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Volunteer If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out a Volunteer Application. Thank you, Donna Roessler, and all the volunteers who helped put the yard sale together. This assists tremendously with our expenses and it since we had this sale under our big tent, it only makes sense to use the money to aid pay for our training classes that are held under the big tent.
Reviews (18)
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Anthony C.
Jul 27, 2020
Some pro and some con My brother got his dog from here it worked out well, she is the sweetest dog I've ever met and I'm glad he found her there. No problems there. I didn't however have a good experience trying to adopt a kitten. I put in an application, got all of my references to email them, and thenI got to the point where they asked me to come in and that I could potentially take the kitten home that day, they where very eager to get everything set up for the next day visit then they cancel at the last min citing a health issue and they would keep me in the loop, they did not, and I asked if they could lmk if other kittens cams in, they did not and now when I inquired on one my qualifications are no longer acceptable for some reason.

They require the kittens to be in pairs or there to be another kitten at home, I have a visiting kitten that comes over pretty much every day if not every day some weeks and I cat sit often, that was acceptable originally, for some reason it's not anymore, my problem isn't that it changed, my problem is that they are not upfront about it. They keep saying oh no this cat had a different policy but that's a lie i found the original add
Dan W.
Jul 29, 2019
Seinfeld's "Soup Nazi" of dog rescues? I am a small business owner with a home in Eastern MA. My yard is big and completely fenced in. I live with my wife and 2 older sons and my 11 year old black lab named Charlie. I have owned dogs for nearly 25 years, work primarily from home and am financially stable. My experience with Save a Dog was not good. Silly me just assumed that they would be a bit more accommodating for a well-qualified rescuer.

Their hours were limited and they did not seem very eager to have me adopt the dog I liked. The dog had been at the shelter for some time and was described as being painfully shy and needed a lot of work. I was willing to spend the time with this particular animal. The staff seemed arrogant, non-flexible and dis-interested. When I arrived on the 3rd trip there with my dog to meet the adoptee, I was told I was too late and they were closing (It was 2:07 on a Saturday).

I informed the staff member that based on their rules and behavior, I was re-tracting my application. She simply said OK and closed the front door. I know they have rules, but this place is ridiculous. I will be adopting another dog from a different rescue.
Naomii S.
Jul 15, 2018
Save A Dog is truly the best thing that ever happened to me. I filled out an application online in October 2017 (Recommend doing this before you go for a meet and greet) and I decided to go to a meet and greet to me the couple dogs I was interested in. This was my first time adopting so I wasn't 100% sure what to expect and it was busy the day I went.

Everything was very organized and the woman up at the front was lovely and so was everyone that I spoke with up until it was my turn to meet the dogs. They brought the first little guy out (Humphrey who I adopted) and I immediately knew he was the pup for me. He was spunky but I could also tell he was confused and a little unsure. They went over in depth about how he resource guards over food, and I have quite a bit of experience with training a dog out of that behavior.

They also went over how he was missing a couple teeth but his health check was clear. After I met Humphrey I told them I was 100% interested in adopting him. The holistic approach was already something I was planning to follow for any dog I was planning to adopt, so the fact that this was a holistic shelter was the icing on the cake! Shirley the owner talks with every potential adopter and she was absolutely lovely.

Since then I if I have any questions or concerns regarding anything, I email her and she gets back super quickly. 7 1/2 months later Humphrey has blossomed more the I ever could of imagined and he is truly the light of my life and very trainable. Save a Dog would be the first shelter I would look to for another rescue! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, -Naomi & Humphrey
Tori M.
Jun 21, 2018
If I could give negative stars I would. The owner of this "rescue" facility is absolutely delusional and a liar. Let's go back to the beginning. My boyfriend's family and I saw a Shepherd mix on their website and thought she was perfect. The description said she was house trained, good with older family members and small dogs, and high energy.

Only half of that turned out to be true. We scheduled an appointment to meet her the next day. The place was adorable, their yards were great, and the staff was super friendly. Their store was even better. I was incredibly amazed at first. We met the dog, fell in love, and went inside with her and the owner to talk more. Everything was going great, so great that the owner of the business even said that we should take her that day.

At first I was like "Wow! This lady is so trusting and really wants a good home for this dog!" We did not bring my boyfriends yorkie because she does not do well in the car and it was a bit of a drive, so this was unusual for her to give us this dog without meeting their already owned dog and even the dad of their home. But, we were all excited and said yes!

The owner was very into holistic food and treatments, which I absolutely loved and agreed with. However, she did make comments that I could see offending people about certain vets and how they don't know what they're doing. She told us that dogs don't need rabies vaccinations(?). That aside, the experience was really great and she hooked us up with so much food, toys, a bed, bowls, and even more.

We left super excited and happy to have a new addition to the family. This quickly changed. Only having her for less than a week, we learned that the dog is incredibly leash reactive, not house trained, and not good with small dogs. None of this was mentioned to us, in fact the opposite was stated in her description and during our meeting. After a week had passed, my boyfriends family could not keep up with her training and were very upset that they felt lied to.

They emailed the owner to tell her they were thinking of returning her. The owner sends an email practically begging and guilting them into keeping the dog, blaming them for not training her, and saying that she told them she would need basic training. To which they replied "Leash reactivity is not part of basic training" etc. She then said that "Every dog needs leash work, she does not have a behavior issue." My boyfriends family was pissed, to say the least.

They ended up bringing the dog back and this is where things got even worse. Upon arrival, things were a bit "Im sorry things didnt work out" but quickly went to "I told you the dog was leash reactive, all Shepherds are leash reactive, I showed you on the husky mannequin how to leash walk her" which was all LIES. She never said anything about her leash reactivity, or showed us anything on a mannequin.

All she gave us was harness and said "This will be good for her". That was it. As she was running the refund, she made a comment about changing the non-refundable deposit from $50 to $100 so people are more serious about adopting dogs. They left angry and upset, and feeling bad for the dog. If I had it my way, that dog would not have gone back to that woman.

She will not get the home she deserves if the owner keeps lying to potential adopters. It's sad and my heart goes out to the dogs there. Attached are screenshots of the emails.
Stacy E.
May 07, 2018
We rescued the most amazing pup here with the help of Shirley & the amazing staff! He is the best! Totally healthy & happy! Thanks Save a Dog!
Mr. F.
Mar 21, 2018
Awesome place. Folks care about both the dog and the family. They work diligently to find the right match. They also lend support as much as possible after the adoption. Shirley is just amazing we had to go a couple of times to get the right dog. We ended up adopting are dog who is comical but just a loveable dog and good fit for us. Shirley and her staff worked diligently just a great experience. Outstanding place to adopt a dog. their system works as they try to find the right fit for success for both the family and the dog.
Benjamin A.
Nov 17, 2017
Had a very bad experience here. From the start my wife and I were treated with a brusqueness bordering on disrespect. Were asked impertinent questions (like, "Do you both work? What is the name of your trainer?") and given unsolicited advice about how to raise dogs. Our application was rejected, but no one had the basic courtesy to call and let us know; we had to call them to find out.

The overall impression I went away with is that this place is more interested in power tripping and pushing their specific views on how dogs should be raised, than in finding good homes for the animals in their care. The fact that, several weeks later, the dog we were looking at appears still to be in the shelter only confirms this fact.
John T.
Oct 27, 2017
DISCLAIMER: This is an old review since it was the early 2000s when I last interacted with Save a Dog. While it is still owned by the same people I cannot speak to their current operations; however, based on feedback I would believe a lot of it has remained unchanged over the years. REVIEW Save a Dog cares about their dogs. This is a fact and cannot be denied. However, they care about their dogs at the expense of doing right by the dog - which is to find a forever home.

They are incredibly (over)protective of their dog process, including a vetting process where they send individuals to check to make sure you live in conditions you say you do (i.e. home checks) and are very demanding about how the dog application goes. While this may sound like a good thing here is my experience with them -- When my family and I finally went through the process of adopting a puppy through Save a Dog I was pretty excited and had a puppy who I had sleep with me and follow me around everywhere.

It was definitely a process, but my parents and I didn't know how unduly overbearing it was since this was our first experience going through the adoption process. However, shortly after adoption my family sold our house and moved to a new location. However, due to the closing timing we had to temporarily move into an apartment and reached out to Save a Dog to see if they could temporarily foster for us - this seemed to make sense since they constantly checked on us and the dog and seemed to really have a genuine interest in making sure the dog was well treated.

They agreed. And that's basically when everything went downhill. When we moved into our new home - with a bigger yard, more space, and better all around compared to our first place - and requested we have our dog back, Save a Dog refused. They claimed we waited too long (they never communicated a time period to us, nor they did ever reach out - and when I did reach out there was very delayed responses), then they claimed the dog crate we had provided to Save a Dog for the foster period was too small (which may have been true - but that's because we didn't crate train the puppy - she had her own space and preferred sleeping on the bed), and then finally they claimed that the dog was underweight and poorly treated.

My family was never provided with documentation to verify their claims. Save a Dog refused to let us communicate with the foster family. And when I started to complain against Save a Dog -- things got even worse. Save a Dog volunteers contacted me through anonymous e-mail addresses - telling me (mind you I was a young teenager at the time) that my parents were wealthy and should have been able to treat our dog better.

They were incredibly threatening and when I alerted Save a Dog about their volunteers they refused to take any sort of responsibility for their volunteers' actions (this goes back to the "treating dogs better than people" comment). So, personally, my experience with Save a Dog? They're deplorable, willing to threaten children, and refuse to take responsibility for their actions.

I wouldn't necessarily go so far as to say they'll actively take your dog away from you -- but they certainly will if given the opportunity. There are numerous shelters out there that have dogs that need to find forever homes - I would highly recommend going through a different organization. If you do adopt through Save a Dog I would highly recommend taking your dog and never contacting Save a Dog again after that.

They mean well for their dogs, but sometimes being well intention-ed results in hurting other people. I know I definitely had my heart broken when Save a Dog wouldn't give me back my puppy. Like I said though - this was how they were years ago. Given the ownership and other comments this may or may not still be how they operate. But, it was such a traumatic experience for me that I still think about it constantly.
Dinah R.
Feb 04, 2017
I went to save a dog on saturday for their meet and greet. Very excited, my boyfriend and I make our way in to the small house and found ourselves crowded into a main room with about 10 other people. Once wedged in, I hear another couple in front of us told they cannot see a dog until they fill an application, preferably done prior to their arrival.

A little confused, we and the other couple leave. Four people ready to give some puppy love turned away? Reading the other reviews, this seems to be a common cause for concern. Long story short, go to buddy humane society down the road, where they are more than happy to let you in.
Amy C.
Jan 01, 2017
ADOPTER BEWARE. I am going to allow all the other one star reviews to speak for the type of people who work at this place and instead focus on alerting potential adopters to what happens at this place when you adopt--if you even manage to make it past their absurd approval process. You sign an enormous document (that probably won't even be explained to you), that says you agree to 1) not give the dog any vaccines beyond rabies, 2) not give the dog antibiotics, 3) not use flea/tick treatment, 4) feed it only "holistic" or "natural" dog food.

Save A Dog does not believe in modern medicine and will encourage you to fight your vet using sources cited from some online natural dog magazine. Your vet WILL laugh in your face. But if you go against any of the things above, they reserve the right to TAKE THE DOG AWAY FROM YOU. So if you try to protect your new dog against deadly diseases or treat an infection, they can say you breeched your contract and literally repossess the dog. You cannot use science or logic to talk to these people; they are completely against both. Be very careful adopting from here if you care about the health of your new dog.
Brent C.
Oct 23, 2016
I had a great experience with Save a Dog. I had some life changes that no longer allowed me to properly care for my disabled dog. I was very concerned about having to put him down, but the shelter took him in. Now he has all the extra care he needs and a living foster who has experience with disabled, elderly dogs. I know he is in good hands and will have a chance at enjoying his golden years. This place is a God send. I will be a donator to the cause for life. Thank you Save a Dog!
Jan F.
Sep 14, 2016
I've adopted two dogs from this organization over a 15 year period. At least 15 years ago, I adopted a hard luck case dog by the name of Tyler. Save A Dog rescued him from certain death in NC. He was elderly with health concerns and they dedicated a lot of resources to saving him. I was a first time dog owner and they supported me with information and help for the first few months when I needed it.

Two years ago I adopted a young, friendly, healthy dog from them. When I was overwhelmed by her energy, they listened and offered good advice. I never felt judged, stuck or pressured. Shirley's patience supported my ability to keep this once hyper dog! Now I can't imagine life with out this mutt : I use their little store to buy dog food and treats regularly.

They sell FROMM as cheap as anyone and it really is great dog food; my dog has always done well on it! Over the years, I've overheard conversations in the parking lot and in the store area. When I read some of the negative reviews here I'm genuinely surprised the motives of the shelter are questioned. Blood, sweat and tears goes into the rescue of these dogs from difficult situations. How can anyone blame them for insisting on the best for the dogs?
Sharon T.
Aug 19, 2016
I agree with all of the other negative reviews. For the experience of adopting a shelter dog, you are treated to their bizarre and overly protective behavior. I went through all of their crazy steps and got a dog and when she needed an operation (which I knew about when I adopted her) they acted like they should decide when and by whom and were just plain nasty to me. I even wondered if the vet was giving her a personal kick back. Couldn't get away from there fast enough, with my pooch with me!
Carol M.
Jun 01, 2015
We highly recommend Save a Dog. We have an older shy dog and were turned away from another shelter because of that. After one broken heart in the family, I brought our dog to Save a Dog without the family, explained the situation, and was impressed by the helpfulness of the staff. I brought the family back over the weekend, and we adopted a wonderful puppy.

The shelter management has a strong preference for a holistic lifestyle for dogs, including some things that are scientifically reasonable, like a conservative vaccination schedule and waiting to spay or neuter until six months, and some that are, well, not, like homeopathy and the raw diet. The shelter staff provides extensive information and recommendations both in person and in their information packet.

They are also happy to sell you the food and supplements the dogs have been on. We did purchase them, as we didn't want to make any sudden diet changes on top of the stress of moving to a new home and family. (The supplements were vitamins and probiotics, and while they may not specifically be necessary, they certainly don't hurt. My advice is to consult your veterinarian, take what works and leave the rest.) Though they have a visiting facility, their dogs are all fostered rather than living in a shelter.

May are rescued from the south where neutering is not as common as in New England. Our pup came from West Viriginia. Our puppy is extremely healthy, nicely behaved, and pretty durn cute. We had a great experience with very nice people. Our neighbor's 11 year old dog, who recently passed away, was also from Save A Dog, and she was also a real sweetheart.
K. H.
Mar 30, 2015
I am shocked at the bad reviews for this wonder place. The women that work here are the sweetest, most caring women you could ever meet. If someone wasn't fit for a dog then they would never send them home with one. To write a review for that reason is unfair to them. They know who are best for their dogs. I adopted from them and had nothing from a positive experience from the moment I entered, to the moment I left with my amazing little guy.

To say that the girl at the desk is rude because she has a personality that is different from yours is just wrong. If you talked to her for one minute you would see how nice she actually is.and Shirley, the owner, has the biggest heart, and truly cares for her dogs. If you are looking to adopt here.do not let the negative reviews change your mind. This is an amazing place!
Katelyn D.
May 12, 2013
If I could give negative stars, I would. I love my dog, but save a dog did not disclose any illnesses my dog suffered from before I adopted him. When I confronted save a dog about my dogs illnesses, they told me they bear no responsibility after the dog leaves the premises. They take no responsibility for their failure to disclose information. I love my dog, so I have been paying thousands of dollars in medical bills. Don't adopt from here unless you want to fall in love with a sick dog and spend thousands of dollars in medical bills. I'm not misinformed. I'm responding for a Ms. Marsha Pecard.

She adopted her dog from this animal shelter and she was there was no disclosure of the dogs illness before it was adopted. It's a shame that this animal shelter both denies its wrong doing, fails to remedy its wrong doing, and attempts to discredit those trying to warn others from adopting sick dogs.
Aubri L.
Oct 18, 2010
We'd been looking for a specific type of a dog due to my allergies, but really were focused on sticking with rescues. We searched high and low, visited some dogs, but nothing was clicking. I frequently checked on Save-A-Dog and another Sudbury rescues websites, and saw a little guy that stole my heart. I'd already submitted an application previously to Save-A-Dog, so I emailed and left a few messages and waited for a response.

This place is run mainly by volunteers so I understood that I might not always get a person when I called. Within a week, we were meeting our soon-to-be new family member! The staff was helpful and Jill was awesome to work with. You can tell these ladies really know their stuff and care about the well-being of the dog. Another plus is they treat the dogs very well and use holistic and organic products on all the dogs in their care. something that's not cheap or easy, and something a lot of other shelters don't want to do. I appreciated all the effort and time Save-A-Dog put into helping me get my little guy home with me and I'd recommend them anytime!
Becka D.
Feb 23, 2009
Let's just say the female dogs are not the only bitches at this place. To start off with, their website is misleading. They claimed to have a Meet-and-Greet from 12-3 on the day we drove ALLLL the way out there. What they don't clarify is that you have to apply ahead of time to be able to meet the dog at the event. The staff seemed very annoyed at us for not knowing that prior to showing up.

My friend proceeded to fill out their application while we were there, in hopes of coming back another day to meet the dog she wanted. (I should note at this point that my friend is dog-crazy & treats her 'boys' better than any person she knows. No joke.) Without more than a 3 second glance at the application, we were told that my friend isn't a good candidate. Period, end of story. Seriously, that was it. No explanation. Just a cold shoulder as she turned and walked into the back office. I feel bad for the poor dogs left to someone this cold-hearted.