Magnificent Mutts Rescue

THESE PEOPLE CAN’T BE TRUSTED. I recently went through them to adopt a kitten and when I was signing the papers they told me that the pet had recently been checked out and that she is healthy. Three weeks go by and I take her to a vet for her first check up. The vet tells me that she has a respiratory problems as well as possible anemia. I got back to Magnificient Mutts to tell them that she’s sick and needs tests done and they play it off like they didn’t know. I proceed to drop her off at the cat clinic where she was examined before the adoption and they tell me that they told the shelter that she had all these problems since she was born. Don’t trust these guys. It’s not right what they did.

Filled out an application for a kitten on Wednesday, got a response the next evening that they were checking my reference and I could come out Saturday. Friday night and no response. I asked what was going on and finally an email back. The kitten was adopted to someone else Friday night. They also never called my reference. Not very professional in my opinion. They are off my list of any place to adopt from. Just bad business manners.

After putting down our beloved 15 year old dog (the eldest of our two dogs), my husband and I have been on a search for a second dog on and off for about half a year. We’ve had a string of bad experiences. From one rescue that gave us a hard time when a foster didn’t work with our current dog, to another shelter that neglected to tell us that a dog we were interested in was one of a bonded pair, to a rescue that didn’t feel the healthcare we were providing our current dog met their standards, and would therefor not adopt to us.
I have always had dogs and cats in my life that either I, or my family and I have cared for. I’ve never gone without. My husband and I have taken our pets to the vet and even specialists when there were serious health issues, going above the standard once a year annual visit. We’ve taken them to training, we feed them well, and provide all the love and exercise we can. So I’m not going to have a shelter manager make me feel bad because I won’t follow her shelter’s protocol. While I understand that a shelter or rescue group has an obligation to keep their animals safe from any contagious diseases, at the same there needs to be some balance.
After the not so great shelter/​rescue experiences we considered buying a dog, but we resisted. I contacted a friend who is an a trainer and the trainer of two of our dogs, to hear her thoughts. It seems that this is becoming the knee jerk reaction of shelters to the Canine Influenza. She said that many places now have very strict protocols in place based on fear rather than rational thought. She also went on to say that other potential adopters she knows have also considered buying a pet instead of adoption because the rescues were making it so difficult to adopt. This appears to be a growing issue, and I want to support and recommend shelters and rescues that have a good balance of concern for their animals, like Magnificent Mutts Rescue.
We found two dogs on the Magnificent Mutts Rescue website that we were interested in meeting, and the whole process went pretty quick without a hitch. We emailed to confirm that the dogs we were interested in were still available and they were. We were then asked to fill out an application online (which you have to do in advance of meeting any of their animals) and next thing we knew we had an email & call back to answer a few follow up questions. After answering the questions were able to set up a meet & greet with our dog to meet the potential adoptees the same day. Granted, it probably doesn’t always happen this quickly, but perhaps the stars were finally aligned for us. It took two days start to finish, and I originally emailed on a Saturday night, hearing back quickly.
No home check, no refundable training fee, no personality quiz. You do have to provide references, provide rules and regulations if you rent or live in a condo or town home, and you have to provide vet information for current and previous pets, and MMR WILL call them. All totally reasonable. Another thing to like about MMR, each animal lives with a foster who can give you way more insight about an animals personality and behavior than a shelter who keeps their animals caged most of the day. Also nice about MMR, you get a free follow up exam with a vet from their list, should you not already have a vet of your own.

Very disappointed. We saw some puppies we were interested in adopting, filled out the app. Didn’t hear from them. I emailed them asking if one puppy we saw was still available, and they emailed me back stating that they sent us a invite and we didn’t show up, so now we’re basically put at the bottom of the pile. Unbelievable. Bad impression. And the way they said that was unprofessional. Needless to say we won’t ever go to them again.

I am sure this is a great organization, but I must say how disappointed my family and I were at the lack of professionalism we received. We filled out our application and were approved. We expressed interest in one special needs puppy and after several days of sending emails and being told our app had been forwarded to the foster mom they said she was adopted. Happy to hear she has a home, we asked about another special needs adult, still have yet to get any sort of response to any of our emails, and she seems to still be looking for a home. A week has now passed, and yet, no response to mine or my husbands email. On the application, it asks for a breed you are interested in… we were open to all, but put a specific breed, and every tjme my husband would email about a particular pup, they wouldn’t answer our question, just told us they weren’t this breed. Just frustrated with the process. Really wanted to help out here, and now have decided to go with another rescue… that has been mo than helpful. Like I said, I am sure this is a great organization… love the owners story and her passion for helping animals in need, just didn’t seem to be very receptive to us. Sad, considering we really wanted to help the ones, that really seem to need saving.

What a great organization! I adopted Konerko, formally known as Papo, and I couldn’t be happier. The foster family taking care of him did such a great job! I’m glad that this organization took the time to find excellent foster homes, it means they truly care for animals. They were up to date on all records and information on Konerko. The process was done in a timely fashion and so very thorough with giving information and tips (coupons for petsmart and heart worm meds to get started) on how to care for your new puppy. Will recommend to anyone looking to adopt.

We adopted a shepherd mix puppy through Mag Mutts almost three years ago. I had been «shopping» on PetFinder for some time, and became interested in a few puppies from the same litter. I spoke to a number of people involved in the organization, including our Abby’s foster mom, who gave us insight into the puppy’s personality and behavior. They also followed up on the references we provided in the application.
All in all, the process was professional and compassionate. We absolutely love our dog and would recommend very highly Magnificent Mutts.

The foster that my family dealt with was so kind and accommodating. She was open and honest about the dogs we were interested in and was really considerate about our feelings whenever we had a concern about something or if we thought a dog wasn’t a right fit. It’s also nice that their dogs are neutered or spayed immediately and also get a dental and all their vaccinations and microchip. The dog we decided on adopting was a pug that was from a puppy mill, she’s such a sweetheart and is loving life. She fits in perfectly with our family. I recommend this rescue.

Magnificent Mutts is a local, volunteer-​run organization that rescues pets from kill shelters and helps them find loving forever homes.
When I first started looking for a place to foster pets, I was drawn in by the glamour of larger shelters like PAWS and the Anti-​Cruelty Society in Chicago. On a whim, I stopped by the PetCo in Hillside on my way home from work one day and discovered this delightful group of people who are all personally committed to helping dogs and cats on their journey to find a loving family. After working with Mag Mutts for a few months, I realized JUST how different this type of shelter was from the larger (higher turnover) type places.
Mag Mutts works almost exclusively with foster families, meaning that each dog or cat that comes through their hands has been cared for and observed by one family for anywhere from a few days to several months. When you visit an adoption day, the volunteers can speak to the temperament of the pet, it’s medical needs (all info up front), and it’s general personality or quirks. Mag Mutts is honest and upfront about the information they’ve received (from places they’ve rescued from) and doesn’t claim «purebred» animals or «specialty mixes» if they don’t know for sure. If an animal isn’t adopted in the first few weeks, Mag Mutts will continue to foster it until they find the perfect home. I find it very reassuring (especially for potential adopters) to know that the volunteers care deeply about each of the animals that come through their doors and the homes where they end up.
Many of the volunteers for this organization have fostered pets for years and years and include dog trainers, animal care professionals, and big hearted members of the community. They’re a closely knit bunch do a great job running the shelter. The website is updated regularly (as many know to be an annoying fault of MANY other shelters), they have active Facebook and Twitter pages, and have regular adoption events.
I can’t think of a better run, small scale pet rescue organization.