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February 2024 by tierney bailey
I just want to make it clear that this is specifically a review for future volunteers!So I actually went through with the training for future dog walking volunteers with my friend. I just want to preface that we’re both 20 and 21 years old so we’re young ladies, and steve is around 50. We got to the anaheim shelter, we thought everything was going smoothly with steve who is the owner and was the one training us. Throughout the entire time he kept making comments about how pretty we looked, he kept commenting on our bodies, he even made an innapropriate and bizarre comment on how “men are like dogs because they only look for sex.” What does that even have to do with dog walking? We both just powered through it for the two hours we were there and just dealt with it because we figured we could just transfer to the lake forest location. He told us by the end of that training that we would get an email that lets us sign up to volunteer at whatever location we wanted to, and then a few days go by, a week goes by, and then a month after us reaching out asking where that email is and we got nothing.This was just such an unfortunate situation for the both of us because we’re both new to southern california, we both have a big love for animals, and we just wanted to try something new and steve had to make it weird. I don’t know if our specific situation at the anaheim location and with steve reflects poorly on the other locations, it probably doesn’t. I’m not saying don’t volunteer at this shelter at all, but if you’re a young lady looking to volunteer I would suggest inviting a friend so that you’re not alone left to deal with that mistreatment alone, because if i was alone i don’t know how far he would’ve gone with his creepiness. I would also suggest asking for a female instructor so you’re not left to deal with the stuff that we dealt with.
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December 2023 by Britten Devereux
The purpose of this review is to inform the adoptive parent.I fostered and adopted a beautiful dog from tlrd. A few mo in, I noticed resource guarding behaviors. She had already been in training for 2 mo. She was 6 months old at this point. Aggressiveness increased.After 4 months of work on this behavior we contacted tlrd because we had to move from our condo. To live in an apartment temporarily would cause extreme risk to this dog biting others since there's so much activity in an apartment complex. As you know when a dog bites a person it's just as traumatic for the dog as it is for the person. The behavior worsened again. We informed tlrd that we would need to rehome this 14.5 mo old.The communication turned to them accusing us of not training or supporting her needs. After their judgment, they offered to train her and have us hold on to her while they found a home. Then one month into it, Carlo of tlrd stopped replying. No phone calls, no emails from them.Not long after, the vet informed us that she would require at least one surgery due to anatomical abnormalities. At this time, she was also given meds for anxiety. Several medications and doses and natural remedies were attempted over two year's time for her anxiety.We proceeded to surgery & we informed tlrd that we would keep her and continue the training and support. 3 months later she needed another surgery. It was an expense but we understood that's the commitment we made. We continued to socialize her at dog parks, day camps and with strangers.Tlrd engaged an attorney so that they could take her back instead of explaining their rehoming steps. No one called or emailed until the attorney they hired. Bizarre. We were confused. We informed the attorney that we were proceeding with her care and that she was doing okay. One year later, we moved and gave her a big yard and continued her medical treatments - sometimes a few times a month.After continued training and bites to strangers we informed tlrd in 2023 that we would in fact need to rehome her. We did everything we could to avoid this day coming. We initially hoped the medical interventions & dailytraining would be enough.We hope the following information is helpful for the consumer:The contract only has two reasons that they can engage an attorney and charge you for it. They throw blame & heroism around & attach fees that are dishonest. Their method demonstrates an amount of passion that is misplaced. Instead of honoring their end of the contract they over reach for reasons beyond good will to dogs and community. They claim that we were in breach of contract because we did not respond to their communication. To their discredit, our attorney has record and evidence of responding to every communication received by their attorney, owner steve, carlo. Pj stopped communicating and returned no calls. It took their attorney 11 mo to reply to an email.Along the way owner steve says, "you've chosen to act like "victims." Which we can only imagine maybe he feels like one and projected that on us. Sad. Ineffective. Unprofessional.PJ and Carlo explained that we did this to our dog.When we added up the expenses, we had spent over $9,000 on the camps, vet care and training. And regardless of environment, human alpha role, regardless of medical care, wholesome nutrition, boundaries .... family & friends were harmed & we had to make a very very painful decision to rehome her through tlrd.I have had seven dogs in my life and with every single one - similar breeds as this one - when we provided training, nutrition, medical care, routine, socialization, exercise & boundaries they thrived.None of us are victims to our choices, whether an owner of tlrd or the adoptive parent. Tlrd uses bizarre tactics if you get to the unthinkable moment of needing to rehome. To date, we have been called all different names by this group, "fool," "drama queen," "stalking," "selfish," "arrogant," demanding."Will share more on y
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December 2023 by Britten D.
The purpose of this review is to inform the adoptive parent. I fostered a dog then adopted in 2021. Be wary. Our experience was strange, painful, unthinkable. Contracts are used to protect people not to give pedestals to the one w the sharpest tongue complaining about their job. Tlrd uses bizarre tactics if you get to the unthinkable moment of needing to rehome. To date, we have been called all different names by this group, "fool," "drama queen," "stalking," "selfish," "arrogant," demanding," stomping feet." Phrases like "you think of no one but yourself" and "the world should stop spinning on its access because there's only you," or "bullshit excuses" reveal tlrd. We wish our dog was in our home with us tonight, but we are able to recognize that not every desire in this short life is fulfilled. And in most cases it's about the discipline and determination to stick to one's values. We believe that God gave us the Earth to be in dominion of. If they try to intimidate you when you're faced with a painful crossroads, keep your attorney involved. We hope that every adoption that tlrd makes is a total success. Our primary concern is for the dog, but misuse of the covenants and words, in general, may also imply bigger problems for tlrd. Watch out for agencies that just want more and more money or control. The spirit of adoption is to provide a lifelong home and any business owner or citizen knows no one plans for that commitment to be altered. When I needed to rehome, not only was I insulted in almost every interaction, but then we were assessed fees that were not part of the contract. This group needs to be on a fiscal watch list. Tlrd loves dogs. Yet their success will depend on taking the long view with human clientele. As our society changes to people making comments behind our screens we tried to call tlrd. No return call. No calls ever. It's easy to blame people when you're blinded by unresolved pain. Let's talk like people who are interested in dogs and humans. Both matter. Love without boundaries is self serving. Adopting is a lifelong commitment. If you enter into a contract keep in mind it's okay to plan for the worst. Take your time interviewing the adoption agency, esp this one. Their rehoming clause requires you to contact them. You will not get the opportunity to place the dog yourself. In 2022 when we contacted them about rehoming no one explained the process. We participated in two foster visits but we're accused of not participating or following their schedule by the person not present, PJ. If you look at the communication, every turn we did things on their schedule, not ours. And that was fine because we saw the potential of a solution for the dog - training or rehoming. But we were accused of the opposite. Strange. "According to your email below, you reached out for a third time in less than 24 hours, I believe that might count as stalking." - PJ. We were accused of other things as you can see. As we said - the unthinkable - from tlrd despite our fulfilling the adoption commitment. Sadly, it was tlrd in the end that did not fulfill the contract. Pj shared that our responses to her lectures "will be a waste of time...." What? So quick to manipulate the facts and twist the details and then cancel you without a 5 minute face to face discussion. I hope it's helpful for you, the consumer, to see another family's experience w tlrd. On the day of rehoming, PJ and Steve's daughter, Mackenzie showed up to the facility driving with an unsecured dog on her lap in her car. Easy to tell others what to do.... We know our commitment to dogs and humans is under God's reign, not zealous tlrd personnel or ownership. Wishing you much success and joy in your pet care.
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November 2023 by Roxy D
I fostered for this organization for years until I had to move out of state. I also adopted one of my elderly foster Chihuahuas and had many wonderful years with him. That all being said, this organization is a wonderful rescue and they really care about the dogs first. The vetting system is very strict and people get upset when their home isn’t a good fit but it’s all about what’s best for the dog. TLRD is known to rescue pups that are in a horrible situations and usually come from trauma. That’s why TLRD is so careful by making sure that the dog is placed in the right forever home. I highly recommend this rescue for both fostering and adoption.
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November 2023 by pamela hall
I had the pleasure of speaking with Steve from TLRD last week. TLRD rescued Zahara, a sweet girl who was red listed at Devore Shelter. I had pledged $500 to any rescue organization who would save her from euthanasia at Devore and I wanted to make good on my pledge. For those of you who follow any of the high-kill shelters on Instagram, you know the horrible plight of these dogs. We need to support rescues like TLRD who are doing the grueling work of not just saving these precious souls, but training them, finding fosters for them, and eventually pairing them with their forever families. I applaud their rigorous adoption process! Dogs should be life-long family members, not possessions to be discarded when life gets hard. Keep up the great work TLRD!!
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November 2023 by Kerri P.
We adopted our dog from TLRD in 2020 and that was a wonderful experience. More recently, our dog had her first day of daycare at their facility - The Red Dog House - and that was just as awesome! The team made sure everything went smoothly and easily for us, but much more importantly, they made made sure of dog was safe, loved, and comfortable. She had a blast playing with some new friends and we got such peace of mind knowing she was with true pros who care deeply, not just high schoolers with spray bottles. We got photo and video updates throughout the day and loved seeing our dog settle in and enjoy the day! She'll definitely be back for daycare/boarding in the future!
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September 2023 by Meltem S.
I could not find the building when I went to the location it was a bank can you please help me find the correct place?
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September 2023 by Lynn Resnick
After reading the bad reviews on here I decided that it is time to share my family’s experience. We met Carlo and yes he interviewed us. He was very clear that we needed to meet certain expectations. People who are leaving angry reviews on here because they were denied maybe need to understand that this shelter is all about the dog. Just like people, some of the dogs have challenges. They want to make sure that your home is the perfect fit for the pup because it is absolutely heartbreaking for the pup and the people working at the shelter (a lot of them volunteering their time) if a dog is returned. Their hearts are 100% in the right place. I trust them and recommend them wholeheartedly. We have had Ruckus, a beautiful, emotional mastiff/boxer mix for a year and a half. He is our baby and I am eternally grateful to the folks at the Little Red Dog.
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September 2023 by Ginny Salas
Gosh, over 6 yr n ago adopted Panda, He is AKC certified Therapy dog.Thank you to the people who sheltered him when he had no home.
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August 2023 by Cynthia Sassenberg
I adopted a puppy from TLRD in 2021. The application process was very thorough and we completed the Zoom interview a few days later. We already had a dog at the time, so a meet & greet with our existing dog was required. The trainer Carlo was present and made sure everything went smoothly, as our older dog is leash reactive. I cannot say enough good things about this rescue. They truly care about their dogs and make sure only good fits are eligible for adopting. We also fostered a puppy recently with them and had a very positive experience. Highly recommend!
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August 2023 by Anna-Lena Gruendler
We had a great experience with Little Red Dog. We fostered Luci first, and then adopted her. The team is very caring and responsive. Communication was great. They make sure that their dogs get into the right hands.
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March 2023 by Ileana
We went through the adoption process and it was a rigurous one. We ended up with Flint (now called Flynn), a great dog for us. My daughter and i really liked the care with which they are placing the dogs. Also the dogs are in foster care and feel the love they need before being adopted in a forever home. We are aware that the moment we decided to make him a member of the family there is no coming back and we love him unconditionally. Hence we are putting effort in training him, taking him on walks and ensuring he lives a happy live. It's not easy to do what they do for a small salary and not knowing for how long the money will last to take care of all the dogs. Only the fact that they rescue these dogs to me is really important. Thank you
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January 2023 by Lynn Lee
These guys are angels. I adopted my boy, Little John on January 2. He is a happy extremely friendly older puppy.
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January 2023 by Nyki Bell
I initially discovered this rescue when I was interested in meeting and potentially adopting a dog. After filling out the application, I was told we weren’t a good fit. Although I was bummed, I appreciated the thought and consideration they gave to pairing people with dogs. I went to one of their adoption events later on and met a dog that at first take seemed “difficult”. We left and after a couple weeks, I couldn’t stop thinking about this dog. We ended up adopting her. Fast forward four years, and I’m so thankful for finding my two furry children through The Little Red Dog. The process may seem extensive, but it does work. We now have two dogs, both from TLRD, and we couldn’t imagine a better pair in our household.
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December 2022 by Gill Lin
This is a company cares about animal welfare and they believe not just the quantity but qualities of their rescues. I have an incredible experience being a foster family for the kittens with the volunteers who care for these animals; from food, shelters, after cares, lab runs, to morale supports! I wish more people should know about The Little Red Dog before they shop for a pet! They do have a somewhat strict standard when it comes initially fostering or adopting an animal and that again shows they DO CARE for the animals' well beings. Please ignore the sour-grapes negative comments here because most came from being left-out from the selection process. Everyone around OC area should really give this company a try!
