My Nonprofit Reviews

Baxter's story: He was a stray picked up on 7/4 in Roselle, NJ and held at AHS-Newark for 7 days. His stray hold was up on 7/12 and my husband and I picked him up that morning and took him home.

We reached out to several English setter rescues and agreed to pick him up and foster for Above & Beyond with their Transport Coordinator.

I never signed a volunteer, transport, or foster agreement with Above & Beyond and was never asked to.

He did not receive a health cert. to transport due to kennel cough and he was kept quarantined at my home under the advice of my vet. He was much older than 3 as the shelter said and had multiple medical issues including a large, hard mass/ tumor on his throat and eye issues, visible in the pictures of Baxter.

After a week, he was allowed off quarantine and really flourished and got along with my other 3 dogs (2 border collies, 1 english setter) and we wanted to adopt him. The transport coordinator agreed and got the ball rolling.

The rescue president started calling and harassing us and our vet about how we were unfit fosters due to the fact we don't give our dogs heartworm preventative, due to underlying medical conditions under the care/advice of vets at Cornell, and we test regularly.

Next, a State Police Detective called to let me know the rescue president was pressing theft charges against us for stealing her property. They never once reached out to pick Baxter up nor did they ask about him not even once. (temperament, health, condition, etc)

After providing all my documentation, State Police refused to file theft charges and tried to get the President to see Baxter was already in a loving home so why put him through more stress if he was happy, loved, and well taken care of?

She responded that Baxter was her property and she was going to have animal control come out and put him in the local pound because she could.

The detective was appalled by this and tried several times to convince her to let us pay his vet bills and the adoption fee but she wanted her "property". He was also not altered, has a throat mass and eye issues that we wanted to have addressed at Cornell on our dime.

A state police escort was arranged and he was picked up with a trooper and a transport volunteer for A&B Friday morning at 10am with no health cert crossing state lines into PA. She was very rough in handling him around his neck mass/ tumor and it was hard to watch.

I am genuinely concerned for his safety and well being at this point and am at a loss for what to do. I don't know where he is or how he is doing.

I have been a part of the rescue community for several years with many rescues and have never had anything like this happen. I am sick to my stomach and shocked by what has happened to me and the carelessness they have exhibited towards Baxter. It was blatantly obvious that no one I had contact with cared about Baxter as a beautiful living being that radiated loyalty, love, and such a wonderful joy. I am truly heartbroken and this all feels like a bad dream.

Having all this happen will not tarnish my spirit and Baxter would want me to help other dogs in need.