We requested to adopt one of their dogs. They got great references of us. Even from our current vet. We have had 3 dogs that we have cared for dearly until the end and died of cancer. We adopted our current dog, who lives like a king in our home. Polka Dogz sent two women to check out our home and they approved of our home and our pet. We got emails stating we were approved to adopt the dog we were wanting. Another email said we could have her after the 21st because she was being spayed. We just had to take her to get the final vaccines two weeks after the spay. We were fine with that. They sent the foster of our dog who's name is Rosalie. She came to our home with the dog we wanted so that she could meet our dog. When I saw the puppy I fell immediately in love with her. My dog is such a push over and he did great with her. She even would say to us :"when you get her...this and that". It was weird to me that she kept showing us videos and pictures of the dog we wanted to adopt at her house...with her pets... continuously. She kept mentioning she could not take her to the park because of the vaccines. It gave me the vibe she did not want to let her go. When I complimented the sweater the dog was wearing, she said she had bought it at Ross. Before she left we told her we were so exited and she hinted all was good, but asked my husband for directions of a place in Apopka so that she could buy the dog we were going to adopt more clothes. Who does this for a dog she is going to give for adoption in a week??? The whole situation was fishy and a waste of our time. Today we were told we were not getting the dog. To say the least we feel extremely heartbroken, insulted and disrespected. If Rosalie wanted to keep the dog she should have requested the pet before it was posted. Her excuse was the size of our dog. Our dog never once showed agression. He is a medium size dog and funny she has about 4 dogs and they are medium sized as well. Shame on you Polka Dogz Pet Rescue. I will never consider or recomend you. Terrible experience.
I've been working as a volunteer at Polka Dogz for a few months. The property is beautiful, with lots of space for the dogs to play outside. Inside, each one has its own kennel, spacious and clean. We rescue mostly small dogs, but sometimes bigger dogs too. They come to us for different reasons, older dogs in need of medical treatment, rescues from hoarding situations and even owner surrenders. We make the dogs ready for adoption and if they don't get adopted, they stay with us forever. Please donate to us, so that we can continue our mission.
We adopted a Chug named Snowy, now Zoey a few years back. Polkadogz were helpful in every way, matching us up with just the right pup. Letting us take our time,with several visits. Thank you. Zoey is happily hiking in Maine now and I cant imagine life without her.
We had a great experience with Polka Dogz. We were chosen to adopt Pudge the Pug about 6 months ago and he's been an absolute dream in our family. He was 3.5 years old when we brought him home, but he feels like he's been with us for a lifetime. Polka Dogz really loves all the dogs in their care. All the volunteers we interacted with were wonderful people. They really care about the health and wellbeing of their animals.
Having been involved in animal rescue for many years, I searched for over a year after moving to Florida for a group to volunteer with. "Once a rescuer, always a rescuer" had left me so lonely when we moved here and I found my family when I met several of the volunteers at Polka Dogz.
I started volunteering immediately and also began fostering dogs in my home. It is one of the most rewarding events of my life to see a dog blossom and find his/her forever family.
One of the many things that I love about this rescue is that they don't say no. They take in the abused, injured, sick, old and "left to die" dogs and give them the medical care and love that they need no matter the cost. If there is even a minimal possibility that a dog can survive, they are given the chance.
I personally have two of those that were deemed unadoptable, both were headed for euthanasia.
WInk was 13 months old when she came to Polka Dogz from Texas after losing an eye when her owners left her outside during Hurricane Irma. On her way to us she contracted DIstemper. High fevers and seizuring followed and one vet said there was no hope for her to survive. Short version....WInk was driven to Alabama for treatment, then went for follow up treatments at UF Small Animal Hospital. Due to complications from the Distemper she eventually lost all of her teeth and her lower jaw deteriorated. Miracles do happen and she is now almost 7 years old and is very active and happy. I am Wink's "permanent foster" mom and Polka Dogz continues to supply her needed medications and pay her vet bills. This little dog has cost over $10,000 but there has never been a moment's hesitation when she needed anything.
I also am the proud dog parent to Milo. He was brought from another shelter in Florida after being put on the euthanasia list as his quality of life was questionable. He wouldn't eat, wouldn't look at anyone, basically he was in "shutdown" mode. His posture looked as though he had been kept in a small crate for most of his life and he had difficulty walking. Polka Dogz took him immediately to the vet for a thorough examination and blood work and he came home with me. He has been with my family for 3 years and we adopted him 2 years ago. He chose my laundry room as his safe spot but has in the past three months finally decided to join the rest of the family. He is thriving and happy and his tail constantly wags.
Watching this sweet boy come out of his shell and live a happy life has been such a joy for my family. He has finally learned that human touch is a good thing.
It is hard to put into words how very special this rescue is to me. We are a family and every dog that is taken is is given unconditional love.
I have to say this rescue is the very best! I adopted Max from here July 5, 2020 and he was a real blessing for me. He was about ten years old & I just fell in love with him. He had a rough start in life since he had been neglected & abused by a breeder. He gave me so much love , I have had dogs my entire life & I do have to say he gave me the most love.
We adopted Penny (English Bulldog) 4 months ago! She is the most adorable curmudgeony bulldog that anyone could ever want! We are so happy that she is part of our family!
Thank you so much Polka Dogz for everything you do to save dogs lives and find them the RIGHT forever home!!! ♥️
Pic below is of Penny and her new favorite hobby … RVING!
They made the process to adopt my Stark straight forward and thorough! It made me feel like they really care about the animals with every step they take. I’m so happy with my pup!
Best rescue around. They care about dog welfare above all else. I got my sweet Libby from a foster fail and she has been such a blessing. One day I hope to adopt again from Polka Dogz.
After our first rescue dog crossed the rainbow bridge and we decided we were ready to give a home to another rescue pup we found Polka Dogz. We saw our Zeus on their website and applied to adopt him. Polka Dogz was thorough - called our vet and did a home study - and the next week we went and got Zeus. Everyone at the rescue was friendly and helpful and the rescue was clean and had great space for the dogs to play. We will definitely adopt through them in the future!
Awesome experience with people that truly care about the welfare of the dog and making the best fit with your family. Moki was a surrender and we applied. Got a phone call within 30 min. Home visit and adoption within the week. He’s the perfect fit for his older brother sparky. A great blessing to us as well. Happy puppy ;))
I transport for this group. I’m so grateful that they take the hard cases, ones where they know the vet bill is going to be scary high but they do it anyway.
After our Mitzie left us 2017, we went on the look for somepup to keep our trio being a trio, and to fill the void left by her loss. We contacted Polka Dogz and Aaron was the first who responded to our inquires. While we did not adopt from Polka Dogz, because our mischievous Chester landed in our lap from another rescue, we still have contact with the organization. We foster occasionally, usually around the holiday season when everyone is home and off from work so that we can afford the attention that comes with having a full house.
Polka Dogs goes out of their way to take the hard cases, the pups no one wants. They get their vetting, revitalized, and fitted into the right homes. So many pups would meet fate in a kill shelter if it weren't for PD and organizations of this sort.
Attached are photos of our previous fosters: Pax, Wylie, Paloma, Mateo
I have adopted several dogs from Polka Dogz and I have always found the organization and the volunteers to the best to work with. They take the time to make sure that the adopter is the right person for the dog and that the dog is the right pet for the adopter. Their primary goal is always to think about what is best for each dog. And their focus on special-needs dogs and other dogs that other rescues may not be able to help just adds to their top-notch reputation. They are the best pet rescue I have ever encountered.
I, too, am in rescue and have worked with Polka Dogz for several years in assisting them in getting their adopted pets to their owners or in sending them to another one of their facilities or foster homes which might possibly increase their chances of being adopted. They are quite knowledgeable in addressing medical issues that their rescued pets need and ensure their well being before being allowed to be adopted. They are willing to go the extra mile in helping needy pets finding forever, loving families. They do background checks on potential adopters and try to match pets with the best possible home by taking into consideration the pet & adopter needs and matching them accordingly. It is a pleasure to work with their organization whenever needed.
The best people I know. They rescue the worst, complete with paralyzed dogs, and transform into healthy active pets to find the best new homes.
Polka Dogz provided us with an incredible adoption experience for our dog Cowboy (adopted in April 2021). While other shelters and rescues ignored our calls or answered emails vaguely and gave us very little information about the animals in their care, Polka Dogz was super communicative and understanding of all of our questions. They gave us as much information as they could about our new dog and provided us with an amazing support system of volunteers to answer questions and follow-up on Cowboy's adjustment to our home. They were willing to communicate with our rental company and our veterinarian to provide the best care, shelter, and safety for Cowboy. We're especially happy to see them take care of and provide homes for so many of the older and/or special needs dogs in our community!
Polka Dogz Pet Rescue is a wonderful organization helping to find furever homes for hundreds of unwanted pets. Many of the dogs surrendered are senior dogs which usually have numerous health issues from years of neglect which makes them some of the most difficult to rehome but this group works tirelessly to take care of all the medical issues needed for restoring their health and making them ready for adoption.
I recently started working at Polka Dogz Pet Rescue and it has been an absolutely amazing experience. Never before have I seen such amazing care for the pups that come through this place. I've volunteered with other rescue organizations, worked at a dog daycare and they by far have the best set up to take care of these dogs. Of course we always could use more volunteers to help out though. We are always looking to grow the Polka Dogz family and meet new animal loving people who want to make a difference in the world!
We have adopted three beautiful dogs from Polka Dogz, Baby Blue, Samuel aka Little Man and Skittles. They are absolutely fantastic! They genuinely love each dog that joins the PD family, but it doesn’t stop there. Our newest fur baby, Skittles has been diagnosed with liver disease. After realizing something was wrong I called Polka Dogz and they set up appts to get to the bottom of the problem. They didn’t stop ( $6,000.) later. The love they have for dogs is simply phenomenal. Please help them continue to love and save as many dogs as possible!
Bonnie Faucher
After losing my heart dog on Valentine's day, I just didn't forsee another dog soon. But I opened the page and saw my new little best feiend's eyes. The rest, thanks to Polka Dogz, is "herstory." My heart now belongs to a little love named, "Martini." So I always have one perfect Martini at my side.
I volunteer with this wonderful organization - the love and care that the dogs receive are amazing. Many of them had broken hearts when they arrive and seeing them come out of their shells and showing how much love they have for life despite difficult times warms my heart. They get the best care, medical attention as needed, the best food - and lots of care and love from the volunteers. All the happy tails of their adoptions make me so happy. I love volunteering with Polka Dogz.
Polka Dogz is an amazing pet rescue. They take in dogs with or without special needs. I am both a volunteer and a rescue mom and every step of the process for both volunteering and adopting was very structured and easy. They do however have strict standards on who they allow to adopt as they want to make sure that the dogs are cared for. They do this by following up with each adopted parent and they encourage photos to be sent in. They also require proof of heartworm protection. Polka Dogz takes care of all the vetting prior to adoption. I would absolutely recommend them if you are looking to add a new furry member to your family.
I already had my little fur child when i came across Polka Dogz. Through comparing stories of my cat rescue escapades with my manager who volunteered with PDPR, i learned alot about the rescue. When my senior neighbor needed immediate help with rehoming two pekinese that her son abandoned at her house, PDPR was on the spot in a couple days. The youngest dog had a great home in less than a week. The older dog needed to get cleared of some health issues, but he was in a great home in a few weeks. I had found my future volunteer spot. The lifelong commitment to these dogs is amazing. they truly believe Once a Polka Dogz, , , Always a Polka Dogz.
Great rescue! Found our love at Polka Dogz, a sweet little paralyzed Rat Terrier named Goose, and we wanted to give back. This rescue does a lot for special needs dogs. Great people and wonderful place for the pups until they can find their forever homes.
After losing our Khloe in January 2020 we weren't sure if we wanted to get another dog. In December 2020 I started to see posts on FB of a dog named Wish who had the worst case of heartworms this rescue had ever seen. I liked their page and began to follow Wish's journey. I saw all the effort and money they put in to save just this one dog, who now I had grown to love. I kept donating money to help them, help him. Finally I took the leap and put in an application for him. I never expected for them to be so thorough in their research of me. Contacting my vet regarding care for Khloe and other dog, Kiko and also scheduling a home visit to make sure this dog was going to a safe home. We brought him home in February 2021. I continued to be so impressed with Polka Dogz that I began to volunteer. I have done a few home visits and have continued to donate money as well as recruit my friends to donate and share the dogs available for adoption. Their passion and love for saving dogs is top notch.
I am a private transport coordinator & have helped Polka Dogs get some of the dogs transported to their rescue. I have seen some of the conditions some of the dogs have been in and also the conditions after being with Polka Dogz. They are a rescue that truly cares about all the dogs.
Thank you so much for all you do to help the dogs of Central Florida live their best lives and find love in new homes.
We adopted a bonded pair of senior pups through Polka Dogz. With excellent communication from the Polka Dogz family of volunteers and their wonderful Foster mom adjustments for them to a new home was easy. They are the joy of our lives.
This is an absolutely amazing small dog rescue. The devotion and determination of the founders, staff, and volunteers to give the best life possible to those dogs that find themselves abandoned, dumped, surrendered, over-breed, or abused is inspiring. Especially seniors, those that are terrified of people because of what they have suffered, those with medical needs. I started volunteering for Polka Dogz about 4 years ago after following them on social media for a while. The way the organization is run, the vetting of volunteers/fosters/adopters, the record-keeping, the physical rescue environment, the community engagement, the messaging and storytelling to educate readers about what these animals go through...all of that and more drew me to the Rescue and keep me very involved. There are many wonderful rescues out there doing amazing work. Polka Dogz is one that sets the standard for others.
I have been a part of this rescue for many years volunteering, fostering, and adopting. Everyone within this rescue has a passion to rescue and save pups lives that, sometimes, wouldn’t be given a 2nd chance at life due to their age, medical conditions, personality, etc but PDPR takes them in with open arms and works to not just reduce them but to rehabilitate them. This place truly is life saving both for the pups we work with and for those who volunteer and get so much in return.
I originally learned about Polka Dogz because I would always see them at the dog park with the dogs. After we said goodbye to our senior dog I waited 6 months and then began watching the Polka Dogz website and Facebook page for a new fur baby. I filled out an application ahead of time and then all I had to do when I saw the dog I wanted was message them. They quickly arranged a home visit and then a meet and greet. We brought Arthur home 2 days later. I was so impressed with the entire process I eventually applied to become a volunteer. Everyone associated with Polka Dogz is so caring. All they want is to save the dogs and make sure they are healthy and have a good home.
We are so very grateful to Polkadoz Rescue for their hard work, dedication, affection and professionalism in helping us to find our Rescue, Morty. The entire process was wonderful and we were so impressed with the vetting prior to our acceptance in choosing us for Morty's forever home. We felt very welcome before and after he became a part of our family. All of our questions, concerns and happy moments were addressed during and far after the adoption was complete.
I am a volunteer with Polka Dogz pet rescue and I have nothing but wonderful things to say about the rescue and their entire team. They truly care for the animals here and will do whatever it takes to help them and get them the care they desperately need. This rescue takes the ones no one else wants…… And makes miracles happen. Wonderful organization! The very best people I’ve ever met,
Jen
Polka Dogz Pet Rescue puts the welfare and quality of life for every dog that walks through their doors as priority #1. I have transported new rescue dogs, helped care for dogs staying at their facility, preformed home visits and fostered for Polka Dogz. This rescue will help volunteers, adoptive & fostering families create an environment for each dog in the rescue to have a successful, healthy and loving life.
Before I became a volunteer at Polkadogz I adopted Maddy, a ten year old rescue, It broke my heart that a senior dog was living at a rescue. Maddy was delivered to by Heidi Hardman herself the president of Polkadogz. Heidi is one terrific, fabulous human being and I say this for many many reasons. A month into my adoption with Maddy I had to take her to a vet for a meet and greet and to continue her heartworm medicine. Polkadogz role doesn’t end once they hand over your new pet to you, polkdogz is very stringent about “vetting” your pet, they will call or email to remind you to vet your pet with several follow up afterwards to see how your new fur friend is doing including proof of “vetting.” I bought Maddy to her new veterinarian for a check up which she had a clean bill of health for her age and to get her her heartworm medicine. A few days after I gave Maddie her heartworm medicine she started acting differently she was less less energized not really eating and peeing on her self, I got really worried and after a few days of this I took her to the emergency vet panicked and worried that my new fur friend was sick. When Heidi Hardman heard that I was taking Maddie to an emergency veterinarian she offered to meet me there, Heidi sat with me for almost 6 hours with me, Maddy and my brother. Both Heidi and my brother both felt that Maddie was fine and that it was the heartworm medicine she was on it may have been too strong for her. Heidi research the side effects of the heartworm medicine Maddy was on, and all the side effects that Maddie had been displaying was the side effects of this medicine. Heidi offered to meet me at the emergency vet and she sat with me for six hours but not only sat with me she went to go get me food I was hungry I had come straight from work. But not only did she bring me food Heidi also offered to pay for the bill if something was wrong with Maddy, I thought that was awesome though I probably would not excepted her to give me money I thought it was great that she offered that you don’t get from a lot of people who own businesses but you got this from Heidi Hardman that’s how DEDICATED she is to her role! After siting for over six hours we kept getting kick and bumped up over more important emergencies. I put my faith into Heidi and took Maddie home without ever seeing the doctor after a few days Maddie started to recover and I started seeing the Maddie I had adopted she was fine Maddie was going to be OK I never put Maddie back on this particular heartworm medicine again I found a different medicine that works better with her with no side effects since then I’ve become a volunteer with Polkadogz and adopted two more dogs Margo and Olive I also volunteer at the rescue because all I wanna do my part when it came to saving dogs lives apparently I can’t adopt all of them but if I could I would. So if anyone that should be recognized it should be Heidi Hardman for her kindness willingness and her big heart, her big love for dogs and for people and for making a difference in this world a big difference, specially in a dogs life this is why I gave Polkadogz five stars For how Polkadogz goes above and beyond not only when you adopt but afterwards for all their fur animals and the humans who adopt them
I adopted my dog Bentley from Polka Dogz on April 6, 2019. I was impressed with the loving care he had received from the shelter and his foster home. I have continued to follow their dedicated work since then. I am amazed at the lengths they go to in order to help rescues. I support Polka Dogz with donations and tell others about them. This organization is top notch.
I have the pleasure of fostering for this organization. I was also a foster failure. Polka Dogz goes above and beyond in helping the neglected and unwanted animals throughout Central Florida and sometimes beyond. The volunteers worked tirelessly to make sure that all of the animals are taken care of and that they find amazing homes. They take in animals that most people would turn away. They take in many animals with special needs especially those that are paralyzed. Everyone with this organization has an amazing heart and tons of dedication!
We adopted our dog Teddy from Polka dogz. This rescue puts the dogs first and matches their forever homes perfectly. They are clean and responsible. Even after you adopt they are there for you for all the years to come with support if you need it. You become family and they care so much. High recommend this rescue.
They not only dictate how you're going to manage their animal, but how you are going to manage YOUR animals.
I have had 2 cats, for 10, and 12 years respectively. They NEVER go outside. Repeat, NEVER. I know one of them have not been spayed, (came from a litter from a friend's cats, remember how it USED to be?) the other, I'm not sure.
The one that I KNOW hasn't been spayed would have to be shot with a tranquilizer dart to get her in a car and to a vet, to GET spayed, which I'm NOT going to do. (Again, neither cat has EVER been outside of the house)
For this reason, Polka Dogz denies me an adoption.
For a place that's supposedly so concerned about pets finding homes, this one has to be responsible for more dead dogs than any other adoption shelter I know of.
My husband and I adopted 2 feral sister pups from Polka Dogz. I am so grateful for this organization! Polka Dogz has been there for us 100% for our girls! Not only did we get 2 really amazing dogs, but a friendship with Tai and Heidi (who made it all possible). They don’t just sign papers over to furever homes, they are there for constant advice and friendship. Beyond blessed to have met such wonderful people!!!!!!
This is Fennec. I got him from Polka Dogz in 2016. The last picture is what he looked like when I received him. The first picture is him today. He is the best little boy! Very sweet and everyone loves him. He was found as a stray and thanks to Polka Dogz has the best life!
Our 14 year old chihuahua passed away from cancer a few weeks ago. She had always brought such life to our home. We missed her sweet energy so much that we began looking for another dog that needed us as much as we needed her. We tried several rescues before we found Polka Dogz. We were so impressed by their professionalism, caring and concern for the dogs they were placing. They were more concerned about the dogs than anything else. We saw one we were interested in on the site. I called and talked to Aaron about her, and he gave me detailed info. To adopt her we had to apply first. Then we had a home study to be sure our home was safe for her. They also checked with our vet about our other dog and made sure we were caring for her well and giving Heartworm prevention. When we met our precious J-Lo the foster knew so much about her. J-Lo has been so well taken care of and has the sweetest personality. Because she was treated so well she has adapted beautifully to our home. She has brought us such joy. Thank you Polka Dogz for all you do to give these precious ones a new, safe and happy future.