My Nonprofit Reviews
Kay9
Review for North Star Foundation, Storrs, CT, USA
This nonprofit is unscrupulous in its placement of Dogs, its training arrangements, and its payment of debts. As a professional who trains service dogs, I was pleased to agree to work for Northstar to help a family in my area. I was surprised that Patty asked me few questions and did not ask for references. I began working with a year old standard poodle and her family to bring the dog to service dog status. I was in frequent email contact with Patty, who would agree with my training plan, then limit the already reduced payments because she thought we should concentrate in other areas. I tried to adjust my training to her substandard instructions. Patty professed that the dog was well-trained when the family received it, but they received no support and there was little evidence of previous training. As a social worker as well as dog trainer, I was able to identify family dynamics that made training with the family both difficult and essential. However, Patty stated that they would not continue past an additional 6 sessions and would not approve of steps to get the dog into school with the client (major motivation for the client). I completed the sessions and had a barely adequately trained service dog who was able to exhibit appropriate public access behaviors when handled by the Mom, and was able to perform a simple task for the boy, although not to the level one would wish. Patty stated that continued training and maintenance were the responsibility of this financially strapped family, and she never paid for the last sessions we had, nor would she, as required by law, give me the names and contact information for her board of directors.
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If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Patty has misidentified me as trainer. I actually worked with this dog and family throughout the training until dog was deemed appropriate for service work. Every invoice was a chore to get paid--I would wait, then resubmit, then be told the check was coming at a certain date, then, when it didn't come and I inquired, I was given excuses and made further promises that weren't fulfilled. I have email support for all of my statements here. I would close the organization.
You are clearly hiding behind anonymity to tell lies as your feelngs are hurt. The truth is that we paid you $250 to offer my client with a year old standard poodle, as you said that was your "initial" fee, so we paid you $125 per hour to see if you were right for working with my clients, which you were not. Our goals are therapeutic as well as training based, and I tried as politely as I could to let you know we'd end our relationship with this one initial $250 session, as is our right to do, but you insist on taking offence where none was meant for you, and slandering us by way of saying things like I have "substandard instructions" or that this family received a dog with "no training or support." I can easily prove the training this pup had before placement as well support given since, and once again, I am sorry that you weren't right for our work, but I did pay you $250 for the one time you came to visit my clients, so I am hoping you see this is a fair exchange of money for services. ~ Patty Dobbs Gross, North Star Foundation
