Rescue Remedies Dog Rescue - Horley

Tracey Kibble

We have adopted two beautiful dogs from this rescue, one that would have been euthanized within the next 24 hours had Rescue Remedies not stepped in to save him. From our visit to the kennels and meeting with the owner it was clear that this rescue has each and every dogs best interests at heart, hence the application process can be challenging as each aspect of information presented is dicussed and sometimes questioned to make sure they are happy to proceed with that applicant for their dogs. Any good rescue will be doing the same. It is disheartening to see some poor reviews due to people's disappointment at not being a successful applicant (even if they thought they were). Rejection hurts, but I see no positive outcome for the dogs of complaining bitterly in a review without hard evidence that this is not a legitimate and caring rescue centre.....which it most certainly is. Please remember that the day to day running of the rescue is carried out by volunteers and the owner has devoted her life to this cause. Here are a couple of pictures of our ex Rescue Remedies dogs.....one chosen for us by Lynne at our visit to the rescue and the black greyhound who we thought would be a good companion for our first one (Benji). Love them!....thank-you Lynne and all the volunteers. Keep up the good work you do, it is appreciated.

Courtney Hempel

STAY WELL AWAY!

I spoke to a lady this morning about rehoming a dog. The whole conversation was awful. I put on the application how we have trained precious dogs off the lead. You didn’t get the option to put both so clicked the off lead option and in the notes put how we don’t mind on lead as we don’t have a preference. When walking off lead this has always been in the country side and has never been on a main roads. In the application it was started that we looked after our neighbours dogs long term and who only ever walked on a lead. The lady told me didn’t care about the neighbours dogs as I put on the application form about walking a dog off lead. I told her that we do not have any preference to dogs being on a lead or not. She told me I was not listening and how I didn’t understand about the off lead rule. The lady told me she’s had lots of experience where people don’t listen and take them off lead where she’s had fatalities and people have social pressure to do so.
Again I told her we don’t have social pressure for keeping a dog on a lead and are quite happy to always keep them on a lead. I found the whole experience very negative. She was rude and told me multiple times I didn’t understand and wasn’t listening. She started raising her voice as the conversation went on. I felt like I was being spoke down and I wasn’t being listened to. I would stay away from this dog rescue they clearly don’t want the dogs to be rehoused to loving families that would care for them. It seems a ridiculous question to ask to keep the dogs on lead as they have no way of enforcing this rule. This attitude and approach towards people is stopping dogs being rehoused to loving families who would truly care for them.

Susan Kang (Littleroo)

Back in 2008 at 4yrs old Approx. Adopted Ronnie n Summer. Now 2024 Summer sadly died unexpectedly as no visible health issues. She's in our Garden so still at Home. Ronnie carrying on but too an OAD.

Peter Bennie

Couldn't be more pleased with the service we received from Rescue Remedies (RR) . After filling out the application we were called for a thorough consultation. RR were absolute professionals and made every effort to home the right dog with us. They ensures both the needs of the dog and the prospective owner were met. We needed a dog who was friendly with birds as we had bits and chickens at the time. They chose us the perfect dog, Lizzy, a Staffie. She's been an angel for 7 years with us now. RR rescued a life and we got to share our love with a lovely lovely soul.

David S

Update 19/08/20: Its been just over a year since I received my horrendous call from Rescue Remedies that nearly ruined my summer after the death of my sweet Patterdale cross Maisy. Four weeks after that rude, abnoxious, toxic conversation I was able to independently rehome a beautiful one year old Patterdale - Star. She's been an absolute delight - loyal, dependable, loving, affectionate, caring, highly intelligent and a strong, independent, free willed personality. Everything I'd been looking for and hoping for in a Patterdale (and much more besides). I can't thank Rescue Remedies enough for denying me the chance of rehoming one of their Patterdales as if I had, I'd never have found Star.

Absolutely shocking and very upsetting phone call this morning from a lady at Rescue Remedies. Clear from the get go that she had already decided to refuse my application. This, despite my having rescued a wonderful Patterdale cross - Maisy who was with me 6 lovely years and she was 24 hours from death from severe malnutrition and dehydration when I found her... She said she did not want to hear about it because it was 'irrelevant'. Really?! I would have thought that this would be of PARAMOUNT importance given you are a rehoming and rescue organisation...!!
She proceeded to lecture me about terrier temperament, that since I run a dog daycare as my business none of the dogs needing re-homing would work, (funny, because I see many of their volunteer workers on their forum commenting on how great some of their Patterdales are with other dogs), that I lived too far away (Cardiff - and I said I would be prepared to travel to Surrey at only 2.5 hrs drive).
I took great offence to her telling me my previous 6 years with a Patterdale rescue was irrelevant. she was extremely rude, kept talking over me and then accused me of being too aggressive when I lost my rag with her appalling attitude and judgmental approach to someone she couldn't even be bother to get to know.
This call was all about her - not me. She could not have cared any less about me. I have had five dogs living with me over the years. All of whom I've given love, cuddles, long walks, adventures to, and so on. How dare she!!
In psychology there is this thing where when someone says 'I'm not saying that...' What they really mean is they ARE saying that. She said @I currently have six dogs here and I'm not saying I am keeping them all to myself, but...' Sorry, that's EXACTLY what you are saying! She said 'I'm not saying I'm preventing dogs from going to good homes, but we do have procedures...etc, etc' No you ARE saying you are intentionally preventing dogs from going to good homes.
Thanks Rescue Remedies for preventing a loving, caring home from taking in a dog desperately in need. Thanks also for ruining my Sunday and creating a great deal of offence and upset by dismissing the fact my Patterdale of six years passed away on the 1st June as an 'irrelevance'. You should be utterly ashamed!
My advice? You should take a long hard look at your operation, your attitude and whether what you are doing is helping in any way the welfare of these poor dogs.
I'm posting this in memory of Maisy - and as a tribute to everything I did for her over years - and as a warning to all coming into contact with this organisation.

Caroline Richardson

I am so full of admiration for Rescue Remedies, all the animals (and birds) they have rehomed. To see how their lives are enriched from being dumped, living in atrocious conditions, on the verge of being put to sleep, being an afterthought to become wonderful family members, enjoying life how they should have from the start. For people forced to give up their pets due to changed circumstances, it must be so good to see what Rescue Remedies achieve.

We have adopted two dogs from RR - Fizz an older Patterdale and Cricket, a very, very sensitive Fell Terrier who has now trained us to put his duvet over him when he feels cold. Both have been truly wonderful additions to our lives and we relish their terrier ways. Everyone at RR was so very helpful even when I asked probably really stupid questions.

The charity is very professional and centred on the animal, just as it should be. We have adopted from other charities, including The Dogs' Trust, so have something to compare RR with. One charity had dogs living in miserable conditions in kennels made from all sorts of things including old kitchen cabinets with all of them barking continuously.

I agree wholeheartedly with the on lead policy - when I was little I saw a friend's dog run over and it still haunts me. Plus when walking my dogs they don't always appreciate a strange dog running straight up to them, with no owner in sight or one yelling that their dog is friendly (just lacks recall). We have had terriers all our lives and know what scrapes they can get into. Our twenty year old very small Patterdale cross still wants to go down every hole she can find so she is always on a lead. I didn't adopt a dog to endanger her life.

When I need another dog I know where I will turn and just wish that I lived closer so I could walk some of their current intake. Too many people make the mistake of thinking that a dog will be perfect and then blame it when it isn't - this is real life.

Thank you so much to the organisers, volunteers, kennel staff, fosterers and supporters of this truly wonderful charity.

Ellen Kent

Amazing organisation! And I think their screening process is thorough and justified. We completed the online questionnaire, had a 30 minute "interview" call, had to take a video of our home and the garden and make some minor modification. So it was detailed and we had to make a bit of effort to meet their high standards, but why not? This is a professional charity that cares and wants to make sure the next home for these dogs is their last. They really give you an insight into the personality of the dog as each dog has their own blog, with wonderful volunteers regularly sharing their experiences of that dog. We are the happy adopters of Nellie, a patterdale staffie cross. From the work the charity do and Nellie's blog we had a really good understanding of what Nellie was like, so there was no time wasting on both sides. We feel blessed to have Nellie. In just a few weeks she has brought so much joy. I would recommend this charity hands down.

karen hough

Fantastic rescue giving dogs and humans a chance - the matching process they use to find the right homes for their dogs is excellent, it can appear strict but they have interests of the dogs in mind and won't re-home a dog just because someone says they want one. It has to be the right home. I adopted from them in 2017 and they've always stayed in touch and been supportive.