Guardian Angel Dog Rescue Inc

What a fantastic organization. They consist of all volunteers. All the volunteers were so sweet including the older man. They really care where there dogs get adopted. I love that. They rescue dogs from county shelters and go to great length to get them cared for. The dog I adopted they saved from euthanasia and they spent thousands. But this rescue is one of the legit dog rescues. I adopted twice from them. I love my two babies that they saved! I highly recommend Guardian Angel Dog Rescue.

Outstanding legit animal rescue. They’re very diligent on where the dogs they save go. They take great care and get them medical care. I adopted from them three times. Love my dogs that they saved.

A small but very dedicated, kind, compassionate group of volunteers is this dog rescue. I adopted my dog from them. They saved him and spent thousands on his medical care. They were very thorough on my adoption application which I really appreciated to me that shows they really care about their dogs. They even did a home visit where we met for an hour and they made sure that I was a good fit. This is definitely one of the legitimate rescues in Tampa. I donate to them so I know they are a valid 501(c)(3) nonprofit to. I highly recommend you adopt and donate to this excellent small dog rescue in Tampa.

I adopted a sweet dog they rescued from a shelter. The dog was kept in a very loving foster home. I met the foster parents. This rescue got the dog really good medical treatment. They really cared about the dog. I’m so grateful for animsl rescues like this. They are very reputable. Thank you GADR for my Teddy!

I adopted two dogs over the past 7 years. This rescue actually care about where their dogs go. I see people upset and writing bad reviews because they were declined. That’s very immature. This rescue is all volunteers. They all work so hard and saving lives. I know my two babies were going to be euthanized if they didn’t save them. I’m so happy this rescue resists. People forget they are all volunteers. Thank you for my babies.
Sophia T
Riverview Fl

I just recently submitted an application for one of the dogs with Guardian Angels. The responses I received were absolutely horrific. I was met with nothing but discourtesy, dismissiveness, and a complete lack of attention. In the very first response, I was confronted with false assumptions; first off, I was asked about information that had clearly been provided in the required application. This followed with the assumption(rather than an appropriate question) that I gave my dog away in the past when I clearly indicated that I HAD NOT in the application. I had to leave my dog with my family because I moved to college and couldn't have animals in the dorms. They explicity said at the end of the first email "Thank you for your interest.If any of this was an error on our part let us know." MUCH OF IT was in fact an error on YOUR PART Guardian Angel, but instead of acknowledging YOUR mistakes you ignored it and continued to talk to me like I don't know what I'm talking about.
Next, they told me the vet I provided had no records of my cat, only records of my former chameleon. I realized I was at fault for this because I had a separate vet for my cat. Admitting to the mistake, I told them I would happily provide them the necessary information and I will take whatever steps they would like me to take. I was asked to fill out another application, and when I responded saying I would do it, I wasn't even allotted 5 whole minutes until I received another email saying "No need too. Sorry our foster wants a home visit. We have no one to drive to Orlando. Good luck on your search." I was not given a single opportunity to reapply like asked. I was not spoken to with respect, I was dismissed, and they did not even take the time to thoroughly review the information in my application because they asked the most ignorant questions. Something tells me if they actually were serious and respectable, they probably would have somebody who could drive APPROXIMATELY an hour and a half. I'm in the next major city over! But no, I am written off immediately as if I'm some undeserving animal mistreating idiot. Also, I didn't have any clue who I was talking to. There was no formal Introduction, and I would go as far as to say the interaction was not warm, personal, or friendly at all and they were very cold. If this is the way you respond to people who are inquiring about adoption who GENUINELY WANT to do anything in their power to save an animal's life, then I wouldn't want to adopt from you anyway. You obviously have no idea how to treat other humans. Absolutely disgusting.

Thank god for animal rescues like this one. They are all volunteers and are in business to save lives. I rescued my baby from them 4 years ago and is the love of my love. People that criticize rescues and all volunteer non profits probably do not volunteer for anything but complain. This is an awesome rescue and I recommend them to donate or adopt a dog

I adopted a dog from this rescue. The dog I adopted was saved from a rural shelter in Polk County. The rescue explained to me he had a cold from being in a shelter. My wife and I were so impressed on the care they gave this dog. I know they gave him antibiotics that cleared it up. I took my Teddy home and he was fine. But if he was ever sick I would take care of him. And certainly not complain. I'm so happy they saved him from being put to sleep when no one else cared. A few reviewers that bashed this organization was so not called for. If you truly love dogs and you want to help you rescue. Also on ages and weights of animals they save, they can only estimate. The dog I adopted the veterinarian estimated. To be upset on a year difference is ridiculous. Also on another reviewer saying there dog was sick. No one can predict the health of an animal. This rescue consists of all volunteers. I saw how dedicated and how much they loved the dogs. I will only adopt from a rescue and help save lives. Thank you Guardian Angels for giving me my Teddy. I'm forever thankful

I adopted my boy from Guardian Angel Dog Rescue 4 years ago after falling in love with his photo and video. I had never adopted before and really had no idea what to expect. They were incredibly thorough, verifying all the information I provided, talking at length to my family vet and landlord to make sure the dog was permitted and would be cared for. They counseled me extensively on the health and the history they could provide, and did not sugar-coat the fact that my now vibrant boy was neat death when they rescued him. The wonderful fosters and the director nursed him back to health and are still so happy to see him whenever he visits them at PetSmart. I can't imagine my life without him. I knew he would require special care because they were very clear about that, and I wouldn't change it for the world.

I adopted the sweetest chihuahua. He was in perfect health. She is the best dog I've ever owned. When other rescues turned my application down just because I'm 19 and live in apartment. This rescue called me and verified with my mom that I'm responsible and a good pet owner. This was 3 years ago. I can't say how much I love my baby. My baby is my life and can never say thank you enough to this rescue. I highly recommend them if your looking for a dog.

As a former (moved away) volunteer for this rescue, I can say with certainty that they truly care about the animals they rescue. They are truly dedicated to finding the best homes for deserving fur babies.

GADR serves the Tampa Bay community by rescuing helpless angels. A great organization and fantastic group of volunteers.

I adopted a large, black hound mix from GADR about 4 months ago and cannot imagine my life without her. She was at a local shelter on the euthanasia list when they saved her. Mila had quite a few medical and behavioral issues when they rescued her which her foster mom had been working on with her and were improving. Everything the foster had learned about her including behavioral quirks, her favorite treats/toys, and full disclosure of medical history was provided to me and I felt fully aware of what I was getting into with her adoption. It was such an easy transition because I really felt like the foster was so thorough and set my family and Mila up for success. The volunteers were all super friendly and you can tell they really care about the animals they rescue. I was told if for any reason I could not keep Mila they would take her back but there's no way that will ever happen!! Thank you GADR for pairing me with my favorite girl!!

I had only positive experiences with Guardian Angel Dog Rescue in Tampa. I adopted the sweetest dog in the world. This rescue told me how they rescued her from a shelter that was going to put her to sleep. They took such great care of her. They showed me how emaciated she was when they rescued her. All the dogs they rescue go to foster homes. The foster dad fattened my Abbey up and they got her spayed and all great medical care. That was 7 years ago. My baby is healthy and so happy. I've never loved a dog as much as my Abbey! The adoption process was very easy. I filled out an application at there website. I loved how they called my vet and reference and even my landlord. They actually care. They then called me to tell me I was approved. Then I went to Petsmart and met my Abbey. They gave me as much time as I wanted with her at Petsmart. They were very nice and professional. I really liked that the dog I adopted was so well cared for. I received lifetime training tips and free health insurance too! The thing that really impressed me, is they called me to check on Abbey the next day. I highly recommend adopting from this awesome rescue. I always believe in adopting versus buying. As I care about helping saving a life. I cant imagine Abbey would have died if this rescue didn't save her. Forever grateful to them.

I adopted three dogs from this awesome rescue. I love how thorough their application process is. They all are volunteers and care so much where the dogs go. I had no issues with the health of the dogs. In fact they all were seen my a veterinarian. I loved how they all were fixed, shots, microchipped. They even gave me free 30 days health insurance. I also love how they save dogs from the shelters. I highly recommend adopting a dog from this rescue.

I have adopted 2 great cats and a wonderful dog from GADR. These are an extremely hard-working bunch of people who do any and all things for these animals, from finding and fostering them to finally adopting them out. They are at Petsmart every single Sunday, rain or shine, trying to find adoptive families. They are very rigorous in their adoption processes to ensure the animals find good, safe homes. They do whatever is needed for their animals to be and stay as healthy as possible. Since the animals are rescues, they may not know everything about their history, but if they know, they will tell you. My one kitty had a respiratory infection, which they informed me about and provided the medications for, and she was fine within a few days.

I adopted my Zoey bear with them and it was such an easy processes, she was definitely well taken care of by her fosters and has been the light of my life, her daddy's and her sister Kara's life ever since!

GADR is an amazing animal rescue group that I would highly recommend. I started volunteering for the rescue group, and was soon a foster mom for many sweet angels they rescue from the shelter. GADR goes to kill shelters on a weekly basis, and rescues dogs and cats that would not be given another chance at life it weren't for rescues like this one. Even when every foster home is full, they will take a few extra dogs and the rescue directors will foster them until someone else can. Yes, the dogs that are rescued are sometimes sick with kennel cough, an upper respiratory infection that can often sound like an animal is choking to death. As a previous reviewer said, the rescue will often instruct to not run to a vet immediately, because the animals have been provided with an antibiotic and should improve. This is to save an animal another scary visit to the vet when they just want to adjust to their new forever home. But the rescue does get a good bill of health from a trusted vet BEFORE adopting it out. They would never give an animal away thinking it's in poor health, or that it still needs more help. In fact, they cover the costs for emergency surgeries for very sick rescued animals, and always do what they can. One last thing....if this rescue waited a minimum of a month before adopting out, how many less lives would they be saving? The time it takes before a dog is adopted out is and should be highly dependent on the dog. If he's happy, healthy, and ready to go, why not give him a forever home and true happiniess with a loving family as soon as possible? I am so sorry to the previous reviewer for what happened to their adopted dog....I can't begin to imagine your pain, and the GADR family does mourn for your loss. I wish there was something that could have been done, or that we actually knew how sick he was before we gave you that baby.

GADR is an amazing rescue with great volunteers and an admirable goal of saving innocent animals. This is a great rescue that I am proud to volunteer and foster for. Even if you don't choose to rescue through GADR, don't shop, adopt!

I adopted two dogs from this organization. They are now the love of my life. Both dogs would have died at the shelter if it was not for Guardian Angel Dog Rescue. They are truly one of the very best rescues. Every dog or cat they save they get fixed, shots, microchipped and all medical expenses. Plus they make sure there adopters are all good. I like how they checked my vet and where i live. Thank god there volunteers that save lives. Thank you GADR I am forever grateful for my two sweeties.
Joan Rogers
Riverview, FL

PLEASE READ if you are considering adopting.

I don’t typically write reviews, but I had such a horrific experience with this rescue that I wanted to share for future adopters—especially since I learned a lot about adopting in general.

I adopted a sweet dog that they said was about 4-5 years old and healthy except for a little cold. We were so happy to welcome this adorable guy into his forever home, and we trusted them that it was just a cold, so we took him home. Within hours of the adoption it was obvious he was very sick and getting sicker. I told them that evening that I was very concerned and they actively discouraged me from taking him to the vet (I have emails to prove it). Luckily, I ignored them. By the next day, he could barely breathe. I learned that the dog was not 4-5 years old, but most likely 8-10, with a list of health concerns, including a serious upper respiratory infection, a bacterial infection, most likely pneumonia (for starters). We did our very best to treat all these illnesses, as we wanted so badly for our new little guy to get better, spending so much money, staying up all night and praying our hearts out—but he just got sicker and sicker, until we were forced to end his suffering. We only had him for 5 days.

Though there’s a chance they didn’t realize how sick he was when they gave him to me, THE WORST PART is that over the next four days after I adopted him, while I tried in absolute desperation to save this dog, they absolutely would not help me. They kept insisting that he would be fine and not to worry, that it was “just” a simple cold, they kept insisting he wasn’t contagious to my other dog (he was—I'm worried she’s already showing signs of an upper respiratory infection) and when I contacted them at one point, begging them to consider taking him back if they thought they could save his life, because I was terrified he was dying, they told me to “rehome him” myself. I learned afterwards that they had rescued him sick and on death row from animal services only 4 days before they gave him to me. They could not possibly have adequately cared for him in that time. When we told them of Cooper’s passing, they did not even say “I’m sorry” or “That’s sad.” We were horrified by their treatment of the matter.

We’ve shed a lot of tears over this experience and our heart breaks for this poor dog. We’ve also learned a lot.

If you adopt from this rescue or another one, make sure you know when they got the animal, how long they’ve had it (I’ve since learned that most reputable rescues foster for at least a month). Also, don’t take home a sick animal—any rescue that isn’t willing to completely treat an animal before giving it to you is bad news. I would not recommend using this rescue.

They help you find a dog with a compatible personality for you and your family. You might be able to do that on your own from a shelter, but I appreciated their help and expertise.

I started out adopting a wonderful rescue from them and loved the people in the Organization so much I decided to volunteer as well. They helped me get immediate medical care for my new dog with a Vet who discounts for them. Spencer Bard, Director, is dedicated to the animals and this rescue 24/7. And his volunteers are super. They go to the shelters and pull dogs on death row, dogs with medical issues, and other needy dogs. And they help the foster or adopter with their new dog. Couldn't say enough of how good this Rescue is.

My family has adopted two dogs from this organization. We could not have asked for better companions! The volunteers who work for Guardian Angel seem to really have a passion for helping animals and it shows in their practices. During the adoption process, the representative took time to go over our dog’s medical history, flea and heart worm prevents, and how to best introduce our new dog into our home. I only have good things to say about this organization and would definitely recommend them to anyone looking to adopt a rescue animal!

We started GADR with a mission of saving lives. We have saved hundreds of animals and found them loving homes. Every animal we rescue gets examined by a veterinarian, all shots, microchipped and treated for any illness. We are all volunteers. Not one person gets a salary. Every volunteer gives unselfishly of themselves to save lives. Most of the dogs and cats have no chance at the shelters. Because of our rescue they get loving homes. Guardian Angel Dog Rescue is an amazing rescue dedicated to saving dogs and cats lives.

I have adopted twice from this organization, and I was equally impressed both times. They carefully screened my application, contacted my veterinarian and personal references, verified that I was permitted to have dogs in my home, and discussed pet ownership with me to ensure that I understood how to properly care for a dog and would make a lifetime commitment to the adopted pet. This thorough process reflected to me that the organization was interested in finding a quality forever home for their dog. When I met the dogs, the volunteers were so kind and loving to the animals, and very friendly and professional in their dealings with me. My dog had been fully vetted and had even had his teeth cleaned. The adoption counselor spent a long time with my husband and me, explaining the known history of the animal, how to introduce him into our household, feeding and training tips. We were so impressed with our experience that we not only adopted a second time, we immediately discussed donating our time and money to the organization.

I had a totally negative experience with this organization. The dog wasn't at all like the description, she was 21 lbs. not 13 lbs. five years old not four years old not she was a rescue six months ago from a animal shelter so she had only lived with her new Mom that they placed her with four months when she was surrendered. She had health issues that were not revealed to me during the time I was getting to know her only given to me in an envelope when I left Pet Smart. After seeing that there were oral health (badly needed teeth clean so she won't get heart disease) this had been documented by two vets over the course of six months, she had some issue with her eyes that wasn't shared, she was scratching like crazy and their was hydrocordisone spray in her bag so someone knew about it. She had skin growths that were noted by vet. So when I called that same day while leader was at Pet Smart he told me to bring her back and they would refund my 250.00. I was two hours away and couldn't get back before the rescue was gone. He said they were closed on Monday and to give her back on Tuesday. I did all of that then he said that I had to ask the board if I could get my 250.00 back since I kept the dog 48 hours. I would not recommend donating or adopting a dog from this organization.

What an amazing animal rescue Guardian Angel Dog Rescue is. They are a group of volunteers that have helped so many dogs and cats. I adopted 2 dogs from them. Both dogs were fixed, up to date on shots and even microchipped. I also donate to them every month. They have the coolest black, gold shirts with their logo on it. You get that with a donation. I know they are a 501c3 non profit as I get a receipt. I know they pull the most dogs from the Hillsborough County Animal Services where so many die. I follow them on Facebook as they post every dog and cat they save. Yes they just started rescuing cats too now. I see them at Petsmart every weekend in Tampa and Brandon. Such a passionate and compassionate group of volunteers. They save so many lives. I highly recommend adopting a dog or cat from them. I love my 2 so much. Thank you Guardian Angel Dog Rescue. Their website is www.guardianangeldogrescue.org 813-406-6549 God Bless Them!!