Mutts and Moms

Earlier review was removed for being true, so I’ll just cut to the chase.
These people are half a block from the Pasadena shelter. Go there instead. No hassle, no bad press, no rude people, and you’re saving a dog from euthanization.
Don’t waste your time.

I’ve adopted our dog from Mutts and Moms. I am so thankful that they rescued her from being euthanized at an shelter just because she had full milk sacs after having a litter of pups. I appreciate that they want to find the best homes possible for these dogs and do a thorough check of potential adopters. You sign a contract when you adopt and are expected to abide by the agreement. I’m really blown away by people posting negative reviews when they have nothing to do with the organization or a celebrity’s situation. Get off the internet, get a life and go do something positive for animals. Thank you again Marina! We love our Gwynn!

I am seeing all these bad reviews over peoples feelings over ellen giving away someone she said she would care for no matter what. If that new family really wanted to adopt their are so many rescues and shelters. Their was a contract no need to bring a rescue down!
Over the last 4 years I adopted 2 dogs from two different rescues. They need to do a home check, meet all family members and many require no children. They ask if you have any pets and what will you do if they dont get along. I had to take my doggy to meet our new rescue to assure their were no initial issues. These rescues spend so much money helping these dogs recover and find FOREVER homes. I always sign a contract stating that I will keep my dog safe, and if for any reason I cannot keep them I MUST return them to the rescue. They want to make sure our babies get a forever home that is safe. One of my dogs came terrified of children because he probably was bought as a gift for a child when he was young, children often mistreat animals. I hear so many stories of kids leaving doors open and dogs getting ‘accidentally’ hit by a car. Finding a home is a serious task, its not just an item you are giving away its a living being that will live about 20 years.

I did ferret rescue for awhile. From working amongst rescue people I can tell you this, honestly and bluntly.
Not all rescues are heroes.
Some are, but not ones like this.
While rescues like this spend time and resources being vindictive, like in the case of the fiasco with Ellen Degeneres, or finding reasons to NOT adopt dogs out to families, animals in kill shelters have less time and less resources. While puppy mills and BYBs are a problem, responsible breeders also catch fire for the pet overpopulation problem. But what about the rescues that turn away countless wonderful homes for arbitrary reasons? What about the rescues that make the adopting experience so awful for first-​time adopters, and make people feel so scrutinized and judged for just wanting to help an animal that they just break down and buy a dog instead? The disservice these kinds of people with these kinds of attitudes do for animals is more than you can imagine, and it’s becoming commonplace — the face of private rescue. Often rescue is very much about the ego of the rescuer — a toxic victim/​martyr complex that allows them to enact their dislike of people by judgmentally playing God with who gets to or who doesn’t get to take home a pet. They get to pull you apart and scrutinize you, your family, your home, your lifestyle, and then deny you the dog or cat you’ve become attached to for something as simple as having the wrong tile on your kitchen floor. Many of these rescues charge you hundreds of dollars, and have expectations that you make six figures, have your own large house, have no kids, and also have one person stay at home full time to be with the animal. That’s literally insane. That also knocks off 99% of potential adopters — there are PLENTY of wonderful loving homes that have kids, where both parents work, that rent, or that make less than six figures. Wasn’t the point to find animals homes? And let’s say you are lucky enough to actually please the mutt gods, and they do bestow a dog on your lucky soul. Then what? Then you sign a contract that they can come drop by any time and if they don’t like what they see, they can take Fido away like he was never there in the first place. Think they took the dog away for an unjust reason? Good luck winning that in court, they’re a rescue, they can do no wrong. Forget that they have 20 dogs that live in a small, smelly house, and that the rescuer works 3 jobs to make ends meet. It’s okay, she’s a ‘rescuer’, her standards can be lower than what she expects from potential adopters. Way lower. But you? GOD HELP YOU if you were a homemaker when you adopted the dog, but decided to get a part time job for some extra cash flow. The contract says you’re obligated to tell them, and if they find out your life changed slightly then they’re coming for your pet. God help you if you lost your job and had to move to a smaller apartment, with the dog. The contract said you had to notify them when you move. They’ll come take your dog away and punish you even more for falling on hard times. God help you if you decided to have children. The contract said you had to notify them if you had kids, because you can’t possibly have both the dog and children. They specifically asked about your reproductive plans for the next 15 years in the contract, which is law. You had to answer honestly. You having children IS their business. They’re a rescue after all. They just want what’s best!
That’s the nature of many of these rescues. Don’t ‘rent’ a dog from nazis like this. My advice, having worked in rescue and left in part because of how awful the people involved are, either adopt a dog from a high kill pound or shelter and REALLY save a life, or buy from a reputable breeder. Leave people like this alone. They’re on a power tip, and using animals’ wellbeing as a façade. Don’t fund their bullshit egos. If you want a purebred, find a reputable breeder and don’t let anyone make you feel bad for buying a well bred dog. If you want a rescue, go save a dog truly on death row — a dog in its 11^th hour, from your local pound.

Adopted 3 beautiful babies from her. Have been shopping at her store for years and have watched her place at least 100 dogs. Yes, she is extremely picky on who she adopts her rescues to because she loves each and every dog so much. She keeps in touch with all her rescues going back 10 years. She has saved over 1000 dogs’ lives and every person who has ever adopted from her loves her and feels indebted to her for life. She is so dedicated to these precious babies that she even drove to San Diego every Sat for months to spend time with one of her pitbull rescues that she placed 8 years ago who was diagnosed with cancer. Who does that? Oh and about the Degeneres issue… her only concern was for the dog. Ellen gave the dog to her hairdresser like a stuffed animal. Marina makes all her adopters sign a contract that they will never give their dog away without going through her first so she can make sure they are going to a good home and not back to the shelter or to an unfit family. She does a home visit to every potential adopter (yes, she even went to Ellen’s home to make sure her home was fit) before letting them adopt one of her dogs because she needs to know they are going to a good home. Ellen violated that contract and basically told Marina to Fxxk off when Marina kindly asked if she could at least interview and visit the home of where she gave the dog to. It would have been so much easier for Marina to let this go, but she never neglects or gives up on any of her dogs. She needed to know that the dog she placed with Ellen was going to a good home and spent thousands of her own money (which she does not have a lot of) to hire an attorney to help her be sure. Of course, Ellen got her attorneys involved just to have a power trip but Marina won because Ellen violated her contract with her. The dog is now in a wonderful home. All Ellen had to do was let Marina know who she gave the dog to so she could visit their home. But no… Ellen is a big celebrity. Why should she have to follow a measley contract???
To the 1 star Unilocalers who are pissed off because Marina would not place her dogs with you… says a lot about how much she loves those dogs. Thank Dog she didn’t place them with you (Amanda and Crystal specifically). You clearly have issues and Dog knows how you would have treated those precious dogs…

I have watched their adoption process very closely when my step daughter tried to adopt, and I can say they follow the rules when it comes to adopting. People who complain that they are not easy to deal with are folks who do not understand the adoption process is as important and should be as strict as when adopting a human baby. The DeGeneres case was blown out of proportion, Ellen did not follow the rules and transferred the pet to another person, just like a piece of property, and clearly in breach of contract. Animals are not a piece of property, they are living beings who deserve the utmost consideration and protection. Mutts and Moms does that. IF you want to adopt and think they are hard to deal with, be glad. They are doing their job. I only wish all rescues were as thorough as Mutts and Moms.
Here is a great article that summarizes the Ellen case and outlines the legal rights of transferred animals and how they should be classified as «Adoptions»

I have been looking for a dog and I found one on pet finder. The dog was available thru this rescue.
I contacted them and asked about the dog and if I could meet. I tried to research the group and saw they had no social media presence– which is odd in this era. For instance, Facebook is an excellent channel to network dogs and get them adopted.
I met the dog and the owner, Marina. The dog was lovely and I might have adopted her but after my interactions with the owner; I felt uncomfortable. I researched her name and found that this rescue was involved in ‘Ellen-​gate’; Ellen deGeneres adopted a dog and then gave it away to someone on her staff. It violated the contract and the dog was confiscated by the rescue.
The situation seemed to have been mishandled on all sides– however, M & M stated it wouldn’t adopt small dogs to families with children under 14. This rule is RIDICULOUS. I know tons of families with kids that respect their dogs. It’s also a great way to TEACH kids to respect animals and dogs.
A few of her actions and statements seemed off to me — and I felt she was dishonest. She almost seemed to be doing a ‘sell’ on this dog. She said the dog would be adopted ‘quickly– I just put her pictures up and there’s been a few people interested’ maybe BUT I know the dog had been up for adoption for a few weeks because I’d seen the dog on pet finder when I 1^st started searching, a few weeks prior.
There are plenty of good shelters and rescues. I wouldn’t have any dealings with this one.

Mariana is very judge mental. I brought my kids to see the dog they loved it she said I could have the dog… great. I have the dog 2 weeks my kids fall in LOVE with the dog. Mariana calls me see how the dogs doing… but something seemed odd on the phone call but I figured I was paranoid. She comes and when she gets to the house she says she wants to do a home inspection… I didn’t understand. She takes 1 look around says this is not a good home. She already had a crate waiting outside BEFORE she entered the home. I tell her no she claims I breached the contract but would not tell me how as my kids are sobbing she speeds off. I later find out she never took my dogs picture off the Internet and someone saw my dog and called her about him. When she said he was not Available they offered her 300 $ and she came and took him. I can not believe an so called animal lover would do this to the dog or my children. This lady is sick.

I have recently dealt with these disingenuous and unscrupulous people over attempting to adopt a pet for our family. I have never felt so scrutinized and pre-​judged in my life. What could have been painless and simple turned out to be a power-​play and ultimately feel like a violation of our privacy. We were already feeling less than human by the end of all this, yet we kept the process going for our kids’ sake. The final straw was that of our neighbors being questioned about our standing within the neighborhood and if we were cruel to our existing animals. In the interim we have heard several other «stories» about this place and they all seem to have this common theme. The thing that breaks my heart is that these «ghouls» make the decisions on who is worthy to give their love to an animal or not. Furthermore, there is NO WAY that these 5 star ratings are legitimate. They all sound canned and pre-​written if you ask me, plus they all have the same tempo and inflection of writing.
Regardless, if you do go, I honestly wish you the best of luck if you fall in love with one of their animals, however due to personal experience I wish for their business to go under, their animals to be seized and given away to loving homes for FREE.

A year ago my dog passed away and I was looking for another dog. I was aware of Mutts and Moms through a mutual friend. And I’d gotten the real story on Iggy gate. Marina got destroyed in the media, and even under all that pressure, didn’t cave on the principles of adopting she stands by. I really respect her for that.
Marina helped me find the perfect dog for me. Not only for me, but for everyone who meets her — my Emmy is perfect. Unlike the media made her out to be, Marina isn’t some Beverly Hills Dog Matron. My dog was saved by Marina in Bakersfield — where Marina goes often, since it has the highest kill rate in California. She saved Emmy and the three puppies she was still nursing, who had been abandoned there. So my one year old dog was already a mother, and was fearful of everything when I got her.
Marina named her rescue «Mutts and Moms» since one of her pet projects is finding and rescuing dogs that are turned in after they give birth to puppies. It happens more often than not — and the dogs are mostly put down at the shelter. Caring for a dog recovering from delivery of puppies takes time, patience and lots of love. And the pounds can’t take that extra care for one dog. But Marina does.
Here’s what I’ve learned about Marina — MARINA LOVES DOGS.
Marina’s tough. You need to take dog adoption serious when you adopt from her. She’s seen too much to be lax with her rules.
I can’t express how much Emmy’s changed my life. I was in a tough place last year, losing my job, my roommate and my dog in a short period of time. Emmy saved my life, got me through it, and we’re both better off for it.
If you want the perfect dog for you, and you’re ready to take good care of it, please check out her site and find your new best friend!

My dog, Kiwi, is one of Marina’s great rescues. Marina cares so very much. I’m sorry to read the recent posts.
Read what is written: «Mutts and Moms sent out a search party to find our missing doggie and then upon finding her, wouldn’t give her back! Marina has thus created one more homeless dog!» This poster, and apparently others she put up to posting, admit that the dog escaped. The adoption contract makes it clear that if the dog isn’t cared for, Mutts and Moms need not return the animal to the negligent new owner. I suggest to this negligent person that she return the companion dog… he’s in jeopardy, from my point of view.
Marina spends ²⁴⁄₇ worrying about animals who others have abandoned. She spends far more of her money than most of us would to care for these animals and then make sure they are well-​cared for. I suggest that the people who think it is great to disparage Marina and Mutts and Moms spend ¹⁄₁₀₀^th of their time doing what Marina does, and then consider how it must feel to be so devoted to animals no one else wanted, and find that people you trusted couldn’t even care for the little animals. If you cannot watch one dog (or two), get a goldfish, Arlene, Olivia and Deborah.

I got my rescue mutt from Marina at Mutts and Moms a few months ago. I was a bit reluctant because I had not had good luck finding the right dog at the Pasadena Human Society or through other dog Rescue groups.
We knew the moment we saw our little girl Tootsie that she was the right dog for us. We have not been disappointed! We were also very impressed by the level of thought and care that Marina puts into placing animals in the «right» home. I love the way she met with my kids and talked to them appropriately about the responsibilities and care of pet ownership. I highly recommend pet adoption and I especially HIGHLY recommend MUTTS & MOMS! Thanks Marina!

I love Mutts and Moms! I found my adorable Maple on
. I filled out the application and then sent a follow up e-​mail. Marina got back to me right away and invited me to come meet Maple. As soon as I met her I knew she was the dog for me. I think Marina saw that too, but she didn’t pressure me. When I told her I wanted Maple she was so helpful. And as a first time dog owner I needed a lot of advice! :)
Since that time Marina has continued to be so wonderful. I have left Maple with her when I’ve gone out of town, and we’ve gone hiking with her and her dogs. She is extremely passionate about what she does and the dogs of SoCal are really lucky to have her.

***Thanks for just deleting my first review, Unilocal.Next time give me a chance to fix my review rather than just deleting it outright.
I have had personal experience with Mutts & Moms. Several years ago when I was considering adopting a dog. (I didn’t want to say anything about this in the earlier review, but it’s true.)
I found their questionnaire to be long and the owner to be judgmental. The email correspondence I had with her was terse and downright unfriendly. Then it turned out the apartment I moved into didn’t allow pets; so I wasn’t able to go through with the process. I guess that was a good thing.
But my experience up to that point was not the best.
So that is what I’m basing this one-​star review on.
That and the whole Ellen Degeneres/​Iggy situation, which admittedly is all based on secondhand information.