Life4Paws Inc.

Wow, where to begin! I've been a life4paws volunteer for two and a half years now. Ive seen our rescue take in puppies, seniors, healthy dogs, and dogs the shelters would have put down in a heartbeat. We fully disclose all medical information as well as any training issues the dogs have come across. I've fostered three dogs and since I've started, missed less than 7 adoptions total. The people I work with WANT to be there, and for a very good reason: every day they are saving lives. Fosters are asked to present us with any relevant receipts (ie food, medical, crates, etc.) and promptly reimbursed. Fosters simply come to drop off their dogs once a week for adoptions and give us insight on the personality of the dog so we can inform the adopters. The adoption fee is only to cover spay/neuter, shots, and microchipping. It's a great organization to adopt from or volunteer with.

I have been volunteering at weekly adoption events and fostering dogs for Life4Paws for over a year. I'm involved in all aspects of the group's work, including meeting with prospective adopters, conducting home checks to ensure proper placements for our dogs, recruiting and screening fosters, and a lot more. Life4Paws is a wonderful group, founded and overseen by a very experienced, very kind and compassionate woman who has dedicated many years to rescuing dogs and finding them loving forever homes. She supports her fosters in every imaginable way, covering expenses for food, vet care, travel, and any necessary supplies. She is extremely conscientious about reimbursing her fosters for such expenses. Many L4P adopters remain in contact with the group for years and years after adopting, and so many return to us when considering adopting another dog. Life4Paws dogs are loved dogs. I highly recommend this group for adopting or volunteering, or both ;-)

First of all, this organization does good. They rescue dogs and find them homes. They provide an important service. What I find lacking is the way that this organization treats volunteers. They should clearly state their policies and expectations when they recruit volunteers, and it should be in writing. Individuals then can make an informed choice whether this is the right place for them. For example, I was recruited thru a Craigslist ad to foster a dog. I was not told until the dog was in my home that I was expected to drive over 35 miles each way and allocate a 5 hour block of time out of my day each Sunday for adoption events on the other side of the Valley. I was not asked whether I wanted to do this, and I was not offered an alternative. I disagree with their policy of not allowing contact between fosters and adopters. Other dog rescues do not have this policy. Full disclosure would be more respectful. Mildly recommended.