This has been proven an essential community service and deserves your support. Cat Welfare is a no-kill rescue organization organized to meet a daily, critical need. Year after year since 1945, a dedicated handful of volunteers and medical professionals have worked seven days a week to help make sure the cat population is treated humanely in North Columbus. Indianola, just south of Morse, look for the Beechwold Vet Clinic sign. Donations of food, litterbox filler and love are always welcome! read more

This place was terrible. Some of the workers were so rude. We walked in and one of the workers told us about the rules ok whatever. we just wanted to give some cats love, potentially get one. Anyways, my friend's kid is a little loud and she's excited to see the cats. My friend asks her daughter to be quiet because the kitties don't like it loud and the worker was behind them staring them down and nodding yes. like sir? I wanted to go into one of the rooms to see a cat, when i asked he rolled his eyes and let me go into the room but made it very clear he didn't want my friends kid in there. what if she was looking for a cat? Do you want these cats to find loving homes or not???!! Lastly, what happened before we were just done. I had walked in the shy room twice, once by myself and once with my boyfriend. The first time i went in they left me alone i was just looking at the cats, didn't pet them if they didn't want to be pet. I respect animals and i can tell if a cat wants me to not touch them. the second time i walked in with my boyfriend and one of the workers followed us in there and got in my boyfriend's face saying "this is the shy cats room don't get in their faces" mind you we weren't even that close to them just looking to see everyone that was in there. he then gets closer and says "Im serious" like bro we weren't even doing anything besides looking and letting them sniff us. anyways, whoever was working at 12 today with the mask you were amazing and helpful. the other guy up front a little older with curly hair you were extremely rude and disrespectful to all of us that walked in. Go somewhere else for a cat!!! read more

I got an abandoned cat from them 15 years ago this coming May. She was the least wanted cat in their shelter; she was terrified and didn't know how to play her audience. I love her soooo much! read more

Cat Welfare Association - Carla resting on one of her beds. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

The cats here are so kind and cared for, it's an amazing non profit with great fundraiser. There are so many volunteers and a really kind community around it, this place is the best. read more

Three years ago I adopted my cat Arlo from Cat Welfare, I was informed at the time that he was 2 years ago. I did find it odd that most of the cats there were apparently 2 years old. Anyway fast forward it to 3 years later and my poor Arlo is needing to have 11 teeth extracted and I am informed that this is typical for an 8 year old cat. Had I know his actual age I would have taken precautions years ago to reduce the risk of him losing all his teeth. They are DELIBERATELY misleading people to help get cats adopted as generally people would prefer to adopt a younger cat. BEWARE read more

I volunteered with Cat Welfare for an entire summer in their gift department fueled by donations. Was A very rewarding experience. But... all of the sudden a woman donated million dollars to the place and that moment all went to ll in a handbasket. The manaer was fired. The whole gift shop was obliterated. All of the clothes on an extensive Racks were to be thrown out. I loaded all of those women's clothes into my suv and took them to a grouphoe for girls that were coming home from prison Subsequently I have called cat welfare around 4 times since then. They can NEVER tak a stray little kitten. Four different times! So what are they doing? They make me very angry because I have had a need and they deny a baby. read more

Heard about this from a friend. Tucked away off Indianola between Cooke and Morse, it is an adoption center and a great place to visit. Appointments are needed for drop-offs, but you can visit to see (and maybe adopt) for free whenever they are open. One cat met us outside, and inside was packed: cats on towers, in cages, wandering, playing, sleeping, eating. Not overcrowded, but full of cats. Most are very friendly; the ones who are iffy have yellow collars. (There are other color codes; orange means diabetic, etc.) Plenty of toys and towers and a chair or two so you can hang out with them. Staff were super friendly and helpful. Plenty of parking. A great organization, and a fun place to visit. Thankfully Baby K wasn't quite ready for another cat, but wants one someday, so we were able to leave... read more

My girlfriend and I were looking to adopt a new cat and our experience at the Cat welfare association was extremely pleasant. The staff and volunteers were friendly and helpful every step of the way. One thing that stood out was how knowledgeable everyone was on each cat's personality and situation. We ended up leaving with an extremely cute bonded pair of cats! I can't recommend this place enough for anyone looking to adopt. read more

I've been supporting Cat Welfare for more than 20 years, but I became a customer today. After losing one of our senior cats, we decided to stop here and look for a new cat. Like many things, covid has made this process more difficult, which is bad news for the cats. We had to make an appointment everywhere we wanted to go and this was our first. I downloaded their application and emailed it to them. We were in their system and verified our information. We got a call within 30 minutes and an appointment within a couple of hours. It was a nice visit and we found a pair of littermates and have them home with us now. Working at home was a great time to break in new kittens! Hard to find any good in this dam pandemic. read more

Cat Welfare Association - Riley and Buddy in their new home. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

This place is amazing. I have seen a lot of people complain about the adoption process and how they may have been refused, but I think that's a good thing. They take the time to make sure every person who adopts a cat will give the cat a great life. I was able to adopt my kitty here and they were nothing by thorough and helpful. I knew they were making sure that the cat would be going to the best home she could. Also to the person mad because the shelter said not to come back after they returned their cat, I would have said the same thing. This shelter is not somewhere to dump your/your families unwanted cats. It takes cats in off the street to rehabilitate. If you really had a need to get rid of the cat you could have found a home for it yourself. Stop dumping your unwanted animals off at shelters who are already bursting at the seams. read more

Lady spoke to me as if I was stupid. I was bringing in a kitten I had found that clearly needed expertise care and she was turn away so I had to Research and buy a bunch of supplies just to care for this baby. Not to mention that I am allergic but the lady didn't seem to care at all. On the other hand I still have the kitty until she's a bit older and can be rehomed read more

I am thankful that Cat Welfare has a way to adopt awesome cats. Several years ago, my cat, Zeke died. I was looking for a new kitty to adopt. I was overwhelmed with the number of choices but my heart was set on a young adult. I met a volunteer who steered me towards the most loving cat that was looking for a home.Zen was about 3 years old and had been a feral cat at one time in his life. He has been with me for 5 years and I him . Zen was an amazing choice and I will not hesitate to adopt from Cat Welfare again in the future. read more

Cat Welfare Association - Animal Shelters Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

My wife and I visited the Cat Welfare Association to donate some food, used cat toys and scratching posts. A volunteer showed us around the spacious facility and introduced us to so many cute and adoptable cats. The place is clean, the staff is super friendly, and the cats are gorgeous. With every breed available, I'm hard-pressed in seeing anyone lacking choices. From young kittens to senior cats, anyone looking for a new pet can't go wrong here. The part I liked best about their adoption process was they don't just let anyone take any pet. The staff match the best cat to the best owner. I imagine this comes from experience of sending a cat to the wrong home only to have it returned. This organization truly has the best interests at heart of the owner and cat. Though we won't be adopting a cat right now, we highly recommend checking these guys out. They're second to none and the best kept secret of Columbus pet rescues. read more

We came to the facility hoping to adopt two cats. It was so nice to see many of the cats roaming freely instead of all in cages. It made for a more pleasant experience, as well a better opportunity to engage with the cats and get to know each cat's temperament and personality. The staff member who helped us was professional, friendly, helpful, and enthusiastic. He seemed to know information about each cat about whom we expressed interest. It gave us the feeling that the staff knows and cares about their cats. Since we were interested in two cats, he was very helpful in guiding us toward cats who had already formed a bond with each other. We ended up adopting two cats as we hoped. The application and adoption process were quick and easy. We are so happy and grateful to have two new furry members in our family. read more

My name is Mark Tharp and I had the distinct pleasure of taking in a cat named Tyga. I just wanted to thank you for your incredible service to myself and Tyga. The young lady who came over and retrieved Tyga was a very nice understanding and helpfol person. I appreciate your wonderful service both to me as well as the entire community. You all are awesome. I sincerely hope to help one another in the future. I would like to get regular updates on Tyga please and thanks. Mark T. read more

This is one damn fine organization folks. Whether you are looking for a new forever friend or have one that you are trying to find a home for. These wonderful people can help. CWA will take in cats and kittens, if there is room. I've taken several cats there and frankly it's not easy to get them in. I have been turned away on most occasions. I've also managed to get a few in when they have the room. If you are looking to take a cat in, remember a few things: persistence, patience, timing and a nice donation are everything. Donations are welcome. Cash, checks, old newspapers, paper bags, cleaning products, canned cat food are all needed to keep them going. So you know, they will ask you for a donation if they agree to take one in. Don't think anything of this. They have a lot of mouths to feed and give medical attention to every day of the year so any assistance is welcome. If you have room and you want to take in some cats on a temporary basis, they also have a foster care program. It's great to help socialize the little ones for adoption later. If you are in the area, feel free to stop in and visit the residents. From the employees to the volunteers, everyone is welcome. You will have several dozen instant friends who would be happy to let you hold and cuddle them for as long as you want. Stop in and make some new friends. It won't cost you anything and you'll be getting a lot in return. read more

So, this is my favorite rescue as I have had the good fortune to adopt 2 cats from here over the years, one of which being a multi-point special needs cat. I see some negative reviews here which I wanted to touch base on... I am a frequent visitor to get my cat cuddles so I am aware of how truly, deeply invested all of the staff & volunteers are in all of the cats in their care. For all the cats that are there, everyone knows each of the cats by their names, names which were thoughtfully given to each cat based on either a personality trait or some other distinguishable characteristic. There are people who have volunteered there consistently for decades which I think also speaks to the reputation & work that this fantastic organization offers. So it should come as no surprise that they want what is best for all of the felines & may very well error on the side of caution if they see any red flags - maybe a cat who has come from an abusive situation that would do best in a home without children. They do their due diligence to make sure that once the release these precious animals to the adoptee that it will be what is best for everyone. I had to go through a lengthy process to adopt Ray Ray & I wouldn't have had it any other way. He was worth every step & I am grateful for the care & attention the staff gave in working with me through the process. They are doing important, life-saving work on a daily basis. read more

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Adopted two of my cats here a few years back and I always love coming back to look at the others! The staff is helpful and nice, I am so grateful for this location and my 2 kitties! read more

I've adopted my own cats from here over the year and always thought highly of them. Until my father lost his housing and we had to return his cat. We had no other option. The staff was extremely rude, did not communicate and stated "it would be best if you didn't return." It wasn't even my cat? I was helping my father, and you want to be rude like that? Ok cat welfare. read more

First, I love CW. Two of our current furkids are from there, and the staff was helpful, friendly & knowledgeable; they even gave us discount vouchers for the local low-cost neuter service, SOSOhio, to help with TNR'ing a small group of feral cats who'd moved in to an abandoned shed near our apartment. Second: folks, don't diss the county/city shelters. Refusing to adopt from them because they're "kill" shelters is counterproductive, misguided, and ultimately harms more cats. The county/public shelters are open admission -- they *have* to take any & all cats/dogs left there, even if they're out of space. They don't have a choice, and the sad, awful economics of the situation is that they (just like CW) have limited space and resources. Too many cats, not enough adopters -- CW is a private shelter, so they can refuse to take more cats when they're out of space. The county/city shelters can't refuse -- since they're public & tax-supported, they're required to take all comers. Unfortunately, this means that hard choices have to be made, because they don't have the funds nor the space to keep every cat until a home is found. CW has the luxury of refusing to take more cats when they're out of space. The public shelters don't, so humane euthanasia for older/sick/problematic cats is their only option to ensure that they have enough food, space, &medical stuff to give other cats a chance to live & find new homes. CW's great, but please please please don't ignore the public shelters when looking for a new kitty friend. read more

Cat Welfare is a good place to adopt from! We had a pretty good experience as it was our first time adopting. Most of the people we talked to were very nice and helpful but there was 2 people who really bothered us. We had said multiple times that this was the cat we wanted and they kept directing us towards other cats which is weird when she was being so sweet and showing her belly to us when they said she hadn't done that with anyone before. They also said things like "she won't be a lap cat" and "she probably won't be settled or comfortable with you guys for 1-2 months" which we didn't care, we just wanted to give the cat a home and give them all the love. Other than some comments and unneeded direction away from the cat we wanted it was a great experience. The place is well kept and the cats seem to be well taken care of. Our cats previous name was "Azula" and we changed it to "Cali." She's the sweetest, most cuddly, and talkative cat ever :) We are so happy!! read more

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I just moved to Columbus and was looking to adopt a cat. Adopting from a no-kill shelter was very important to me, so I checked out Cat Welfare. Unlike other shelters I have visited, CWA lets many of the cats roam free during visiting hours, and there are toys and cat trees in every roam, giving you a much better environment in which to interact with the cats. I especially appreciated the little "sunroom" area. There were lots of people, too--some looking to adopt, others just visiting to play with the cats. While it's unfortunate what these cats have gone through, it's good to know that they're being treated well now. The staff were very friendly and obviously really care about these kitties. I did not adopt on my first visit, but I never felt pressured in any way. If anything, it was the other visitors who really pushed me to adopt--once I saw someone else holding the cat I'd fallen in love with, I knew that I didn't want to risk waiting another day! Even post-adoption, CWA continues to impress me. Upon adoption, I received a packet with a detailed medical history for my cat, as well as plenty of informational resources for Columbus area vets and animal hospitals. They have a very generous return policy and healthy animal guarantee--if your cat gets sick shortly after coming home, they will pay for him to see a vet. Fortunately, my boy seems healthy as can be! If you're looking to adopt a new furry friend, you really can't beat the level of commitment that CWA has for the cats it serves. I probably won't be adopting again any time soon, but you can bet if any of my friends start looking for a cat, I'll point them to CWA. Thank you for helping me find my sweet little Pip! read more

Cat Welfare Association - Little Pip, right after coming home! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I am 19 years old and I live in apartment with two people. For the this exact reason they refused to give me a cat. In less than six months my roommates will be moving out and I will get two new mats. They do not care and refused to look at my application. They also proceeded to tell me that my apartment has a two pet max even though we can have up to eight. Unless you are a first time pet owner and at least 24 I do not recommend this place for you. read more

They had many cats to choose from. We thought we'd adopt an adult cat but came home with an almost adult kitten/cat. We had just lost a cat to invasive cancer. Taking in another cat helped me with the healing process of losing a cat but I'll still miss her. The adoption fee is reasonable. You can tell this is a nonprofit not only in the legal sense but also in the true spirit of what a nonprofit should be. If you are looking for a cat, this is the place to go. I think they had well over a hundred cats to choose from. You'll find one that will bond with you and become a true companion to you. read more

Haven't visited yet, but have met some of the staffing outside of the facility. The volunteer was nice, however I didn't really appreciate that they kinda took the cats off the street that I was feeding. We were just about to let them in and take care of them, but then they were gone. In that area, this was common. I understand this is a rescue, but I really didn't appreciate the lack of communication. It was kinda sly. read more

We love Cat Welfare! We just adopted a new kitty and he's so adorable. He is the perfect guy for us. They were very helpful in helping us to find the right kitty for us. The staff was very knowledgeable about the kittys and told us about each one as far as their health and their personality. All up to date on shots and microchipped. They are very well taken care of. Cannot say enough good things about Cat Welfare. This is our second adoption from there and we are very happy. read more

Lulz. Cat Welfare. Sorry, but the name always makes me laugh. I remember the first time my mother mentioned "Cat Welfare" to me... I imagined cats waiting in line outside a building to get their free powdered milk and government cheese, or picking up their checks on the first of the month. lulz. Apparently this is a place where they foster stray cats, fix 'em up if need be, and try to find good homes for them. That's a noble thing in my book; my mother's as well. In addition, they have a thrift store attached that is open on Saturdays. They take donations (my mom takes things there often) and they sell them to make money to help run the place. Pretty cool idea, no? I went one Saturday when I was in town visiting, and I have to say, they had some decent stuff there, at flea market prices. I actually bought a cool painting in a really nice, heavy, hand carved frame with glass for like $17. Like most flea market/thrift stores, you just never know what you'll find, and the women that work there are as nice as can be. So yeah, I will always poke fun at "Cat Welfare," but they get the props for what they do and how they do it. read more

Cat welfare is a no kill shelter that takes in cats, fixes them up, and helps them to be adopted. One of my absolute favorite things about them is the fact that they have a list of the resident cats who have been there for a particularly long time, or those who have disabilities, so that people who want to support a cat (like a deaf cat, or a one eyed cat, or a cat with a scrunchy ear or a very old cat) that few people want. The cats there are extremely well taken care of, particularly in comparison to many of the other shelters that i've seen. One of the nicest things about cat welfare is that they fully support you coming in and just playing with the cats, whether you have intention to adopt one or not. Its an excellent thing to do when feeling down. Going and playing with all these affectionate creatures will brighten any spirit. They also have a few permanent residents that they don't have up for adoption. These cats are ones who have problems that will likely keep them from ever being adopted. Cat welfare promises that these kitties will always have a home there, which is particularly commendable because they would normally be put to sleep. They have programs they offer to let people support these fairly non-adoptable cats. (Look up their Guardian Angel Program). The problems these cats have are anything from chronic spraying to being extremely shy. Many of the troublemakers are really quite affectionate and are so much fun to come in and play with. They're always in need of short term foster care- wink wink, nudge nudge -for kittens(bottle feeding and such) and cats healing from surgery. Its actually a really fun program to get involved in. I, sadly, have had to back away from it due to one of my felines getting crankier towards 'outsiders' in her old age. They have fundraising jewelry sales and garage sales once a week, and a Pet Loss Support Group twice a month. I'm totally serious about just dropping by to play with the cats. They love when you do that. read more

This is a FANTASTIC no-kill, cat shelter. I adopted 2 kittens about 2 months ago from here, and they are as healthy as can be. Every person I've talked to who works or volunteers there are extremely nice and helpful. The cat rooms are very clean, and the animals all seem very happy. A lot of the cats are allowed to roam free, and there are tons of toys and napping nooks around to make them comfortable. It's very clear that the people here care very much about the animals. I only paid $80 for both kittens, and this included all vaccines, and two microchips. After taking both kittens to the vet for their rabies shot (they were too young when I adopted them to have gotten it before), the vet noticed that one of the microchips did not scan. I called CWA and told them the situation, and they promptly let me come in and re-microchipped the cat free of charge. If you're thinking of adopting a cat or kitten, this is the first place I would recommend! read more

If I ever want another kitty this is where I will go! I go in every now and then to donate necessities and to play with the cats. They all need love! Everyone that works here is really friendly and nice, all volunteers. Which is awesome! Love this place! read more

I will never go here again! My boyfriend and I went in to adopt a new fur baby and they were so rude to us! We have never been before so we had a worker explaining things to us and how everything works, and then she asked if we would prefer claw in or declawed, I admitted declawed but it is not a determining factor because we have had a fur baby at home with claws and we have managed. So as we are walking around from room to room we noticed workers following us around and starting up conversation about how bad declawing is and it's torture to animals and we just nodded and continued looking for a new baby. We get back to the kitten room and are looking at the them and an older woman who was working walked in and handed my boyfriend a piece of paper that he glanced at and put into his pocket, she said no, she has to look at it. So I grab it and look and it is full of statistics about anti declawing and how it's awful to put animals through it, etc etc. So at this point I am offended because it wasn't even a priority and I would not pay to get a pet declawed! But we continued. We left the kitten room and we had filled out the paperwork to adopt and were still looking at our top 3 options when they came back and told us they were unable to adopt to us so I was so over it at this point that we left. Fast forward to later that day, we went home and were sitting on the couch and we heard someone putting something on our door, so we checked and it was a note on our door saying the front office was going to be doing an in home inspection so we called and asked why and they told us that the cat welfare called in and told them that we had animals in our apartment and we were abusing them!! I will never ever go here ever again and I will always tell people to steer clear!! read more

One word describes my visit to this place: Odd. Completely incompetent staff. The "workers" make it very difficult to adopt a cat, and are even blatantly rude to top it off. The setting is eery and off. I HIGHLY recommend you look elsewhere if you'd like to save a cat. One with workers who can actually do their job. read more

My visit to Cat Welfare was wonderful. The staff was extremely helpful in letting me spend as much time as needed to select my new kitten. It was a total success and my new little orange kitten, which I named Honey, is the light of our life and of our wonderful Sugar Pies heart. read more

They told us our kids was to hyper and that we where bad parent and we couldnt get a cat. For a plave trying to find family they don't want to find them familys read more

Here on vacation, my family found a kitten (vet visit entails he needs an eye removed). In attempt to get him to a rescue to help him we tried here. Well my mother emailed them, I called them 7 times, my brother called them 3, and I Facebook messaged them. Only after all that did they reply, only to be condescending. Not only were they condescending, after telling us they'd call back they never did. Despite their voicemail saying they will take all kittens, they were absolutely no help. I'm really disappointed. Luckily the vet we originally took him too offered us some help, so we'd at least be able to get him home. I can't believe with such amazing reviews, website, and voicemail, we'd get treated that way and that they wouldn't help a kitten in need. read more

I'm one of those people who generally avoids pet shelters because I usually find them depressing and sad, which means I come home with pets that I feel sorry for. Cat Welfare was anything but that: it was clean, cheerful, the cats seemed genuinely happy, and the staff was very friendly. They've created an atmosphere where you can really get to know the cats and see their real personalities, and the volunteers seemed to know the cats really well too. This is a really special place, and although my husband and I decided not to get a companion cat for our current cat, we were really impresssed with our visit to Cat Welfare. read more

The Cat Welfare Association is such an amazing, loving organization! I went there to look at an older cat, but I came home with a kitten instead. I felt very guilty about not being able to care for the cat with special needs but the lady assisting me assured me that the senior cat would be adopted. She was so patient and helped me find the cat of my dreams (she spent over an hour with me showing me countless kittens). I have only ever owned dogs so I was completely overwhelmed looking at so many cats and kittens. The kitten I took home was the last one I looked at, and the staff member and I looked at each other with a knowing look when she placed him in my arms. She had a very keen sense of which kitten would be right for me and if it wasn't for her I might have gone home without him that day. My kitten has changed my life and filled my heart with so much love and happiness. The facility is very clean (with all those cats it's absolutely amazing how little order there is), and all the staff members are passionate about the care and welfare of each and every cat. I was also amazed how the staff knows most of the older cats by name. My kitten only coast me a $20 donation, he had all his vaccinations for the first year, and he was already neutered. I truly could not have asked for a better experience. *The facility is fairly accessible, there are no steps but parking and navigating can be a bit of a challenge. There are a few small lots surrounding the building, but letting out a vehicle with a ramp might require some creativity. If I needed any help I would've felt comfortable asking the staff for assistance. read more

Ive gotten two cats there. One for me, and one as a gift. The gift was so well received and it changed a depressed person's life forever. I liked that the cats all got to socialize and the facility seemed great. The prices were reasonable. They wanted to break even instead of a profit. read more

This organization does a lot of good work, but sometimes misses the target. I had recently lost my 93 year old father who had MANY cats that I was unaware of. Found homes for all except 1. (Even driving as far as Sandusky, Indiana and Cincinnati to do so). When asked if they could help, first said there was waiting list (which I said I to put me on). Six months later, they said I had not done so. Donated several hundred dollars worth of blankets, merchandise, heating pads etc. They refused to even allow to post my poster about cats at their location. First saying they didn't have vet records. When I offered to give full records they admitted it was "competing" interest. I am disabled but have personally vetted and found homes for over 140 in the past 15 years. I needed help w 1 cat due to fathers landlord not being understanding. They told me I had told them it didn't get along w other cats (which I DID NOT). They also told me it wasn't their policy to take "pets." Maybe I should have just told them it was a stray. Fortunately I was able to find another rescue group that could help. I'm just sorry that I gave all the donations to an organization that didn't really seem to care. As I said..they do good work, but I will give my support to others that don't distort what I say and rely on "policies" without considering the individual circumstances. I spent thousands fostering these cats until I could find homes for them and I'm on a fixed income. A little help or understanding would having been appreciated instead of just taking hundreds of dollars in donations and offering nothing in return. read more

I brought in a cat that was lingering near my door, that had been in a fight with an opossum and it's eye was torn out, I brought her in to see if this place could help, all they said was we have no room, take her away...they wouldn't even recommend a remedy for her eye, she also had diarrhea...I don't know what to do...as no one will help...and the shelters in Columbus are the worst!!! No one wants to help this poor helpless innocent kitty. Ugh this city makes me cringe...I lived in Arizona, Phoenix to be exact...their shelters are always full, but they go out of their way to offer help and even take the animals home because they ACTUALLY care about animals...I was so disgusted at this place...before I left I begged for some info on who might help, they gave me some numbers...and guess what, no one answered any of the numbers and their voice mails were full...I seriously doubt they were actual places that could help! I can't wait to move back to AZ where people actually care, as opposed to giving the illusion of caring!! read more