DAWG – Dog Adoption and Welfare Group

We took in a beautiful stray dog, not knowing that she was pregnant. She had eight beautiful puppies. At 11 weeks of age, they were taken to SB Dawg Adoption. We trusted that they would find the best homes possible for each of them.
We followed the Dawg website to see the puppies get quickly adopted. For weeks we noticed that two puppies disappeared from their website. I contacted Dawg and learned that the puppies had passed away a month prior from parvo that they acquired from two infected dogs at the shelter.
We were heartbroken, we couldn’t believe that no one bothered to inform us. We never thought they would handle this matter in the way that they did. After all the puppies had been relinquished, we still had an interest in them. We made several visits to the shelter. It has been five months since. I decided that I still wanted to share my story.

My experience was not a good one. People were friendly before I took the dog home. But when I felt as though the dog was not a good fit for my family, they were rude and made me feel guilty for wanting to return him. I was heartbroken that it wasn’t working out and tried what I could. They never did a home visit like their process says they do. It would have saved me some headaches as a first time dog owner had they visited my home first. The dog was sweet but anxiety ridden and nipped once at all family members. This group really needs to reassess their procedures and the way they treat well meaning people when the dog is not a good fit. My recommendation would be to ask lots and lots of questions and do some tests of your own on the dog before you commit. Be careful.

Our little dog is still our best bud. You get out what you put in, if you give your dog time and attention the dog pays it back 10-​fold. Thanks DAWG!

This is one class act rescue. I know because I am in rescue.
DAWG has a nice facility. It isn’t the Taj Mahal. The dogs really don’t care about gilt. It is clean, both to the eyes and to the nose. There are nice runs for regular play time. Plenty of shade is provided. The staff loves dogs and does their best to take great care of them. The dogs who really need some rehab are fostered, ensuring that they get the best chance possible.
This group isn’t afraid to save a hard luck case. They have picked up some dogs who truly needed help and some time to learn and recover. Kudos for that.
When you visit, check out their board that shows which dogs love to jog, which come with lots of obedience training, and which really would love to live with another dog.
Add in on-​site vet care, connections to local training and rehab groups, and a willingness to pick up mixed breeds, and you have a winning combination. Consider DAWG when you are ready to add a new family member to your life.

DAWG is a non-​profit, mostly volunteer operated no-​kill dog shelter. The limited staff and plentiful volunteers are kind and helpful and definitely want to help make the best match between animal and human as possible. Their adoption process is lengthy for that reason, so don’t show up looking to leave same day with an animal.
They rescue dogs from shelters up and down California, and have a great mix of small and larger dogs. They have even kept animals at the shelter their whole lives if they are deemed upadoptable for any reason — and will only allow specially trained staff and volunteers to handle those dogs. My point: this is a shelter run by people who truly care about dogs that have no home, and it shows in everything they do. The paint might be peeling on the buildings a bit, but that’s because their priorities lay elsewhere. The dogs are receiving excellent care, the highest nutrition, and lots of love from a variety of sources. Any DAWG is a lifetime DAWG and they’ll take back any adopted dog for any reason, that’s how much they care about these furries.

Probably would be THE place for me to adopt a doggie when I finally have a proper home for one. DAWG is a great organization, and is the ONLY NO-​KILL shelter in in the region!
The kennels are well-​kept, with each usually providing both some sun and shade for the dog and are very clean. The well-​being of the dogs is really the top priority (they get socialized at the DIOJI with other dogs, daily walks, many volunteers to love and help them, and veterinary care on the premises). I noticed that the dogs seem to be given much more space compared to those at the SB shelter next door, where they often cram more than one dog per small kennel. The dogs just look happier!
If you check out their webpage, you can tell the staff/​volunteers really are dedicated to getting these doggies adopted — each adoptable dog has a personal profile with descriptions and information that often only someone who has spent time with the dog would know.

I should have written this review earlier, but my overall experience with this place is:
Volunteers are very kind and caring.
No kill shelter! Yes!
Staff members NEVER get back to you. Call/​email for weeks and they never do. The staff came off as a rude bunch of people.
But, I’m glad their taking care of all the dogs there.

I would give 10 stars if I could. This is a truly amazing shelter! The staff go above and beyond in caring for the dogs and finding them their perfect forever home.
I came here, not seriously looking since I was living in an apartment that didn’t allow dogs, but casually looking for that time a year down the road when I would be moving to San Francisco. Originally, I wanted a rottweiler but was so overwhelmed and heartbroken by the amount of pit bulls there who desperately needed homes. The staff were very patient, allowing me to spend time with various dogs in their fenced-​in play area, even though they knew I wasn’t yet able to adopt.
I visited every few weeks for months and months and ended up falling in love with a cute little blonde pit bull girlie named Sarah. It quite literally broke my heart to see her still there, hopeful and desperate, month after month, especially since she was the friendliest, most affectionate, and playful dog I had ever met. The staff were incredible, though, taking her to agility classes to keep her stimulated and happy, and one staff member, Janelle, even took her home with her a few nights!
Soon after I moved to San Francisco, but before I had found an apartment, I received a call from Janelle. She told me that Sarah had become so stressed out from being at the shelter for so long that she was chewing her paws and had become listless and depressed. She said that if Sarah wasn’t adopted within the next few days, they would have to put her to sleep because she was too depressed. I scrambled to find not just a dog-​friendly apartment in San Francisco, but one that allowed pit bulls, which is no easy feat. Thankfully, something turned up, contingent upon the landlord meeting Sarah and evaluating her temperament.
Janelle was so committed to finding Sarah a forever home and saving her life that she immediately offered to drive her all the way up from San Francisco to meet my landlord. I was floored. She even had to find a dog-​friendly hotel to stay at and leave her own two dogs at home! That’s how committed DAWG’s staff are to finding homes for their dogs!
The day before the landlord meeting, I met Janelle and Sarah in Golden Gate Park and took Sarah to my parents’ house for the day before I had to reluctantly return her to Janelle’s hotel. It was awesome that Janelle allowed me to take Sarah for the day to make sure that I was positive I wanted to adopt her.
The next day, Janelle brought Sarah to my prospective apartment building and led her through the landlord’s temperament test, which Sarah passed with flying colors! We then signed all the papers and Janelle bid Sarah a bittersweet tearful goodbye.
The whole process could not have gone any better and D.A.W.G. exceeded all my expectations for an animal shelter. Their staff is incredibly committed and I will forever be indebted to Janelle for going above and beyond to save Sarah’s life and find her the perfect forever home. If it weren’t for her, Sarah would have been put down and I never would have had the honor and pleasure of owning the most incredible dog in the entire world.

DAWG is a wonderful shelter that you should definitely check out if you are looking to adopt a dog. I volunteered here for a few months and really enjoyed all the volunteers who spent their time at the shelter. I would still be volunteering there today had I not moved to another city. I can only hope the next shelter I volunteer at has as many compassionate people at DAWG.
They are very serious about finding «forever homes» for their pets and will do a house check and follow up with adopters. DAWG has a policy where they will take back any former DAWG-​dog, no questions asked, which is why they try to find the best match for their animals, so as to not have the shelter overrun with returned pets that people were not ready to take care of in the first place. It may be a little stricter than the other shelters in the area, but worth the effort.
There are also some amazing dogs at this shelter who have been there a long time. Ask any of the volunteers who their favorite dog might be, and you’ll probably be surprised who different people choose. Certain dogs that I was «afraid» of based on sight or whatever reason, I came to love and spend most of my time with. Don’t write off your potential dog so easily! Everyone I dealt with was very knowledgable and helpful, and if they didn’t know answers to my questions (I often did not have the full history of a certain dog), everyone is eager to find someone who can answer questions.
I would highly recommend visiting dog, even if you just want to go see some puppies! They will also let you play with the dog in their new Meet and Greet yard if you ask.

DAWG has some really amazing dogs and possibly even more incredible people who work and volunteer there. The dogs are all treated so well and loved tons by the staff and volunteers. The cute doggies stay in beautiful, very clean areas with comfy blankets and other «creature comforts.» As a dog, I think DAWG would be the place to be…
And, when you did have to leave, you would be assured a great home because the staff would check, double-​check, and triple-​check that the home you were going to was the right one for you!

— 1 Star for customer service
I wanted to adopt a dog. I had a HUGE house with a HUGE yard with a 7 ft fence. Very secure. They said I had to wait 2 weeks for someone to come visit my house and then they have a huge adoption fee. They are rude too. If these dogs need homes so badly, then why are they so picky? I was ready to provide a good loving home. Frustrated, I went next door and took home 2 dogs the same day. I would give them a lower rating but they are no-​kill so they get their stars back.