Stray From The Heart

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! Stray From The Heart is unlike any other dog rescue I've ever worked with--this agency is OUTSTANDING! Literally, it stands out from the rest of the pack, pun intended. I have applied for many dogs through MANY other NYC-based agencies, and this is the only one that actually took the time to get to know me, my partner, and our now rescue dog, Chippy, to find the perfect/best match possible for everyone involved. The founder, Toni, called me on the phone numerous times to ask questions, answer my questions, and give me updates on how the approval and adoption process was going. They truly care about finding the best home for the dog, by taking time to learn about the adopters/humans. We also had the opportunity to speak over the phone and text with the foster, who had saved Chippy down in Puerto Rico. She sent us videos, photos, and as much information as possible so we could make an informed decision to adopt Chippy. Not every agency allows you to speak with the foster family, for reasons I don't understand.

After receiving abundant amounts of information about Chippy, we felt confident in bringing him home. SFTH organizes the flight from PR to JFK. On the day of arrival, Toni and another volunteer met us at the airport to facilitate the first meeting with our dog--making sure everything ran smoothly, as the dogs are scared and confused upon arrival. Since you are unable to meet your dog in person prior to adoption, they have a "no questions asked" policy that states, if the match isn't a good one, they will re-home the dog. We were at first hesitant to adopt a dog before meeting in person, but with this policy along with the time and care they showed throughout the process, we felt comfortable to trust their process.

We brought Chippy home just 2.5 weeks ago, 4/8/23, and could not be more in love!!! He has quickly come out of his shell, and knows we're his new Mom and Dad! He's the sweetest, most loving little pup, and we feel so lucky to have found Stray From The Heart!! Thank you for everything, Toni, Ketty, Patricia, and the rest of your team

PS--They did not ask me to write this review. I am so moved by the experience that I couldn't help myself. I am gushing with gratitude :).

We can't say enough how lucky we were to find Stray from the Heart. When we saw these two girls we were excited and applied to adopt right away. At first hesitant when we learned we would be adopting from Puerto Rico without a chance to meet them in advance. But after talking with Toni, we learned more about the girls and their personalities while in foster than we would have learned in a meet and greet. SFTH and Toni stay in touch to make sure the girls have settled in. Toni gave us great suggestions on preparing for them to arrive and what to expect while the girls settled into our home. SFTH just doesn't hand you a dog and leave you to figure it out. While we are experienced dog owners, we still learned so much on how to introduce new dogs into our home. SFTH truly loves dogs and does everything to ensure a positive experience for dogs and their new owners. We are forever thankful to SFTH that we found our 2 golden girls aka PR Lovebugs! Its now been 5 months and we are one happy family!

They made us go through over a month of waiting and we did everything they asked. We passed every check, every requirement, references, and after a month of waiting to take our baby home Jenny calls us and tells us they have decided the dog needs to be in a home with another dog and so therefore, though it was never ever mentioned prior, we can't get our dog now because the foster mom refuses to relinquish the dog and the organization won't argue. The dog is in a home with 25 other strays, and their call was to make us wait a month to rescue a dog we fell in love with because they'd rather keep the dog in a hoarding environment because they don't want to upset the foster mother's sudden whim to only adopt this dog into a home that already has a dog. Ludicrous. Our hearts are broken, and this is no way to save animals. ​

I had a wonderful experience adopting my pup, Everest (formerly Lupita), through Toni and Stray from the Heart. From day one, Toni was open and honest about the process and the dogs available. We had an initial conversation about what I was looking for and less than a week later, Toni had called with the perfect dog. Her and the other volunteers provided as much information as they had on the pup and she has proven to be exactly as described. She is a total sweetheart, playful, good natured, and eager to learn.

After adoption, Toni checked in multiple times to make sure we were doing ok and to offer up help / advice as needed. Her openness and willingness to help made me feel completely comfortable and at ease throughout the entire process.

I'd highly recommend adopting from this organization! (I'm already hoping to adopt more pups from them in the years to come!)

I had an amazing experience with Stray from the Heart and Toni! I got my dog, fka. Walter, within a month from starting the process. Although I did not have the chance to meet him prior to picking him up from the airport, he was the perfect fit for my family.

Prior to adopting Walter, Toni talked with me about my lifestyle and the type of dog that would fit best. She then told me she would get back to me in a few days with a potential dog that needed a home. I was skeptical at first that she would find a dog so quickly for me, as most of the other rescues/shelters had zero puppies due to everyone adopting during the pandemic. However, just three days later she sent me a picture of an adorable big eared, wide smiling dog -without even meeting him, I knew this was the dog for me.

The process to pick up Walter was a bit different since airlines have more restrictions now.. I had the option to fly down to Puerto Rico to pick Walter up or I could wait until a volunteer could bring him to JFK. Since I wanted Walter ASAP, I chose the option to fly down to PR and pick him up. I can honestly say that when I met him at the airport, Walter and I instantly clicked - which was amazing because we had our first flight back to New York together an hour later.

He is an absolute joy and has made the mundane days of quarantine so much better! In addition, I cannot say enough good things about the foster mom in PR and Toni. Toni made sure that every question I had before picking up Walter was answered and went above and beyond once Walter made it to NY to make sure he was handling the transition well. The foster mom also made sure to give me a full debrief on Walter's habits and schedule before leaving PR. Highly recommend adopting your next dog from Stray from the Heart!!

I adopted my dog, Quincy (better known as Q), from Stray From The Heart in April 2020.

First, the application process: I applied online after seeing my (hopeful future) pup online and was promptly reached out to in order to continue the process.

Second, the interview process: The team was concise and responsive. They made it clear that this was just as much about finding the dog's right fit, as it was finding my fit. They asked follow up questions from my application, specific questions relating to the dog's demeanor, and answered all of my questions. They also followed up with videos and photos, as I'd requested.

Third, the adoption: This is where I really cannot speak highly enough of the team. From a global health perspective, we are in a challenging place (to say the least) and the team was transparent throughout the experience and made it clear that their initiative (once I was approved!) was to make sure me and the dog found our way safely to one another. We walked through all of the options available and were in touch every single day.

Toni and her team were amazing to work with and I am so grateful because I could not have asked for a better furry companion. Quincy brings so much joy to me and my boyfriend's lives. He fits in so well (he loves couch snuggles, jogs, and chicken) and is such a good dog. He's playful, yet chill and so very loving. We love him so much. Thank you, SFTH!

Stray From the Heart has been absolutely amazing from moment one. They helped me find the perfect pup to fit my lifestyle. I've had my little Mochi for three weeks and I truly cannot imagine life without him. Toni was so kind and helpful through the entire process and clearly cares a great deal for these amazing pups. If you are wondering if finding a pup from here is for you, the answer is YES! I can't say enough amazing things and would adopt from Stray From the Heart again and again. I love my furry friend so much and am so grateful to you all!

From start to finish they have been amazing connecting us with our dog Sadie (formely known as Lucky) we could not have gone through the first week without Kristin and Toni who guided us on how to have our rescue love us and feel comfortable with us. They are an amazing organization who saves all these amazing dogs!!

My sister had a wonderful experience adopting a dog from Stray from the Heart so when she sent me a picture of a dog on their website, Cleo, I was compelled to apply. After I applied on a Sunday, I heard from Jamie the following day. We scheduled a time to speak about my application and Cleo just 1 day later (on Tuesday).

After speaking for about 20 minutes, Jamie was able to assess that Cleo would be a good fit for our home, but would let us know we would hear it we were the *best* fit of all the applicants by the weekend. By Sunday, Jamie reached out to tell us we were selected for Cleo! We were ecstatic. The short waiting period made the process much more tolerable. From application to finding out we were selected took only 1 week!

Having a lab and a husky already in the house, I was a bit apprehensive about bringing a small dog into the mix simply because of the size difference. But I had no reason to be apprehensive: Jamie knew her stuff and Cleo is the most perfect fit for our family. She's playful, feisty, and keeps up with the larger dogs with ease. The 3 dogs are best friends and it's really incredible that Jamie was able to determine this via an application and phone conversation. She's a real expert.

SFTH made the entire process of adopting a dog from Puerto Rico extremely smooth. I recommend them to anyone I know who's looking to adopt.

Thank you for connecting us with Cleo; we couldn't imagine life without her.

Stray from the Heart is an organization that truly cares about animals and their well-being. I had the pleasure of working with Jenny, a representative for the organization, during the adoption process of my dog Lily (formerly known as Blossom). She was incredibly helpful and provided guidance every step of the way. The organization's trainer, Chris, was also instrumental in providing valuable training tips and advice to ensure a smooth transition for both the dog and our family. One of the highlights of the experience was meeting Toni, the cofounder, who greeted us at the airport to introduce us to Lily. The entire team at Stray from the Heart demonstrated a genuine love for animals and a commitment to their welfare. I would highly recommend this organization to anyone looking to adopt a dog or support a worthy cause. I could not be happier and more in love with Lily. She truly found her forever home, thanks to this amazing organization.