All American Dachshund Rescue

AADR is an amazing organization. As a lover of all things Dachshund, I was scrolling social media and there he was. We have 2 miniature dachshunds but this boy just jumped into my heart. Bruno.
We HAVE to talk about Bruno! And AADR. Everyone was very prompt and available regarding communication. The application process was very straight forward, a few days after I submitted the application, the foster mom, Karen called me! I was so excited! Then we arranged the "home visit" which thanks to virtual visits, we were able to complete immediately! Less than 2 weeks, Bruno was in his furever home!
I was so impressed with this organization, I joined as a volunteer.
Thank you AADR for all that you do. Rescue one until there is none.

We recently attempted to adopt a senior dachshund through All American Dachshund Rescue (AADR). We’re both retired professionals and have adopted five rescue dachshunds over the last 20+ years. We withdrew the application to adopt after receiving the most unprofessional, confrontational, condescending, and immature phone call from Diane Irwin, president of AADR. She refused to listen to our explanation regarding the questions on the application by constantly interrupting the conversation with very rude and childish conversational antics. We absolutely concur with the numerous other reviews that stated Diane Irwin is cruel, abrasive and does not base her decisions on facts or what is best for the dogs.
This organization would be better served with a rational, more caring person whose primary interest is finding a good home for the dogs. Unfortunately, the ones who will suffer the most from her leading this organization are the dogs, who have no voice, and who need loving homes. In our personal and professional opinion, we strongly recommend that you avoid AADR and seek a more professional and compassionate rescue organization.

On a better note, we are in the process of adopting a doxie from a different rescue organization.

Dr. James R. Ragno Jr
COL, USA, Retired

Mrs. Toni Ragno

We rescued Jack on 1/7/23. The application process and interview was handled with so much care! Great communication and easy process. The amount of care Jack received from AADR was amazing. Our vet was very pleased with his health and the investment they made to make sure Jack has an amazing 2nd chapter. I 100% recommend AADR!

We rescued/adopted Sammy, a 7 year old dachshund via AADR on 11/28/2022. The process was thorough which ensured the best match for the dog and us as a family. Everyone we interacted with has been kind, helpful, answered our questions, and done their due diligence for all. We love Sammy and are so happy he’s part of our family.

I adopted three years ago my sweet Lily from this rescue. I filled out the application and in a very short time I was approved. This little pup had a very rough start to life, but
thanks to AADR she is loved and will never have worry about where to get fed or get warm. This is a great Rescue, they want to make sure these poor dogs get the very best life.

We have adopted two of our three doxies from AADR. The adoption process is easy! The dogs were well vetted and ready for their fur-ever homes.

We have adopted 3 wonderful Dachshunds from this organization, as well as 2 others from Diane before she began AADR. So a total of 5 wonderful pups have been placed in our care. Two of which Diane delivered to me personally, after driving across Tennessee for hours. Most of ours were older (10+), the ones that no one wanted anymore. Diane still treated us as she would have any other adopter. Even though they were older and harder to place she still cared greatly for these seniors and made sure they would have the best life in their forever home, pampered. I appreciate the lengths she goes to in order for these pups to get the best and safest homes. Anyone who disagrees with this stringent process does not understand what a rescue is all about. IT IS ALL ABOUT THE PUPS, NOT YOU! To place an animal, knowing they may not get the best care is unfair to the pup. Unfortunately, many only think of themselves and their own wants. Keep up the good work Diane.

Our 17 years of companionship came to end a few months ago and there was a real hole in our lives when we had to make the decision to say goodbye to Kona, our first Dachshund. We had adopted a second one previously (11 years ago), a wonderful doxie we named Casey, but unfortunately cancer interrupted our relationship after just a year in our home.

I began searching rescues and even made applicaion at one but with no result due to poor communication. Then I found an ad on line to adopt Rory (now Cody). I contacted AADR and from the start communication was clear and timely. I found their application process to be very thorough and I got the idea that here was an organization who truly cared for the dogs and their futures as much as they did merely finding them homes.

Fortunately for us our boy was being fostered in a nearby city and we had the chance to visit him before adopting. We were very impressed with the folks who had been cleared to be his foster home. We found clean and loving conditions and a dog that was healthy, happy and integrated into their lives (along with their own 4 dogs and a cat).

I could not be any more impressed with AADR, the staff I have had contact with and the foster family I interacted with. I truly appreciate their more stringent application and screening process and I feel that this organization deserves to be recognized as a premier Dachshund rescue organization.

What an outstanding organization! We brought Mr Peabody home on 6/9/21. This pic is from the ride home. Do you think he’s happy? I know we are!

My application for AADR was turned down without explanation.
I would, at the minimum, appreciate understanding WHY the application was denied. I see many wonderful reviews for this site but would truly appreciate some feedback about being declined for a basic review.
The application itself is quite extensive so to have a very cursory reply that I was denied seems rude. I love dachshunds and was hoping to become involved with AADR but am afraid I am seeing this as a bitter pill. Congratulations to all of you who have successfully adopted and best wishes for AADR.

I tell everyone live and on FB about AADR. I adopted my two canine kiddos from them in the period of three weeks and I've had the honor of helping to transport two doxies to their new foster home. I cannot say enough about how I feel about their care in assessing home for the dogs. I recommend them to anyone wanting to adopt a doxie.

This is my second adoption with AADR. I recently lost my dog, Killian, and was looking for a second dachshund for my little boy Rascal, who is also an AADR rescue. We added Beau to our family in March this year. What a gem he is. We've decided to name him Beauregard. He acts as if he has lived with us all along.

I wanted to thank AADR for their thorough process. I understand the organization only wants the best for their dogs, ensuring they go to good homes.

I also would like to take a moment to thank the transport team. The organization it takes to arrange for all participants to shuttle these pups is very impressive. I commend these folks who donate their time, ensuring these companions go to their forever home.

I am very thankful to AADR for all they did to facilitate the process to bring a wonderful, loving dachshund to our family. I had searched other sites for a dachshund to rescue, but when I discovered the AADR site in late August, I knew this was meant to be.

The experience my family had with AADR was very pleasant from start to finish. This organization truly cares about each and every dog they foster and place. Every step they take is organized and done with such care to make sure that both the dachshund and the family are the right fit for each other. I was so impressed with how detailed they were in our pre-adoption interviews, asking us questions that would allow them to discern if we were a proper fit for this particular dachshund. And even giving us food for thought as to changes we might need to make to ensure a safe environment for the arrival of our dog.

During this process, I had an opportunity to get to know our dachshund’s foster mom, who was so caring and so helpful. We had several conversations about discoveries she made about his personality while he was in her home awaiting his adoption, and she kept us informed of any developments. I really felt well prepared to meet our little dachshund. I have kept in touch with the foster mom and she welcomes hearing about her friend and how well he is adapting to his new home. I send her pictures and we talk about the cute personality that is emerging as our dachshund gets more comfortable in his home.

We really enjoyed getting to know all the volunteers that organized the adoption, and so appreciated all those that volunteered to drive hours across the Midwest to bring our newest family member to us. We were so impressed with the network of compassionate dog lovers who were eager to help.

Our little dachshund has brought such love and joy to our home. Each day more of his sweet personality is made known. He is so smart and so funny, making us laugh and smile…and it was all made possible by this wonderful organization!

This rescue is amazing. We have fostered over 30 dogs for this rescue and have adopted three from them. This rescue puts the dogs first. The safety and care for these dogs is the most important thing. The rescue does not want the dogs to end up back in a homeless situation. They make sure everything is covered, from adopters having a backup plan, to making sure the dogs with will be cared for with necessary vaccinations. Too many dogs in the world are not given heartworm testing and medication, flea and tick medication, or simply a rabies shot. This rescue makes sure that, as an adopter, that you have done these things for your previous pets. I am so proud that this rescue is so thorough when adopting dogs out. These dogs need forever homes. Many of these dogs have either come from abuse, neglect, and puppy mill situations and they deserve the best life that the rescue can find for them.
I have rescued three and I think they have also rescued me. The love they give is worth the world. I am a better person for it.
Kudos to AADR for be the best rescue!

I adopted Aspen six years ago. There was a thorough background check and home visit. When I found Aspen on AADR, I was able to have detailed conversations with his wonderful foster parents to get a feel for whether he was the right dog for me. When we decided to go ahead, they kindly brought him to my home and answered all my (additional) questions. Aspen has had my whole heart ever since. AADR's foster network really do a ton of work to make sure the dogs are fully prepared for their forever homes. They have continued to be a great resource for me as Aspen has gotten older. Any time I have concerns, it's like having a network of dachshund experts to call on!

We adopted 91/2 year old Jenny through AADR 6 months ago. We are delighted to have her join our family. We have loved 5 long lived Dachshunds throughout our 50 years of marriage. We were extremely impressed with the professionalism of the AADR organization. Their attention to detail regarding Jenny’s medical & life history was very helpful. The thoroughness of the home visit & timely expedition of all actions related to the adoption were also most appreciated. Their efforts to find the best possible placement for their adoptees, who are so vulnerable, is to be lauded. We thank you so much for bringing us our sweet, entertaining Jenny and for the excellent processes You adhere to insure the health, compatibility & safety of your placements. Jenny’s family

I have adopted two beautiful pups through AADR. I appreciate they are thorough in their process to make sure their dogs are placed in both the best fit for the dog and also a quality home. I specifically chose the dogs that were surrendered because they were with a breeder and a puppy mill. These dogs require the prospective owner to have a good deal of knowledge In dachshund behavior and how to socialize these pups that have been mostly isolated. Both of the pups I have adopted I have brought me great love and you can tell they are very comfortable with their family and know that they are loved. AADR is and outstanding rescue and a gift back to them in multiple ways but one way is as a volunteer transporter. It’s just a small way that I can get back to an organization that has provided me with so much❤️

Recently, my family adopted from AADR . The steps they go through to approve a home is incredible. After interviewing us, they made a home visit (virtual due to virus), contacted references and called out vet. Sounds like a lot of steps but they did it very quickly. We have adopted dachshunds before but never were put through an evaluation like this group of caring folks conducted. You can tell they really care about the animals and not seeking just a home but the best home. It would be so easy to give the dogs to the first inquirer.
Our dog was three states away and the volunteers with this group arranged to relay him to us. The organized effort was amazing. His papers came with him assuring us that he was healthy. They have this transfer down to an impressive art.
Also, the foster mom that cared for him talked to us a number of times about what behavior to expect and has been available post adoption. That follow up is very meaningful.

After losing my beloved 14 year old rescue doxie I wasn't sure where to turn to adopt a rescue again. Lucky for us we discovered AADR! They were pawsome and even though covid 19 made things hard for a home visit they made it work! Meet Oscar, a AADR alum! They were fabulous and I would recommend them to anyone that needs to surrender their doxie as well as those that want to adopt. Oscar's foster mom, Tammy was also amazing

I adopted my first rescue through AADR. I didn't know what to expect at the start of the process. The application was a bit long and it was somewhat intimidating to need to submit all of the references. However, once the process started, everything ran quickly and smoothly. I think they all just really want what is best for the dogs.

The foster parents were so helpful and responsive with answering questions about the dachshund I was interested in. I had a page full of questions about him and the process and they graciously took the time to answer them all. After I was approved, an amazing team of volunteers transported my new family member, Pete, half way down the east coast to get to me.

Pete was such a great decision, we are so lucky that he joined our family. He has a great temperament, is so cuddly, and loves to play with our other dog. He also came to us already knowing his name, crate trained, and with a great start to potty training and knowing basic commands as well.

It's incredibly heartwarming what all of the volunteers at AADR do for these dogs. I will definitely work with them again in the future, and would recommend them to anyone looking for a dachshund.

I was very pleased with this organization, yes they made me follow the procedures, asked a lot of questions told me about the specific dog I was interested in , not just the breed. Called my vet and my personal references. I would recommend this organization.

Our recent adoption from AADR has been a 100% positive, successful and happy experience. While some may feel the application and requirements for adoption are too stringent, I found the process to be thorough, fair, and ultimately in the best interest of the dog. I appreciate that AADR vets its applicants to such a great extent and ensures that they understand the needs, requirements and potential challenges of the breed (back problems, weight gain, etc.) AADR reps were prompt to respond with instructions, information, and answers to any questions. Our little guy, Gideon, was fostered by a wonderful, caring couple who updated us often with photos and videos, info about his progress, and even met us halfway for the transfer. The care and attention he received from his foster family helped him adjust quickly to his new forever home. I was pleasantly surprised that our pup came already microchipped, with his health records, bio, and lots of nice accessories! I’ve owned dachshunds all my life and this is my third rescue dog. If someone is truly serious about wanting a dachshund, I can recommend AADR and I would adopt from them again.

My husband and I have adopted 3 dachshunds from AADR. love the organization and agree with their standards 100%. Diane is only looking out for the pups . She wants the dogs to be the right fit with the people adopting. All steps taken on the application from references, to home visits are needed to insure the dogs have a chance to enjoy a furever home the rest of their life's. I have fostered, did home visits, checked references and also transport for AADR . Moved to an out of area town but believe me when a transport comes through I will take it. We have made what I hope will be life long friendships with a lot of people who only want the best for all rescues.

We adopted our sweet little girl last Christmastime. Our time with her was short, but she brought a tremendous amount of joy and love to our home and into our lives. Unfortunately she had been abused too much in her little life before AADR was able to reach her. We feel tremendously blessed to have made friendships with many in the organization and we truly feel that AADR is a top-notch breed specific organization. They go above and beyond to make sure dogs are placed with SAFE and LOVING families- they are the stewards of these animals who have had rough lives to date. Much care and patience is taken to place all the dogs in happy homes.

We adopted our beautiful girl Amber from AADR in June 2020. They are very thorough and fair in the vetting process which makes me happy since not everyone understands the complexities of caring for Dachshunds. We had a video chat instead of an in person visit due to chinese virus and showed our home, fenced yard and ramps going to couch and ramps going outside to prevent steps/jumping. We are experienced Dachshund owners and found AADR great friendly people to work with. Ambers foster family was very accommodating and met us halfway to pick her up even though it was a 7.5 hour drive for each of us. We had a very positive experience with AADR.

My partner and I adopted a five-year-old male shorthair from AADR in August of this year. Within a week-and-a-half of submitting my application, our now-beloved Rhys was curled up on the den sofa. The process was seamless and I was beyond impressed with the entire operation that lead to our happy adoption.

Rhys arrived with a big bag full of toys and blankets, but more importantly, his entire medical history from birth to present. He was in absolute glowing health and had very obviously been very well cared for during his previous life and during his fostering and transportation from Alabama, where he started, to us in Pennsylvania.

I recommend this organization very highly and we will be adopting through them again.

AADR provides loving homes and a safe environment to dachshund rescues. This organization is about finding the best possible fit for the pups. The adoption process is intense and thorough, and not everyone will qualify...but please remember that it's about the dogs.
When adopting "Henry" the amazing volunteers at AADR provided me with a complete bio along with photos, videos, health records, behavior observations and an open line of communication, whenever I needed questions answered or just to "chat". The care and honest dedication and love they offer is priceless. I feel like I have hit the "puppy lottery" with Henry, all thanks to AADR!

We love this agency! They are SO thorough, they clearly care about the well-being of their dogs in the long run. They're not like your local shelter whose interested in their pups ends once the paperwork is signed. They will take a dog back due to health or any other issue for the life of their dog. That means they need to truly vet each applicant for the perfect fit. We just adopted out girl, Echo, and she is amazing! Her foster home helped her develop confidence, potty trained her and showed her how to be part of the family. We couldn't have asked for a better experience. We know we and our pack are the right fit for Echo because of the work that AADR puts in ahead of time and during the application process. Highly recommended, the organization is filled with true doxie and dog lovers.

I had an excellent experience with AADR. Their adoption process, from application submission to bringing your new family member home, is thorough, quick, and efficient. I think it was two weeks for us, end-to-end, but they didn't cut any corners. The process includes a very thorough application, followed by an interview with the dog's current foster, and then a home visit, virtual if in person is not possible. The transport network is made up of amazing volunteers who give their time to help get their charges to their new foster or forever homes. Our transport consisted of 15 legs, traveling from TN to NY - I was impressed. All in all, I found AADR to be an organization doing great work in rescue, with integrity and truly wonderful people.

We have 2 rescue dogs from AADR, Ralph and Angel. This is a fantastic organization. They have a thorough application process and in home visit prior to approving adoptions. The dogs were vetted and microchiped as well. Wendell and Judy Morse were the best foster parents and were so great to work with. They drove halfway from Vermont to meet us for both pups, we live in PA. There are many wonderful volunteers who give up there time to transport these pups to their forever homes. I am so thankful we found AADR... they have become family to us.

We adopted 2 doxies from AADR. One is special needs and the other is a senior. The fosters were fabulous sharing info, pix, and helpful advice during the adoption process. The process of adopting was great! AADR truly CARES that these dogs get the best, forever homes. They follow up and are great to work with before, during, and after placement. There is a super commitment to the dogs, the fosters, and the adopters. We will continue to adopt from AADR in the future....hopefully distant as we hope our girls will live long lives with us!

Our first experience with this organization occurred in 2009 when we adopted a dachshund being fostered in California. Over the years, we've adopted a total of 7 dachshunds either directly from or facilitated by AADR. The care and compassion for dachshunds demonstrated by every person associated with this group is phenomenal. AADR puts the dachshund's needs ahead of anyone else resulting in placing the dachshund in the most compatible home possible. I appreciate the insight and thorough process encountered during every adoption.
We love our dachshunds and AADR!

I thank God for this rescue! I adopted the love of my love from this organization. Was the adoption process easy no, and it shouldn’t be did they come to my house yes, did they call my veterinary office and make sure my other dogs were vaccinated and on a monthly heart worm preventive they sure did. Did the president question me about my fence, she sure did. They take their responsibility to these animals seriously. Thank you for all you do! I just can’t believe some of these posts. Maybe your better off adopting local. These people have to make their decisions from miles away.

I am so disappointed. I have had two rescue dachshunds. Both special needs - diabetic and gastro issues in both dogs. One of my rescues recently passed away at the age 15 years. I have spent $20k in the last three years helping my dogs. I applied to AADR in hopes of finding another doxie. I filled the application out. Have a fenced yard, all the requirements they asked for only to receive a rejection email with no reason why and specifically stated they will not tell you why.
What I don’t understand is all the hype about getting a rescue dog but the won’t educate you so that you can meet the requirements to eventually help a dog. Very disappointed in this rescue. If you read the reviews on Yelp - they really need to look at at themselves and remind themselves of the goal here. I feel very sorry for these dogs.

President of the organization is extremely rude. Not every document or system is perfect and she should be a bit calmer when speaking to people when an mishap occurs . Once we finally got the first misunderstanding fixed we were contacted by the foster parent. She was a delightful person. I really want to thank her for the time she allowed us to see the dog. The president said that the dog was fearful of men and that was quite the opposite. The dog did not mind men at all and was happy with either men or women equally. While we waited to see the dog we received another adoption opportunity and adopted, however we still wanted to adopt one more. Well the president didn’t liked that we adopted another dog and rescinded our application and was very rude when she spoke to us over the phone. She said we lied. How did we lie if we told her that we adopted another dog and still wanted to adopted a dog from her organization. We could have not said anything and she wouldn’t have even known a difference. Telling the truth should not disqualify a family to adopt and in fact shows that we care that much more to let her know. The foster parent even thought it would be fine that the dog had another one to play with as she got along with her other 3 dogs. It’s a shame this happened as we really liked the dog and wanted to have it part of our family. Finding a purebred in Florida to adopt that is a younger dog is hard and looks like we will be forced to look at getting a puppy from a breeder. So this is a cautionary message to all that may want to adopt from this organization. Oh yeah one other point I almost forgot to mention, if you are 70 and above they will overlook your adoption. This was one complaint about the 30+ adoptions for this one dog as your age matters in this process apparently. Good luck!

I’ve never been so offended adopting a dog.
I recently applied for one of their dachshunds and sadly I am 20 so I saw the age limit they had but still proceeded with the application given my own circumstances. When I got the email back saying I didn’t fit the criteria and that my fiancée and I wouldn’t be able to apply for their dogs it was no big deal and I understood. Even though a lot of people get turned down right away. My fiancé decided to email a lady that was in charge of applications. I don’t remember her name but he stated that just because we are 20 doesn’t mean we can’t care for one of their dogs. I don’t think you have to be 25 to adopt a dog. The age limit should be 21. This lady got really nasty for no reason and sent us an email calling us immature and that she is going to put our email to her on file. We blew it off. It was no big deal. But the funny part is she send us another email that was meant for someone else saying these people aren’t good enough for our dachshund. She said even more hurtful things. Just straight being unprofessional and super rude. She called us immature? Lady you’re immature and you need to learn how to give good customer service.

This is not an agency I can recommend. The women who interviewed me asked my reference why my 21 year old son was still living with me and if she thought he was going to live in my house the rest of his life. What business is it of hers? Then I get a phone call from the director stating they won't adopt to me because my husband turned down the first dog we applied for because he didn't like that particular dog. These people are rude and slightly psychotic. Im surprised they find anyone to adopt their dogs. Too bad aadr you lost one of the best adopters you can find. I live in the best neighborhood in town and can afford anything a dog would need. Shame on you!

I have adopted two dogs from this wonderful rescue. The application process was easy and they have a wonderful team of transport volunteers that transported my Dachshund to me.
Some of their dogs require a fence and they won't adopt to homes where they have invisible fencing which I totally understand. For them its all about the safety of the dogs not about trying to please every person that just wants to adopt! The dogs welfare is their utmost concern and I thank them for that!

I recently applied to adopt a mixed-breed puppy from AADR. I was very excited after reading the bio info over and over so I could be thoughtful in my choice. Puppy was described as doing well with dogs, cats, and kids. I recently lost my very senior dog and wanted to open my heart again. I am an experienced dog (and cat) owner, own my own home, have fenced yard, work at home even in non-covid times, am an active hiker, and filled out their very extensive application in detail. I am not even sure these folks bothered to read the application. Instead I received a nasty, insulting email from someone who didn’t identify herself telling me that the puppy would not like my cat ( my cat loves dogs and the puppy was listed as cat friendly ) and that since a dog can live 19 years, I needed to think about whether I’d still be alive then and if I wasn’t someone would just dump the dog. ???? Ageist much? Part of the application required you list someone willing to take the dog should anything happen to you. I had listed a brother who was perfectly willing to sign their legal agreement so am not sure why I’d be accused of dumping any dog. After I responded to this strange email, asking why they had listed the dog liked cats and why they would insult me so, I received another email telling me the dog had been adopted by “an approved adopter” who had taken two puppies. This person claimed that adopting two puppies was a requirement. Nothing like that appeared in this dog’s bio. I responded nicely but let them know that this kind of unnecessary nastiness and adversarial attitude would turn off people who want to adopt. Additionally, setting ridiculously high barriers to adoption has been disproven to assure happy adoptions. The ASPCA has come out with a statement on this and many rescues and shelters take the enlightened view that you work with people to find a good result. Certainly you want to make sure there’s no history of abuse or cruelty, and that everyone in the household is on board, and that the dog will not be neglected. But there are many ways to give a pup a good, safe life. Sadly, the AADR seems to think that assuming prospective adopters are somehow bad, careless people will ensure better homes. I don’t understand this attitude, or their shifting standards, or the adversarial tone of their application questions which seem to sum up their philosophy as “Are you too stupid to understand dachshunds and if you want a dachshund, we suspect you’re shady and irresponsible do we’re going to ferret out the truth and deny you without vetting your application, calling your references, or taking five minutes to do a virtual tour of your house with you.” I have volunteered with two dog rescue orgs in the past. This is not the way to run a rescue. Certainly you want to make good placements and serve the best interests of the dog, but insults, shifting information, and misrepresentations generally don’t draw people to adoption. We are all in this together. Prospective adopters are not the enemy. I don’t know for a fact that I was the best person for this pup, and that’s fine if they found someone they thought might work out better. But there are kind ways to say this and other rescues have pleasant templates, as in “Thank you for your interest.” By the way, these pups weren’t even full—blooded dachshunds, they were mixed breed whose mother was only half dachshund and father something entirely different, so all this breed focus seemed quite silly. I personally love the mixes because I believe you get the best of everything. Anyway, I suggest you avoid this rescue if you want a happy experience. And good luck adopting a new friend! Stay positive. You’ll find the right pup and the right rescue. I know I will, too.

You are almost certainly better off going through any other organization when looking to add a family member to your home. We’ve had dachshunds for years, and I don’t mind tooting my own horn a bit to say we are the cream of the crop of dog parents, and I am 100% confident our veterinarians (all of them—the primary one, the neurology specialist, the dermatology specialist, the internal medicine specialist...) and our dog trainer would back me on that. There is nothing we wouldn’t do for our dogs, no amount of money we wouldn’t spend. Despite that, our application with AADR was rejected outright with no explanation. No one reached out to us or our references.

According to the email we received, less than 3 hours after submitting an application, “We grade applications and then come to a decision based on the overall grade, rather than on any one issue or factor. Unfortunately, your
application did not meet our overall grade requirements. We know it will not be much consolation, but we reject far more applications than we approve...

Our rules prevent us from discussing the particulars of any application, or any decisions or actions taken by the Adoptions Board or the staff at All American Dachshund Rescue, so We are afraid we will not be able to answer any questions you have about why your application was rejected.”

Mind boggling, honestly. Any organization that is truly focused on bettering lives for pets would take the time to counsel an adopter on how to better prepare their homes for a new pet—that is if there was actually any fault. Did our “grade” not pass because our small yard (15ft x 25ft) was deemed not big enough? Our current dogs would disagree. Is it because I marked “no” as my answer to the “Does your landlord approve pets?” question—since we don’t have a landlord (we own our home) but that question is required in the application? Is it because our first dachshund, whom we’d adored for 10 years, died suddenly last summer despite the $1000s we spent at the emergency vet for mere hours of treatment? Was it because I noted we use Heartgard and Nexgard as preventatives, and feed Wellness, and the volunteer reviewing our application has a bias against those? I guess we’ll never know, because of their rules.

For us, this won’t be an issue. We’ll adopt from a different org and go on to continue to be outstanding dog parents. But for other adopters, those who truly need counseling to be ready to bring a canine family member into their lives...they certainly won’t get that help here. As someone who worked in animal welfare for years as a Humane Educator, and as a family who continues to volunteer as fosters and fundraisers with multiple animal welfare groups in the DC region, we know and understand the crucial role that rescues and shelters play to ensure animals find safe, secure, loving lifetime homes. Part of that responsibility involves counseling adopters who aren’t qualified on how to best prepare to be a pet parent—not refusing to disclose denial reasons by hiding behind “rules.”

We’re dachshund lovers, and we respect the desire of AADR to protect the dogs in their care at all costs. Respectfully, they’re doing it wrong.

Well we tried to adopt through this rescue but never made it past step 1. Apparently if they deny your application they do not call you for further details or to ask questions, which is sad considering they may be denying applications at first glance without investigating. My husband and I are volunteers and fosters for another rescue and have never been turned down for an application. Our references are great and so is our vet references.

But after reading some of these reviews maybe this is a blessing in disguise!

We did not have a good experience at all with this organization, and it’s the first time in decades we have had a negative experience with a dog rescue. The foster parent was very nice, but the person who runs the shelter does not seem to want you to ask any questions and does not allow you to meet the dogs or introduce your dogs to a potential new dog before adopting, yet at the same time she repeatedly stated concerns about having had dogs returned. It felt like it was more of an interview about if she liked your personality than if you would be a good home for a dog in need of a home. This makes no sense – as the whole reason for a non-profit such as this is to find dogs loving and safe homes.

We had excellent references including veterinarians who have become personal friends after years of knowing us and our dogs, and have volunteered with many rescues over the past decades, have flown at our own expense down to New Orleans after Katrina to rescue dogs, and helped with animal rescue in NYC after 9/11. We are also on the board of two non-profits ourselves, one animal care facility and one addiction and homelessness resource center. Our dogs are not caged or alone during the day, eat organic food and sleep on organic, non-toxic bedding, and go on vacations with the family. They are truly the center of our lives. We go above and beyond to give our dogs the lives they deserve. We were interested in adopting a senior dog with health problems – a dog that might have a harder time finding a home - because we have time and resources to care for a dog with more needs.

Dealing with this rescue was a truly bizarre experience. I didn’t mind the extremely long and detailed application, which is fine to screen people and their references. However, to reject a good home and let a dog linger in a temporary home instead, shut in a bathroom during the day when the foster was not home – no matter how nice the foster family is, is NOT a better situation than a permanent loving home with people home all day caring for the dog’s needs. This just makes no logical sense for any rescue taking monetary donations to find homes for homeless dogs and actually wanting to put the well-being of the dogs above all else - which is the point of a good dog rescue, right?

We were at first told conflicting information about the dog, which caused us to hesitate until we obtained more information, and this seemed to be where the problems began. The dog had health and behavioral issues that we were willing to deal with, but every time I asked a question to try to get more information about the dog’s personality and health, it felt like I was somehow not following their rules and being scolded. I could hear the hardening voice tone with every additional question I asked of the director. I saved her voicemail with her stating in a strong, almost scolding, voice how she had explicitly told me previously that she doesn't allow people to meet their dogs before adopting. I would like to know who made that illogical rule? Does the board know she tells people this? Perhaps a different person on the board should be the one interacting and screening applicants so the process screens for good homes, not submissive personality traits.

It’s just really sad for the dogs, who could be placed in homes sooner, to be kept in temporary homes for no good reason - and this particular dog has still not been adopted. That costs the shelter money unnecessarily, too, when that money could be spent helping other dogs in need. It seems the mission of the founder, and possibly also the board members, has somehow diverged from rescuing dogs to just picking people they like personally who are compliant and don’t ask questions - which has nothing to do with how great a pet parent someone would be. In fact, it would seem that the more questions you ask, the more you care, the more research you do, and more likely you will be prepared to provide the best possible home for the dog. If someone didn’t care enough to ask any questions or take time to really think about the big decision to adopt a new family member, I’d be concerned they did not take the responsibility of pet ownership very seriously.

I would never discourage anyone from adopting a dog from any rescue, including this one, because after all it’s about the dogs’ well-being and not if we like or don’t like the management. But just beware of dealing with this rescue because it seems it’s more about if they like you personally than if you would be a good dog parent.

My husband and I rescued a beautiful weiner dog mix boy from a great rescue group who were awesome to work with. However since we wanted a girl weiner dog too and they currently didn't have any available we applied for a beautiful little girl from this rescue group. We passed the references and home visit completely until after they left our house and claimed they thought that our metal fenced in yard was not good enough. Even though our former dachshund girl who passed away at 16 years old who was about the same size as her never had a problem with the fence.
Our dachshund boy got along well with the rescue girl we were interested in and she got along well with him and us. When they finally decided to let us know they will not let us adopt her they said the reason was because our dachshund is supposedly too big and they won't let her come live with us despite the fact that she is in a foster home that has a pit bull mix much larger than our dachshund. How did the foster family even get approved to foster her when they have such a large dog living there?
She came for the home visit to our house smelling of urine and her nails were very long and not groomed. The foster family seemed nice but were very picky our our excellent fenced in yard not telling us their assumption about the fence until after they left our home and already telling Diane who makes the final decision that.
We will rescuing a dachshund elsewhere! BEWARE of this rescue! Way to controlling!

I will say that Diane does care a lot about the animals.
I adopted Mojo, and given his nature, and that I've owned hunting dogs for many years, I have a more liberal off leash than she does.
Mojo didn't like to be out of sight, so, my wife and I took him for a walk in a state park, and let him off leash. He actually stayed closer since he knew he could get lost.
When I mentioned it, she was quite irate (a normal response), but, I was dealing with one dog, and I knew my dog, and the terrain, and I had a second person to help corral if needed.
She's right on the general rule of no off leash since doxies do go for it.

I would stay away from this organization..I was told my lifestyle did not equate with their two year old Dachshund. I and my wife are older but extremely active....no matter,probably glad I found out about previous comments....

Please us caution when trying to adopt through this rescue. We passed all our interviews, home, vet, foster parent, references. We have experience with special needs dogs. We wanted to rescue a blond Doxie. The president of this rescue called me and claimed my vet told her my dogs were over weight. They are not, my vet said so. She claimed my vet said otherwise. She is abusive, unprofessional and abrasive on the phone. I have never dealt with anyone like that in my life. She threatened me, telling me she would call my vet and if she let me adopt the dog and if she gained an ounce she would come to my house and take the dog. She scearmed this. Sadly the contract you sign gives them the right to do that. They basically maintain legal custody of the dog. Be very cautious in dealing with her. I would not address her as mame and agree to her off the hook terms, she demanded I call her mame and say yes mame I will do as you say, didn't like my attitude back at her, denied the adoption and hung up on me. She is a horror to deal with.

As a foster mom and "foster failure" for AADR, all I can say is that they are an amazing charity doing amazing things! They take dogs that have been tossed away like garbage and rehab them into loving family pets. They give dogs that otherwise would have never had a chance at life the opportunity to live the life they deserve! We have fostered 13 dogs for them and have adopted two of our fosters. We have driven countless transports and even rescued a few mistreated dachshunds in our community. Diane Irwin has nothing but the best interest of these dogs at heart! Only the very best homes get approved for adoption and if that hurts some feelings along the way, so sorry! Don't let your dog off leash, keep them UTD on shots and heartworm, don't give dogs away and treat them like your own kids. That's the simple road to being an adoptive dachshund parent.

I adopted a blind dog from them that was sweet from the beginning but after awhile started attacking my other dog. I tried for 3 months to make it work and it did not. Finally the last straw was when the dog had its teeth clamped around my other dogs throat and I had to slap her to get her off and she then went after me. Per their contract, I returned the dog instead of trying to adopt her out to someone else. I checked their website and noticed that they had the dog listed for adoption again and it said that she could be with other dogs. I emailed the president of the rescue organization and told her they should not place the dog with a home that has another dog. She came back at me with horrible emails that I can show to anyone that would like to see them. She said instead of slapping the dog I should have gotten a spray bottle and filled it with water and sprayed the dog instead. I did not have time to do anything like that as the dogs teeth were around my dogs throat. She had also bit her a couple days earlier on the ear and drew blood. My emails to Diane Irwin were very nice and I was very concerned. Her responses were awful. It was a very bad experience.

An open letter to all rescuers and drivers,

It's with the experience of trying to get the hours I spent driving/ transporting rescued doxies from this rescue signed-off on that I requested that I be removed from all volunteer and contact lists from AADR (aka SSDR).

I have spent well over 200 hours on the road, many of which were pulling, transporting, rehabilitating, and vetting non-purebred dogs or dogs that had been put on euthanasia lists, all on my own dime and not with any accredited rescue organization; I've done it because it's the right thing to do.

Over the course of the last 9-12 months I have rescued (and placed in fantastic, third party 501c3 approved homes) 14 animals, driven over 5 transports for AARD, some at totally unreasonable hours, having met drivers in TN, and throughout Florida, to get rescues to rescue and forever homes. Of 5 runs that I volunteered my time energy and gas mileage to AADR, only 15 hours and 40 mins. were accepted as a result of the nit picky, neuroticism of the sign off process. At a certain point I stopped volunteering. I jumped through every hoop just to get those hours signed off on, sending and resending documents that had already been sent. The power differential between my position as a volunteer driver in need of community service hours and between the position within the organization was made quite evident to me in several email exchanges.

For the time and energy it that it took to scrutinize my integrity and the volunteer hours on my service sheet, several dogs could have been networked or fundraised into rescue from both my end and the end of AADR.

I've had a horrible, shaming, and very demeaning experience. Having asked the AADR president to sign off on the community service hours (for a personal and traumatic situation that resulted in a legal action against me by a pet insurance company from the state of California in purchasing pet insurance for my own beloved animals, without absolutely zero financial or other gain) I have been made to feel dishonest, ashamed, and belittled as a volunteer and fellow rescue-worker. I have and continue to drive for many other rescue organization across the U.S and have had similar experiences, having worked in a high kill shelter in Mississippi, as it comes to the control and marginalization of other rescue workers and volunteers in the rescue world.

Perhaps we should all take a moment to reflect what it might be like to walk a mile in the shoes of another. Perhaps in the shoes of a woman already traumatized by an unjust legal and judicial system in the state of Florida, to be further traumatized and belittled for the energy she spent trying to continue to do what she felt morally right to do, and at great personal and financial expense to her. INSTEAD of taking the easy path volunteering in the high kill shelter as the state prosecutor had proposed she do, she instead dedicated herself to making sure her service hours meant something; that lives were saved and that her time was spent wisely.

I do what I believe in and I live by my integrity. I withdraw from participation with a group that seems, through the scrutiny and judgment that I encountered, not to believe in the tireless efforts, the value of volunteered time, or in the compassion, honesty, and dedication of their volunteers. I'm not defined by a brush with the law or any one thing. None of us are.

Your time, as mine, is valuable; please extend your networks to drive with other well deserving rescue organizations. And by all means continue driving and rescuing because the animals of all breeds and mixes need us.

Questionable practice of making the adoption fees "tax deductible". No accountability for their revenue or funds. ALWAYS file 990 late, and let their incorporation lapse with the state of Tennessee.