Melissa reached out to me about a month ago she offered me a service dog fo she offered me a service dog free of charge. My daughter which is 9 years old was being bullied in school everyda my daughter which is 9 years old was being bullied in school every day and was coming home crying and sad and didn't understand why she was being bullied. Melissa message me and said that she had a service dog that she would like me to take for my daughter to help her get through the emotional state she was in. Just her reaching out I'm in a lot to the family. Right now we are unable to have another dog so we were not able to accept her offer. But I would like to thank her for reaching out in a time of need. I have seen her rescue hundreds of puppies and get them adopted out adult dogs also. She goes above and beyond for her rescue.
Possibly the hardest working person Ive ever met! You can tell she really loves the animals in her care and makes sure they get everything they need to get a good start or a good start over in life! Very attentive, gave clear instructions on care and feeding, and ensuring a successful adoption. I cannot say enough good things, I highly refommend Starting Over Animal Refuge!
Found this Animal Refuge online. My boyfriend and I were looking for a pup as a furever friend to our other very playful dog (2yrs). We have been hesitant for a while due to jobs, personal reasons, and scheduling. It finally felt like the time was right when I saw this place and got a good gut feeling about it. We drove 2 hours on this gut feeling and I was so happy with the results and the refuge itself.
Unlike most animal rescues, this place was well managed, open, clean, and an all around great spot to effectively care for all the animals they were rescuing. While we took our sweet time trying to choose from all the options, the owners were constantly working to making the pens dry since it had just rained, cleaning the pens, etc. We named our new puppy Tilly and she is perfect for our other dog at home. They relax together, play together, and walk together. I couldn’t be happier with how everything went and it’s all thanks to this establishment.
Thank you guys!
Thank you Melissa! I saw our new baby’s face Rex(formerly Sport) on your website and fell in love! This is our first time adopting from a Rescue and Melissa made it easy. He is healthy and happy and very loved!! We had recently lost our 13 year old chocolate lab . I was told by my cousin what a great way to honor our boys memory by adopting a baby from a rescue and giving him the wonderful home full of love that he had!
We had a wonderful experience adopting our puppy! From the very beginning, Melissa was kind, patient, and incredibly supportive. She truly took the time to help us find the perfect match for our family. We never felt rushed or pressured—instead, she listened to our needs and made sure we found a dog with the right temperament and energy level.
We were especially grateful for her understanding of our hopes to train our new pup as a therapy dog for our autistic son. She showed genuine care and compassion, and that meant so much to us. Our new puppy is already bringing so much joy into our home, and we’re excited for the journey ahead.
Don’t let the front deceive you it looks like a house when you pull up. Melissa and her sweet daughter lead us back through the trail behind the house to a beautiful farm. All puppies ( and horses ) we saw were clean and cared for.
Thank you for helping us find our newest family member—we couldn’t be happier!
Starting Over Animal Refuge is truly a one-of-a-kind rescue! From the moment we connected with them, it was clear that this is a place run with so much love and dedication to the animals. Mellissa, you are absolutely amazing! Your care, compassion, and commitment to every rescue is inspiring.
We had the pleasure of adopting a wonderful Lab/Pointer mix, and we instantly fell in love. It was obvious that he had been well cared for and loved before coming to us. The entire adoption process was smooth, and Mellissa made sure we had everything we needed to give our pup the best start in his new home.
If I didn’t live so far away, I would absolutely volunteer my time to help this incredible organization. If you're looking for a pet, I highly recommend Starting Over Animal Refuge—you won’t find a more caring and devoted rescue! Thank you again! ❤️
This was a great experience. They are vey friendly and very knowledgeable. The animals all seem very well cared for. Our new baby is just awesome! Would recommend! Two Thumbs Up!!
I have been searching to find our furever baby for quite some time now. I found this rescue online and they just so happened to get in a litter of Corgi pups. I called immediately about the one I found online. She was already adopting him out. Melissa then let me know he has a brother. She held on to him for me to travel from Orlando to Ocala that day. We fell in love immediately. I was so impressed with the entire set up of the rescue. So much room, all the animals you can see are very well cared for, it is a work of love. I want to share some photos of our newest member of the family "Happy". He just brings happiness wherever he goes. He is so smart and loving, thank you Melissa for making my dream come true, bringing "Happy" to us. Thank you for making sure he has all his shots and dewormer and microchipped. She really cares and it shows and is very much appreciated.
Melissa is one of the most caring hard working dedicated people I’ve ever met. We looked for quite a while and found our pup at her rescue. She is extremely knowledgeable in regards to the care of these dogs. She rescued our pup from a dire situation. Thank you Melissa for what you do and God bless you
Straightforward and easy adoption process. Melissa is very easy to communicate with and gives all information and paperwork regarding vaccine records. All dogs were happy to see her when we went back to view them. Will definitely be recommending this rescue to friends!
After seeing the dreadful conditions I called animal control and was told there is an open complaint due to horrific way the animals are kept. THIS IS NOT A LEGIT RESCUE!
The dogs are kept outside on fenced mall cement pads. The only protection from weather being dirty and broken plastic transport crates thrown in corners. Every area (there were about 10) had feces piled high. The smell - and this was outside - was like a water treatment plant. The horseflies biting me and leaving blood marks on the dogs was heartbreaking.
We rescued our puppy yesterday and we are so happy! He is such a good boy and Melissa was very kind and answered all of our questions! We wish we would take them all! Thank you!
Our family just grew by 8 feet! Melissa was very informative and patient as we worked through what we were doing—went to just look, but left with TWO adorable pups who’ve already started healing our broken hearts!
On Sept. 18, 2024 a new Love Story begin. Thank you Melissa for this beautiful soul. He was born a Ghost, but that name didn't suit him. He is my Titan. He was 8 lbs when I got him a proud Dogma today at 3mths and 1wk old. He 20+lbs and Teething. Getting bigger and stronger everyday and more confident that he is the cutest one in the room.
We adopted our beautiful dog Ginger (formerly Goldie) from SOAR. Melissa was so nice and explained from the start what she had been feeding her, her vaccinations and medication. Ginger is 6 months old now and she is happy, so playful and tolerant of my 3 children. Especially our almost 4 yr old daughter who says Ginger is only her dog. LOL she's always all over Ginger giving her hugs. Ginger loves going to the dog park and playing with other dogs (no matter the size) We definitely would recommend SOAR to anyone looking to adopt. We love our new family member.
We came across S.O.A.R.S in rescue me as we were looking for a rescue. We found Abby, a 9 week old Aussiepoo. We drove over 2 hours to pick her up. Melissa was very knowledgeable regarding Abby She detailed what she had done for Abby, in regard to vaccinations, food, etc. It was a very pleasant and satisfying venture
Melissa was absolutely amazing. I contacted her about one puppy and got a quick response. Not only did I get one baby, I got two. She took her time to find the right match. So easy to work with and you can tell she loves what she does. My babies are so happy!!!!!
Highly recommend this place. Melissa is very nice person. Super easy to contact with. Our puppy is the cutest and happiest seems to be healthy
I was looking for a puppy and found Tigger at starting over animal refuge. Melissa has many beautiful puppies that need a home. I saw Tigger and I know he was mine.
Melissa is very knowledgeable and thorough in taking good care of animals while they wait for their forever home. She cares about making sure they find a good family and has unique aspects in her contract to ensure that. We came to Melissa because she has great breeds, our puppy is a Catahoula and Retriever mix.
We came across this rescue and bought home a Catahoula Leopard mix. The work Melissa and her crew are doing is admirable. Her love and attention to this mission is without question. She is educated in microbiology and puts that knowledge to work for the love of her rescues. Our Princess Leia has a great temperament and is happy and eager to learn. I wish I could place the whole litter. She needs help with this mission.
And I appreciate her heart and love our
Puppy.
Thank you Melissa!
Overall: 2 out of 5 stars
We believe Melissa means well and is trying to do something good for the animals. Sometimes, she is not the most professional person and has way too many pups to adequately care for.
Dog breed and medical history is VERY vague but may be consistent for a rescue facility. She had a kennel of sick pups suspected to have giardia, but she wasn’t sure why they were sick.
Our pup had diarrhea and vomiting for the first 7 days of having him and yesterday, we found tapeworms in his stool. He appears to be a really good pup and displays all normal puppy behaviors. He is quite social and doesn’t appear to suffer from any abuse. He is a beautiful beast and we love him already.
We agree with most of the positive and negative reviews of her and the facility.
We are very pleased with our adopted dog, "Scrappy", who we renamed Happy. After the short adoption process we had Happy checked out nay our vet who said she was healthy. Not knowing about whether she had had shot, new gave her everything she needed and chipped her as well.
We were skeptical about getting a rescue dog but she turned out not be house trained and VERY loving. We think she is enjoying her new life.
Bruce and Sue Larson
Cape Coral
We’ve gotten three puppies from Melissa over the years and it has always been a wonderful experience. The puppies are well looked after, and she was great letting us take our time and make sure that the puppy we pick was always a good fit for our not-so-little pack. She was very responsive each time we reached out, and even remembered the previous pups we had adopted from her even with years in between.
We had originally found S.O.A.R. by accident during our search for a puppy rescue. We are so grateful we did! Melissa, the owner, was responsive and provided a wonderful experience picking out our new pup. It's been about 2 weeks now with our pup and he's thriving! We are grateful. She does such a wonderful thing saving these dogs. Many thanks and highly recommend!
In reading the other negative reviews from people who obviously never should have even adopted a dog in the first place, shame on you. Melissa is amazing, honest, and up front about the rescue, the dogs, and always has their best interest first and foremost. That being said, we reached out to adopt a puppy. We fell in love with her and was the most amazing fur baby ever. So much that we went back and got her sister two days later. Melissa is very clear about the expectations and what the contract for being a responsible pet owner entails. I applaud her for making sure that the pets are going to a responsible home and for taking on such a huge responsibility for finding these sweet babies their loving forever homes. Thank you, Melissa, for being such an amazing person and bringing our sweet girls into our lives.
If I can give 0 stars I would because Melissa was the worst person I have even spoken to in my life she even went to far and called me a the B word for no reason don’t buy anything from them an I will be posting my story on TikTok to my 500k followers
Melissa is a very unprofessional person. She does not take good care of the dogs and claim to have an unsafe environment for the dogs. Recently purchased a puppy, which months later I needed to return due to personal problems. First, she tried to say I breech contract, when the time for the puppy getting spayed wasn’t even up yet. Melissa gave me permission to surrender the puppy to a no kill shelter, but if I wanted to rehome the puppy, I needed to have the person spay and transfer the contract to that person. She never once stated that I had to transfer any contract to an animal shelter, only to an individual if rehoming. Which I wasn’t rehoming. Now she’s claiming I breeches the contract, when I did everything I was told. Melissa got mad after I told her about herself not properly feeding and giving the dogs water and having a unsafe environment for the dogs. So on the phone, Melissa started calling me all types of cunts etc. And then proceeded to hang up the phone and tell me I can email her instead. When I have never called Melissa outside of her name. I find that was very rude and disrespectful. When I got my puppy, my puppy was underfed and drinking water like she was really really thirsty. Not only that, Melissa claimed that if I was to return the dog back to her, it’s possible that the puppy or another puppy might kill one another. So it’s not a safe environment for the dogs. And then had the nerve to try and shame me for being a bad pet owner because I can no longer take care of the puppy, because I’m having problems being 8 months pregnant. Not only that, but the contract is a voided contract. Which I made her aware of.
Yesterday, on July 4th, my family (which included our 2 little ones) went to see a 5 month old black Lab/Newfoundland mix at Melissa's rescue. Melissa was very honest about the dog's temperament (not a typical hyper puppy) before we got there, so we had an idea of what to expect. We knew within minutes of meeting him that we were bringing him home to be a buddy to our 2 year old white Lab. As a crazy twist, we also took home one of Melissa's outdoor cats because of how much my kiddos fell in love with him. He is the friendliest cat we have ever met - even when my kiddos were "torturing" (learning how to hold) him, he was pleasant, his demeanor with kids is just very sweet. Melissa loaded us up with an extra cat carrier and cat litter she had. We feel like our family is totally complete. Melissa's rescue is outside but it is completely shaded. If there is a dog that has shown aggressive tendencies, she separates them and made a point to tell my kiddos to steer clear of the gated area they were in.
I was so excited to get my puppy. Nothing was unusual at first the lady seemed nice enough, we went to get the puppy, it was an easy process. However, after a few weeks I noticed that they lied about the dog breed. I was supposed to be getting a Cane Corso/Boxer mix. They took my money and then gave me a pitbull. Be cautious when getting dogs from this refuge.
Me, my husband, and his parents had lost our dogs a year and an half ago from cancer. It took a while to be ready for another dog ,but once we were we decided to look online and then I saw starting over animal refuge… Melissa communicated with me non stop, put my mind at ease because we had just been scammed by someone selling dogs, and she was super friendly and easy to be around . We love our new precious puppies and we’re so glad we went to her! I will be recommending her to anyone I know who is looking to adopt! Thank you so much!
I wasn't looking forward to adopting because it seemed complicated UNTIL my daughter turned me towards Melissa Candow and there I saw one of her cutest chihuahua dachshund mix. I did the application and she called me back immediately, we set up a time and what my grandson and I saw was nothing short of amazing how this one woman who had a full ranch was showing us the puppy we came for, she was taking calls, answering my questions and explaining how she takes in so many mistreated, abandoned and hungry animals. I admire Melissa in so many ways. She's a mom, provides homes for these sweet animals, they had their shots, information ready for what I needed to take him home ALONG with his brother, yep I couldn't leave his brother! I can't thank Melissa enough for what she does, other topics we talked about showed me that she has a huge heart which makes adopting from her the perfect way to begin your relationship with your new pet even more special.
After losing our girl of 12.5 years, we were a little crushed, and missing a female pack lead. We also agreed, adopt, dont shop. All 4 previous and current dogs, adopted. Continuing this tradition, We went to look for a pup on line. Melissa and her rescue was a great place to look. We found the cutest little pup. We think she's swiss mountain/Lab mix? Not sure. But we just love her soooooooo much Totally worth the adoption fee ,and we wished we could give more. Healthy, happy, legit puppy rescue. Our family is so happy with Luna, and the boys, her brothers, just adore her. She has brought out the puppy in her two brothers, and made me and my Girl laugh every day we have her. Thanks so much Melissa. I really hope we win the lottery some day, because we know here to donate profusely in that instance. She genuinely loves these animals.
Melissa helped us adopt our puppy even though we came the day before a hurricane was predicted to come through our area. She was obviously busy trying to prepare for the storm but took the time to let us pick out our new puppy out of a large litter.
I’ve grown up with dogs my whole life, when i moved out & got pregnant with my husband & I’s first baby we decided to hold off on getting our fur baby until our kids were older. But for the last 2 years our almost 6 year old has been begging for a puppy. I, myself, have struggling not having a fur baby around so we were on a mission to find the perfect pup to add to our family. We reached out to Melissa to come check out a Great Dane/Cane Corso, upon arrival Melissa noticed that my son has sensory issues (he was just diagnosed with Autism in January) which blew me away how quickly she noticed. She advised us that the specific puppy we were there to check out would probably not be the best fit for my son & immediately pointed us in the direction of his brother. We immediately clicked & fell in love with who we now know as Miles. He’s been the perfect addition to our family. Our 2 year old is in love with him already. Melissa was so kind, so friendly and very informative. She made us all feel so welcomed & comfortable. She knows what she’s talking about. This is definitely her calling & we are so thankful for her guidance in finding the right pup. Thank you, Melissa!!!!
I tried emailing you and texting you Melissa and since you don’t answer emails and the text failed to send I guess I can try and contact you through here
In April my daughter, grandson and I came to you and I adopted Zoe. I specifically expressed to you that my grandson is autistic and that I was looking for a small, calm puppy and that my grandson would be around this puppy often. You stated that she would be small and about 20 pounds. One she will be a medium sized dog and and is over 25 pounds. I train and play with her every day. About 2 months ago she started getting aggressive and not listening. I had her fixed in July. I had a trainer come work with us and I’m doing everything right. Since her behavior was not improving and it didn’t match the 2 breeds you stated in our contract-Dachshund/Cavalier King Charles, I had her DNA tested. I received the results back. She is 30% Dachshund. Absolutely no Cavalier King Charles which is the breed I wanted. She is also 38% Pitt bull and 10% staffordshire the 2 breeds I absolutely did not want!! I now have to rehome her because my grandson is affair of her and my community will not allow Pitt bulls. I have spent money on vet bills and training that I will not get back. I never would have purchased her if I knew she had Pitt bull in her. You misrepresented the breed and you need to rectify this. You have my contact information on our contract since your contact information is not good.
You can tell they truly care about the animals in their care. We are so happy to adopt from them. Very passionate about animals! Easy process, would make the 3 hour round trip again if we had to!
I must say Melissa is an amazing person with amazing animals & wish there were more people like her. Believe it or not what she does is hard work ,finding good homes for these animals. Not everyone is a good pet owner it takes a special kind of person and MUST have the time for an animal not just tie a rope around the tree and let your dog spend all day outside that's not fair to the dog but I'm sure you guys know that.But let's cut to the chase & clear the air. 3 weeks ago I was trying to find a certain kind of dog not any dog a certain kind of dog and she had it. I was looking at the website and seeing a non-refundable deposit which I thought was a scam because there's a lot of companies that are scammers and had my doubt. I asked facebook friends and people that delt with puppy sanctuaries and they ALL SAID "ABSOLUTELY NOT" Its another SCAM So I did a little homework got pretty deep into different sites & different reviews and she was very active in 2020 and kind of fell off a little only to see nothing but positive reviews so I took a chance & rolled the dice and l gave her a call she didn't pick up she called me right back she told me there was $100 non- refundable deposit fee cuz I asked for the address and she wouldn't give it to me unless I had sent money. wondering why l had to have money to come see a dog. But it makes sense its for her safety & keeps traffic down & lssues with people stealing puppies.. it was the best investment I've ever made because SHE IS 100% LEGIT & Im so happy with her I will definitely be back. Trixie is damn near potty trained and only 2 months old.Just bought a clicker" she's learning how to sit, ring the bell if she has to go potty, (Goals) trying to get her to wipe her feet at the door. This dog has so much character in her she's a hard player good Watch Dog she's already chasing the mailman LOL just kidding she loves to cuddle and boy does she cuddle wraps her body around you and sleeps on your head Melissa I want to thank you again so much for this wonderful dog and keep doing what you're doing. I don't think you credit yourself because what you do takes a special person that spends the time and the love you have for all your animals you're a beautiful person inside and out but I want to thank you again for everything I will see you again here soon for another 1. With ❤️ Larry Erdman and Trixie Erdman❤️
I am so happy with my new puppy friend. He is my first pup so I wanted to make sure to get I got my dog in the best condition possible and as up to date with its necessary needs when I got him. I also wanted to know more information about keeping up with his needs. Melissa was very helpful and assisting with all my questions making adopting my first pup such an enjoyable, memorable, and easy process. Choosing the right puppy was not easy either but again I was able to find the perfect match for me with Melissa's help. I would most deffinently recommend speaking with Melissa or her team the "Starting over Animal Refuge inc" when considering adopting a new member of the family. Thank you again!
-- Mandy --
We was looking for a dog for a while for our family and well we found a great place to adopted from and our family is so happy we love him and are so happy to have a great fur baby in our life and so thankful to this wonderful place for having such great puppies to choose from she is very kind and caring to all the animals and those who adopted from her as well thank you for everything you do for the community.
Melissa was super duper kind and helpful our whole adoption process with her. She helped me learn more about services dogs and training. I’m happy to say that I am able to have a partner to help me soon. Great conversation with her. Thank you so much!
I adopted the newest member of our family Axel Foley from this rescue and it was the best decision I ever made for our family. My older dog and daughters love him. A few days after we had him at home he had an adverse reaction to the environment and the owner Melissa answered all of my questions. She got on a FaceTime call with me while I was at my local Veterinarian. After speaking with the Veterinarian who agreed with her same medication she offered to take care of him to help save me on vet costs. I left him with her for 10 days due to me not having the time to come pick him up. When we went to pick up Axel Foley he was a whole new puppy! Ever since we brought him home he has been having a blast with my dog. He has his Zoomie moments in the backyard and enjoys going on runs with us. He loves playing stick tug of war with his older brother as well! All around this was an amazing company to work with and I feel comfortable that the next time I adopt I can start my search with Starting over Animal Refuge to make sure I am getting a puppy that has been taken care of and is coming from a loving rescue.
My family and I had a Great experience with Starting over animal refuge in Ocala. We were nervous at first because we got a puppy off Craigslist before going to Melissa and we had to put it down the day we received her because it had parvo and was dying. Melissa was so nice and made sure we were taken care of by saving a puppy for us. Now we have our awesome Tebow who is probably one of the smartest and loving puppy that I have ever owned. He is amazing and was potty trained by that first week! We are super happy with the puppy and have recommended her to many people.
If i could give this organization 0 stars i would. I had gotten the puppy that had no records and had ever possible sickness also she sold a FALSE breed because i got the DNA tested and shes not even a labrador retriever. This company should be sued for selling dogs and not having the proper medical records for them. I adopted the puppy for my anxiety as i was doing research laboros are good for that but jokes on me that's not the dog i got what i got is a american terrier mixed with a boston terrier and kettle dog. This is the worst experience of my life and I WOULD STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM THIS SO CALLED "REFUGED" (also the owners hounds you to write a good review but cant answer no medical questions. I will be contacting a lawyer!
I had such a great experience with Starting over! Not only was she extremely receptive, but she was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and experienced. She gave us us all information and even supplied us with his deworming medicine to take home and keep things consistent. Would definitely recommend adopting for here if your in need of a dog that needs a forever home.
Four years ago we fell in love at first sight with our pup Baxter adopted from Starting Over Animal Refuge. He has been a wonderful companion for our family and older dog Bailey. Last year Bailey crossed over the rainbow bridge due to old age and truly believe having Baxter around gave us a few more years with our old girl. We have been super happy with our rescue pup from Starting Over so when we were ready for another pup we had to go back for another rescue from Starting Over. The facility is clean and the animals are well taken care of and LOVED! We have a farm and needed a guardian to watch over our mini horses. We fell in love at first sight all over again
My husband and I wanted a third puppy. After many searches we found Melissa with Starting Over Animal Refuge. We found Lilly amongst the puppies available and fell in love with her. We spent over an hour with Melissa and her worker going over everything about the puppy. Our Lilly and all the other pups looked very healthy and well taken care of. I have cerebral palsy and her yard was easily navigable with my walker. If we ever do decide to adopt another puppy, we go to her.
We are so happy we were able to add a new member to our family. The little puppy we took home is a joy to behold. Just in time for Christmas!
Melissa answered all of my questions through text, because I live almost five hours away from Ocala, I wanted to make sure we were getting a healthy dog, that won't grow too, too big and doesn't shed. She told me how to hold onto the puppy until I got there, through a deposit in Paypal. Everything worked out perfectly and we feel so blessed!!
A got a puppy from Starting Over Animal Refuge in July. Our puppy was a dream to train as Melissa assured me she would be. She goes with me everywhere and is so well behaved. She’s being trained to be a service dog. We are so grateful to Melissa. Not only was she patient and understanding of our specific needs, she was a wealth of information. The adoption process was smooth and quick despite being in the middle of a pandemic.
I will be going back to get a companion for our little girl.
Previous Stories
Melissa picked the BEST and smartest puppy for me. My puppy, Shy, slept through the night and hasn't had an accident in the house yet. She's still super quiet, but has become a very playful puppy today. I can't thank Melissa enough. She is thoroughly knowledgeable, thoughtful and has made herself available for all my questions. I couldn't have asked for better service.
The whole process was super simple. I was able to drive there and adopt Zuko with no hassle! Made my Christmas!
Hi I just got this little cutie from them was such great experience after trying other places and getting ghosted and no response I found them and was about to get right throw to someone and set up a meet up the owner was super friendly and Patient as I look at all the amazing puppy's they had till was able to find the cutest Pit bull & catahoula mix that I couldn't leave without I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a puppy or dog.
This nonprofit was amazing for helping me find my sweet baby puppy! They had beautiful land and really tended to all of the animals there. The owner was very attentive and answered all of my questions quickly, and I love how they make sure to hold the puppy you want instead of having to race for any puppy. I would definitely get any more pets here!
We were able to adopt 2 beautiful girls from Melissa she was very busy but took time to wash them up and get the harnesses on them. Thank you!! My daughters are soo in love with them as are we. They're vet visits have been great pups are healthy and happy.
Melissa was very helpful with finding my first companion. Her responses on the phone were quick and professional. You can clearly see her mission at Starting Over Animal Refuge Inc, its to truly save these animals and give them an amazing life they deserve. Get in contact with her and save a pup today.
Melissa was so kind and considerate when helping us find the perfect pup for us. She has a beautiful rescue and cares for her animals well being. We had a very pleasant experience with her and would recommend her to anyone in search of their forever pup
My partner and I had been looking for a dog for quite sometime but had run into many obstacles with other rescues. We reached out to Melissa for a border collie puppy, who had already been adopted, but luckily there were more in the litter, so we ended up taking home one of the boys, which we named Haku. He was 8 weeks old, and is now 4 months old! He has already gained 10lbs, is so sweet- has no issues with people or other animals, and super healthy. He had some parasites in his feces but with puppies that is to be expected. A free neuter was offered to us through the rescue which we took advantage of. The entire process of adoption was completed within the day, and we couldn't be happier with him! A huge thank you to Melissa for everything she does and providing us with the sweetest baby in the world.
WARNING... stay away from this so called refuge. The owner M. simply sells sick animals. There's no proof any animals have been vaccinated or dewormed. The puppy a adopted from her over 2 months ago is till sick with every worm & giardia!! $500 for a sick puppy is criminal. The property is unkept & her house is filthy. There were 2 puppies I was interested in, when I asked about them she told me one actually has a skin infection. After seeing the place for myself I can understand how & why!! She basically flips puppies...buys them off of craigslist and turns a profit by charging too much and because of the conditions they are kept in are infected with every parasite known to man. She should be locked up & the place should be shut down. My puppy I got from her is till in & out of the vet's office. Costing me hundreds of extra money all because of her & the way she keeps them. I could have saved my money and bought from a breeder.
We adopted a puppy from this rescue May 2021. The whole adoption process was easy and it's an amazing rescue. Melissa is amazing and cares so much about the animals that she helps. Our puppy, Truffle, is so amazing. Lovable. Playful. Our four boys love Truffle so much and he's completed our family. Also training has been the easiest puppy training we've ever done. He's 6mths old and fully potty trained. He listens to sit, stay, and come. Truffle just has the best personality. We highly recommend if your looking for a puppy definitely adopt from Melissa, Starting Over Animal Rescue.
We felt really good about adopting our puppy from Melissa, we are very grateful for the work she does with the puppies and the adoption process was nice and smooth. I highly recommend considering Starting Over Animal Refuge if you're looking to adopt a sweet puppy.
My husband and I adopted Gretchen (now Raven) today. All the puppies looked clean and healthy. We are grateful for her and the adoption process was great.
Visited today. The horses are beautiful with nice Statures. So many good looking and healthy looking pups and dogs. Highly recommend.
I'm very happy and love very much the pup I adopted! She's very happy and in good health. Thanks for the work rescuing her and help provided. I'm grateful.
We adopted our puppy from Melissa 4 weeks ago! Melissa is so knowledgeable and passionate about rescuing animals! We love our puppy and highly recommend her rescue!
We got Skylar in 2018. She was an adorable puppy and is a gorgeous dog! SOAR staff members were very nice. We sat in the yard to play with the puppies while we decided which one should be ours. Skylar is healthy and has no medical problems. She is sweet and gentle.
To the person that had a hard time getting a hold of me here at starting over animal refuge inc. and in regards to the past 3 weeks of anyone who has possibly had issues contacting us or if any adopters had any issues (which we typically rarely have problems . 1 out of 100 pups will come back with complications it’s part of rescue ) but I wanted to apologize for any lack there of . I tragically lost my fiancée on Mother’s Day . Our family has been grieving and it’s taken me everything within to move forward. I had to keep going and pushing immediately but I was walking in a fog and I honestly just had nothing in me to be at my best or to be of much services to the public or even to the animals . I depended on others to get us through this / I just wasn’t available . I’m still working on putting my best foot forward but I’ve had to handle everything in laying half of my heart to rest. I wouldn’t wish this pain and loss on my worst enemy. So if anyone has fallen in the cracks I’m sorry . I almost followed him and it’s YOU clients and my adopters that have pushed me to stay. Knowing these animals need me . Knowing you need me because maybe you’re going through loss or mental health and you need a puppy to raise to be your lifeline . So let’s stick together and While I’m sorry if you feel like I’ve failed you at any point . I am only human and I do hope you all see there’s less the. A dozen bad reviews amongst hundreds of great ones . These animals need you just as much as they need me . Let’s stop failing each other and keep trying to make a better change in the world . Stay kind and remember to hug your loved ones everyday and let them know they’re loved .
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Do you want to see first hand where the puppy or dog is you adopt is kept? Instead of meeting at a store front or a pet store . Do you want to have a large selection of happy healthy puppies to choose from? If so this is the rescue to choose . This rescue ranch is beautiful! When you first pull up you’re left confused . It’s like a pot of gold in the middle of a neighborhood. You’ll be walked through a windy path dressed in trees and vines that opens up to what looks like heaven to animals . Beautiful fat shiny horses and friendly well behaved dogs that will meet and greet you with wagging tails . They don’t have a lot of adults because they focus on pediatric rescue and the puppies are kept in very well kept and clean kennels with nice designed floors . There’s room for improvement as everything else but the love time and amount of costs this rescue puts into the animals can be seen at first sight . They’ll take their time with you. Let you visit . Try to match you with the right puppy for your home . Don’t go expecting to get the puppy you seen online . So many more are there that are never listed so just let the puppy do the choosing and let them guide you . It’s the best experience! There’s a few negative reviews but treat them with respect and they will do the same . Lots of knowledge . Proper licensing . Good luck adopting . You know where your Adoption fee goes to when you visit .
I texted the main number asking if I could put a deposit down and meet with a pup I fell in love with online. They said yes but didn’t reply much after that. I followed up the next day to try and give them my information, etc., and they didn’t answer the phone, so I texted again. They beat around the bush AGAIN telling me the pup was available and I could meet him this weekend if they were home. They told me they’d “let me know” when I could come to the ranch for 3 days in a row and eventually ghosted me. Very unprofessional, disappointing and sketchy. Is this even a legit place? After reading the reviews, I regret even wasting my time reaching out for an adorable puppy.
I highly recommend this rescue organization. Melissa was so awesome from beginning to end. The whole adoption process was very quick and easy. I saw our puppy online on Friday night and reached out we drove to Ocala on Saturday morning from Oviedo to meet and adopt our little Chewie aka Wyatt. He is the sweetest puppy. You can tell she really cares about all of her animals. She has some beautiful horses as well. In the future I will definitely go through Melissa to find our next puppy.
Starting over pet rescue and Melissa was very nice and sent us additions pictures of the pups she had available and we fell in love with Luna. Picked her up, and she’s the best dog! The experience was nice and Melissa made it super easy and was very efficient. I keep an eye out for a sister or brother and hopefully can return back some day soon!
Back in February of 2021, my partner and I got scammed by some heartless human over the purchase of a puppy. Having been through this, we were very cautious about what information that we gave to people, and we were up front in that we had a lot of questions. Melissa directed us straight here, where I was delighted to find all the glowing reviews of her work. She was very straight forward in that we should do our own research. This was the first thing that attracted me to her, she was very forthcoming and honest about her operation. And the reviews don't lie! Her ranch is vast, and she has some great facilities for horses, dogs, and every animal she rescues.
When it came to adopting our puppy, she informed us of how quickly the pups move, and we acted quickly - there was no high pressure sales situation, she was just honest about how quickly they moved. And we moved!
We had been filming a commercial in Orlando the day we were supposed to pick her up, and she was very flexible with the timing in which we could pick her up; we made sure to maintain a constant communication with her, and she was very accommodating the entire time.
When we arrived, we were greeted by her assistant, who went over some of the business things about our pup, such as the dewormer treatment, her updates on her vaccines, expectations of the adopters (us), and general recommendations for food and training. Then we met with Melissa. She is a wonderful human, devoting her life to rescuing all these animals. She took us to meet our pup's mother and two siblings, and we knew at once that we had picked the right one.
I would 10/10 recommend rescuing from and/or donating to Starting Over Animal Rescue, as Melissa and her work has made the biggest difference in my life this past year or so.
We are so happy to have met her and her Ranch, and we are so happy to have welcomed Luna into our lives. Many many loving thanks to Melissa and her wonderful team!
Andrew, Eric, and Luna
My sister and I had just bought a house, so we could finally get a dog. We'd been looking on line and signed up with Find a Pet. We both received a notification for "Charlie," and started texting each other at the same time that he was our dog. We contacted SOAR and made arrangements to pick him up a couple days later. Now called Mac, he's been a great addition to our family. Other than some delay in responsive communication, SOAR is doing a great service for rescue animals.
My family and I are so so grateful for Melissa and our new puppy, Remington! We had such a great experience meeting him and Melissa and the process was very smooth! We love our little boy and recommend her to anyone looking for dogs!
Melissa and her staff spent a lot of time throughout the adoption process working with my husband and I and answered our questions regarding the puppies she had. We are very greatful to her and are thrilled with the newest four legged additon to our family.
Forever friend found!
My husband has been looking for weeks for a dog that can become my service dog one day.
I have Multiple Sclerosis and keeping my balance is somewhat challenging.
Melissa had a black and white pyradoodle puppy. He is adorable!!
The whole experience was great.
Starting over ranch is on a big property.
She has watch dogs outside that were excited to see visitors.
Our new puppy is healthy and happy.
I originally called Starting Over to ask about a certain dog. After speaking with Melissa she believed that dog would not be a good fit for our family, but then recommended another puppy. We went out to the ranch and met our new baby. All the dogs looked happy and healthy. Melissa gave us lots of info about our pup and and some meds and instructions that we still needed to give. We felt great about everything and welcomed "Berlin" as the newest member of our family. On the drive home we were able to make an appt at the vet to get him checked out immediately. The vet said we have a very happy and healthy new pup. She also agreed with all the vaccinations and meds up to this point and said we don't need to come back for 3 weeks when his next shots are due. We are very happy with the whole process, Melissa, Starting Over and our cute little puppy.
Melissa is AMAZING. I reached out to her about a puppy on the website and she responded so quickly letting me know that puppy wasn’t available but guided me to the perfect puppy for my boyfriend and I since we will be training our pup as an ESA and therapy dog. She was very easy to work with and when I got confused on the different options to adopt she made time to talk to me on the phone and explain everything. She gave me the option to pay by paypal or cash and even gave me clear PayPal instructions so I didn’t submit my deposit incorrectly. Once we got to the ranch I could tell all of her animals were well taken care of, happy and healthy! She walked us back to the ranch, got our pup and made sure to check it was our pup before returning instead of just picking one up. She chipped him, explained his dewormer, and everything it treated for. She also explained giardia and why it can happen. She assured us she hasn’t seen any evidence of it but still gave us instructions on how to help it and what to do and wrote it on our contract so we wouldn’t forget. Before we left she took a picture and told us to contact her if we have any questions. We are so excited to start our next chapter with this great pup! And I feel confident in returning back to Starting Over Ranch when decided to expand our pack!
We were so grateful to find our boys. Melissa was awesome and answered us right away and was able to find us a beautiful pair of puppies that we love so much. For individuals who don’t understand how rescues work. It is common for puppies to have parasites and/ or to run into issues at times when we first get them. They are RESCUES and Melissa works hard to find these puppies good homes. So I was grateful for the opportunity my family had to take in these pups and support the cause! Thanks Melissa and SOAR!!!
We are so in luv with our pup Koda who we adopted with the name as Brindle. I would highly recommend this ranch for your next pet. They are friendly and super caring with the animals. Best place to find a rescue pet❤️
After adopting a Lab mix puppy, which was closer to 4 weeks rather than the 7.5 weeks stated and a super $500 dodgy, only cash payment. The puppy was pooping everywhere. He had a giardia parasite. Phoned her. She told me to bring the pup back because she saw that all the pups from the same batch were pooping the same ‘parasite’ poop. She then told me she would monitor my pup and give him meds for 24-48 hrs and I could then pick him up. Since we had named him already and my boys were completely attached, we tried to phone her the next day, nothing. She was out of town. There was NOBODY watching our pup. When trying to reach her, there was no answer. She left our pup with the other pups outside in a cage for 16hrs in 40 degree temps. Eventually with threat of law enforcement was able to get our pup back. Multiple vet checks later... This woman is giving puppies up for adoption at 5 weeks to get a quick $500. Puppies need to be weaned and be with their mother until 7/8 weeks to establish good behavior. Be warned. The photo shows my 10 year old holding him at ‘what should be 8 weeks old’... our pup then was unable to fully see. He was clearly much younger. They also told me to feed him dog food from a nearby feed store. It is all corn and no protein. When I mentioned ‘Blue Baby’, they said that it would cause cancer. Blue Babies first 5 ingredients are all meat products. Our pup is now 5 months old and 40lbs
We adopted Pookie who is now Mookie 2 days ago. Every one was so kind, offering advice, food, tips, to help make Mookie’s transition smooth and easy. We are head over heels in love with this 2lb dynamo. He is smart healthy and an overall love.
Thank you Melissa and Company once again for vetting and allowing us to give Mookie a place in our lives
We just adopted a 8 week old puppy. He is sweet and loving and healthy. We are calling him Hopper after our favorite sheriff on Stranger Things. We had a wonderful experience with Starting Over Ranch. All the animals here are beautiful and clearly well cared for. I also really appreciate everything they are doing to help reduce the number of unwanted puppies out there! Thank you again!
We had a wonderful experience, our sweet baby was very well taken care of. So fortunate to have people like Melissa and her wonderful Sanctuary for these poor pups that have really nowhere else to go. She finds good homes for these guys and gives them a second chance at having a loving home. Thank you so much for our little girl♥️
I want to confirm what I said in my first review about going back to Starting Over!
When I wanted to add another dog to our family a few years later, a 1y/o female caught my eye on Starting Over’s page.
Knowing our family, Melissa ok’d a visit. She was a very special girl, and had been through a lot in her young life. We fell in love and Ava returned that love in full!
She has been the perfect companion most especially to my youngest son!
But every visitor to our home wants to take her home with them!!
I trust Melissa to give the needs of the animals in her care the highest priority! And I trust her ability to place them in the best homes.
To this day, if there were ever a reason I needed to ask for help with them, I know I can reach out and Melissa would be there.
I know she runs Starting Over with her heart and soul and it shows in the pets she adopts out!!
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Starting Over united my family with our beloved pup.The decision was emotionally challenging since we had lost our adored 14 yr old akita 6 months prior. We knew we coul never replace him, yet he left a huge void that could only be filled with long walks, warm snuggles and a reassuring presence. We were so gently guided guided by Melissa, who noticed right away our daughter has Down Syndrome. We also have 5 sons. Still Melissa lifted her up, brought her to where the appropriate pups were and said "she and they will decide who belings with you". After a while, one sweet girl stood out as being specially attentive and careful with her. We fell in love as a family and took her home. I'm continually amazed at how perfect she fits! Friends who came over noticed immediately, wondering how I'd trained her so fast. They said it was like she'd always been with us. So true. We love her and she loves us.
I would head straight back to Melissa if we decided to adopt again! I feel I can truly trust her judgment, being in the best intrest of animals, families, and organization. She takes amazing care of all animals entrusted to her... that's a CALLING not a job. That kind of care prepares the heart of a dog to be ready to find a family, no fear or worry, just open and ready to recieve love!
This is not a rescue, they do the bare minimum if that for their puppies and many times adopt them out after only having them a few days.
Owner gets defensive when asked questions and then accuses anyone who doesn't agree or praise her of being a hater and being jealous of her.
I wouldn't trust this organization at all.
Awesome rescue. Takes care of every single animal as her own, saves the broken and unwanted. HONEST!!! Would trust her with my own, don’t miss out on her amazing rescue with lifetime knowledge. She stays true to her animals, and truly cares where they go. Not many rescues will actually take their adopted dogs that don’t work out back but she always does. Melissa is the kindest soul I know.
We adopted our sweet girl from Starting Over and it was the best decision ever! Melissa and her staff were extremely easy to work with and responded to my inquiry very quickly! When I went to pick up our girl (Taylor) I was pleasantly greeted and I was able to see that all the animals at this rescue were well taken care of. The adoption process went very smoothly. I highly recommend Starting Over Animal Refuge to find your next fur baby:)
This ranch is amazing! We picked up our new pup Alyeska yesterday and fell in love with her! She’s been an amazing fit flr my family!
Thank you for bringing Fenway into our lives.
Fenway is an 8 week old Golden Retriever mix , and is happy, healthy, playful, and we just adore him.
The process to adopt him was very easy and you answered all of our questions even after we brought our fur baby home.
Thank you so much!
Melissa is wonderful! We stumbled across a puppy on the website from her in 2015. Having Deuce in our life has brought so much joy and love. Now just recently I was scrolling through Facebook and saw puppy pictures posted by Melissa. My husband anf I fell in love again and we now have Alita. She has only been with us for about a week, but we couldn't live without her. Thank you for both our little lights and loves!
We adopted our lil bit from Melissa for a second time. She is a wonderful care giver when it comes to animals in need. She is always intentive to make sure that the animal she is handing over is safe and secure in her new home. I forsee us returning again in the future for another addition to our family.
My family and I had been hunting the perfect fir babies to join our family for months! We finally found them at Starting Over Animal Refuge! We adopted a male- whom we named Dozer and a female- we named Lola and both have been amazing additions to our family! I have an 8yr old and 8month old and they both LOVE Dozer and Lola and the puppies love them! Both puppies do amazing with my two children! We can’t imagine what it would be like without them, especially now that we have had them for 6 months!
Melissa at Starting Over Animal Refuge was amazing! She answered all our questions and addressed a few concerns that I had. She knows her fur babies well and was able to help my family and I find the perfect fit for our family! She didn’t just let us meet and take the puppies, she made sure that the puppies also seemed to like us and that we would be a good fit for them! Which was the best part because it shows she cares about them and wants them to go to a good home and be happy!!
I would absolutely recommend Starting Over Animal Refuge based on the experience my family and I had!
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Starting Over Animal Refuge in Ocala was amazing! My family and I have been hunting for the perfect Canine addition to our family and we found 2! Melissa was so nice and so helpful and the best part, she was not pushy! This made the process easy and made my family and I more confident in our newest family additions. The adoption fee was definitely good when compared to so many places we had found. We could immediately tell that Melissa wanted to make sure that the puppies were a good fit for our family but also that our family was a good fit for them and that they would be happy with us. It was a great experience and I defiantly recommend Starting Over Animal Refuge in Ocala if you’re looking to add a rescue to your family!
A month ago I adopted my first ever puppy from Melissa. I was able to pick my puppy up same day and at a very affordable price after looking around for months with no avail. My puppy Ellie is the best thing to happen to me I absolutely adore her and it’s all thanks to Melissa!! And I think she’s just as happy to be spoilt rotten :)
We adopted a 8 week old german shephard/golden retriever/australian shephard (yeap he is a mix puppy) from Starting Over Animal Refuge. The adoption process was easy no issues along the way. We adopted Ace last week and well worth the 2 hr drive. He is the cutest and smartest puppy. Training is a process as expected with a pup-- we know he will learn quick as he is smart dog with great genes. We recommend this animal shelter as they go by their word and reputation. Thank you Starting Over--> Ace is a great addition to our family! We are truly blessed and happy to have him!
I adopted a 8 week old golden retriever mix puppy from starting over animal Refuge. The adoption process was easy. She explained and gave me the dewormer medication to give to my puppy (titan). I adopted last Tuesday October 27,2020. I drove two hours to pick my little one up and it was worth it. She takes you on a little pathway to get to the puppies. You have some cats that follow and meow as you walk which is adorable there really friendly and want pets from you. Then you get to where the puppies are and there in nice size kennels and there all playing, jumping around with a big size bowl with food . She also introduced us to the other pups she has and the horses. The whole experience was great. I definitely recommend them. She answered all my questions and concerns. She was very patient with me and my 2 year old son. Now we enjoy our new addition to the family!
We had lost our older fur baby months ago and felt we were ready to add a new love to our pack. This amazing group introduced us to Tonka after giving him a huge amount of medical treatment and loving care. Their mission is genuine and while friendly, very careful and professional. I appreciate that care, so you know that they are fostering and adopting out responsibly. Much better than so called societies. Thank you, Starting Over, for helping us add to our loving family.
Sweet Melissa! An angel here on earth! This beautiful lady has dedicated herself to rescuing and adopting out soo many pets! She was wonderful to deal with. Open all Labor Day weekend long!
We lost our 11 year old rescued Irish Wolfhound, Clancy, 3 months ago and we were still heartbroken. I received an email from adopt-a-pet for a few of the puppies available out of a litter of 12 rescued from Louisiana.
I called on Sunday morning and Melissa answered right away. She was working diligently on adopting out 3 full litters of puppies. She texted me this precious picture of this male puppy and she interviewed me over the phone.
I spoke to my husband and showed him the photo. We drove the hour and a half to Ocala and met Melissa. We had already paid the $100 deposit on PayPal. She lead us to the kennels and introduced us to the puppy she had sent us the photo of. He was so sweet! We both held him, named him Finn and filled out the adoption paperwork. We paid Melissa the remainder of the adoption fee and we were on our way home.
It's now been almost 2 weeks and we are so in love with this beautiful boy! Finn is going to be a wonderful companion to us both!
Thank you, Melissa for your kindness and all the love you give these pets!!
We just recently lost our great dog Jax and our hearts were broken. I decided to find another pup immediately, to some that is wrong. But because of that fact, we found Starting Over Animal Rescue through the internet. I had no idea they existed. I contacted her about 3 different dogs I saw and they were adopted. I said thanks any way and she told me she had 2 more puppies that were health checked and released by the vet. They were black lab pups who lost their home due to the hurricane that hit Louisiana. The whole transaction was based on trust. There was a non refundable $100.00 deposit and you saw the dog virtually because of the virus. She had to trust that we were going to give the pup a forever home. We drove 5 hours total to and from to get there. It’s not a fancy place but perfect for the animals. One of the workers told us about the different rescues she has done. She is all about rescuing. After a walk through a path under shady trees followed by her nosey but very friendly cats which were in great shape we were brought to the area where is the puppies were being housed in nice sized kennels. There were horses walking around a nice green pasture. The movie she sent me was of the 2 puppies playing in their water dish which I showed everyone at work. It was hard to chose which pup so we let the pup chose us because either way the other one was also going to be adopted that day. He chose us. The one who was pouncing in the water! They gave him a bath as we were signing the paperwork and gave them the rest of the adoption fee, they gave him another puppy shot and sent him home with worming medicine. She took a family group shot and we drove off with a black lab pup we named “Cooper". He fell asleep on the trip home in my daughter's and her boyfriend's arms. This was a great finish to a horrible week. Absolutely in love with this pup. I cant understand why people will spend thousands when there is so many “Coopers" out there. I send blessings on Melissa, her help, the ranch and the animals. This was so much more pleasant than a trip to the humane society. She takes this very seriously and you really feel great doing this!
The initial experience was extremely sketchy, requiring a $100 non-refundable deposit in order to even see the puppy in person via Paypal. However, after some back and forth texting I decided to trust her and things went smoothly from there after a brief call. I took the 2-hour drive up to Ocala to see my Husky mix (His name is Midas) and immediately fell in love. I was supplied with a brief overview of his vaccine history (I believe she administered them personally) and medicine to continue his deworming treatment. I have had Midas for just over 2 weeks now and he is a very smart, loving, and caring puppy. He is learning his tricks quickly and adjusting to his new home. We took him to the vet for a wellness check as well and he is in good health. Despite how shady the whole initial transaction process seemed, she is a kind and respectful person when you can meet her in person. If what you want is a cute puppy, that is what you'll get.
I adopted a puppy from Starting Over Animal Refuge and am so grateful to them. The adoption process was a breeze and it is evident my puppy was cared for and loved before I took him home. If I ever decide to take in another puppy I would 100% chose to do it through Starting Over Animal Refuge.
I’m forever grateful that I found this rescue! Melissa was kind and answered all my questions. I searched for months to find the perfect pup to join my family and I’m so thankful we found the one. She’s a sweet, loving, gentle, and calm puppy and I’m so glad I found her. I highly recommend this rescue. I will definitely recommend them to all of my friends and family!
Absolutely wonderful experience! We had been looking to adopt a dog for a few months when we found this place! Responses were prompt, and we were able to add the perfect member to our family! An hour and a half drive from were we lived but absolutely worth every minute. The time was taken to figure out who was the right fit for our current family and pets, and it was spot on.
We had a great experience with Starting Over Animal Refuge. As we saw puppies of interest, we reached out and usually received a prompt response. We drove 2 hours to meet a pup and she was sure to put him on hold until we were sure he would be a good fit. We were able to hold him, put him down and watch his personality, love on him and take all the time we needed.
Remy has been a perfect fit for our family. From 9 lbs. to almost 30 lbs. now, with more to grow. He’s smart, sweet and super handsome!
I lost my 12 year old pup last year and decided that it was perfect timing to adopt a new dog during covid since I was out of work for 2 months. I adopted Kona and it was the best decision ever. She's awesome! The owner of the rescue was very professional, especially during this weird time. She followed all of the protocol for the covid-19. We are so happy to have to Kona as part of our family. She's perfect! I highly recommend this rescue!
We had a great experience with SOAR. Melissa was wonderful and very knowledgeable. We adopted our teacup Maltese on Christmas, 2019. The puppy is healthy and a great dog! We would definitely recommend this rescue to anyone looking to adopt a new family member.
No one else id recommend!! Bought a puppy from a “ breeder “ and right off the bat the poor puppy had Parvo & then pneumonia... Starting over saved her life. Eternally grateful. She is now a happy pup.
I sold her a litter of puppies off craigslist she immediately put them as rescued puppies...nope...that's a lie. She's a puppy flipper...nothing rescue about her, she's selling puppies for $400 that never saw a vet etc. Puppy flipper...plain and simple.
There is a Facebook page warning of her by real rescues.
My boyfriend and I adopted this amazing and handsome little man, Rusty a couple days ago. He was taken care of so well and brought back to the picture of health. I sadly did not have the pleasure of going with him to pick up Rusty, however he said that the facility was amazing and it seemed like a loving place. Thank you for taking such great care of our new baby so that we could make him part of our family, we could not be happier!!!
We had a wonderful experience with Starting Over Animal Rescue through which we met our forever friend Harper! The kind people at SOAR made it easy for us to take Harper home the same day we met her. Although we fell in love with Harper immediately, we were given time to meet her and make sure she would be a good fit for our home and lifestyle, and us for her. We would gladly drive the 2+ hours to Ocala to go through SOAR again.
We had a great experience recently with Starting Over Animal Refuge! We drove from the Orlando area to meet the pup we saw online, and the rescue did not disappoint. Melissa was very attentive and allowed us to take the pup out to meet him and ensure he would be the right fit for our family. She allowed us to take our time with him and also provided a lot of information and tips for caring for our new puppy. Overall a great experience and would highly recommend if you are looking for a pup!
So I just happened to have to put my dog down the day before thanksgiving. All thanksgiving day my family was telling me get another pup. Honestly I didnt think I was ready but I just happened upon Adopt a Pet. I found this shelter with all these puppies and I coulndnt not check it out. We got there and Mel was just awesome. She's very knowledgeable and really cares about her animals. She's also available whenever questions come up. All in all Starting over Animal Refuge is an awesome rescue and Ill be recommending this shelter to everybody.
Fell in love with this little girl at first sight. Sad someone gave her up but she has a second chance now thanks to facilities like this. She lives on 5 acres now with a big brother.
I drove to Ocala from Tampa Bay to pick up my new puppy from Melissa.
Every thing she said about the pup was fair and accurate. She does a wonderful job of finding homes for the abandoned animals. 5 stars, keep up the good work.....
Donald and Shelly
I’m here with an update on our pup. We got our puppy on Christmas Day delivered by SOAR and she is still as sweet as she was when we visited her on the farm. We are so happy with our puppy and she’s living her best life. I read past reviews about people who had to treat their puppies for worms and other illnesses and we too had to do that but for me it’s par for the course in rescuing a puppy. We had hundreds of dollars in vet bills also but I expected this when I wanted a puppy specifically from a rescue. Our pup had not been on SOAR property very long when I visited the first time. It’s amazing how many pups are turned over to Melissa from irresponsible owners. When I arrived on site the area where my pup was had been recently cleaned and hosed down and smelled of bleach so I feel she tries to keep a clean environment. The environment some of these dogs are rescued from are not the best I would imagine.
My kids had the best time on Christmas morning with their new puppy and she’s still a blessing to our family. She’s so good with all children and gets compliments all the time on how pretty and happy she is. We recommend this place to friends all the time.
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I found SOAR through adopt a pet.com. I found a couple pictures online of some adorable puppies and there seem to be a variety. The ranch was about an hour and a half from my house. I called and made an appointment to come see the puppies and Melissa was prompt to answer and respond to my communication. I drove to the ranch and there was plenty of space for all the puppies. They all had food and water available and it seemed most of them had just been bathed. The facility was quite clean. The young lady Britney who was tending to all the puppies seemed to spend a lot of time with them and was knowledgeable on where the came from. Our particular puppy (and the litter) was relinquished by the owners. One group of puppies we looked at was just brought in from a high kill shelter. I was pleased with the transaction and my puppy. My puppy did have worms when Melissa received her but she dewormed her and gave her her first round of vaccines. Melissa requires you to see a vet within 72 hours and our check up went well. She had some residual worms but we got her medicated. This is to be expected when puppies are retrieved from neglectful owners or found dogs. We had our puppy delivered b SOAR to our house 1.5 hours away) on Christmas Eve and she’s very happy and so is our family. Our previous dog is warming up to her slowly. I think it’s great what she’s doing for these dogs and not everybody can save dozens of dogs at a time so I am grateful for places like this who have big hearts for animals.
We recently lost our 9 y/o rescue and our 4 y/o rescue needed a new friend. We found our new pup at Starting Over Animal Refuge. The ranch provided a great venue to meet our new family member. He's been home with us for a week and is doing great! I definitely recommend contacting them if you're looking for a new furry friend at a great rescue.
FOUND OUR SERVICE DOG!
I cant believe how wonderful this place is for animals that have no place to go. They are SO WELL looked after.
We were so fortunate to have found our for ever fur baby here. Arlo is an absolutely precious young man.
Melissa just KNEW he would be perfect for us. When I expressed that we were looking for a dog to train as a service dog for our son with AUTISM, she just knew she had the right dog for us.
So we took the almost 2 hour drive to meet Arlo and SHE WAS SO RIGHT!!! He is so perfect and wonderful. She really understands the animals she has and finds the purrrfect match for both people and pet.
Arlo was minutes from being euthanized .... AND WAS SAVED by STARTING OVER ANIMAL RESCUE!!!!
If it weren't you guys, this wonderful gentle as can be soul, would not be with us today. And THAT would be an absolute tradegy!!!
My son has been REALLLY struggling and Arlo is the answer to our preyers.
Thank you SO MUCH!
I highly recomend !!!!
My sister had gotten her dog from Melissa almost 2 years ago so she had told me to go with her and Starting Over Animal Refuge. I went 3 weeks ago and got a little boy. He ended up having some congenital issues and sadly passed away. I called Melissa back and told her and she offered another puppy when I was ready (I was really devastated). I went back today and got a little girl this time. Melissa knows what she is doing and is more than willing to help find the right fit for your family and lifestyle. I would recommend her a thousand times before ever giving money to a breeder!
One year ago we found our Addison through this organization. We fell in love with the adorable, healthy puppy we picked. Now one year old, she is a healthy 77 pound bundle of love. We were so lucky to find Melissa and her nonprofit group.
I found Melisa while desperately searching for parvo survivors. I thought it would be the only way to get another dog without having to put another at risk or waiting a whole year after my recent county adoption nightmare. She assured us her puppies were 100% protected and that if she wasn't sure she would not ever let us on her property. My family is so grateful to her for helping us find this sweet boy. My chronically ill son is so happy to have a new best friend to comfort him. Update: Just got home from Pete's 1st check up and Dr. said that besides minor issue that a lot of puppies get no matter where you get them from , he is very pleased with how healthy he is. Continued with medication Melissa had him on and first time I've walked out of vet paying so little. I feel so blessed that I found her, she is very knowledgeable and a true animal lover.
I've recently adopted a little puppy from Starting Over and he has been nothing but a pure joy. He was so well taken care of and clearly was happy in his care during his time at Starting Over. I would absolutely suggest this refuge to friends and family if they are looking to give a pup a new home.
Adopted this guy from them and it was a fast and smooth experience. They even held him for me for a day because I wasn’t quite ready when I met Tank. They’re great people to work with and I would definitely use them again.
I adopted Riley a 5 month old Border Collie/Australian Kelpie mix and could not be happier. She has been such a delight. She was not house broken but learned very quickly, and caught on to obedience training faster than any dog I've ever had. My interactions with the owner have been nothing but great, she seemed to want to make sure the animals go to the right homes and that they're cared for. I have already recommended this organization to some friends looking to adopt!
DO NOT make the mistake I made trusting this Rescue Organization. This is my story. Approximately 2 weeks ago I adopted a beautiful puppy (Catahooula, Lab, Australian Shepherd mix) for a $400 donation. On the Contract Agreement it stated that he had been tested and tested positive for Hook Worms, Tape Worms, Round Worms and Giardia. It also listed medications, i.e. Panacur, Drontal Plus, and Metrenidazole. I, not being knowledgeable, at the time, with this situation and the owner of the Rescue Organization not explaining the seriousness of the puppy's situation. Rather than trying to explain to the vet, I provided the puppy contract to the vet at his Wellness Puppy visit. Which was required within 72 hours of adoption per contract agreement. Vet prescribed Strongid, because of what was on the contract which we later realized was clear as mud. Handwritten and not easily deciphered. Well, puppy continued to have loose stool. Rescue Organization owner suggested I give puppy a concoction of pumpkin, white rice, yogurt and chicken, which I did and didn't help. So I contacted vet and asked if he could be retested on 7/11 because his stool was still not right. It was done and it came back positive for Round Worm, Giardia, and Coxicida. I asked the vet the cause and I was advised that it came from drinking feces contaminated water. Which while in my care he gets fresh water every day and he is only outside to do his business. In my care he has never had access to feces contaminated water. So now that the puppy was on 3 prescriptions to get healthy and he has to be kept away from my other animals so they don't get anything. I decided I would reach out to the owner of the rescue organization and let her know what was going on. Instead of her being helpful, kind, and understanding. She was very nasty, defensive, and basically refused to take any responsibility for selling me a sick puppy. I asked her to meet me half way and refund me half of my donation ($200) to cover the vet visits and med costs to get him healthy and she refused. Instead she was threatening. Glad I have my puppy, but if I would have been fully aware and the Rescue Organization Owner would have been more transparent with what the puppy had, I would NOT have subjected my other fur babies or myself to Giardia or Coxicida. Now I love my puppy and am stuck rectifying it, costing me my extra time and unexpected financial expense.
Respectfully..
Adopted a beautiful dog from here, the care given to the animals and the kindness of the caretakers was clear from the start! My wife and I were very happy happy with our experience and are loving our new family member!
We took a trip to look at the different puppies to adopt and were greeted by a friendly group of people who took good care of their animals. We adopted a very smart aussie/heeler mix and we are very happy with her and the experience with this animal rescue.
I adopted a dog from this facility. I am very pleased with Zoey.I was met at facility at agreed time.All animals were well taken care of.answered all questions I had it was a great experience all the way around.If I was thinking of another dog I would definitely check here first. Michael Slaughter
We adopted our dog from SOAR 2/13/2016. The process was so easy! They were flexible with when we could see the dogs. We originally went there to look at a different dog, but fell in love with Chewy. Chewy has been the most amazing dog anyone could ask for. When we decide to get another dog, SOAR will definitely be our first place to check. I cannot thank them enough for making Chewy a part of our life!
Found mix Husky/lab pup to adopt
Impressed with care for pups
Came from Orlando because I felt they were responsible group
Toni Greene
We had a great experience adopting Tucker! We had another friend even though she did not adopt from here recommend them to us and we’re so happy she did! They were great when I called on Sunday morning and asked if we could come by to check out the puppies. We fell in love at first sight! Our vet was very happy with the care he had received before being adopted. I will definitely recommend this rescue to others!
After mourning our 16 & 21 yr old fur babies for about 4 years we decided to make the plunge. We went to adopt a dog. Melissa was great! Very patient with us. She talked with us and listed to our concerns. The place was well kept. She let us visit and I just couldn’t leave with out our little Delilah. She’s growing so fast! Thank you all so much!
We had a great experience adopting the newest member of our family from Starting Over Animal Refuge. We were a little hesitant when we arrived but once Melissa took us to the back it was awesome. She had several liters of puppies that had been surrendered. The little guy that we fell in love with had arrived there with parvo and Melissa had nursed him and his litter mates back to health. We took him to the vet the day after we adopted him and he was given a clean bill of health. I would definitely recommend Starting Over Animal Refuge to anyone and will definitely go back there if we decide to bring another fur baby home. Thank you!
We adopted our sweet little addition to our family 3 weeks ago. The the center was very clean, spacious, and well-organized. We could tell that the center really cared for their animals. We were greeted by some well-behaved fur-friends at the gate. We couldn't be happier with him. He is a healthy sweet puppy.
I called twice, and then I texted to get some information about this agreement I read about in her bad reviews. I was concerned that what she wanted may be over the top. My first text asked if she provided a hard copy of the vet records and vaccines and where I could find a copy of the adoption agreement. The owner answers: "Everything can be viewed when coming to the ranch." I explained I live two hours away and did not want to waste 4 hours driving and again asked her for the vet information. I then added I had read the good and bad reviews, explained I am not an uninformed puppy parent. If she was unable to email me the full contract so I can read and share her vet information, I believe she is shady. In my opinion, anyone selling animals should be able to provide a vet for references and a copy of the contract. I do not think this is an unreasonable request. Bottom line is I wanted to read the agreement and determine if I find her requirements are agreeable to me. If not, then I'd move on and find someone else. She then stated her credentials and told me she did not like the way I was coming at her. She called me rude and did not want me adopting from her ranch. Then said I was the first and only one who has ever asked for a vet reference. Then she said I was more than welcome to come to the ranch and view the 250 good reviews or just go to Orlando. Then she said she did not think there would be a single rescue or humane society willing to allow me to adopt. I explained, again, I am looking for answers, she did not answer my questions and I am doing my due diligence before making a purchase and supporting her. I also explain I did not care about the good and bad reviews, only my experience with her. So far in the conversation, this owner has refused to answer my two initial questions. 1. What is her vet's name. I want to verify she takes her animals to a vet. 2. What exactly does her contract say. If I had disagreed, then I would not buy from her. I respect the fact she runs this business. She does not appreciate and recognize the fact I am a consumer wanting information. I explained I am a direct person and a responsible puppy parent. After a few more messages, she finally summarized what is on her contract. I told her again, I want the entire contract, not her summary. Still, she did not provide a link or was willing to provide unless I visit the ranch. I explained that if I agreed to her terms, I would print it out. Then she said I am not having you sign my contract without meeting me and approving me. I explained to her, the contract is not valid unless we both sign. Then she said "I am a LICENSED organization and my corporate name is my signature and the contract does not need to be signed." She called me arrogant, said she could not send a copy because she did not have one downloaded, which was the first time she mentioned it. She called me a troll, accused me of possibly harassing her vet. She finally admitted to giving all the shots to the puppies herself. She continued to be rude. You should always ensure whatever person you are buying from is legitimate and willing to share information. This woman was not. I wanted the vet info to verify she has one and a copy of the contract to see if what she demands is acceptable. She was rude, hostile, and a bully. I would never support a non-profit like this one. Had she been upfront when I asked those questions, this rating would be a five star, not a one. Stop taking questions personally. Be transparent and share the information. I really wish this would have turned out different. This woman has a large chip on her shoulder and I see why others can see why they think she is crazy and warning others to stay far away. However, I would never judge her based on what others say. I am completely basing my opinion on my experience with her. I really wanted her to share the info I needed. Unfortunately, she would not.
**Additional comments: I did NOT call, all communication was via text. How do you have a rude and demanding tone in a text?! This woman was neither professional or calm. She refused to answer basic questions and was combative. Simply, she was a bully.
Melissa296 06/23/2019
I could post the “entire” conversation leading me to my frustrated response but I’ll be more classy then that. This person called me and immediately in a rude demanding tone demanded for my vets information and veterinary documents on my animals along with a copy of my adoption contract. No presentation on whom she was or why she was calling . Immediately she made me on edge but I remained composure and asked why she called with these demands if she had adopted and was concerned about a puppy . She stated no and that she MIGHT want to adopt but seeing my 6 out of 250 bad reviews she finds me shady and wants all my legal and medical proof that I’m a “legit” organization and that the puppies receive their proper vaccines . I’m a shelter . Just as humane societies and animal services . Licensed by the state of Florida which makes my contracts
I adopted my little fur baby from starting over animal rescue. As soon as I saw her online I knew she was the one. I am absolutely obsessed with her.at the rescue the cages were very well kept and all of the dogs seemed happy and healthy. Melissa seemed very passionate about her rescue and we stayed there talking to her for hours!
This was such a fun experience. There were so many different dogs with such different personalities. We went expecting to fall in love With one dog and ended up falling in love with another. Scout has been such a wonderful addition to our family. I would definitely recommend this refuge to others who want to find their forever fur baby.
Starting over ranch is an awesome place to find an amazing new family member! My husband and I couldn't be happier with our recent adoption! She fits our family perfectly! Melissa's knowledge of animals is amazing! To fit the right dog with the right family!
Melissa took the time to help and offer advice. Brittany was very knowledgable and patient. Thank you.
Very personal and fun. Don’t get discouraged by the fascade of the place. The back is where it gets fun. It was hard to pick a puppy. They are all beautiful, including the adults.
An amazing place, with amazing people. We came to adopt a puppy and were overwhelmed by how many there were, and how well taken care of all the animals are with such a big place to roam and play. The owner was so helpful and sweet, and obviously cares so much about all her animals and rescues. Definitely come here to adopt a puppy!!
We have been looking for a puppy for a while and drove an hour and a half to get to the rescue. Melissa and Brittany were very accommodating to us and our timing for arrival since it was Friday afternoon traffic.
My 4 year old was full of questions and they were patient and kind to my daughter and very attentive to the animals. Melissa even gave my daughter a ride on the horse which she is still so excited about.
We left with a beautiful puppy that same day. Since the litter had only arrived to the rescue that day we were warned that she would have worms which they administered a dewormer to her while we were there and gave her a bath. From what I have been told, It is not uncommon for puppies to have worms. We took her to the vet and addressed the worms and fleas and she has already become our best friend. We are so grateful that we were able to adopt this beautiful pup from this organization and would do it again in the future.
I have been looking for a puppy for a while now and stumbled upon this rescue through adopt-a-pet. I went to the rescue on Wednesday and left with a new bestfriend, Grizzly. The rescue was amazing and Melissa was phenomenal in helping me. I would 100% recommend this refuge as the spot to find your new best friend too.
Rescued my 8 week old puppy DEXTER from SOAR. Enclosures were well kept & clean. All the animals seemed happy & healthy. My Dexter is a little sweetie pie. It's been 2 weeks and he is already a mama's boy.
We adopted our handsome puppy in August 2018. I was very impressed with Melissa and Brittany's flexibility in working with our timing to get our pup adopted as we could only come later in the day and needed to waited a week before picking him up (unique circumstances). I was very impressed with her knowledge of, love for, and ability to care for these pups and dogs the way she does. I would adopt from her again.
I was also glad to see that she had separate enclosements for each age/size of dogs. Each kennel had a concrete flooring and also some soft ground for them to play on. And, they were visibly well fed and watered. It is a beautiful place for these pups as it is also a refuge for horses and has a beautiful green pasture directly across from the dogs.
Our pup did have worms when he was examined by the vet, but this was not Melissa's fault. Melissa gave our pup his first de-worming medicine in front of us, and she gave him his first round of vaccines that week while she had him. The fact that he had worms did not anger me because most pups are born with some form of worms and must be treated. It was likely he would have them since he was so young and had only been with Melissa a week; that's not nearly long enough for her to administer the needed number of treatments in order to get rid of the worms completely. Therefore, the presence of worms was due to our timing in adopting him.
We adopted Riley from Starting Over Animal Refuge on 12/31/2018. Melissa was very prompt in answering the phone and all questions I had. My kids and I drove an hour and a half and met our newest family member. The puppies we all well taken care of and seemed very happy while waiting to find the forever homes. She has followed up with us to make sure Riley is adjusting and doing well since brining her home. If you’re looking for your newest family member contact Melissa.
We adopted this beautiful boy on 11/11/18. Melissa was great. She accommodated us at the last minute, scheduled our appointment and then was very patient while we met all the puppies, and made our decision.
We were impressed by how clean her facilities are and how well these puppies are cared for. We named our boy Duke and are so grateful for Melissa and Starting Over Animal Refuge.
I worked at starting over and adopted from there and loved it and adopted the best dog I’d ever had! Definitely recommend adopting from starting over!!
I just wanted to bring to your attention that this "organization" is a scam.
Starting Over Animal Refuge Inc.
This woman is a puppy flipper. She purchases puppies in bulk off of Craigslist and re sells them individually for a mark up. She claims that she is a non-profit and yet she charges $400 cash only as an "adoption" fee. She has a very convincing story of where the puppies come from, but in reality she has no idea. She claims that the puppies come 100% vaccinated and that is a lie. When I brought my puppy to the vet they said that he was NEVER administered any vaccines and that he tested positive for tapeworms, hookworms and roundworms which was not brought to my attention at the time of the adoption. When my veterinarian contacted the "shelter" owner to send over proof of vaccinations, the owner became irate and started yelling at the Vet.
I do not believe that she has the right intentions for her animals and she is scamming those of us who want to provide good homes for these puppies.
I specifically this site because I did not want to get my dog from a breeder. I have been waiting for almost 2 years for the perfect puppy to show up in my email and when I found him and "adopted" him I find out that I was scammed out of $400 and another $82 for veterinary costs.
I would strongly advise you look into this "rescue" and take down any animals she has up for adoption in the mean time so that no one else can be taken advantage of.
This is not a bona fide rescue I do not understand how they have nonprofit status.
I tried to buy a dog off of Craigslist from a woman who was selling Anatolian Shepherd cross with English lab puppies. She informed me that the puppies were all sold to one person who said they were for mobility assistance dogs.
I figured maybe that person would sell me one of the puppies. I found out that this so-called rescue had purchased the whole litter under the claim they were for mobility assistance prospects But now they are selling them as 8 week old rescue puppies.
When I try to buy the puppy from the original owner it was $50 now they want $400 for the exact same puppy a week later who has not even seen a vet is not spayed or neutered like you would expect to be from a rescue. People are out to make money I get that, but these people are giving rescues a bad name and should be shut down.
Adopted our furbaby (Willow - lab/shepherd mix) a few days ago and she just had her 1st puppy checkup. Vet was impressed with how healthy she is- no issues. She's a happy puppy just full of energy.
Thank you Melissa
Just adopted my Anatolian x lab - happy little girl - picked her up shortly after Melissa rescued them. Full of worms but not due to Melissa; she wouldn't release the puppy until she'd gotten her shots and parasite meds. Melissa's adoption process is no nonsense and simple. Her fees are not much different from other rescues, and she has a much better selection. Would definitely adopt from her again and/or recommend her. My daughter got her puppy from Melissa the week before me. We live in Orlando (almost 2 hours from Melissa) and she was worth the 3 trips we took up there.
I just adopted my puppy from Melissa and I have absolutely nothing but great things to say about the experience. All the puppies I saw were in great health and were extremely friendly. Melissa is very knowledgeable about canines and, clearly, took very good care of her rescues. Even after the adoption, I felt comfortable asking her about my puppy. These photos were taken the day I brought him home. We were so happy with the whole process that my mom went back and adopted another puppy from Melissa!
This is not only and Amazing Aminal Refuge but its run by one dynamite person.
When you show up and see all the animals its spotless, like no joke! If she sees one of the dogs pooping while showing you around shes on top of it cleaning it up. You can tell the amount of pride and passion she has for what she does. You can also tell she spends a lot of time with all her animals... literally the animals swiper... she calls or walks over and they all flock to her. These animals are well taken care of and for. If your in the search for a new furry family member I highly recommend getting one from her rescue.
Beware this is no rescue this is a Puppy flipper...you will see my puppies $400 each.
She came to buy my litter of puppies $500 for 7..Im not greedy..she sells them $400 each NO SPAY NO NEUTERING etc...said for mobility assistance dogs, she shorted me $100 drove off when told her she owes $100 more! Shes a THIEF a CROOK steer clear!
So I looked her up shes a puppy flipper my puppies didnt need RESCUING I put them for sale $50 and $100..
Anatolianxmaremma x English Lab. I dont breed dogs, mistake breeding by 9 month old male who is now neutered.
She threatened to report me for neglect and here are the puppies with my daughter few weeks ago.
She robbed me drove off after telling her she owed me $100 more then calls me a narcissist and threatens me lol
Steer clear of this fraudulent rescue...shes no more than a puppy flipper. I didnt research her until she kept texting me acting like a nut case...
FOLLOW YOUR GUT DONT DEAL WITH THIS FAKE RESCUE. She shorted me $100 hauled ass like a thief and now wants to say my dogs are neglected lol
She mentioned shes no puppy flipper..what do you call selling puppies for $400 with no spaying neutering upon "sale"..rescues push nuetering spaying...not this one
Review from Guidestar
I visited Starting Over and met Melissa. She has endless love and energy for family and animals. The amount of time and patience that she spends taking care of and cleaning after the animals is endless. I spent over 4 hours there and she did over 8 hours worth of work. I got tired just watching her go from one pen to another, one dog to another. LOL In my book----she is the best.
Previous Stories
We adopted our catahoula mix puppy, Gemma, in June. We could not have had a better experience, I would highly reccomend! Gemma had a perfect first vet visit and is a healthy 7 months old this week. Thank you for the opportunity to adopt such a sweet pup!
Questionable that this place is a 'rescue' let alone 'responsible' rescue. What kind of rescue adopts, or probably more accurately sells, dogs that are not microchipped, not spayed/neutered, and have 5 different parasites? They probably don't want the dogs they sell to be tracked back to them when the dogs end up in a kill-facility. And, don't fix the dogs? Great way to add to the overpopulation.
There are plenty of great responsible rescues out there that actually care about and vet the dogs before they are adopted out. Stay away from this place if you want a healthy dog. Likely a puppy mill.
Review from Guidestar
Starting Over Animal Refuge is a great place to find your new pet. We called Melissa and she arranged for us to be able to come look at all her pets that day. The girl who assisted us was very friendly. It was interesting to hear the different stories of each pet. We could tell they were being well cared for. We adopted a precious 9 week old husky mix. She is so sweet. We just love her. We highly recommend this organization for anyone looking for a new pet. Thanks again for all the help and love you give to those pets in need of a second chance and forever home!
We adopted a beautiful boxer/ catahoula mix puppy. She is strong, healthy and smart. Starting Over Animal Refuge is a great place to find the perfect addition to your family. The animals are all treated with love and care.
I adopted a 10 week old 1/2 Lab and 1/2 Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy. I called Melissa and let her know that I was looking for a dog that I can take to my classroom everyday. I also want to train him to be a therapy dog for children's hospitals and elderly centers. She said that she had a couple that would meet my needs. I ended up adopting Toby my precious baby that same day. The kennels were very clean. Melissa was super nice and very helpful. I took her recommended puppy and he is an amazing puppy. He is really calm considering he is a puppy. He gets along with my other dog and cats. Melissa's recommendation was spot on. He does have intestinal worms, but most puppies do. I would recommend SOAR for your next adoption!
The owner Melissa was super nice and answered all our questions.
Melissa whent out of her way to answer questions even after the adoption was finalized and continued to support the transition to adjust to wonderful “hope” are new four legged friend!!!!
Thank you so much Melissa you have made this experience a joy!!!
Great experience for us. We adopted Ryder on May 9th. He saw the vet two days later and the vet was impressed at his health especially after hearing he had several types of worms and coccidia when he was given to the rescue. He has continued to thrive these last few weeks and acclimated quickly to the baby and the other dogs in our family. He saw the vet again today for his third set of vaccines and he's in perfect health.
Melissa took time with us and also gave us space and time to play with him while we were there making the decision. ALL of the animals that we saw on her property looked and acted healthy and the puppies were all active and in large CLEAN kennels with plenty of space, water, and shelter. We saw no cages and the few adult dogs she had were out in the yard running around. I would not hesitate to recommend Starting Over Animal Refuge and would definitely consider future adoptions from her.
We just got our little pup, Kona, from Starting Over Animal Refuge. She is the sweetest, most loveable little pup. She is great with kids and other dogs. She seemed very socialized from being at the refuge with the other animals. Melissa was great and let us take as long as we wanted with each dog so that we could really get to know their personalities which helped us make the best decision for us. We just took Kona to the vet and they gave her a clean bill of health. She is a great addition to our little family. She’s already added so much joy after the 3 short days that she’s been with us. Thanks again, you guys rock and are doing amazing things for these animals!
My family wanted to adopt a puppy and thankfully we found Melissa. She has a beautiful and super clean home and ranch. She made my husband and I feel very welcome, and was patient in helping me find a puppy with a sweet personality. You can tell how much she loves all her animals by how well trained and cared for they are. They are not crated/caged, but rather kept together in large pens, with a large dog house for shelter. Plenty of room to run. My puppy was checked out by our vet on the second day and had no health issues. I highly recommend Melissa and her rescue.
Got an amazing loving German Shepherd/lab retriever puppy from here about a month ago with my boyfriend and we are absolutely in love! Unfortunately he had hookworms upon his first vet appointment and we couldn’t get an appointment within the first 3 days as our local vet was booked up, but it wasn’t a harsh issue to solve. He came very happy and healthy otherwise and is getting us outside and more active every day. The horse ranch we visited in Oviedo was gorgeous and all the pups looked happy. We couldn’t be happier. Thank you so much!
Got the best lil girl in the world! Love my healthy happy lil puppy!!! Great rescue, honest , knowledgeable and accommodating! I can’t thank them enough for all the joy my lil Ella has brought to us
We love our pup Sazi and could not be happier. Melissa made time at the end of the day for us and was patient as we selected our puppy. We are so glad to have found this shelter and such a wonderful addition to our home!
I was extremely impressed by the way Melissa takes care of all of the rescue dogs and horses I saw at her 10 acre farm. She wears her heart on her sleeve and I am super thankful for what she does. My three sons and I found our new puppy and Melissa online and we drove over an hour to get him. He is wonderful!! Thank you Melissa for what you do and for sharing your story with us. It's an invaluable service and we are most thankful!
we had contacted 2 other recuse first non of them e-mailed me back to say anything one was fl lab rescue the other coon hound rescue even with more then 2 emails nothing. Then I texted starting over animal refuge and melisa texted me back with in 15 min. we set up a date and time to meet the dogs what a wonderful place and between her and her daughter they where fantastic and totally went over board to make sure we had the time we wanted with what ever puppy we wanted to see. she gave us all the info we needed about the puppies. they gave our new family member a bath before we took her home. Let me say if you want someone that cares some much and some one that will give you all the time you need this is the place for you. make sure you call her first or last to see the difference. we now have a beautiful lab and A.shepherd the new love of our life
Near the end of 2017, we adopted a puppy from this shelter. We told them we wanted a large dog, over 100lbs fully grown and a mastiff mix as we knew that breed would suit our lifestyle. The shelter reassured us that the puppy was a Brazilian mastiff and lab mix. Despite the fact that their ad said the adoption was $400, they told us the price now was $500. We happily paid it despite the fact that there was nowhere to sit comfortably and get to know the dogs other than the ground. When we took our puppy to the vet, we learned he had a heart murmur and was overrun with parasites (not surprising given that the puppies were all in the same pen and ate out of one communal bowl). We had a DNA test ran and learned that our puppy was neither a mastiff nor a lab and his mix of breeds are all high-energy which we expressly didn’t want and will likely only be approximately 60lbs fully grown. I suppose we shouldn’t have been surprised given that only a week after we adopted, the shelter posted a picture of our puppy to advertise being up for adoption as a cane corso mix. Fortunately, our puppy has found a loving home with us regardless of the lies this shelter told us, but we will never support this shelter and discourage others from adopting from them.
Melissa302 03/26/2018
I'm sorry you were not happy with your adoption. Experience unfortunately we cannot satisfy each and every adopter as much as we try. Our adoption fee is $400 so I apologize if one of my interns at the time was mistaken that probably should of been brought to their attention or my attention so apologies for that. As far as breeds we do animal rescue and cannot guaruantee their size or their breeds. Mastiff mixes can range of all sizes and DNA tests are not accurate both human and animals. (My sister owns lab companies) . Parasites are common and we start them on a deworming program this is discussed at time of adoption and you have the option to not adopt when this is explained. I guarantee on your contract it reads your puppy had 3 types of parasites . We are often successful in one Round of treatment but all puppies are different. It's not guaranteed. Acute Heart murmurs are subjected for adoption refunds without returning puppy but I'm sorry we were never called on the matter .
This past weekend I adopted a puppy from Starting Over Refuge and I couldn't be happier! Melissa was very sweet and helpful during the whole process. The refuge is a beautiful farm and you can tell that these people really care about the animals they have. Would recommend to anyone. My puppy (Jax) was very healthy overall minus a few worms which are very normal for pups, and we are already so in love
We are so blessed to find “Mr.Champ”our first puppy at SOAR. I was quite nervous adopting but Melissa was able to answer my many questions and assured me it will be ok.
We got our Mille almost 3 weeks ago and we could not imagine life without her now! I would highly recommend finding your life companion here :)
Melissa was very flexible in her schedule to let us meet our future puppy at her ranch. You can tell she cares very much for all her animals and has exceptional training skills with the dogs. We enjoyed our visit and our new family member. Thank you!
Its been almost 4yrs since i got my lil baby from melissa at SOAR. My husband and i couldn't thank melissa enough, she made it so easy and informative. We will certainly go through SOAR if we go looking for another fur baby!! Melissa and SOAR are amazing
we have adopted 2 puppies from Melissa and could not be happier. she has the knowledge and expertise to handle any situation, and she has become a very good friend over the past few years. if you ever need a dog or horse she is the one to come see.
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Melissa and her staff were excellent. I am really praying for them to have funding to build a bigger shelter to help even more animals.
My daughter and I have been looking for a Golden Retriever mix puppy for almost four years and had been in contact with Melissa several times. The stars finally aligned and we adopted a little girl last week. What a blessing !! Thank you to Melissa for all your help.
We decided to get a dog at a spur of the moment descision & it was the best decision going to Melissa! We have had him for almost 5 months! Our Dexter is truly one of a kind & I couldn’t be happier with my sweet baby boy!
Anyone who loves animals also knows the level of commitment that goes into ensuring the continuity of care. They get sick in the middle of the night unexpectedly, they have accidents, they need love, and they need veterinary care. Ours are our babies. Animals depend on us to protect, and provide for their needs. Melissa is completely dedicated to the care of those animals in need. Often times she will utilize her own funds. Please help with any donation you are able to afford. You can volunteer your time, provide veterinary services, medical supplies, feed, or money, or even adoption. Please take a look at the wonderful work that is done here.
This place is so incredible she intercepts puppies for horrible situations! She gives them vaccines better then the vets! She is seriously amazing and I’d adopt from her any and every time I am looking! She is seriously a incredible rescue and puts time and work into her dogs to insure they are healthy and happy! And by adopting your helping her save more puppies that can ultimately end up dead from parasites or from going off to become bait dogs!
Melissa302 10/19/2017
I really wish you stayed who you are and what puppy you adopted so I can make a personal phone call to you and offer your entire adoption fee back because now I fear you may attempt to get rid of this puppy who's a lab mix that's born and bred to be a mentally and physically active dog which would of never been interpreted otherwise not even by my new interns. Most puppies period require 2 miles of activity a day and still have energy unless you adopt a Bassett hound. As far as finding my place GPS and WAZE Brings you to my 10 acre ranch just 1/2 mile and 3 turns off of I-75. Only one that lacks ability to listen and follow directions gets lost coming here . Obviously and I'm not going to apologize for being rude in this case you have a habit of not listening or following direction. You also did zero research on the breed you were trying to adopt . With that said I ask everyone what their lifestyle is and explain the breeds temperament or ask if they did their reasearch .
We adopted our sweet Penny from SOAR. Melissa was so awesome and accommodating, even though she had fallen ill from a cold. She knew our pups personality from the start, and knew she was better suited for a family with out kids (since she was slightly timid and became overstimulated easily). She even offered to see Penny if she developed any medical problems. Penny has been the biggest blessing to our lives. She is the sweetest dog I've ever had. She always has a smile on her face. Thank you Melissa for caring so much for these pups!
I'm sorry but I have to speak out on this place...I have tried to support it. But I'm continually disappointed in how it is run. First of all, they purchase puppies from backyard breeders on craigslist, Fb, etc. A reputable rescue would never do that. All that does is increase the demand & encourage them to breed again! Second of all, the adoption fees are outrageous. I could understand if a lot was put into the dogs, but she often has them less than 24-48 hours (most rescues quarantine at least 2 weeks...how is 2 days enough time at all), gives them a couple shots and then sells them. She doesn't pay for the spay/neuter. So what exactly is the fee covering? There is also no consistency in adoption fees. It seems like she throws a price on them based on how cute they are. What kind of rescue does that? She currently has pyrenees mix puppies for adoption for $500!! and then you see she also has some "australian shepherd/catahoula" puppies for $350 and $360. seriously why is one sibling $10 more expensive than the other..? Anyway, I would love to be wrong but it seems to me like shes just buying puppies and then re-selling them for more money. She does not pull from shelters and she almost strictly takes puppies, aside from the occasional purebred adult. $500 x 6 puppies and she's making a total of 3k in a matter of a couple of days off of those Pyr pups...I'm sorry and I would love to be proved wrong I'm just having trouble believing this rescue has the best intentions when they jack up the price for cuter puppies and do not quarantine or include spay/neuter in an already very high adoption fee. I would love to see her rescue dogs that are really in need...maybe dogs on death row at the shelter? or seniors...it just appears from my perspective she only rescues the very desirable and easily adoptable dogs/puppies.
Melissa302 09/04/2017
Thankyou for your opinion and you're questions are very normal . I don't highlight the adults I do save and I do save seniors and problem dogs . I currently have sailor moon who is a 6 yr old amstaff bully and she's semi aggressive in nature making her very hard to place . She's been here now for 9 months . We also have Annie a senior shepherd who is 10 yrs old and we have had her here for over a year going on two years yet to find even a foster home . We have Lilly a dominant boxer mix . Who we are housing for a girl that was part of our teen outreach program and then we have a lab who is 3yrs old and waiting to be spayed and microchipped . So yes we do take in adults but have to be very selective now being I am about to go through a child custody battle . I yes believe it or not I have to consider my family and life positions as well. I have not been steady to save everyone I want to save .
When we discovered our puppy online, there was no doubt that this would be the one coming home with us. After the 2 hours drive to Melissa's ranch, we were not disappointed: The dogs looked just like on the pictures - healthy, clean and well-kept. We were allowed plenty of time to meet different puppies from the litter, so we could find our best match.
Paperwork was done efficiently and straight forward.
Melissa is doing an exceptional job out there, dedicating her life to the animals an keeping the place in good shape.
We will highly recommend this organization to friends and family choosing to give an animal the chance to start over!
We found our baby boy (Mastiff and American Bulldog) and named him Remington, at the Starting Over Animal Refuge, Inc in Ocala, Florida. We cannot say enough wonderful things about the owner, Melissa!
She took so many telephone calls from me leading up to our coming to visit her amazingly peaceful ranch!
Melissa was so patient with us, allowing us all the time that we needed to make this very important choice.
All of the animals were taken care of so great by Melissa, it was hard to choose just one puppy! All of the puppies were fed and happy and excited to great their new visitors - each of their individual personalities shown through! It is truly amazing how passionate, professional and loving Melissa is to every single little animal on her farm! She has devoted her life to caring for animals - I would highly recommend this rescue farm to everyone! We are loving spoiling our new addition to our family!
My family and I took the two hour drive from Winter Haven to Ocala once we fell in love with the Mastiff puppies that Melissa and the Rescue had. When we arrived, Melissa took us back and we walked right over to where the Mastiff puppies were and immediately chose our baby girl Nala. Melissa gathered our information and informed us about her shots and demorming process that the puppy had already been given. We agree to all of the request in order to adopt our sweet girl and we took her home that day. All the animals at the rescue we very sweet and kind and you can absolutely tell they are love unconditionally. Thank you Melissa for our sweet baby girl.
I'm sorry but I have been watching this "rescue" operate for a while and I have to speak out. I want to support, but this really is not how a rescue should work. First of all, she only "rescues" puppies. Cute puppies. Puppies under 4 months old. Occasionally purebred adult dogs, mostly German Shepherds. She charges like $400 for the adoption fee. why? What am I missing? She doesn't even cover the spay/neuter. She gives them vaccines and worms them. Average like $25 investment per pup. Maybe more, definitely not $400. The rescue I foster for charges $150 per puppy, all vaccines, worming, flea meds and spay/neuter included. She says the adoption fees help cover the cost of the adult dogs she has, but she doesn't really rescue very many of them. So I don't really see what the rest of the money is going to. 2nd of all, she has the puppies for like 24 hours before adopting them out. No quarantine period...I've seen a few posts where puppies have been ill and even died at their new homes. She has no helpers. No foster homes. It's a one man operation, very odd for a rescue. And if you try to offer her help or advice on social media she gets very defensive. One of the things she does that bugs me the most is she BUYS a lot of the litters of puppies off Craigslist. She believes it is helping but no reputable rescue would purchase puppies from backyard breeders. That just encourages them to breed more.... She has a SNAP program which is great (turn over the litter and she will spay the mom), but purchasing these puppies defeats the entire purpose of putting backyard breeders out of business. She hardly ever pulls dogs from shelters. Why is that? Those are the dogs that really need help. the ones on death row, or old, sick ones... Right now she's saying she really needs a high def camera in order to get these puppies adopted before she has 20 more come in on Monday....why would you agree to take more puppies before you have the room? What if these puppies you have get sick and need to be kept longer? She does do some good, and her heart might be in the right place but from the outside this looks more like a puppy flipping operation than a rescue.
On December 14th we drove from Orlando to Ocala to try to find a forever friend who would fit in with our other dogs and our active life. We arrived and were given the opportunity to spend as much time as we wanted with the dogs. This was a relief as many adoption sites are set up so it is almost a competition to get the dog you may or may not fit with. I would love to say that we picked Oakley but it would be more apt to say that he picked us. The dogs at Starting Over are in nice large areas and we were a bit away from the area he was in but he made enough noise that he got our attention! We spent a lot of time interacting with him and Melissa was very honest with us about the intestinal parasites that he had and was receiving treatments for (this is the reason he was away from the other puppies). Well, a few doses of medicine later we have a happy healthy puppy who enjoys playing with our other dogs, hiking and playing in waterfalls! I could not have asked for a better experience or a better addition to our family. Not a day goes by that he doesn't make me smile!
This rescue ranch is awesome. The owner is beyond caring for the puppies and is very knowledgeable on the breads, medicine, etc for your new fur baby. We adopted this cutie and named her Stella. We are so very happy and lucky to have come across this rescue ranch as we found an amazing new member of our family! Thanks again for being such a kind caring person! You are very special and what you do for these animals is just amazing!
I found Melissa and SOAR on Petfinder.com, as I was looking to adopt/rescue a Labrador (I'm a previous Lab owner)
I contacted her on March 4, and the following day my son and I drove 4 hours to Ocala. When we arrived, there were puppies in various kennels and 19 horses in a pasture! Melissa has chosen to dedicate her life to helping animals, and she's passionate about it ..
After discussing a few of the puppies with Melissa, I chose Bella (Lab/Aussie Shepherd mix) for 2 reasons:
(1) Melissa told me she was very calm (as compared to her 7 brothers and sisters)
(2) Bella had a corneal ulcer (one of her brothers had scratched her eye the day before).. She needed to be adopted quickly and see a Vet...
Now, 6 weeks later... Great puppy....Very smart.. Extremely social with people.... Everyone that meets her can't believe how "chilled" she is for a puppy (Melissa was right).. For this reason, she's a pleasure to take everywhere..
I recommend Melissa and would adopt another puppy from her again ...I also admire her for the tremendous effort it takes to care for so many animals.. Pics below at 8, 12, and 14 weeks..
My husband found Starting Over when "window shopping" for a lab puppy. When we went to Melissa's farm and home, she showed me the most precious puppy. I fell in love immediately! We bought our puppy home and it has been the best addition to our family! It isn't a lab.....it is a beautiful hound mix that we called Saylor Suzie Q! We want another puppy and I would go to Melissa for another one in a heartbeat! She is wonderful!!!
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My boyfriend and I adopted Foster (formerly Rhiley) two weeks ago from Starting Over! We researched several other organizations before deciding that Starting Over was the right decision. Melissa is passionate about the animals she rescues and is genuinely looking out for their well-being.
The adoption process was seamless and we were given plenty of time to see if Foster was the pup for us. We instantly fell in love with him and brought him home that night! He's a happy pup and has grown so much in the two weeks we've had him. Thank you Melissa!
We adopted our Hazel a week ago and she has completed our family wonderfully. Thank you Melissa for your work to help all of these puppies find their forever homes :)
Adopted my beautiful dog Coco a little over a year ago when my daughter fell in love with her. Melissa was very helpful and we are so thankful to have Coco in our lives.
The puppy we adopted is not only the most adorable, but the sweetest, loving smart puppy we could have ever imagined. Melissa was so wonderful and so passionate about the care of the dogs. Highly recommend!!!
We adopted this adorable puppy from SOAR. Harley is a great addition to our family. Thank you Melissa for helping us with our new family member.
When we saw Ocean online, we immediately started calling SOAR to get in contact with the owner of the group (Melissa). Two hours later I was heading to the location to see the puppy in person. It was absolutely love at first nip of the finger. Facetiming the family, we agreed she was going to her forever home. The location is nice and open, enough room for potential adopters to run around with the puppy they were looking at. Melissa gave everyone (there were three other couples there) ample time with the puppies to make sure they were the "right fit". The process for signing papers was extremely easy!
A very nice woman, with a wonderful set up for a rescue, and my family now has a forever home for Ocean. (Attached is a shot I took of Ocean getting acclimated to her new backyard)
Thanks again!
-Chris
Today we brought home our new baby girl. Her name is Sadie. So pleased with our experience. Thankful for such an amazing organization like S.O.A.R.
We met & took 'Jasper' HOME with us on December 21, 2016...He INSTANTLY picked US upon our arrival! We didn't even bother looking at or engaging with any of the other at least 5 puppies that were there that day. I could write a best selling novel already about our story since he has joined our family. I still can not wrap my head around the fact that he was adopted & returned after 3 short weeks with a family before we met him! Their loss! He apparently was waiting for us! Jasper & Jenny have nothing but pure LOVE for one another & anyone they come in contact with! I already had my 'mama's girl' and now I have my 'mama's boy'. Thank you!
3/16/17- Just wanted to leave an update...Jasper continues to thrive & is growing like a weed! As seen in recent picture he has outgrown Jenny by quite some bit already! Jasper & Jenny are like 'soul mates'. They have such an incredible loving bond & commitment to one another. Jasper has been neutered already & according to our Vet he will grow to be anywhere from about 70lbs to as much as 100lbs! AH! We were so use to feeding just little Jenny. 15lbs of dog food would last near 2 months. 15lbs of dog food barely lasts a week now with Jasper here. LOL In the just shy of 3 months since Jasper joined our family he continues to amaze us & make us smile & laugh every minute of every day. He is for sure the family 'clown'. One of his favorite teething toys has been 1 Gallon empty Motts Apple Juice containers. They are VERY loud & easy for him to throw high up in the air. He loves pushing the bottles around on the floor with his nose & feet as if he is playing soccer with them too! He already sits on command & is totally housebroken. He is NOT a crate trained/crate dog at all! He goes to the kitchen door & rings the wind chime hanging on the door handle when he needs to piddle or poop. If we don't move fast enough for him he will let us know by barking/yelping/howling to get us to speed it up. He is a total pro at playing fetch! He patiently sits until we throw a toy & immediately brings toys back to us. He sleeps in a big king sized bed with myself & Jenny...plenty of room for us all. No worries about how big he gets, there is plenty of room for all 3 of us! He's a big couch potato! Loves to spend the day on the couch with me & Jenny in between playing fetch for hours at a time daily in the living room. He is also quite the little smartie pants as well. He has figured out how to work the door handles in the house. We do not have any door knobs, they are all door handles. He knows how to stand up & put his paws on them to pull/push them open when he wants in! If I mistakenly close a door & he can not see me he simply opens the doors & comes right in on his own! He is a total gentle giant during meals. He sits nicely a few feet away from the kitchen table or will lay down & wait patiently to see if he is due a plate of his own. Of course he only gets his own plate when I make chicken & either bake some or boil some for him & Jenny. He also prefers to be 'fork fed' when he gets any table foods. He eats very nicely off a fork.
We can not wait to get the boy into the pool for him to swim once the weather warms up!
Thank you again Melissa! Jasper & Jenny thank you too!
There are not enough positive adjectives that describe this lady, Melissa is awesome. We are truly blessed to have found her as we now have lonna cause of her and what she does for these animals. She truly is a hero in my book. If we ever need to adopt we will always come back to SOAR!! Great place, great communication and wonderful wonderful feeling of knowing what you are supporting. Thanks Melissa you are the Best!! Jolee Scarborough
I first met Melissa when my husband rescued 3 puppies from the woods in absolutely awful condition. He brought them home and we attempted to rehabilitate them and find homes for them, unfortunately having 4 dogs and 2 cats and a kid in the house was to much for us at. Thankfully i found Melissa, she messaged me and told me she could help me out and take all 3! She absolutely saved those dogs lives, without her they would have been put down. When I went to her rescue to drop them off her facilities were absolutely top notch! They were so clean. Before she took the puppies into the kennels she gave each one a flea and tick bath immediately and sat for over and hour picking impossible ticks off of them for the safety of the other puppies she had there. I have never seen a rescue facility ran that neat and organized before! I recommend anyone looking for a puppy to get them from Melissa! She's and absolutely amazing person and so many innocent animals wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her!
I searched for a few months for the perfect pup for me. Just having relocated to Florida from New York without any family or friends, I needed a best friend. After finding Luna (now renamed Java) on petfinder.com, Melissa was very prompt to accommodate a time later that day in which I could come see the puppy. It was an instant companionship and I couldn't be any happier! I could tell Melissa puts great care and compassion into caring for each and everyone of those animals. I can't wait to get a house of my own soon and contact her for another pup! The hour and half drive was 100% worth it!
Archer is literally a blessing. This baby has so much love to give it's incredible . I am so happy soar was there to rescue him and bring him into my life! He's such a cuddle buddy and definitely a mama's boy. I can't wait for the rest of the years we get to spend together. Thank you so much!
I adopted my Dalmatian/ hound from Starting Over & she is the best thing to ever happen to me and my family. We just love her to pieces. Melissa is amazing & we stay in contact. I don't know what I would do without my Nova baby!
This organization is awesome. I was having the worst luck getting scammed and treated unprofessionally by several other rescue groups but Melissa and this organization were by far the most enjoyable to work with. I drove 2 hours to Ocala where I got to take home one of the best pups. I got there to her little farm and noticed how healthy all the animals looked. Even the horses and was very surprised on how clean all of the pups were kept. Not one flea or tick on the little guys. I highly reccomend this organization to anyone and is definitely worth the drive.
Thanks Melissa
We adopted our bullmastiff boxer mixes from SOAR two weeks ago. Originally we went for one and came back with two. Even though Melissa was very busy the day we called interested she made room for me to come see pups. So happy that we have found them. Would definitely adopt again from Starting over animal refuge.
On 12/10/16, we adopted a real cutie from SOAR. Thank you Melissa for helping Cookie join our family! John, Diana and Jessica Carson
not satisfied, our puppy still sick from three weeks ago, when we got her. Spent more in Vet bills. up to $1000. Very strange place.....
My girlfriend and I were looking to adopt a puppy, and came across SOAR. Melissa responded quickly to our message, and showed us different puppies when we arrived. After a little bit, we were able to find the perfect one, and couldn't be happier.
One of the biggest things we took away from meeting and talking with Melissa was that she took care of each dog, and could provide you with the information that you need. We have had our puppy for two weeks, and she is the sweetest puppy.
Melissa promptly responded to correspondece regarding the dog of our choice. Upon arrival, we were shown the location of our dog and allowed all the free time we needed to ensure she was what we wanted and some initial bonding. We spent quite a bit of time chatting with the formal transaction taking a few minutes. You can tell Melissa is passionate about her animals ( very clean and organized environment) and I commend her for her efforts to provide a means for folks to adopt a loving pet. I am glad we were able to support her in a small way.
Thank you Melissa for what you do!
Michele Wright and Ralph Gagner
Melissa is the best.explained everything to us. Would recommend her for sure.
We love our puppy
Linda &Carmine
My husband and I drove 2 1/2 hours to Ocala after seeing Buttercup on Petfinder.com and talking to Melissa on the phone. Now named Bella, she is a joy! Melissa's love for all the animals was apparent and we were so happy to have adopted from Starting Over Animal Refuge.
My family went to SOAR looking for a specific puppy and left with a different puppy that was more suited for my family's lifestyle thanks to Melissa's knowledge steering me in the right direct, im so glad she did because Ramsie is so sweet and perfect for our family. Thank you
We were adding to our family and was searching for a place that would assist us with that. Melissa's ranch was an amazing adventure as it allowed us to add the most amazing pet to our family. She was very patient, showed us the ranch, let us play with whatever puppy we would like in order to pick the best fitted one. Your knowledge of all the animals was extremely helpful as well as she cared so much enough to keep in touch to check the progress of how our pet was fitting in. I would recommend starting over ranch to anyone looking for the perfect pet. Melissa is kind, hard-working, and extremely compassionate for what she does. We couldn't be more blessed than what we were by going to starting over ranch and bringing home our beautiful family member
Five years ago, my husband and sought out a Great Dane. I recall the website referring to Alarm and Daisy as Large Danes. When we arrived on site, my husband noticed a dog of similar color, and said that's not large, needless to say it was a lab mix. We were greeted by Melissa, and she walked us into a horse pen as the Danes were too big for her large runners with adequate room. I know dogs and runners and chances are her runners were "large" enough, but Melissa made sure the Danes were together and had plenty of space.
Alarm and Daisy were litter mates, and although we were looking for one, and the offer was made to split the two, we decided the Danes should stay together, and adopted them both! Melissa was fair in price to cover minimal fees for caring for the Danes, and has kept in contact with us over the years to check up on the Danes.
Alarm and Daisy have found a loving home. We've taken many trips to the dog park, a trip to the beach, the visit Nana and Papa and visit with their dog friends. Their favorite thing to do is sleep on their Queen mattress in the living room watching us. Alarm faithfully sleeps next to us and took to my husband quickly, where Daisy loves to be with me. We couldn't imagine our lives without them and thank Melissa for making it a smooth adoption. I personally love the fact that she keeps track of the animals she adopts.
Was looking for a puppy to adopt when I came across a photo of a sweet dog named Reno. I called and spoke to Melissa she was very friendly and took the time to tell me about the puppies you could hear the love and compassion in her voice. I was very excited so I drove from Sanford to Ocala. When I got there I was amazed how well she took care of all the animals and the cages the puppies had plenty of space to play. They were all gorgeous and well taken care. I got to hold Reno and play with him she wanted to make sure this was the puppy for me. It was nice to see someone have so much compassion for what they do. I would recommend Starting Over Animal Refuge to my friends and family.
My husband, 2 kids and I drove from Orlando,FL to Ocala because of all the positive reviews and testimonies we heard about this non profit. When we got to the ranch, we found the owner taking care of one of her horses. I could see the love and compassion she had for her animals. We were looking for the right pup, and she helped us figure out which would be the best fit for our family and it came down to two different dogs. So she let us take both out and play with them. We chose the one that was a little more scared and timid but still very very sweet! The owner told us if we have any concerns please contact her . The first few days we had some questions and she helped us to teach our new pup how to submit, which is so amazing because the adoption was over, technically she didn't have to respond to us at all or care enough but she took time out of her very busy schedule to help us over the phone and me sending videos to help with our girl. She's been absolutely perfect ever since. I've never met a sweeter dog than her. My girls are obsessed with her and she's so so so gentle, she loves to cuddle and she thinks she's a lap dog! Haha. She still gets a little nervous, and sometimes shy, but I think it's just her personality. Our life is so much greater with this pup in our lives. The owner Melissa is one of the sweetest people we had ever met. I've never met anyone who genuinely cares for her animals and clients as much as she does. We are expecting our 3rd child in February and I cannot WAIT till this baby turns 2 because we are coming back to adopt a brother or sister for our dog! I would recommend this place to ANYONE and EVERYONE!
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My name is Stephanie. Sunday night I called and asked to look at some puppies. I came with my husband, and my 2 toddlers and it was such a beautiful experience . The owners of this rescue truly care about their animals. my husband and I were going back and forth about 2 different puppies. We got information on both, and both of them would fit in well with our family. They let us Individualy play with both puppies for as long as we wanted. They didn't rush us or seem upset in any way. They understood it was a big decision and respected us taking our time. They were so loving, so caring, and very sweet with each animal they had on their ranch. It was obvious they only do this for the love they have for animals. We finally chose the "right" dog for our family. She's beautiful, she's incredibly sweet, very smart and already has good manners. They started her on an amazing diet with great healthy food for her and we are continuing to give her this diet. I've been to many shelters and rescues looking for the "right" dog for our family and this place was absolutely perfect! I knew within 5 minutes that I was going to adopt a dog here. Later on in a couple years when I decide to add another pup to our family I will ONLY go here. Definitely adopt from here they are absolutely amazing people!!!!!
Melissa was very nice. We adopted an 8 week old puppy. All puppies had plenty of room to play. I'm thankful for the Starting Over Animal Refuge for bringing our beautiful Kali into the family.
I adopted Zorro when He was 3 months old. He is my buddy and very special to me. I am so glad I found this non profit rescue online. I recommend this organization to anyone wanting to adopt a puppy. They were very caring to the animals there and kept in touch to check on puppies in their new home.
Allison
My husband and I rescued our first "baby" shortly after we married. She gave us 16 wonderful years. After nearly a year since the passing of our first "baby", we decided to rescue in her memory. We couldn't be happier to have his little man join our family! Thank you Melissa!
We had been looking for a Labrador Retriever for our daughter for her 8th birthday and Christmas (we recently lost our 13 year old Brittany Spaniel). After receiving a newsletter from Petfinder on a Wednesday, we found Starting Over Animal Refuge. We read all of the reviews and based on all of the positive reviews we contacted Melissa. We drove 2 hours from Parrish, Florida up to Ocala on that very Friday afternoon to see all of the puppies available. Once there, Melissa just knew which puppy we needed to see and call ours. She showed us a female border collie and labrador mix and that was it. We knew she was ours. We signed the papers and drove home with our new addition, Luna. She is awesome and we are already in love 2 days later! You could tell Melissa loved what she did and loved all of the puppies. She was very knowledgeable and passionate about animals. We have been calling her the animal whisperer at home since then!
My boyfriend, (who is currently in Iraq) and I have been searching for months for the perfect puppy to add to our family. Once we found her on the Starting Over page, we knew she was the one. My boyfriend called from Iraq to get all the information and Melissa was very helpful. The next day he sent me on an hour and a half drive to go get our new family member! She was perfect! Bella, who we renamed to Kora is a very smart, chill, kind and extremely lovable pup. She fits in perfectly with our family! We are so grateful for everything Melissa and her family did to save Kora and help get her into our home. Thank you!!!!
Here are some pictures of our Kora! She will be meeting Daddy for the first time this weekend, when he comes home.
We adopted our puppy when she was 8 weeks old, now she is 5 months old and such a huge part of our family. We knew we wanted to adopt a fur friend for our 2 year old daughter and we are so lucky to have found Starting Over Animal Refuge. The bond that they instantly had was so incredible, and it has only grown since that day 3 months ago. Our daughter is an only child but now she has a lifelong best friend named Minnie. My husband is currently awaiting a double lung transplant so we knew that our daughter would need someone stable and comforting in her life for when he has is surgery. We couldn't imagine our life without Minnie, she has impacted our life in such a positive way. We need more causes like Starting Over Animal Refuge in this world. Melissa is completely dedicated and devoted to her rescues and that is made abundantly clear when you are there to adopt.
Over the last 6 months I've been searching for the perfect dog to add to my family. When I arrived at the rescue I was pleasantly surprised by everything I saw. The kennels were clean, and you could tell they were constantly maintained. The staff was very nice and quite knowledgeable on any question I had. I was given an open invitation to meet any and all dogs i wished so i could have the best opportunity to meet my new companion. Once I met Zeke I knew I was done searching. Since returning home with my new little man we went to the vet, and he was given a clean bill of health (not that there was any doubt). His behavior since coming home with me is something I'd like to thank Starting Over Animal Refuge for; you can tell he was socialized with people (children included), and other animals. This has made it so much easier for me to let him meet the rest of my family and their little ones too. When the decision comes back around for myself or for anther family member to adopt they are who I will mention first.
We drove up to Ocala from Orlando on Friday afternoon after communicating with them throughout the week about dogs that were available. We arrived and were taken down to the kennel to see the puppies that were available. She was well informed on the dogs and took the time to get to know our family and answer our questions. we took 3 puppies out to play with, then moved to the next kennel to understand all of our options. We went back to the first set of puppies and decided to take one of the little girls home with us. We had our first vet appointment today and all is well with her in regards to her health. We look forward to spending more time with the newest member of our family and would recommend anyone considering a rescue to take the trip to Ocala to see these puppies.
Contacted About a mastiff mix puppy and she said to come on out! We were delighted to see the puppy in a very nice adoption environment. We knew we would definitely adopt from here! Animals look well taken Care of,plenty of food and water and nicely set pens. Was surprised at how quiet the property was with 18 new puppies she just got delivered!! Will definitely recommend to others. We are going to be happy with our selection
We adopted our sweet little girl from here and had an amazing experience. Melissa went above and beyond to answer all of our questions. Overall an amazing experience!
My husband and I really wanted a fur baby and we found the perfect one at Starting Over. They were so helpful, making sure to answer any and all questions we had about our puppy. It was so great to find all the puppies so well taken care of and happy. We love our little fur baby!
My family adopted our fur baby from Melissa a few months back. He very quickly became such a wonderful addition to our family. We had a good experience at the facility and all the pups were well cared for. Our little man was healthy and happy when we brought him home and has remained so.
Adopted a great dog. The refuge was very clean and all of the animals well cared for. I would recommend the organization to anyone.
My family and I drove to Ocala from Orlando to adopt a puppy. We were very pleased when we arrived because the property was so clean and well organized. The kennels were very maintained for the dogs. It was very obvious the owners knew what they were doing. We would recommend this experience to anyone else!
We had an absolutely amazing experience adopting our beautiful Storm! My fiance and I were hesitant about adopting a puppy, and Melissa encouraged us to consider an adult dog. We are SO GLAD she did! She introduced us to Storm, and it was love at first sight! Storm had been through a lot - she was found on the side of the road with her puppies in Texas. Despite all that, we could tell that she was being well taken care of at Starting Over! She needed patience and love, but we were more than happy to give that to her. Since taking her home with us, she has transformed from a fearful, anxious dog into the most perfect, happy, joyful, friendly girl we could have ever hoped for. Thank you Melissa and everyone else at Starting Over for saving Storm and giving her a chance at happiness with us. I can't thank you enough for bringing her into our lives and for all that you do to save the lives of so many dogs!
This place is awesome! Facility is great and the animals are clean and well cared for. Would recommend this caring animal shelter to anyone that can open their hearts to one of the beautiful animals that are up for adoption!!!
A friend recommended that I call Melissa concerning a horse she had. Melissa was very knowledgeable and was careful to make sure the horse would be going to a good home. You can tell she loves animals and has their interests first.She was completely honest about the horse. It was a pleasure to work with Melissa. Having had the horse for a while i have found that Foxy is exactly what Melissa said she was going to be. I am really enjoying getting to know Foxy better and looking forward to many rides on the trails. I would definitely recommend Melissa to anyone looking for a new forever friend, dog or horse.
Melissa is one of the best people I know yes she has a lot going on right now with personal issues but she still takes time out of her day to take care of these animals.She helped me with 3 of my puppies. If I had to choose any place to surrender my dogs it would be here thank you Melissa for all that you do for these animals you are an amazing person and one of my inspirations.
Had a great experience coming here and meeting a family who genuinely cares about taking care of animals. The adoption process was swift and meeting our little family member was worth the drive.
Positive environment that actually gives animals some outdoor room.
my name is brenda Lynn and today my best friend took me to a wonderful place Starting over animal refuge. Melissa was awesome , I told her on Sept 23 rd I lost my heart when Danior my 11 year old chow mix succomed to cancer. My sadness knew no bounds . A little about myself I am a groomer of over 30 yrs and a past vet tech. The loss of a loved pet isnt easy they are your heart soul and family. I went to see the refuges pups and one from the begining said take me all the other pups were full of color between coat patterns or eyes but the one who looked must like a boxer pup stood up reached me first liked me first and wouldnt leave me be or let me look her over I waited till last to see what else she would do to get me and when i lifted her up and instant tongue bath started my heart was found again mi corrazone or CORA as she is now named she had to come home with me. And the healing begins. Melissa thank you . And hope the towls blankets bleach and grooming supplies help your wonderful outreach. To those looking for a forever life member come here they will match you up or as with me the blessed animals will make themselves known to you, and to those who think 300 to 350 is alot for a mixed pup there is alot that goes into feeding vetting and caring for litters if its to much you dont need to get a dog they are a life commitment , and to those who bashed Melissa quit please she is a giving person who like all of us has had tramas in live some recent and reguardles she was there for me to heal my loss and start my life anew with Cora
The story of Dr Tink. 8 weeks old, now going on 4 years old. IT ALL STARTED WITH A TINK. Without Starting Over there would have been no Dr Tink.
I adopted a gorgeous lab mix puppy from Melissa. I flew him from Ocala to Fort Lauderdale. The whole experience was very pleasant and fast. Took him to the vet, he was clean, no worms, no kennel cough. He's a very obedient, sweet dog. I would adopt from her again.
There is so much to say about this rescue.... I don't even know where to start. She doesn't just rescue animals, she rescues people too and most of the time doesn't realize it. By being real and not hiding behind anything, she shows people true strength. She gives hope to people in their darkest hours.
She takes in litters of puppies and helps people get the parents fixed, so that there won't be any more. She takes in adults that noone else will touch.
When it comes time to find them homes, she makes sure it is the perfect match. She spends the time to watch the interaction of the person and animal to ensure that they are compatible.
She is truly a 1 of a kind rescue!!
melissa has helped me so much! between her beautiful horses and dogs i fell in love and when i have a question she's always there to answer! she has a beautiful property, I've never seen someone so dedicated to helping animals and helping them find their forever homes!
Starting over is not really a horse rescue but melissa does take in horses from time to time and that is how I got my girl Morgan. I adopted her from melissa i believe its been what two and a half years now? It was such a pleasure doing business with her. The horse I adopted is so beautiful and a perfect match for me. I plan to one day adopt a dog when I am ready. And i will be going back to Starting Over.
Me and my boyfriend adopted a German shepherd mix about a year and a half ago. Melissa was very nice and friendly over the pgone and when we went there. She was very professional and explained the what was expected of us. The little guy we adopted changed our life completely. We love him so much and couldn't be more thankful to Melissa. We are thinking about adopting another puppy and we sure are going to go to her again.
Adopted my best friend (Rosco) from Starting Over Animal Refuge back in April. Thank you so much for everything you do! ❤
Excellent care of animals. Her animals are all well-cared for, loved, and she is a wonderful person to deal with. I have nothing to say but the best about this refuge and rescue.
I truly believe that there is ONE person who is constantly putting bad reviews here and is a cyberbully so I wouldn't pay any attention to those. If you read them, they have pretty much the same language, wording, and spelling
We have adopted three dogs from Starting Over and couldn't be more pleased with our experience. When you adopt from Starting Over you are able to visit with these beautiful pups and see which one is right for you. Melissa is amazing with animal behavior and answering any and all questions you have during the adoption process. She takes her time with these animals and with you and you don't feel rushed or unsure.
My family and I highly recommend Starting Over. You will find a forever friend there I'm sure. We have found three so far. :)
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I have adopted three of my boys from SOAR/Melissa and I have nothing but praise for this lady and this organization. Immediately upon arriving on the property you know these animals are well cared for and loved on. Plenty of time is allowed to get to know all about the animals available and which one may be suitable for you. I have a full house right now but you can bet that if the future opens a space for another fur child in my home, I will be visiting SOAR/Melissa again.
Melissa296 10/05/2016
All my spotted freckled beauties! thankyou for providing a safe and loving forever home for some of my furbabies.
Melissa is a wonderful person. She gives animals a second chance at a happy ending. She is an exceptional animal behaviorist. I envy her skill with horses. She goes above and beyond for the rescue and rehabilitation of many different animals. Animal rescue is one of the hardest jobs to do because of the out-pour of negativity. Melissa is a strong woman putting the needs of animals and others above herself. This is a great rescue and I 100% support their ethics.
Nice place ,I have been there with my friend to visit. I figured it would be like other rescue places I have visited. I was very impressed. Melissa is very open and honest,she is very comfortable to be around. I would have to say if your looking to adopt a critter ,contact her and talk to her .
I have adopted to dogs from starting over. One just a few weeks old that was taken in when they were surrendered from out of state. The other was a 7 month old female who was dumped back. I've visited the farm on several occasions and it's always been clean and the dogs happy healthy and showing it was a happy productive environment. Melissa has always been helpful and she has taken in some dogs most would have and did give up on. Rescue work of any kind is a hard thing to do
WOW...I drove the 4 hours from West Palm Beach to Ocala, not knowing what to expect. However fully committed to the cute puppy in her posting(catahoulax / am. bulldog / mastiff mix) Magnum). I have been looking for a few weeks , checking petfinder.com every night when I get of work( I work nights). I called a number, thinking I would just leave a message to let the shelter know I wanted to adopt Magnum.(if you move slow you lose the dog) However at 2:30am Melissa answered srry about that. even at late hour she still found time to give me some of her time(many tks). I think there were 7 or 8 puppies to pic from. But Magnum was the one for me. However , one of the 2 girls would keep coming over to my side. So after much thought and fear. I adopted her as well. They are best buds. I am so glad I took a chance on adopting 2 puppies. From the start Mellissa was great. All the puppies were well fed look great and were very happy and healthy. The adoption process went smoothly. I would happily drive the 4 hours again. TY Mellissa Sincerely Mark and Andrea.
Melissa296 10/04/2016
You were so awesome to meet. Your smile can light up the world. Keep shining and I know those babies are loved to no end
Melissa is a wonderful person, and SOAR is a great organization. I have been looking for months for a service dog. I called about a German shepherd who happened to be recently adopted, but Melissa went out of her way to help me. Happily Melissa let me know about the adopted puppy's sister who is absolutely the best dog. Despite being 10 weeks old, she is attentive, mellow, smart, and well trained. She transitioned easily in my home and learned to go to stay, sit, and go-to-your-crate in two days of 15 minute training sessions twice a day. She is also house broken and only has occasional accidents. I took her to the vet for the first time today and all of the doctors and staff fell in love with her. She is in perfect health. I can't recommend S.O.A.R. enough. As soon as I adopted my puppy, my life has changed for the better. All of the dogs and kittens that I saw and interacted with were happy, playful, and friendly. The horses in their pastures looked beautiful and healthy and had a lot of space.
Melissa296 10/04/2016
Hearing your story hit so close to home for me. Remember anytime you need someone that's walked that same path just call me up. I am not just the rescue anymore . we are now extended family. Welcome to my world . It's called "survivors" . That my friend is what you are. That little pup is going to change your world in more ways you can ever comprehend. Btw Sachi my service dog is home now and she is coming back to her old self again too. Sometimes the road after trauma can be hard to tread but always remember. One foot in front of the other and just keep swimming.
I have known Melissa for 10 years and have watched, witnessed and have adopted animals from her myself. My lastest being my pup Teddington. A few months back i was on faceboom looking at the new pups that had just arrived and one pup in particular popped up and i startes to cry. I had lost my bestfriend of 13 years only 3 short years ago. Seeing this picture was like seeing Blaze all over again. They looked so much alike it made my heart sink. I had sent a picture of Blaze with a pic of Teddy to Melissa and she was also overwhelmed with the resemblance. She told me to come and get him. I kept turning her down. I didnt think i was ready for another pup. So finally i couldnt get him out of my head and went to visit the pups. I know from being with Melissa that just because you like a puppy doesnt mean it will be a match for you. So i didnt go with my hopes high. Once i got there and Teddy was let out to greet it was a perfect match. He latched on to me and was ready to go home. He hasnt changed a bit. Hes more of my best friend and still is my little shadow every where i go. Thank you Melissa for always doing whats right for these little guys and girls and taking the time to make sure its a perfect match. I will always be thankful for my little man.
Melissa296 10/04/2016
You are not just my friend through these animals you have become my family and my sister friend. Animals are a healing spirit and they brought me the most beautiful person I could ever ask for with the most beautiful family! Thankyou for being so positive in my world. Sometimes paths are meant to cross and while I think I'm helping them they are actually helping me. Love you to the moon and the stars and your beautiful family!
We adopted an 8 week lab mix from SOAR. Unfortunately we were late to our appointment, but Melissa worked her schedule around us and we were able to look at the puppies and eventually adopt one. It was quick and painless. He is the sweetest puppy, super smart, and fits perfectly with our family and our other dog (they were instant best friends!) He came with his initial shots and was dewormed. You will need to get a vet checkup of the dog after adopting it. When we took him to the vet, he did have worms & a bacterial infection, and put him on meds. He is otherwise very healthy and beautiful! We're very happy.
Melissa296 10/04/2016
So sorry he had a bacteria infection unfortunately sometimes it's the nature of the beast in the world of rescue. Thankfully he had the perfect parents to kick that bacteria in the butt and will hopefully never be back again!
Ive adopted a few horses from Melissa, I don't think I've ever met someone with such a big heart and ability to rescue horses and rehab them so beautifully! She has a true gift!
Melissa296 10/04/2016
Oh those beasts I love so much. Even though I'm not a horse rescue doesn't mean some arent worth saving and protecting. Thankyou for loving our beasts
We got a puppy from Melissa July 30, 2016 and she kept him for an extra 2 weeks till we could come and get him. She was amazing with him, At 7 weeks old he was already sitting on command and is continuing on his way to becoming a service animal. She was caring to us and our little guy. Thank you so much for everything!
Melissa296 10/04/2016
Enjoyed that lil man so much! Ty for adopting
We adopted a puppy from Melissa a few weeks ago. She went above and beyond to help us. We were going on vacation so she and her husband watched the puppy for us until we got back and could come get her. We have 3 young boys and our puppy fits in perfectly with our family. She was kind and compassionate. And if we decide to adopt another one, we will definitely be contacting her!
Melissa296 10/04/2016
Oh must post updates !
Melissa allowed me to adopt two of her off the track rescue horses about 4 years ago. I am a returning client, and always will be. She was very helpful, insightful, and honest about what she knew about their history, and their foundation. I am blessed to have been able to adopt my geldings from this organization. Thank you again Melissa!
Melissa296 10/04/2016
You have been my most devoted horse client ever . You make sure I feel like Jacob is always in my life. From literally hundreds of good morning pics of him and Louie too Jacob was the horse who stole my heart and had my soul . Knowing my mission in life to save so many animals and not wanting to waiver this I knew you could love him like I did and turn him into the champion I couldn't because my life is too demanding. SO thankyou for being that person who is so compassionate to not just her fur babies but to the people around her also. Never judging and always loving. you are my inspiration. Keep living the dream girlfriend. I have such a huge family in all of you and that keeps me going!
We are truly blessed to have Max in our lives! We contacted Melissa about adopting another puppy however, that lucky puppy was adopted that day. The next day Melissa contacted us that she had been training Max to be a service dog and inquired if we would be interested in adopting her. After learning that I work at a behavioral health facility Melissa knew Max’s training would better the lives of many! Max is an amazing puppy, quick learner and has the perfect temperament to continue on into a therapy training program so she (yes, Max is a girl!) may go work give “puppy therapy” to employees and children who need a little more in their day. (sleeping under my mom's desk and resting at home after work).
Melissa296 10/04/2016
Oh Dear Max, I'm going to write you a letter because you belong to the family of my service dog Sachi and having you here through the most traumatic time of my life and my families was a simple saving grace . I put my heart and soul into you in just weeks to make you the best you could be to go off and share that with those in need. You will always be remembered of the Little shepherd that could. Thankyou for being so gentle and loyal to my lil one Chloe. Whom you adored and I'm sure misses her so. Your journey has just begun. You will be a legend in so many lives. You will soften so many hearts and your soul will live on beyond your years. Tell your masters to make sure you're honored in the sense of making a difference in this cruel but beautiful world. You were meant for all things great because you were born all things amazing. you're Max. you're unforgettable and sometimes my favorite hellos are my hardest goodbyes but I must go on one by one....because I am just your temporary home.
I have not adopted a puppy or dog from Starting Over Refuge, but have followed her for several years now. She has put so much love, sweat, tears and work into making life better for animals that would not normally find good homes. She is passionate about the animals she has saved. If, as one reviewer stated, she were a flipper, I think she would be charging far more than the $50.00 she charges for adoptions and wouldnt be putting so much of her own money into the care, vetting, and maintainence that goes into providing a temporary (or even permanent) home for these babies. She goes out of her way to make sure that the animals are socialized, loved and nurtured. She hurts when they hurt and she loves when they are found the perfect forever home. Flippers dont care about that..they care about the money. I have never seen a fundraiser for anything that was not needed and I think if you live the the FL area and are looking for the perfect pup...start there at Starting Over.
Melissa296 10/04/2016
She hurts when they hurt and she loved when they are. Those words touched me. You define me so perfectly in that aspect.
I wound up at Starting Over Animal Refuge quite by accident. On a Saturday we had contacted Melissa and Starting Over Animal Refuge regarding a specific pup much to our disappointment the dog we had wanted had been adopted, and we had missed out. The following Sunday we visited another rescue, and we adopted a different puppy that unfortunately fell ill the next day with Parvo.
During the week, while contacting the animal hospital, I accidentally dialed Melissa's number, and she immediately picked up. Coincidentally, we had named our puppy the same as one of her missing animals and when I told her that Luna was in the hospital she was thinking I was referring to one of her puppies.
She was incredibly kind on the phone and genuinely concerned for the well-being of our puppy. Melissa spent about 15 minutes discussing Parvo with me including prevention and how to help an animal recover. I was overwhelmed by the kindness in her voice. It was what I needed in the middle of a taxing week with the new puppy in a pet hospital. Upon concluding our conversation, Melissa asked that I follow up with her and let her know how our dog fared.
On Friday after consulting with the vet, it was determined that the best course of action was to put the pup down. She simply was not getting any better.
I phoned Melissa to let her know and one again she was incredibly kind. Melissa offered her sympathy and condolences; her sincerity nearly bought me to tears. Once again, I reminded her that we had contacted her regarding a particular puppy to which she replied, "you know I have his brother."
Arriving home Friday night to a somber wife and daughter, I relayed Melissa's comments regarding Thunderpaws brother Bobo. The family immediately spring and action and plans were made to visit Starting Over Animal Refuge first thing Saturday morning. I reached out to Melissa to let her know we would be there as soon as she would allow us. She kindly stated that she would hold Bobo and look forward to meeting us tomorrow.
We arrived promptly at 9 AM Saturday and were greeted by a front yard full of happy puppies beautiful German Shepherds, Itty-Bitty add another yellow ball of fluff, all seemed happy and eager to see people. Melissa came out introduced herself and gave us all hugs, and we knew we were making a new friend.
We then drove down to the kennels where I was surprised to see the number of quarantined and sick pups being cared for and treated by Melissa. She had an entire litter of puppies that I can't imagine the amount of work that was going to have to go into saving them. They were suffering from Parvo and some Mange, which she explained, but I can't recall. The amount of work that would have to go into saving these pups, only to see them all go, just takes a special person with a special heart.
We took Bobo out and to a pasture and immediately fell in love. We knew we were taking him! We thought we were going to have to come and pick him up the following week. But he had received all of the necessary treatments to go home with us on Saturday. We had our new puppy. We changed his name to Ares, the God of War, a name he is indeed growing into and we love our pup.
I would certainly recommend adopting from Starting Over Animal Refuge. The love and care that Melissa puts into these puppies and dogs is truly a testament to the kind of person she is. We wish her nothing but the best and thank her for bringing Aries into our lives.
A quick note is that Luna was not put down that Friday afternoon and miraculously
survived. Now Aries has a new sister; we are absolutely in love with our pack
Melissa296 10/04/2016
This my friend and now my extended family was no accident. This was devine intervention from a higher power. God lead you to me because he needed me to hear your tremendously passionate heart . He guided you to me because your family needed hope that the world isn't all cruel and unkind. It isn't all unjust. He lifted both of us up that day. He knew how hard I was about to fall so he needed angels like you around me. To say this to me before the most traumatic day of my families life. You are the voice I hear when I want to think of humanity and what the world should sound like. Your tears of greatfulness. Your arms around me saying thankyou for giving us a little light after something very dark gave me comfort in my days to come even though I was numb. Even though the pain became unbearable here I am at 2am reading these reviews and there you are with your kind words spoken and your arms of greatness. SO please let me thank you for being just as wonderful as all should be and being kind. We need more people like you and your family here in this world. We would be a much better place .
We just adopted an 8 week old Yellow Lab from S.O.A.R. and it was a great experience. We visited the ranch to select our new pup and Melissa allowed us as much time as we needed. The process was painless and we now have a new forever puppy that we absolutely adore. I would recommend S.O.A.R. to anyone that is looking to adopt a pet.
Sincerely,
Toby's Parents
Melissa296 10/04/2016
It was a pleasure having you both here. You chose quite the picture perfect face! I will be hoping for an update when he's a little older :)
We didn't know where to go at first to help our puppies. Then we found out about animal refuge inc. And our worries were gone. Melissa keeps a nice place for animals. She gets to know each animal and has nice place for animals.
Melissa296 10/04/2016
While I was helping your puppies they helped me. The circle of giving is never ending. glad I could help protect those fur babies and hope you enjoyed the journey!
We got our rescue pup, Patti, over a year ago & we LOVE her! She is a great member of our little pack & loves her big brother, also a rescue. We had a great experience with Melissa & highly recommend her organization. It's wonderful to see all the improvements. She is very passionate about what she does and I admire what she is able to accomplish in savings animals like our Patti!
Melissa obviously loves the animals at her ranch, they are so well taken care of and she makes sure the right animals go with the right people. She is truly a blessing to have in the animal rescue world.
I got my Bastain, from starting over animal rescue...what a great person Melissa is...And the ranch is very spacious an clean
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I got a puppy in January from Melissa Candow... he is the most loving adorable beagle mix. SOAR is a excellent organization that shows true love and concern for their animals. Very friendly and loving. Thank you so much for my baby Jax!!!
Great rescue that truly cares about the health and happiness of the animals. My family and I adopted our puppy in January and feel so blessed to have had the opportunity. He has completed our family thanks to Melissa at Starting Over!!
I have known Melissa for some time now . During the early years of our friendship I was looking for a horse, she said I've got one he just needs broke. I took him,he was a chestnut gelding who was quiet and shy. To date he is my big happy dependable trustworthy fur baby. Yes been hauled ,clipped,shown,swimming, and so much more. If not for Melissa I wouldn't have my "love horse". Thank you Melissa for having the gift to match animal to human for the lifelong love they will share.
We got our puppy form starting over last month, and we couldn't be happier!!! Melissa was lovely!!!! I even put her on the phone with my vet the nex day because I was lost and the puppy ate the contract and info on the way home lol. I remember She was rescuing a horse the day I was there around 9:30pm they are just amazing !!! And our puppy is very happy now it was absolutely worthy to drive from Orlando to Ocala for him!
I have been an animal lover all of my life. My family and I looked high and low for months to adopt. We finally found the most caring, loving and honest animal rescue, Starting Over Animal Refuge. When we arrived we met Melissa the owner. She was so caring about not only her animals that she cares for but my family and my other pets. She wasn't pushy and rude like some of the other adoption sites we had visited. She was compassionate and wanted to make sure our pet was right for my family and we were right for her. She matched us up beyond perfectly. She healed my daughter that had been through the loss of a few pets due to old age. They are amazing! We will only adopt from Starting Over!
I had a horse I needed to re home that had tons of special needs. Melissa opened her farm to that mare and immediately had the vet out. She has since found a home for her that can accommodate her allergies and training issues. I would adopt a puppy from her in a heartbeat if I had the room!
We got our little guy on a Sunday from Starting over. Our boy, Stark, started getting sick shortly after, and of no fault of Starting Over as we had taken him to get a full evaluation the day after he came home with us and everything came back perfect. Melissa said she would either take care of and pay for treatment or refund us our adoption fee if we wanted to take care of it ourselves. We opted to take care of it as the rescue is a fair bit from where we live and didn't want to make our dog travel while not feeling well. Melissa was very helpful, both with advice and financially by expediently sending our funds back to help with our dog Stark. You can tell she really cared about him and helping us get the best care available for our puppy. Vet bills are usually not cheap and the fact she would take him in and get him the care he needed without charging us a cent speaks volumes about how much she loves animals. Today he's a happy healthy puppy and when we go adopt again we'll definitely be heading back to starting over!
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Adopted our amazing dog Stark from Starting over just over two months ago. When he started having health issues because of the poor sanitation Melissa rescued the litter from she immediately and without us asking, refunded our adoption fee to help cover the cost. The problem didn't show up on her tests or ours when we had him tested for various illnesses when we got home so not her fault at all. She's wonderful at what she does and put our dog before money without hesitation. When we are ready for dog number 2 Starting over is the first place we'll look!
Very happy with our experience with Starting over animal refuge,inc animals are all well kept for and very happy animals. It was easy to find the perfect puppy for our family. Dogs have room to roam and have a great interaction time with there future family's. Definitely made the right decision to take a drive to get our girl. She will be very loved. Thank you for the great experience.
We adopted a beautiful little girl puppy that has been the greatest blessing to our family from Starting Over Animal Rescue. The organization truly has a heart for animals. The facility where the puppies were kept was outside in a covered and very shaded area. The pens were clean and so were the puppies. The owner Melissa did not rush us and gave us as much information she had regarding the litter and situation our little girl was rescued from the previous week. I would recommend adoption from this agency to others.
Adopted a lab mix and she is a great dog. Run by people who seem to care and animals seem well taken care of
After deciding an ESA was a great idea for me, I decided to start a puppy hunt. I used the search engine Petfinder to scan for dogs I liked and came across an adorable litter located in Ocala. After spending the weekend in Orlando I headed up to the Starting Over Animal Refuge and was pleasantly surprised to find the puppies I had inquired about the day before out and playing with another couple looking to adopt and the woman who runs the rescue. She was amazingly helpful and genuine, helping me decide which puppy was the one for me (because it was hard to pick from so many adorable puppies), which turned out to be a sweet, affectionate boy whom I called Milo! Now that were back home I'm enjoying him so much (he's sitting on my lap as I write this post!) and couldn't have asked for a better experience in picking up a rescue pup that was the perfect match for my needs. I'm looking forward to a happy puppyhood and long life with Milo!
Our family adopted a puppy from Starting Over Animal Refuge in 2014 and we couldn't be happier with our dog! I would highly recommend this animal refuge as Melissa works endless hours to protect and place each dog with the best possible family. This rescue deserves it's 5 star rating. I will adopt another dog from Starting Over in the future.
On the 4th of July, we made a 3-hour round trip to go look at a puppy, not knowing what to expect, other than what I read in the reviews here. The trip validated all the 5-star reviews. We adopted a lab/dalmatian/pointer mix that same day, and so far everyone is happy! Melissa was great, and I was sure to thank her for the work she does. This is our 3rd rescue, and there's no better feeling.
This was our first time meeting Melissa. Very nice, knowledgable,heart is in the right place. Would have liked official paperwork from a vet check and health certificate for the amount of his adoption fee. Would like to see the progress the Shepherd puppies make in service dog training.
7/18/16 I feel the need to add that Melissa gets very specific when quessing at the breed the puppies are. With the price of the adoption fee you would like to get close to the breed you think you are adopting. I think she would do better with just saying they are a general mix breed not so specific.
Beautiful animals, well loved and cared for by a beautiful person! She works tirelessly and selflessly to care for a large number of animals. I would absolutely adopt from Melissa again.
For the adoption fee, it would be preferable to have a clean bill of health (with a vet health certificate), and for the animal to be current on shots. The advertisements and adoption contract says "dewormed, spayed/neutered, up to date on shots etc..." but there are no vet records and so your vet will want to administer these treatments anyway, You DO have a time frame to uncover any serious illnesses, but there are options (SPCA, Humane Society etc..) where initial costs are much less and you have piece of mind with health (vet certificates, up to date on shots, already spayed/neutered, will help with vet care if problem arises etc..).
Melissa is absolutely doing her best, but spend time understanding the adoption agreement and get your new addition checked immediately by a vet. She is very knowledgeable and honest, so ask questions. (Just FYI: Our puppy had no major issues, just worms)
On June 25th we drove 2 hours from home to pick up a little gem, Australian shepherd/Retreiver mix, Meesha - AKA Forest! We had been waiting a LONG TIME to find the right furbaby for us after the death of our 12 year old Yellow Lab. We would go through Petfinder rescues everyday and FINALLY Meesha was listed for adoption! For an 8 week old furbaby she is so SMART and doing well at potty training. So happy, so happy!!
So, I would like to COMMEND and THANK Melissa Candow for the work she does. She rescues puppies from people who didn't take the time to have their male or female neutered/spayed and saves them from euthanasia or life in a shelter. Instead, she ends up going to pick up puppies at all ours of the day and night and doing what she can to find them forever homes.
She is not a vet. We take a risk when we choose to adopt these homeless/rescued furbabies. We are given notice that we have 3 days to return the baby if it is unwell. She is a caring person who is doing what she can to make a difference in the lives of unwanted animals! We are grateful to Melissa for the work she does! Thank you Melissa and family!
Me and my husband just recently adopted a puppy from Starting Over Animal Refuge inc. and we're very pleased with out experience. All the areas for the dogs were nice and she let us have our time looking at the dog we wanted. Melissa is a very selfless person caring for all these animals
We started out fostering a dog through Starting Over Ranch and ended up adopting her. Melissa is a selfless person who went out of her way to rescue this sweet dog who was labeled as severely aggressive and would have been put down. She is one of the best dogs we have ever owned and we haven't seen one single ounce of aggression in. Melissa brought her back to health from such poor condition. Going to the Ranch was a great experience. We were able to look around and see the horses, puppies and other rescue dogs which were all very well taken care of with obvious love. The facility was also very clean. I highly recommend this rescue to anyone looking for a dog as Melissa clearly goes out of her way to rescue these dogs and cares very much that they go to good homes!!
My husband and I recently adopted Mitsy from the Starting Over Animal Refuge Inc. Although we love our new addition to our family, we were overall frustrated by our experience.
Mitsy came to us as an 8 week old border collie/Shepard mix who was extremely ill. Honestly, her problems were mostly common puppy problems, such as many different types of worms and kennel cough, but we were specifically told upon adoption that she was dewormed and there was a small chance she would have kennel cough.
It was frustrating to find out from the vet that it was not so and her problems has caused 4 vet visits so far, a great deal of diarrhea and dry heaving, weight loss, and sleepless nights. Additionally, upon our first vet visit we were told that she had a severe case of Giardia and coccidia, which in generally is uncommon together, and in certain circumstances could be fatal to our young puppy.
2 weeks later Misty is has been on 6 different medications, but has finally started to gain weight as expected for her mix breed and age.
I honestly believe the owner is doing what she can with what money, supplies, love, and care she has, but I worry about the overall health of the the puppies that she has taken in with only herself to take care of them and all of the other animals in this Ocala, FL environment, that is prone to these particular worms and bacterial infections, and the total attention and care the puppies are given.
Please take care in choosing a puppy and understand that the initial cost of these puppies does not include vet visits that result in pills or liquids need by the puppies.
Our overall cost was exorbitant for Misty considering it was unexpected since we specifically asked if she was dewormed and had common puppy ailments such as kennel cough. Also, the price does not include spay/neutering which is commonly offered by non-profits and puppies at this price.
I adopted my dog Shiloh from here. She is the best dog I have ever had. She was well trained when we got her. She is so sweet and great with the kids. It was an awesome experience you can tell they love the animals and want the best for them.
Dealt with this organization for years. Love what this woman does! Really makes a difference with these rescues ! I love starting over.
So I finally got a new addition to my household. Welcome Abbey. She's an 8 week old lab mix that I adopted from Starting Over Animal Refuge in Ocala, Fl. The farm and kennels are a wonderful place for these animals waiting for their forever homes. What a great experience. There were 10 in the litter. I was given as much time as I needed to make up my mind. I narrowed it down first to females and then between two that looked like twins. It was hard deciding, but in the end I picked Abbey since she was the first to make eye contact with me. And Melissa, the founder, was extremely friendly and helpful throughout the whole process. I made her a bed to lay on the floor up front but she chose to ride on my lap for the 1-1/2 hr drive home. Thanks again Melissa for all that you do.
I don't have a story , just following this amazing rescue and watching Melissa saving and helping so many helpless lifes . She never hesitate when we asking her to help always there when the animals need her. Just one of the best in the area .
Has been an amazing rescue partner for the many dumped Dowdy Ferry dogs of Dallas. So many have gotten the chance at a new life because of her!! Can't wait to meet her one day!!
Amazing lady!! Can't wait to make the trip just to adopt from her! Will definitely be soon after my baby is born!
I have been to this rescue and I was amazed how well the animals were cared for. Melissa does wonders with the animals and wow is she knowledgable in so many areas! Her rescue is full of love and compassion. I was very impressed. What a wonderful lady with a very big heart for mankind n animals.
The love and care this lady puts into her rescue is the reason we will be adopting our next dog from her. I have had experiences with other rescues and they are more like hoarders. This is a true rescue dedicated to adopting out. We can't wait to adopt from her.
I have known Melissa for several years. I love the work that Melissa and her family do for both big and small animals needing homes. Their work is endless! Melissa has such a great big heart for saving these animals who would probably be euthanized if it wasn't for her. She works extremely hard at saving as many of these babies as she can. If I was needing to adopt another rescue dog, I would start at Starting Over Animal Rescue.
We found the newest members of our family at Starting Over Ranch. What Melissa and her family do for animals is amazing. I feel blessed to have seen it and been a part of it. We will come back often to see the horses and play with the puppies.
I drove 3 hours on Good Friday 2015 to adopt our puppy Ariel from Melissa. her original name was Tigress. It was an excellent experience and we would definitely do it again.
We drove two hours to meet our forever baby, Lily, nearly five years ago. She (and her brothers and sisters) was very healthy and the ranch was well-maintained. I have kept up-to-date on SOAR and have seen the many smiles of the people who have adopted from Melissa since. Melissa gives pups the fresh beginning they so deserve. We have not regretted going to SOAR once. We will go again when we decide to adopt another family member.
Not only does Melissa go above and beyond for animals but when I was coming to see about adopting a rescue puppy, she assisted me with a flat tire I got on the way and bent over backwards to help me(someone she had never met) and make sure I was able to visit the ranch. It was late, but I made the big decision to adopt my boy and he's been my best buddy ever since and is in great health. It was a pleasure to see a truly unselfish person in action. All in the name of animals who can't control their own fate. I'm forever in debt to her and the Organization!
Melissa goes the extra mile to save these at risk and forgotten animals. She does an awesome job and the animals thrive under her love and attention. Definitely one not to miss when looking for your next addition to the family.
I think what you do is awesome! When we visited your ranch the day we adopted Coupe my husband and I first noticed how well cared for all the animals were. The horses were beautiful and you were very protective of the puppies. You listened carefully to what we were looking for in a pet. We came to see a small puppy but I quickly realized that a puppy was not going to work with my lifestyle. You are very in-tune with the people that come to adopt. You led us to second kennel and brought out a beautiful 10 month old dog that stole my heart! I love to see the animals that come into your care and I share a lot of your post in hopes that they may reach a friend who would like to adopt .
I have followed Melissa's work for several years, and have always been impressed by what she does at her facility. She has a huge heart and has dedicated her entire life to the cause of helping innocents. I have always had rescue animals, and my house was "full", or so I thought. Several months back, Melissa posted a short video clip of a couple of collie/border collie pups that she had taken in to help another rescue out. After the loss of my childhood collie/sheltie cross well over a decade ago, I had been longing for another dog in the same family, but would never go through a breeder and had never been successful finding one at a rescue. When Melissa posted the video and then photos, I knew that the little sable and white boy was meant to be ours! Melissa was wonderful through the whole process, holding him for us while we drove over eight hours to pick him up late at night! She had just given him a bath when we arrived, and he was the picture of health. All of her animals were clearly well cared for, whether they were her personal pets or rescues. If another animal is laid on my heart, I will most definitely go through Starting Over again. Thank you Melissa, for my beautiful Tucker, who has stolen our hearts and filled the void that lingered for over a decade after the passing of my sweet Laddie.
I have worked now with melissa twice. My husband and i live way out in the country and irresponsible people drop dogs they no longer want out by us. Of course there not fixed and half the time very unhealthy. We have now had two litters go through her snap program . Its so reassuring knowing that these little innocent lives are going to a home that will be a healthy safe forever home. Thank you for helping us find our babies sfe havens.
We adopted our lab mix from Melissa in November 2013. She does a wonderful job with the animals and is very knowledgeable. She has a knack for matching people with the pet that is right for them. I highly recommend her rescue.
Wonderful experience, Melissa has the heart of an angel. Even when personal life has her stressed to the max she is the comsummate professional and her animals never suffer under her care. I will always thank her for allowing me to adopt Sophie, my little furbaby. (not so little anymore)
Previous Stories
HI Melissa,
It has been almost two years since I met you. I found you on Petfinders and fell in love with a cute 10 week old bundle of love. I drove from Tampa to meet you and claim her for my own. Sophie has been a joy, thank you for that. I was impressed with your facilities and the caring attitude you have. I have not had one health issue with Sophie and that is a testament to how well you care for the animals in your care.
My daughter and I drove 2 and 1/2 hours to get our new little girl. We had a wonderful experience. Melissa ( the owner) was gracious and showed so much love and knowledge about all the animals. The farm was well kept and the animals all appeared happy and well taken care of. Our new little addition, Libbie has been a wonderful friend to us all.
I absolutely love this animal rescue! My boyfriend and I adopted a sweet dog named Xena. We love her to pieces. She was well trained and has adjusted to her new home perfectly. Had a wonderful experience with the owner, Melissa. She's a super sweet woman! She works so hard to make sure the animals are well taken care of and is so friendly. Xena definitely will not be the only a dog we get from this rescue!
Melissa helped me find my best friend, I absolutely adore my puppy so much. She was a great person to deal with & does a great job with all her animals.
Melissa was very helpful when I flew in from NYC to adopt a bullmastiff puppy this week. The process was quick and informative. I couldn't be more happy with my new baby Freya
We are happy to have found Melissa at Starting over Animal Rescue. She not only caries about her puppies but also getting parents fixed to help stop over populated unwanted pets!! Which is were the some of the adoption fee goes...well worth the cost!
She takes great care of animals.
Thanks again Melissa
Tj. & Peggy Thompson
My family adopted Brindle from Melissa Candow at Starting Over Animal Refuge when our furbaby was, then, just 2 1/2 months old. Brindle will turn 3 years later this summer. She is adorable, funloving and full of energy! She's inseperable from her bestie, Bella!
Melissa at Starting Over is amazing! She truly has a passion for what she does. Starting Over is a very well maintained facility, where all the animals are cared for with great love and respect. My family and I had a wonderful adoption experience with Starting Over Animal Refuge.
I always highly recommend Starting Over Animal Refuge! If I ever want to adopt another dog, I'd go straight to Starting Over Animal Refuge.
We just recently bought a lab and catahoula mix from Melissa and she was very helpful and does a great job caring for all the dogs at the ranch. All the puppies were well fed and healthy and we are happy to add a new member to our family thanks to Startimg over Animal Refuge.
I adopted my nova from there and she was so helpful get us our first dog and was very knowledgeable about all her animals...highly recommend anyone looking to rescue a dog to start there
I adopted a lab mix puppy from Melissa, and it was a great experience! All the animals were happy and healthy. Melissa was very patient with us, and I would adopt from her again in a heartbeat.
Hello! Just wanted to share some pictures of our sweet Paddington with you! We have kept him healthy, active and constantly exposing him to new and exciting things! We took our first big road trip with him this weekend and he LOVED Marco Island. Thank you so much for everything you do, because if it were not for you, we wouldn't be the happy family of three we now are. He has brought so much joy and happiness into our lives and we cannot thank you enough!
Melissa is a godsend to the animal rescue community!!!! She responded right away and was able to meet my husband and I the same day. She is very patient, kind and great at what she does. She knows her stuff for sure!!!! We are so happy for the addition to our family!!!!
I rescued my sweet boy Porter a little over a month ago from S.O.A.R. He is the light of my life and the sweetest boy. He was so well socialized before I got him that you can tell he was well loved and cared for. I am so thankful for Melissa and all that she does for those animals that she rescues. You can tell she loves the puppies and loves what she does. I would recommend her rescue to anyone looking to adopt a puppy.
We were so pleased with Melissa and this rescue! Thank you for helping us find our fur baby! He was well cared for, and socialized very well. He made a very easy transition home, and we could not be happier! We are thrilled we saved a life and not purchased from a breeder. Paddington is so thankful for this organization and connecting him to his new mom and dad!
Melissa was a delight and clearly loves her rescue animals. My puppy I was fortunate to get from her was well cared for and is full of loving - obviously used to receiving it. Thank you Starting Over - River aka Jazz sends slobby kisses and I say thank you for all you do. You're and Angel.
We recently adopted a puppy from Starting Over Animal Refuge, Inc. Melissa was friendly, knowledgeable and helped us pick a great puppy. It was great to be able to rescue a puppy in need of a home. We could tell Melissa truly cares about the animals and wants to help. I feel really good about adopting from there.
We had never heard of SOAR until an internet search for Lab puppy adoptions lead us to their website. They had several appropriate puppies pictured on their website, which lead us to call for an appointment. We live in Orland and had to drive to Ocala, Melissa held the puppy for us until we could get there.
After learning a little more about the breed mix we ended up coming home with a different puppy of a more preferred mix. She a beautiful Lab and Pointer mix, but sort of small for the age on the adoption agreement. When I called for more information about a week later, we learned about the terrible conditions she was saved from. SOAR treated her for fleas and parasites to get he on the road to recovery. Thank God SOAR saved this litter. Now, our little girl needs good food, sleep and tons of love which is what we deliver 24/7. We are looking forward to watching this tiny 6lb pup become a 50lb dog.
Melissa is a savior to these animals. .. I am so grateful to have bumped into SOAR. Now I have a beautiful baby boy named Jax!
Very easy adopting process.. Melissa is amazing at matching the right dog with the family. We took home the first one we looked at! She's a beautiful dog. Very happy with the new addition to our family. Highly recommend starting over animal refuge
We adopted our sweet JoJo from Melissa about 4 years ago and we love him so much!! She does so much for all of the animals that she gets in and you can tell she works so hard to take care of each and every one of them! Such a great rescue that has saved so many lives :)
We adopted a puppy from Melissa last week. She was great to work with and so helpful throughout the whole process. She didn't hesitate to answer all of our questions and make sure that we were comfortable with our decision.
She takes wonderful care of the dogs! They all looked clean, healthy, and happy.
Melissa truly has their best interest at heart.
I would definitely recommend her rescue to family and friends.
My husband and I are considering adopting another puppy from her in the near future.
They thankfully took in 19 of the puppies that our 2 dogs had back in January had found them all great homes
Such sweet animals- Melissa knows what she is talking about and you can tell she loves each one of those animals. Rescued our sweet baby now named Oakley from Starting Over Animal Refuge.
We just adopted the sweetest puppy from here and everyone was very friendly and informative. The puppies that we could see looked well cared for and happy. We are VERY pleased with our little baby and were pleasantly surprised that she is everything we were hoping for and more! We will definitely recommend S.O.A.R. to our friends and family in the future!
I adopted Rilee from starting over about 5 months ago. I am a first timer at the whole process and Melissa helped me find the perfect puppy. She explained everything and made me feel comfortable with the rescue before I adopted. Rilee is my best friend, I can't imagine what my life would be like with out her.
I have had the pleasure of being a volunteer for Starting Over Animal Refuge. I have never met anyone as passionate for animals then this young lady. She dedicates her life in saving animals. The ones that come in that is under weight and not social, by the time Melissa gets done rehabilitating them. They are back to normal weight, wagging there tail and actually will come to you. These animals know when they meet her they will have a future. I have personally adopted 2 dogs and 2 horses from Melissa. Not only do you walk away with wonderful pets but you gain a friend.
Me and my Vicki adopted Boomer from Starting Over yesterday and have to admit we are very impressed with the service we got and also the genuine love that this organization shows to its Dogs Melissa does an excellent job in ensuring that both Dog and Human get to know each other and get used to each other . I would definitely recommend SOAR to anyone .
Melissa does an excellent job and is always helping! Her whole life revolves around helping these animals, this is what she does 24/7..... with never ending love & dedication. I have helped and volunteered several times at her rescue farm and can only give her the best reviews. If you are reading this and feel you want to do something positive, call a rescue group and volunteer... only then will you truly understand how much people like Melissa really do.
A couple months ago my spouse and I were looking to add a member to our family and we came across a picture of a puppy named axel from starting over animal refuge and we fell in love with him immediately! That same week we were able to go see him even though we got there after hours and we adopted him that same night! The owners of this organization were kind and worked with us to make sure we got to take our puppy home. Now five months later he's become an irreplaceable part of my family and I cannot thank the people from starting over animal refuge inc enough!
Adopted a puppy from Starting Over in January 2014. Melissa was wonderful to deal with and was patient with us as my husband and I asked a zillion questions, visited the rescue multiple times to decide which puppy was best, and even made a special after-hours appointment for me to pick up my pup as my work schedule was not normal at the time.
The kennels were immaculate every time I came to visit & the puppies were being well cared for.
You can really tell that Melissa puts her heart and soul into her rescue.
What a wonderful group!!!! They give such love & care to their animals, & give so much info to adopting families. Our daughter & her friend had such a great time playing with their horses, puppies & the baby piggy.
We're so thrilled with our puppy! Just can't recommend this place enough.
My wife and I recently adopted a puppy from this organization. The property was beautiful. The kennels were all clean. All the dogs were very healthy looking and were happy. The woman that runs this organization was very nice and not pushy at all. She let me spend time with the puppies before deciding to adopt. I will be recommending Starting Over Animal Refuge to my friends and family in the future.
Brought my puppy in to my vet the day after adoption to get checked out. Vet gave the all clear and said she is healthy and good to go.
I helped transport a rescue recently & we also adopted our sweet little Roxy girl from SOAR. Melissa puts her heart & soul into saving animals & does a great job. Her facility is clean & well taken care of. Her adoption fees a more than fair considering all that goes into running this rescue.
All pets looked healthy, nice clean kennels, owner was caring of all animals.. price was a bit steep for an american mutt, (was told we were paying for a pure breed dog.)BUT, We love her the same, no matter what.
Helped save lives by transporting in 2015.
This facility was impressive. Very clean, quarantine areas were separate. You can tell the staff kept up with procedures and cleaning regimens. They really love all the rescues they get in over there! Highly Recommend!
I adopted my dog Stig from SOAR almost 5 years ago and was the best thing I ever did. He is wonderful and was in perfect health. She cares about were her animals go and that they receive the best homes possible. She required updates and proof of health for 3 years, which I was happy to do. I don't think the adoption fee was unreasonable considering all the amazing work she does and that cost money. I continue to follow her and donate to her rescue efforts when I can. I would adopt from her again.
We adopted our beautiful baby girl Roxy from Melissa. She is a wonderful caring good hearted woman who would do anything for the animals in her care. Her ranch is well maintained and clean. I would recommend her to anyone looking to add a furry one to their family! Will adopt again from Melissa when we are ready for another furry family member!! -Jenna Ballard-NeSmith
We had a wonderful and easy experience. I wish I could adopt more!! Two dogs and three little girls keep us plenty busy!
I recently adopted 2 puppies from Melissa. The puppies were in good health and well-cared for. I think she's doing a fantastic job of rescuing these pups and finding good homes for them!
I adopted a puppy from SOARS/Melissa going on 4 yrs ago. It was obvious right away how much she cared for the animals in her care, how happy and content they were. Healthy and well fed. Her ability to deal with and take care of dogs of all ages is truly amazing. She has save so many lives and given them hope, happiness and forever homes.
Going on a year ago I got my horse from Melissa as a suggestion from a friend who gots both her horses (who are amazing) from her. I love my girl and could not be happier. I highly recommend Melissa to anyone, she knows what she's doing hands down!
I adopted my dog from starting over ranch 2 and half years ago, the owner melissa was very professional and knowledgeable, her facility is very well kept up and my dog simba was fixed, dewormed, had all his shots, was microchipped and on flea and heartworm meds. She still keeps up with me to this day. I am so grateful i found her facility and my bestfriend simba.
Great place ,I went with a friend of mine. I was expecting to see abunch of skinny rescue horses and a crappy place like most Rescue places I have been to,damn her horses were fat ,shiny, and darn friendly!We went out in a couple pastures and petted and visited the horses.My friends daughter bought a beautiful mare,with the money she saved working and helping me out on weekends. Melissa is cool,I liked her right away ,very knowledgeable too.I did see some of her dogs too ,very nice.I would recommend her highly if you were looking for a horse or dog. Bev Schipp
Melissa and starting over are great. Her first focus is all about the animals. She works hard to place them all in best homes. We love our rescue Lexus we adopted from her after transporting numerous dogs back from Texas.
I love this rescue.... Looked at a GSD not long ago. Both Melissa and i agreed it was too much dog for me. We are still looking as the right dog is needed for my type of service dog work.
I also do rescue myself and Melissa bailed me out when an emergency came up. I was glad to pass on the pups I had to her. I knew she would find GREAT HOMES not good homes. And its not about money with her, its about the animal finding a life long home.
This rescue truly cares for the animals it takes on. Melissa has taken dogs all the way from Texas and other areas and has adopted them out healthy and happy.
Best dog rescue I have ever seen. Melissa Candow, the owner, is a true animal lover and a saint for all she does for her animals. I adopted two puppies, Brownie & Sheriff. I can't imagine our family without them.
Joey, (now named Jax) was part of a litter of 2mo old GSD puppies and when I saw his photo online I was immediately interested. Melissa was friendly and professional over the phone, gave me excellent directions and I didn't hesitate, making the 2+hr drive from coastal Pinellas County the next day.
I wasn't sure what to expect, having only dealt with SPCA, Pinellas Animal Services, etc. I was pleasantly surprised it was actually a ranch, (I assumed it was just in the name). The puppies were well cared for, healthy and absolutely beautiful. As soon as I handled Joey I knew I was taking him home, he was a doll with a great personality.
I was there over an hour and I can attest to how hard Melissa works to take care of the animals in her care. I was impressed at her dedication to be a jack-of-all-trades to handle so much all by herself. That takes guts, a ton of energy and a serious amount of know-how. Unlike some "rescue" services that have all their animals "fostered" Melissa's animals are physically there and that was one of the things that I preferred in my search.
I have had dogs all my life, never living more than a few weeks without one, sometimes having more than one at a time. I have professionally trained certified police dogs and am an excellent judge of canine character as well as people with "dog sense." Melissa has a gift with dogs - and despite the trials and tribulations of her position, she loves what she does and helps find scores of animals new loving homes. I have referred friends to her, and will continue to do so.
Puppy: Jax on the day he came home - 8 weeks old. Adult: Jax on his 1st birthday, Feb 2016.
We adopted 2 puppies from Starting Over on 1/30/2016. They are very healthy,we'll fed and beloved puppies by Melissa & volunteers that there would be no difference than ones we see at breeders. We're so impressed this place is kept so clean and each one of animals are well taken care of. We recommend Starting Over and look no further for your next furbabies.
We adopted a golden mix puppy from SOAR in October 2014 and it was a great experience. We had been turned down by another breed specific rescue because we did not have the right kind of fence. Melissa was less concerned with the type of fence we had and more concerned with whether our new pet was going to be a family member and well cared for. She helped me decide which of the puppies would be best fit for our family and it turned out to be a perfect choice. I have followed her on FB since the adoption and I have been nothing short of amazed at some of the rescues and transformations.
I have been following this Rescue for years -- ever since I moved to Florida (3 years ago) I'm not quite ready to get a pet yet down here in Florida, but when I am ready I will drive all the way to Ocala to adopt from this Rescue. They are incredibly amazing!
I have adopted and volunteered at Starting Over. A truly amazing place, nothing but healthy, happy animals. Melissa puts everything she has into her rescue and it truly shows. Would recommend adopting from Starting Over with out a doubt. So greatful to be involved with this organization. It is truly one of a kind.
We saw the litter of puppies online and I texted Melissa (President) late Saturday night, not expecting a response till the next day. She replied within the hour and was great about communication throughout the next day. Once we arrived to pick up our puppy, they were in a well kept outdoor kennel. The puppies were happy and clean. We instantly picked our dog and fell in love with him. He has a great temperament, especially around children. He received a clean bill of health from the vet and is simply wonderful. I couldn't have asked for a better adoption experience!
Got to ride with Mel and help take care of some of the puppies and dogs that came thru the rescue and every dog and horse was treated with the utmost care and attention. She runs the rescue with her heart and soul and pours everything she has into these dogs to help find them the best possible homes.
Melissa Candow runs this Rescue with a determination, dedication, and a heart bigger than the Universe. I have been a part of her transport operations thru other Rescues and have seen her Ranch and witnessed the miracles she does, with very little help. She is a one-woman powerhouse and refuses to give up on the animals in Her care. She takes the ones no one else will ...the difficult, the dying, the unwanted, and she nurses them personally, trains them professionally, and takes over-precautions in who she adopts her animals out too - each one is special to her. Her Ranch is clean, her animals are cared for with great love and a wealth of medical training. Starting Over Animal Refuge gets Five Stars. IF I could give more I would!