Anyone that has known me for any length of time knows that chelonians (broad way to group turtles…read moreand tortoises together... they're different, people!) are my spirit animal, and I've wanted one as a pet for a very very very long time. After a lot of research about all things tortoise and acquiring/assembling my set up, I decided that just buying a tortoise from a store wasn't an option. It was captive bred or adoption. A captive bred situation didn't work out and I stumbled upon Eden Animal Sanctuary (and Manfred!) with a Craig's List search. They're a chelonian specific rescue that operates on a private property. They rehabilitate surrendered turtles/tortoises and find the PERFECT homes for them, if they're considered adoptable. Filled out an "I'm interested" form on AdoptAPet.com and FB messaged the sanctuary (https://www.facebook.com/edenanimalsanctuary), letting them know that I'd submitted the form. Rachel responded to my message within minutes, sending me the adoption application and asking for pictures of my set up. The application was long and very thorough. I was a little nervous filling it out, even though I knew that Manfred belonged with me and that I could give him an amazing life (and that I'm going to have to put him in my will because he will likely outlive me). Then the waiting began. I was anxiously prepared to wait over a weekend (as I'd sent in the application on a Thursday evening), but, on Friday afternoon, I received an email saying that I'd been approved! I may or may not have danced around like an idiot for the rest of the day. Just kidding, I totally did. The following Saturday, a couple friends and I made our way to an adoption event in Spring Branch, where the rescue had a presence. I had no difficulty ignoring all the adoptable dogs (not usually the case with me) at the event as I made my way to the turtle/tortoise table. I knew it was my Manfred the moment I saw him. I chatted with Rachel a little bit and filled out his adoption form, promising to return him to the sanctuary if I could no longer care for him. I was also able to meet a couple of the other chelonians from the rescue, including a teenaged sulcata named Radar and three box turtles. I paid my adoption fee (donations and adoption fees go towards building habitats and caring for the chelonians) and skipped away with my new, best reptile buddy. All in all, I can't recommend Eden Animal Sanctuary enough. It's obvious to me that Rachel loves what she does and loves the animals even more.

From the owner: ​ Eden Animal…read moreSanctuary is dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of neglected, abused, injured or unwanted captive chelonians (turtles & tortoises). We are passionate about educating the public about proper chelonian husbandry.

Update: I received my Valentine's heart from Willie in the mail today. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! The…read morephotos included were so wonderful! Got everything framed and arranged on my wall by my bed so I can say good morning/goodnight to Willie. The smile in his photo just warms my heart and I embrace the love I feel for this guy! Thank you so much Brooke! Your handwritten letter/message was so sweet! I'm envious that you get to work so closely with Willie. It would be a true honor if I got the chance to meet him one day. Thank you again to everyone at PPI for your dedication to keeping these babies safe and healthy! I'll be making another donation soon so they can have a party!!!! So incredibly excited to have found this Sanctuary! As a lover of chimpanzees from the time I was very young, my love has only grown over time. I received my custom painting from Willie this week and was so filled with happiness. I immediately ordered a Valentine's heart to add with it. Willie, who I knew as Virgil growing up, was the chimp that I first fell in love with. Such a sweet face and great personality! What's not to love?! I was happy to search online to find that he is alive and doing well in the hands of his caretakers at PPI. What a great organization you have! I'm not sure if you have tours or volunteer opportunities in regards to the chimpanzees, but it would be a DREAM to be able to take time off of work to come down to your Sanctuary and pitch in to contribute to your organization. I hope to hear from you soon about possible opportunities! Thank you for everything you do for all of the animals you care for!

What an amazing clean and enriching place! This is a great place to donate old kid toys or shoes…read more The staff uses fun things for enrichment purposes. It's also a great place for the family to volunteer their time to cut veggies and stuff. It is an impressive organization.

Could not be happier with my experience with the Heart of Texas! I was able to go and meet my…read morefuture furever friend, spend a lot of time to ensure it was a good fit, and then they even followed up to make sure everything was going okay. Zeus (Noah) and I were a match made in puppy heaven! If you're looking for your own furever friend, reach out to Heart of TX and get going!!

I have nothing but wonderful things to say about this place! We adopted a sweet little girl from…read morehere who has made a wonderful new addition to our family. The adoption process was stress free and had no complications or hassles of any sort. The staff is so friendly and they are willing to take the time out of their busy schedules to best accommodate you and your needs. Out of all the shelters and adoption agencies we've visited, this one was hands down the best!

continually humbled by volunteers who work so hard to make lives of rescue dogs and cats that much…read morebetter. the folks at CCPAL are amazing, and found us a Rat Terrier who we call Raffi. we ultimately might not be her fur-ever humans as she's still very reactive to my toddler, which is of course nobody's fault--some dogs are wired that way... not all toddlers are suitable for certain dogs, and vice versa. but hoo boy, what a change in 3 weeks: she went from being an acutely scared pupper to loving, listening, engaged four-legged. she's changed me in ways I never thought possible. please support CCPAL in any way you can: volunteer, donation, anything. they do such great work, and I'm forever in their debt.

This great rescue matched me up with the best doggie I could ask for. Sandra, a volunteer there,…read morewas extremely helpful throughout the whole process. All my questions were answered, and it was my first time adopting a dog so they had so many helpful tips and suggestions. The transport expectedly took a while considering the worlds craziness with corona virus, but the wait was more than worth it when I saw my Sasha come out of that truck. These people are great and truly care about their animals. I can't express how happy and grateful I am to have been given the opportunity to save this doggies life and give her the home she deserves!

We decided that our new pup "Kika" needed a friend after about 4 months, so we found Rudy at the…read moreBulverde Shelter. He quickly won my wife over with his brown eyes and he went home with us. We renamed him Bradley and it fits him well. He had been at the shelter for some time but he had no bad habits (other than pulling when you walk him) and now him and Kika are the best of buds!

BAHS is a wonderful shelter for local cats & dogs! The volunteer staff is amazing!…read more We took a volunteer class so we could come on Saturday mornings to earn National Honor Society service hours. It's a great way to give back to the community and give these fur babies some love and attention! The volunteer class was very organized and informative. We got a shirt at the end and we got to volunteer for about 90 minutes afterward too, and now we're all set! We adopted an 18 month old cat here a few years ago and have been hooked ever since. We'll definitely get our next cat & dog from here too. Adoption fees are nominal considering the care and attention each animal receives. The cattery is our favorite spot, but we pick a couple of Level 1 dogs to give our attention too as well. Adopt, don't shop!

We adopted our new family member, Spencer and couldn't be happier. He has the awesome temperament…read moreof his Doberman breed and the staff is very helpful. I would definitely recommend adopting from UC Animal Shelter!

I visited this place twice and on the second time, I got my Cosmo. It is clean the employees/…read morevolunteers were so knowledgeable and helpful. extremely clean and smells great. The cost of my dog with shots, fixed,etc was under $50 out the door. I love it and plan to donate to their facility in the near future.

If you have extra blankets or towels that are in good condition, but you don't need them anymore,…read morebring them here. They can always use them for the fur babies. I brought in a couple of boxes of blankets, sheets & towels for them to use for the babies, plus a dog carrier I'm no longer in need of in my life. As I continue to unpack, I'll bring more. I also brought a bag of food & dog treats. The hardest thing for me is to not adopt all the puppers. Adopt don't go to breeders. Even my pure bred Frenchie is from a rescue. If you get a pet, love it until the end - yours or theirs!

This is for SAPA specifically, not the other organizations affiliated. I adopted a cat from SAPA…read morewith a clean bill of health, took her to the vet to check and she had severe kidney damage along with a severe uri. She passed shortly after. I only had her for a month, and she was sick the entire time. I had no idea since her record was clean and of course there was no sympathy or reimbursement when I called multiple times and sent multiple emails.

I reached out to this shelter with inquires about a kitten. I received Great communication,…read moreavailability, and response time. Bravo

Nice people. A bit more expensive than I am use to. However…read morewe moved from the country to town. lol it seems with connivence comes extra money.

Great experience adopting Charlie from the Hill Country SPCA, he was up to date on shots, neutered…read moreand microchipped.

From the owner: The Hill Country SPCA is the only non-profit, no-kill animal shelter providing services to the…read moreTexas Hill Country. Our funding comes strictly from donations, grants, and fundraising events. We are not supported by tax dollars. Our Mission Because every single animal has value, the Hill Country SPCA is dedicated to: *Preventing cruelty and neglect of domesticated animals in the Texas Hill Country *Reducing the number of homeless and unwanted companion animals *Eliminating euthanasia of unwanted animals *Fostering responsible pet ownership *Providing shelter and placement services for homeless and unwanted animals We also provide Spay/Neuter Vouchers for Gillespie County Residents to get their Cats/Dogs sterilized at no cost to them. We also offer low-cost Microchipping. We focus on finding loving forever homes for our shelter animals.