We were devastated when we put our dog Scotch to sleep after thirteen years with us. After a couple of weeks, we were feeling very sad. I told my husband, I needed a dog and we decided to go look at the rescues. We went to Nate's Honor Animal Rescue on Lorraine Road. We were both impressed with the cleanness of the place and the staff. After showing us all their dogs and downsizing to just 3 pups we were taken to a room to meet them 1 on 1. The volunteer helping us never rushed us. She was very patient. She even brought them all back for a second look because I couldn't decide on one of them. In the end, we took our baby girl Brandy home. We are so happy with her. Thank you for giving us a baby to take care of. read more

My first experience was great. I went back to adopt a kitten for my kitty to play with and one so faced lady who was extremely rude told me the cat that I was interested in was not available. I asked why it was posted on the website and she said "how should I know?" Well, guess what - when you list a pet on the website, that pet should be available. If that animal is not available don't post it or put any conditions down to describe why or what problems it might have. It's unfortunate that one person can be so incredibly rude and ruin the experience. I drove an hour and 10 minutes round-trip and I will never go back there. read more

Was greeted by an old cold witch of a woman - zero personality, zero warmth, and made my wife and I feel uncomfortable from the moment we walked in. Asked to see cats and she was as cold as ice, made us wait, told us we couldn't touch any of them, that we needed to be approved first. It's unfortunate for Nate's because it's a beautiful place, but I'm never going back there! Thankfully - there are other cat rescues around with much nicer people who make you feel welcomed and appreciated and let you get to pet the cats and see if they're a match. Maybe think about replacing these nasty crusty old witches with nice and sincere people!! read more

A loving, clean and safe environment where where we patiently waited to find our perfect kitty and she found her forever home‼

ZERO STARS. Don't come to this place if you expect to actually adopt a pet.... Remember this if you have small children you bring thinking they'll be able to leave with a snuggly pet. As we entered, a rather large woman stuffing her face with a sandwich barked at us to get in line and wait our turn. So gruff and unwelcoming! Think Monsters Inc. Roz, Seriously. Next, I was accused of having a pet already and was asked for their medical records. It was obvious they profiled people as they came in. We finally got in to see the kitten we were interested in adopting. Abruptly, a very confrontational man came in and said he needed approval from my landlord in order for the adoption. WHAT?? They actually went to the property appraisers site from the address of my adoption application and searched me. My home is in an LLC, so they assumed I was not the owner. That was the last straw for me. I told the man we were leaving. I couldn't believe the audacity of that last assumption/ comment. Just absolutely disgusting behavior by those who are supposed to help find forever homes. I've supported Nate's monetarily in the past through donations and fundraisers, but never, ever again! Horrible! Read all the below reviews and you'll see this happens quite a bit. Do better Nate's! ***update, we found the perfect sweet kitten at the Humane Society of Sarasota, where we were welcomed by kind volunteers and felt appreciated. We took our time and visited with a few kittens, but finally found our forever Poppy. *** read more

See all

Just an amazing overall experience. Not only do they have a great facility but the staff is fantastic. We were able to spend time with our puppy and even introduce him to our dog in a controlled environment. Would highly recommend to anyone looking to adopt and dog or cat. Chelsea in particular was incredible read more

this is the finest facility i hav ever experienced in the dog and cat adoption business.

Golden rule of a rescue is taking the dogs back. They don't take their dogs back. This dog "Lilly" was adopted from Nate's as a puppy and brought to Hillsborough county shelter two years later. They refused to take her back and she was euthanized. This is not the first time a dog is at a shelter or getting rehome on the emergency rehoming pages because they refuse to help out the animals. They get new puppies every week but they aren't helping out their former dogs. They have a great facility and a lot of money to back them up, they just don't care. read more

Honor Animal Rescue - Failed dog - Animal Shelters Near Me - Bradenton, Florida

Outstanding business and no place could be more devoted to rescue animals than this Honor. You will adopt a wonderful animal that they have worked extensively and it will probably be house trained and crate trained and a cherished edition to your family. I have 3 dogs from here and I love them more than anything. They are cautious about fitting the right animal with the right family and some people may take that the wrong way but it's better off for everyone in the long run. Please adopt don't shop....... read more

Please rescue pets! They love their animals and they're always looking for foster to help the stressed out animals in shelter to decompress.

If I could give zero starts I would, no true rescue abandons their dogs. The have the money, they have the space, they have all the resources yet there have been countless dogs in our community that they adopt out and FAIL. Who pays the price? The dogs. Left to be euthanized all alone in a cold shelter. read more

Honor Animal Rescue - Lilly died because Nate's wouldn't take her back. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Bradenton, Florida

Absolutely love this place. I purchased a dog today named Paul, a very sweet Labrador mix. The front desk lady was very kind and helpful. Everyone who worked here was very friendly. They have a fair price for an adoption fee and even offer some small extras. My adoption came with a small goodie bag and some dog food along with a coupon book and all their medical records. I would highly recommend this place. Thank you. read more

Pros: I have the Best. Dog. Ever. Seriously. Cons: When I fostered to adopt her, she had tested negative for heartworm one month prior. A couple days after she came home with me, something compelled me to have her tested again at my regular vet, which came back positive. Although Nate's would have treated her for free prior to finalizing the adoption, I didn't have a lot of confidence in their vet care since 1) she had gone to UF for two separate attempts at rectifying her entropion which is still not "fixed" and will likely have to be repeated again in the future, 2) she was cleared at Nate's on her fecal examination but tested positive for hookworms at my vet two days after I brought her home, and 3) Nate's fostered/adopted out a heartworm positive dog. They were kind enough to refund my adoption fee, but I requested that they extend the courtesy of paying just a fraction of the expense that we will incur in treating her heartworm since I'm not confident in their medical care, but was denied. Mostly what I want to warn potential adopters of: despite what your pup's heartworm status is whilst under Nate's care, PLEASE REPEAT THE HEARTWORM TEST WITH YOUR REGULAR VET ASAP. Had I relied on Nate's negative test, my pup would have not been tested again for another year....giving her disease that much more time to progress. I just want what is in my pup's best interest, but feel that it would have been appropriate for Nate's to cover just some of the impending charges. read more

About 4 years ago we were looking to adopt a puppy. My husband stopped in about closing and fell in love with a puppy. They said come back the next day. Took paper work home to fill out. We were there about 10 minutes after they opened the next day. Got to hold the puppy about 20 minutes until they finally got to us. We were told that the puppy was just adopted by someone else. Who and where this person was I have no idea. I am still holding the puppy. Then we were told we were too old to get a puppy and maybe an older dog would be a good fit. They basically asked what would happen when we died. At that time we were 65 and retired so we could spend lots of time with a puppy, and we told them we have relatives that would be happy to take the dog if we died. We handed the puppy back, took our paperwork and left. read more

TAKE YOUR BUSINESS ELSEWHERE!!! These people are SO unwelcoming and rude. There was a big line when i walking in. The front desk lady was on her phone eatting not greeting anyone. Screamed at me infront of everyone as i was walking around looking at cats. i had to answer a 100 question questioner to even LOOK! She was so rude and laughed in my face when i told her i was looking to adopt a kitten. She told me to look at the olders ones since they'd be a "better fit" for me. REALLY?!! read more

Was told that I could not adopt because my cat wasn't registered at our vet. Amazing that I got her at Nates cat shelter. And she went to the vet just last week. Also, was told that I had to have someone walk a dog every two hours. What was I to do quit my job? Also have an eight foot fence with 6 feet of concrete below. Snooty people I'll take my business elsewhere! read more

Very clean place, animals look like they are well taken care of. Volunteers are nice, especially the lady who was at the front desk when we arrived. They are doing a great thing. We didn't find a dog that would fit our family yet but we will be back to look for sure! read more

Very disappointed in Honor Animal Rescue. I've previously adopted a senior dog and a kitten from them. Went to adopt a kitten and was told no; they are only for families who want a Christmas delivery. It's crazy to me they would turn away someone wanting to adopt. Told me to come back after Christmas and "maybe one will be left." I constantly support this place throughout the year when they need help with food, puppy pads etc through their Amazon site. Peter was so stuck on the Christmas delivery that he lost a potential home. I told him that was very unfortunate and disappointing and his response was "Well, go to cat depot." That's where I'll have to donate throughout the year as well. Shameful. read more

Would never recommend. Denied adoption because I work full time. Watched worker walk right past people coming in and not even say hello. One woman running around eating and talking about denying people's applications. Very unprofessional read more

2 years ago I adopted a very scared 3 year old girl kitty named Karen. I have since named her Theira the goddess of fire. LOL. Over the last 2 years she has become a loving and very sprite cat. When she runs its adorable because shes a runt lol. She also likes to talk. My boy cat and her sleep together side by side and constantly love on each other. Thanks for the opportunity to bring this girl home and share her life with mine. read more

I only wish I could rate them a zero. Early December, I sent an email to surrender my two 7 year old Shelties, brother and sister. I was unable to keep them after I moved. After two weeks of waiting for a response, I went in and left my name and number with one of the handlers. This was right after Christmas. To date, I have not heard from anyone from there to respond to my request. However, I was informed that they were too old to have them adopted out from there, and I might want to try the county shelters. I would definitely not recommend anyone go here, as the staff was disorganized and bordered on rude. I would recommend pet-finder, as the pets are usually sheltered by volunteers and that is where I was able to place my two pets. read more

Honor Animal Rescue is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal rescue organization. Staffed 99 % by caring volunteers, that provide rescued dogs and cats with a safe NO-KILL sheltered environment while they wait to be adopted into their very own forever homes. Yesterday my family adopted a Bull Terrier from Honor Animal Shelter. We drove all the way from Sanford which is approx 2.5 hours away to get him. Our entire family hopped in the car including our other dog to do a meet & greet just to be sure that we were the right fit for him. We were pleasantly surprised when we arrived at this shelter. It is FABULOUS! Very clean and the staff were all amazing! You could tell that they really care about the animals that come into their shelter. The adoption fee is a little higher than it is at our local ASPCA but it was well worth it, especially once we saw the facility. It was worth the trip and we came home with out new boy! BTW, he is a pure breed Bull Terrier! This shelter also has lots of other pure breeds and mixed breeds that are beautiful. I am not a fan of buying from breeders or puppy mills and I knew that If we looked hard enough that we could find a rescue that was the right fit for us and visa versa. If you are considering adopting a cat or a dog then I HIGHLY recommend making the trip out to Honor Animal Rescue in the Lakewood Ranch area of Bradenton, FL. Also, They recently moved to the address that I gave here so be sure to use that one or else it will take you to their old location which is about 9 miles away. My only wish was that they weren't so far away because I would gladly volunteer there. It was refreshing to visit and adopt from a shelter like this. If you cannot adopt now then you can always go to their website or drop by and donate funds. People that live nearby can also consider fostering pets. . read more

See all

Great process and what a great cause. Plenty room for the dogs. We got our little boy today. Staff is very kind. Definitely recommend. read more

Honor Animal Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me - Bradenton, Florida

Adopted my beautiful German Shepard mix a couple of years ago and couldn't be more happy with the overall experience at Nate's!!!

I love that I got my dog but oh my gosh. I got a call from my vet after my dogs been super sick, I thought she ate something bad. It turns out the rescue lied about my dog getting her shots. She's been playing in parks and with other dogs without shots!!!! I'm lucky she didn't die and I was informed the person who "gave her her shots" isn't even a licensed veterinarian. She never got any of the shots they said she did and I'm beyond mad. read more

If I could give zero stars, I would. Nate's is a beautiful facility and has the potential to be an amazing shelter. I submitted an application for a specific dog and was told that I was approved. Then I received an EMAIL at 9pm telling me that I was not approved because they didn't think the dog I applied for would be a good fit because I do not have another dog. No where on the application or his profile does it state that he was required to go to a household with another dog. Still very interested in adopting him, I attempted for three days to get a hold of someone by phone, email, and Facebook with no response. My emails described my experience with animals and my willingness to work with the dog to get him to trust and become accustomed to his surroundings. I asked if I could please meet him and try and change their mind. When I finally got a hold of an adoption specialist/"behaviorist", I was refused the opportunity to even meet him and they told me that I was never approved for him, but simply approved to adopt from them. How would I know that given that the application I submitted was for HIM. I am so disappointed with the way I was treated and how unprofessional the staff was. For a nonprofit that survives solely on donations, they sure do know how to treat the public. I will have nothing to do with their shelter and I will spread the word of how unwilling they are to give people the chance to interact with the dog they want and make up reasons for them to not get adopted. I hope that the dog I wanted ends up in a good home. According to other reviews, apparently I am not the only one to have similar issues. I just feel bad for the dogs and cats that miss out on a great home because of their ignorance and unprofessionalism. read more

I, and later my parents, adopted amazing dogs from this place. They take animals from other shelters that would otherwise be euthanized. They will deny applications of people who are not fit to parent the animal they want to adopt but it is with the best interest of the animal in mind. Whereas I witnessed mistreatment of animals at the Lakewood Ranch Humane Society, there is noting but love and support for the animals here. My parents adopted a dog with heart worms and Honor Animal rescue paid for all of the treatments. read more

I called earlier in the week for a dog, was told the dog was pending adoption but that I should come in and put my application in anyway. I then drove to the rescue yesterday and walked around and saw all of the puppies they have to offer. When I came back into the lobby I over heard that the puppy that we wanted was coming back up for adoption. When I inquired about the dog I was told that the need to come in but that they wouldn't wait for a day that we could bring them, and that there were hundreds of applications for the same dog. The lady that said this also barely glanced at my application because she saw that the name of the place that I work at is Carlton Manor (written on the line that says place of employment,) assumed that it was an apartment complex. She was ready to deny me at that time. When I returned home and checked the website to see if it said anything about it being an absolute that the children have to come in, there was nothing on the site. It does expressly state that if you have other dogs to bring them. But nothing about children. My fiancé and I drove back today to hopefully compromise. I printed and filled out a new application because they kept mine and crossed the name of the dog off of it. Since we don't have the children I left the children spot blank this time. I was then was accused of bringing in a completely different application. None of the information none of the other information changed. The lady very angrily told us that they were going to refuse to let us adopt ANY dog because we are unable to bring his kids (They were with their mom, and she would not cooperate.) I understand that there's a need to see how the kids are around the dog, but I thought that's what the pending adoption process is for. They used the excuse that they have to see if the kids are allergic (Uhh, how are you going to test them?), and that sometimes dogs get returned because they don't stay little (we had picked this dog because we were looking for a large breed.) We weren't even offered the chance to put money down or pay for the dog and bring the kids in while they were checking references. We asked to see written regulations for adopting from this rescue and were told there were none. In fact she told us that "We are not a municipality. We make the rules. We approve or deny anyone we choose." During this conversation the lady we were talking to got extremely heated and argumentative. We explained that the children don't live only live with us part-time, and that they are closed the days we have them every week. I was filling out the application as completely as possible, not knowing that his kids would be held against us. It's really unfortunate to be treated like this and have a parenting plan held against you. And to be talked down to so rudely. We know they don't have to adopt to just anyone, but we weren't even given a chance. By the way, this place is NOT a nonprofit. read more

My mother recently adopted a Heartworm positive dog through this place that she should have never been matched with, it should have never been adopted out. I am a CPDT-KA, a Behavior Consultant, and a supporting member of IAABC. Mom contacted me in a panic the dog was dog aggressive, I had an evaluation set up with a qualified Behaviorist near her to help. When she adopted this dog she made it very clear she lived in a dog friendly neighborhood, had granddogs, and children that she had over frequently. They completely misled her on this dog and put not only my Mom and Stepdad at risk, but since the adoption she has attacked 2 dogs. She has done everything to make it work, including hours and hours of training, behavioral consultation, and meds. She took 3 weeks off work to make sure this dog settled in with her and found a great loss stress vet to work with her amd was willing to do the HW treatment out of pocket to keep her from having exposure to dogs. She contacted them to have them take the dog back after the last attack and was told that they would put her on a list. This dog should not have been adopted out period and two inexperienced dog owners should not be made to wait in order to feel guilty (popular with shelters as they want people to keep the dogs). They need to take responsibility and take the dog before the dog seriously injures another dog or my parents. read more

Very disappointed with the lack of professionalism and compassion, the shelter is very poorly organized and thus leaves room for what they chalk up as "mistakes" I was at first impressed with the size and cleanliness of the shelter and went to look at puppies. While a very young, small female was what I had in mind, I ended up meeting and falling completely in love with a larger boy that I knew instantly was supposed to be my companion. I talked with him and told him I'd see him soon when I returned to take him home. I filled out the necessary paperwork but my landlord didn't answer the phone on the first call from the shelter so they told me I could go home and get prepared and they would call me as soon as they got the ok from my landlord. I went out and spent a couple hundred dollars on supplies, everything a precious little puppy would need to feel welcome and at home. I was so excited and could not stop thinking about my little guy. Then the phone call came, the shelter had heard from my landlord and they were ready for me to pick him up! About a day had passed since I had seen him last so I rushed to the shelter with a smile, hardly able to contain my excitement ........until I got there and they very casually explain that there had been a "mistake" and they actually adopted MY DOG out to someone else the day before, forgot, and called me to say he was waiting for me. I was crushed, heart broken, in tears, and they were so very rude and not apologetic at all. The exuse given to me was simply that it had gotten busy and they forgot he had already been adopted, and that If I owned my own home instead of rented, then maybe I would have been able to take him. I was in shock and could hardly believe what I was hearing. Maybe if I owned my home instead of renting? Really ? Is that any way to treat people/customers? And is that a professional way to handle adoptions? I am still crushed that I didn't get to take my little man home and will be for a while. I strongly suggest moonracer rescue or the humane society over this rescue. They clearly cater only to those who are of a certain social and financial status and care far more about the $200 adoption fee than they do about any of those animals. Heartbroken. :( read more

We visited numerous times looking for our perfect pup. The staff began to know us because we were in so much. We were fortunate to come one afternoon and find our perfect little girl. She needed someone who was home most of the time and that was me! She was rambunctious while at the shelter but she quickly settled into her new home. You could tell the volunteers worked with her because she knew to go to the door when she needed to go out and she was 8 WEEKS OLD! I could not be happier with the entire adoption process and our perfect pup! Peter was amazing and very personable. I can't say enough positives about Honor! read more

Pretty unhappy with our experience there. Please be very careful about them handling existing pet "introductions" with a prospective adoptable pet. The volunteer/handler was clearly uncomfortable with handling large dogs, and the whole process is poorly designed. Nice looking place though. read more

I applied to adopt a puppy from here. Listed three we were interested in. Heard back two days later that we were not accepted to adopt any of them as 1) they were not yet neutered and 2) I live too far away to being the puppy back when they resumes their surgical procedures neuter the puppy. They were limiting adoption to Sarasota/Bradenton. I live 30 miles away. It's not far. NONE OF THIS IS LISTED ON THEIR WEBSITE. Had it been, I wouldn't have applied. But one of the puppies we were interested in was listed as being neutered. So I emailed back asking what the deal with that puppy was. About an hour after that the puppy disappears off their website. Three days later I got an email response saying the three I had inquired about were already spoken for. So which is it. Was it they were not neutered, I live too far or they were spoken for? At least get your story straight from the beginning. read more

I was a bit disappointed that there doesn't seem to be any air conditioning for the dogs at the animal rescue. It is very warm in Florida. I went to bring a new family member into my family as I have three children and dog Charlotte. They turned us down? I thought it was strange as our dog is very happy and well behaved. There was someone interested in adopting her before I mentioned she was mine just there for a meet and greet. They made us wait although we had an appointment and gave the reason for the denial as my son and Charlotte. Obviously my son is fine with his current dog and had been with my husband and I when we met the foster parent for the two puppies we wanted to adopt. She had given us the go ahead? read more

Nate's Honor Rescue has twice now that is known, taken dogs with registered microchips and not contacted the owner of record, but adopted the dogs out knowing full well the dogs belonged to others. In a recent instance, the dog was transported to FL and Nate's scaned the dog and contacted the microchip company. They were told the owners information but did nothing The microchip company contacted the owner. Nate's then contacted a second microchip company and provided false ownership information and that company registered the chip. No one here cares about getting the dog back to the rightful owner of record. So now one chip and 2 registrations for the same dog. Very dishonest practices here and I suggest they do what is right and give the dog back. Shame shame on you. read more

Disorganized..lack of experience..jump thru hoops.. when my highly respected vet in manatee county calls the rescue and tells them me and my wife are the best dog owners in his practice and youre not driving to my house 5 minutes after that to place a dog that had been there for 6 months..please...get people who can properly handle dogs.. read more

This rescue took in a dog that was microchipped. When they contacted Home Again regarding the microchip they were given the owner's information. They never contacted the owner and then turned around and adopted the dog out to someone else. I understand this has happened more than once. This practice says mountains about this rescue. Not a very respectable or honest way to run a business. I would never recommend them to anyone for anything! read more

I went in a couple of weeks ago inquiring about a Catahoula mix puppy, Lucy, that they had for adoption. In speaking to the lady at the desk and then the adoption counselor I was told that due to me living in an apartment I would not be eligible to adopt Lucy. I explained that my complex is pet friendly and is friendly to medium/medium large dogs as well. Her breed is not on the breed restriction list and her weight when fully grown would be within the weight limits as well. Low and behold for about a week now, I see Lucy, with her new owner that lives in my apartment complex. I'm confused as I think you can imagine. I'm a single African American male with a two bedroom apartment and no other pets. I have a steady well paying job and could provide everything that Lucy would have needed. I know the training and exercise the breed requires as I've previously owned a Catahoula who unfortunately passed away due to a cancerous mass on her spleen. The young lady is a white female with a total of now three large dogs which exceed the number of pets allowed and also exceed the combined weight of pets allowed in this apartment complex. When I contacted Honor about this I was told, "Lucy was never meant to be living in an apartment with the woman who currently has him. As a matter of fact, we denied her the opportunity to adopt the dog for the same reason as we did with you. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to us, she sent her mother in to adopt the dog for her. The mother provided false information on her application and said that the dog would be living at her home with her. We had no idea that she was related to the woman we had previously declined. And we certainly never anticipated the kind of deception displayed by the mother. Had we known that it was her intention to give the dog to her daughter to live in an apartment, we never would have adopted to her." The Associate Director, Karen B. Slomba, went on to say "Lucy was designated at our shelter as a dog that would not do well living in an apartment. We often have dogs that require a lot more space and room to run and therefore, we try to match them up with families who can provide that for them, based on their living situation." She then finish up by saying there isn't anything they will do, though she made it extremely clean that they do not think Lucy would do well in the home she's in. When it comes down to it, it's clear, Honor only cares about the animals until their adoption papers are signed (though they don't care by whom). read more

I volunteered there for awhile and know people who have adopted from the shelter, I had a great experience with the dogs and enjoyed the people I worked with. The shelter is nice and the animals are all well cared for. I had an issue with them as an organization because it was very disorganized and I was under appreciated. I will not return to volunteer here. I was logging volunteer hours for school, and the number of hours I worked walking dogs was disputed and I was significantly undercut. I was completely truthful in the number of hours I would volunteer, because you log them when you come in and go out, but obviously they don't even take this into consideration. My "supervisor" who awarded me my volunteer hours was never there once to see that I was doing my job. I was thinking about donating to them during the holidays, but I will now see that my donations go somewhere else. This is extremely unfortunate because the animals are getting the short end of the stick. If they want to keep their volunteers, I suggest they start changing their methods. Now, it's no wonder to me why they keep needing new volunteers and are always short. read more

Don't do it. Go elsewhere. Our puppy had mange, tape worms, infected anal glands and now infection from the spaying. We were told not to touch any of the dogs because some had parasites but were told it would be taken care of before adoption. Over $700.00 in vet bills so far in seven weeks with no end in site. What's really upsetting, while we were waiting to get our puppy back from the spaying procedure, three hours late and waiting in there office, their owner or manager was bragging about over 1800 adoptions per year at $300.00 per, comes to $540,000 per year with a 99% volunteer rate. We were given a coupon book from Petco and told not to change her food for at least eight weeks and them to mix with more Hills Science Diet from Petco. Nice payroll for a nonprofit. Just saying. Update, since writing this review, my boxer is now showing signs of mange from playing with our rescue puppy. Don't get me wrong, we love and will take excellent care of her, no matter what the cost, it's not her fault, but we'll do our research on rescues from now on. I'm sure some of them have a better reputation. BE WARNED. read more