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March 2024 by No R.
I've fostered 6 dogs with Waldo's, they are very communicative and care about the dogs. It's sad all the negative reviews are on the same day- all in attempt to defame this rescue. They do great work and care about the dogs tremendously. Probably the most communicative rescue we've spoke to. We don't need 6 interviews to know we are okay to foster- we don't have a fenced yard. We are New York City dog parents. Be dammed if you do, dammed if you don't. Said that one person who doesn't do anything feels compelled to leave multiple negative reviews for a dog rescue!
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March 2024 by Daniela Rueda
I understand that they want to save as many dogs as possible… ( we all want the same)but they should be helping the dogs in our city first, all the shelters and recues in the city are overcrowded , all are asking desperately for help and this people keep bringing every week dogs from others cities…. Let’s help here first and then we will be able to help more dogs!
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March 2024 by Anna M
TLDR: Staff does not respect boundaries nor listen to requests, and dogs are not spayed/neutered or chipped. Other rescues like Muddy Paws are so much better to work with!I wish I had seen the poor reviews for this place, but learned the hard way.We wanted to adopt a puppy, and the initial puppy we wanted to see was already getting adopted -- no problem, so we asked to see other puppies. However this was the start of a pattern -- the dogs we wanted to see were all "almost adopted", and we were to meet other dogs instead. This happened four times. Take the dogs off of the site if they're adopted, no?But we went along with it, may as well meet the other dogs they suggested, right? Nope. We met just two dogs before we were told there's a "limit" to the number you can meet. So we were pushed into meeting certain dogs, only to find out that we were going to exceed a surprise limit?Additionally, the communication was terrible. We would agree to 12:30 and suddenly that would turn into noon. I would get questions via text and say "I'll check with my partner and get back to you" and then get a followup text nudging me after just a couple hours. At one point, I explained that while I was out of the country I would not be available to discuss adoption, but I got three or four texts/calls a day pushing us to meet with dogs we didn't even ask to. Calls at the airport, calls while working, all times when I had established I was not available. I didn't think I'd be given the "hard sell" for adopting a rescue dog!After that did some googling and the NY Post article comes up... give it a read if you are on the fence. Wish I had! So sad because the dogs are sweet. :/
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March 2024 by Jenny A Aquaro
We adopted our dog from Waldo’s Rescue about a year ago and I realized I never left a review! We attended one of the brewery events in the city and feel in love with one dog. It was such a positive and wonderful experience. The staff were super helpful in explaining the process and the foster mom was present and able to tell us more about her personality. We were able to bring our dog home the next day. The foster mom was so kind and watched her an extra day, so we could get prepared. Waldo’s Rescue is always quick to answer the few emails I’ve had over this year. So grateful to Waldo’s Rescue for giving us our girl!
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February 2024 by Lourdes M.
TO whom it may CONCERN :AFTER I APPLY FOR A PUPPY THEY NEVER HAD THE DECENCY to CALL ME BECAUSE you ARE a LIERS, AND IRRESPONSIBLE, NEGLIGENT, CARELESS PERSON with no HUMANITY!!!YOU'D DISRESPECTED ME AND NEGLECTED ME.YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT THE DOGS, you are wrong about your treatment to people like me.I DESERVED to be TREATED like a HUMAN BEING.Why this Agency Waldo's IS ADVERTISING DOGS THAT ARE IN A FOSTER, AND THEN TELL ME THE NEXT DAY THE FOSTER ADOPTED!!!I WASTED TWO DAYS SENDING VIDEOS AND APPLICATIONS AND WAITING FOR A CALL INTERVIEW THAT NEVER HAPPENED.YOU SHOULD ASKED THE FOSTER PARENT IF THEY WANT TO ADOPT IT OR NOT , BEFORE ADVERTISING IT TO AVOID THIS HARRASMENT.IF THE FOSTER SAID THEY WANTED IT .,YOU DONT ADVERTISED IT.YOU MADE A MISTAKE AND YOU SHOULD PAID FOR IT.NOT ME!!!CORDIALLY
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February 2024 by Emily Lynch
It really pains me to write this review, as I adopted my beloved dog from Waldo’s almost 2 years ago and have fostered through them twice, however my outrageously poor experience them lately has made me see the organization in a completely different light. I decided in November to adopt my foster dog (my second time adopting through Waldo’s), as I thought she would be a great fit for me and my current dog. After a few days, I learned although she is incredibly sweet she has severe resource aggression issues. I tried my best and worked with a trainer, but ultimately after she attacked my dog causing 4 severe puncture wounds needing emergency vet care, I decided it would be best for both dogs for my recently adopted dog to be placed in a home with no other dogs. Waldo’s was extremely unresponsive and unhelpful, and even dismissed me when I first notified them of this behavior in December. When I finally got a response out of Waldo’s, I was told I would have to pay them $550 for them to spay the dog that would no longer mine in order for them to consider taking her back. I additionally was told I should “board the dog at my own expense” (mind you this is a dog rescue, recommending I board a dog with a bite history) if they can’t find me a foster home for her fast enough. After pressing, I finally got a great foster for the dog, however was informed by the foster that Waldo’s did not give her ANY of this background on the dog and her resource aggression issues, which is so incredibly irresponsible and unsafe for the foster, the dog, any dogs it comes into contact with, and any potential adopters may want to adopt her. This whole process I felt so unsupported, talked down to, and made to feel guilty for making a decision that was best for both of these two dogs who I seem to care a lot more about than they do. On top of that, after expressing how upset I felt via email, I was of course not responded to and immediately removed from their fosters Slack channel. I am writing this to hopefully make more potential fosters/adopters aware of their lack of support and transparency so hopefully others don’t end up in the same situation. They are unsupportive, unresponsive, and truly unconcerned about the dogs safety and well-being. Echoing some previous comments here, frequently medical issues are dismissed by “foster mentors” and higher-ups as they do not want to spend money on vet care. Waldo’s needs to do better, but unfortunately they prioritize pumping out dogs transport after transport and don’t care about the dogs once they find a home.
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February 2024 by S L.
I have long debated leaving a review but finding out that they are begging for people to leave 5 star reviews on Google and having negative reviews taken down, here I am. I had a horrific experience adopting from Waldo's, and feel like I ended up rescuing my dog from the rescue. I can not express how sick my dog was, and they provided almost zero vet care before I was able to get him - he was on a 10 day hold so even though I had technically adopted him, I couldn't get him for over a week and had to watch as they neglected him. I was told he had kennel cough, which they told his foster to give him robbitussen for. It was only after days of follow up on my part that he was given any actual medication. I was NOT told that he had severe hookworm, which was making his extreeme malnourishment worse and skyrocketed his white blood cell count to the point the vet couldn't neuter him for over a month because he wasn't healthy enough to survive surgery, or a lifelong kidney issue. The vet they recommended I go to, who are wonderful, said that they see horrific health issues from Waldo's dogs all the time - they confirmed my experience, which was that they do not even have a vet look at the dogs at all after they arrive even if they are obviously sick. I was told by a horrific volunteer that they are screened by the vets at the shelter they come from before transport to make sure they are healthy enough to SURVIVE transport, and that I should be grateful they rescued him or else he would be dead, because apparently no matter how sick he was neglecting him was better than death. The foster was also wildly inexperienced, kept asking me for money (given that at the time even though I had adopted him, he was legally under the care of the rescue who was 100% financially responsible for him, this was insane), refused to follow any instructions from me or the rescue, and when I went to pick him up when I could finally take him home, she went radio silent and I had to call the rescue to even find her because she wasn't answering the phone and seemed to be refusing to give him to me. I subsequently had to block her phone number as I kept getting unhinged texts from her. I also blocked the rescue coordinator after I went to them to ask about why he was not treated by a vet in their care as I ended up with thousands of dollars in unexpected vet bills due to undisclosed illness, and to encourage them to not let his foster ever care for a dog again. The coordinator was vicious and wholly inappropriate and took zero responsibility, and said that I was lucky he was alive thanks to them and that providing him with a single dose of dewormer counted as vet care. I will close by reiterating that I have had multiple conversations with both vets and vet techs over the months we have been working to get him healthy and they have confirmed that the dogs from the rescue consistently have everything from kennel cough to severe malnourishment and extreme health issues because they do not take dogs to the vet and send them directly to fosters - if they do provide care it is in a volunteers apartment and not at a vet. I have NO idea what the adoption fee is even being used for as most rescues use them to pay for standard vet care for all dogs and to address more serious health issues as needed. My dog is wonderful and I am so glad I was able to rescue him from this rescue before he got even sicker. I have volunteered for rescues myself and all my dogs are rescues and I have never seen anything like this, much less had them defend their actions by saying that just because the dog is alive they did enough.
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February 2024 by Ellie K.
I feel so stupid for adopting from here. We love our dog, but he was a puppy when we adopted him and they assured us he would be no more than 20lbs fully grown. We just got the DNA test results back and he is 62% Pitbull. I am finding it hard to believe that the vet that the shelter used had no idea that he would be bigger. Our vet knew immediately. I would not recommend adopting from them, unfortunately they really ruined my experience adopting at all. We were trying to do the responsible thing, but should have gone to a breeder.
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February 2024 by Hayden Mattus
This rescue has multiple complaints filed with the state. All the 5 star reviews you see online were fabricated by staff members or friends of the owner trying to bury real reviews (I know this because my friend worked with these 'reviewers' during her adoption). And for a while, my review mysteriously disappeared...The New York Post did an exposé on this place years ago exposing them. This is old news. These people don't deserve to run a business. It makes me very upset and angry.Before I share my grievances, I would like to say that it is a shame that this place is taking advantage of adopters, because it affects the well-being of the animals in the end.My friend adopted a dog from this place, and I have been helping her take care of them. Unfortunately, she is currently in debt because of the insincerity of Waldo’s Rescue.Firstly, they gave her a dog with worms without informing her first. It cost her $500 in medical bills when she discovered this, AFTER adoption, because they pressured her to not take the dog to the vet before the papers were signed. They also made her sign a form that she would pay for the spaying, citing it as “standard procedure”.What my friend did not realize is that in the state of New York, adoption centers are not allowed to adopt out an animal if it is not spayed or neutered, and this cost is supposed to be on the adoption center, UNLESS the adopter signs a form saying they will pay for the procedure themselves within 30 days...The adoption fee was $700. The spaying cost $700. And had my friend not been taken advantage of by this place, and had she known that they were legally supposed to spay her before she signed the “standard” form (that was really just a way to get out of their obligations), she would be $700 richer. Not to mention, they gave her a dog with a medical problem that she was not informed about prior to the adoption (which cost her $500), and charged her $700 to adopt the dog - a ridiculous cost, especially after fostering the dog for free for so long.As much as I am very happy to see that this sweet animal has a loving home, the way my friend was treated is unacceptable. Do not give your business to Waldo’s Rescue if you can help it, as much as it pains me to say because I feel for these poor animals. I just do not want to see others get similarly taken advantage of. They scolded and shamed her for her inclination to take the animal to the vet, and for every uneasy feeling she had about their process. They are manipulators, and money-hungry thieves.
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February 2024 by A R
Hard to believe that my little girl, Scarlette, has been home with me for a whole year! I can’t thank Waldo’s Rescue enough for bringing this girl to safety from Georgia and then caring for her. They are so dedicated to finding these poor souls a loving home. I wish I could save them all…but at least this one has all the love and care that they all deserve.
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February 2024 by Crystal S
Don’t adopt here we adopted a year ago and the dog was not fixed, not one vaccine. The women who runs this organization pockets the money, they also have a New York post about them dumping animals and giving sick animals. This organization is rude and definitely racist! Stear clear …Please consider adopting or Fostering elsewhere!! These organizations cover spay and neuter and vetting prior to adoption.Animal lighthouse RescueMuddy paws RescueRescue cityBixies RescueWaggytail RescueGoogle Department of agriculture animal rescue they have a list of who is in NYS! Find the best one suited for you.
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February 2024 by Hayden M.
An update to my previous review because they have not managed to take down yelp reviews, though they appear to have taken down Google! This rescue has multiple complaints filed with the state. All the 5 star reviews you see online on Google were fabricated by staff members or friends of the owner trying to bury real reviews (I know this because my friend worked with these 'reviewers' during her adoption). And for a while, my review mysteriously disappeared... The New York Post did an exposé on this place years ago exposing them. This is old news. These people don't deserve to run a business. It makes me very upset and angry.
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February 2024 by Mission Sound
Adopting a pet is a huge commitment and those wanting to do so should expect a thorough “vetting”. The application at Waldo’s was rigorous. Having found our Milo, we filled out the application. Shortly after, we got a call from Nicole who was amazingly helpful walking us through the process of getting the information they required to confirm that we were suitable dog owners. She explained that this was both for the safety of the pet and to mitigate the all too frequent return of a pet to the shelter system. She informed us that our chosen dog was being fostered in our area and efficiently set up a visit with him and his foster mom. The rest is history! Pet adoption agencies are often overwhelmed with both adoptable pets and prospective owners, but we found Waldo’s handled our adoption quickly and pleasantly. I have since met others in the dog run that have had equally good experiences with Waldo’s. We definitely recommend Waldo’s for your next family member.
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February 2024 by Phoebe Sabelli
SCAM and ANIMAL ABUSE. BEWARE of this rescue and do not support them. They transport sick, abused dogs up to nyc for pennies and sell them for $800! The adoption fee for these dogs at their home shelter is only $85! The dogs do not receive any medical care and staff discourages seeking help for the dogs to keep costs down. DOZENS of dogs have died and been lost in their care, and their existence is swept under the rug. This rescue has MULTIPLE complaints filed with the state. All the 5 star reviews you see online are from staff members or friends of the owner trying to bury real reviews. It is not a rescue, it is a business. If you’re looking to foster or adopt, PLEASE support your local shelter. A network of shady business is happening here that will eventually come to light…
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February 2024 by Kara Meikle
This is not just a rescue, but a matchmaking service for pups. As adopters with small children and cats, our coordinator was careful to consider our needs. She set us up with dogs we liked without hesitation, but they didn’t fit our family when we met. The coordinator kept suggesting one particular dog, and it turns out that he was the best match! She understood our needs better than we did and truly knew the personality of each pup. The foster parent was so kind and provided a care package of pups favorite treats when we picked up. I would definitely recommend Waldo’s!
