NorCal Bully Breed Rescue

What a an absolute seamless experience. From applying, during home inspection and adoption day. NorCal Bully breed was and remains still part of our pack. They’ve referred us to services for our special needs frenchie who is the apple our eye. Look no further. From the internet to in person and follow up NorCal Bully Breed Rescue has been by far superior.

Wonderful, thoughtful, and compassionate rescue. They have been tremendously helpful with advice and answering questions after we adopted the most wonderful pup from them.

Their dedication to the wellbeing of the animals in their care is evident in everything they do. Highly recommend this wonderful rescue.

I work as a rescue coordinator at a municipal shelter in California. Having trustworthy partners is truly priceless, and NCBBR is top-tier; I've had the great privilege to count NCBBR amongst our shelter's rescue partner for several years and know that when they take one of our shelter dogs into their program, that dog is going to be set for life.

NCBBR goes above and beyond to provide quality and meaningful care to every dog under their wing and they'll do it for the duration of the dogs' life, in whatever capacity is needed. These days, many rescues are quick to try and pull the dogs that will garnish the most donations, the most social media attention, the most internet clout and NCBBR truly operates with an emphasis and focus on doing right by the individual animal. Anna and Leslie are the real deal and I don't know what I would do without them.

This is an amazing group of people who go above and beyond to help the animals who need them the most.
I fostered a dog that needed immediate medical attention thru their organization and they were so easy to work with!

NorCal Bully Breed rescue is run by some of most selfless people I know. They truly put the dogs care and wellbeing above of everything. I have fostered for them for over 7 years as well as adopting 2 dogs of my dogs from them and I can’t put into words what a great nonprofit this rescue truly is.

I have adopted a couple dogs from them and they have been great to work with.

Please read all one star reviews about the leaders of this rescue. I have been fostering for over 10 years and saw a plea for fosters tonight. I filled out the application. They insist on every dog be crated for 2 weeks when they first come into the foster home regardless of the dogs needs. I asked why? Anna the owner stated in email it is for the dogs to decompress.
I find this interesting because I also foster for the shelter and they are trying to get dogs out of kennels due to kennel stress. Here’s NCBB stating to do it around the clock for decompressing and when I let them out for potty I have to crate my dogs.
So I declined. I told them I have never had that mandate by rescue or shelter in 10 years and 100s of fosters. I said I was not a good fit for them. I do crate train I do crate, but you aren’t coming into my home and placing 24/7 mandates on me.
She sent me an email basically calling me a dog killer and they did not want me anyways.
I was shocked. I’ve donated money throughout the years to them and I was genuinely hurt by the comment. We are humans. We are adults. We both have experience in dog rescue. I have never been insulted like this.
So if you are trying to find a good supportive group to foster for, I’d say pass this rescue up. There are many good rescues who value experienced fosters and don’t mind questions.
These ladies are free range rude. They don’t want volunteers they want robots. No thanks. I’ve had over 100 adoptions of my fosters with only 1 return and 1 fighting incident, which was horrible but I learned from it and that happened years ago. They need to learn how to talk to people if they want decent volunteers.

Our family enjoyed working with Leslie and Anna when we decided to welcome a new pup into our home. We have a soft spot for bullies, so we sought out a rescue that also loved our favorite dogs. We are so glad we did! Even though we technically live outside of NorCal's adoption zone, they graciously allowed us to apply to adopt one of their dogs. Newt (Meadow) has been with us about a month and is doing great. She very healthy and well adjusted and the new best friend for our other dog. We now have 2 young dogs and won't adopt again anytime soon but we highly recommend NorCal.
Sacramento is so blessed to have a group like NorCal advocating for bully breeds and we will continue to support their important mission.

I cannot say good enough things about NorCal Bully Breed Rescue. I've lurked their Instagram for quite some time, but was not ready to adopt until recently. From start to finish, the process was truly the best. I had the pleasure of communicating with Leslie, their co-founder and director, as well as Heather, a foster "mom" (hehe). They both answered all 500 questions I had in a timely manner, as well as ensured that our home was a safe space for our new loved-one.

We have an existing dog in our home, and NorCal Bully Breed Rescue made the effort to ensure both dogs would be comfortable co-existing. (Spoiler Alert: they're total buddies now). It feels amazing to not only rescue an animal, but to work with an amazing rescue that truly goes above and beyond to care for these pups. Highly, highly recommend.

We can't thank Leslie and Anna enough for their kindness during a tough situation with our beautiful and gentle dog. I won't mention specifics but he was in the care of a boarding facility while we were on vacation and there was a dog fight. The NorCal Bully team responded to our email request immediately and provided the guidance and reassurance we needed. As owners and advocates of the Bully breed we take many precautions to protect our dog from those who buy into the negative stereotypes but that isn't always enough. The NorCal Bully team was exactly what we needed during this difficult time and they continue to reach out and check-in on our family. Who does that??? They reminded us that there are still good kind people in the world who truly care about others and show it in their actions everyday! We just need to seek them out and make sure we surround ourselves with people like them. To anyone considering supporting a dog rescue, please reach out to this team. You will be amazed at the work they do and the level of support they provide to the Bully breed community. Wishing everyone peace and kindness in the New Year.

We contacted this rescue a few years ago in hopes of adopting a dog. The dog we had hoped to adopt, was already in the process of getting his family. The rescue talked to me about fostering a senior dog whose dad was being deployed. Worst case scenario we would adopt her if it all worked out. Well, we have had her for three years now and gone on to foster almost a dozen dogs. And we have foster failed 2 more of them. The rescue has supplied everything to foster each dog and made sure to vet the owners. I had been one of those people that never considered fostering, and never knew it was something we were capable of doing. These ladies are passionate about saving the lives of every dog they can. Grateful to have been a small part over the years.

I’ve been volunteering for NorCal for 3 1/2 years. They go above and beyond for all the dogs in their rescue. They make sure they are all very well taken care of, and that they are going to the best homes possible!

I don’t know where to start to even begin to explain how wonderful this rescue is. I have been a volunteer with them for the last 5 years, I have fostered, I have adopted from them. The founders of this organization are the most dedicated and hardworking individuals in this field. The lives saved because of their dedication are countless. The founders and fellow volunteers for NBBR have quite literally given their blood, sweat, tears, and more to save just one more life. You will not find a group that fights for lives like this one. And beyond that, they have generously and graciously donated time, funds, food, items, knowledge, and experience to our community members in need. I will be forever grateful that I just happened upon them and got involved.

I have been a foster home for this rescue for five years. They are a wonderful rescue to volunteer for and go above and beyond for the dogs in their care. They are very thorough in their adoption process and really go the distance to make sure their dogs go to appropriate homes. I for one am grateful for that. I would hate to see my foster dog go to a home that wasn’t carefully screened!

I have been a foster for NBBR for almost 7 years. I have fostered 76 (yep 76) and counting puppies! I had nothing but positive support for not only the puppies/dog but also for the adopting families. It is rare you find people so committed to the happy-ending for each and every one of the dogs they rescue. I’m proud to be apart of such important work!

I have had the privilige of knowing this rescue for a decade now. They are the most ethical rescue I have ever seen. The dogs always come first. This results in childish reviews mad they were not approved to adopt for valid reasons like falling down fencing.
NBBR always ensures the safety of their dogs, even if returned years later, they will be safe.
If you are looking for an organization to support you could not find a better rescue.

Thank you so much Leslie and the NorCal Bully Breed Rescue team for an amazing adoption experience! We were really set on adopting a bully through a rescue and are so happy we found them. The entire adoption process was great and Leslie was very helpful with any questions we had. You can tell they truly put their dogs 100% first and make sure they are in their forever safe homes. We really appreciate all the work your team does for these amazing animals! We would highly suggest if you're looking for a bully in the immediate Sacramento area to reach out to them. Thank you again for our amazing baby, we love her so much and she's a perfect fit to our family!!

I had a horrendous experience with this" rescue".

I have never been treated so badly in my entire life. I came to this rescue looking for help for my dog. I ended up being totally attacked, name called, and threatened.

I still am totally unclear on what her issue with me was. Whatever it was it is totally heart sickening that I was treated how I was. It was completely uncalled for especially considering I had never even met anybody in this rescue.

I pray for whoever I dealt with you obviously have a lot of turmoil in your life and I pray that you find peace treating people how you do will not get you there.

Norcal Bully Rescue helped me rehome my pup after my son was born. No matter how much training we provided, the environment just wasn’t right for him. Anna was so wonderful in helping me create a post to highlight all of my dog’s wonderful qualities. It was a long process but 6 months later he found the perfect home. This rescue saved him from having to go to a shelter and being overlooked due to his issues. Now he is thriving in a great environment. The rescue does their due diligence and I am so glad they helped me.

NorCal Bully Breed Rescue found us the perfect dog and could not have been better to work with. They are responsive and completely understand how to pair families with the perfect dog! Our bulldog, June, is the perfect addition to our family and we are forever grateful!

My son had found a lost dog while out on a walk one afternoon. Poor lil guy was covered in fleas, had a metal prong collar on, and was super thirsty and hungry. We bathed and fed him, took ton of pics, posted them everywhere, on my FB, put up flyers, posted him on all the local "lost dog" sites and even NextDoor. I contacted the local shelter to let them know we had this doggo, and also canvassed the neighborhood. Weeks past. Then months. No owner to be found. So we started looking for a new home for him. We called him "Buckwheat" because he has the most beautiful color coat, the color of Buckwheat flour (I'm an avid baker).
Buckwheat was SO amazingly sweet, and we were absolutely in love with him buuuuut we already have 3 dogs (including a 155 lb Saint Bernard) and 3 cats, so keeping him was just not an option. But we knew we would only allow him to go to THE most amazing home.
I came across NorCal Bully Breed Rescue and began messaging back and forth. Buckwheat wasn't neutered so I had to get that done prior to him being featured. That alone took a long time...I had no idea what an ordeal the county and every single place made it to get this done. It was as if they'd rather have us surrender him and he be euthanized, it was an awful mess. Anyway, we finally found BadRap, who helped us get this guy all fixed up and ready to shine!
Once he was neutered, NorCal featured him on their FB site. Within a day I had over a dozen inquiries about adopting Buckwheat. Then more after that. There were for sure several people that seemed really amazing, but I only ended up meeting with one, who is now his forever Mama. We met at a dog park midway between where we live. Buckwheat was actually super sassy and acted up during our meeting but his new mama took it all in stride and was like, you know what, he's nervous...the way she was watching him and had such confidence in him was what really told me he was meant to be her new baby. She had another little dog and a cat, so Buckwheat would have an instant family. She came out that week to take him home, and he has been absolutely thriving. She has been kind enough to keep sending us pictures and videos, which is SO great to see!
NorCal featuring him is why he found his forever home...his new Mama was scrolling the site and happened to see Buckwheat on there. I'm forever grateful for their assistance and I'm sure his Mama and FANG (his new name 'cause his Mama loves Harry Potter!) are too!
Attached are a few pics of him...his Mama recently took him to the beach!! You can't say doggos can't smile! LOOK at his face on that beach!!! This is one happy, lucky boy!

We just recently found our XL Bully pup a new home! He came into our lives unexpectedly and we knew that he deserved more than what we could give him. I contacted NorCal Bully Breed Rescue and within less than a day they helped us find our dog an amazing family! Thank you so much ❤️ We are so happy and relieved that our pup Chop has found a loving home and A LOT more space for him to roam around and play with his 2 new brothers!

I adopted my beautiful dog from this rescue last year and had a really great experience. They came to my home to make sure my yard would be safe, and they had a trainer help with introducing my dog I already had to my new pup. Leslie was super nice and even the person who came to inspect my yard was great! It was a really good experience all around and I would definitely recommend adopting from them!

I have been involved with the women from this rescue for approximately 5 years. I first saw them on Facebook with a dog needing assistance. They were so gracious about my donation. They contacted me to thank me and gave me information about the dog. I have followed the amazing work they've done to save many, many dogs that would have been euthanized for multiple reasons from cleft palates to lack of space in shelters. They've been creative in how to save more dogs with the boarding they are currently doing. They run this rescue in addition to their day to day jobs and spend a lot of time with the dogs, the fosters and potential adopters. I can't say enough good things about them

I have had only positive experiences with the rescue. they work very hard to pull dogs from bad places and it isnt easy being advocates for a breed of dog that is often poorly talked about by the public. Good for them to give pitbulls a second chance.!

Review

Before I begin my scathing review, I would like to first apologize to the individual I was emailing with for my use of the C word. I have used that word maybe five times in my life and I’m not proud of it, but it was deserved.

Now onto my review: I inquired about a specific dog, noting that it would become an ESA service dog. With ESA the word ‘service’ is loosely applied. An ESA dog is an emotional support animal, and they are the very epitome of a companion animal! In the email response I received from someone with the rescue stated they don’t adopt out their dogs for service, only companion. The ignorance of that statement is egregious.

I also had pointed out I’m a retired law enforcement officer and I was accused of being entitled. With the law enforcement vile hatred going on with my sisters and brothers in blue was extremely rude. They are being ambushed, shot and killed, and I have close friends out there risking their lives every day, and to have that awful attitude towards me was unforgivable. Clearly, that person hates the very people who will give up their life in the line of duty to protect him/her.

My new puppy dog will be an ESA “service” dog so he can go where I go, always by my side. Uh oh, here I go with my “entitlement!” As an ESA pet I’ll be able to rent without having to put up an animal deposit, reduces costs at a vet and reduced pet insurance. Those “entitlements” are for every ESA pet! It has nothing to do with me being a retired Leo.

Lastly, my POINT in stating the ESA aspect was to ASSURE them the dog will rarely if ever be alone! Every application I’ve filled out all ask how often the dog will be alone. So excuse me for trying to let them know the dog will always be with me. Shame shame on this rescue. I am disgusted and extremely disappointed for a rescue to behave in such a way. The fact that they are a 501(3)(c) makes their attitude even worse. Hmm...I wonder how their books look. I’ve a friend who is a special agent with the IRS. Maybe I should...nah, I’ll let it go because I don’t want to be at their low level.

I have found some awesome dogs that would be a wonderful addition to our family, but by the time I find them they’re adopted and that’s phenomenal. The dog that I was interested in with this rescue group have many wanting him, so clearly this group is successful with adoptions. It’s sad they failed so horribly with me.

Do NOT foster for this rescue. I have fostered 3 dogs for NorCal Bully Breed Rescue (owned and operated by Leslie and Anna). Fosters are told to pick up supplies such as food and medicine from a bin in front of their house. Their house is surrounded by a tall fence and gate and the bin is located in front of their gate. Great set up for Leslie and Anna. They have no fosters coming onto their property to pick up supplies. Instead, their neighbors are the ones that have to put up with the constant stream of fosters picking up supplies. This has created frustration with their neighbors so Leslie put up strict guidelines on where fosters are supposed to park when picking up supplies. Don’t park to the left of the bin, don’t park off the pavement, etc. To the left of the bin is a neighbor’s driveway, and clearly to the right of the bin is another neighbor’s driveway, and the entire road appears to be gravel so where does the pavement end? My daughter (17 years old) and my husband went to pick up heartworm prevention (this was their first time picking up supplies). My daughter was driving and my husband was in the passenger seat, and after determining there was no where to park without avoiding a neighbor’s driveway they quickly parked right next to the bin, grabbed the heartworm prevention and left. This all took less than 1 minute. What followed was unbelievable. Pictures of my daughter’s car immediately appeared on their foster Facebook page, along with angry posts from Leslie and Anna. I was “shamed” on their Facebook page, was told my husband was “stupid” and a “dumb____”, and immediately told I need to call Leslie, where I then received even more name calling and rude comments. I often witnessed Leslie’s rude response to innocent and well meaning questions posed by fosters on their foster Facebook page. At times Leslie appears to get so angry over seemingly insignificant requests and/or comments, to the point where it seems like she’s going to have a mental breakdown at any moment. Both Leslie and Anna could definitely benefit from some anger management classes. From the other reviews on here it sounds like they treat potential adopters in the same manner. Very sad! If you really want to foster a dog go elsewhere. There are plenty of dog rescues looking for fosters.

They go above and beyond to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all dogs in their care. They have a trainer working with them to ensure that all foster homes are suitable and will meet the needs of the dogs who are waiting for their forever homes. They have strict adoption policies which is absolutely a good thing. I've seen too many animals being placed into homes where the animals have then been abused or neglected. NBBR makes sure to do everything they can to avoid such nasty situations. Sometimes that means turning down applications from people who feel that they would make a good match for the dog but if even one thing is not right, NBBR will always put the dog's needs first. Above all else.

This is a very unprofessional organization. I have raised pit bulls my whole life and never had any issues. I have one at the moment and was looking for a friend for her to play with. This organization treated me very poorly and said they would never give me a dog beucase I shouldn't put two dogs in a pen together or I would come home to a dead dog.. they also told me I couldn't take a dog if I didn't crate it, which I don't understand why you'd rather have a dog in a crate then a huge fenced in yard.. I will definitely be taking my business else where and I advise others to also!

To make a very long story short, I volunteered to foster a medically needy dog. I was told by Leslie that I was a great fit! What ensued after was nothing but strange and unprofessional. I wanted more info and expressed concern over the dog they wanted to give me and I was chastised for not reading the website, told I couldn't foster unless I was willing to crate my own dog (which is fine, but lets talk on how to properly do that when my dog has never been crated), treated rudely when I asked questions ("I'm sorry you didn't understand my email, seemed pretty clear to me"), and was just treated plain rude. Seems they want you to take ANY dog without meeting you or seeing your home, expect that you don't ask questions or ask for support! VERY unprofessional and rude.
I contacted another rescue and they were happy to answer all my questions, offer to meet me at an adoption event, offer to put me in contact with another foster to ask questions, etc.....
Leslie needs to have a Volunteer Coordinator that interacts with potential volunteers so that she can concentrate on the dogs and not turn people off!

Well I saw coco on Facebook saying she was ready for her forever home, so I posted a comment , I want her but can't afford the adoption fee, got a response asking me what the fee was and I stated $200-$300, I go Lt a response we will waive the fee to the right home (smiley face heart eyes), I responded ah nice, then I receive a response go fill out a app, I stated will do, A day gos by waiting on a response from my land lord(my neighbor, I know him personally), and my room mate a family friend and a friend or the land lords family. Then I receive a comment on the page asking if I have filled out the app yet, and I reply waiting on response from landlord, receive another comment "ooooohhh....ahh. Sorry we don't adopt to renters Next time find this information out before waisting time, I reply ?why don't you adopt to renters? Your page says you assess renters and possible candidates, and the application doesn't say anything about not allowing renters it says do you rent a how or apartment and does the landlord allow you to have a bully breed, then I get the response, we said no and by the way you don't even have the adoption fee, if you want a dog so bad go to the shelter and get on I am not going to argue with you and plus we only adopt to renters that are family's of the landlord or know them personally, (landlord is my neighbor and friends, and friends of my roommate) they start assuming stuff, I respond sorry I have to wait for a response from my landlord aka neighbor and you just lost a future support or and adopter cause of that attitude, then I receive a response " don't be sorry we said No....

And I left it at that, I went back to screen shot it, but right after she said no she went back and deleted everything, sad to say I lost my hope on getting one of my favorite breed of dog, thru a rescue i actually liked all because of this conversation

Very unprofessional, unethical rescue. They saved a puppy that will very obviously have a poor quality of life and I commented that maybe he should be humanely let go and they threw a tantrum fit for a 2 year old. A group in the publics eye should maintain some professionalism. I've worked with several rescues and it was disappointing to come across one that gives us a bad name.

This Rescue goes above and beyond for dogs! They have saved so many dogs that didn’t have a chance. I can’t say enough good things about them.