We had the most amazing experience adopting our dog, Scout, through this rescue. Their approach is truly refreshing, focused on building relationships rather than burying you in paperwork. They took the time to meet us, understand our lifestyle, and made sure it was a great fit for both us and Scout. The process was seamless, personal, and left us feeling totally supported. You can tell they genuinely care about the animals and the people adopting them. This is how every rescue should operate. Highly recommend!
I can’t express how incredibly lucky I feel to have found Ruff Start. I was looking for a puppy after loosing my dog of 14.5 years. The foster mom Robin was FANTASTIC! I got the sweetest pup just over three months old, he is fully crate trained and sleeps through the night. He was with a litter mate and Robins two dogs so I swear he learned some very valuable puppy social skills. He also was around her kids. He is just the happiest most playful little joy to be around. The adoption process was super easy, and everyone at Ruff Start was so helpful. Even after everything went through they still have been in contact checking in on my pup. Thank you Ruff Start for being so incredibly caring and bringing us together, and making this process a wonderful experience!
We adopted a puppy from Ruff Start that came up from Texas. Not only is his story wonderful but his personality is amazing. The fosters and shelters along the way created a little gentleman. He knew commands for sit and to get in his kennel. Completely potty trained. Their foster even did some horse and large animal testing for me because we have horses. Totally thorough and very caring. I will promote and recommend this rescue FOREVER!!
We had to say goodbye to our 15 year old Terrier mix in April. I wasn’t sure if I wanted another dog after that, but our house felt so empty without one. So in September, I saw Freddy Mercury and was called to come meet him. He had been found as a stray and very matted, so was shaved to the skin. But, his eyes melted my heart and he joined our family. We are active seniors, so he does get lots of exercise and loves playing with my son’s Maltipoo when they visit. He is very fearful of men, but will cuddle with my husband if he’s sitting in his chair reading. He obviously didn’t have much exposure to anything because he approaches everything with caution (everyday things like a box or laundry basket, etc..) His fur has grown back and he looks to be a Bichon. He loves me and I love him. We don’t have a lot of traffic in our house so if someone comes over, I just tell them to come in and ignore him. Within a few minutes he will come up and sniff them, but runs away if they attempt to pet him, so we are working slowly, but surely on socialization skills. I would like to take him to training classes, but I think right now it would be too much for him. Supposedly he is about two years old, but acts much younger. His teeth are heavily tartered for a young dog, but again, I think right now it would be very stressful to sit in a crate at a veterinarian’s while waiting for the procedure. His foster Mom was very nice, but I think she only had him for a week, so didn’t see some of his quirks. She was a widow, so wasn’t exposed to men, thus, she probably didn’t notice his reaction to men. But, we love him and he’s a real sweetie. I would definitely adopt from Ruff Start again.
I adopted Gert a senior pittie mix tripod in July 2023. She is adorable and settled in like she had been here forever, making friends with my cats and other 2 dogs by the second day. She was everything her foster mom said. Ruff Start was great to work with . I have been adopting dogs from rescues for almost 50 years-this was a great rescue and I got a great dog!
I adopted my best friend from Ruff Start 6 months ago after a two year search. For a year and a half, the folks at Ruff Start worked with me (patiently, I might add ) and helped me meet a few dogs, asked what I was looking for, and finally introduced me to Brutus. It ended up being a perfect match, as my last dog was blind and Brutus it's partially blind, so win-win. I've worked with other rescues during this time, but none were as thorough in their vetting, dedication to their animals, transparency in both process and potential issues that may cause a person not to adopt. Their fosters are amazing (I'm still in contact with Bru-dog's). Highly recommend Ruff Start to anyone!
I adopted my dog from Ruff Start 6 months ago and it was a great experience from the time I submitted my application to getting assistance with training. They were very responsive and I felt supported even after adoption was complete. Thank you for all that you do for the support you provide adopters.
I am so very happy with my new baby - Bambi! I have had multiple babies in my life...up to 4 at a time and 4 of them being Puppy Mill rescues. When I lost my last baby, I was lost. Bambi is everything I heard about her. Her Foster Mom - Jenny - was very honest with any questions or concerns I had. I also appreciate the follow-up from Ruff Start Rescue to make sure the adoption is going well. I would highly recommend this Rescue when looking for your new baby!
Adopting 2 senior chihuahua mixes from RSR has been the best, most helpful and caring experience I've ever had. I'm a life long dog owner always adopting them from shelters. RSR is the ultimate in vetting both the animal and the prospective adopter.
The adoption application was easy to download and complete. Shortly after its submission the foster mom phoned taking over an hour to share about the dogs and our home situation. When we indicated we wanted to proceed, she brought the dogs to our home for a meet and greet. She texted pictures and videos. She was patient with us taking time to answer all our questions. We were given full disclosure regarding medical issues. We requested their medical records prior to committing to the adoption. RSR complied. We were amazed at the thoroughness of the medical vetting. And delighted these two 10 year old pups were healthy for their age. We committed to the adoption.
The foster brought our sweet girls to us within a couple days. She included leashes, toys, halters, collars, blankets, food and treats. She followed up with texts to ensure our pups were settling in and informed us RSR would support us with any problems or questions. A short time after we had the girls we got a call from another RSR volunteer inquiring how everything was going. Were the dogs settling in, did we have any problems or questions he could help with.
We feel RSR and its wonderful caring volunteers go above and beyond what one would expect from a rescue. Certainly beyond my many years of experience with shelters. We would not hesitate to refer any potential adopters to RSR. Bless them for all they do!
Just to note - both Chiquita and Pazzaluna are bonding nicely and rapidly with us and us with them. They are being spoiled rotten, catered to and loved dearly.
I am so thankful for Ruff Start Rescue. I lost my companion Guinea Pig in June and thought I'd never bond with another one. I decided to look on RSR page just to see who was available and found a lonely male named Flapp. It's been 5 months of entertainment and fun. He has such a personality. He knows how to wake me up to get his Vitamin C biscuit. The process to get Flapp was quick and I was very impressed with the screening process. They really make sure that their animals go to a great home and offer support if needed. I love my little guy so much. Thank you for such a wonderful gift!
I have adopted both a cat and a dog from this organization and they are amazing. They have fabulous staff, volunteers and fosters to make the process smooth as can be. I couldn't be happier with the animals that I adopted or with the organization. Incredibly dedicated to helping pets find forever homes.
Ruff Start Rescue is an amazing organization! I have been fostering with them for a short 4 months and they have made this fostering process SO easy. I am currently on my 3rd foster through the rescue and plan on continuing to foster in the future. I love what Ruff start rescue does and how much they truly care about animals.
We adopted Pluto in May of this year. We had such a great experience with Ruff Start Rescue. They were thorough with checking appropriateness as dog parents and we were giving alot of information on how to welcome a new dog into our home.
Our match was made in Heaven and RSR. Pluto is the love of our life, a calm, funny and cuddly boy. We are in love!
We foster-to-adopted our dog from Ruff Start. They were so great from the application process to the finalization. The organization is run by such a caring group of animal lovers! I highly recommend them to find your next pet!
Ruff Start goes above and beyond for animals needing care and a forever home. I rescued a 6 month old kitten from the Walmart parking lot. I reached out to several rescues to surrender him to as I couldn't keep him. The only rescue that didn't turn me down was Ruff Start. The little guy is now safe with one of their fosters.
Last September my husband and I started to foster dogs through ruff start- everyone ive worked with here are some of the most amazing and caring people we have ever met. We now have two dogs adopted from ruff start, and i am a dedicated puppy foster. There are so many resources to help with the ins and outs of rescue pups. I recommend Ruff Start to everyone. it is apparent that the well-being and happiness of the animals in their care is the number one priority.
We adopted Eddy (FKA Zuma) two years ago, and I was so impressed with the whole process that I immediately wanted to volunteer - to be a part of this wonderful organization! They are top-notch when it comes to helping homeless animals. ❤️
I cannot begin to describe how grateful we are to Ruff Start Rescue. We are a dog loving family and it broke our heart seeing all the dogs without homes. The shelters too full to accept anymore pets. When I saw Doyle come up needing a foster I knew we needed to help. When I first saw this handsome guy I was in love. The support we received as foster family was incredible. Everything was so well organized and the staff was always so helpful. To the surprise of no one, we were foster fails. We happily adopted Pup Pup (named by the kids) into our family. We know that if it weren’t for organizations like Ruff Start our little bestie would have been euthanized due to his age and being blind. We are so grateful they saved him. He’s brought so much love and joy to our home.
We have been looking to add a new fur member to our family and a friend recommended RSR ( Ruff Start Rescue ) to us. I contacted them and they suggested I try the foster to adopt program. Then they sent me photos of possible dogs they were bringing into the rescue from Texas. Molly, a.k.a. peach blossom, was one of the dogs they were possibly going to be bringing from Texas. I fell in love with her photo immediately. She had heartworm and they made sure I was comfortable with the treatment and the commitment. I had never had a pet with heartworm before, but they walked me through it. I would’ve never fostered a dog with this illness, but they were amazing about helping me. Now Molly is the most amazing addition to our family. She is the most fantastic dog! Ruff start Rescue is by far, the most caring and committed rescue I have ever witnessed. I will be fostering more dogs through them. They’re always there to help you when you have a question or concern. LOVE THIS RESCUE!!
We adopted two kittens through Ruff Start Rescue a couple of years ago. Through following them on Facebook afterwards, I became more aware of all the amazing work they do, not only in animal rescue in general, but also for people and animals in our local area. I started volunteering and fostering with them last year and am blown away on a regular basis by this organization. Aside from helping thousands of animals in need, they also host a low cost spay and neuter clinic every month, donate animal food to local food shelves, provide resources to people in an effort to help get them and their pets through tough times, and hold educational events for kids as well!
Previous Stories
Ruff Start Rescue took in a 10 year old cat that was wandering outside in the dead of winter (in Minnesota!) He landed himself in the best foster home ever! Upon investigation, he was found to have dental issues and diabetes. A little insulin and a few teeth later, I stumbled upon his bio and knew he was meant to join our family! Stuart is the best cat any human could ask for!! We are so lucky that Ruff Start to him into their care so that we could find him! ❤️
Hi, my name is Juno(originally RooRoo) and I was adopted from Ruff Start Rescue in March 2022. I came from a reservation in South Dakota and was rescued by Ruff Start along with my mom and siblings at 3 months old. I was adopted by a family that loves me very much. I have a sister Olive, also a rescue who is 8 years old, we are best friend and play together in our huge back yard, we even have our own doggy door. My humans are mom(Nikki), dad(Andrew) and two older brothers(Ethan and Sam). They love to take me to the dog park and I learned how to swim this summer at the lake. I like to curl up on the couch with my family and sleep in their bed at night. My family had a hard time training me basic commands, so they took me to doggy obedience. I ended up being the star of the class, highly food motivated and learned more than 10 commands. Once when I went to get my vaccinations my vets office thought I was so cute they took photos of me in back with staff and posted me on their Facebook page. I’m looking forward to my first holidays, I think santa will bring me more antlers. I want to thank Ruff Start for making my life possible, I have a great life. Thanks to everyone there that made my adoption journey a success.
We adopted a dog from Ruff Start and it was a great experience! Our dog is a senior with behavioral needs and Ruff start did a great job of caring for her and helping us prep for adoption. Our Gracie was being fostered by a professional animal trainer who worked with us to prepare for Gracie and set her up for success. Thank you for saving Gracie's life and selecting us as the lucky adopters.
We adopted our pup through Ruff Start in 2020. They were super supportive and made the adoption process easy.
My parents adopted our beautiful dog Mona in 2016. She is doing so well & incredibly loved by our whole family. Mona is the sweetest girl. She was named Mona by RSR because she whined and never barked. She was incredibly underweight and timid and had some scarring on her body when she was found with two puppies on a reservation in North Dakota.
It took her over a year to find her voice and bark for the first time in our backyard.
She is happy as can be and I cannot put into words how much she means to us and we absolutely cannot imagine life without her!
I've gotten two dogs from Ruff Start Rescue, and both experiences were wonderful. The people who work and volunteer for this nonprofit truly love animals and are enthusiastic and kind. Ruff Start Rescue goes to areas of the country where stray dogs might be neglected and brings them all home for us to love! They care deeply for the welfare of any animals in their care and love updates on their success once adopted.
Pringle is living a very happy life in MPLS with his mom Sarah. He loves to run, fetch, and snuggle. He’s very spoiled, in the best way. Thank you for rescuing him!
Last year, my husband and I signed up to foster dogs through ruff start- everyone from the staff to the many volunteers are some of the most passionate and caring people we have ever met. We eventually ended up with a foster fail, and from the view point of a new adopter there are so many resources to help with the ups and downs of rescue pups. I recommend Ruff Start to everyone I know because it is apparent that the well-being and happiness of the animals in their care is the number one priority.
I was looking for a dog to rescue and my daughter had rescued some bird from here so she recommended them I was very happy with them and love my dog divina. I have also helped by sponsoring a couple dogs for to help with those fostering older dogs. hope to adopt anther dog soon so she has a companion thank you ruff start for all you do
We adopted our puppy, Olive, from Ruff Start and we couldn’t be happier. She’s wonderful, so smart and affectionate, and we’re just so grateful that she was pulled from the high kill shelter they found her at in Texas and brought to Minnesota. Ruff Start made the whole process easy, while doing the type of due diligence that I think is critical to making sure their animals go to good homes. I highly recommend their foster-to-adopt program because it was a great way to see if your potential dog is a good fit before making a lifetime commitment. Thank you, Ruff Start, for saving lives like Olive’s!
Extremely professional and passionate! They had great communication. I hope to foster for this wonderful organization soon. They do phenomenal work to save lives!
i had to put my boxer down due to cancer. i had him for 11 years so i was heartbroken.
the house was too empty with him gone so i started looking for a new fur baby.
i finally found Kayla on the Ruff Start website. an inhouse visit was arranged with the foster and from then on she was mine.
Kayla had some issues when i got her but she has gradually learned she can trust me to take care of her & comfort her during storms & fireworks.
My husband and I adopted out first dog (border collie heeler mix) from a different rescue. When we wanted a second dog we tried through several different rescues and each dog we applied for would be adopted out before our application would make it. We were getting so discouraged. I had applied for a few dogs through Ruff Start and the same thing was happening. Until one day someone from Ruff Start reached out to us personally asking us what qualities we were looking for in a dog and helped us find our Rory girl!!! She was a surrender from owner and was exactly what we were looking for! I am so thankful to Ruff Start for specifically reaching out to us when we were so discouraged and leading us to Rory!!! Our first dog and Rory are best friends and we can’t imagine our life any other way!! (Rory black and brown from Ruff Start, Kato with white)
Dandy
I adopted a dog from Ruff Start in June. Her name is now Andie. She is a wonderful dog: she is very deaf, partly blind and has no teeth, but she has the most wonderful expressions and fluffy soft fur.
I knew when I got her that her life would be short and not as full as some other dogs but I wanted to give her a better end to her life than the beginning was.
I love her and she has made my life fuller and way more interesting.
I have never regretted the decision to make her my “baby girl”.
My husband and I adopted a hound-mix from Ruff Start Rescue a year ago. After encountering many restrictions from other rescues, we finally found Ruff Start who made the process easy AND hassle free. They were very much aware of making sure Tucker got in the right home, and so were we. They were a joy to work with! They answered emails quickly and walked us through the process the whole way. I really have a lot of respect for all the foster pet parents in their program! When Tucker came to us, he knew "sit" and "wait" which are two commands I use ALL the time. Thank you Ruff Start Rescue!
They are amazing people. I refer everyone looking to adopt a pet to them. I have worked with them in the past, fostered about 15 dogs and adopted 3 dogs from them.
Ruff Start Rescue helped us adopt our family's first cat. As new cat owners adopting a pet during the pandemic, the Ruff Start staff made sure we felt supported from our first meeting with our cat's foster (over Zoom because of the pandemic) to filing the adoption paperwork and receiving her vet records. They continue to support us by checking in occasionally six months later. We are so grateful!
Because of the amazing work Ruff Start Rescue does, I was able to bring this beautiful little FTA Sweetheart into my life. Her story is really unknown, with the exception that she came from a kill shelter in Laredo Texas. Without the efforts of RSR, my little Annie and I would not have been in each other’s lives. RSR staff and volunteers are truly the best!
We had the best experience with Ruff Start. From the beginning, everyone was so kind and responsive. Our foster was so knowledgeable and answered all our questions right away. We got to meet Milli and from the second we laid eyes on her we were in love. Since her adoption 6 months ago we have not had any issues. Thank you for giving us our best friend!!!
We decided to start fostering April 2020 while we were working from home. Ruff Start was great to work with and so helpful with all our questions. We were asked if we could help out to temp foster a dog in August. That temp foster turned into a foster failure. We ended up adopting Milo - now known as Monty - and he's been the perfect addition to our family! I would recommend RSR to anyone looking to adopt or start their own fostering journey.
We foster to adopted a dog that came from Texas from Ruff Start. They were fairly responsive during the fostering and adoption process. I understand this is a non-profit volunteer organization, but communication was not fluid and we were often bounced between multiple people. We loved our dog and she was a sweet girl, but we received concern from multiple vets and trainer regarding aggressive behavior our dog was displaying. This poor review is not about the dog becoming aggressive, rather about the reaction or lack there of from Ruff Start. We started working with a behavioral specialist connected to ruff start but soon after our puppy attack my wife and we made the extremely hard decision to surrender her.
This is where I have a problem with Ruff Start. If you don’t have the perfect adoption and perfect dog fit right away for your family DO NOT use Ruff Start. We became concerned for our health and safety as well as the dogs. We realized she could not succeed in our living arrangements and lifestyle so we opted to work with ruff start on surrendering her. During this process they were hardly responsive to start taking action and never listened to a single thing we said regarding The dogs aggression towards us. They continually down played aggressive behavior as play and judged us as if we couldn’t take care of a dog. During surrender, they not once provided any kind of acknowledgement of the behavior we were seeing from our dog (not to forget it was the professional vets and trainers who raised the concerns). Once our dog was reposted for adoption they never explained any of the behaviors we experienced and used language that made it seem like we harmed this dog and cause the aggression. I hope she is able to find a home that suits her but I fear the lack of transparency will match this dog to another unsuccessful pairing. This organization does not care about treating people with dignity and respect, they seem to care more about animals. Be weary of working with this organization, especially if your are thinking of adopting a dog before meeting it in person.
We adopted both of our cats through Ruffstart and I will always go through them from now on! They made the adoption process easy and made sure we were a good fit for the cats and that the cats were a good fit for us. We adopted Nova in 2017, she was our first animal in our new apartment, and Ruffstart was amazing in handling the whole process and made it easy for us. When we decided to get Echo, our second cat, they let us introduce Nova to him to be sure they would be compatible. We havent regretted one day since and Ruffstart made it all possible. They are such a loving rescue and make sure that every adoption is a great fit for both the animal and the person.
1) they saved our Bubs from a kill shelter
2) they saved our Bubs from a kill shelter
3) they saved our Bubs from a kill shelter
4) fantastic support throughout the foster and adoption process
5) they go above and beyond to save as many animals as possible
6)they saved my Bubs from a shelter that was going to kill her.
We lost our little dog early this year. It truly left a hole in our hearts and our home so I eventually began looking at dogs online posted through various rescue groups. That is how we found our new dog, Jinx, from Ruff Start Rescue. Right from the beginning, Ruff Start provided detailed and helpful information about Jinx. His bio told us so much about his traits and personality. I love that the rescue offers a foster to adopt program. This means families can truly find the right pet for them and animals coming from out of state can have an actual house to go to right away instead of another shelter environment. Everyone I communicated with was prompt and helpful and the process was very smooth. Since adopting Jinx, I have been so grateful and amazed by the continued support Ruff Start offers through its online groups. They truly are a community of animal lovers who commit to helping all of its pets find happiness. I have personally gotten support for the loss of my dog and for questions regarding Jinx’s picky eating habits. I was also able to connect with another family who recently adopted and set up puppy play dates. I see people post items to donate or offers to help one another out constantly. I feel like everyone just wants to help. I look forward to one day fostering for them and hopefully adopting again!
i was looking for a new pet after my dog of many years passed away from cancer. i did started doing searches for rescues hoping to give a 2nd chance to an unwanted dog. i found Ruff Start & browsed their website finding Kayla. Ruff Start has a very thorough process to make sure the adopter is worthy of one of their animals. they even contact your references!
she had never been exposed to cats (i have 2) so the foster mom took her to another foster home that had. i had the home visit, all went well so i adopted her on the spot. this is a very caring group of people & go to great lengths to get neglected/abused animals to a safe environment.
Previous Stories
We had an amazing experience adopting our beautiful boy, Atlas! They were responsive and caring right from the beginning. They take the time to make sure they are placing all the animals in home that will match the pets and the peoples needs. Thank you Ruff Start for helping this little guy find his forever home!
I adopted Kasper in 2018 & Mr.BoJangles in 2019. Ruff Star Rescue is the best and were very helpful in my adoption of my 2 boys and as you can see these two boys are loving the rescued life.
I adopted my puppy from Ruff Start and they were so easy to work with. They laid out the process step by step so I knew exactly how it would work. The foster was extremely nice and worked with my schedule to arrange pick up and official adoption. The paperwork was very easy and they always responded to my emails. They were willing to answer all my questions and made sure I was ready for my new addition. My Little girl may not be alive if it wasn’t for ruff start. They gave her a fighting chance at life. Now she’s a spoiled love bug I could never life without. I recommend Ruff Start to everyone I hear looking for a place to volunteer, donate, or adopt. They are a great organization that brought me my best friend and companion for life.
An organization that truly gives 110% of commitment taking animals in foster care, animals who would be looked over due to unfortunate circumstances and gives them the life they deserve.
Adopted the sweetest, silliest loving dog March 21st 2020.
We have adopted our two girls from Ruff Start (2015 and 2017) and then started to foster in 2019. We have since fostered 19 pups so far. In April of this year, I also started volunteering as a foster coordinator to help onboard during the pandemic. I absolutely love this organization from the founder to the volunteers to the fosters. I’m so lucky to have found this organization and to have been introduced to the amazon rescue world because of them!
Previous Stories
After competing time after time for dogs in other organizations, we decided to go to an adoption event at a local PetSmart. Luckily for us we came across Ruff Start. Years later now, we have adopted our two resident pups from Ruff Start and we are currently in the middle of adopting out our 6th foster. We have loved the kind hearted and selfless volunteers that Ruff Start embodies to save as many animals as possible. They significantly help create a positive culture that welcomes all animal lovers to find their new family members! I cannot recommendation another rescue anymore than Ruff Start!
Easily was apply to put in an application for our cat. They communicated regularly during the process and after adoption received many resources for having a cat. I love that all animals stay with foster instead of in a shelter with a bunch of other animals. This allows foster to get to know the animal and help them find the perfect forever home.
Ellie and Opie came to me six and three years ago, respectively, and are the light of my life. They are best friends for each other and me! Ruff Start is the best! Ellie's foster brought her to Zimmerman from Lakeville to meet us and did the same for use when we adopted her a few days later. Opie came as a foster to adopt as a 12 week old puppy. I'm thrilled that they both were up to date on their shots and were microchipped so I didn't have to do anything but love them! The support I got during both processes was amazing. I couldn't be happier!
We had a great experience. We had lost our precious Howie at 5 years of age. He had a serious liver disease and went downhill fast. We had found him wandering in our campground and after a month no one claimed him so we adopted him. Our hearts were broken when we laid him to rest and we had a hard time getting over him. We started looking for another dog to help us heal and wanted a companion for our 16 year old Kirby. We saw a story about West, now Sawyer and immediately filled out a fta form, kept our hopes low. We were overjoyed to learn we were picked to fafoster to adopt him. He was found wandering the streets of Houston TX. RSR brought him to Minnesota. He was treated for Heartworm and we kept him nonactive for two months. That is difficult for a 1 year old. Surprisingly, he was house trained, was a protector for our 16 year old pup, and pure joy. He has now tested negative for heartworm and is fully integrated into our family. We can't thank RSR enough,for choosing us. Our hearts have healed and he is just precious.
Ruff Start Rescue is simply amazing. I rescued my beautiful pup Kai through Ruff Start in May 2019 and she has been a bright light in my life ever since! I love that Ruff Start is a foster based Rescue. The Adoption process was seamless and I appreciated the meet and greet and home visit I had with Kai before signing the adoption paper. I was also given a few tips and tricks from the foster which helped Kai feel welcome in her new home!
Since adopting Kai my life has changed for the positive. I always argue that she rescued me when I rescued her. I am A proud volunteer with Ruff Start and use my time and talents to give back to the organization that has given so much to me.
I first learned about Ruff Start when I was googling looking for a dog, that was 7 years ago! In the past 7 years I have fostered over 20 dogs, adopted 3 of them and have been an internal volunteer for 6 1/2 of those years. I love Ruff Start and everything they work so hard to do to save all animals. I have had the absolute best time meeting other rescue minded people and creating friendships along the way. Thank you Ruff Start!
The director of programs was rather rude in the adoption process of an individual and unwilling to work with a current volunteer/foster in a time of their crisis. I suggest they take a look at mgmt. Otherwise most volunteers and staff in this rescue are wonderful and caring.
Wanted to love Ruff Start but I feel like their secret is they really don’t care who adopts the dog, just as long as it follows their rule of not living outdoors. I fostered a dog and got pushed into agreeing to adopters that I felt had several red flags and were not the right fit for this dog, got talked down to trying to say it was because it was my first foster, got lectured on things I already knew and was doing, etc. Anyways, fast forward a few months and the dog was returned to the rescue by the adopters. So def not a great experience as a foster.
Watching the news, there was a feature story of a Vintage Fair selling antiques. The reporter focused on Ruff Start Rescue’s booth, showcasing vintage (AKA senior) dogs available for adoption. Genius! Lept to their website and my heart melted when I saw Angell, a rat terrier mix. What to do but submit an adoption application immediately?! Little did I know, Ruff Start Rescue not only adopts out an Angell but had a group of angels working with them. I was contacted within hours to let me know what to expect and Angell’s foster mom contacted me that day to arrange a meet and greet and home visit. Julie, Angell’s AWESOME foster mom, shared Angell’s history, pluses& concerns when she brought Angell by. She wanted the best for Angell and for me and (I believe) worked behind the scenes to have the adoption process move at the speed of sound as Angell was home two days later. She came with a home made blanket Julie and her daughter made, and Ruff Start’s adoption manager did all the paperwork WHILE ON VACATION!!! Every expectation with this non-profit was exceeded and am happy to be writing this while Angell’s on my lap. Photo added so you can see why my heart melted!
We saw Harley Quinn online, we knew she was the one for us! I contacted Ruff Start and said we were very interested in meeting her! Her foster mom was great. She told us all her cute stories. We live 3.5 hours away. Harleys Foster mom was able to bring Harley to us the next day to see if we were a match! We fell in love with Harley from day one! Ruff Start Rescue was very easy to work with! They sent me her vet records. I would adopt another pet through Ruff Start Rescue again! They were wonderful and easy to work with!!
We adopted our loveable, little Kassie 3 years ago from this wonderful non-profit organization. They do an amazing job of helping pets find their forever homes! We are so blessed to have her in our life!!
We adopted our German Shepherd from Ruff Start. They were excellent to work with, friendly and truly caring. Since adopting, my daughter has participated in a children’s volunteer opportunity with Ruff Start to make cat toys for the cats in their care. She loved the experience and we can’t wait to volunteer again! Our GSD Luna, formerly Willa Mae, has become a gorgeous doggo and has truly become a member of our family.
We love RSR! We contacted them and it was a very quick response. We met Lewis a day later and he came to his furever home later that week.
Yesterday was our 1 year gotcha day! He is our little stinker and we love him so much!!
From the moment I saw Midge's photo, I knew this was the girl for me. I immediately filled out an application and had amazing help from the people who manage this big rescue operation. Unfortunately, Midge turned out to be pregnant and I had to wait months for her, but the wait was worth it. She had the most amazing foster during the pups' birthing, and then went to another great foster closer to my home. Midge came down with a systemic infection and could no longer nurse her puppies, but the pups thrived and grew big due to the capable fosters that they were given to.
This is an amazing rescue with a truly wonderful track record of finding loving homes for the dogs that they have in their care. It is a daunting endeavor, but they manage to do it with love and compassion and enthusiasm.
I’m a foster and volunteer with Ruff Start. I have also foster failed on 3 of my fosters. Out of all the non-profits I’ve volunteered for this has been my favorite by far. They are a great group of people who love what they do and are passionate to the core. The longer I’ve been with them the more roles I’ve wanted to take to get involved! I’m an intake coordinator, foster, supply house and an adoption center coordinator! Best decision I ever made was filling out their volunteer application!
I have never seen or met more people with the same passion, the same purpose, and the same mentality, to save animals, as those who are apart of Ruff Start Rescue in one way or another. We are a team. We are a family. I may be bias because I started the organization in 2010 but every single day I am blown away by how many like-minded individuals with hearts of gold contribute to make the organization successful. We have been able to save over 11,000 animals in 9 years and we could not do it without the support of our amazing volunteers, fosters, staff, donors, board members, and adopters! We are a professional transparent organization who will never lose sight of the personable interactions we have with not only animals, but humans as well. We are all in this together and together we are making a huge difference for animals AND for people.
They are absolutely fabulous! I have fostered, volunteered for vetting clinics with them, and have a wonderful puppy I adopted from that they brought up from Texas. They helped my vet clinic when we had bottle baby kittens that needed a place to go and went out of their way to do it!
Ruff Start is an amazing organization. They are very easy to work with and their adoption process, while maybe more involved than other rescues or shelters, is in the best interest of the animals. The folks there go out of their way to make sure animals in their care get the best second chance.
I’ve donated to Ruff Start, become a volunteer, adopted one dog, and are likely becoming a foster fail with a second dog. They are supportive through the adoption process, and make sure you know they will continue to support you and answer questions after the adoption is completed.
This is an amazing organization to work with. Very dedicated, kind, knowledgeable, caring people who foster these beautiful animals and make sure they are placed in good homes. It was wonderful when I met my sweet 4 year old dog to see the love the foster mom had for animals. Fostering to forever home is a huge commitment and Ruff Start Rescue gives excellent support throughout the process. I feel very blessed to have been chosen as the forever home for beautiful Indy (aka Abigail). Viv Kloskin
About 5 1/2 years ago we adopted Bosco. RSR was very thorough in the screening process as they are committed to finding homes that will love, respect and provide excellent quality of life for rescued animals. Bosco is part of our family and we couldn’t love him more. Thank you RSR for all you do!
Our home visit happened quickly after submitting our application for adoption and the group was very responsive to our questions. We’ll be back for future fur baby additions
Ruff Start Rescue impressed me when I was volunteering at MACC. They came to the rescue to save so many dogs in their last hour, the pit bulls, the ones that got left behind. And the people doing it were such great, genuine people. I’ve been a big supporter ever since. I’m so grateful for Ruff Start!
I can't rave enough about RSR! I followed RSR for a while and when we contemplated adopting a 2nd dog, we looked there first. A few dogs we liked already had applications, but someone mentioned the Foster to Adopt program, and wondered if I'd be interested in that. We were, so we signed on to FTA, and got our dog Gigi (FKA Angela).
Since that was a total success, I volunteered to foster a special medical case, Lexi Ann, who would need some around-the-clock care after being badly burned in a house fire. Since I work from home, I thought I could take on the opportunity to help her heal. From day 1, everyone at RSR was so great! They were there when we had sleepless nights, when she hit healing milestones, when we had rad days and bad days, and they were there when we said our "see ya laters" to her as she rode home with her Forever Family.
Every day that I get to smooch on our girl Gigi and see her paying with her big sister makes me so happy someone mentioned the FTA program! And when I get text updates and see photos of Lexi being so happy and healthy, I am thankful that RSR trusted me to help her find her forever. They are a great bunch of people with HUGE hearts and lots of wisdom they willingly share so that everyone is a success.
RSR is a great organization to be a part of in any capacity!
Ruff Start Rescue is a nonprofit animal rescue that started in 2010 by a small group of people in Princeton, MN. This rescue has saved over 850 animals in less than 3 years. The rescue is foster based and has over 100+ foster homes throughout central MN. This rescue has a great core team of volunteers that work together to save lives.