Happy Trails Animal Rescue — Local services in Winter Park

Be cautious adopting from Happy Trails. We submitted a detailed application with photos in November. Their process said they usually get back to you in a week. I called after a week and left a message checking that they had received my application. A few days later, they returned my call and said they were working on my application. That was fine. On December 10, they reached out and said my application was approved and asked to set up a zoom call. We set one for December 17. On December 17, no one showed up for the zoom call. I called, texted and emailed and received no response. My son was very sad, so a few days later, I connected with another rescue. The new rescue was very kind, but all their dogs were smaller or younger than we were looking for. We ended up with a darling rescue who is under a year old. Tonight, December 30, Happy Trails reached out to me and said they were sick just before Christmas, and that's why they didn't respond to any communication from us. It has been two weeks since they didn't show up for the zoom call and did not respond to any communication. If they had at least sent a text saying they were sick and would reach out after they felt better, I would have waited. Instead, I ended up adopting a much younger dog than I planned, and now Happy Trails is still trying to find homes for these older dogs. It is very upsetting to me. Happy Trails was polite and wished me well with my new adopted dog, and we love him and will be his forever home, but I am sad for those older dogs, and also sad that Happy Trails didn't even just send a quick text after not showing up for the zoom call. I just want others to know to be prepared to if you are trying to adopt from this rescue. I would have been happy to be patient had there been any communication, but all signs were that we were...

Please spare your heart and go somewhere else. I have so much to say, I applied for a dog Yukon back in early October. Didn't hear anything for weeks, called, no answer, and when they did they couldn't help me find out what was taking so long. After a month I find out my application wasn't complete, that was all, and I found that out by myself by making an account and checking my status. Okay, finished app. More silence, another month goes by, I call for a week, no answers, my application disappeares. Finally ONE person tells me my app was archived because they couldn't get ahold of my references, a very weird protocol. 3 months later I get approved and have a video interview, everything goes great. I've been thinking about this dog every day for 3 months, felt very attached to the idea of getting him. The lady tells me the foster parents might want to keep him, she'll talk to them and let me know the next day...day comes and goes, weeks come and go, I reach out, nothing. I reach out again, nothing, nothing, nothing. Finally I said my peace and just gave up. I deserved an answer, if the foster parents kept him, fine. But I DESERVE the decency of a text. I get they're volunteers, but it truly takes a single minute to let me know the dog isn't available. My heart was broke, my friends and family know I've been talking about Yukon for months, thinking about my potential pet constantly. Happy Trails and they're volunteers have absolutely no thoughts about me, or their animals for that matter, because a potential adopter waited months just to get the silent treatment. Do....A LOT better. Care more, and for God sakes, put your adopters and animals at first priority. Just...

Is this a bogus rescue?? We found this rescue on PetFinder, as they have a special needs dog that we were very interested in meeting for possible adoption. I started contacting before Thanksgiving. My husband sent a message via PetFinder, with no response. Over the next week, I messaged via PetFinder, Facebook Messenger and called and left a voice mail. No response by PetFinder or Call. They responded to FB messenger and stated volunteers answer the messenger and someone would get back to me. They never did. We found a dog, via another rescue, and were looking for training. Last week I called and left a voice mail, with no response. I sent and email, again no response. They did respond via FB Messenger and stated that someone would get back to me from the information I sent via email. The weekend class was full but they would contact me to get our information for the next class. That was a week ago and still no response. When I spoke to someone on FB Messenger I told them about my issue with them not responding about adopting a dog. The response was sorry we didn't get your message. Not any of my messages, by any of the various routes??? It is really hard for me to believe all the positive reviews and that this is a legitimate rescue, when this is how I have been treated for the past 3 months. P.S. The dog we were interested in is still listed...