This woman Renee Lancaster who runs Rotts of Friends likes to proclaim that she is a former peace officer to garner respect. The truth is that she was fired from being a peace officer for gross misbehavior. See court documents at
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-caed-2_03-cv-02342/pdf/USCOURTS-caed-2_03-cv-02342-10.pdf
Recently when her nose was out of joint with an adopter for not respecting her time, she completely overreacted about it and released every last bit of personal info that he had given her in the adoption process to the internet in direct and open violation of California law (which is how I have it). There are rumors that the disabling condition that is spoken of in the court documents is mental illness which is seeming to make sense considering recent behavior. Her behavior in this matter, in my opinion, is completely and utterly unstable and out of control and even dangerous.
Before adopting from them consider that if you do something to tick her off, or she even makes up in her head that you have or feels like blowing something small into some major crime.....do you really want her to have your personal information to release to the entire internet to call down the internet trolls like she just did to this guy? Yeah. People are getting threatening and talking about how he shouldn't have his other dogs. How long will it be before some nutcase shows up at his home trying to steal his dogs or take some sort of revenge. Do you want to risk that for you and yours? Is it worth it?
Other reviewers have detailed that she agreed to long term board their dogs and then made up reasons not to return their dogs. Also in the above court document it details that on March 26 2003, while she was an officer, a woman called to her workplace and complained that she stole a purebred german shepherd. So take that all for what you think it is worth. Some of these dogs could possibly actually be stolen and "adopted out" for a profit.
The picture document has had the information redacted for the adopters privacy. This is what was posted to the open internet.
Renee took time to interview our family in order to find a good match for us. We have had Rottweilers in the past and absolutely love the breed. She was able to match us with the sweetest young female, who is proving to be every bit as lovely as Rennee said. She has even been crate trained! We paid a small adoption fee ($350) which helps cover the costs of care for all the dogs at Rotts Of Friends. They do an amazing job taking excellent care of their dogs and also use the funds for emergency medical care for the animals. Renee is knowledgeable, professional, and to the point. We are so grateful that this rescue exists, and feel that both Rennee and her volunteers are wonderful!
The owner agreed to watch my dog for a few months. She felt he was declining so her and the vet decided my dog needed to be euthanized! Never notified or called me! She's an evil and manipulative! Now, I'm terribly missing my love of a dog from her decision!
On behalf of Oakdale Shelter Pet Alliance (OSPA) we want to say Thank You to Rotts of Friends Animal Rescue for giving Spike a chance at a new life! He was brought to Rotts after a long stay at the city shelter. Renee was welcoming, thorough and professional throughout the intake. Thank you for helping Spike find a happy home!
Firstly: Renee is not trustworthy. She will not give you the straight story on a dog. I know she has many good reviews here but our experience was horrible.
My wife and I responded to a post on Petfinder for what we thought would be a wonderful replacement for our recently departed dog of 15 years.
We drove 2 hours to see what was described as a Wheatland terrier mix named Wheatley.
Renee was hurried but said before we drove up that she would fit us in on a Tuesday which is not their usual adoption day.
When we drove up we saw Wheatley in a crate/kennel beside the parking area. He was excited. When she brought the dog out he was anxious and excited. We noticed that his fur was matted and badly knotted hanging in dreadlock all over his body and head. Obviously no-one had groomed him in a long time.
We were taken with him especially since we had been looking to the point of exhaustion over the past 2 weeks.
Renee would not share anything about his history saying it did not matter as any good trainer could deal with whatever behavior he had.
She states and I presume believes that she told us he had aggression issues. My wife remembers her saying he sometimes was aggressive.
I do not remember that statement.
In the end we rescued this dog from a rescue organization.
Much to our chagrin we discovered that Wheatley (who we named Willie) has major aggressive behavior primarily toward the main the house. He did not bite to draw blood but was fearsome and scary. This aggression was spontaneous and would be sparked by different things. We kept Willie for 4 weeks and never could understand what triggered his aggressive behavior other than his fears from previous experiences would take over his mind.
We came to believe that Willie was psychotic and needed more than we could offer him. This is not to deny that most of the time he was a sweet and loving dog who wanted affection and took pets and rubs happily.
We wanted to surrender him to our Humane Society because they offer training and a loving environment while they work to make the dog more social.
Rotts of Friends make you sign a contract requiring you to return the animal to them rather than giving him to someone else. Our Humane Society respects this agreement and could not take him. We were stuck with returning Willie to R of F or getting into a legal battle with them to break this contract.
This morning we met Renee 1/2 way and returned Willie to her care.
This was a heart wrenching experience. She claims to give the animal good care. Given his condition when we rescued Willie from her, this is not true. Willie was dirty, ungroomed and had fleas.
Renee told my wife that she had adopted him out 4-5 times and he had been returned because of his aggressive behavior. We can understand why he would be returned.
I cannot understand why Renee wanted him back except he is probably a cash cow for her getting $350 every time someone adopts him.
She is not taking responsibility for giving this dog what he needs to be a good pet.
Renee's response this morning was that the kind and gently course was not what he needed but someone needed to "whack his little behind".
Great Renee. Just what a psychotic little animal needs is more abuse.
I do not believe Renee is providing a good service.
Has anyone had any successful experience in managing to keep their dog once Renee is angry and threatening to take the dog? We've had her since she was 7 weeks old, she's almost 11 months old and Renee has accused my husband of abusing me and the dog, not true. The dog has been taken to our vet twice, once for rabies shots and once for complete physical and to be put on flea/heartworm treatment. I don't believe in punitive training which is what they provide, she's angry because I stated I would attend the free voluntary training and then cancelled a check she demanded I provide as a deposit that I would attend. The only way I could leave with my dog was to agree to do that. I am waiting for a call back to start positive re-enforcement training with another Rescue/shelter. I know the contract states if they feel the dog is a bad fit or mistreated they can be taken back, however, I have several professionals that can confirm she is being loved and well cared for. When I signed it I was naïve enough to think it would only be in an extreme case like the dog was being neglected or mistreated. Instead it appears that part of the contract is so Renee can also be vindictive if she chooses. I had initially given her a good review on FB which has a 4.5 star rating. But now that I've done some research the stories are coming out about her behavior.
A dear friend gave this Organization $1800 to find a home for a beloved shelter dog that was at risk of euthanasia. I worked with this dog several times and his well-being meant a lot to me and to many others that cared for him. We got no updates. We were rarely allowed to visit him . Renee would constantly have different stories for us. Not return our phone calls. Put us off, delay, and be evasive. She would not give us the courtesy of in-depth information on where he is or even a photo. We started to seriously doubt her story that he was adopted. I personally think he might be dead. This is a dangerous woman. She is a liar. . And she is aggressive. I don’t care how many dogs she has saved. We have no idea where Hot rod is, she says we have no right to know since we signed him over. We gave $1800 and simply asked for the kindness to know with proof that he was in a home. After reading all of the negative reviews about this organization and going through this turmoil not knowing where this dog – do not give your money to her!!
She has threatened to “ smear” The shelter where he came from. How dare her! Who acts like this?
This has been a very stressful situation for people that love this dog and only wanted to know for certain that he was in a loving home. We simply cannot believe her words because there are many things she has told us that are out right lies.
Do not support this woman. I’ve never written a review like this ever in my life. I love animal rescue. All of my dogs are rescued but this organization needs to be investigated
For many years, Renee has done a lot of good work for rescue dogs -- all breeds but mostly Rottweilers and GSDs. She has one of the best facilities available in a nice country setting in Woodland, CA. She's extremely dedicated to the welfare of the dogs...more so than to people. In fact, if you are seeking a gentle bedside matter, go elsewhere to get a dog. As a former police office and K9 officer, she doesn't suffer fools gladly. If, however, you are looking for a knowledgeable dog trainer and a person who is committed to finding dogs a permanent and committed home environment, look no further. I can tell you that Renee probably gets along better with animals than people, but that is why she spends long hours every single day taking care of dogs in need. Some people here have remarked that she also breeds dogs. Yes, she does. She has many years of experience breeding top Rottweilers. She is committed to preserving the true working Rottweiler that meets standards in the show and working rings. She also competes in world competitions and places highly with her dogs. That type of work also takes time and commitment. To those people remarking that she does not spay or neuter the dogs. No Rottweiler breeder is going to spay/neuter a dog if the buyer is paying for and getting a full registration on a purebred puppy. An altered dog cannot be shown in the AKC, etc., show rings; the dog can enter working classes, however. If a dog is sold as "pet" quality, then the sales contract usually specifies that the owner must spay/neuter the dog and never use for breeding purposes. This is what reputable breeders do. Renee is not a "backyard breeder." One thing she is adamant about is matching the right dog with the right owner. This is very important for a successful placement of a dog. If she doesn't think you are right to get one of her dogs, you won't get one of her dogs -- purebred or rescue. My first dog was a Rottweiler/GSD mix. I adopted her from Renee. She was a beautiful girl and very well-trained by Renee. I had her for over 13 years before cancer took her. Renee may not win any personality contests, but her successful adoptions, and repeat adopters, over the years speaks for itself. Bottom line: I highly recommend Rotts of Friends for a rescue dog, and they are a very worthwhile and worthy nonprofit organization to donate to.
Review from Guidestar
Renee is the rudest person I have ever spoke to! She didn't even give me a chance to finish my story before cutting me off and not let me speak any longer. She judged me immediately and wrong I may add, she jumped down my throat, and talked down to me! She had no professionalism! No one deserves to be treated like that. After talking to her I was so upset I looked up reviews to find many other people experienced the same awful treatment that I did! The majority of reviews are negative. Check it out for yourself. I don't know who she thinks she is but all EGO and a chip on her shoulder. She seems to be very angry, so sad for her staff and the animals. I would never recommend this business to anyone for rescue, boarding, training, or breeding. It's hard for me to say, I never thought I would have to give a rescue a bad review but she gave me no choice, it was that bad! Another disturbing fact she's a breeder of Rotts and German Shepherds! This is a major conflict of interest with a rescue. She is contributing to the problem as she put it on her website "the overpopulation" of dogs! She sells some of her full breeds not fixed and starting at $3500. and up! Look at her site under "adoptable dogs". She says she is nonprofit yet, she told me she was full not an empty kennel and she couldn't help me. But after further being talked down to she made the statement of "well if you were willing to make a donation I could consider it"! Is that a contradiction or what? She just said she had no kennels or room but she would make a consideration for a $500. donation! I called her out on that and said wait you just said you were full and had no room but you will somehow make it happen if I pay $500! Her temper escalated after that and she said "well lady if you weren't so cheap"! I was appalled and couldn't listen to another word I had to hang up on her! I then talked to another rescue for bulldogs and they couldn't believe how I was treated. They said they also ask for donations but they do not request or demand a specific amount and couldn't believe she asked for $500. Instead they ask for what you can donate that's why it's called a donation and for them it never makes the determination whether they will or will not take in the animal. After all this is suppose to be about the animals and there safety and livelihood. I have never been so disgusted and saddened by someone so cold with such a mean nasty demeanor! Rescues are suppose to be there to help animals that need a second chance and to keep them from euthanasia they are nonprofit but, this was not the case clearly, what a shame! There are multiple businesses on the same site. She has a breeding business of Rotts and German Shepherds (yes she is a breeder), has a boarding " Resort", and is also a dog trainer from basic to guard/ police dog training. If you are considering doing any business here please read all the reviews first! Interesting note none of the reviews are on there website. You can find the reviews by just going to Yelp, Google Reviews, and greatnonprofits.org.
My daughter, and a few other kids I know, worked for Yolo Canine Academy/29 Palms Pet Resort/Rotts of Friends. The owner, Renee, is abusive to the animals and the employees (look her up on Davis Wiki). I even know a woman who got a dog from there. The dog was so neurotic the vet told her never to bring the dog back there. The other reviewer was not exaggerating.
I am submitting a review as I don't think the Public and Rescue community are aware that the President of Rotts of Friends is also a BREEDER? She sells dogs and puppies for lots of $$$ under YOLO CANINE ACADEMY in Woodland, CA (www.yolocanineacademy.com) and they aren't SPAYED OR NEUTURED! I find this disturbing and a conflict of interest as one of the main responsibilities of a rescue is to help reduce the rampant pet overpopulation.
On their website it states they wish to discourage "IRRESPONSIBLE BREEDING"? Well, there IS no responsible breeding! Did you know that 25% of all animals surrendered to the shelters are Pure Breds? Does she wonder how many of her breeding off-spring have ended up at the crowded shelters? ALL breeders, if they are so-called "responsible breeders", puppy mills, or your neighbors next door contribute to the overwhelming pet overpopulation. Here's some statistics:
In 6 years one unspayed female dog and her offspring, can reproduce 67,000 dogs, and a male animal can literally father thousands in his lifetime. Source: Spay USA
An estimated 6 to 8 million dogs and cats are euthanized in shelters each year. Millions more are abandoned, only to suffer from illness or injury before dying. Source: Doris Day Animal League
Bob Barker always said to get your pets spayed or neutered at the end of the Price is Right! There’s a reason for that: RAMPANT OVERPOPULATION. Each year in the United States alone, three to four million dogs are put down in shelters because they have no one to adopt them.
IT'S UNHEALTHY: Mammary cancer is relatively widespread in unspayed female dogs, the ASPCA notes. However, this cancer is much less common in pooches spayed before attaining physical maturity. Spayed dogs also have zero chance of experiencing uterine or ovarian cancer. On top of individual medical conditions, leaving female dogs unspayed allows them to breed, contributing to canine overpopulation issues.
They claim to have rescued approx 1300 dogs? ....well, that's a drop in the bucket compared to the hundreds or thousands of dogs that have been brought into the world from Renee's Breeding Business, based on the statistics as a breeder . Evidently this has been going on for a long time....
A woman had a complaint back in 2010. She saw a dog for adoption online at Kiji.com (Ebay) for $400 and when she stopped by the Rescue she was told the dog wasn't available ...but Renee told her about a litter of purebred German Shepherd puppies she was SELLING. The customer had come along way and had her heart set on a dog so against her better judgement she bought a female puppy! Unfortunately she ended up paying $800, the puppy only had one one round of shots and one de-worming, wasn't spayed (she had to pay to have her spayed on her own) .....AND she never got any official "papers" which breeders are supposed to provide.....this sounds a bit "scammy" to me!
It's been rumored Renee has had as many as 100 dogs living on her property in Woodland. Many are in an old barn with no electricity or water. Maybe if she stopped "breeding" and selling dogs she might be able to get more rescue dogs ADOPTED !! Breeder or rescuer ...Never the twain shall meet!