SAVING GRACE ANIMALS-ADOPTION

Read the reviews on Saving Grace's Facebook page regarding Gloria. It is a horrible situation, accompanied by Saving Grace's lack of policy transparency, and some business practices that will lead me to no longer support Saving Grace. I am the individual that was fostering Gloria when her life-ending incident occurred. At this point, since Gloria is dead, I hope that this review can help others who are interested in supporting Saving Grace. If they are a good fit for you, great; but why not have some information to help guide you in your decision? Here is a brief summary of the events that led me to write this review: 1) Saving Grace dispensed medication for me to administer to Gloria for a spay that was "just done" but when I got her home, I saw no scar or shaving - when I emailed the owner to let her know this, she said that Gloria had been spayed several months ago and she could not know what the medication was for without looking at her records. I don't know what that medication was meant for, or if it was just a mistake and she should not have been taking any medication. 2) Saving Grace killed Gloria, after one (to my knowledge) bite incident that was NOT human-aggressive but was a natural reaction (especially for a rescue dog) to an unfortunate incident. So: either Saving Grace killed Gloria after one bite incident, or they did not disclose any previous bite incident(s) or observed behavior issues with me, her foster. Either outcome is not something I would expect from a rescue organization. 3) The owner misrepresented her interest in placing Gloria with another rescue group after the bite - because another group WAS found (not by Saving Grace, but by me), and the owner of Saving Grace refused to release Gloria to the other foster. I'm using the phrase "kill" instead of "euthanize" because in my opinion the latter implies some release from pain or suffering. Gloria's only suffering was being abandoned by Saving Grace. If you are interested in supporting Saving Grace and are interested in hearing about their business operations directly from them, PLEASE learn from my mistakes and ask some VERY direct "if/then" questions, and please, please be totally comfortable with the answers. If you hear something that makes you feel uncomfortable, look elsewhere. There are so many rescue organizations that operate transparently. You should expect direct answers to your questions. I am heartbroken and angry that I had to learn this lesson at the expense of Gloria's life.

This is a well run excellent organization that provides a great service.

They take good care of the animals. They are very helpful. I will recommend Saving Grace Animals-Adoption to others.

This rescue group is organized and responsive. I was able to go right away to visit Raven, all my questions were answered. I like that they have a through application process. Raven was checked out by a veterinarian, updated on all shots, and spayed. She was also behaviorally tested. This rescue was a pleasure to work with.I also adopted a few years prior my beautiful Shepherd Hawk and had the same great experience.

Our beloved elderly dog passed away in early July, and in early August my husband and I started to think about adopting another dog. I began searching Petfinder.com for a dog of the same breed or breed mix (Belgian Shepherd). One day, a listing for a Belgian Malinois at Saving Grace Animals for Adoption appeared on Petfinder.com. I was intrigued because the listing sounded good and the location in Wake Forest was relatively close. My husband emailed Saving Grace and received an email back within a day inviting us to visit the dog, and asking that we fill out a non-binding adoption application in advance of visiting the dog.

The questions on the adoption application were very reasonable (e.g. why do you want a dog; where will the dog stay while you are away from home, and for how many hours at a time; etc.). The application was relatively brief and easy to fill out. We stated honestly that the dog would be alone, inside the house, for up to 9 hours at a time while we were at work. Our application was accepted with no questions or concerns expressed about our answers. I have heard some people say that some rescue organizations have such strict requirements for the pet's care (like not being left alone for a whole workday) that it's nearly impossible to adopt an animal. This was absolutely not the case with Saving Grace.

After we submitted the application via email, a representative contacted us within a day to set up a visit appointment. We had questions about the dog's suitability with small children and cats, and the group's behaviorist called us to discuss our concerns. When we visited the group's facility with our two-year old daughter, we found a large, clean, attractive, landscaped property where all the dogs ran and played freely outdoors (the property perimeters were fenced with a high, secure fence.) We observed that each dog had its own indoor crate with comfortable bedding. All the dogs were very friendly and well-behaved, and they were well-cared-for. In short, we were extremely impressed with the conditions the dogs lived, slept and played in. We were allowed ample time to visit with the dog, and at no time did the staff pressure us to adopt her. We went home and "slept on it", and the next day we emailed Saving Grace saying we wanted the dog. My husband picked up the dog the following day - two days after we first visited her. She's been wonderful with our daughter and our two cats since the moment she came into our house, and has very quickly become a full and much-loved member of our household. We are very happy that she is Home with us.

Saving Grace provided all vaccinations, flea treatment and de-worming. The dog had been spayed and microchipped by her first owner; otherwise Saving Grace would have provided those services as well. The adoption fee was fairly expensive ($300) compared to most shelters; however we considered it a bargain in light of the operational, animal care and veterinary costs involved for a small rescue group. (In fact, the group stretches its resources through a network of volunteers that help care for the dogs, maintain the website, etc., and vets that provide care at discounted rates.)

We were truly moved by what Saving Grace does and how well they do it. They are run by a behaviorist who selects highly adoptable dogs (mixes and purebreds) from rural shelters - which usually have very low adoption rates and high kill rates. Saving Grace also takes in dogs from puppy mill raids. When we visited, they had a couple of wonderful, sweet dogs from a recent puppy mill rescue in Caldwell County, NC. They have a set number of "slots" for dogs, and when they adopt out a dog, they bring another into the program. They said that last year they adopted out over 500 dogs. Because their dogs are pre-selected for temperament and adoptability, every dog is a dog that will work out well in the right home. Saving Grace staff were consistently polite, helpful, informative and non-pressuring, and always responded quickly to our emails. I encourage anyone looking for a dog to look at Saving Grace as an adoption option.