Jake’s Wish Dog Rescue

I sent in an email to foster a dog for this rescue and I deeply regret doing it. It is disorganized and they clearly do not care about the people who step up to volunteer for them.
The story:
I sent in an email and asked if a specific dog needed a foster and was told yes. I sent in a foster application and was asked if I could pick him up at an event happening that weekend in San Jose. I said yes and was supposed to get a call to discuss him… which never happened. I sent a confirmation email, stating that I would be there unless I got a call or text otherwise since it was an adoption event and well, he could get adopted.
After my hour drive, I arrived and was told the dog wasn’t there. They told me the foster thought they wanted to keep the dog for another week to see if they could adopt, which I later found out was a lie. Instead of calling me beforehand to let me know the dog wasn’t there, they tried to get me to foster another dog instead. I told them no, I drove down there to pick up the dog we had originally discussed. Why did I not receive a call? Heidi (the rescue org. leader) said she felt bad and called the current fosters to see where he was at. Their discussion contained NO MENTIONING of adoption or potential adoption. It was clear that the foster had just not shown up at the event without telling them, and Heidi decided to lie to me about the reason why the dog wasn’t there to make me feel like it was a good reason. It turns out they had taken the dog with them for a weekend trip and wouldn’t be back for a few more hours. Heidi told them it «wasn’t fair to make me wait longer» and they should drop the dog off. A game of phone tag ensued and of course, they couldn’t drop the dog off that day. I received zero communication after that. No update on if he would be getting dropped off, if they adopted, if someone else adopted, nothing.
It is disgusting how a rescue organization can so easily take advantage and deceive people who willingly volunteer for them. It was a dishonest move to not call me in order to get me to foster a different dog instead. There was NO excuse for not calling me after the foster hadn’t shown up with the dog an hour into the event. They didn’t even call to check where the dog was at until I already arrived at the end of it. Would they even notice if the foster left with the dog and never contacted them again? Probably not. It shows how much they care. I wasted my time and my gas money to help out for free and I essentially got a slap in the face. That is not the way you treat volunteers. I’ve had some bad experiences with disorganized rescue groups but this one surpasses the rest. It was such a horrible experience for me that I decided to stop fostering dogs altogether.
Reading the other reviews, there is a clear lack of communication coming from the owner. NO OTHER RESCUE that I’ve worked with has failed to contact people who show interest in adopting. Even if the dog is very popular and even if the dog has already been adopted. If they truly care about adopting dogs, they would make the effort to contact those who show interest in adoption regardless.
I will NEVER suggest anyone adopt a dog or volunteer with this group. There are many other rescue groups who appreciate the people who step up to give their time for free.

We had a a wonderful experience with Jake’s Wish Dog Rescue. My mother lost her beloved beagle a few years ago. She decided that it was time to branch out and look into adoption. I met Lowell and Deborah at the dog park and they told me about Jake’s wish. We saw a potential match online, applied for the dog, attended the adoption event and left with a new family member. We couldn’t be happier with the way it all turned out. The foster family was kind and caring. I really recommend Jake’s Wish Dog Rescue.

Jake’s Wish Rescue is a fantastic organization that help save the lives of many puppies and dogs in need. They are ran by a group of wonderful individuals on a volunteer basis. I worked with Heidi and she was wonderful. You can tell she really cared for the animals. They are very responsive and just a group of caring, kind hearted people. I would recommend anyone who loves animals to reach out and work with Jakes Wish Rescue

Please join me in my efforts to support the Jake’s Wish Dog Rescue, of San Jose, CA! After working with Heidi a while back, in the fostering of a mama and her puppies, it was very rewarding to see how well Heidi worked smoothly and professionally, in the adoption process. The three adopting parents drove to San Jose from Pleasanton, Walnut Creek and the Sacramento Area! This is definitely a testament to the level of professionalism and care that Heidi brings to the process of saving these sweet little dog’s lives. Jake’s Wish has now become one of my primary charities to donate to. Please join me in my financial assistance to this very worthwhile cause… Thank you kindly :)

I adopted one of the little mermaid puppies back in March, baby Ariel, now renamed Ellie Mae. She is a wonderful little dog and my constant companion. The foster family did a great job of socializing her and she is now learning all her basic commands and also training me a few as well! Wish I could arrange a play date with her 4 brothers. Sooo pleased with Jakes Wish!

When I like something I tend to like it a lot and when I am disappointed, I am generally very critical. I am a dog mom because I think I take very, very good care of my dogs and don’t think anyone should have a pet unless you are making a lifetime commitment. Needless to say I have very high expectations about the care of animals.
With that said, Jake’s Wish was bought to my attention through We Dog Care and any friend of Ruben’s is a friend of mine. We weren’t actually looking for another dog when we decided to take a detour to WDC where Jake’s Wish was hosting an adoption event (2 puggles at the time). We wanted to catch a glimpse of Bao Bao a pup rescued from Taiwan. A black lab/​shep pup caught my eye and was the last of her litter to need a home. My 10 year old son climbed into the pen with «Star» and sat and snuggled for what felt like an hour. It was this down time that I got a chance to chat with volunteers, listen to Bao Bao’s story and just observe interaction with visitors. So impressed with the information exchanged, organization, kindness and commitment to potential adopters.
Jake’s Wish and Star’s fantastic foster mom, Sabrina, let us take this baby girl home for a meet and greet «just over night» with our rambunctious Puggles. We are now the proud family of the sweetest baby girl anyone could ask for whom we now call Pepper! We have received such great support from JW since adopting. Great recommendations on training. My family is now committed to supporting new litters with food, toys, and donated items because I am convinced JW does great work. Heidi knows I am a Puggle lover and did not shy from a special needs Puggle at the SJ shelter knowing this was a last hope. I really can’t say enough about this rescue and the countless hours they invest in saving dogs. It’s honest work by honest people and after working 20 years with non-​profits, this organization is nothing but stellar.

Jake’s Wish Dog Rescue is an awesome addition to the dog rescues in the bay area. They do an incredible job saving dogs who are at risk of being put down in shelters and they don’t shy away from dogs who need extra TLC from a foster home before they can get placed in their «furever» home. Highly recommend checking them out if you are looking to adopt a dog or if you’re looking for a volunteer opportunity, they have an awesome fostering program as well.

After our Boston Terrier of 13 years recently passed from pancreatic cancer, our family was devastated. The day after Thanksgiving, I don’t know what made me go on
in search of another Boston Terrier in need in our area, but I did and sure enough there was this little dog taken in by Jake’s Wish and placed into a loving foster home just a few days before. I took the time to write a long letter and included photos and a video of our family. I filled out the required application and explained how much a part of our family our little Boston was and what the privilege of having a pet means to our family. It was a process that took over a week, almost two, which included a few email exchanges and a phone interview. I continually expressed our interest but at the same time understood that this process was not about what WE wanted, it was about what was BEST FOR THE DOG. These rescue organizations have to be so careful when advocating for these dogs; placing them into the wrong home and being returned can be so much more damaging than spending another week in a foster home. If people just showed up to adopt a dog, it would be impossible to do a proper screening to match an adopter with the right dog, and irresponsible of the rescue group. I found all of my exchanges with Heidi and Jessica and the other volunteers at Jake’s Wish Dog Rescue to be nothing but helpful, informative and most importantly HONEST. They truly have the best interest of these dogs first and foremost in their hearts, and they give up their personal time to VOLUNTEER. They are not making one penny for all of the work that they do for the benefit of the dogs. It makes me sad that people would go out of their way to criticize volunteers, who are not paid employees, who are doing their absolute best for these dogs that cannot look out for themselves. I understand that Boomer was in high demand that day, which was a direct result of the fantastic job the Jake’s Wish Dog Rescue volunteers did promoting him on social media.
Yes we were chosen to adopt him with first right of refusal, and I felt terrible for the other families who were hoping we would pass on him. It was so uncomfortable because I know that could have been us. I can understand anyone’s disappointment in not being chosen to adopt, and the frustration with having to wait without knowing the status of an application. But I can also understand that these volunteers at Jake’s Wish Dog Rescue are responding to emails and processing applications for many, many dogs– usually when they get home from their primary income-​producing jobs, and this is how they choose to spend their free time. VOLUNTEERING. So please try and be patient and don’t respond so impulsively under the immediate emotional response of disappointment. Be glad that Jake’s Rescue is doing the right thing by making the welfare of these homeless dogs the priority. I commend them for the efforts they put forth so selflessly in the best interest of these dogs. Thank you Jake’s Wish, and keep up the great work!!!

Great rescue doing great things!
Because of my wife, I had to foster a pit bull named Lucy (see attached photos). At first, I wasn’t thrilled about this, but she was the happiest, sweetest dog. And if it weren’t for Jake’s Wish rescue, she would be dead.
Lucy was a staff favorite at the San Jose shelter, but she had lost a bunch of hair (likely because she had recently had puppies and was malnourished). Because she had so little hair, no one at the shelter was willing to adopt her, and her time was almost up.
So I was forced to take her in because of my bleeding-​heart wife. With better food and care, Lucy regained her hair. We took her in a plane to LA and out in public, and she was always the sweetest, happiest dog. It would have been a loss if she had been put down.
Jake’s Wish found the perfect home for her: a house with another pit bull who loved to play, and with whom Lucy got along with perfectly. To be honest, I was sad when she left.

Jake’s Wish is a wonderful dog rescue run by volunteers who deeply care about the well-​being of their dogs. They work extremely hard to not only save dogs that would otherwise be put-​down, but to help get dogs ready to be positive members of their new households (e.g. by potty training them).
Another key strength of Jake’s Wish is their ability to pair you with a dog that perfectly fits your needs. They are honest about the pros and cons of a given dog: they don’t try to ‘con’ you into adopting if the dog isn’t the right fit. I have recommended at least two families to them based on my experience, and every time they have hit the nail on the head (in terms of matching a dog to the family).
While I feel bad for the individuals who report having had a bad experience with Jake’s Wish, it appears as if they are judging Jake’s Wish as if it were a for-​profit business, as opposed to a non-​profit organization run by volunteers in their spare time. Furthermore, there is just no way that the slights they report merit a single-​star review. They are upset that not enough attention was paid to them, versus being upset that they were deceived about a dog. And from my previous experience with another dog rescue, being ignored is a million times better than being deceived.
Here is a comparison point of what a one-​star dog rescue looks like. I adopted my first dog from a now defunct rescue in Oakland. I thought that he was the perfect dog because he was small, very cute, and not hyper. Turns out he was a pretty aggressive dog, which the rescue hid from me, which I learned when I tracked down his papers from the San Francisco ASPCA to find out that he had lunged at someone who worked at the shelter. The rescue had not included those pages of his record when I adopted him (ON PURPOSE). I love my dog, but I had to work very hard (and spend a lot of money) to fix his behavior. I have always felt that when I adopted him, I was manipulated and deceived by that rescue. So yeah, even with the slights described by these two users, there is just no way this behavior merits one star.
Anyways, the key takeaway here is that, in terms of judging a dog rescue, it seems like the core questions should be:
1. Are they doing good work? Are they saving the lives of dogs?
2. Are they treating the dogs well?
3. Are they being honest and truthful to potential adoptees about the dogs?
4. Are they trying to find the best home for a dog vs. just taking the first applicant who is willing to pay?
5. Are they finding good matches for dogs? [Sometimes the dog you think that you want really isn’t the right dog for you]
On all of these metrics, Jake’s Wish scores a 5.
Keep up the great work!

Jake’s Wish Dog Rescue is awesome. The staff truly cares about the animals, and it is inspiring seeing how many dogs they have been able to rescue. We attended a few of their charity events as well, and they have been very well organized and enjoyable.

Have to agree with the previous review. We were unable to attend the adoption event so we filled out a painfully long online application and followed up via email on interest in a few dogs. We received absolutely zero response. Not even an acknowledgement that it was received or an answer to any questions.
If online applications and inquiries aren’t answered, perhaps they shouldn’t accept them and should note they only offer in-​person adoptions. It would have saved us a lot of unnecessary time and effort.

Not very pleased with Jake’s wish dog rescue. So I just went to this pet adoption fair for Jake’s over at pet express. I wanted to check out Boomer the Boston Terrier I submitted an application for a week ago. Sure enough, I see him when I get there. Sure enough, he’s fucking adorable. Sure enough, this family is in the process of adopting him. These 4 little kids were all over him and he looked mortified. I spoke with a woman there and told her I submitted an application and never got a follow up email/​call regarding the status of my application. All she could say was Im sorry he just got adopted but showing up really shows you care. Well it sure doesn’t seem like they cared as much as I did. I know Jake’s tries to find the best match for the dog but you think they would follow up on the status of your application like they said they would do in the first place. It would only be fair to contact and interview anyone else that might have been interested. Makes me wonder if they really do consider the best option for their animals. Makes me wonder if maybe I had gotten there 20 minutes earlier I may have had a better chance. Pretty shady for a non profit if you ask me.

Jake’s Wish Dog Rescue is an amazing organization! I was fortunate enough to adopt one of their amazing dogs. When my little guy, Milo, was rescued from a house by Animal Control and he had a fractured femur and a dislocated knee cap. Most shelters would have put him down, but the fantastic folks at Jake’s Wish got him the medical care that he needed and rehabilitated him for 3 months. This is a true non-​profit with the goal of finding great homes for all dogs.

A group of excellent people who really care about dogs. Highly recommend! Check out our foster dog: Remy! He is so snuggly!