Mutts Matter Rescue

1 person found this review helpful

I thought anyone who committed their time to rescuing animals was a wonderful human being, a true angel on earth. I was wrong.

Since losing our beloved Peanut last December, my 10-year-old daughter had been scouring Petfinder.com in search of our next pug. Peanut was our second rescue. Our first was Cairo, who I adopted from a rescue in California. He lived to be 16.

We adopted Peanut from a local rescue. I reached out to them when we were ready to adopt again, but they didn't have any good matches for our needs. My daughter longed for a playful, energetic dog, but loved pugs. Odie and Spud's Petfinder listing caught my daughter's eye. Given our experience, I was excited about the idea of having two pugs; double the love, I thought. Our application was quickly approved, in part due to our experience and impeccable references.

Our joy quickly turned to horror and sadness. First, Spud attacked Odie. Then he bit me. Then he bit my daughter. Then they got in a violent brawl with each other in my front yard witnessed by several neighbors. After several discussions with my veterinary clinic, fellow pug owners, rescue volunteers, dog lovers, behaviorists, trainers, friends, and family, we made the heartbreaking decision to return the dogs.

But our horror wasn't over.

When I contacted another rescue to indicate interest in another pug who had become available in the mean time, the representative contacted the organization in charge of Odie and Spud to learn what had happened, a common practice for rescue organizations with the best interest of animals' at heart. I still don't know what the president of the organization said, but the story did not match mine. She did not indicate there was an issue of aggression or biting with the dogs. What's more, whatever she said would have impeded my ability to adopt another dog had it not been for a trainer who witnessed the behavior and came to my defense.

In the end, truth and love triumphed over the lies. We brought home our sweet pug a few weeks ago with special thanks to witnesses to the aggression in the other dogs, including a professional trainer.

The president of Mutts Matter Rescue is an ego maniac who does not have the best interest of dogs or people in mind.

Oh, and the dogs were advertised once again on Petfinder, with no indication about the history. I notified Petfinder and was told the issue would be researched, but the ad was never removed until the dogs were adopted. I hear through another rescue that they are doing well. I certainly hope so. Perhaps they are in a home with an alpha dog to keep them in check? Enough time has passed since one of them was neutered? I will never know. But I know what we experienced with the dogs and the people with this organization and it wasn't good at all.

The president continues to see me as the problem, feels I'm not fit to have a dog and referring to me as "unstable," probably because I cried about the whole experience, feeling so sad for the dogs and my daughter. I call that human.

2 people found this review helpful

I adopted a dog from Mutts Matter in 2010 and have gone on to foster and volunteer with them. I have seen what goes on "behind the scenes" in dealing with the public and rescuing dogs from cruelty cases and shelters. Mutts Matter gets hundreds of emails each day with requests from shelters who have dogs on death row about to be euthanized and requests from local authorities who need help with animals that have been confiscated in cruelty cases or even drug busts. If you go to www.muttsmatterrescue.org, you will see there is an extensive amount of information on their mission, the dogs they take in, and the process for adopting a dog. People who have taken the time to write negative reviews here should have taken the time to thoroughly read through the information on the website in the first place. I applied with another organization before Mutts Matter and never even heard back from them. Did I write nasty reviews about them all over the Internet? Of course not. I have a life and I have common decency. In fact the dog that I applied for from Mutts Matter originally ended up getting adopted by someone else and we did not even get him. We did end up with another wonderful dog a few months later though. It just makes me wonder about the people who chose to write nasty reviews here just because they felt entitled to something and things did not go their way.

3 people found this review helpful

How about having a wonderful dog that has to be re-homed ( no time). Great dog, trained, loves all dogs , housebroken. Willing to foster. I contacted them 3 times, got form emails back, " we will contact you soon." No contact. Maybe this is why it us do difficult to adopt from them. I get they are volunteers but there are other volunteer organizations enough have responded.
It is hard enough to make such a decision, fortunately there are other organization

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3 people found this review helpful

Giving Mutts Matter Rescue a star is hard to do but thought it was least I could do. They lack communication not only to the public but among themselves as well. When you submit an application and do not hear anything for weeks, a common excuse is oh we are just volunteers or someone will get in touch with you shortly and never do.

It just seems the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing and it just gets worse.

1 person found this review helpful

Not every rescue is perfect and our mission is to be the advocates for those animals who have been rescued from neglect, abandonment, abuse and from deplorable conditions. I know that each applicant wants to open their hearts and home for an animal that they are willing to give a second chance at life. It is a very difficult thing to try to find that loving and caring home for a dog and hope it will be a forever companion to someone. With all rescues, we do our best to screen the applicant, check with the vet and speak with personal references. Sometimes in spite all we have done to try to match the applicant with the dog, it does not work out. There are so many dogs who are waiting for a chance to be a part of a family and get an opportunity to be appreciated and love. Do not lamb baste Mutts Matter because your application for a dog was not selected. The shelters are full with dogs who have been neglected and surrendered. Why not think of a dog who you can save no matter where is rescued from.

No rescue is perfect and neither are the people who volunteer. If you were ever to see first hand the places Melanie Samet has been to rescue dogs, it would make your stomach turn. It is her total dedication and devotion to Mutts Matter Rescue that she is able to save so many dogs. She has worked tirelessly in every way shape and form, to help animals who are in need.

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7 people found this review helpful

Sorry that the owner feels maligned. But so many people with the same complaint. Tried to get information on a specific dog...not a response. Tried to get information on adoption in general. Not a response. Tried several methods and no one could answer. Contacted a different agency ALSO RUN BY VOLUNTEERS and they managed to respond to inquiry about a specific dog (he was adopted already) and helped us work through and find a dog who has been in our family for almost a year. For the owner to blame ALL the bad reviews on people saying they probably got a bad vet review or had never purchased heartworm meds is just plain silly and unprofessional. Steer clear of this agency - and be aware they are operating under at least one other name. Why is THAT?

Save our furry friends through safe, humane, reputable methods.

1 person found this review helpful

This letter is in response to some of the "bad reviews" that have recently been written about Mutts Matter. I am the founder of MMR, and feel something needs to be said, as your harsh words are giving folks the wrong impression about an organization I personally built with my own blood, sweat, and tears.

Myself, and the volunteers of MMR, take offense to these mean spirited reviews- most of which are either angry or disappointed adopters . We went through some of the names that had negative things to say, and it turns out that most of these folks were people that either didn't get the dog they wanted, had a poor vet reference, or were simply upset that they didn't get a phone call back. We love dogs. We aren't trying to make it difficult. If people would just take the time to read our website and how our process works, then some of these comments &/or personal disappointments about the "dog you didn't get" would be explained.
Did anyone that posted a comment actually read our adoptions facts page? Because it's clear that some of things mentioned were outlined about how we work. MMR can get anywhere from 10-70 applications on a "popular" dog. Our team has to go through every application first and immediately disqualify people that don't live within our adoption region, or have given up a dog, and so on....All of this is clearly stated on our facts page. If the initial application looks good, the team has to then go through our due diligence process (checking vet references, personal references FIRST). We clearly state that if you have a poor vet reference, you will not move forward in our process. So for those who didn't get a phone call, then that is on your end to make sure you do the work to be sure you have your pet up to date. And no we won't adopt to you if you have an unaltered pet in your home, you haven't purchased or had a heartworm test for you dog, or did not take good care of your pet.
So if all checks out and you do meet these first set of criteria, at that point, you may be contacted for a phone interview, and finally a home visits. Remember again, our volunteers (and that includes me) spend countless hours of their own personal time to do this. We are people that have jobs, families, and other lives outside of rescue. So we apologize if we can't answer every email, or every phone call. Please understand that with the number of quality applications we receive, we just can't go out of our adoption area. We have to make it so a volunteer can drive to your home to see where one of our dogs is going to live. So if you don't get a return call for your application in TN or Georgie, we are sorry. And yes, sometimes the dog you want may still be listed on our website. But we are making sure to find the best possible home. Try and remember, we work for the dog. We are just a small group of people trying to make a difference.

The multiple rude comments in these reviews are so off base and malicious to myself and the volunteers who go to great lengths to ensure our dogs get great homes. I see some people complain that they have already told their kids they were getting a dog, and that we are very bad people since they promised them "that dog". Well perhaps you shouldn't promise something and then turn it on us as if we intentionally hurt your child. Let's say we have 65 applications for a dog…that means 64 people did not get the dog they wanted. So again, we can't please everyone. But we do try and steer people to other dogs we have for adoption- but clearly not everyone is going to get the dog they want. We have placed close to 1800 dogs. So we could show you 1800 people who are extremely happy with our process and love us. We do not mind the reviews that actual have constructive ideas or a legit gripe, and we do respond to those in hopes of making the process better. But honestly you have no idea how many emails we receive daily. There is no possible way we could respond to every single one and still do the work of saving dogs. It is just not possible. When we started we used to respond to every email and every phone call but now there is just no way to answer them all…especially when the answers are right on the website. If people read our site their questions could be answered quite easily.

I am just so amazed at how many threatening and rude emails and reviews people send when they don’t get their way. Our only concern is the welfare of the dogs. We live and breathe saving dogs, and this is why some of your comments and emails are just so hurtful. We are actually trying to do something about the horrible injustices being done to dogs every single day. When you spend 70+ hours a week trying to make a difference, only have people not only insult you, but make false accusations, how would you react?

Our group is staffed completely by volunteers who love animals and who love having the opportunity to help these amazing dogs find wonderful families. We strive to respond to you in a timely fashion, and to be honest, respectful, and courteous in all our interactions. Please understand that our primary obligation is to the dogs entrusted to our care. While we realize that our screening process may seem extensive and may occasionally (and unfortunately) eliminate some good homes, it is a process that has been developed through years of experience and we stand firmly behind it. Please know that we truly are warm, wonderful people who love what we do and truly love working with families to find the right dog. We have found that the best way to ensure success is to make sure that everyone enters into the process with the appropriate expectations.

Here is a link to our Facts page. Perhaps try reading it in the future to help get a clearer understanding of our process. http://www.muttsmatterrescue.com/#!adoption-faq/c1hbn

Sincerely,
Melanie Samet
President/Founder
Mutts Matter Rescue

I got the total opposite of some of these review writers on here- I think it's an Excellent rescue and Kudos to them making sure the animal gets the best home possible- they are all about the animals as it should be-
Think about it, some of the fosters have these dogs for weeks, I would imagine it would be bitter sweet when they find their forever home, if it were me fostering I would want to make sure that you are going to meet everyone of the dogs needs, if not I would move on to the next applicant until I do find the right one- they also have rules-fence, maybe another dog at home, maybe an adult home a lot-you have to read everything before you fill out an app.! I did and I followed the rules and I got the pup I applied for. Everyone that called me, visited my home and the foster parents were awesome! Thank you MMR, you Rock! And it's all Volunteers!!

11 people found this review helpful

I found a puppy on the Mutts Matters site that was exactly the type of dog I was looking for. I got so excited at the idea of making him part of our home! First, I submitted a couple of inquiries to the organization, but after a week, I hadn't heard back, so I went ahead and submitted an application. After several days, I still hadn't heard anything from them, so I tried contacting them through their web site. After a few more days of hearing nothing, I tried through Facebook - but more than 3 weeks after initial contact, still nothing, Not a peep. And the puppy is still on the site (his sisters have been adopted - yea!).

Maybe they are great to work with if/when you actually get some interaction going with them. For now, I'll cross them off my list of organizations to support. I recognize that they are served by many volunteers, but even a simple "thanks but no thanks" response would have been better than complete silence. Bummer.

17 people found this review helpful

It took my wife and I about a year after losing a fine companion dog to us and our 2 year old boxer to finally make the decision to adopt another to replace him, after scanning through the numerous ones on "Petfinder" over that period. We had hoped to find a younger, male, fairly large dog in the Lab family, as our Katy seems to gravitate to this type, and also due to their somewhat laid back attitude and even temperament. My wife found one that seemed like just what we were looking for. I submitted the application on September 20th, and received a positive, and encouraging response on the 21st. We maintained regular and often correspondence with MMR up to, and through the interview, home visit process, and after, with some hurdles along the way. Our new prospective family member was being fostered in West Virginia at the time we applied for him, so he had to be transported to MD for the routine vetting process, and was found to be suffering an enlarged spleen due to tick borne disease, so he needed to run a 30 day course of antibiotics. He also had not been neutered, and could not have the surgery until the drug therapy was completed. No matter, after hearing all the great updates on him, how everyone loved him, how well behaved he was, and getting along with cats/dogs, and the excellent reports from Lynn, his MD foster, and Suzanne, how we were getting a "dream" dog, we were prepared to do whatever was going to be necessary to complete the process, and get to meet him and bring him home. All the preparations and expense had been worth it. Finally, after a long year of procrastinating about even getting another dog, then about adoption itself, we had made the right decision. So finally, after 5 weeks of waiting, of anticipation, of updates and reports, we were finally going down to southern MD from our home in Herndon, VA on October 26th, to introduce our Katy to Big John and if all went well, bring him home. We got a call Saturday night (well not exactly, our phone rang but went to vm, and we heard Lynn asking Melanie (Samet) to call her right back. She had mistakenly called our phone, thinking it was Melanie) from Lynn, but didn't get to it in time, so Sue (my wife) called her back, and was told that she (Lynn) was sorry, but that she had become "attached" to Big John ( she may have renamed him JJ), and could not let him go. I came out to the dining room to see my wife on the phone in tears,and knew immediately what was up. It was one of our fears all along, about adoption, but I convinced Sue that that wouldn't happen because I was positive that the fosters are told going in, that there has to be a point of no return, where as keeping the dog is no longer an option, and to prepare for that, and most likely are required to sign an agreement to that effect. Obviously, I am sadly mistaken. The foster can, and will snatch your dog out from under you right up to, and including the day you were to pick it up, and MMR (Melanie) will sanction, and even condone it. This was just so wrong on so many levels. I could not write this right away, as much as I wanted to because I first had to get past the sadness and disbelief, and then the anger. MMR has no code of ethics, regardless of what their mission statement may say, and there is nothing fair or morally just about it. Suzanne even had the audacity to send me an email the following Monday titled "sincerest apologies", from which I could glean nothing sincere or apologetic. All she did was proceed to make excuses for Lynn, saying that she doesn't have much experience as a fostering, and reminding me that fosters have a right of first choice, neither of which apply here. We heard nothing from Melanie, even though she has the authority to make the appropriate call, and by that I mean the fair, and morally correct call. When she was told of this by Lynn she replied, "you're really doing this"? Apparently, the fosters' emotions take precedent over not only an adoptor, who has not only been promised a particular dog, without whose application would not have even met Big John, because he would most likely still be with the foster in West Virginia, but also over the very reputation of Mutts Matter Rescue, and their ethics. I believe it is essential for the general public to know what to expect and be prepared for in dealing with this organization, because if it happened to us, it can happen to them. We'll be seeing you out at the adoption events in the area, and on social media as well. John Warnock, Herndon, VA

2 people found this review helpful

I don't usually write reviews but felt the need to share my experience with MMR, especially after some of the recent bad reviews. I have been a Veterinary Technician for 10 years and have worked with many different rescues. I have never worked with one as organized or as caring as MMR. I am currently the manager at one of MMR's vet partners and know first hand that MMR will do whatever is needed for the dogs in their care. I have worked with rescues who will not do dentals or lumpectomies if they are needed, they will leave it up to the new owners. MMR does not work that way. If they take a dog in that needs care they will address the issues. They are always clear on the dogs bios if they have medical concerns. I have also adopted two dogs over the past few years through MMR. One a pug with terminal cancer who needed hospice care. We were able to give him a loving home for 14 months before he declined from the cancer. The second was a severely emaciated pit bull who has doubled his weight since we got him. Both dogs have been family members to us, and my husband and I are grateful that MMR brought them to us and allowed us to give them forever homes.

MMR receives a LARGE number of applications on a daily basis and they are run exclusively by volunteers. It is hard to make everyone happy but they try their absolute best!

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