We came to this shelter with open hearts and an open home, ready to adopt a puppy and offer a safe,…read moresupportive environment with structure, training, and love. We brought our resident dog who is demonstrably very social with other dogs as well as extremely gentle with children. What we experienced instead was a process that felt disorganized, unprofessional, and frankly, the opposite of humane -- for both the dogs and the adopters. We were told -- only after paying a non refundable deposit -- that the expectation is for all dogs to be off-leash and playing happily during the first meeting. Anything less, we were told, would be a sign that the adoption wouldn't work out. That is a deeply flawed and unrealistic standard, especially when dealing with shelter dogs who are often under-socialized, under-exercised, or recovering from trauma. The first meeting was rushed and poorly handled: A nose-to-nose fence greeting (already stressful), Immediate face-to-face leashed interaction in a small space, And instructions to unleash our dog within 2 minutes, before either dog had decompressed or acclimated. The puppy was understandably overexcited, and began mouthing and climbing on our dog's face -- completely normal puppy behavior, but totally unsupported by staff. Our dog gave a single air snap and growl, which the puppy responded to by rolling over and de-escalating. The interaction resolved on its own -- appropriately and peacefully. Instead of recognizing this as a normal part of dog communication, the shelter staff immediately ended the interaction and told us the match was off, citing a zero-tolerance policy on "snapping" -- again, something never disclosed to us beforehand. And we were told our deposit would not be refunded. We pushed for a second meeting, which was allowed -- and staff even admitted during the session that they "don't have time" to properly facilitate dog introductions. That alone raises serious questions about the quality and fairness of their assessments. At that second meeting, the puppy ran up from behind and startled our dog. Our dog responded with a more intense correction -- and again, the match was immediately dismissed. Later, we were sent a video of the second meeting -- and what we saw did not match the shelter's written notes or summary at all. The video clearly showed our dog behaving appropriately the vast majority of the time. The moment of intensity was directly caused by the shelter puppy running up behind her, unsupervised and untrained -- a moment the staff failed to redirect or acknowledge. Nowhere in the staff report was there any admission of their role in facilitating the interaction poorly. We were stunned. Not only was our dog's behavior misrepresented, but the shelter refused to take any responsibility for their role in creating an unnecessarily tense and unsupported scenario. Instead of helping set both dogs up for success, they forced an avoidable incident, then used it as justification to shut down the entire opportunity. Our deposit was begrudgingly refunded only after escalation to the CEO. We expressed a willingness throughout to: Do structured intros Work with behaviorists Create a safe, gradual plan Foster-to-adopt with oversight Accept feedback and do the work We were told that "you can tell everything you need to know in the first 15 minutes of a dog meeting." That is not true. That's a shortcut. And it's a dangerous one. And if the shelter is truly so concerned about safety and "boomerang pets," why are they not requiring meet-and-greets with children or other pets -- only resident dogs? That inconsistency undermines their rationale and further exposes how arbitrary the process really is. We're no longer seeking to adopt this dog. But we are sharing our experience publicly because it's clear that many adopters are being set up with unrealistic expectations, and many animals are being denied loving homes based on a system that prioritizes rigid policy over common sense, compassion, and context. This shelter claims to advocate for animals -- but in practice, they're pushing away dedicated adopters and failing the very dogs they claim to protect.

Jess the director will blame everyone else but her staff for her staff's rude, incompetent,…read moreunprofessional behavior towards people and potential adopters and and those people who have reported staff members and write poor reviews are being asked by Jess and the adoption manager to not come to the shelter anymore!!!! Instead of firing the staff or trying to make someone's time spent their more comfort she blames the reporter!!! Lots have poor reviews have been made by lots of people about the way the staff and management treats the animals and people who come to look!!!!

We had the most wonderful experience adopting our rescue Hazel. VT English Bulldog's communications…read morewere great from start to finish. They checked my references within a day of me applying to adopt Hazel and were kind enough to connect me to her foster mom in Texas because I had a few questions about her. Pickup in Vermont was easy and we could not be more in love with her. Thank you for helping us find our fur baby!

We had a great experience working with everyone at VT English Bulldog Rescue. They were responsive…read morefrom start to finish and the process went very quickly. We adopted Leia and couldn't be more delighted, she is such a sweet, fun pup. Thank you!

I have adopted 2 dogs from this group over the years. They are thorough and careful about their…read moreadoptions...a well thought out process including a detailed questionnaire, contact with your vet if you have or have had other pets, and a meet and greet (for our 1st dog but not the 2nd-Covid) with our dog already at home. Our dog came along on our visit/pickup and they couldn't have gotten along any better. Everyone went their way satisfied that Bertie was going to have a fabulous life and she has and the two dogs are still best buddies. our second dog was a pick up at a rest stop due to Covid. They had me on file so they already knew us so to speak. Max is a loving dog and loves his people. He loves his cat and dog family members as well. The other thing that I should mention is that both dogs came to us healthy and well socialized. I don't believe either experience could have gone any better.

Volunteers are amazing The owner of the rescue is not open to professional opinions. Talks about…read morebeing a team, but is dismissive of trained advice. We came onboard as experienced fosters and trainers/ behaviorists for a litter of puppies. It was chaotic from beginning to end. I'm hoping it was a one off. Brigitte is not accepting of any advice or respectful of others knowledge, doing what's best for her rather than the puppies. Understanding the big picture is extremely important and she doesn't get that, nor was willing to consider any opinion that didn't fit her narrative. Perhaps she's better with older dogs/proper placement and should stay away from puppies. She also overdoses on worming meds for puppies. 2 doses within a week and wanting a third dose in the 2nd week. Twice in transferring puppies she used volunteer drivers who did not have adequate ways to transport. Puppies riding unsecured is unsafe for the driver, the puppy and others on the road. It's hard to write a negative review of a rescue because it's hard work, but in my case this was a negative experience.

My experience with VT Dog Rescue has been anything but positive. Throughout the process, it has…read morebeen an emotional roller coaster, and is a ride I am so thankful to have gotten off. It all began 12 weeks ago, when we originally filled out their extremely lengthy application, which asks very personal and intrusive questions, and even went as far as asking us who would care for the dog if we died from Covid. I understand the need for dog rescues to be thorough with the applications to ensure the dogs be placed in the absolute perfect home, but their screening process and grilling of their applicants are preventing dogs from going to good homes. After filling out the application, I found it odd we never received any sort of confirmation or correspondence that the application was even received. The original dog we were interested in and whose name we had put on the application had been adopted, so I sent an e-mail with another dog's name who we would like to learn more about. I never received a response from my e-mail, and did not receive any communication from them until about the 6 week mark. At that time, an email was sent, stating that our application was under review and they will begin processing it and contact the vet of a previous dog. Days pass, and we hear nothing. I finally received an e-mail that said they had concerns with our vet history. After that was cleared up, they moved on to the personal references. Again, days pass and we hear nothing. I would send e-mails asking for updates and get no response. Then we get an email saying our references were fine and we would need to fill out yet another application. She asked for us to fill the application out how we would answer it, and how our children's grandmother would respond since she occasionally stays at the house and watches our two children. Weeks pass, no communication. Finally, I call them, and she tells me that my application was dismissed because they didn't feel enough information was given on my children's grandmother and how she would feel about caring for both children and a new puppy . Did they communicate to tell me that not enough information was given- No- of course not - just decided to throw out the application and not respond to my e-mails. On the phone I explained to her that my work schedule had changed and my mother-in-law was no longer at the house watching the children and they would soon be back at school. She said that changes things and they would reactivate my application. Then I received multiple e-mails grilling me about my work schedule stating that my 5 hour work schedule was too long for a dog to be home by itself, so I assured her my husband would come home from lunch and walk the dog daily. Now they were finally ready to show us a dog. We got to pick our top five dogs, and was set up with our top choice! We were so excited! Finally, I thought things were looking better, and all of this was going to be worth the wait. But little did I know, what I was about to experience was the biggest drop in our roller coaster ride of emotions. After the visit with the dog, late that night we receive an e-mail that said we need to discuss the visit. I called her first thing in the morning and waited all day for her to return my call. She finally calls, and said we could not get the dog or any dog from them because my daughter appeared "fearful" of the dog and it would not be a good fit. I think it is unfair to determine if we are a good fit based on a 20 minute meet and greet in the pouring rain. I am sure my daughter is not the only child who is a little nervous about meeting a new dog for the first time. We have taught our children to not run to dogs and give them big hugs. We have told them to ask before petting a new dog and make sure it is safe. I think my daughter's actions were appropriate under the circumstances especially due to the fact my husband was bit by a dog whose owners told us he was friendly and okay to pet. Since then our children always ask if a dog is friendly. My daughter did not run away, hide, or cry, but rather just ask questions making sure it was safe. She even brought a ball for the dog to play with. After we left, we went to the pet store to get everything we would need, and my daughter picked out a butterfly toy and a purple bone for the dog because the foster mom had said she likes butterflies and bones. Myself, and the kids are very disappointed and heartbroken. We have a large fenced in yard, a home with plenty of neighborhood dogs to play with, and huge hearts looking for a dog to love. I apologize for the long review, but I don't want another family to have to go through what we went through. So unless, you don't mind waiting 3+months for a dog, don't mind a rigorous screening process, don't mind ignored e-mails, work less than 4 hours a day, and have children that run up to strange dogs and snuggle them, I suggest you look elsewhere!!

They bruised my 9 pound dog she's had a bruise on her shoulder for over a week! Then charged 40…read moredollars extra to shave her .

I visited the Williston store today and found the three employees extremely unhelpful. When I asked…read morefor assistance in choosing an item that the website states they had, I was told the website isn't always right and they may not have it but didn't help look for it. I needed to measure a replacement tray for a dog crate and they made no attempt to help. Fortunately I found my own way to measure it and got the correct item but it was Very poor customer service and I will not return.

We rescued a handsome weirdo from The Franklin County Humane Society in St. Albans. He's a soft…read morespooning purring loving lightsaber of happiness and playfulness. I don't know who's more happier to have him in our home! He's pysched! We are pysched! When he came to us his name was Leo and it rhymed too much with my darling Theo, so I changed it to Sun Ra Skywalker. But lately we've just been calling him Hey! But seriously, his name is Sun Ra Skywalker on paper. Also if anyone is looking to adopt a cat or dog I recommend The Franklin County Humane society in St. Albans. Sweet animals and sweet people.

An outstanding team dedicated to caring for fur babies in search of loving humans. Alissa and her…read morecolleagues are compassionate and loving toward these animals in waiting and toward the humans expressing the grief associated with having to leave their loved one in Franklin County Animal Rescue's good hands. I think the poor reviews are unjustified.

I was there a couple days ago and I loved the food and drinks- it was just me and friend in there…read moreand nick helped us out. He was the nicest person and made great conversation- and was really helpful! We loved spending time with the cats and there were a lot of new faces which was nice to see. 10/10 recommend, great prices, great service, and adorable cats my favorite cat wanted to pose for some pictures, very photogenic fur ball.

I've wanted to visit a cat café for some time now, and I finally got to recently. Kitty Korner is…read morethe first cat café in Vermont. The decorations and menu titles cracked me up, seen in my photos. The cats are in their own area, and every 30 minutes they let in up to six people to visit with them for $5 each. I had a great time bonding with the feline friends, and even got through to the prickly one aptly named Azog (The Defiler). These cats were mostly domestic short hairs, usually very sweet and gentle, especially the dark colored ones. It's a large space they get with shelves reaching all the way to the ceiling, and I'd say almost half of the cats were sleeping. It's a large area for them to roam around and they seemed very content, also all up for adoption! It was a fun experience, and the latte I got was very nice too.

As an outsider looking in, good management and great values. This place is t beautiful but they…read moretake the job seriously and love the animals. It's a good place to go for a new pet and a good place to give some charitable dollars. They will be wisely used.

From the owner: The Tri-Lakes Humane Society is located in beautiful Saranac Lake, NY, in the heart of the…read moreAdirondack Mountains. Our mission is to provide shelter to all stray and unwanted companion and domestic animals. We work toward educating the public about proper animal care, including spaying and neutering, providing adequate outdoor housing, food & water, veterinarian care, and the many different state and local laws and ordinances that a pet owner should be made aware of and abide by. Our Humane Society is a Non-Profit 501(c)3 organization, and is maintained as a No-Kill facility. We are proud to say that we have placed over 3000 animals into new homes, and reunited over 1000 animals with their owners, since 2001. Our day to day goal is to provide the best temporary home and compassionate care for our shelter animals until they are adopted into new forever homes.