Excellent
Based on 2,942 reviews
CUDDLY4.8Honesty, pricing, process and quality scores appear once 5 customers have rated them.
CUDDLY is a for-good, for-profit organization with a mission to be the champion of animals in need. We do this by directly providing tools and resources to support animal welfare organizations worldwide. The CUDDLY platform empowers animal welfare organizations to create fundraisers and wishlists in order to raise funds and receive donated supplies for animals who desperately need help. In turn, donors from all over the world can make a difference by donating to a specific animal or organization. It is CUDDLY's mission is to help save as many animals through community, innovation, and creativity.
CUDDLY (cuddly.com) has 2,942 customer reviews on Folks Told, with an average rating of 4.8 out of 5.
Showing 29 reviews with 2 stars · Clear filters
Marcia W.
All I wanted to do was give a donation to help a dog named Singer. When I googled the Arrow Fund, I ended up on a page for something called Cuddly. I had never heard of the Arrow Fund, let alone Cuddly. I found it confusing, was leery especially because there are so many scams out there. To me, too many steps. I almost didn't contribute but I did and am getting updates about the dog.
Diane W.
I inadvertantly clicked on a box while trying to donate to a group--and that box would have enrolled me in a Cuddly club. I give regularly--and do not ever join any groups to do so. An agent-named Josh did indeed respond to my email and say that I was not being enrolled. I was certainly pleased--as I would have had to stop donating .
Reply from CUDDLYAug 10, 2026
Hey there, Diane, We are so glad we were able to get your situation resolved for you. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to provide a better experience for you. You can reach us here anytime at [email protected] Thank you for all you do for animals in need and have a great day.
Janice W.
Site is always pushing for more money. I put in $10 but the amount in my cart said $20. Plus its a donation not payment for an item that needs to be delivered. That means Cuddly does not need my address and phone number. The donation process has gotten worse about trying to get more money from you. It asks you to cover the processing cost for a card then even asks for a tip. I was so pissed the last time I almost unsubscribed. May still do that. Havent decided yet.
Reply from CUDDLYJul 13, 2026
Thank you so much for your feedback and review. It means a lot to us. CUDDLY recently has updated our donation requirements regarding phone numbers and addresses. In order to increase security and the safety of our donors and their donations, we have made these fields a requirement. Unfortunately, we have to require this for security purposes. It's sad that charity services are popular for scam attempts, so we need to make sure our users and partners are protected. We do not share, sell, or give out your address or phone number to anyone. CUDDLY's mission is to save more animals by supporting animal welfare organizations. To achieve this, we provide a valuable system of tools, services, and fundraising expertise to our charity partners at no cost to them. However, developing, maintaining, and executing these services involves significant costs for us. We face various budgetary challenges as we strive to support our partners effectively, some of which may not be immediately apparent. These costs have recently increased across the board, further challenging our ability to sustain our operations. While it's unfortunate to have to have these fees, these allow us to maintain our commitment to offering fundraising expertise, tools, services, and marketing efforts to our partners at no charge. Please let us know if we can be of any assistance or answer any more questions for you. Thank you for all you do for animals in need and have a great day. You can reach us anytime at [email protected]
Susan
I appreciate your offering to send food and other items that sick or injured cats need, but I do not appreciate your taking 40% of any financial contributions. And you don't disclose that you're doing so. Cuddly should be ashamed.
Reply from CUDDLYJun 18, 2026
Hi there, Thank you so much for the review and for all you do for animals in need. CUDDLY's mission is to support animal welfare organizations and help them run successful campaigns in order to save more animals. To accomplish this mission, we have, and continue to, develop a valuable system of tools, services, and fundraising expertise that our partners use at absolutely no upfront cost to them. Unfortunately, it does cost us to develop, maintain, and execute all of these services. We face a myriad of costs as we support our partners, some of which may not be obvious at a casual glance. All of these costs have increased for us across the board recently. For CUDDLY to exist and provide the services, we have to cover these costs. The completely optional 40% tier comes with dedicated services that help increase impact, reach, and donations. Partners benefit from increased levels of direct support and consultation, campaign management, and donor acquisition. Many of our partners choose this tier because it allows them to focus on their mission while we take a more active role in driving campaign performance. Others prefer our 10% self-service option, which still provides access to the platform and tools that have made their fundraising successful. Thank you again for your review if we can answer any further questions about our optional manged tier, please do not hesitate to reach out to [email protected] Thank you and have a wonderful day,
Saving Animal L.
Cuddly was once a valuable partner for our animal rescue, but recent changes have left us feeling disheartened and frustrated. Their profit margin has increased by 30%, going from 10% to an alarming 40%. While we can create our own campaigns and retain 90% of donations, opting out of giving them 40% means they won't promote our campaigns, severely limiting our visibility. As a non-profit relying solely on donor generosity, we struggle to meet the costs of caring for the animals we rescue. Our average annual vet expenses reach about $30,000, and that’s on top of day-to-day expenses like parasite treatment, vaccinations, medicines, pet food, fuel for transports, insurance costs, and more. With no grants to support us, every dollar counts. The sudden increase in Cuddly's profit margin feels exploitative, especially considering the products they sell, which are already grossly inflated—some are even four times their retail value for those purchasing and shipping directly to rescues. I previously praised Cuddly and recommended them to fellow rescues, but their recent actions suggest a shift away from their original mission. The monetary wishlist for ordering supplies has also become problematic; our orders often take months to arrive, and many items are still missing despite numerous inquiries. We recently rescued a dog with heart problems who desperately needs to see a specialist, which costs $2,000, not including any lab tests or scans. If I were to raise $3,000 through Cuddly, they would pocket $1,200 of the funds that are desperately needed to save her life. This situation has put her potential adoption on hold indefinitely, and I find it sickening. While some may argue that any amount of funding is better than none, it's really about principle. Supporting an organization that seems to prioritize profits over the welfare of suffering animals is not something I can do. Cuddly's recent decisions appear to lack compassion for the very animals they claim to help, leaving us worried about the future of those in our care. Here’s a condensed version of your message, reduced to around 2,000 characters while retaining the key points: **Update** I’d like to clarify a few concerns. While many partners choose the higher tier for support, it’s puzzling that promoting campaigns incurs necessary costs. If we opt for the 10% self-service option and manage our campaigns, this should reduce your operational costs since we handle promotion. How does promoting our campaigns impact your bottom line when it seems it could save you expenses? I’ve used the support email multiple times, but unfortunately, it hasn’t been very unhelpful. I am still waiting on several items from my order, which is concerning given the urgent needs of the animals in our care. Such delays are frustrating, especially for donors who sacrifice resources to help suffering animals. It’s disheartening to think their generosity may not lead to the immediate care these animals need. Additionally, thousands in wishlist donations were used for items we didn’t select or even need because Cuddly representatives have cashed them out and sent us items of their choosing, I can only assume they needed them cashed out for commission purposes. Cuddly-branded items are often added to these wishlists, which is frustrating. I created wishlists for cost-effective items, as prices for dog food can be inflated—often 2 to 3 times higher than retail. This approach would allow donations to stretch further. I’m not alone in my concerns; I’ve come across other rescues Facebook posts about exploring alternative fundraising platforms. I’ve considered sharing my review, knowing it could limit my future use of your platform. However, I believe it’s important to educate donors who may not realize you’re taking almost half of their donations. An online search still indicates your organization only takes 10% and transparency is crucial. If donors understood the current profit margin, I’m confident they wouldn’t be comfortable that such a large amount of their donations aren’t being used for their intended purpose. The “tier down” option, while presented as a choice, seems more like a formality. If our campaigns aren’t promoted, it significantly diminishes their chances of success, raising questions about the true options available to partners like us.
Reply from CUDDLYMay 28, 2026
Hi there, Thank you so much for the review and for all you do for animals in need. We are grateful to have been a valuable resource and partner for you and to have helped so many animals in need. The work you do is truly incredible, and we were so honored to assist your amazing rescue efforts in the past. We are so sorry to hear about the dog you have taken in with heart troubles. CUDDLY is grateful for compassionate people like you who step up for animals facing such serious challenges. CUDDLY's mission is to support animal welfare organizations and help them run successful campaigns in order to save more animals. To accomplish this mission, we have, and continue to, develop a valuable system of tools, services, and fundraising expertise that our partners use at absolutely no upfront cost to them. Unfortunately, it does cost us to develop, maintain, and execute all of these services. We face a myriad of costs as we support our partners, some of which may not be obvious at a casual glance. All of these costs have increased for us across the board recently. For CUDDLY to exist and provide the services, we have to cover these costs. The completely optional 40% tier comes with dedicated services that help increase impact, reach, and donations. Partners benefit from increased levels of direct support and consultation, campaign management, and donor acquisition. Many of our partners choose this tier because it allows them to focus on their mission while we take a more active role in driving campaign performance. Others prefer our 10% self-service option, which still provides access to the platform and tools that have made their fundraising successful. Regarding the wishlist items in our catalog, our objective is to serve animal welfare organizations by providing what they need to support the animals in their care. CUDDLY works hard to maintain competitive pricing and keeps costs as low as possible. One reason our products may seem more costly is that we include shipping and handling fees in the item's price. It is important to note that we keep our platform free of upfront costs for animal welfare partners. We hear your concern that some items may still feel out of reach, and we are always working to improve our catalog pricing. If any items are delayed, please feel free to reach out to [email protected], and our friendly customer service team can assist with any concerns. Thank you again for your review and the work that you do. Your devotion and care for the animals in your stead and the cases you choose to take show your dedication and love for animals in need. At our core, CUDDLY's mission has not changed, we remain as committed as ever to the welfare of animals and the incredible organizations that fight for them every day. This feedback has been passed on to our management team, and we will use it to continually improve. Partner trust is incredibly important to us, which is why we strive to be transparent about our policies, fees, and how our program works. Update: Thank you for updating your review. Thank you for the incredible work you do. Promoted campaigns are carefully designed to help partners expand their reach beyond their existing audience thru additional visibility across key channels, including social media and other venues. These efforts require significant planning, coordination, and resources to execute effectively. Because of the level of support needed, promoted campaigns are available exclusively to partners in our managed tier. The goal of this tier is to increase reach and donation volume and allow partners to do what they do best, saving animals. To provide these services, CUDDLY retains a portion of funds raised. The majority of that goes directly back into the cost of running your campaign — advertising spend, platform support, and dedicated campaign management. After expenses, CUDDLY retains approximately 10–12%, which is what allows us to continue investing in our partners’ growth.
Erica B.
I made donations to a foundation for a specific dog and heard nothing. No the funds have been delivered to the foundation, no notice from the foundation themselves. Feels like my donation went into the air, poof it’s gone.
Reply from CUDDLYDec 22, 2025
Hey there, Erica, We are so sorry that happened and our team at [email protected] would love to look into this for you. Please reach out and our customer service lead will investigate what happened for you. Please rest assured we will get this solved for you! We deeply apologize for any inconvenience and we look forward to hearing from you.
joyce K.
I so appreciate what you do. I don't mind donating but I do not appreciate a charity telling me that I have to pay $3 without a choice for that reason I either donate less to make up the $3 or I don't donate at all. I am not working anymore so money is on a strict budget. I feel really bad because I know these poor helpless animals need you and I.
Reply from CUDDLYDec 8, 2025
Hi there and we are so grateful for your review and generosity. CUDDLY applies a transaction fee of $2.99 to help cover business costs and fees that are charged by our payment processor. We also endeavor to ensure their campaigns are successful by providing tools and marketing efforts at zero cost to them. These fees allow us to maintain our commitment to offering fundraising expertise, tools, services, and marketing efforts to our partners at no charge. Thousands of animal welfare organizations choose us each year because there's no better way to ensure a successful fundraising campaign. Our free platform, support, and services are invaluable to rescues and shelters, and helps ensure animals in need get the help they deserve. If there were any other concerns I can address please do not hesitate to reach out to [email protected]. Thank you so much for all you do for animals in need and have a great day.
customer
I’ve tried many times to get a monthly donation scheduled and wouldn’t take and then everytime I do make a donation there’s a 2.99 charge added in. What’s that about???
Reply from CUDDLYSep 15, 2025
We are so sorry that there was difficulty when trying to check out! Please reach out to [email protected] and our friendly customer service team can assist you with whatever is blocking your donation. We deeply apologize for any issues this may have caused. As far as the fee is concerned, CUDDLY applies a transaction fee of $2.99 to help cover business costs and fees that are charged by our payment processor. We also endeavor to ensure their campaigns are successful by providing tools and marketing efforts at zero cost to them.
