BLUE RIDGE BOXER RESCUE
Invite reviews
Invite friends and colleagues to share their experiences with this nonprofit
July 19, 2011
What a TERRIBLE ORGANIZATION. I mean, I understand the frustration, but this is how one of the board members and coordinators talks to people/volunteers on their google groups form for all volunteers and foster homes. VERY SAD.
Written by Sonya, coordinator:
I feel like this rescue is crumbling out from underneath me!
If you can foster either of these 2 dogs please email me privately. I really need to find somewhere for them to go by Thursday.
I leave Friday & you guys, I REALLY cannot do rescue while I am away. I simply cannot. So many people seem to throw their husbands in my face, so I just want to say for mine that he puts up with more than I can even explain or that most of you understand & I refuse to let rescue ruin our 1st vacation in 5 years. I am sorry to sound harsh, but I am stressed, overwhelmed & just a little pissed off right now. I hate feeling this way b/c it is not me, I feel like I am going to EXPLODE!!!!!!!
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
They are terrible. They are unorganized. They don't always take back returned dogs in a timely manner (which all other rescues do). They browbeat and yell at their fosters and volunteers. They do not do required legal paperwork as required by the State of NC. They do not manage their finances. They are a singularly awful organization.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Everything. They need new board members, new management policies, new volunters policies, new everything.
April 18, 2011
I had a HORRIBLE time with this agency. I said up front what I can and can't work with- NO aggression towards my other dog or cats. The dog I got was a sweet dog one on one, and he loved my dog, but he wanted to nom my cats, and that is UNACCEPTABLE. I had to play animal tetris to keep everyone away from each other. Then I couldnt walk him anymore, because while he liked my dog, he would bust off his collar to try to nom other dogs. I liked him, but I lived alone, and this was beyond my abilities at that time. When I told them after a week he was too aggressive for me and he needed to be moved, it took a week to move him, and they acted like I was irresponsible for requesting a new placement. I was treated pretty poorly for having boundaries and "not giving it enough time" though I was upfront from the beginning. In the meantime, he had horrible worms, I told them that up front, I asked for the funds for medical care, the medical director at that time left for a week to Italy, no one wanted me to take him to the vet until they could get a "good vet deal" it took so long for them to approve him, I then had to treat my own praphylactically treat my own dog, which cost me out of my own pocket, though she had just had her annual checks.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
n/a
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
get better organized and do more fundraising.
April 4, 2011
We adoped a boxer from this rescue center in January. We told them we needed a dog that was house broken, crate trained, and good with small children. What we got was a dog that was very loveable but not crate trained, not house broken, and above all NOT good with small children. This dog ripped up $500 of berber carpet, stained about $1500 worth of regular carpet, and above all BIT our 4 year old daughter 3 times! When we contacted them they said that it was due to the dog not getting enough exercise. That is complete crap! The dog we had was the most lazy dog you have ever met... all she wanted to do was sleep.... we tried playing with her, walking her, running with her, etc and she would just sit there and look at you. They told us that we needed to work with a trainer... the trainer called us one time and left a message, when we called her back she never returned our call. We were finally able to get someone to come and get the dog from us due to the fact that we could not trust it around our child. When the volunteers showed up to pick her up, they did not know her name, did not know why she was being picked up, and treated us like we were the ones at fault. NOT one person contacted the "director" to let her know what was going on with the dog they placed with our family. Now I can not get one person from the organization to contact me.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Not one person has contacted me
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
They need to be shut down!
February 4, 2011
This group continues to operate outside the bounds of the laws of North Carolina for non-profits. They do nothing to fix the problems, in effect giving the laws and controls "the finger". Right now they have a REVENUE SUSPENDED status beaue they have failed to comply with the requirements of the Department of Revenue pursuant to N.C.G.S 105-203(a)
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
NOTHING GOOD. They are in violation of state non-profit laws but they ignore the fact that they are in violation (if we ignore it, maybe it will go away?).
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Put people in charge that know what they are doing and have regard for the same laws that everyone else has to abide by.
January 4, 2011
Will the madness ever stop? This rescue takes in a very sick pup - that is awesome, that is why there are rescues around. However, they then put him in a foster home that can't afford to feed him the quality food he requires and instead of paying for the special food (most rescues would), they browbeat their existing volunteers into donating money to buy the food. Their existing fosters already spend so much money every month on things like food, treats, flea meds (because this rescue doesn't provide it), and even having to buy a new collar and leash when their foster gets adopted for the new adoptive home because it's required by Blue Ridge. And now they want their already overtaxed fosters to buy special food for a dog. The rescue should step up and buy it.
Also, this rescue does not microchip all of their dogs. But yet they have lots of dogs get lost. Microchip the dogs. It's not that expensive. And don't say it's a money thing. There are some things you do because it's the right thing to do.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
This is NOT a good sound rescue. They are severely mismanaged.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Start all over again. Make sure they are managed properly. You can rescue with your heart without getting in over your head.
December 2, 2010
Does this group even know what the heck they are doing? They expect the foster homes to be solely responsible for noting all health issues for their dogs. And while I agree that foster homes should be involved, it should clearly be the responsibility of the medical coordinator to track all medical issues for the dogs in their program and ensure the new foster homes and adopters are fully aware of all of the facts. To say the medical coordinator can’t track all that is a load of crap. It is her responsibility. Unless they have 500 dogs in the program, she should be able to keep track of all that. But they don’t, they have an average of a 100. And many other rescue groups out there have one central person that tracks all this and they have the same amount of dogs or more in their program than Blue Ridge. This rescue needs to record this information in a central database or another tracking system. This is absolutely ridiculous. It’s just another way of passing the buck for their mistake and blaming a foster parent. This “rescue” needs some major overhauling. It is in sad shape. They should not be allowed to take in any more dogs until they have all their ducks in a row.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
They save dogs from kill shelters. but they also consistently hound (and hound is the correct word) their foster homes to take in more dogs than the foster home can handle. that is not right. overcrowding a foster home is not the way to ensure all dogs get the care they need.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
TOTAL OVERHAUL or shut it down!
November 5, 2010
WOW.... Well over $15,000 in debt to vets and they still keep taking in dogs they can't pay to take care of. Unbelievable. Just today a friend forwards me their monthly newsletter. 2 dogs needing foster homes and 20 dogs in shelters they want to pull. how can they keep taking in dogs when they do not have money?? They are digging themselves in such a deep hole, they may never get out of it. They raise money but then instead of paying off ALL debt, they pay off only enough so the vets don't cut them off and then they take in more dogs that need medical care. Their rationale for taking in puppies "they get adopted quickly and we make money on it". Make money on puppies? REally now.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
IT'S NOT ALL THAT GREAT. They work hard to help the dogs but they get themselves in such deep debt that it's hard to imagine they are a very organized and stable group. An organized and stable group would pay down all debt and take care of all the appropriate medical and trainign for dogs currently for adoption so the dogs could be adopted. And then take in more. They mean well, but it's sad really how badly run they are.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
They need new management. They need someone in charge that knows how to run an organization. Someone that is organized and knows that you cannot always make decisions based on your heart, you must sometimes make decisions based on using your head. It's hard but it's the reality. If they keep up at this place, they will go under. And then where will the dogs go?
More feedback...
Will you volunteer or donate to this organization?
No
How much of an impact do you think this organization has?
Some
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2010
October 13, 2010
Blue Ridge Boxer Rescue DOES NOT MANAGE MONEY WELL. They are fiscally irresponsible. Case in point: dog - Chaos: Taken in by Blue Ridge in March - needs surgery on both legs. Posting in May that they are working to raise money for his surgery. First surgery NOT UNTIL SEPTEMBER. But they continued to take in dogs that needed medical during this time which meant Chaos HAD TO WAIT for surgery. Let a dog live in pain or keep a dog on painkillers for four-plus months? I understand you do not want to see dogs put to sleep at a kill shelter, but it is not right at all to let a dog like Chaos suffer when you have already taken him in? People - donate your money elsewhere. This group needs a major overhaul and needs oversight to ensure they manage things correctly.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
They take far too long to get medical care for dogs in their program.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
MAJOR restructuring. They need written guidelines on how to take care of the dogs they have before taking in new dogs. And if they already have guidelines, then they need to follow them.
October 5, 2010
I know several volunteers from this rescue. they are great. the overall rescue needs to be reworked or shut down.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
I am a friend of several people that volunteer with this rescue and I am amazed at how long they have lasted because they are so unorganized and not well run.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
They have a medical director making medical decisions who does not have a medical background. Dog coughing - give them this medicine. They don't go to the vet unless the dog is really bad.
More feedback...
What I've enjoyed the most about my experience with this nonprofit is...
The dogs are nice. Most of the volunteers are very nice.
The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were...
No staff - all volunteers. but the people running the rescue are not good. the intake coordinators are horrible. the foster coordinators are horrible. they treat their volunteers terribly.
If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could...
There is no other way to say it other than then they would mis-use it plain and simple. they get themselves in so deep that vets will cut them off but then they still take in dogs. that is not right. how will you vet the dog if you can't pay vet?
Ways to make it better...
A different set of people ran this group. And they had some real policies in place in regards to operations and intake. And better financial policies too. I don't see how you cannot be able to pay your vet bills but still try to pull dogs from shelters
In my opinion, the biggest challenges facing this organization are...
It is a very badly managed organization. They need to know when to say no. They need to focus on the dogs they have. One dog has needed surgery for months. not enough money, but they take in more dogs. NOT RIGHT AT ALL.
One thing I'd also say is that...
It would actually be better for the dogs I think if this group was shut down. I can only hope someone steps in and puts a stop to this mismanaged organization that treats their volunteers badly, doesn't do proper medical care in a TIMELY MANNER.
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2010
August 20, 2010
They are horrible to their volunteers and foster homes. If you want to be treated with even a smidgen of respect, volunteer with another group. Just about any other group would treat their volunteers and foster homes better than Blue Ridge Boxer Rescue.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
My friend fosters for them. They have treated her with such disrespect and disregard because she said a dog needed to be moved quickly. The dog was threatening her child. And she is made to feel she is in the wrong because she wants the dog moved.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
I'm not sure anything could improve this organization. Sad, but true.
More feedback...
What I've enjoyed the most about my experience with this nonprofit is...
Nothing. They have treated my friend who fosters for them with extreme disregard. Foster dog threatending her child and the organization's directors can't even ben counted on to contact you back.
The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were...
Most of the volunteers are nice. Some are absolutely horrid - but not that many. The is no staff, but the people in charge are quite horrid as well. Do not treat people with respect, do not contact them back when there are issues. it's bad.
If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could...
Somehow manage to dig themselves deeper in debt,if that's possible
Ways to make it better...
they had any regard for their volunteers whatsoever. It is absolutely appalling how terrible they are to their foster homes. The people making decisions should not be allowed to make them.
In my opinion, the biggest challenges facing this organization are...
The people that make decisions don't make them wisely. They may end up with no volunteers and foster homes soon because of how they are treated.
One thing I'd also say is that...
The dogs are great. The medical director is great.
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2010
Filter by reviewer role:
Support This Nonprofit
Help this nonprofit get more reviews
5 tips for getting reviews