Critter Cavalry Franklin, Kentucky

I would 100% not recommend dealing with this rescue organization. I submitted an application for a dog I was interested in, and after providing a LOT of personal information required, including photos of my family and home, the application was “considered” for an entire week with very little communication from the foster mom. None of my references that were required were ever called. The experiences that others have written in their reviews with zoom calls and excellent communication and turnaround times of a few days was not my experience at all. When I pressed the foster mom for a zoom call to see the dog after a week of having my information and application, she promptly replied that the dog had been adopted already. Who knows how long she had known this. I fell in love with the adoptable dog online, but in retrospect I really question why all of the information was needed. Of course it is important to ensure pets are placed into the right homes, and I don’t question that approach at all, but other rescue organizations seem to be able to accomplish this with far less personal information asked for. Add to this the lack of communication and the fact that the dog that I was applying for was already adopted and I was never told that, and I begin to question the practices here. Also remember the very high adoption fees - $700 for a rescue dog. Our local humane society is $85, and most rescue organizations that I researched and contacted during my search have fees anywhere between $150-300. Why this organization is more than double the next highest priced foster-based rescue organization with an admittedly all-volunteer staff is also questionable. The bottom line is that I regret pursuing an adoption with Critter Cavalry. I am glad that it has worked out for others, but if you are considering adopting, I would warn you to be prepared on the lack of communication on their part, yet the expectation that you will provide tons of information on your part.

I have now adopted two dogs, a puppy and a 2 year old, from Critter Cavalry Rescue and would definitely recommend them. The application is in depth, but I think it’s important to make sure these animals are going to loving, responsible homes. I think the price is very reasonable since my girls were microchipped and spayed before I got them. I found Candace wonderful to work with.

I had an amazing experience with Critter Cavalry Rescue. Everyone I spoke with was very personable and professional, and you can tell that they truly love and care for the animals they are working with. They even followed up after the adoption to see how Remy was adjusting. Thank you so much CCR for all that you do to keep these sweet animals safe!

I adopted the sweetest dog two weeks ago. She was exactly as described in her bio and pics. Candace as well as the foster mom kept in touch daily and gave me tips on how do help my new baby adjust to her home. I was certainly reluctant to adopt my first dog without ever having met, but the process could not have been easier and the pickup in NY went very smoothly. I will recommend adopting from here to my friends.

We adopted a beautiful little dog from this rescue. He is SO smart and adorable. The transport is flawless and the dogs are so well cared for. Highly recommend.

They were there for me when I had to make the heart-breaking decision to find another home for my dog. I know she's in a good home now. My mind is at ease.

Great helping you find a dog that you are looking for.

I have been on the search for a dog for me and my family and I found Critter Cavalry. I found one puppy that I fell in love with and wanted to see if I could adopt her. I was emailing someone for a few days and sent in my application. I then came and read some reviews and like a normal person would I read the bad reviews and also read the good reviews but some of the bad reviews made me nervous as this is going to be a dog I spend money on and going to be in my home forever. I emailed Critter Cavalry telling them that I had concerns about the reviews they were receiving and that I just wanted to learn more about the process and the dog I was going to be receiving. I got sent an awful email when I just wanted more information on their organization and the dog I was receiving. I have never heard from them again and it makes breaks my heart because I was really looking forward to meeting this puppy. EDIT: I was close to adopting this puppy. I had concerns and I asked them and I got sent an email that was very unprofessional. I then responded to that and then never got responded to again. Before this instance they would respond to me within minutes but once I asked a few simple questions I got cut off and the adoption was off. So the comment below stated that I was not being responded to or that I have to stand out for the dog is incorrect. They were eager AND ready for me to get this puppy but once I ask a few innocent questions I was cut off.

I had almost given up hope after run around from 3 different rescues. 90 Minute zoom conferences.Delayed reference checks,and many more hoops to jump threw. On a positive note it pushed me to contact Critter Cavalry. I contacted with interest in young Pit mix Diamond Lucy.Following morning was directly called by Sandra who told me she was available.She then had Lucys foster mom Mary call me shortly after. She answered all my questions happily and continues to help me with Lucys needs and comfort choices. My application was quickly processed and references were both spoken to. This was all done in a streamlined 3 day process , My new dog will b arriving next weekend. The care and attention to my desire to adopt could not have been met with more attention than I received. To Candace,Carol,Sandra and Mary I will b forever grateful for you and all you do !

They are helpful and very interested in there animals going to loving homes and also that they are a match for each home...the Foster mom's call you to explain the personality of the dog...I highly recommend

We were in search of another Coonhound and we found our Perfect Match (for us AND her) from Critter Cavalry! Poor thing was abandoned in the woods and she was emaciated. She is gaining weight and is a very smart dog (as Coonhounds Are!). We ALL couldn't be happier, including our other 3 dogs. Bobbie Sue (formally Rosey) loves running & playing in our 1/2 acre privacy fenced backyard - perfect home for her - very happy they also called our references, they know what they are doing at Critter Cavalry!!! God Bless Them - they work Very Hard dealing with an enormous amount of animals and their adoptions...

Critter Cavalry is an amazing rescue organization with an admirable mission! We adopted Old Soul Browning (now Colby Jack) about a month ago from Critter Cavalry. Of course, I could write for days about how amazing Colby is, but I’m here for CC. Candace from CC was so responsive and helpful during the process. She took so much time to communicate with me individually; I was shocked when I heard the number of adoptions they facilitate every year, and I was still given Candace’s time to find the right match. She was on it all - thorough, helpful, responsive, upfront about Colby’s situation, and encouraging. You can tell her heart and soul is for the animals and that’s the best you could hope for when choosing an organization to adopt from. The transport process is straightforward and quick. The cost of adoption is very, very reasonable especially when you consider all the behind the scenes work that is done for the animals. I hope people understand the fast and urgent nature of the life-saving work CC facilitates. The woman who fostered Colby was also an angel, very responsive and helpful with our questions. Through and through, CC is a beyond solid rescue organization made up of hard working individuals who truly love animals. Thank you so much for everything. Colby is sound asleep next to me right now, and is the biggest blessing thanks to CC!

Don't know haven't been there

I really hate posting negative comments about companies. Wednesday April 14 my wife called me very upset because she had just gotten off the phone with someone from Critter Calvary and I’m very unhappy about it. My wife is helping a family member of mine try to foster two dogs. He can’t take them with him in the move but because of his situation he has to leave the state in a couple of days. We understand that it usually takes time to foster animals but we’re not in control of the situation and we’re trying to help someone out. When the Critter Calvary representative called, my wife was excited to receive the call hoping for some help. But instead, the representative spoke in a very condescending tone and berated my wife about not doing enough herself. She rudely insisted my wife neeeded to call sooner andi they needed more time to find a home. Then she told my wife we should take the dogs. My wife is allergic to dogs and so we can’t keep the dogs. They ended the call by saying they can’t help. I tried calling to speak with someone personally but the critter Calvary mailbox is full and not accepting messages. I strongly support the responsible and compassionate handling of pets and I appreciate the work of any organization that helps take care of animals. But I am INCREDIBLY disappointed that someone would speak In such a condescending manner to basically offer no help. I hope your staff treats animals with more respect than they treat humans. EDIT: thanks to whoever responded to my review. I do appreciate you taking the time to read and comment. It was a well thought out and written reply. I take my hat off to the hard work and efforts it sounds like you are putting forth. I do admit to not researching the company. I hope whoever reads my review understands I am not criticizing the company on its efforts or quality. Only sharing that my family had a bad experience with the communication of one volunteer. Thanks for replying.

I have been fostering for this organization for a few months and it has been the best experience. The people that help within the rescue have been amazing.

The price may seem steep at first. honestly, you not only help contribute to a non profit , but the money you spend keeps pricing low for other things such as microchipping, vet bills to ensure a healthy baby before your adoption, travel (the drivers time, gas, tolls, etc. ), food while the baby's are awaiting adoption, adoption advertisements, and more. so kind and helpful. they're so kind with communication. very knowledgeable. i absolutely love my kitten that I got from them. i was able to meet other pet lover's up here in the New England area. see everyone meet their new furbaby loved ones. it was truly an experience. i got so lucky with my kitten as he is an absolute angel and i would do anything to ensure a loving life for him. i am so glad that Critter Cavalry exists and hope others consider adopting from them or even donating so these babies find their furever home. Papacito (formerly Freeway) was one of V's rescues and I thank her for everything in helping me get all his records, microchip, etc. thank you so much!

I adopted my dog (Laika) from Critter Cavalry way back in April 2013, and I was so happy with the experience and the group that I decided to foster for them. Laika is such an amazing part of my life, and in order to have found her way to me, someone needed to foster her, so I just wanted to give back and put that same energy back into the world. I've fostered well over 100 dogs in the past 8 years, and it's been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Sometimes fostering is stressful. I think Candace and our other volunteers do a great job of matching up compatible dog personalities to personal lifestyle. For example, I don't have a fenced in yard, so we know that high energy dogs will not be happy here. The thing that sets CCR apart is that I never feel pressured to continue fostering a dog that is not working. We have a wonderful network of local volunteers and we can almost always swap foster dogs, or step in and help eachother out somehow. It's really great to have that support system. I've never had any experiences with the group that has led me to ever question their dedication to the health or care for a dog. The dogs have a long ride and when they come up on transport, their have clean crates, the dogs aren't stinky, and it's obvious that Tim and his co-driver take excellent care of them on the way up and make sure that they're not sitting in filth. Every dog that comes up has a clean bill of health before they get on transport. Emergencies can happen and the dog's health always comes first. I have an open dialog with Candace if I suspect anything is unanticipated is wrong, and we'll work together to either get a vet consult or in rare cases, a visit to the ER. One complaint that I see most often is about phone calls. I'll be completely honest... I'm a millenial and I'm terrified of the phone. I also have a full time job and a life, and every few months, Candace has to kick me in the pants and remind me that I really should call people back quicker. We really do try to respond to emails quickly, but we're all just human, we're all volunteers. We don't have a customer service center. Be nice, send a follow up email and ask for an update. If you act like a jerk, there's a good chance we won't respond at all. Don't be a jerk. We're saving dogs here, relax. Rescuing dogs can be a thankless job, and my heart has been broken over and over by how terribly people can treat man's best friend. Sometimes I'll get a dog that has absolutely no reason to ever trust people again, but yet they do. Dogs have this amazing ability to live in the moment and not hold a grudge. I am constantly humbled by their willingness to let go of their distrust in exchange for a cozy lap. I am humbled by the pure joy in their hearts when I come in the door. It's a constant reminder to myself that I also possess the ability to be that joyful if I could let go of past grievances. I struggle with social anxiety, but when I see a dog who has every reason to be afraid of humans absolutely melt into butt wiggles and a wagging tail when they meet their new family, it's a reminder that I can't control other people, but I can control how *I* interact with the world.

We adopted sweet Katie from them. She is literally the best! We are so happy. Everyone was wonderful to work with and answer questions and help us find the perfect new family member. We could not be any happier

Critter Cavalry Rescue was perfect for me. The adoption process was very detailed (I respect that!), went smoothly, and was very prompt. My references were contacted right away. I interacted with many of the rescue's heroes. The Pay Pal payment option is very efficient. During transport, Tim kept me informed by text message of the transport's progress. My precious Kira arrived on Sunday, March 7, 2021, right on time! The transport was clean and well-organized. All the pets were clean and well groomed, and none appeared stressed. My precious Kira brought tears of joy to my eyes! This was my first time receiving a rescue pet from a transport. It was perfect. All the Best to Critter Cavalry Rescue.

I don't appreciate being called 9pm and be yelled at for emailing asking about a dog's health. All information should be disclosed. Very unprofessional.

We recently adopted a Blue Heeler from Critter Calvery. I could not express enough how amazing they are. They were very thorough when screening our application to make sure he would be the perfect fit in our family. They answered all my questions and were 100% dedicated to make sure we had an understanding of the breed and his needs along with the needs of the family. They ensured that Blue and our family were going to be a success story. I can't thank them enough for the wonderful addition to our family! If you are wanting to adopt this is the place to go!

To expensive for a pet rescue. They are more lioking for people to just foster.

A couple months ago I found two dogs that were dumped on the side of the road, in terrible condition. Unfortunately we were unable to keep them both, so I reached out to multiple shelters in the area. Critter Calvary was one of the only ones who responded to me, and offered to help! They provided medical care and marketing for their adoption. I am happy to say that we found a WONDERFUL home through their services for one of the pups. I highly recommend them for fostering, adoption or volunteering. Thank you Critter Calvary for caring about these dogs, and making sure you put them first!

What is the price range for a puppy??

We have had the best experience with Critter Cavalry! We adopted our handsome boy, Brady, formally known as Snickers! He’s the sweetest boy and was very socialized in his foster so that made the transition so much better! His foster mom, Kim, was amazing!! When I first reached out, she called me right away and told me all about our sweet boy! She sent us pictures that she had of him, when they first got him, as well as updated pictures as we moved through our adoption process! She really cared about him and we could really tell he came from a loving foster! We brought him to our vet for a puppy check up, and she said everything was perfect! We couldn’t be happier with this rescue and process! We highly recommended adopting from them!!

This will be a long one...bare with me! After searching and searching for months I applied for what was listed as a “7 y/o Shih Tzu.” They claimed she was house trained and was an elderly owner surrender from a high kill shelter. I applied, within days my references were called. Both of my references reported only being asked if they thought I was a responsible pet owner and how long the dog would be alone a day, both calls less than 60 seconds. My vet references were never checked and almost immediately I was called and hustled into a next day transport. I was connected with the foster mom who they had claimed had her for a month, she reported the same...”sweet girl, house broken, and 7 y/o who had been vetted and was up to date on shots.” Fast forward to the cost...I get an invoice for $1100!!! I could not believe that price for a dog of that age but at that point we were already in love so I agree. I am then told they only accept PayPal friends and family...anyone who shops online knows this is a HUGE red flag. I let them know I would not pay unless it was protected through goods and services particularly that sum of money and I would not be adopting. They finally agree. We get there to get her...immediately notice she is definitely a mutt of some sort with extremely bowed front legs (poor girl), appears younger than 7 and is infested with fleas. Within 2 days of having her home she has 2 seizures. Off to an emergency vet we go. Testing and scans deduced that she had a seizure disorder and low and behold was only 4 years old. In reviewing her records that came with her with the vet she had not had any shots or anything until the day I committed to adopting her despite having been fostered for a month. We’ve had her now for 3 months and she is impossible to house train (just another lie) and this past weekend had to take her to Cornell ER for what we now know is a bladder tumor. I am now $3k deep in a dog that is truly the sweetest thing but not at all what was portrayed. I thank God every day she got lucky enough to be with folks who are willing to make this commitment both financially and in caring for her. This has been a very hard lesson and I really should have trusted my gut! Even if they didn’t know any of her health concerns I would still be concerned with the amount of money charged and the little checking they did on my application. DO NOT adopt from this “rescue!” I do not believe for a minute they are a true non-profit.

We adopted our dog Jeb (Previously Zeke) from Critter Cavalry! It does take a little bit to get a response from them but they are volunteer run so it was not a big deal. After we got into contact with someone she explained the process and fees. We had our dog transported from Tennessee to Virginia. We met them in a town about an hour away. They were dropping off a few pets and it was wonderful to see all the dogs meet their new families! Jeb has been an amazing dog and his brother Ace is happy for a new friend.

Great experience adopting with CCR of Nashville/Franklin. The response to the adoption request was immediate and the communication from the foster family was informative, helpful, and timely, before and after the adoption. Candace & Sandra were great to work with in adding another member to our family.

I adopted a cat from here March 2020. I thought the rescue was in NH as have other adopters. They do NOT transport to NH. I had to drive to CT to pick her up. I was never told to bring a crate, thank goodness I did. She was in a van with about 15 other animals and we were apparently the last stop. Unbelievable... I was told by Vivienne the cat HAD to be an indoors cat and I agreed. Once I got home, I looked in her bag of paperwork and there was an envelope from the former foster family... My cat was feral and was dropped off at their 3 acre farm with her brother and given to the rescue as they couldn't add more to their family. So now, I have adopted ($200 with shipping) a feral cat who doesn't want to be inside... really???? She finally bolted out after 2 weeks of trying to keep her in.. she has torn up the bottom of two of my doors trying to get out... I emailed Vivienne and told her how upset I was, with NO response... not even an, "OMG, I had no idea".... how about giving me my money back? In my eyes this was a bait and switch.. Well, 4 days ago was the last time we have seen Karlie (formerly Marlie) and I am crushed and heartbroken and I feel like I was ripped off by this rescue as they MUST have know the story of her being feral. I AM DISAPPOINTED TO SAY THE LEAST..... STAY AWAY!!!

I cannot say enough about how positive the experience was in working with Critter Cavalry Rescue. Candace and her husband, Tim, have such big hearts and put so much work into getting these animals adopted into good homes. My fiance and I were having a really tough time getting in touch with the right people at other rescues, and had our hearts broken on a few near falls that we thought were going to work out prior to connecting with CCR. Candace set us up with a great foster mom, Kim, and I could tell immediately that we had come to the right place. Kim kept us updated with pictures and videos as our puppy grew up prior to adoption. They took care of vaccines and neutering, and we even lucked out with a local trainer volunteering to put our puppy through a 2-week training course prior to us adopting. We've now had our new pup for a little over a month, and I couldn't imagine one that would be a better fit for our family. I am so thankful I met Candace and Kim, and truly enjoyed getting to know both of them throughout the process. I tell all of our friends about how impressive the operation is at CCR, and will definitely be holding onto their information for the future. We may adopt a new sibling for our little guy in about a year or so, and this is the only rescue I would work with to make that happen.