Brown Paws Rescue

"They were so helpful in the adoption process!! We adopted2 pups a month apart."

— corinne b.

Adoptee

"I am writing to nominate Brown Paws Rescue in Wisconsin. We adopted our beloved dog from them almost 4 years ago. It was in the peak of the COVID pandemic when it seemed like everyone suddenly wanted a dog. After losing our dear Bernese Mountain Dog to cancer several years earlier, we decided we were ready to take the plunge again. Much to our surprise and disappointment, many of the area rescues would not consider our applications because we had returned a rescue dog more than a decade earlier. That dog lived in our home for a month. We loved him, sought training and behavioral evaluations, and with heavy hearts returned him because he had fear aggression and we had small children. This was known to the rescue, but not disclosed to us at the time.( That rescue (no longer in existence) also tried and failed to rehabilitate him and he ended up being euthanized, even though they were a "no kill" rescue. They were extremely apologetic and offered to waive the fee if we wanted to adopt a different dog. We declined, having lost trust in that organization. We subsequently adopted our Bernese and raised him as a beloved member of the family. None of that history, successful dog raising experience, or testimonial from our vet and neighbors was enough to sway several local rescues from their policy of eliminating adopters if they had previously returned a dog. I am forever grateful to Brown Paws for giving us a chance. They carefully vetted us (I know because our references were interviewed.) and deemed us to be the fit dog parents that we know we are. It will be 4 years since our Tazzy joined our family. In that time, I have watched from a distance and a Facebook group as Brown Paws and their volunteer partners continue to rescue hundreds, if not thousands of dogs and match them with loving families. They rescue medically complex dogs and fundraise to cover their expenses. They do courtesy postings for local groups, and also help with cats looking for forever homes. I can't think of a group of people more deserving of the recognition from Sniff Spot. They are heroes in every sense of the word."

— barbara f.

Adoptee