A Canine Gem

Shannon Lind

We bought a 9 month old mini Aussiedoodle 3 weeks ago and he has been such a wonderful addition to our family. He is extremely smart, doesn’t need to be on a leash, is obedient, and was very easy to train! We couldn’t be happier. The process to get him was quick and painless. We saw him, decided we wanted him, signed the paperwork and he was our’s. Hilary was honest and upfront with us. We recommend!

Carrie Eyer

I have worked with this rescue off and on for two years. Over that time Hillary has placed so many amazing dogs with us. We have never had a problem with any of them (we fostered 14 dogs and adopted 2) the thing I most appreciated , was Hillary’s attention to our families specific needs when it comes to dogs. We have two little kids and have always been nervous bringing rescue dogs home. Of the 16 that we have had come through our doors, not one ever gave us any cause for concern. Also over the years I have looked to adopt several dogs I have seen in pictures and Hillary is very quick to explain why that dog would be wrong for our family. Which I appreciate so much! It Saves everyone the hassle and heartache . We really do love working with this rescue and have gotten some amazing dogs 🥰

Jessica Cronin

We adopted our delightful hound boy from A Canine Gem. He is settling in well. I had a consultation call with Hilary where she was very transparent about him being returned twice due to poor manners. She went over the paperwork in detail before I signed. She sent us home with a meal including warm rice, what a treat! Our new addition is great on a leash, good with our kiddos and our other dog. He's our third rescue and has been one of our easier ones. Reading some of the other reviews, I wanted to share some of my other experiences with rescues. First, you really never know what you're going to get. You're saving a dog - probably from being euthanized - and no matter how much the rescue thinks they know about the dog, there is no way to predict how one specific dog will act in your exact environment. Many pull dogs from the south where there is severe problems with overcrowding and it's difficult for any rescue to identify temperment and health. Our other pup was rescued and went through several worm treatments after we got her. Our rescue prior to that had severe separation anxiety and spent 3 full months tearing through crates, doors and everything else just hoping everyday that we would eventually come home to him. But once he had trust in us, he was the absolute best and most thankful dog I've ever owned. I miss him everyday - 12 years old when rescued and lived the best life until he was 16. THAT is what you sign up for. The unknown of rescuing a dog. Another review said the adoption fees are so high. I invite others to price initial vet bills, transport fees and months worth of boarding and see what kind of 'profit' rescues stand to make. It's really next to nothing. Probably just enough to keep the lights on. Running a rescue is thankless work sometimes, but I hope Hilary and the team at A Canine Gem find solace in knowing how many dogs they place in good homes, like ours. We're so thankful A Canine Gem rescued our pup from VA, so we had the opportunity to rescue him. Rescues are a leap of faith. I applaud anyone willing to take that leap because it's not easy, but probably one of the more rewarding things in life you can do.

Buffy Miller

My family adopted our dog from A Canine Gem in November of 2018. We had a really great experience with this rescue. We had several long conversations with the director who was always quick to respond, and very honest and upfront with all the questions and concerns we expressed. She did warn us that with rescues you can't guarantee that the dogs will be free of things like heartworm, but that the dogs were all treated with preventative, and had certifications to be able to travel to Vermont. We took our dog to the vet after we got him, and he was in perfect health. He has been a wonderful part of our family, and we're so glad he's with us, and grateful for the work that A Canine Gem does to save these dogs.