Wonder Dog Rescue

We were lucky enough recently to adopt Jessie the Wonder Pom through Wonder Dog Rescue. She is (allegedly) 9 years old… I only say allegedly because she has the energy of a much younger pooch. 5 miles a day is her minimum requirement for walks — she has me on a great workout program… thank you Jessie!
Wonder Dog made the process easy, and were honest about her health issues and prior living/​foster situations. She had been fostered for 3 months, coordinated by Wonder Dog, and the foster parents did such a good job taking care of her. It can’t be easy to keep track of all of the dogs they have in various states of fostering/adoption…I don’t know how Linda does it! A truly amazing organization.

Incredibly rude response to a simple inquiry about helping with their rescue process. They post constantly about needing immediate help getting dogs out of the pound. My inquiry was whether they could use a family near some of the central valley animal shelters to be a TEMPORARY foster while they arranged transport to the Bay Area. I was told there was no way they would do that as the dogs they rescue are in such demand/​so highly adoptable. So, instead of being concerned with the mental health of the dogs they rescue, they would rather turn down a willing volunteer and allow their rescues to endure the stress of being in the shelter for longer than absolutely necessary. I am fully aware that we would go through a background check. And when I suggested temporary– i actually meant temporary as in 1 – 2 days so the dogs would not suffer in the pound (which was specifically stated). Looking at their adoption fees and given their callous response makes me think they are a glorified dog flipping business.

We adopted both of our furry kids from Wonder Dog last year and we have nothing but good things to say. We were in contact with Tina from the time we started looking for the right dogs for us and she was a joy to work with. She was very honest about any issues that might be present with different dogs that we inquired about. She was truly committed to helping us find the right fit for our family. She let us meet them and spend some time before making a huge commitment.
It was easily set up to pay online which made things smooth. We were especially thrilled (since we live in the east bay that there was a vet out here that they work with so we didn’t have to drive all the way back to SF to have them both spayed.
We just love our girls and often recommend Tina and wonder Dog to our friends!

We tried to foster then to adopt and every time things did not work out for a different reason each time, there ok… but i think shelters are better. we now have a really wonderful dog who needed saving.

Wonder Dog is an incredible organization that truly cares and loves the animals that they save. Thank you so much Tina, Linda and the rest of the staff and volunteers for all of the good work that you do!

I do dog rescue for Wonder Dog and have fostered three dogs. I’m so impressed with all the volunteers at Wonder Dog. These selfless volunteers take in hospice dogs, elders and litters of puppies and care for them until they are adopted.
When dogs come in they all pull together and find a foster. Linda specializes in Boston rescue, but due to all the dogs being dumped at the shelters Wonder Dog is taking in all dogs in danger of being euthanized. Yes shelters still euthanize!
Wonder Dog Rescue is truly a local not for profit business. They have to do fund raisers and depend on the generous donations of the community to pay for the spay/​neuter and care of the dogs they bring in. There is no paid marketing manager and staff. This means that for every dollar that is donated most of this goes to the dogs. I’m sure they have costs to maintain their van, office, etc.
And yes sometimes things get a little disorganized trying to get dogs to adoption fairs and taking applications, but at the end of the day it’s all about the well being of the dogs.
Most dogs coming in have been neglected, un-​neutered/​spayed, no vaccines or prior care. The average cost to do a wellness check, blood work, vaccines and neuter or spay (spay is more expensive) is at least $ 350. Typically this cost is greater than the adoption fee.
Please adopt from a rescue and if you can’t afford the care of an animal or don’t have a stable home, don’t adopt. If you want to help the dogs you can volunteer and foster.

I apply for a Pomeranian, Raven we have a big home and lots of love we also have Sunny he is a spray Pomeranian, what bite for and and my wife is the fact we can’t find Pom’s here in San jose and yet I was told most are taken to Frisco shucks… Sunny born 2002 full of joy and love is getting old. oh just a plug! Forster& Smith joint care is what am using on Sunny oh (Premium Plus… anyway we hope to have a pom soon young enough so as when Sunny is gone the hurt isn’t so painful. and besides sunny can show her how to go in and out doggies door… her and him will have the total run of the yard and house… Man I have real hope too have this blessing…

Any organization that rescues animals is big in my book! Staff here is wonderful and very responsive to emails and all the questions you have about adopting a pet.
I attended an adoption event at Animal House, and Linda was wonderful in helping to be realistic about your potential pet… time, training, puppy mischeif, etc Sadly, i left without a doggie but Wonder Dog does great work in finding permanent homes for these pets.

It’s impossible to not love the work that everyone at Wonder Dog Rescue does. Taking in dogs from kill-​shelters, preventing them from being euthanized and working diligently to find loving foster/​forever homes is the work of special people. My boyfriend and I started following WDR after viewing several of their weekend adoption drives at Castro and 18^th. We already had a rescue dog of our own, but dog-​lovers always think, «Well, maybe another one will be okay!»
We visited several adoption days around the city and even visited their offices a few times on 16^th and Capp. We got to meet several people, including Linda, the owner. Despite the chaotic nature of adoption events, Linda always had a moment to speak with us and to answer our questions about getting a second dog. She encouraged us that fostering was always a great first step to see how it is like when introducing a second dog into the home.
Fast forward to a few months later. Despite thinking we would want another Boston Terrier (Wonder Dog does seem to focus on Bostons– both pure and mixed, but not exclusively) we fell for Brutus, a Chihuahua/​Tibetan Terrier mix. Perhaps it was because we were semi-​familiar faces, but the entire process of getting Brutus was quick– emails connected us with Brutus’ foster mom, and we were picking him up that weekend!
Everyone at WDR has been great since we got Brutus. Foster parents are set up with all the necessities they need– food/​crates, etc. We only needed a crate, since we were already good to go with food and other dog necessities (and we figured another foster parent would put them to good use.) The team at WDR communicated with us pretty quickly, hooking us up with Heartguard, and taking care of Brutus’ required dental work (for free!) I will say that in general, dog rescue moves QUICKLY. These people are trying to rescue as many dogs as possible, and yes, at times it seems chaotic. You do have to be diligent and prepared, otherwise you may miss an opportunity. Fortunately (and unfortunately) there are always new dogs to rescue, so stick around and I’m sure you will find a pup for you!
Of course, in the end, Brutus isn’t going anywhere, and thanks to the people at WDR, he has found his forever home with us, and we have found the perfect addition to the family. Thank you to Linda and the WDR team for your work and always THINK RESCUE!

I was a foster parent for a dog here a few years ago. After having the dog for a week, I brought him back to say I wanted to adopt Alfie. Of course there was paper work and I knew I had to pay a few hundred. So I told Linda that I was going to the bank and make a phone call to transfer some money. I was gone for no more than 2 hours and they had given the dog away for another family to adopt! I was so upset and all Linda could say was that «they go fast, that’s too bad and there was nothing they could do.» ugh it was so sad! She should have told me to sign something before stepping out. I specifically told her I was going to be back. Pretty annoying.

Thanks to Wonder Dog Rescue, we have the most wonderful addition to the family. Our pup was on doggie death row when the volunteers stepped in and started getting the word out that he needed, at the very least, a place to call a foster home. He was called Voyager then… and he was a half-​starved, broken-​legged pup abandoned at a shelter. Wonderdog was able to get Voyager the surgery he needed and saved his life. If there is one bit of criticism, it has to do with disorganization. Nothing a COO couldn’t fix… but there isn’t one. The big heart of CEO, Linda, makes up for it. However, if you are a type-​A person who expects a tightly run ship… you may experience some frustration along the way… but it’s worth it.

I’ve had a great time working with Cliff from Animal House on Waller and Fillmore. I go in there quite often to ask questions about training, food regimen recommendations and overall advice to help raise my dogs.
The only problem I’ve had was with Linda. I had to contact her about an invoice from Mission Pet Hospital (my dog had a spay and microchip), which I thought would be fully covered but I misunderstood. I had to make an appointment through Cliff or their organization instead of doing it on my own.
On the phone with Linda, I was disappointed that they couldn’t fully reimburse me for the spay and microchip. I then tell her about my dogs sister that had passed and all she said was «that’s too bad.» We hang up and then I receive an email from her saying «HOW ANGRY» she is that the dog passed and wants to follow up on the health of her sister.
I do not mind her checking up on my dog, I have NOTHING to hide. I provide a loving, caring and healthy home for my pet. I then give Linda a call back because I am very offended am in wonder what would make her assume that I am an unfit parent. She then tells me she questions my parenting? From what information Linda? I took ALL the necessary precautions for my pets. I took them to the vet for a check up/​blood work.
And something else, Linda tells me she called Mission Pet Hospital to even see if I took my dogs there and she tells me there’s no record of them ever having a check up which is FALSE! I talked to Mission Pet Hospital and they’re not even ALLOWED to give out patient information.
I am VERY unsatisfied and feel disrespected about how Linda has been acting towards me and this situation. She’s unprofessional, rude and deceitful. I don’t even have a Unilocal account, I just made one because of my bad experience with Wonder Dog aka Linda.

Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers at Wonder Dog for saving so many loving critters! Especially to TINA, who is a saint! She’s found time in her busy life to foster dogs, and it in our case a litter of 11 puppies! If it wasn’t for her where would our Totoro be?! It was kismit that she was so close to us, we were able to come directly to her house to meet our little lady. I stopped by on my own and then my boyfriend came to pick her up, we were able to do everything through Tina and it was really easy. Totoro is part of the family, we couldn’t imagine not having her!
Also just a tip to a potential adopter: I would highly recommend taking your mongrel into the vet that is available to you through Wonder Dog within the first two weeks for free. Pay close attention to potty problems, rescue dogs come from all kinds of unhealthy environments and can be carrying any array of bugs. Running tests are very expensive (as I’ve come to find out!) so adoption agencies don’t do them regularly, there is just no way they would have the money for that. Turned out our little love bug had Giardia, ground worms and a UTI, even though she was acting just like a playful puppy should. You are adopting, which means you’re saving a life, so kudos to you! But it also means your new furry monster is many times coming from an unknown background, do you research and know what is and isn’t normal!
Enjoy your new family member!

Wonder Dog Rescue is the best. From the time we decided to adopt a shelter dog to the time we picked up our new canine Herbert from his lovely foster caretakers, it was a transparent, encouraging, and thoughtful process. After adoption, Linda and Cliff have been lightning fast with correspondence when we’ve set up vet appointments for required shots and neutering, and they’ve gone out of their way to help us when we had questions. Their work has allowed us to easily transition an abandoned pup into our home, where he is a happy carefree fella as he plans his mighty destiny. Herbert is boss, and we have Wonder Dog Rescue to thank. What a great organization!

WD is a solid rescue that is truly devoted to abused & abandoned pets. Linda is a one of the most genuine and loving people I have ever met. I work in rescue myself, and with my organization still in its growing stages, I consider Wonder Dog a true inspiration. Thank Wonder Dog, for all that you do!

Linda and her corps of volunteers do wondrous things for abused and abandoned critters. What they lack in financial resources, they make up for with care and enthusiasm.
We met Linda and our Boston Terrier at a street-​side adoption event in San Francisco, and we all hit it off immediately. He was our third Boston Terrier, but was our first rescue dog. So we didn’t get AKC papers with this one, but we did get a wonderful pet.
Later, we fostered, and then adopted a semi-​boxer puppy who had been living alongside a highway before being rescued. Despite her rough start in life, I’ve never seen such a happy and loving dog. And we are so grateful that she had been saved by Wonder Dog.
They made the adoption process very simple and straightforward. They arranged all the spay/​neutering, micro-​chipping, and vaccinations. We’ve had our Wonder Dogs for about three years, and I’d recommend Wonder Dog Rescue to anyone looking for a great pet anywhere near San Francisco.

This rescue goes above and beyond to help dogs that are being overlooked and failed by a system that should be helping them. I have personally fostered several dogs that were going to be put down by city shelters for disabilities or health problems.
As a foster parent, I can say that this organization provides very timely support to its families. I am emailed back or phoned back promptly whenever I have asked a question or have a concern about one of their dogs in my care. They have covered food and vet costs without question and have really opened their hearts to me.
I am also an adopter. I failed as a foster parent and adopted one of the deaf puppies I raised. Wonder dog has been a fantastic resource. My adoption fee covered the rest of his vaccinations AND his neuter. He now comes to adoption events with his foster brothers and sisters and I feel like he will always be a part of the wonder dog family.
Linda is an incredible woman who has been nothing but kind to the dogs, potential adopters and myself. Linda fostered a dog so severely abused that it bit anyone who touched it, whether the touch was accidental or intentional. She welcomed this dog into her bed at night, knowing an accidental touch from her would incite a bite, just to gain his trust and develop a bond. This is not the kind of woman that would EVER do anything unsavory to a dog.
Wonder Dog has a difficult task in placing each dog in the best FOREVER home possible. This means reading between the lines and asking further questions when reviewing applications. If you want to leave a negative post because you were denied an adoption, think again. This organization is helping to save lives that would otherwise be lost. Do you want to be a part of the cause or a part of the solution? Take a deep breath, there are so many dogs in need of homes still.

I have been a volunteer with Wonder Dog this last year. I have fostered several dogs and you can find me at most saturday adoption events.
i can’t tell you how dedicated Linda is about rescue. She is such a sweet soul and really knows what she’s doing. She has saved so many dogs’ lives in her 25 years of rescue, they would probably fill Golden Gate Park ;)

I wish I had thought of doing a Unilocal review last year, when I had a mother and litter of 8 puppies transported to Washington via this group. En route, the pups were exposed to parvo and five (5) of the puppies died starting 10 days after transport. The puppies were perfectly healthy when they left, and there never has been parvo in my residence. (complete transparency — The pups did go to the vet for vaccines, but were always in an isolation room, no parvo cases were active at the time, and the appt was longer than normal incubation of parvo).
They were using S.O.A.R. — Southern Oregon Animal Rescue — at the time, but may now only be contracting with the same driver, Lee Kinsel.
In addition to the obvious tragedy of losing five puppies, there was a mixup of dogs, with my transported mother being delivered to Canada and the Canadian dog delivered to Washington. The driver was additionally not prepared for my litter, and did not have a kennel large enough for the whole family — I had to give him my kennel for the trip (which was not the deal)
I contacted the Better Business Bureau and the Attorney General’s office in regard to this experience. As a settlement, I asked that Wonder Dog reimburse the rescue that took the dogs, but Linda refused.
I would be remiss if I did not relay this experience and advise that using Wonder Dog for transport would be a mistake — possibly a deadly one.

Many thanks to the dedicated volunteers of Wonder Dog Rescue for all that you have done and continue to do for dogs in need. It was wonderful for you to share your mission with the Unilocalers at the Holiday Hangover at The Payne Mansion.
Blind and deaf dogs, you take them all. Providing hospice for senior and special needs doggies is kind and heartwarming. You open your homes to welcome these foster canines. And you make sure to find the ideal families for the dogs to adopt.
Wo (man)s best friends and all of us are blessed to have Wonder Dog.