Rescues

New Jersey is home to hundreds of wonderful legitimate and reputable rescues (many of which are breed-specific), whose priorities are the health and welfare of unwanted or homeless animals and finding them permanent, loving homes.

There are also a growing number of unscrupulous rescue groups and individuals posing as rescues. These fly-by-night groups who sell shelter pets (or animals they obtain for free in online or classified ads) for profit are duping unsuspecting adopters.

And worse, New Jersey is also a magnet for out-of-state rescue groups – a scourge wreaking havoc on New Jersey’s already burgeoning animal shelters and pounds and decent rescue groups who can’t compete.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good

Operating ‘by the book’, reputable rescuers ensure that animals in their care are healthy, temperament tested, and spayed and neutered prior to adoption.  Good rescues also properly screen adopters and charge reasonable adoption fees that do not rival pet store prices!

The Bad

We are aware of several individuals who are known to frequent puppy mills, mostly in Pennsylvania, buying what they then unabashedly advertise as “puppy mill rescues”, as well as some who buy slightly older, unsold puppies from pet shops for resale, billed as “rescued puppies.”  This is certainly not rescue, it's dog brokering, plain and simple!

The Ugly

Fake or shady rescues who sell shelter pets for profit are adversely affecting both animals and adopters and betray the trust of an unsuspecting public.

Many brokers and unscrupulous rescues hide behind PetFinder and Adopt-a-Pet.com to sell dogs. Given the volume of groups posting on these sites, it isn’t possible for all of them to be fully vetted.

If you visit a page with only pure breed or hybrid “(designer”) small dogs & puppies, you have likely found one of these fraudulent rescues.  They buy from puppy millers or backyard breeders to resell to the unsuspecting public for exorbitant adoption fees. The puppy mills will continue to thrive as long as anyone, including rescues, buys from them.

Furthermore, these so-called rescuers offer little or no guarantee for the health of the puppies they sell under the guise of adoption, and with no money trail and improper health records, the adopters fall into the same category as defrauded pet shop consumers. The tragic consequence is that many adopters end up with sick or dying dogs and are left to foot hefty vet bills, with no recourse from the “rescue”.

Individuals and groups who advertise as a “no-kill” rescue or shelter are becoming increasingly common to garner more sympathy, interest and support. Ironically, their “no-kill” mission fails when it’s discovered that dogs have died of Parvo or distemper while caged long-term in someone’s basement.

Non-profit or a federally approved 501(c)3 doesn’t necessarily mean legitimate or reputable. Neither does the presence of a group holding adoption events at popular retail pet supply stores where they mutually benefit.

Anyone can call herself a rescuer or a non-profit and from the looks of many online rescue sites, this is a common practice!  Do your homework first - check the IRS Charities Search site to see if the rescue in question is indeed a federally approved non-profit: click here to begin your search.

Transparency

Finally, there should be more transparency from rescue groups. Many don’t provide phone numbers and are not registered charities, and don't provide health certificates for their adopted animals. They should do better than the pet stores.