Friends for Life Animal Rescue gave three kittens from the Wendy's storm drain a chance at the life they deserve, and I'll always be grateful for that. Knowing they were welcomed into a safe, loving environment brought so much peace of mind after everything they'd been through. You can tell this rescue genuinely cares about every animal that comes through their doors. Their compassion, dedication, and willingness to help when it matters most mean more than words can express. Thank you for giving these sweet babies the fresh start they deserved. You're truly making a difference, one life at a time. read more

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Just an amazing place all around. Very clean & staff is beyond sweet. When I decided to adopt again after I lost my fur child after 13 wonderful years, I found my next sweet girl here. Thx FFL, I am fur-ever grateful xx I adopted (Day) a tan Chihuahua mix in May 2026, She has been re-named Cannoli and is thriving !! read more

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My girlfriend and I recently went to Friends For Life and adopted Sugar (Chow Mix). She is so sweet just like her name! We were very impressed with the whole process. It was thorough but smooth. The adoption counselor was super awesome and nice as well. We went home with a crate and a bag full of toys,blankets,harness, dog food, etc which was very generous of them. I would definitely recommend this place! read more

Friends For Life Animal Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

We stopped by to donate new, unopened dog food and took the opportunity to check out the dogs available for adoption. The facility was very clean, and the staff and volunteers were exceptionally friendly. The animals are clearly well cared for, and the team takes the time to ensure each pet is matched with the right adopter--unlike some places that allow anyone to adopt without careful consideration. read more

Friends For Life Animal Rescue - Entrance - Animal Shelters Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

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Sarah Kay and I are starting our 4th year together...she is one of the most incredible dogs I have ever had! We both seem to be able to train each other, and blown away of the communication we have together. But sometimes, she's just messing with me. Would like to get her "service dog certificate", she has helped a 74 year old lady with tasks I hadn't even thought of...love you Sarah Kay! read more

I can't imagine a better dog/cat rescue shelter than Friends for Life. Clean, warm, welcoming, friendly, professional, and very informative and transparent. This is the kind of heart and minds all small businesses amd profits should have! I know I will be back here to adopt again and possibly foster or volunteer. I pray this business keeps doing what it's doing: protecting and loving their community of furry friends. Thank you for taking care of Winnie guys, she LOVES her new home. GREAT job! read more

Hand down the best animal rescue. Everyone is so kind and you can tell they all love the animals! I found a cat as a stray, very friendly and they helped make this experience a good one by surrendering the cat in their care. Thank you friends for life! read more

When I had to put my beloved pitbull down, I never thought I'd find a dog I'd love as much. My husband and I went to Best Friends after I saw a poodle mix on the website. This dog was with a foster family, so we couldn't immediately see her. Randy, our contact person, told us while we were thinking about this particular dog, maybe we'd like to see what dogs were in the kennels in back. We saw a Chihuahua mix, who was very quiet. We held her and immediately fell in love. We went into a small room to see how she'd do with us, and she was going back and forth between us, getting petted, licking our hands, and being held. Meanwhile, Ashley went over the paperwork with us. We were told about the 3-3-3 rule, which I already knew about. Well, the dog we renamed Sweetpea wasn't having any of that! In the first 24 hours, she was perfectly happy exploring our home, had no trouble going out the doggie door, cuddled on the couch with us and was happy as could be, as if she had been with us for years. I don't know who was happier, her or us. If I have to go out during the day, she gets the zoomies when I get back, whether I've been gone 20 minutes or a couple of hours. We couldn't be happier with Sweetpea, and she's just as happy with us. Thank you, Friends for Life, for allowing us to adopt her. Once she joins Chloe over the Rainbow Bridge, we'll be back to adopt another dog. Also, the facility is very clean, the animals are well taken care of, and the volunteers are very friendly and helpful. read more

Friends For Life Animal Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

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I can't say enough wonderful things about this place. We recently had to put down our 14 year old dog and, although heartbroken, found ourselves searching for our new companion. We wondered into FFL after visiting a few of the other county shelters in the area and the cleanliness, health, and love for these animals is night and day from some of the other shelters. The staff really cared that their animals went home with the right people. They let us hang out with her in a private room for almost an hour, gave us a full record of her health and some of the challenges she will face in the future, and verified that we would be able to take care of her. If I'm being honest, we walked in looking for a specific breed of dog which was a mistake because we went home with something very different. The dog chooses the owner here and it's such a magical experience. She has been the light of our lives and we are so in love with Freya (formally Shasta). They have community events every so often and we are thrilled to attend and take her back to the shelter staff to see her again. Thank you, FFL, for giving us our best friend! read more

Friends For Life Animal Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

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Friends for Life is a great organization. The facility is clean and efficient, the staff is super with the animals. They really care about finding good forever homes for the dogs & cats. Our experience was fine, we adopted Stevie (now "Gus") and he is fitting right in. Thank you Friends for Life. Dave & Sue Camp read more

Wow wow, I can't say enough wonderful things about this place and our experience!!! Our adoption experience with Friends For Life Rescue was amazing in every way. Our adoption guide was so educated, kind, and really cares about the animals at the rescue. They take pride in what they do and really made sure we felt welcome, educated, and were the absolute right fit for our new pup before going home! :) we were able to view all available animals and get detailed info about any animal we were wanting to get to know more. We were able to do an immediate "meet and greet" with our sweet girl (that is now our furever pup) out in the yard, we were given as much time as we needed to bond with her before making our decision. As well, we told our guide that we have cats at home and they immediately took our pup to analyze how she reacts to cats, success!! The actual adoption process was quick, efficient, but also very thorough and educating. We were given everything we needed to get started with our new pup in our home! I am so thankful for our experience! Couldn't be more proud to have rescued our sweet girl, Honey, from FFL! We will definitely be referring to them, as well as adopting from there in the future! :) read more

Friends For Life Animal Rescue - Going to her furever home! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

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We can't say enough about the wonderful people and organization Friends For Life Rescue in Gilbert. They are such kind and caring folks, giving strays a chance for forever love. They are very thorough in vetting new pet families. The place is spotless and bright. All the dogs are well kept in clean kennels, toys, blankets and raised cots. We met him yesterday and were asked to bring our dog Zac and kids to make sure all got along. They took their time and we felt confident in their knowledge and assessment. Thank you Laura, Toy and Susan and the entire staff! Awesome place! Highly recommend! read more

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Adopted a small dog from here. Got home and the cat turned into the star of The Cat From Hell. Literally chasing after the lil guy. We called FFL up and told them it wasnt going to work and they said bring him back, no problem. I was expecting to simply surrender him so he could be adopted back but to my surprise they refunded the amount (which the contract said they would not). Top notch outfit here. read more

I came here to donate some cans of cat food. They were very helpful. What I saw of the facility was nice. They had a micro chipping event before I arrived. That was nice to do! Good work! read more

Friends For Life Animal Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

The staff is so caring and friendly and the treat the animals well and with utmost respect

Okay, to start off, when going to animal rescue, I needed to change my mindset and expectations from "pet store" to "adoption opportunity." And the other thing I had to have prepared if I really wanted a dog was the $350 adoption fee. If you go into an animal rescue with a specific dog in mind, you're gonna go home empty handed and disappointed, BUT, if you can go in with an open mind and the mindset of "let's see if there's a resident I can really connect with," you're gonna find a companion that needs you and that you'll learn later on that you need as well. The staff are lovely, they've all chosen jobs and careers in this field, they care for these animals, and they are protective of them. Thank god you can't just walk in and say "that one" and go home with an unfamiliar animal. I'm unsure of other animals that are there, but for the dogs, there's all shapes and sizes, and all different types of needed levels of care. Each dog has been observed closely and tested in different environments in order to discover what they do well with and what they struggle with. Every dog has paperwork describing any specific trauma that they know about, as well as listed behaviors, for example, let's say there's a beautiful husky that looks perfect in every way, you read the paperwork on her and it says "Does not do well with other dogs, needs a home that does not have small children, erratic or violent around vacuums and microwaves." I made up the very last thing about microwaves but you get the idea, this place is trying to create a PERFECT match for the dog, rather than trying to make space for the next animal that comes around. You have to be patient, it will require multiple visits, which it should. I personally did not end up adopting from here, as I was visiting a breeder and they offered me an injured, slightly more matured pup that had been returned from a ranch post injury, he was free to me as long as I was able to care for him and help him rest until his leg healed up. But this place is great, it does tug at the heart a bit to see these creatures that truly want nothing more than a friend for life as they wait and hope, but what a good place. Nice staff, lovely environment. read more

Not only have I volunteered here (and hope to again once COVID-19 is over) I have also adopted a cat - which sadly didn't realize I developed allergies to. I had cats before and didn't have any problems. But when I had to bring him back the same day, they were so kind and compassionate. They offered to return my money, but I asked that it go to whomever adopts him. After close to a year I was ready for a dog. The way they take care of their animals and the entire process is about the ANIMALS- I have read some of the reviews and what people don't realize is what it takes to run a well established facility like friends for life. They always put the animal first and in my opinion that's how it should be. I ended up adopting Sophie and could not be happier. Sophie is an amazing dog and I THANK friends for life for actually going down to Yuma to get her. They take they time to ensure the animals are a best fit for their forever home- not oh let me see how this works out. If you don't know the behind the scenes of running an animal shelter, especially one like this-I don't think you have any business writing a bad review. read more

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Friends for Life is an exceptional dog and cat rescue that prioritizes the well-being of their animals and most of the people within the organization are volunteering their time. Each animal is evaluated physically and behaviorally by trained staff in order to ensure that it's a good match with their potential new home. The dogs are spayed/neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, licensed, and sent home with a harness and leash. You can definitely tell that the volunteers care about the animals and potential forever homes! read more

The staff and the level of customer service is exceptional at FFL. From our initial application, emails and phone calls - every response was prompt and professional. We received a very warm welcome when we arrived for our meet & greet and even though it was very busy they made us feel like we were a priority. The entire staff is so kind and truly invested in making the best connection between these beloved animals and the families. We also had the opportunity to meet Gail, the foster mom, and she too is absolutely delightful and we are so grateful for the love, care, and sweet gifts she provided for Oliver. The FFL organization is a class act and we are extremely pleased with our experience and so thankful for helping us find our furever furiend for life! L.Costelli read more

Previously posted how great this place is clean. No animal smells. Staff is great but can't go wrong. Getting a pet from here. read more

Friends For Life Animal Rescue - Adopted this wonderful cat from the facility - Animal Shelters Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

Professional staff. Clean as a whistle facilities really care about their animals and they want them to go to good homes. I adopted my forever cat just today. read more

Friends For Life Rescue I would highly recommend this dog and cat rescue. They are very pro adoption, adopt out many animals each week. Give you plenty of time to spend with possible new family member. Lots of volunteers. Very clean kennels and facility. Staff is wonderful. read more

I adopted Sparky (who I now call Sylvester) two weeks ago. I had been looking into getting a friend for my 2 year old bengal for a few months and hadn't had the best experience with other adoption shelters. When I walked into Friends for Life they greeted me immediately and began setting me up with an application. From the start, it had been a better experience than the other shelters I'd visited. They quickly got me signed in and promptly took me back to check out the cats they had at the time. I could tell from the moment I walked into the cat area that the animals were well loved and cared for. I even had the opportunity to meet the wonderful lady who fostered Sylvester before he was ready for adoption. The entire staff was very kind and attentive, and they helped me find exactly what I was looking for. They provided me with the microchip information, toys, food, vet papers, and an adoption certificate at the time of adoption. They also shared stories of circumstances when other pets had been lost, then found in other states, and returned to the owner with their support. Because of the detailed paperwork, friendliness and support of the staff at Friends for Life, I felt very comfortable with bringing this kitten home and around my other cat. Two weeks later, my boys, Sylvester and Simon are attached at the hip and the best of friends! If in the future I decide to get a third, Friends for Life will be my first choice in adoption centers. read more

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Our first time adopting a rescue dog. We went to Friends for Live to see the dogs up for adoption and were thoroughly impressed with the staff and cleanliness of the facility. They were as determined to make sure we were a good fit for the dog as she was for us; even so far as requiring us to bring in our grandchildren to see how they interacted with the dog. We couldn't be happier with our decision to adopt Tuk (a 2 yr old Lhasa Apso mix) and are certain that she has found her forever home. We highly recommend Friends for Life Animal Rescue! Thank you.... Chuck & Debbie N. read more

My sister was searching for a young adult dog for awhile. She heard about Friends for Life and decided to check them out. She's so happy she did! She went the the shelter and almost immediately found the perfect one! Everyone at the facility was professional and extremely nice! They insured that she understood the contract. They even sent a large bag of treats. toys and food. I have no doubt that if the time comes again, she will be using them again. Thanks again to the staff for making this an enjoyable experience! read more

Such a cute place but wish they didn't follow you around making you feel pressured to pick the dog they want you to take

Amazing staff, well cared for animals, I had an amazing experience adopting my cat here. I highly recommend this rescue if you're considering adoption! read more

We stopped by yesterday, just to look and right away we were greeted. They let us know we had to fill out a form that would stay on file for a while so that way if we ended up not adopting today we could go back another day. Everyone was nice to me and my son while my boyfriend filled out the form and once the form was filled out we had a staff member come and take us around to show us their dogs, we ended up getting a meet and greet with one of their dogs and the staff member was friendly and talked with us and wanted to be sure the dog was okay with my son. We never felt pressured and once we said yes to the dog, everyone in the office helped us get ready to bring him home. They gave us a handful of items for our new dog. I would definitely recommend this rescue for anyone looking to rescue a new animal friend. read more

Amazing staff who really care about the animals! Super informative, you'll get many details about the pet you are going to adopt. Highly recommend! read more

Outstanding facility, the staff were all very friendly, the facilities are extremely nice and clean. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a furry friend. Good Job,!!! Thank You! read more

Great experience clean place and friendly staff this is my second time adopting from friends for life our fur babies where always taken care of and loved read more

Friends For Life Animal Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

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Awesome place to adopt a rescue. You are allowed to spend time with the animal. People are friendly and accomadating. They really work to make sure you and your animal are a good match. read more

Friends for Life is an amazing animal sanctuary. It is one of the few shelters in the valley that does absolutely ZERO euthanasia for space/money. They have several animals who have been released to the shelter with medical problems (such as a broken leg) where other shelters may "put the dog down", but Friends For Life will pay for the medical bills and rehabilitate the dog after the surgery before making him/her available for adoption. The facility can accommodate approximately 20 dogs at this time, but many other dogs that they care for are also in foster homes. The dog adoptions are done on site at the shelter and cat adoptions are done at a nearby Petsmart. If you're interested in adopting a dog or cat, volunteering, or donating money or supplies to better the lives of these animals, please check out their website for more information. :) read more

Friends For Life Animal Rescue - One of the 3 dog yards on site - Animal Shelters Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

We adopted our Fitzgerald here (formerly McQueen) about 6 months ago. He is truly a blessing to us. All the volunteers are so kind and helpful. They made sure the pup was right for OUR LIFESTYLE. We filled out an extensive application about our occupations, work hours, living arrangements , etc. They really make sure that the pup is a perfect fit. Fitzgerald was neutered and had his first round of shots. They provided medical records so we can just pick up where they left off!! We will adopt again soon from them! read more

Friends For Life Animal Rescue - Our Fitzgerald (formerly MCQueen) THANK YOU! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Gilbert, Arizona

Horrible! these people are rude and it's more of a business I was ready to adopt and they told me I had to make my own appointment for another day. I went somewhere else read more

We adopted both Beemer (2008) and Allie (2012) (Zayda at FFL). All of the volunteers at FFL are hardworking and dedicated to saving dogs and cats. read more

This place is amazing got both of our dogs there and is an amazing organization. Defiantly recommend this place!

This rescue KILLED a cat I helped rescue! He came from a horrific situation and only knew a little bit of pleasure while at Friends for life because he made friends with other cats. He was no longer confined to a dark room on top of a cupboard. I was under the impression that they were working with him because he was so traumatized. He did not know how to use a litter box. He had accidents outside his litter tray and for that reason they decided to euthanize him! read more

This place is really nice that is why I had to at least give it 1 star. But I would totally give this place a 0 stars for how they get the dogs and where they keep them. We were interested in getting another dog for my kids to grow up with, so my wife and i decided to go to the pound because they were having a "empty the pound" free adoptions. We found this one dog and fell in love but unfortunately it was unable to be adopted for a couple more hours due to the time they found this dog on the street. As we were walking out we saw another little dog that was very playful and was actually playing with a little girl and those 2 were having fun. we asked if they were going to get that one and the mom said sadly that it had already been claimed. so that mom had to break that little girls heart and tell her no because this "animal rescue" had already claimed it. We decided to reach out to the animal rescue and see if we could meet with that dog and see if it would fit into our house, because of how playful it was with that little girl. We went to the rescue and we walked into the back and that little dog was there just yet. According to the rescue they needed "behavior check" and full health screening. That's wonderful they do this but we would have to wait a couple more days. then they showed us the first dog we saw at the pound, and they were also bringing this dog in. this is where my problems began thinking of this: 1) that little girl at the pound would have had a forever home for that dog right from the pound, but instead the 'rescue' claimed it just to possibly put it in another cage waiting for someone to pay for adoption fees that this place would have charged. I like rescues but this should have been that little girls dog. 2) Volunteers get "first pick", that's also wonderful but same thing, both of the dog that we were interesting in from the pound, we waited until they were available at this rescue only to find that the volunteers took both dogs home. if the wife and I would have waited for that dog to go up for adoption at the pound would we have gotten it or does this rescue get first pick at the pound also? read more

Very unfair lottery system put into place. We were first in line for 5 kittens but because of the lottery we were not chosen. That was okay until I learned that 3 families were allowed to adopt 2 leaving nothing for the rest of us who followed the rules and got there on time. read more