copy of the contract and they would not forward one before filling out adoption paperwork. I would not begin the adoption process without knowing what the contract obligated us to. I don't want to find the right pet and then find out the contract places an excessive burden on my family. Why aren't they transparent? read more

This a bittersweet review. I was fostering two kittens. The first to get adopted was Max a few weeks ago. My Chloe was adopted today. The family that adopted Max were so happy with him that they decided to adopted his sister. Vida rescue added two beautiful fur babies to a good family. I am extremely happy with Vida rescue for helping me find good homes for these two furbabies. read more

ETA: We just learned from the vet that he also has ringworm. We don't have any other pets and we keep things clean so this is definitely something he had when we rescued him. read more

I experienced the same thing as other reviewers. The kitten I adopted was full of fleas and tape worms. I took him to my local vet as every time I call Vida, they just said to have another round of dewormer and give the kitty a bath. That didn't do anything. So I just gave up on them and took him to the vet. Sure enough, he was also diagnosed with ringworms. I also had to isolate the kitty and disinfect the entire house. I'm still happy to have saved this kitten from that awful unsanitary place. When I visited, the cat room was filthy, no staff in sight, with the worst smell! There was an open bag of poop with dozens of flies just outside the room, a dying kitten soaked and dying on the floor. No one was there to monitor the cats. They all have fleas. There is obviously no care. The dying kitten was not even sent to the vet, the staff finally saw her and just put her in a cage. and let her die. This is just heart breaking. I also hate that the staff is just plain dishonest. I told them to check other cats as tapeworms and ringworms are contagious. The manager just ignored and said none of the other cats have the same symptoms. That's bull as there are MULTIPLE reviews on here saying the exact same thing!! it's a health risk to not only animals but to humans! On the one had, I think this is a horrible place for animals. On the other hand, I want people to save these animals from this place. These babies deserve a clean, healthy home. Someone who knows that there will need some caring at first. read more

The animals here are all so clean and happy, with no exceptions. No expense is spared for their care and well-being. I have volunteered here for a while and it is apparent that the owners and workers adore all of the animals here! Remember that kittens and puppies are cute but there are adult and senor animals that would love a home. read more

This is a truly special and unique animal shelter. My family learned about VIDA Rescue 2 years ago when we were looking for a place to volunteer. We fell in love with the cat set up because the cats have full range to live and play as they like. I've never seen happier cats. We have since adopted 2 cats from VIDA. We have also fostered dogs and enjoy stopping by to walk the dogs regularly. It's a great place to give your time. They allow volunteers to become as involved as they like, and we have been able to give and receive love in ways we didn't before know was possible. The staff is awesome, and they live for the animals. The director is also an amazing individual who works endlessly to ensure the wellbeing of the animals. We also love that VIDA rescues dogs and cats from Mexico and Guatemala. I highly recommend adopting through VIDA RESCUE!! read more

I can't be more happy with my beautiful cat thanks to Vida Rescue!!! They explained everything very well and were very patient with all my questions. read more

Great place! I adopted an adorable 4 month old ginger kitten last week and he's just the biggest purr machine you'll ever meet. It is a little hard getting in, since it is a gate place, but once you're in the owner and volunteers are very helpful in helping you choose your new fur baby. The only reason I removed a star was due to Garfield having a cold and testing positive for Giardia, but a quick visit to the vet fixed that right up. read more

VIDA Rescue - Garfield's first night home - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Rowland Heights, California