Love this shelter. we got one of our first dogs here and have been back a couple times ever since! this time there was a man in the cat part of the shelter that wasn't very friendly and just made us feel like we weren't really welcomed in there. my friend didn't know the rules and was having a cat sniff her hand and he very rudely told her not to do that and to ask the staff before touching them. which the reasoning was understandable, but the tone. a lot of people don't know which it's the workers job to remind them, not be rude about it. i love this place forever. my fur baby is from here. this one man will not change my opinion. They are one of the cleanest shelter around. all dogs and cats look very happy and healthy. read more

CHA Animal Shelter - Animal Shelters Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

We adopted from them about 7 years ago, and just recently had to put down our beautiful Ripley. She had terminal cancer. We are going tomorrow to look at the dogs they have, and to find a fur baby to take her place. Loving and kind organization read more

CHA is a limited intake shelter that accepts strays and owner release animals. They also work with other shelter agencies by bringing pets from their facility to CHA. Animals are accepted based on space and their adoption criteria. They have a 95% adoption rate as well. The staff and volunteers are amazing. From adoption counselors to the foster program lead to the hundreds of volunteers that donate their time this organization is one of the few I support financially and with my time. We also foster cats and kittens with CHA and have been very impressed with their approach. In my opinion CHA is one of the best, if not the best, animal shelter in Central Ohio. Consider a visit to the shelter if you are looking for the 1st or next pet to welcome to your family. read more

Worst experience that I have ever had with an Animal Shelter. If by chance you have to cancel more than one appointment for a pet surrender, they refuse to give you any further appointments, regardless of the reason and issue a lifetime ban. What kind of bizarre policy is this, exactly? Many potential clients, through no fault of their own, may have unexpected things come up in their lives, such as a tragic death in their family and need to cancel an appointment. CHA's backward, asinine, unfriendly, uncompassionate and inconsiderate Customer Service Policy does not help the community, nor the pet population. In all honesty, I have never in my life, known an organization with such a backward cancellation policy. They claim that their, "Mission," is to serve the people and animals but actions speak louder than words. They appear to rush in as many appointments within as small a time period as possible, so that they can make as much money as they can within a short time frame, with little consideration to individual clients, nor attempting to retain them. However, a focus on retaining clients would provide benefit to both the community and the welfare of pets. CHA needs to re-review their policy. Whomever crafts their customer service policy, needs to take courses at a business college, so then they will understand the widely recognized importance in retaining clients on an individual basis and treating them with dignity. read more

CHA is just a few blocks from my home of the last 15 years, it's a staple of the community and my go-to shelter recommendation. My sister's been volunteering as a dog-walker for a decade and has seen all the wonderful work they do first hand. In 2020, there was a stray cat in my neighborhood who kept trying to walk in people's front doors. I worried he was lost, so I posted fliers, asked neighbors and posted his info on PetFBI and other petfinder sites in hopes of finding an owner. 6 months later, winter came around and I was worried for the cat's safety with the cold temperatures, so I contacted CHA about bringing him to the shelter and what that process would look like. They were quick to communicate, answered all my questions and managed to secure a space for him at the shelter within 4 days and a new home within two weeks. I was so happy to see this friendly, playful, chill cat find a safe and loving home. The best part was seeing his Pet Update on their FB page showing him in his new home and hearing how much his family loved him. Thanks for all the work you do, CHA! read more

CHA Animal Shelter - Animal Shelters Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I adopted a dog from CHA a week ago and couldn't be happier with the people that facilitated the "meet and greet" with my other dog and the eventual adoption of my new dog. They thoroughly answered every one of my many questions and allowed us to take our time to to feel entirely comfortable that our new dog would be a good match for our existing dog. I've adopted from breeders, shelters and rescue groups, and while most have been an extremely pleasant experience, the next time we're looking for a dog to join our family, we're heading back to CHA. read more

This shelter is refusing to do the right thing and return Theo to his rightful owner. They committed a fraudulent adoption since Theo is technically stolen property. They accepted him for surrender from someone who wasn't even on the paperwork. read more

Adopted a dog from here over 9 years ago. The adoption process was pretty easy and you could tell they truly care about the animals. Would def adopt here again. read more

Call and check their hours before you go, don't rely on what they have posted online, drove all the way up there after leaving work early to find they were actually closed and wouldn't be open for a couple hours. Also, make sure you look at any animal you're interested in carefully, went there a week or so ago and looked at a cat that had a massive ear mite infestation. read more

CHA is a wonderful shelter that takes great care of its shelter cats and dogs. I adopted my wonderful kitty after a quick foster fail (ten minutes) soon after my 18 year old kitty passed away. I've been a volunteer walking dogs at CHA for almost 3 years and have seen first hand how well this shelter is run, how well the animals are treated and the happiness it brings to many people in addition to the adopted animals. read more

This place refused to accept the abandoned young male cat I found because on the form I said he had a scratch on his back, and before seeing any pictures or knowing what it looked like, they sent an email saying "our main concern would be the scratch that the cat has and unfortunately we are seeing a lot of ringworm infections among stray cats at this time due to the change in seasons and ringworm is not a condition that we are able to treat. For us to be able to schedule this cat to come to our care, we would need a confirmation from a veterinarian that the scratch is not suspected to be ringworm. Due to the amount of time we are booking out, we are asking Good Samaritans to rehome cats by reaching out to other organizations." First of all, you didn't even see or ask for any pictures so you were assuming something you had no clue about, a scratch could be anything. Very appalling, and unprofessional. They looked for any reason they could to NOT accept this adorable, friendly kitty because he was abandoned. Disgusting and unacceptable, discriminating against strays, refused to save his life. Shame on you CHA Animal Shelter. CHA Animal Shelter absolutely will NOT receive any donations from me. read more

They refused to let me adopt a cat because they think I live in a college dorm. I do not attend college and I live with my parents. I emailed the executive director, Kelsey, to explain the situation and how heartbreaking it was. She told me I am now on the Do Not Adopt list along with two other people who I guess do live in a dorm. Just because I am 18 does not mean I live in a dorm, and the age discrimination from this is crazy. My mom and I will look elsewhere for a cat, but I am appalled by the company's refusal to give a kitten a good home based on bias. read more

Poor issue management, allows cats to be adopted the same day they arrive with no testing or anything. Allowed someone's cat to be given to someone else and refuses to do any kind of problem management. Sick individuals and terrible business read more

We just adopted our pup from this shelter. Everyone was extremely friendly and helped us out. You could see that all the dogs were being cared for very well - they were taking them on walks and giving them play time and each kennel was marked with updates on walking, feeding, etc. We printed out the adoption paperwork at home so we could save some time. We walked the pup we were interested in and also went to the play area with her. We fell in love with her and the adoption process was very simple. We were approved for adoption and our dog went home with us that day! I applaud this shelter for the work they do in taking care of these pups. read more

I have been volunteering for CHA as an OSU student and I have to say, these people are some of the most compassionate, animal-loving people I have ever met. They take each animal through wellness tests to determine if they are in a solid mental state, which could be horribly compromised by abuse. Some of these animals are simply beyond what the scope of the shelter can do for them; extremely aggressive, trying to attack anything that moves, without showing any signs of improvement upon being worked with. These animals will never get adopted, because they are dangerous, and they will die in the shelter. These decisions to euthanize are not made lightly. CHA will take in animals from surrounding shelters to alleviate them, and rely solely on the many amazing people that donate to simply keep the shelter's lights on. Next time hear something that you might not agree with from your friend about a business, just THINK. Think why they would do this, heck, even ASK them. You will hear the pain in their voices as they explain what they have to do for the greater good of the shelter. CHA adopts out thousands of animals a year, and takes in as many as they possibly can to try to find them a forever home. This is a good place, doing the absolute best they can, and succeeding. Don't let an uninformed one-liner opinion convince you otherwise. read more

This shelter is very accommodating. I adopted a dog in January, but a few weeks in, he started showing extremely aggressive behavior towards myself and the other humans in my life. After speaking with an animal behaviorist recommended by them, I was told it was in my best interest due to safety to return him to the shelter. They were very understanding and were able to find a place for him, and I hope the care he needs. It was a very difficult situation and I can't thank the staff enough for understanding. On a side note, it's also one of the cleanest shelters I've been to. You can tell that the staff/volunteers care about the animals. read more

I went to CAH to meet a dog I had seen on their facebook page. When I got there, a volunteer was taking care of that particular dog. I asked about how the dog ended up at the shelter, she said she didn't know. Even though I stood there in front of the dog's cage trying to find out about him the volunteer just ignored me (or was completely oblivious to my interest). She then took the dog out for a walk, leaving me standing there looking at an empty cage. Their volunteers need to learn how to engage with people coming in to potentially adopt. That little guy might have gone home with me that night if the volunteer had let me walk him & spend some time with him. read more

I've adopted 4 kittens from this shelter over the past 14 years. I have had nothing but good experiences. Two of the kittens I adopted from a litter I was fostering for the shelter. I have also volunteered here as a dog walker for 3 years. They provide helpful support to both their adopters and their volunteers, and always have the animals' best interests at heart. read more

About two weeks ago.. I adopted a Siamese "adult" cat (but he's definitely a young male) from the CHA Animal Shelter. His paperwork said everything was great and no problems except they treated him for ear mites. I didn't even think to look in his ears until a couple days later..My poor baby's ears were packed with crud from ear mites..Not to mention he also had fleas and you know what that means..yep..I checked his litter box and there were also tapeworms and blood in his feces from the worms. My little man was infested with parasites. $40 adoption fee turned into over $100 for all the treatments and medication...I was and am absolutely furious. Who knows how long he's had this going on for and in my opinion that's just abuse. Shelters are supposed to be consistent with checkups, exams, treatments..And I don't think they did one thing for him except neuter him the day before I picked him up. It was truly a disappointing experience. The only good thing that came from all this was that I found and adopted the sweetest baby boy and he has such a personality. He's always by his mommys side. At least now he has someone who can properly take care of him.. Not to mention the woman at the front desk kept pressuring and insisting me to donate..Of course I was going to and I did, but I was starting to think the money was all they cared about. read more

I discovered CHA through a radio interview on CD102.5. I learned more about them while doing their Pedal for Pets bike ride. I fell in love with them when I toured their facilities and talked to their volunteers. Recently, I decided to become a foster for them and have been able to care for 2 incredible cats (one of whom we fell so much in love with we adopted). CHA provided all the info they had on them, gave us food and supplies, and kept in contact with us to see how we were doing. I'm now also a volunteer at the shelter as well. I can say that through these experiences I have learned so much about the people who work there and love and care for these animals. If you find you would like to adopt, please, please, please consider CHA. read more

As part of The Recycled Retriever, I have participated in several CHA events, including the Dog Jog and Peddle for Pets. I have always been impressed with the professionalism of the staff and volunteers. In addition they are always active raising money and awareness by hosting a large number of events each year. It takes dedication to hold as many events as they do... very impressive. read more

I used to work/volunteer here so I have some pretty decent experience. I volunteered here for 5 or so years and worked with them for a few months. Staff mostly is very friendly and helpful and cares deeply for the animals. I can only speak for my experiences obviously. But I am surprised by a few of the lower reviews as they don't reflect any experience I had with CHA. The animal shelter is no-kill for dogs based on their stay timeframe. However it's important to remember that animal shelters in general still have euthanize some animals as not all animals can unfortunately be saved. It is sad and it is taxing on everyone involved, but it's the unfortunate reality. Dogs in my experience were only put down if they had bitten someone or had health conditions that went past the point of recovery. I specifically worked with animal behavior in my time there and it was an important part of the process of adoption as mental health of the animals is just as important as their bodily health. Health issues outside of adoption are impossible to always avoid as well, they're not humans who have extensive records, and sometimes people literally drop off animals in the night with no information. So be prepared for challenges when adopting, its apart of taking responsibility of your pet. However they do try to collect as much information as possible. Ive personally adopted 6 animals from the shelter and they were all perfectly healthy and are apart of my life today. CHA deeply cares about all animals in their care. They are limited by their resources as they are a non-profit organization but they do more than what they can with what they have. Although my time has ended with them, I'm more than happy with my experiences with them and would recommend them to anyone looking to adopt. read more

CHA is a great place to adopt a pet. We adopted our puppy from them and he came microchipped, neutered and up to date on all his shots. That would have cost a fortune if we had done it at a regular vet! They really care about animal welfare. CHA is a great addition to our community. Thanks for giving me such a wonderful pet! read more

I just adopted a cat here today and I couldn't be any happier with this place. The people who work have an honest passion for their job of helping animals. The place is very clean and the animals are happy. What more can you ask for? read more

Boy, oh boy. Not quite sure where to begin with this one. Firstly, the less than stellar 3 stars (I would give 2.5 if I could, but I can't so I'll round up) is mostly for their practices, not for their employees/volunteers. Everyone I spoke to or dealt with here were nothing but nice and professional. On the advice of another organization I took a relatives dog to CHA because she is elderly and couldn't take care of him any longer. I was told by the other organization that this is a no-kill shelter so I wasn't worried in the least that things would turn out the wrong way. I've spent lots of time around this dog and he is the sweetest thing around. He does bark lots, and he is a bit protective of his domain, but I've never seen him become aggressive with anyone. On the morning I dropped him off things seemed very good. While I started filling out the surrender paperwork they took his leash and led him to the back. He was wagging his tail and acting normally. After finishing the paperwork I left and went about my normal business thinking he would be taken care of and CHA would find him a home. I received a text from the other organization that said he was acting very aggressive towards the staff and lunging/nipping at anyone that came near him. Later I received another communication that stated if he continued to exhibit that behavior he would be deemed unadoptable and euthanized. When I found out they put him directly into a holding pen and left him for a few hours I immediately thought that the behavior he's showing is out of fear and nothing else. What really irked me during this period was it states on CHA's website that, "We have an extensive network of foster homes which temporarily take in animals that might be too young, sick or scared for the shelter environment. Once a cat or dog is accepted into the adoption program, we work hard to find a permanent, loving home no matter how long it takes". Nowhere on their website do they say that after less than 24 hours they will completely give up on the animal and put it down. For the next 24-36 hours I, along with the other organization, scrambled to try and figure out what to do. I was not in the position to take him and all other family in the area as well. I was told another facility would possibly take him but they wouldn't know until the next morning. I knew that if he stayed at CHA another night he wouldn't make it (did I mention he hadn't been taken outside to go to the bathroom since he arrived, now 36 hours later, and he wouldn't go to the bathroom in the pen because he was so frightened). I called a relative and asked if he could pick him up from CHA and hold him until the next morning until we knew if the other facility would take him. Unfortunately the other facility declined because they were suddenly getting out of the rescue business, so I felt like I was back at square one trying to figure out what to do. Luckily, the relative he's with now decided to keep him and see if he got along with their other dogs and, so far, things have been good. It's not quite a total happy ending for him, but hopefully it will be very soon. Again, I'm not disappointed with anyone at CHA, but I'm disgusted with the way they describe themselves on their website as an organization that won't give up on any animal, only to give up shortly after. My fault in all this....do your homework. I should've asked more questions, but it's difficult to think a dog would lash out when I've never seen him do it before. read more

Great shelter with really caring volunteers! I went to choose a cat, and they were really helpful. They also have $5 deals during the summer on Fridays for cats which is amazing! Only negative is I adopted the cat and her chart said that she still had her claws, but as she warmed up to me and I was able to handle her more I realized she had been declawed. No bug deal for me, but if I had other cats that might have been a problem! read more

My experience at CHA was amazing. I had no idea what to do with a sweet kitty that got left behind. So I started calling places and a couple days later CHA were the only ones that called me back. She was so nice and reassuring. She got us in the next day and took in this kitty that really needs a good home. I'm so thankful for CHA and their staff, you guys are awesome! Ms. Kelsey explained everything to me and is so polite, she is the perfect example of awesome customer service. I'm even considering volunteering at CHA from now on! Thank you to the kind staff for showing me that there's still people out there that know how to run a REAL business! You guys rock!!! xoxo read more

CHA is a wonderful place for homeless pets, with an amazing staff and hundreds of dedicated volunteers. I have adopted two dogs from CHA, and have fostered and volunteered for almost ten years. The animals receive the best care possible, and plenty of love and attention while they wait for their permanant homes. CHA also works with many local shelters and rescues to help place dogs and cats from all over central Ohio. If you are looking for a new four legged family member you should definitely check out CHA. read more

Bad experience. We saw a dog we liked who was not yet on the adoption floor. We were told she would go on the adoption floor on Monday and to call when they opened at noon. We called starting at noon, three times, and no one answered or called back during their 2-hour window. We also filled out an online application. Then we went up at 6:30 p.m. when they opened again -- and when we got off work -- and the dog was gone. Someone else had adopted her while we were trying to reach them. "We don't do holds," we were told. Apparently they also don't answer their phones or respond to messages or accomodate people who work during the day. read more

i was there yesterday and wanted a dog come back today and could not get him this place is the worst and said save him

Great place very helpful volunteers. We got our puppy here. Staff sat with us and explained everything. Will highly recommend this place if your looking for a new pet in your life. Very clean and welcome please to go visit!! read more