Yesterday we found a couple dogs that had been abandoned, it was witnessed by a neighbor. We spent…read moretime waiting for the county animal service person to show up, never did. At the last minute my wife and I made a dash for the shelter, technically they were closed. But with big hearts they helped us out and gave the dogs a safe place for the night.

If you're looking to adopt a dog or cat from a place that treats their animals right, this is the…read moreplace. I was surprised to see how low this shelter is rated. I think a lot of the bad reviews are from people who don't value the freedom of animals. If an animal is a healthy weight while living "on the streets" or "in the wild," it probably means they have a whole set up for their life. They know where to find food. They might even have people leaving out food for them already. This is especially true for cats, as a couple people have mentioned in the other reviews. Cats are one of the most perfect predators. "House cats" can be "wild cats." Being "saved" by humans is all some people seem to care about. News alert, humans don't solve everything. The staff at this shelter have seen hundreds if not thousands of cats and dogs. They're trained through experience. They'll know what's best for an animal. I volunteer here with my brother and my cousin. I do agree that some of the staff have very strong, cut-to-the-point personalities but they've all been helpful to me since I'm actually willing to listen to their suggestions and advice. One reviewer made some comment on the shelter staff making generalizations on a dog's breed. I don't see where they're gonna get the funding to carry out a bunch of tests to find the exact breeds and percentages of each dog, especially on top of caring for more than 20 pets at a time and having to play or walk all the dogs everyday. I think the dogs are much more concerned with whether they get their playtime than what breed they are. Every morning I've volunteered, I see the staff cleaning out all the pens for the cats and dogs. They all get fresh food and water and medication as needed. Afterwards, they get what the staff can offer in terms of enrichment. For the cats, it's things like toys and interesting smells. For the dogs, there are puzzle toys, treats, scents, a doggy yard and walks. The dogs are always itching to be noticed and to be walked or played with. I hope more people can consider places like this to get their pets from, especially with how hard the staff tries to treat all their animals well. I'd also encourage anyone who wants to to sign up to volunteer. I'm more of a cat person so most of my volunteering consists of cleaning, laundry, dishes and playing with the few cats. But if you're a dog person, as most people are, I feel you'd have a lot of fun walking and playing with all the dogs. Imagine getting love and being able to give love to more than 20 different dogs!

This is one of the best county-owned locations I've experienced. The staff/volunteers are committed…read moreto responsible pet adoption. Social media is a lot to manage when there's no budget for it and they do their best. Animals I've seen are well-cared. There's a donation station at the office entrance, making drop-offs easy, which is nice.

They work within the confines of the LA county system to care for so many dogs. The dogs are often…read moresocialized two or three times a day!

We have adopted 2 wonderful dogs from Shelter Hope. One of our dogs we adopted eight years ago and…read morejust a year ago we adopted another. We now have three rescues and they are such a blessing and a joy. We found the owner of the rescue to be incredibly supportive and caring.

I am so sad to write this review because I want each and every one of those sweet babies to find a…read moreforever home. I also know that without reviews, businesses don't know how they can improve. I left work early today and thought today is the day to meet my new best friend. I went over to the shop to see if any pups might 'choose me'. I saw a sign on the door that read "Appointment Only". Bummer, but okay. I looked in the window (I didn't tap but looked only with my eyes). Pups barked; That's what they do. The lady literally shooed me away. What?!? Because dogs barked?! I guess today wasn't the day I was going to meet my new fur baby and this is NOT the rescue for me.

On a Saturday we found a brown common sparrow sitting in the middle of our yard. Alive,…read moreapproachable, but not moving. A couple hours later, dead. 4 days later, another sparrow, the same thing. We left it alone, but kept an eye on it and called Animal Control, which directed(via automated system) to WVAS. I called and after a hold of about 10 minutes, an officer answered & I explained our concern. She told me we are welcome to bring any injured or wild animal we can safely gather and bring in 24/7. She suggested boxing the bird and bringing it in. We did. 15 minutes later, walking in and seeing the same officer I spoke with. Another employee took the box and went straight to the on-sight vet. While she input our name, address & contact #, I mentioned again that this was the 2nd bird in a few days and asked if we should be concerned or notify anyone else. She said no, the vet will see if they can do anything, if it survives it goes to a bird rehab facility for further monitoring, then eventual release. If it doesn't get better, not, then it's euthanized. I was wondering if the bird gets a autopsy to see what killed it. She said no. She then generated an impound code, in case we wanted to check for updates. We thanked her and left, feeling bad for the bird. When we got home - ANOTHER BIRD! This one in our driveway, just staring at our stucco wall. Grabbed a box & gloves, and back to the shelter we went. When we came in this time, she wasn't there, but the other worker who took the first bird back to the vet was. He took the box and away he went again. He returned to update our intake for the 2nd bird. He then told us that the first bird had died and it looked like the 2nd one was now dead. We again voiced our concern that now 3 birds within 4 days were found in very poor condition. Since we don't work in this field, we asked if this is a concern for them. He just stared at the motor and shook his head 'no,' then said he had all the info they needed and the impound code would be the same. We left hoping to not have to go back and we still don't know why this happened. As of today, no further birds found. We also haven't seen any alerts about bird diseases in our area, which is information the LA County Dept. of Health monitors and shares via their website, but it's good to know that we have this facility in the SFV where we can take a wild animal we may find injured or in poor health. After hours, there is a door bell to the right of the main entrance. Someone is always there to accept animals. Cheers! "CC"

My experience at West Valley Animal Shelter was extremely disappointing…read more On July 28, 2026, I accompanied a couple who had driven approximately 4 hours to adopt a kitten that had recently been removed from the euthanasia list. I was there as a representative of Purrrfect Rescues (a nonprofit) to help coordinate transportation and assist with the adoption process. Unfortunately, the experience quickly became frustrating. An employee named "Delfina" began yelling at me Becuase she wanted to speak with the adopters privately, instead of asking me to give them a moment she decided to escalate the situation and yell at me,I was excluded from the adoption conversation despite being involved in coordinating the adoption, leaving me without important information about changes to the plan. Communication from staff was inconsistent, and the adopters were later told they would need to make an additional round trip to pick up the kitten because he was under the required weight for neutering, then return again once he reached 2 pounds. This was different from what we had initially understood and created unnecessary inconvenience for a family that had already traveled several hours. The staff member we interacted with, Delfina, was discourteous and unprofessional throughout all interactions. Afterward, I learned she allegedly made comments about me to the adopters rather than addressing any concerns with me directly. The overall experience left the adopters feeling so uncomfortable that they ultimately decided not to proceed with the adoption! To make matters worse, when I asked for a supervisor's contact information so I could voice my concerns, I was refused direct contact information and was given a phone number and email address that did not work. I was also told a supervisor would be available the next day, only to later be told that was not the case. I appreciate the difficult work that animal shelter VOLUNTEERS do every day, and I am grateful that this kitten was removed from the euthanasia list. However, saving animals doesn't end there. Shelters should also make the adoption process welcoming, transparent, and supportive for responsible adopters. In this case, the process became unnecessarily complicated, and a kitten ultimately lost what could have been a loving home. I sincerely hope management reviews this incident and takes steps to improve communication, professionalism, and customer service so future adopters and rescue partners have a better experience.

first rescue to answer out of the 40 I called . I had an emergency and needed to get rid of a dog…read moreand she helped me every step of the way . she's such a kind sweet lady and deserves the world for all the help she does for dogs . couldn't be more thankful

Bev was so incredibly helpful when I called her today. Thank you for your advice. Keep doing what…read moreyou are to help all the doggies out there.

I brought a stray dog into this shelter because I genuinely thought it was the right thing to do,…read moreand the entire experience turned into something upsetting and disappointing. Before coming in, I took the time to ask around to see if the dog belonged to anyone. No one recognized her. She was hiding when I found her, which already told me she was scared. I still brought her in hoping she would be safe and cared for. When I arrived at the shelter, I stood waiting at the front while the woman at the desk was on her phone. There was no clear direction or sense of urgency. I was eventually told someone would come help me, but the initial interaction already felt unprofessional and unwelcoming. When a staff member finally came out, she began scanning the dog for a microchip. During that process, the dog who was clearly frightened!!! bit her. Instead of handling the situation calmly and professionally, everything immediately turned chaotic. The dog ran, and in that moment, I instinctively called out "Bella," which is the name my son had given her while we had her. The staff member then aggressively questioned me, asking "IS THAT YOUR DOG?" in a way that felt accusatory. I explained that she was not my dog and that my son had simply named her, but I was still met with attitude. Meanwhile, my cousin who had been in the car, ran over to help after seeing the dog loose. She is not trained staff, yet she ended up being the one to physically grab the dog while multiple employees stood around watching. One employee even said something along the lines of "if the dog is comfortable, let her grab it," which was extremely concerning. Why are untrained people being expected to handle a scared animal in a situation like that? Once the dog was secured, the way she was handled was very upsetting to watch. The leash was pulled so tightly that it looked like she was being choked. The dog was clearly terrified!!!! so much so that she urinated and defecated on herself in that moment. Seeing an already scared animal be handled like that was honestly heartbreaking. I understand that working with stray animals is unpredictable and that bites can happen. However, that is part of the job, and it does not justify taking frustration out on the public or mishandling a frightened animal. What should have been a simple intake turned into a stressful, disorganized situation where there was a lack of professionalism, communication, and compassion. I came in trying to help, and instead left feeling blamed and disturbed by what I witnessed. People who bring in stray animals are doing the community a service. They should be met with guidance, professionalism, and care ! not confusion, hostility, and poor handling of animals. I truly hope this shelter improves both its staff training and the way situations like this are managed, for the sake of both the animals and the people trying to help them.

Let's start by saying how awesome the girls at the front were. Especially Kelly and Cheryl. You can…read moretell there heart was with the animals finding good homes. They truly love helping the animals and it shows. All of the gentleman that we're working with the dogs outside were extremely helpful in helping me find and do meet and greets with the animals. I also met Nelson the lead at the shelter and he was an absolute doll. You can tell his heart is with the shelter and the animals. The shelter itself was massive and sooo many dogs that need to be saved. With all that being said you have to have one bad apple in the bunch and that was sergeant Matthew ( can't remember his last name but it was long) let's just say that was my only negative thing to say about this pound. I had an interaction with him that was unfortunately very unpleasant. Field sergeant Matthew was rude and came across as belittling and passive-aggressive during our conversation. Instead of being helpful or respectful, the tone felt dismissive and unprofessional. I truly support the mission of this pound and the work they do for animals, which is why the interaction was so disappointing. I hope management encourages better communication so visitors and adopters feel respected and leave with adopting a pet and not with a bad taste in there mouth. I would 1,000 times over and over recommend this shelter. They are high kill shelter but it's not the shelter's fault it's the people in the community that do not spay and neuter and treat their animals The way they should be treated. Thank you again to the staff that made it a pleasant visit and helped me find the newest addition to the family.

I am absolutely, unequivocally obsessed with cats. Frankly, I worship them more than the Egyptians…read moredid and I am quite sure they are Gods. In fact, I am throwing my cat a 5th birthday party literally at the time of this review (she gets a party every year!) and she is laying near me as I type these words waxing her kind, poetic. This means that any place that involves cats is a place I want to be; and thus: cat cafes is a trend I stand behind. A place to hang out with cats AND promote adoptions of said cats on premises? Yes, please! These cafes are growing in popularity and one of note is Purrmaid Cat Café, located in Camarillo a stone's throw from the famous Camarillo Outlets (on the way from Los Angeles to the outlets at the exit prior). Typically, not much positive can be said of social media platform, Facebook but just this once: I can thank them. My cat-loving algorithm is what introduced me to Purrmaid as I proceed to 'follow' the business and engage with the owner on her posts. I immediately knew there was something different about Purrmaid from their competitors and that I would someday need to visit. Purrmaid is the love project of husband-and-wife team Robin (who goes by Cat) and Jeff Kent who were locally known as animal advocates and top-of-the-line pet foster parents. Having dreams of opening an animal sanctuary; the universe opened the door for them as their friend Nikki, OG owner of Purrmaid was giving up the reigns and Robin and Jeff knew this was their time to shine and took over. The rest is history. Located in a busy but quiet strip plaza shopping center; Purrmaid is super welcoming the second you cross their threshold. The small lobby area is colorful, smells amazing and is filled with cat merch for sale from local artists. Refreshments (soda, coffee, water) and Robin's very own homemade baked goods are available for a small sum (and adorably, Purrmaid posts on their socials as though the cats pick the deserts for the day/week!). You must try these desserts! The selections during my visit were chocolate chip cookies and brownies and although these may sound basic - my boyfriend and I were obsessed! The cookies were chewy and soft with browned butter caramelization flavor. So good! Purrmaid isn't your typical cat café and is so much better. After signing a release and paying the $6/person fee (must be at least 7 years of age and children must be accompanied by an adult); you enter the cat room which eschews the standard clinical feel of cat cafes and is instead set-up like a living room which carpeting, couches, arm chairs plus cat towers, shelves and toys galore. Purrmaid is spotless (which my OCD approves) and has a calming, quiet, Zen energy. At Purrmaid, you will feel like you are simply hanging with Robin and her beautiful feline Gods in her living room! Robin and Jeff also have the best interest of the kitties in mind as the cats have access to a cat door to a back room they can 'escape' to when they don't feel like being around guests. Or, they can live out their wild cat fantasies watching bird TV. This is truly a Grade-A cat café. Even the bathroom was spotless and decorated with cats down to the hand towels! As amazing and obsessed with cats Purrmaid is; their mission is to find the cats a forever home and they take this very seriously with a $150 fee, application and home visit and adoption contract. Robin is not playing around when finding the perfect home for these cats whom often come from prior traumatic situations. Want to hold an event or birthday party at Purrmaid? Or attend one of their events like tarot card readings? Yup, they do that too! Purrmaid is an amazing facility! Purrmaid is a purr-fect cat café and Robin and Jeff are simply wonderful individuals running an amazing business. If you are even mildly obsessed with cats - or looking to adopt - you must visit Purrmaid Wed- Sundays 11am-5pm. Heck, you may even see me because I already want to return!

This place is the BEST!!! I love Robin and all the volunteers. We adopted our precious cat from…read morehere, and we love it!!!!

Great volunteers, very knowledgeable about all the animals…read more On August 17, 19, was free adoption day called clear the shelter and save a pet at this no kill shelter. What a great turn out, so many people who hopefully will provide a great home. They had dogs, cats, birds, bunnies, roosters and even horses. Normal fees are around $50 for adoptions, today that feel was waived. The savings could go towards the pet supplies.

I just adopted my second dog from Life Animal Rescue. I adopted my first dog from them in 2017, and…read morehe's the best dog in the world. This past time when we adopted our second dog Bom we worked with Nancy and she was wonderful! She was so helpful, caring, and patient with my family of four as we picked up our new addition. I love this rescue and their mission. They have such amazing dogs coming from terrible circumstances. I am so happy that we had the opportunity to adopt from them again. Now we have the best puppy in the world. Thank you Life!

Amazing place, professional staffs and happy pets. What…read moreexactly i was looking for . No wasting tine, no irrelevant options and no force to adopt a pet.

I wanted to say thank you to VC Reptiles Rescue! I rescued my ball python here Gatsby the end of…read moreMay! He's thriving and loves his new home. He now lives in a 110+ gallon tank with two huge hides, rings to climb, leafs, toys, trees and live plants, feeding area and large water bowl, etc. I recently changed his bulb from a 100W Ceramic Heat bulb to a 75W Basking Halogen Bulb with a temperature controller because I think it was needed I keep it on during the day and off at night. He is so sweet and loves everyone. I even have a backpack I take him on walks with sometimes. Recently we went to the fair right next to my house and needless to say- he became an attraction at the fair! People wanted to pet and hold him and he loves being held! He would rather be held than not held haha. :) Thank you so much for what you guys do! I support rescues and not mass-breeding pet shops and sites for these gorgeous animals!

Amazing customer service, huge variety of items, all around great. I was able to find discontinued…read moreSquishmallow pet beds!