STAY AWAY! I was interviewed and told because I wouldn't use a prong collar that I was not a good candidate to adopt one of their dogs. I have grown up with, always had Shepherds, have been a Vet Tech for over 18 years, and have COUNTLESS people who know me and what my dogs mean to me and I'm not qualified? What a joke! Another "rescue" that doesn't know ANYTHING about screening and letting a dog into a family. read more

I adopted a dog from WGSR, she is the best and most loved dog. WGSR was helpful in the adoption process and it went seemlessly. Will use them again when i'm ready for a 2nd dog. read more

I had applied to adopt, been approved, interviewed three GSD foster parents and was set to drive from Boise to Seattle to see the three dogs. But in the process of trying to set up a visit schedule I let WGSR know I was combining my visit to see their dogs with seeing two dogs from another Rescue since it's a 1200-mile round trip. I was immediately, flatly and rudely told they would not allow me to see any of their dogs if I was going to look at those of any other Rescue. What???!!! I was shocked and dumbstruck by this attitude. Clearly WGSR management is far more focused on ego and control than working in the best interest of the fine dogs their foster parents care for. If after reading WGSR reviews you still want to do business with them, be sure to tell them they are your one-and-only, and don't be candid in any way. They have good dogs and foster parents, but the arrogance and attitude of their management defies description. It is a real tragedy for the GSDs. read more

Our GSD Lola died suddenly last year in early March of 2024 which broke our hearts. She was such a loving and friendly dog that everyone who came into contact with he loved her. We thought she would be difficult to replace but we started looking in May and saw this very cute GSD Australian Kelpie mix that we thought would be adopted quickly. But to our surprise Onyx as she was then called was still available after we returned from an extensive trip to Australia in early July. We asked to meet Onyx and we fell for her at first sight. She is wonderful with everyone and especially small children. She is extremely athletic and runs as fast as any dog we have ever had. She has a large fenced in backyard which she owns with her many toys and she goes with us just about everywhere. Here first big trip was to Whistler BC. We renamed her Sydney for obvious reasons and she has found her forever home. read more

Washington German Shepherd Rescue - Sydney - Pet Adoption Near Me

Stay as far away as possible. I passed all of the interviews and was set for a meet and greet. I spoke to the person fostering the dog on a Friday and we had said we would meet on Sunday. When I asked where and when I was told I'll let you know. The person said they were going out of town on Saturday, so Sunday worked better. I told with all that was going on with her that next weekend would be fine as well. She said no Sunday was fine. I heard nothing from her all-day Saturday and with the response I had received prior to I decided to wait and see. I received a text at 8:45 Saturday night asking if it would be ok to meet next weekend. I responded that would be fine and was available either day. Wednesday comes around and I reached out as I had heard nothing. No response Wednesday. Thursday comes around and i look on the web site to see if there was anyone else, I could contact. No numbers online. I contacted the person I had done the first interview with to find out the dog I was to meet had been adopted. She was very pleasant but my frustration at this point has turned to anger. The lack of common courtesy from this establishment is amazing. they left me hanging for two weeks after passing the interviews to then leave me a message that they would follow up this afternoon to say what. Sorry for wasting your time. Sorry for the lack of communication. Sorry we don't know the meaning of honest courteous communication. I would never recommend this organization, and I feel sorry for the animals they are trying to find homes for as I'm certain their lack of care and concern extends too them. read more

We adopted our GS from WA GS rescue about 3 months ago and I have nothing but good things to say about them. They are very thorough and selective in who they reach out to when placing their rescues. There were many requirements but we easily met them and it makes me happy that they are seeking the very best fit for each placement. They stayed in touch asking how things were going fairly often; they genuinely care about the dogs wellbeing. There seems to be a ton of demand for rescues at the moment, we filled out several applications with no response back before we had success. I think the one star reviews are from people who were just bummed to not be chosen. You may have to jump through some hoops, but we couldn't be happier with our new family member. read more

I adopted two dogs this year from WAGSDR, I will continue to support them going forward. I would recommend anyone looking for a GSD who meets all requirements to rescue from here! I appreciate the application process and final adoption process, it means a lot knowing they actually care! Thank you for bringing my two girls to our family! read more

I recommend everyone to read all of the reviews. First, this org will reply in 72 hours IF they may consider you as a potential adopter. After providing vet info they zero in on our cats - wanting vet info on the cats history of annual blood tests, etc. After a number of emails, I gave up & asked if they were going to approve or reject my application...crickets, I am done and will move on. I have rescued cats/dogs but this org is over the top - the dog isn't really yours for five years as they can inspect your home environment for five years to make sure you are still in compliance. read more

I adopted my Belgian Malinois Nikko from Washington German Shepherd Rescue two years ago. They'd pulled him from a high kill shelter in California right before they were going to euthanize him. He had to be hospitalized right away to treat his pneumonia when they received him. They weren't sure he'd pull through but he did. After his wonderful foster got him they'd posted some pictures on the rescue's Facebook and website. Now none of us knew he was a Belgian Malinois at the time. The shelter had listed him as a GSD Mix and solid black Malinois aren't super common. As soon as I saw him though I just knew I had to try and adopt him. I filled out an application and waited. Soon I was contacted by Cara and we discussed the process and scheduled a meet and greet/home check. When Nikko and my the eleven year old GSD Elsa met the connection was instant, like they were long lost friends. Shortly after we went over the adoption contract and training requirements. A week later I picked up Nikko and took him to his forever home. A few months later I did a DNA test as I was curious what his mix was, turned out he was a pure Malinois in uncommon solid black. I appreciate a Rescue who takes the time to find not just a home but the right home for the dogs they take in. German Shepherds and even more so Belgian Malinois take dedication and the right environment/owners. Two years later I have an amazing addition to my family. read more

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We adopted our German Shepherd from WA GS rescue about a month ago and they were fantastic! I know there are a few reviews that state how stringent they are in terms of placing dogs, but that is a good thing... you can tell that the individuals associated with the rescue are dedicated to ensuring the dogs are placed with loving families and and in appropriate homes. Jennifer, who was the initial contact I had from the rescue, was AMAZING! She took the time to talk to my husband and I to understand what we were looking for in a dog and we couldn't be happier with the match she provided. We are still in contact with the rescue as we may be adopting a second dog in the near future. Highly recommend! read more

Had a very good experience working with WGSR, they were responsive, helpful and accommodating. I adopted an adult poodle who was the companion to a German Shepherd. I thought their application form was well thought out to match the right person to the right dog. They organized a meet and greet at a convenient location for me and gave me the information and time I needed to make a decision. We brought a wonderful little dog home and he is adjusting well. The payment process for the adoption was a breeze and I was given all the critical medical records needed. Thanks again! read more

My boyfriend and I are so happy we fostered and then adopted Maxwell We have a home with a Boston Terrier and kitty so we knew it had to be a special dog to fit in our established home. I had chatted with them and knew it would take some time to find the right dog. Maxwell has adjusted so well and fit into our home and routine so perfectly.... they really know what they are doing when it comes to placing the right dog in your home - it was worth the wait!! read more

Washington German Shepherd Rescue - Maxwell the tripod - Pet Adoption Near Me

I adopted a wonderful older dog from these folks. They are passionate about placing their shepherds. Ihave nothing but good words to say about these unpaid volunteers who do this work out of the goodness of their hearts. read more

Washington German Shepherd Rescue - Pet Adoption Near Me

This fantastic organization rescued our German Shepherd Lance from a kill shelter in California. They did an excellent job of fostering him until we adopted him. He is been an amazing part of our lives and has changed everybody in a positive way and our home. I love this organization and I look forward to anything I can do in the future to help them to show them that my gratitude is genuine. Thank you for all your hard work and the world is a better place for dogs because of people like you. read more

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Jennifer found the perfect pup for me. She spent a lot of time talking to me and finding out what my perfect dog would be and how they would fit into my life. Ruger, formerly known as Toby, is my new best friend and adventure partner and I am so grateful for him. Thank you for giving this nurse without a fully fenced back yard a chance to have love again. read more

Washington German Shepherd Rescue - Pet Adoption Near Me

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Today was the 1-year anniversary of when we successfully adopted our purebred German Shepherd... from a DIFFERENT rescue organization. To those that actually adopted from here, congratulations... it's kind of incredible that anyone could meet all of WGSR's requirements. That still doesn't excuse treating the rest of us apparently "less than ideal" families like we're not worthy of having a dog. We tried to work with this rescue for months. We did their multiple page application, phone interviews, etc. We have a stable home life, GSD experience and were on board with their training requirements, etc... yet we NEVER felt entitled to just have any dog we saw on their website. We did, however, feel "entitled" to some communication or minimal returned effort on the rescue's part - even if it was just telling us that we aren't the right candidates for the shepherds they had. They clearly thought poorly of us for whatever reason. They almost convinced me that I was wrong to even want a dog. That my situation was so horrid, it didn't even merit an effort or follow-up. After a couple months, we started to branch out to other rescues. That's when we realized how much we were being ignored. Spurned by the abnormally high standards of WGSR... Our faith in the rescue system was restored when we actually got to meet other rescue people in person, meet potential dogs and get feedback on why not this dog or why another may be a good match. The other rescues still cared about the breed, still had meticulous applications, lots of questions, but most importantly they actually TALKED to us. How else would you know how devoted we are to the health, well-being, safety and training of our two beloved German shepherds? Bottom line: You can try applying here if you want... However, there are lots of rescues who find a better balance between making 100% perfect matches and "giving dogs away". In the end, we were able to rescue another of our favorite breed.... just from somewhere less entitled. P.S. Our match was 100% perfect anyway because we, as dog-adopters, also cared to make sure it was a good fit. read more

GSD Rescue was an excellent experience for us. We couldn't be more happier with our adopted gsd. The Washington GSD Rescue made the process easy and they are timely, friendly, and professional. We highly recommend them. read more

The reason I am saying anything about this business, which is a rescue for dogs, is because I hope that perhaps they will see it and think about how they are keeping a lot of families and good homes from adopting their dogs. Their tone when describing the type of home they would like to find for their rescued pets is always the same. "Don't apply to adopt if you don't meet the criteria," and it's the same criteria over, and over and over and over. I was searching dogs and each one said the same exact thing. Really WGSR? It seems that only a single adult, or a couple without children and without pets is good enough for their band of adoptable pets. It will even say in the description that some of the dogs are used to children, cats and other dogs, and has been with them, but "oh no," they want their dogs going to only homes with single adults or a couple, no kids. Really? I am writing in the hopes they re-evaluate and think about the wonderful home a family with dogs, cats and kids can be. The bias that is portrayed here is ridiculous. I have owned at least 12 dogs in my lifetime and that was when I was an adult, as well as 12 or more cats, and omg, we have three children! At least half our dogs were rescues and all the cats were. We lived for 26 years in Maple Valley and had five beautiful forested acres which had an invisible fence. Another apparent "NO," which once again limits people from adopting from them because they only want traditionally fenced yards. There is nothing wrong with an invisible fence for your pets, if you are responsible pet owners and not everyone can fence their property if there are constraints like wetland, etc. I know these people mean well, and it looks like they take great care of the pets they rescue. Sadly they have so many restrictions, and are so biased, it'll be rare that many loving families get a chance to adopt from them. ~ Amazing Pet Owners in the Suburbs of King County~ read more

I've adopted 2 dogs from WGSR, the foster parents and people who run the rescue genuinely care about the breed and what is best for the dog in front of them. GSD's aren't for everyone and rescue dogs in general aren't for everyone, there is a lot of work that goes into these dogs and the rescue does their best to ensure that the dogs go to the right person. read more

Unfortunately... this group seems to "rescue animals to death". Not everyone will have the perfect home, the perfect family or the absolute perfect situation tailored to a specific dog. However, there are many good homes, good families and good people who would gladly open their hearts to these beautiful dogs and succeed. And it won't always work out, but better to try and fail than never try. While they keep their dogs waiting for the perfect placement, thousands of other shepherds die with nowhere to go. All the shepherds we saw on their site 2 months ago are still there, with only 1 or 2 new faces. Honestly, if you want to rescue and save the life of a beautiful German shepherd... look elsewhere. WGSR doesn't list any helpful information about their dogs, so you have no way of knowing if it might be the right dog for you. When you apply anyway, they will either ignore you if you aren't perfect or they will call you and tell you about how uncontrollable this breed is just to scare you off. If you somehow make it past those hurdles... chances are you still aren't perfect, so they go back to ignoring you. If you ask for an update or about a new dog, they just tell you a few days later that it's not a good fit without any reasoning. Please save yourself the heartache and frustration and look elsewhere. Don't let this one "rescue" ruin your hopes of finding a wonderful German Shepherd. There are groups out there that are actually in the business of saving lives. We found our beautiful boy right before we thought about giving up. Don't give up, there is a dog for you somewhere, just not here! read more

About a half hour after submitting my application to this rescue, I received a response that they were seeking a person who has owned a dog for the duration of its life. I wrote back indicating that I indeed owned a family dog for the duration of its life, and now, as an adult (21) am seeking a companion. They then responded again stating that they wanted someone who has owned a dog by themselves, and not a family pet. Who wants to bet that if I wrote back telling them the dog was my own dog and nobody else had anything to do with her, they would tell me I am too young to own a dog. Disclaimer: (The dog wasn't a GSD, it was a Shih Tzu). read more

i would give it -8 if I could. NOT for best interest of the dogs. It would have been our 4th shepherd. first time experience and last with this rescue. i'm for rules but really? 1) dog cannot be left alone in FENCED yard for 5 years. 2) we assume all risks associated with the Dog is not yours for 5 years. 3) Must only use THEIR food (even if it's not as good as the brand you chose) and a obedience training with only THEIR selected trainers. hmm makes u wonder. 4) they can come unannounced to spot check dog for 5 years. 5) you are responsible for this dog which you don't own for 5 years. We never did find out how much they changed. They contacted our vet, our references, our neighbor??and did a house check with BOB. We could have had one of their dogs but I did not feel comfortable signing a 3 page contract. Our lawyers response: Are you kidding? don't sign. (not in any shape in my favor) I feel bad for the dogs . ps their response time to get back to you is very NON Professional. In short, there MUST be better rescues out there. We passed their inspection but they didn't pass ours. We will go back to a breeder. read more

Filled out he app. Never heard from them. I have a gsd. Had dogs for 40 years. I have experience with all types of dogs, fenced yard all that, never have used a breeder. I do know a decent amount about dog training i mean you can always learn more but read books and such to stay up on it, and have had everything from Labs, muts, rots to gsds, Schnauzer. I have rehabilitated several dogs. One when i got it had aggression toward kids. But usually almost all dogs you get at a shelter have some issues. It is true there are certain breed specific things to consider but honestly in many ways GSDs are easier than a lot of other dogs. These gsd people can be pretty crazy (esp some of these more specialized organizations). The smallest dog i had was by far the most work the schnauzer. These people appear to collect all the gsd from the internet and dole them out to who *they* feel is best but they really don't know anything about you. There is nothing really in that application rather than really basic stuff. My current dog is a working line gsd, rescued from high kill shelter, i got him on track and he is super happy, doing great. He is out playing with my wife and daughter in the snow now. He goes to work with me. He is well trained, all positive reinforcement, and eats honest kitchen. He is a great dog. He had some resource guarding. I invested a year to get rid of it (for the most part). I I like the breed for a variety of reasons but would also consider other dogs if the right dog came up, but seriously there are dogs being put down. And in Washington state there are a ton of more than qualified people to get the dogs. Let's make it really simple. This is why breeders exist. People don't want to mess with this. It is a bit perplexing. You can try, but this is one case where i think legitimately these people are insane and these reviews are right. this organization is doing more harm. Waste of time, and total turn off. I have a ton of references that have mentioned that any dog would be lucky to have our family. I am biased about myself of course fine i admit that, but read the rest of the reviews. i'll rescue my own GSD from a high kill shelter, and cut out the middle man. This is a joke. I am prepared to do that, and can afford it not everyone can. But there are a lot of other good organizations out there. Donate to them not this. My company matches, a lot do we can save a lot of dogs with out this crazy group. Pretty sad, try this site, i don't know if it works but this is a web page with literally tons of dogs that are going to be put down. Even if there is something wrong with the dog that you can't handle if you can get them into Washington they won't get put down you have nothing to lose in that sense if you can take that on. I won't give up on saving a dog because of this organization. **Confirmed* steps to get a gsd for 2-300 dollars no troubles Step 1 http://germanshepherd.rescueme.org/California#all3 Step 2: email some shelters (any of them) most will transport for 100 Comment if you need help. I will help you. Step 3: they send dog. no trouble. I spoke to a lady from http://www.laanimalservices.com/shelters/east-valley/ super nice. they have a ton of larger dogs they are putting down young 2 yo GSD. For a 110 transport fee and 125 adopt fee you can have a dog. You will save a life of a great dog. it is that easy. That is basically what this organization is doing((laanimalservices) Basically once the dog enters Washington state they are safe. The person i spoke to was originally from Washington state. Very reasonable. This establishment i am reviewing doesn't even like it if you apply to multiple organisations. Seriously what differences does that make to do the dogs if i apply to every organization in the country. Seriosually guys. I am going to pay to bring up several of these dogs myself to save their lives and try to find a foster or shelter for them. That is better than this crazy organization. read more

i totally agree with the person who said they are too strict and only want single people and their restrictions are over the top. they loose a lot of good home simply by being so strict. I have everything any dog need to have a happy life but not for these guys.. read more

WSGR seems rather deceptive to me, and reading the Yelp reviews has definitely confirmed my suspicions. I inquired, (and did an application) about a long coated male on their website, and when I got a reply back I was told he was pending adoption. Check back a few days later and he's still there, messaged again on their Facebook and they confirm he's been adopted. Well fast forward a few weeks and I see he's still on their website, and to boot they've added "pending" next to a few other dogs names, but not to his. This irks me because I did an application, so I go and message again but they have decided to ignore me. The dog in question is a very well trained and well behaved dog, so of course people are going to want him. I believe WSGR is power tripping over these dogs, and this one dog in particular because I feel that they lied straight to my face. It's better to just be honest and say "we don't think you're the right fit" (even though I'd be a perfectly fine fit for this dog) it's a really sad day when adopting a dog from this rescue has become significantly harder than buying a puppy from a reputable breeder/adopting from another rescue that TRULY has the dogs best interest in mind. read more

I've had similar experience as the other one star reviews. We have a 4 year old german Shepherd so we are familiar with the breed. I applied, which took well over an hour, for a dog that said available and got a response immediately that he had been adopted. Three days later he is still available according to their website so I followed up and was told the same thing yet he still says available today. I inquired about another dog and was told I was not a good fit for her because we have another female Shepherd, yet in the description is says nothing about that being an issue. I asked if there as any dog that would be a good fit and they said no. So you're telling me none of their dogs who have no permanent home are a good fit for my home??? Wow....we paid more for the training than we did our GSD but we're not good enough to adopt?? I really wanted to rescue a dog this time but we will now be going through a breeder for our second GSD. These dogs could have good permanent homes but it's so sad to me that the reason they don't is because if this "rescue" place. read more

Interesting to read all the other 1 star reviews here, as they seem very similar to ours. As with others, we have GSD experience, and had just lost our beloved Belgian malnois to cancer. We filled out the application and immediately got an email that the dog we were interested in had two pending application. So, I asked if there were other dogs that might be an option, or whether they would not adopt to someone from out of state. Got an email saying that they do adopt out of state to people who come to see their dogs. So, I wrote again telling them that I would be in the state and could I see some other dogs. No response. Hard to believe this is a legit organization. All these for-profit "rescues" claim they get their animals from high kill shelters, etc. but many have been exposed as actually fostering puppy mills. Not sure about this one, but one has to wonder....is their interest really in saving animals, or in parlaying a few "rescues" into the most profit. read more

While I praise any organization that looks out for animals, this one needs work - specially with their communication. I was trying to adopt or foster a dog from them and filled out an application. I filled out the application, attached photos and wrote a separate email detailing how I would care for the dog. I had my previous dog from 7 weeks or so all the way until he was 14 years old, and I gave him a better life with more adventures and love than some people give their own children. "Cara" responded to me and asked me about my previous vet, and I wrote her back with the information and she never responded again. I wrote her a second time, and again... radio silence. My grandmother bought our place in the 40's and I live on a nice 4 acre farm with a horse. I was not happy being blown off by these people and would not recommend them to anyone. I would encourage anyone seeking to adopt a dog to scout their local shelters or visit Ginger's Pet Rescue. This lady rubbed me the wrong way and I wouldn't refer a single person her direction. read more