Ruffus Rescue

I recently adopted Nala aka Tillie Rose from Harriet at Ruffus Rescue. It has been one of the best decisions I have made. This is the happiest I have been in a year after losing my parents and 2 dogs. I adopted my parents dog Percy, and he had a very traumatic time also. He adjusted pretty well at my house but I really wanted another dog and thought he would be happier too. I was set on getting another cocker spaniel or cockerpoo because that is what I have always had. Three of them were rescued from Atlanta Pet Rescue and I had them for a very long time. I looked at several rescue groups for about a week and was obsessed about finding a dog to honor my parents on their one year anniversary.
I saw Tillie Rose Thursday on the website and contacted Harriet and she said that she would bring her to the adoption event at Pet Supply on Saturday at 11. I got there early so I could have first choice. The people that had her before had taken her and the 6 puppies to a shelter. Really NICE people! Anyway, when I saw her, I fell in love and Harriet suggested that I foster her for a week. I took a picture at home later with her and Percy on the sofa and said, she’s found her new home. Harriet said it made her feel so good. Her titties were hanging because she had just stopped nursing recently. I wrapped them in cabbage leave and an ace and when I took her back 2 weeks later to get spayed, Harriet was so surprised how much they had shrunk. So Tillie has had a rough 2 months, with getting pregnant, having babies and then taken from her, but she is so happy at my house. She and Percy get along so well and it has been good for him also. Before her spaying they were wrestling and having so much fun. Percy was upset the day I took her to get spayed. She is almost back to new. She has been a Godsend and we both rescued each other. I love her so much and she is the sweetest dog I have ever had. How could someone get rid of her. But good for me! I would definitely recommend Ruffus Rescue and I told Harriet if she gets another one like Tillie Rose that I would adopt her. Harriet is such an angel to care for these animals. I plan to volunteer in the fall. Thank you so much to Harriet for getting Tillie Rose out of a bad situation and for giving me the opportunity of having her in my life. Carla

I adopted my Abby pup from Mrs. Patterson & it was the best decision I’ve ever made! I started online and just found a list of cute pups/​dogs in need of a furever home, and then I scrolled another inch down and saw this pup I had to inquire about!
Tonight, almost 3 years later, Abby is sitting on my couch napping as I write this review late at night. Mrs. Patterson has a huge heart for these animals and they are worth a look-​see to possibly adopt your next pup, or possibly another pup! #BestRescue #Atlanta

I recently adopted my «daughter» from here, and she has become the light of my life. She came with completed paperwork, up-​to-​date vaccines, a micro-​chip, and she was already spayed. They even gave her an extra Parvo booster upon adoption, so I wouldn’t have to do it right away. If you purchase a dog at a pet shop (for usually upwards of $ 400), you still have to pay for all of the vaccines and spay/​neuter. At Ruffus, the dogs are $ 225 and all of this work is already done. Also, my dog was very healthy and, although we are still working on her manners (she’s a puppy still), she made a very easy transition into my home.
I’ve read a few bad reviews on this page, but as soon as I read that they allowed their dog off-​lead, I knew that whatever they said was invalid. Ruffus Rescue makes you sign a lengthy contract, and it states that you must keep your dog on-​lead at all times (when in an unfenced area). If you’re not willing to follow the rules outlined in the contract, then you should probably adopt from another organization. Harriett has this rule in place, I’m sure, in order to keep the dogs safe and to prevent them from ending up back in a shelter.
Harriett seemed nothing but patient with me. She even let me take the dog home for a «trial run» to see if I could handle it. And she answered my early-​morning phone calls when I had my doubts, and talked me through all of my concerns. She clearly cares a lot about these dogs, and she makes an iron-​clad contract to try and weed out people who will not be responsible dog owners.
Keep up the good work, Ruffus Rescue!

My mother has been a volunteer foster home for Ruffus Rescue for many, many years. Harriett, my mother and all of the foster parents and volunteers care a GREAT deal about these dogs. This is an excellent rescue group!!!

Harriett is wonderful! She helped my husband and I find the perfect puppy to add to our family. Harriett responded quickly and thoroughly to my many emails and questions. Our puppy stayed with Beth, an amazing foster mom, before coming to us. It was very apparent that he had been well cared for. At 11 weeks he was almost completely house trained. Thank you, Beth! Working with Ruffus Rescue was an incredible experience.

I can’t believe it’s taken me two years to write a review of Ruffus Rescue. I guess I’ve been too busy playing with my dog.
Great people, great pets. Ruffus provides up to date medical information on all it’s pets. Our pup came with all his shots, and had been neutered, treated for fleas, and microchipped. Harriet provided us with on month’s flea protection upon adoption, and sold us six months of heartworm prevention at a heart rate.
We were allowed to foster before we adopted so we could see how our dog worked with our family and other pets. After adoption, Harriet called several times to check on our progress.
Though Ruffus may seem disorganized on the surface, it is a well run organization saving dogs that might otherwise end up in kill shelters, or dead from abuse, neglect or disease.

We recently adopted our second dog from Ruffus Rescue even though we now life in San Francisco. Harriett was so great in helping us arrange everything — from finding us a very reasonably-​priced transport service to keeping our new baby with her for an extra month and giving us updates on him. She truly cares a lot about her charges and we are eternally grateful to her for what she does.

Got a great furry friend now. When we first fostered him, he got sick but Ruffus Rescue (Harriet, the owner) was able to field the bill for his hospital stay and that helped us out so much!
Best decision ever!

Another paw up for Ruffus Rescue. Our pup hails from their rescue group and is quite a catch. Harriet was very helpful and clearly loves these dogs (and kitties? I see them at the Toco Hills spot too) with all her heart and wants them to be in the best homes possible. The foster parents I’ve met and worked with have all been wonderful as well.
You go to their website and see the recent adoptions to see if your favorites from the past have found homes.
Hint — They tend to have a lot of boxer mixes and terrier mixes, but I’ve seen all kinds there!

I recently started looking for a dog. The dog of my dreams in fact. This dog had some big shoes to fill. We had just lost two of our dogs to cancer both within six months of each other. We had had our dogs for many years and they were like our children. We also have a 5 month old son, 2 cats and a 10 year old Saint Bernard. We knew we needed a dog that we could let have the run of the house and was able to play nice with all of us old timers. There were a lot of moving pieces so making sure we adopted the right dog was of the utmost importance.
We started our search where we have in the past
. We looked and looked. We found some options. We sent some emails. We filled out some applications. We often did not hear back, or there was very little knowledge of the dog. Then we found Diesel (formerly known as Bobo). We shot out an inquiry, and quickly got a response. Harriet was not only helpful but always responded with timely and accurate information. She was not pushy as some rescue folks are, and told us exactly what she knew about the dog and suggested we visit on adoption day.
We showed up on Sunday and got to meet our new dog. He was exactly as described. While we were originally looking for a purebred rescue (St. Bernards, Rottweilers, and Dobermans) we ended up with what can only be described as an odd mixture of Mastiff, Boxer and possibly Rhodesian Ridgeback. Since the adoption Harriet has followed up twice to check on Diesel’s progress and to see how he is doing. It is obvious she cares greatly about the animals she rescues. We need a lot more Harriets in this world.
Diesel has settled in quite nicely. He walked in the door, jumped on the couch and made himself right at home. He has endeared himself to everyone, including one dog-​hating grey cat, who has now made friends with what he believes to be the world’s biggest feline with a giant mastiff jaw and huge under bite (we have yet to fill him in).
I do want to caveat this story by saying we did our research. We knew what we wanted and we knew what we could handle. No puppies. No destructive dogs. No cat chasers. Good with infants and toddlers. It is ultimately the responsibility of the adopter to ask the right questions and set the boundaries of what they are comfortable with. Harriet let us know that Diesel was a howler. And boy does he howl. But when you are used to a baby crying in the middle of the night is becomes soothing background music. We find it endearing, others may not.
All too often people have a fantasy of what pet ownership will be like. If you have rescued before that will give you a good gauge of what to expect and look out for. If you have not, take some time to clearly think about what you really want from a dog. Just because you think you want a Golden Retriever does not necessarily mean that is the right dog for your lifestyle. OK, enough preaching. Go out and rescue a dog!

I’m so glad that the volunteers have gotten on here to straighten things out about the financial situation of Ruffus Rescue, although I am a bit at odds with the explanation that bigger companies that employ full time vets and have grounds and staff are able to charge less (I may not have an MBA, but I understand business enough to recognize «overhead» expenses).
Regardless of this, I respect the fact that Harriet goes out of her way to help animals, hurray for that. What I don’t respect is the fact that she was verbally abusive, and even overtly racist to my fiancé, an uncalled for act that really has absolutely nothing to do with her zeal for animals.
A bigot is a bigot is a bigot. I’m sure she doesn’t use racial epitaphs in day to day language, but when pressed against a wall (by the LAW might I remind everyone, she was nearly arrested for her abusive and illegal behavior) a person’s true colors have a tendency of showing themselves.
Thanks but no thanks. We love our adopted animals and in the distant future when we are ready for another pet, we will most certainly adopt again, just not from her. Every pet (other than small animals) that I have ever kept has been a rescue, either from an agency or off the street. I believe in the work that rescues do, and I have had great interactions with PAWS Atlanta and the humane society.
But absolutely nothing, NOTHING that we did or my fiancé did gives her the right to be verbally abusive and racist. We are not living in the 1950’s when that kind of nonsense was tolerated, we are in the 21^st century. Pulling a racial slur out just to get in a last sucker punch because you have been defeated, legally and otherwise, demonstrates a small mind and a poor ethic of responsibility.

When I read this I was shocked. I adopted a boxer named Sylvia about three months ago, and I became acquainted with Harriet.
This lady left her job as a restaurant recruiter, cashed out some stock and then decided to commit her life to rescuing dogs from shelters and other eminent situations.
The adoption was solid. I received the following:
–paperwork (shots, testing, etc.)
–confirmation of spay
–eye medicine
–additional heart worm
–the embedded gps service for rescue (can’t remember the name)
Harriet was very honest with me. She talked about building up her food and told me she only has enough money to feed them once a day.
The real truth in reading these is the group has its heart in the right place and it may not be the best choice for people adopting that expect animals with no problems or issues. These animals are RESCUES and that takes commitment.
For me, Sylvia has been amazing in every way, and it was almost no trouble at all, minus some house training.
Maybe we should all try to see the group’s commitment to do something great… and they are. Thank you Rufus Rescue… carry on!

Ruffus Rescue is a great non profit dog rescue organization. Dogs are available for adoption every Saturday and Sunday at the Toco Hills and Ansley Mall Pet Supermarkets. That’s how I find out about them. Last Sunday at Ansley Mall they had Labrador retrievers, a Chihuahua, a Border Collie, a Shar Pei, a Rat terrier and a variety of other mix breeds.
Ruffus Rescue saves homeless dogs from rural shelters to prevent euthanizing by getting them adopted in Atlanta. For more information visit
. Ruffus Rescue dogs have images listed on the website and you can meet them in person for adoption every Saturday and Sunday. Ruffus Rescue is run by Harriet Patterson and she can be reached at (404) 321‑1274. Save a life by adopting a dog.