Husky Haven of La, Inc

I received an e-​mail from Rhonda at Husky Haven stating that she had been ill and that is why she did not reply sooner. I am very sorry she was ill but we did not know. I am assuming she is the only one who responds to phone calls or e-​mail. Rhonda asked if we were still interested in adopting from Husky Haven of La. We had already adopted a Husky from ARA Canine Rescue and Adoption in Hesperia, Ca. ARA was very good to do business with and we are very happy with our Husky adoption.

Years ago I tried to adopt as a companion for my husky and Rhonda would not give me the time of day. Recently my mother wanted to adopt a second husky as well and Rhonda would reply and then not reply for weeks then reply again. She made my mom jump through hoops with excessive picture evidence of the food she feeds her husky and pictures of her fence with a measuring tape for proof only to stop replying to her all together. People like this are animal hoarders, the only difference is they are legal animal hoarders with a rescue license. She’s has many of the same dogs in her rescue for years with the lowest turnover of adopted animals. I can understand being picky because animals end back up at shelters or in the wrong hands, but she takes it to an extreme. There’s no reason why a dog should sit in a rescue for four years with no home when dozens of people are willing to adopt but not being responded to or shot down for things that are easily fixable.
Also read «not recommend reviews» for this rescue. «Business owners» can pay Unilocal to dismiss bad reviews to boost their rating. Many of these are bad but very accurate reviews of Rhonda.

I tried to adopt 2 different dogs from this rescue over the course of 3 months. Its nearly impossible to get a reply, and because I wanted a female dog (who was listed as good with female dogs) for a companion for my tamaskan, Rhonda would just keep dismissing me.
She thinks she is the one and all dog whisperer. No matter how much experience you have (I have years of northern breed experience) she will assume you are inept.
She is the type of person who believes that dogs are all the same, She thinks no 2 females can be together. No dogs can have a low pray drive. No dogs can be around children. She assumes every single person will be incapable of caring for a dog no matter the circumstance,
This is a rescue that keeps dogs for YEARS because they are so unwilling to adopt out. I can only assume its some sort of scam.
I can only feel sorry for the animals she keeps away from good families. This is by far the worst rescue I have ever attempted to work with and she is the least knowledgeable rescue facilitator I have ever spoken with.

After a handful of friends referred me to this place, I called because I have a husky that needed to find a new home as soon as possible. The woman that answered was so rude and inconsiderate. This entire situation has been so traumatic for my family and we would have never wished this for our husky. The woman that answered was so condescending and had such a judgemental tone to her voice, that it was really difficult to explain our situation and ask for advice. She said she didn’t know of anyone else that could help me and that I really should have thought about taking in a husky if we weren’t able to keep him in the end, as if this is how we expected our situation to play out. We contacted every person we knew that we thought would be able to take him or knew of other people that would want him, so obviously a shelter or a rescue location wasn’t our first choice. But we did what we could with the time and resources that we had. We love him to death, but are unable to keep him. And despite all that we could do with the short amount of time that we had, her response to my questions was, «You really should have considered this before you took in a husky and I really don’t know what to say to you.»
The woman who answered the phone was so unprofessional and I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone. If this is how she treats people, I wonder how she treats her dogs.

Very unprofessional and rude, and might as well add on stalker status to that. Rhonda will not give you the time of day without replying with some snarky comment making you feel like you aren’t «good enough» for «HER» dogs. On top of it all, she lies about the animals, their ages, etc. She has some dogs up for adoption, supposedly, that she didn’t even bother trying to rehabilitate first (as they’re HIGHLY unsocialized) before placing them UFA. Other rescues that I know are rehabbing dogs just like, and even a little better, than the ones she recently got.
She also lies about the breeds, let alone the ages of the dogs. She has a dog up there listed as a 2yo, when there is LIFELONG documentation on the dog that proves she is over 10 years (A shelter paper stating the age is not proof the dog is ACTUALLY that age. Rhonda was given the truth and offered proof of the ACTUAL age of the dog, not the shelter listed age and she returned the polite offer with rudeness and attacks). Rhonda will not listen to even the most polite of comments explaining that the dog is not 2 years old nor a husky mix. Why is that dog even at a husky rescue? Oh! Cause she came with puppies!!!
STAY FAR AWAY from this rescue. Don’t even bother wasting your time. Check out how many bad reviews there are for this organization and the HELL those people went through just to continually be denied over and over. Some have even decided to PURCHASE a husky instead of rescue one because of her! Those who stuck to rescuing had a hell of a lot easier time with other husky organizations.
I suggest looking for another husky org if you’re wanting to rescue a husky THAT badly. She’s had dogs there for 2+ years that she won’t even consider rehoming to people and would rather let them die at her «rescue» never knowing another family’s love, than adopt out to, even an over qualified, family.
Several others have said this is not a rescuer. This is a hoarder hiding under a rescue name as a guise, and from all the reviews under mine on top of it all, Lord only knows. The newest dogs she recently received were from the EXACT same situation: A «rescue» hiding under the label so they can hoard and breed their dogs. Rhonda is one step away from that since she (SUPPOSEDLY) doesn’t breed the dogs, but, in every other way, she is just like the hoarder/​breeder woman who owned these dogs before. Very sickening. Not sure how to provide photos on here, or I would attach any and all proof I’ve got. For now, there are several other reviews similar to mine advising to stay away, she’s rude, unprofessional, impossible to even talk to civilly etc etc. 10 out of 19 total views, all 1 star and stating similar things as me, but I’m lying about my experiences I guess :)

This is a top notch rescue. I have worked with several rescues and Rhonda is the only one that I have seen that does everything by the book and on the up and up. She treats each and every one of the dogs like her own and has dedicated most of her life to this.
A lot of the complaints against Husky Haven come from people upset that they were denied a rescue or were denied the ability to abandon their dog at this rescue. People don’t understand that rescues are not in the business of taking in owner abandons. They are in the business of taking in animals that are in desperate need of being rescued from kill shelters where they have days or hours to live. If you are reading this and you have abandoned your dog at a rescue, you just indirectly killed a dog in need at a shelter.
If you’re interested in learning about a breed and being properly vetted for the best possible match up with a Siberian Husky, this is the place to go.

We contacted this group in an attempt to place a stray female husky that just could not stay with us, yet we also did not want to place in the local shelter due to bad conditions and euthanasia practices.
Not only were there no places, but then a few days after being contacted, they posted a accusational and cyber harassment post on their Facebook page attacking the people who found the dog for having placed the dog in a home after almost 4 days because despite multiple attempts to find the owner (posters, reported to SPCA shelter, craigslist Found Ad) no one came forward for the dog.
Lost my business and have shared this experience with all of my friends (and they are sharing with theirs) and telling people to STAY AWAY… if they do not like you, they will defame you and attack you on a public forum like children. VERY unprofessional to say the least.
AVOID A BUSINESS THAT PRACTICES BAD MANNERS AND HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!

More hoarder than rescue. I was interested in a dog that has remained unadopted for ²¹⁄₂ years. I have owned northern breeds for 30+ years, so I definitely know huskies. The only response was «we don’t adopt out of state.» Really? Better to remain homeless than to leave California? It’s «rescues» like this that cause people to buy a puppy rather than adopt an older dog that really needs a home.

I have adopted two dogs from Rhonda and I will say that she is excellent at making sure you end up with a dog appropriate for your lifestyle. Every single negative review I read on here are just a bunch of bitter people who are ignorant of the needs of huskies and the practices that a rescue organization must abide by. The suggestion that she doesn’t want these dogs adopted is ludicrous. Of course she wants them adopted — she just doesn’t want them going to just any home. Sorry if it sounds mean, but if you live in an apt, or have a low energy personality, a husky is probably not right for you. Don’t fault her for not wanting to let you adopt a dog that she has spent tons of time, money and energy saving and taking care of, if your situation isn’t appropriate. She was also very scrutinizing with my application. Yes, it was annoying, but it was with good reason — — I call this «being thorough» instead of «rude and dismissive.» She cares about these animals and wants to make sure they’re going to have a good life. If you want to get a dog the easy way, you could always buy one off Craigslist that’s probably from a puppy mill or from abused parents of some sort.
I first adopted Koa, an EXTREMELY high energy dog, last year. There were no words to describe how freakin’ accurate that is. Picture a dog that’s like the energizer bunny mixed with a toddler on steroids. Rhonda was very wary and warned me about how energetic this dog is, and asked again and again, if I could handle this much energy. For good reason, bc this dog has ended up being a very challenging animal, but also equally rewarding. It turned out to be a good match, and I love Koa with all my heart, but I can understand why this dog ended up in the shelter and why no one had adopted her for months. It was really good that Rhonda was looking out for me and the dog at the beginning by warning me, bc I could see how lots of other people would be absolutely miserable with a dog like Koa.
I just adopted a second dog, Snowy, that I had been eyeing since the summer. As per Rhonda’s advice, Snowy is a really good boy who is calm and submissive, which is exactly what Koa needs. I took Koa over to Palmdale several times for playmates, and when I brought him home, I could see that Rhonda was absolutely right about the pairing.
I highly recommend Husky Haven and Rhonda, IF you are a husky lover — and by that I don’t mean that you just like how they look. Huskies are notoriously independent and strong willed. They tend to be rambunctious til age 3 or 4. They pick and choose which commands they feel like obeying. They are extremely intelligent and present a challenge, as well as need a mental challenge everyday. That’s not counting that they need lots of exercise! Rhonda knows her stuff about huskies. She might come off a little eccentric, but dont let that discredit the fact that her first priority is ALWAYS the dog, which is (and should be) exactly what you’re looking for. She is not a customer service rep who needs to kiss your ass. She is not here to serve you, she is a volunteer who has dedicated her life to serving the dogs. She is extremely busy schlepping dog food and dog poo and dog everything around all day everyday, and it is your job as a future adopter to convince her that you’re worthy of taking home one of the dogs she has been working so hard to take care of, not the other way around.

Can I give Rhonda a negative rating? We live in a beautiful home on the ocean in Pacific Palisades and our 8 foot wrought iron fence was too sharp at the top-​LOL. We are avid husky owners and recently lost our older one, Mathias, and were looking to fill the void finally. We are business owners and have a creative space where our employees and their dogs come daily IN OUR HOUSE. After myself being beyond frustrated I handed this off to Tom to handle & we both threw in the towel (after two applications, a freaking YouTube video and numerous pictures). Besides the fact that we don’t even let the dogs in the totally fenced in yard & prefer to keep them on our 40×40 patio instead, we will be gladly purchasing our dogs purebred as we have in the past. Way to not be a rescue and not care about adopting out your dogs, we are registered fosters who have gladly let people check out our premises but she never even offered.

The owner is rude and unhelpful. I was inquiring on a puppy for autistic son and she just flat out said that husky puppies are no good for children and to look elsewhere. Just that sentence. .extremely unprofessional and untrue. My dear friend has two husky puppies and 3 small children, one with special needs, and those dogs are amazing with them. They’re the reason I wanted one to be my son’s companion. So sad that such a rude, uneducated woman is the reason that those beautiful dogs don’t get adopted. My suggestion is to look at other organizations that actually want to help their animals get them adopted.

Husky Haven has been coming to our veterinary hospital, Palm Plaza Pet Hospital for many years with all her dogs. Rhonda takes such excellent care of all her rescues and really does an amazing job of finding them great homes. All her rescues are happy and healthy and always get the best care. We just love Rhonda and Husky Haven of LA

This is a GREAT rescue group. I cannot say enough good things about them. I came upon a beautiful dog in the shelter that needed help and they responded immediately. Had it not been for this group, that beautiful dog would be dead now. Because of this group, she was adopted into a loving home to a great family. The President of the rescue has been very kind and generous keeping me up to date on this sweet dog and I cannot thank her enough. You are a wonderful soul Rhonda and I am forever in your debt for saving Princess and finding her a great home.

Two years ago today, we adopted Skya, the most beautiful, sweet, loving Siberian Husky one could ever ask to own. We had recently lost our 12 year old female and needed a companion for our grieving male.
We had fostered many Huskys in the past, and knew what a challenge this breed could be. They are clever, intelligent dogs that require a lot of exercise and attention. Did I mention that they can shed year round? Despite their quirks, we were in love with this breed and wanted another one from a rescue group instead of a breeder.
Husky Haven was very patient with us and helped us select just the right girl for our lonely boy. I also must say that I respect their thoroughness and diligence in checking out their potential adopters. These dogs are not easy and the last thing anyone needs is for the dog to be returned or worse yet, it escapes and is loose on the street.
Thanks Husky Haven for providing the light of our lives!

I have adopted two dogs from Husky Haven of LA and think the world of Rhonda. It’s clear the negative reviews are from people who didn’t get selected as a good fit with the dogs. It is a very tough position to be in as a rescuer. For starters, you are a VOLUNTEER. Rescuers often get blistering reviews from families who might think they were an appropriate home but the rescue volunteer didn’t agree. After being a rescue volunteer for 15 years, I can say firsthand that it’s very hard to tell someone that there wasn’t a good fit and of course, it leads to someone being offended unfortunately. In our situation, we were lucky enough to be approved in the adoption process and had the joy of adopting two wonderful dogs from Rhonda. My husband and I first visited Husky Haven 4 years ago. We were blown away how clean the place was and how well cared for the dogs were. We adopted our first dog Bleu from Rhonda. Rhonda is one of the few volunteers who saved a really sick dog whose owners had scheduled to be euthanized because he had severe pancreatitis. Rhonda saved him anyway and kept him safe for several years until we brought him into our home. A few years later, we adopted Aspen. Rhonda has a huge selection of beautiful dogs and will help you find a perfect pet for your home.

I have had multiple conversations with Rhonda to adopt a husky. I believe she does not want to adopt out any of their dogs. I supplied all the information she asked for but she still found a problem with our yard and house for a husky. We have had a husky with us for 16 years in the same house and yard and never had a problem. Rhonda seems to have «issues» with everything. She would love us to do major reconstruction on the yard but I bet if we did she still would have «issues» with sometime else. Poor dogs the probably want to get away from the crazy lady. Do not get involved with this group as their main goal is not to place huskies. We believe she must get paid by an organization for the number of dogs she shelters. Therefore she does not want to adopt out her favorites. She wants to have a private husky ranch and be funded by private donations. We did get a husky from another organization who had no issues with our yard or house.

Rhonda from Husky Haven of LA is incredible. She has saved the lives of hundreds of dogs over the 20 plus years since starting Husky Haven of LA.
We met her a couple of years ago when we adopted Sitka from her. Sitka was on death row and would not be alive today if not for Rhonda. He is such a wonderful dog and we are thankful every day that Rhonda saved his life.
Rhonda loves and cares for all of the dogs in her care and only wants what is best for them. She has seen the horrible things that can happen to dogs. That is why she sets such strict guidelines for adoptions.
We have three huskies and have been husky owners for over 10 years and we are still learning. Rhonda has given us valuable advice. She is a fountain of information and we value her opinion.
There are so many people who get a cute little husky puppy that don’t realize it is going to turn into a dog with a bunch of energy. People need to research the breed before getting a puppy or dog and definitely before adoption.
Huskies are a lot of work. They dig, they can climb fences, they can escape if they are not in secure yard. They have a lot of energy and need to be walked every day. People think if they have a big yard that will be enough exercise, but it is not.
They are the best dogs in the world, but perspective owners need to research the breed before adoption.
There are so many of these wonderful dogs who end up in shelters and are put to death every day. Many of them don’t live to see 2 years old. It is so tragic.
Rhonda knows all of this and wants to place the dogs in a home where they will live forever. She wants what is best for the dogs because she loves them and wants them to be happy.

Rhonda is amazing and without her countless dogs would have met their demise at the shelter. I appreciate her strict guidelines. It’s for the benefit of the dogs. I’ve seen first hand the effort she puts in saving dogs. She’s had countless successful adoptions.

Defiantly agree with all the other reviews! I’m a police officer and I also called about adopting a dog an I have never had anyone be so rude and mean unless it was a suspect I was taking into custody! I mean I’m trying to help out an animal who needs a home and I wanted info and she said I needed to research more on my own! I have a small dog and I asked if the husky would be ok since it was a puppy and I did READ that if they grow up together they should be fine and not to mention my parents have a husky that grew up with a small dog and they turned out ok! RHONDA told me that was «1 in 100» and that the husky may bite the dog! She was no help at all!!! I will defiantly go somewhere else! Maybe someone else needs to take over the rescue that isn’t so stressed out!

the owner and founder rhonda is the rudest, most unprofessional bitch in the world!!! my family was looking to adopt a husky and found her website through google. there was no Unilocal review so i tried her out. we found a description, picture, and video of the dog we were interested in adding to our family. i reached out and filled out the application she requested. she would respond to me in broken english emails. she asked for pictures of our backyard, which i know to be standard practice. she said our gates weren’t tall enough, so we purchased supplies and fixed the gates. she advertised 7 days a week, but in reality she would not give a day and time that our entire family was available. we tried for weeks. i finally gave up and rescued a different husky from a shelter. i reached out to rhonda because my husky has some behavioral issues, she was highly unprofessional in her response saying i was rude to her previously. um no, you were awful to my family, me, my husband, etc. and, the horrible thing is… it’s been 4 months since initial contact. the dog i was interested in from her site (sheeba) is still at her «husky haven.» some haven that must be. a true business professional and dog enthusiast would encourage the bonding of a dog to its owners. not act like a baby and throw a fit:
i cant believe you had the nerve to ask me for help with a dog you got elsewhere after all your rude
comments in our past communication
pls dont bother me again
rhonda hallden, founder
husky haven of l a., inc.
(a 501 c3 public charity)
website:
facebook: husky haven of los angeles
kennel nos: 661 266 9779 (landline) 661 675 9065 (cell)