I have two M.A.M.A.S rescue dogs and couldn’t be more pleased with the process or pups! Our first dog, Ellie, came as I was losing one of our older dogs to heart failure. The adoption coordinator took his time talking to me in detail about our previous pets, how to transition a rescue into our home and particulars about Ellie who had been found on the street covered in mange and very malnourished. We knew when she came to us she would need some extra time and TLC. She was spayed, microchipped and her skin was healing beautifully. Her medical records were detailed down to how they cared for her over the extended period she was at the shelter. Her transport from SC to NoVa was seamless, complete with texts updating me and sending photos at rest stops. She is a delightful, energetic pup! After having Ellie for a year we decided to adopt a play mate for her from M.A.M.A.S. Into our lives bounded Jack the rat terrier! Same detailed process and continued support by the organization when I had questions about how to train a rattie as I’d never had one before. He’s a sensitive, loyal, athletic guy that my husband has dubbed “the perfect dog”! He was neutered, chipped and was up to date on his shots. I knew before he arrived what shots were coming up. Both dogs came with a harness, lead, blanket and toys. They were clearly loved at the shelter and we can’t imagine life without them!
I finally retired and realized that I had no hobbies to keep me busy. My passion had always been dogs so I looked into various shelters to offer help and am so glad that the wonderful people at M.A.M.A.S responded. I have become increasingly involved with this group because of their dedication to the welfare of the animal. They are efficient and always have a solid rationale for the policies they invoke for both transport and adoption. I am truly impressed that this is pretty much an all volunteer organization cause it runs very reliably!! If you want to help save dogs or rescue a dog or give a dog a home I suggest you reach out to them.
I adopted from MAMAS, because as a volunteer for them, I see how hard everyone works to get the dogs and puppies out of the shelter and on to a better life. My role as a volunteer is to read the applications and decide if the applicant would be a good fit for the dog they have chosen. If it's a good fit, I call them, leave a message, and send the first set of emails. I am told many times that we are the only ones to reach out so quickly, as some rescues never even get back to them at all. From the people who work at the shelter, to the transport drives, to the fosters, I have never seen such dedication. I love MAMAS!! They are the best!
When my husband and i started searching for a dog we knew we always wanted to adopt/rescue a dog rather than buy from a breeder. What we didn't know was that our soon to be family member was all the way in South Carolina while we were sitting in Pennsylvania. We located our soon to be pup on petfinder, filled out an application, and were soon contacted by one of the angels at the Mary Ann Morris Animal Shelter and
Safe Haven Puppy Rescue. They took their time to ensure that not only the puppy was a right fit for our family and living environment, but that we were also what was right for the puppy. The organization and all of the wonderful people who keep it running were excellent people to work with through each step of the application. They work tirelessly to find homes for all of the animals from intake, fostering, and driving them up the east coast to anxiously awaiting forever families. Even after the adoption was completed the Mary Ann Morris Animal Shelter and
Safe Haven Puppy Rescue stays in touch through an online Facebook group where we share puppy updates, milestones, and questions we have about our furry buddie. It's a joy to see how many peoples and animals lives they have touched, as well as how much passion, care, and pride they put in their charitable work. We are forever thankful for the work they have done and continue to do so that we could find the dog that fills our home with so much joy.
All of the dogs in my life have been rescues. When I was a kid, we would go to the local shelter and pick out the dog that seemed the best for us. When I got my first house,I did the same thing.
Newton is my 5th rescue, and I couldn't have asked for a better experience than adopting from M.A.M.A.S.! The group of volunteers who worked to get Newton to me was fantastic. They truly care about the welfare of the animals and do their best to match up the right dog with the right person or family.
It has been two years since Newton came into my life as a very tiny guy, and while growing pains were challenging, I don't regret any moment of the adventure. Due to his friendly dog personality, I have been able to foster 14 other dogs and puppies for M.A.M.A.S., getting them find their new home!
I have always loved and cared for other people's dogs, but something about a little face posted for adoption made me fill out an application. I was contacted by the adoption coordinator and found out there was a lot of interest in that little girl! Thankfully, there were actually 3 little girls in the litter looking for homes. After talking at length about adopting a puppy/dog and what it meant to be a dog owner, on top of having cats, I was rewarded with the opportunity to adopt Honey. Honey (not the one I applied for) and her sisters came up from rural SC to 2 places in VA and 1 in VT.
I was scared, I was worried about ruining a sweet innocent puppy, but even a year later, I still had the support of the adoption coordinator when I was having some behavior issues. (which I caused with my anxiety)
Honey is now Topaz, my first dog ever and I waited almost 50 years to have this gem. Topaz is my heart. I can't imagine not having her. She has changed my life in so many ways and a large part of it is because of the care and dedication of the Mary Ann Morris Animal Society (aka M.A.M.A.S.) The shelter staff, the adoption coordinators, the fosters, the transport coordinators, drivers & overnighters, the adopters, and all the other volunteers & supporters are what makes the Mary Ann Morris Animal Society a family or M.A.M.A.S.
My M.A.M.A.S. family has grown with the addition of Tourmaline, but also with several of my friends joining the M.A.M.A.S. adoption family. Not to mention, all my new friends I have gained from the M.A.M.A.S. family. Nothing/no one is 100% perfect, but M.A.M.A.S. is a caring group of people that go above and beyond to make sure that the animals end up in the best possible scenario for their new chapter in life. I am pretty bias as I do think that M.A.M.A.S.'s pups are the best in the world. I have 2 gems that I was fortunate to find through M.A.M.A.S. I know that the M.A.M.A.S. network/family will be there for me or them, should I need them.
I adopted my puppy, Rio, from the Mary Ann Morris Animal Society, or M.A.M.A.S., and I cannot say enough good things about this shelter. Rio was transported by an army of volunteers from Bamberg, South Carolina, all the way up to Baltimore, Maryland. He was in excellent health, vaccinated, and happy! The transport team took great care in making sure Rio was in good hands for his trip up North. Everyone at the shelter and on the transport were extraordinary. They were kind and friendly to my puppy and me. I was excited to become a volunteer of M.A.M.A.S. because I wanted to give back, and it is satisfying to work with animal lovers such as these.
The dog I got from the Mary Ann Morris Animal Society (MAMAS), Inc. is a wonderful animal. However, MAMAS' veterinary services were a serious problem. She was badly infested with parasites and worms, missing some of the required shots and unspayed. (There was a scar but the ovaries and uterus were intact. She went into heat two weeks after I got her and had to be spayed). When informed of the problems, MAMAS took no responsibility. I spent more than $1000 to put the dog on a solid footing medically--in addition to the adoption fee that I paid MAMAS.
Beware!
Review from Guidestar