Joyful Rescues

Shelly Mcdaniels

2024-01

I adopted the most amazing dog here. He was well taken care of up until the day that I picked him up. They checked on him several times after I brought him home.They truly care about their critters. ❤️

Lan Allen

2024-04

Joyful rescue rejected my 82 y/o mother's application without explanation. She had been approved by every other rescue she applied to. Took them several weeks to get back to us after emails, calls and texts. I'm not surprised they have a 2.9 rating. I wish them all the luck in the world with finding homes for their animals. One of those animals missed out on a perfect home with my mom.

Gerri McKenzie

2024-05

Horrible experience-went withgreat references, a great home- we were told we were not a good fit despite rescuing four other dogs over 15 years and them leading long lives with us( 19 and 20 years old)-wish we had read recent and previous reviews as it seems this is an organization that does not have the best interest of the dogs at heart- a shame as we were so looking forward to our little addition cominghome with us-also noticed how they bumped up older good reviews after this post- continue scrolling down and see the most recent posts after those- very eye opening- something is going on here- also had been preapproved and like so many others turned rudely away- now understand the 2.9 rating and had to give at least a 1 in order to write a review

Jen M. Watson

2024-03

I feel this rescue plays head games with true pet lovers that would do anything for them. Let’s start off by first noticing a dog very interested to meet said he was gonna be there in Buffalo . Drove 1 and 1/2 hours away excited to meet this dog. To heartbreak not showing up. So they posted again and posted his picture again so I drove to Webster to see if he is there. This time he was there. He was the sweetest dog and I even brought my dog to meet him too. I wanted to meet him first before applying for him. I was in love so perfect. So I filled out application and says if you don’t hear back in 3 business days than your not approved. I spent 3 hours filling out a honest application on this. If you lied on the application you would probably have better luck adopting. So sad to say that. So I get a email back saying we feel he’s not a good fit for your home good luck on your continue search. So I emailed back I’m not sure if the reasoning can you explain please. Silence! All I wanted was closure to see what went wrong. It’s sad to know I feel better now and have closure by reading these reviews . It’s just not me. I had everything for him fenced in yard too. He would of had the best life. So trying to get a answer is like pulling teeth. They are playing with peoples emotion putting them in a depression thinking I’m a bad person. I really want to report this rescue. They don’t want to give up the animals I see over reviews on here saying they just pocket donations to pay there rent and keep them as long. I’m starting to think maybe that’s the reason. You should be entitled to a reason when they say your not a good fit. I feel bad for these animals . Just by wanting a reason why they unfriended and blocked me on Facebook too! That is such a red flag to me . They need to be investigated. I would never think of writing a negative review on them because thought they were doing a good job on rescuing animals. Boy I was wrong!

Cherix Biggs

2024-02

Love these folks! Sparky has only one little brother now…18 month Young Scottie puppy named Lewis. Lewis adores Sparky! Thank you for the joy of living with Sparky! He is having a great life here! And we are blessed to have him. Thankyou, “Joy”ful For all you do for the precious furbabies you take in!

stephen jock

2023-06

I have had a wonderful experience with Joyful Rescues. We filled out our application, gave references, and informed our vet that they would be calling. 48 hours later we were approved to adopt Cala. From there we Worked with Jeanne, who was amazing. Not only did she keep in contact with us, but, she drove from her home that is 90 minutes from our house. She made sure our dog was comfortable with Cala. 5 stars all the way. Thank you to all who works so hard to save these animals. Steve

William Schwartz

2024-03

We adopted Oreo Naked Nov.11, 2020 and the records said she was born on 2011 and that would make her over 9 years old. She was more like 1 to 3 years old. Other than that. The profile information was very good.So glad we rescued her. She has been a real member of our family since day one. We were a couple in our seventys. I jut lost my wife of 62 years in January. Oreo has been a Godsend. She knows when I am feeling gown and will jump in my lap and nuzzleme. Love her so much. She sleeps with me and keeps me from being so lonely.

Penny Gorman

2024-02

We rescued our Wesley and couldn't be happier!! He was already 8 years old and the sweetest dog. Our vet got rid of his bad breath which was the only problem we had. He loves his sister and feline brother. It is a happy household!! Thank you you Joyful Rescue!!

Victoria Pearson

2024-04

Nothing but the most compassionate and caring people are involved with Joyful Rescues. The sacrifices they make and commitments they fulfill are astounding and selfless. If anyone has anything negative to say about this organization I would have to question their intentions or motivations

Amanda Marcigliano

2024-02

Whatever you do, do NOT waste your time on them. Unfortunately they do not have the best interest of the animals as they simply are NOT looking to actually rehome them. I applied with the interest of three potential dogs. I asked if those specific dogs were going to be at the PetSmart location and completed and answered all questions asked on the application. One of them emailed me back asking What happened to my 6-year-old dog that I had to put down due to a medical condition that was recommended by the ICU doctor and spending $8000 on her to try to save her. Not only did I not hear back from them to give me their condolences (a human response), They just stopped communicating with me all together. They then in fact did not bring all three dogs to the PetSmart location after telling me they would be there, nor did they respond to my additional emails to them inquiring about the status of my application. Then when I find on the website that they just posted One of the dogs we were interested in and I responded that I applied, I got defriended by joyful rescues.... Not sure what these people are looking for in their ideal candidates, But it's no wonder why these animals are not being rehomed after a decent amount of time! Beyond disgusted... Would give them zero stars if it allowed me!

Tim Sylvester

2023-12

Applied to adopt a kitten. After braving the glitchy webform, I got a call from the foster, Carrie. Our talk seemed to go well. She warned me the kitten is a long hair (we knew) and doesn’t play well with her siblings or other kittens. Strange because her profile (posted by Carrie) said “loves playing with her sisters.” Was asked about our current pets (age, breed, etc.), particularly our 20-yr-old cat. I noted that must be a typo, the oldest is 15. I mentioned we recently rescued a kitten but were still interested in this one as a companion. She said that was good and “she loves playing with other kittens” (OK?)-quickly added her sisters play rough. We scheduled a meet for the next day, to see how our pets interact with the kitten.The next day, Carrie never showed. After a while I called. It went straight to voicemail and left a message. No response. Later, when I was checking my email, I found the following message:“Sorry for the delay in response but we spoke to Carrie and listened to her concerns about the fact that you have a young kitten not listed on the application and that you conversation seemed to lean in the direction that the ages of the cats you do say you have were very different than what was on the application. This coupled with the fact that vet care on both your dogs and cats was minimum at best we don't feel we can put a pet into your home. Good luck with your continued search. Bridgett”Needless to say, we were not happy when we saw this. Annoying we never got a call and were misled but infuriating to be accused of not taking care of our cats/dogs! We replied:“Bridgett, we have concerns about the professionalism of your foster. Each of our dogs are spayed/neutered, up to date on shots, and have insurance coverage. We have ALL supporting documents available in paper or digital copies. Carrie never requested that we forward these and merely assumed we neglect our pets, which couldn’t be further from the truth. I have no idea how Carrie concluded that they are poorly maintained, but we are deeply offended and hurt at this accusation.Regarding the unlisted kitten, as I explained in our phone conversation, she was found recently abandoned in a barn from a farmer who did not offer food or water. She was meant to be adopted by acquaintances, but fell through, and we took her in rather than abandon her. This occurred after the application was submitted.Finally, the foster scheduled an appointment for today but did not show up or contact us. We rearranged our schedules for this meeting but were simply ignored, which is obviously in poor taste.From the high-end and prescription veterinary food we feed our cats, to the three incredibly expensive surgeries we have financed for our oldest senior cat, to travelling an hour to get the top training for our Shepherd, to out-of-pocket expenses to rescue our mix it is astonishingly incompetent of your organization to even insinuate neglect. We can happily provide more examples.Regarding the incorrect cat ages, one was inaccurate possibly due to a typo, for which we can take responsibility if such is the case. The application did glitch several times as we filled it out, so that could be a factor. If that is disqualifying, so be it.I hope you are able to reflect on why this experience was a poor one, as many animals clearly need a warm, loving home this time of year, and it seems that need will not be provided from our household due to astonishingly poor communication. Best of luck in future adoptions.”We also sent proof for them to review. Never heard back. Could chalk it all up as a foster not doing their job, but Joyful Rescues had the opportunity to respond, apologize, explain, or do anything that would indicate this is not how they operate. After reading some of their reviews, it’s obvious it is. All the area shelters are full and not accepting more cats. If the claims I see in the reviews are true and they are refusing good homes for their personal gain/incentives--doing so leaves many adoptable pets left out in the cold this winter.

ella jaffe

2024-01

we adopted a dog over 10 years ago and everything went well but we are trying to adopt a dog who would be perfect for our family and we are being told she isn’t a good fit for our family when everything she needs we have. fenced in back yard, someone’s always home, another young dog as she needs a companion and we get no explanation? you’d think they’d want people to adopt the dogs and give them a good home but it dosent seem like they want it. We were so eager to get her as we’ve waiting around 3 days to hear back and just get “she isn’t a good fit for your family. take care”

Julia Overton-Healy

2023-08

They have an extensive application form but apparently even if you have prior experience being a dog owner AND have exceptional references (including a former vet) AND explain that you're retired so you have plenty of time to give to the Dog AND provide clear (yet broad) wishes (adult dog, house-trained, large breed) and even name a dog that they have that interests you...you're still not good enough EVEN JUST FOR AN APPOINTMENT. And when they tell you you're rejected they only say "we can't meet your requirements"... They don't want to re-home dogs. If they did, they'd be more welcoming.

Rosemarie Schaut

2019-05

We adopted our last four dogs from Joyful rescues and have had great experiences with this organization. Hank (Snooky) was a coonhound mix we adopted at age 8 who lived to be 17. Mike (Shadow) was a puggle mix who unfortunately passed only a few years after we rescued him due to cancer. Ginnie (Ginger) is a dachshund - chihuahua mix we have had for several years. Our most recent, Frannie (Francine) we think is a chihuahua - rat terrier mix who we adopted last year. It is my understanding that this organization will make no apologies for refusing the wrong pet-adopter match. In fact, they have informed me that while they may refuse a particular pet for an applicant, this does not necessarily mean they will not allow a more agreeable match. In other words, if you are 75 years old and want a lap dog, they may not permit you to adopt a high-energy puppy that needs a lot of exercise. If you have young children, you may not find yourself with a toy mill dog with potential fear aggression. I have discovered that this organization WILL check your references. They called both of my neighbors as well as my veterinarian to cross reference my application. (btw, take your time with the application and double-check it. They receive hundreds of thousands of them and likely do not have time to call you back if you are unclear or do not complete it properly, i.e. leaving the wrong contact info for your references, writing illegibly, or not providing coherent answers, etc.) They also helped us determine if a GSP available was gun shy when we were looking for a hunting dog for our son. (She was gun shy, btw.) They were patient, never making us feel rushed. They are also communicative via the entire process, before, during and after adoption. We will likely adopt from them for our fifth rescue since dogs who run loose, socialize with people and other dogs instead of being in isolated concrete cages (as most SPCA's) are much more easily transitioned into their new homes.

Anne Radesi (Anne)

2023-05

Joyful Rescues rescues dogs and cats from kill shelters and gives these animals a new lease on life. They thoroughly vet their prospective owners to make sure they are the right home for their adoptions. I adopted my little guy who was a puppy mill rescue.

Emily Halling

2023-12

Attempted to adopt a dog from this rescue, and was provided no feedback for why the dog was not a good fit, a family member of mine had the same issue, and they have lived on their farm for over 40 years, have 45 acres of land to spend time with a dog on, and are retired, so always have someone home.Not quite sure what they are actually looking for in potential owners, but consider looking at other rescues if you dont want to waste your time.

North Country

2023-05

Not even acknowledged. We could have provided an amazing home with plenty of space, love, and attention. However, the only reason we could ascertain was due to not having a fence and someone home 24/7. He is still there and available. Read reviews before turning to them. Not exactly the best rescue if you are willing to set your expectations so high. Sorry Remi, I'm sure you would have been fantastic.

ponygirl

2023-10

I had horrible experience with this rescue. I applied for a dog. Joy phoned the next day. We had a detailed conversation—she told me about the dog; I told her what I looking for. She believed this dog would be a great dog for me.We ended the conversation with – you’re approved, when do you want to come see her? I scheduled for the next day because I was so excited. This dog sounded perfect for me.I’m a very experienced dog owner and have had at least one dog my entire adult life. At 63, I am retired from my day job, I own my own home with a fenced yard, financially stable, and lots of time/love to give to a new dog.I’ve trained and shown AKC obedience. Trained for agility, although I didn’t compete because I am just not fast enough—my dog was the superstar of the two of us. I have had horses my whole life, which I think gives a person very good insight into animal behavior and training.The weird part started when my friend and I arrived. He picked up on the “weird” immediately. I was so happy to be meeting what sounded like a perfect doggy match for me after losing my beloved dog to cancer early in 2023 that it took me a little longer.Joy was there, but she took a backseat to a younger woman, whose name I can’t remember. The younger woman was very discouraging and spoke about the dog being pretty much an anxious crazy dog, who would freak out on leash and easily get away from a person or jump a fence and take off. Never did Joy say a thing about this kind of behavior when we talked the day before. I had specifically asked Joy how she thought the dog would be if I took her to hiking trails in a state park or to Petsmart/Tractor Supply. She said the dog might be a little nervous going into a strange building because she was a bit nervous when she came to them a year ago when in the house until she got used to it but she was sure she would accept my reassurance and adjust quickly.The dynamics of my visit were so strange because one minute the 2nd woman would be talking as if I were going to adopt her, but then the next minute she would be telling me why the dog wouldn’t work for me because of the freak out behavior. She picked apart everything I said.Everything was so confusing to me because the second woman was painting a totally different picture of the dog than Joy did in our phone conversation the day before. Yet Joy was standing right there, mostly quiet, and didn’t correct the 2nd woman. I saw absolutely no signs of fear or anxiety, let alone a panic attack meltdown from this dog my entire visit.I took the dog for a leash walk down their long driveway outside of her familiar fenced area. —Second woman had told me that she would be panicked outside. She also said the dog would be too anxious to get in my car. —The dog was perfectly fine with both things. A lovely dog. She behaved like she had known me and my friend her entire life. The dog showed absolutely no signs of panic or anxiety. I loved her.2nd woman couldn’t give me an specific example of what would supposedly set her off. Our visit ended with second woman telling me that she couldn’t let her go home with me because I was skeptical and didn’t simply believe her “crazy dog” claims (without any evidence to back it up). But then, in the next breath, she was hinting that I might be able to adopt her in another week or so.None of this made any sense. It was like something from a twilight zone. Strange power play?? Did they change their mind about adopting out this dog but let me make the 2 1/2 hour drive one way for nothing? I have no idea about their motive. I felt like I had been jerked around, and worse—my heart was broken. This dog was exactly what I was looking for.They had her for one year without a vet visit. They had given her a bath and brushed her the morning of my visit, but she still had some mats and still had a foul odor. Her teeth look like they needed dental care. She didn’t seem bonded to either Joy or second woman. —And they were concerned I wasn’t good enough??!!Wonderful dog; horrible people.

Cynthia Stubbe

2022-05

Rate a ZERO! I have a great home for dogs! I was told I could not adopt with no reasons. I would highly recommend that if you do not want to lie on application to Joyful Rescue you find another place to adopt. You have to tell them you are home 100% of time, you have a 6 foot fence, and no other pets. My real advice DONT ADOPT FROM HERE!!

Joan Boulanger

2023-05

Adopted our little guy Archie from JR in November 2019. Filled out the adoption application online and his foster Mom Sue brought him over for a meet and greet within a few days and he's been with us ever since. Wonderful folks to deal with. ❤

Deanna Aftuck

2024-03

Have rescued a pup from there...best place ever to find your furbaby!

Ryan Sullivan

2023-11

Joyful Rescues is a criminal organization they do not care about the animals they look after and are more concerned about making money rather than providing loving homes for these animals. The owner hordes animals just so she can pocket donations and live rent free. I tried to adopt a cat weeks ago and after filling out the rigorous application and already being an experienced cat owner for years I heard nothing back after a full week(website says all applications are reviewed within 3 business days). They never called my vet they never called any of my references I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t even look at my application in the first place!! Meanwhile the cat I applied for Is still available to this day on their website. They made a post on Facebook last week about animals needing homes and INCLUDED THE CAT I APPLIED FOR. When I commented asking why this is and why I haven’t heard anything back they deleted my comment and blocked me on Facebook, which only further lead me to believe something weird was going on. What a shocker the reviews on here are majority extremely negative (mentioning many similar issues I mentioned in this review and some even worse!) I feel so bad for the animals being held hostage by this place and for the wonderful people who apply each day just to be jerked around like I was.

Amanda Dixon

2023-05

Like many others, I have heard many negative things about this rescue. However when we came across a puppy we were interested in, I decided to try applying. I filled out the very lengthy application in detail, submitted it, and waited for a response. I felt very hopeful. I am financially stable, I own a home with a large fenced back yard, I work from home and am home ALL day long, and am an experienced dog owner. Yet I heard nothing back. No explanation as to why I was declined, no chance to get pre approved to adopt a different dog if the one I was interested in had been adopted. NOTHING. Isn’t the point to approve loving homes? To get these rescues into a safe and caring forever home so you can keep taking more in to save MORE lives? Apparently not. Before applying here I urge you to read the reviews. Do some research on how much money the owner of this NONPROFIT “rescue” uses for her salary per year. The reviews are negative for a reason. Joyful rescues, do better. You wouldn’t have 55 dogs waiting for their forever homes if you didn’t keep denying loving families who would give them the world

Lance Topping

2024-02

There’s a good reason for all the negative posts that this organization receives. They’ve more than earned the poor ratings. Although I believe the people running the “rescue” do care about animals, their adoption application form is unnecessarily complicated and they show little care or respect for the people that want to adopt a rescue animal.Joyful Rescues is very capricious in the way they interact with adoption applicants, at least those that are lucky enough to even receive a response from them at all. They appear to handpick the applicants they like and then generally ignore the rest of the bunch. This “rescue” has been a heartbreaker for many well intentioned people that are doing the right thing by adopting a pet in need of a home. I am a responsible, lifelong dog owner with plenty of indoor and outdoor space and a summer home in the islands. I applied to adopt a dog, but never received a follow-up, so I emailed and called them. After 8 tries I finally got a response that they had not denied me, but also had not approved me for the dog I had applied for.I tried to work with them for a couple of weeks, but finally gave up. I personally know two other qualified people trying to adopt that have similar tales of woe about dealing with Joyful Rescues. Their website is very enticing and it’s easy to find the perfect furry new friend on it and fall in love. However, take heed of the poor reviews and look somewhere else. You have been warned!!There are many reputable rescues out there, even in the same local area, who are eager to place their pets and handle the application and adoption process more professionally and compassionately. Use your web browser to find them. Good luck finding your new rescue companion.RECOMMENDATION - You may want to check out Rescue Pups in Friendship, NY, not far from Joyful Rescues. They are honest, compassionate, and easy to work with. They actually WANT to adopt out their animals!

Annemarie Franczyk

2023-06

Our last three dogs have come from Joyful Rescues, and each of the three experiences was positive. We filled out a lengthy application for our first and then seemed to be fast-tracked for the second and third because of our history with the place. Each of our dogs was well-cared-for, healthy and happy. We plan on adopting our next dog from Joyful Rescues when the time comes.

Kathleen Koster

2022-05

Caring wonderful people take care of rescue dogs at Joyful rescue. We could not be happier with the dog we chose from them. Our Harley is one of the best dogs we've ever had. He couldn't be better if we had raised him from a puppy.

Barb Brooks

2021-05

I got my beautiful boy here a couple years ago. It seemed that all of the other rescues weren't interested in me because maybe my age, almost 70 now. I applied for my Sammy online and got a answer rather quickly. Which some never answered or just would say the dog I inquired about was gone. I went to see if we would be compatible and it was Love at first sight. I have had many dogs threw out my years and this little guy is the best. He was said to be about 4 when I got him. He keeps me very active... We get up and first thing we go for a ride to find a nice place to take a walk. Although we have plenty of room to walk where I live, but I think he likes to experience new places daily to take our morning walk. In the afternoon is when we take our walk around my property. He likes to walk out to the garden to snatch a tomato or two. He loves going down to the creek and just setting on the swing with me. Or goes off on his own a little bit to see if there is a rabbit to chase or chipmunk. Just Love him and Thank You Joyful Resuces to let me adopt him. The picture below is when he needed a little help getting a piece of shredded paper off the end of his nose. It was recycle day and I guess I missed a piece...lol.

Frank Passafiume

2019-05

We just celebrated our Lucy's 2nd birthday with us. I remember being worried filling out the application and seeing some of the negative reviews as we never adopted a rescue before. But Denise and everyone at Joyful Rescues was so gracious and made such a wonderful experience. We actually applied to adopt a different pup and scheduled to meet him at our local PetSmart at one of their events. Unfortunately, my wife's allergies did not agree and our own little dog was intimidated, so we did not go forward with the adoption.As we were leaving, we wanted to see the other rescues there and stumbled upon this delicate little angel Lucy (formerly Mountain Breeze) and our hearts melted. We were allowed to adopt her on the spot and given a treasure trove of information regarding the care of puppy mill dogs. Denise even sent us several follow up emails and we spoke on the phone making sure everything was ok and we were setup for a successful transition.I cannot speak more highly of this organization, its employees, and the volunteers. They do amazing work and we are so grateful to them for bringing Lucy into our lives.

Chris England

2021-05

What wonderful people providing great care to these rescue dogs. Beautiful fenced field areas and impressive clean kennels. Picked up our new puppy and she was obviously well cared for, clean and healthy!

Gene Flore

2020-05

They are one of the best animal rescue organizations in the Northeast. They take care to socialize all of their rescues before they're made available for adoption.My dog Penny is a perfect example!She's the sweetest dog ever - even gets along with the cats.