We adopted a dog from MLAR years ago and have donated to them ever since. It is a fabulous organization that truly cares about the animals in their care. Be patient. It is so traumatic for an animal to be rescued, adapted to new surroundings, and vetted. Then after the animal is brought on board to MLAR, getting them adopted out is yet another stressor for the pet. Having an animal returned, or worse, turned out, because the new pet was not properly placed in NOT in the pet's best interest. These folks do their best to ensure the placement will be a success. Our little baby came to us after being rescued and cared for by MLAR. We are forever grateful. read more

Terrible personal experience. While I think the person in charge ( Lisa) is trying to provide an outstanding experience there policies are all over the board. I visited a dog we thought we were adopting. Arrive at 10am to ensure I was first person to meet Bella only to find out First Come First Serve was only myself. Apparently one of the people working there made an arrangement with another family. Four visits over 4 days and no one tell you someone promised dog to another family. I feel like I did the day my previous dog passed after 14 years. I want to say don't go here but the animals need you. read more

If I could give zero stars I would. Owner Bill Smith has been verbally harassing me over email because I dared to inquire about a dog that was posted without applying first. Extremely rude and unprofessional. Also got word from someone that they just resell purchased Amish farm dogs. Horrible experience. "Rescues" like these ones keep puppy mills in business! read more

Main Line Animal Rescue - Bill Smith being a total jerk - Animal Shelters Near Me - Phoenixville, Pennsylvania

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It's super unfortunate that my first yelp review is negative but something about this experience has me gutted. *** this experience is based on using their website and petfinder. *** I applied for a kitten and they said it takes 72 hours to get back to you fine. Well they are completely unclear when they ask to schedule an "appointment to talk." This misleading information makes you believe you are now being considered for the animal YOU put interest in because that's usually how it WORKS. Well after the whole scheduling appointment thing I had to email them twice because their response time is absolutely horrendous (don't bank on them getting back to you until a complete 24hrs). By that time the pet you're interested in, after the whole 72 hour wait and the 24 hour of them not answering, will probably be gone. I guess this is a bit more emotional post because I expressed how I just lost my cat and this was the first one my family and I felt connected to since his passing. Their response, while not exactly like this but more or less was, "well the people we have an appointment with for the cat you're interested in also has a cat so... yea they win by default" read more

Everyone here is super nice. I have been here multiple times for volunteer things. The staff are all kind and caring. Even though being in a shelter is never fun, the dogs and cats are getting good care and they get as many volunteers to get them out as much as possible. read more

The staff is absolutely professional, caring, and invested in the animals. It was a significantly better experience than another shelter that I visited. They love AJ (my foster to adopt doggo) and it's genuine. I can't speak for other shelters, but it's a beautiful facility with and excellent team. read more

We decided to adopt an adult dog into our family, we've had dogs for over 10 years and felt it was a good time to add a second dog to our family. We did a meet and greet, all the paperwork was easy to go through and when we finally brought our dog home, she wouldn't eat. I called MLAR and they said to try some gravy. So day one I tried gravy, day 2 I tried an egg, day 3 I tried some olive oil on the food, all while calling the rescue daily to give them an update. I decided to bring her to our vet that we've known for 10+ years on day 3 and after 1 look at her guns, eyes and ear flaps, they could tell she was jaundiced and found a mass on her liver and spleen. I took her to Metropolitan the next day to be seen and they said she had cancer all over and wasn't going to live very much longer (I'm talking days here) I called MLAR to let them know, asking for at least some help with the vet bills since we've I ky had the dog for 4 days, and the 2 responses they gave me were (1) you can surrender her back to us and we will take care of her here (2) she didn't have cancer when she went home with you. For these reasons alone, I will NEVER adopt from them again. We have now adopted for a highly recommend dog rescue and will continue to rescue elsewhere. read more

An amazing organization doing great work. I had an excellent experience with MLAR and have urged many others to check them out. I don't get why people are so mad about their policies which are in place for the sake of the animals. Also, there is definitely some leniency if you are rescuing a senior or special-needs animal. Caring and generous staff, well cared-for animals, and lots of support. Keep up the good work Main Line! read more

I had a wonderful experience with Bill Smith. I called about a young male dog, and he explained in depth for 45 minutes on the phone that the dog was still shy and came from a puppy mill. I have no clout, I am not a celebrity on "The View", etc. Just a middle class working parent of 2 teens. So, Bill did NOT have to spend that much time speaking to me. We eventually adopted a smaller, young female, whom we love dearly and is very attached to my husband. She received impeccable medical and dental care at MLAR when Bill was still there, and we value and respect him greatly. I believe the reason he is no longer at MLAR is due to politics and ego of people on the board. We also dealt with Nancy the Adoption Coordinator, and I was told when I called to ask a question about our dog, Nancy was "No longer there". It is unconscionable. She was FABULOUS to deal with and truly loves the animals. read more

This is the Taj Mahal of animal rescues. The people here all truly love the work they do. And it shows in their interactions with the animals and the people there to adopt animals. There are beautiful fields, trails, and pens for the animals to play in and the animals get walked/exercised daily. The staff there are knowledgeable about all of the animals they have and work with you to make sure you get the perfect animal for your lifestyle. Bruno is the second dog our family has adopted from MLAR (my parents have a pit bull mix from there too!) The people at MLAR spent hours with us introducing us to the dogs we wanted to see - and even some that weren't on our list based on the website pictures and descriptions in their effort to match us perfectly! As a matter of fact, Bruno wasn't on our radar but the staff there suggested him and they were right! The staff there takes time to get to know you, your family, your wants and needs for your pet, and never make you feel silly no matter how many questions you ask We worked closely with Lisa, Isabel, Susan, and Jennifer and there are truly so many great things to say about them that they wouldn't all fit in this review. Our family truly believes that rescuing dogs and animals is the way to go - and MLAR is the best place to do this! We recommend MLAR to anyone looking for a new addition to their family! read more

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Yet another update that I just have to add. While driving to my office a few months ago, in very high am traffic, I came across an obviously VERY old, confused brown pug wearing a diaper and green harness just wondering around in the middle of the road, with cars swerving all around him. Being the animal lover that I am, I put on my flashers and stopped (stupid, I know, as I could have easily been hit myself... but more concerned for this poor little old guy) and picked him up and threw him in my car. Once pulled over in a safe spot up the road, I checked him for ID. There were 2 tags on him... a very old, expired Chester County dog license, and an MLAR tag. No phone numbers or address, and I really needed to get to my office to see a client, so I proceeded to take him to the office with me and work on finding his owner once we got settled in. Not being a fan of MLAR, and not wanting the owners to have the dog confiscated from them if they were decent, I tried the courthouse first. I was told the license was so old, their info would take a while to research, and may not be correct still... but they would call me back with any info they could find. In the mean time, I decided to call MLAR (from a blocked number) and give them the number on the tag to see if they could look up the owner without me providing any other info to them. I was told that the tag number could not be found. Again, it was an old tag, and was apparently registered to a dog that had since passed away. I finally received a call back from the County of Chester dog licensing office. Again, I found out that the dog it was registered to had died, but there was a name and address that was not too far from where I had picked up the dog. I called and reached a nice lady who sounded completely panicked. She said that she volunteers for MLAR and was actually fostering this BLIND old pug with a diaper on him, and that her husband must have left their gate open and the poor thing got out. She was very concerned and said she would come straight over to my office to retrieve him, which she did. My point in reporting this: MLAR likes to confiscate dogs that are found, and not give them back to their families. (There have been several lawsuits in the news with MLAR and people who have lost their dogs because MLAR refuses to return the dogs to their owners, despite caring families and an honest accidental escape.) Dogs CAN escape, despite our best efforts, and not everyone is perfect. INCLUDING MLAR volunteers and foster families!!! So if you are reading this and have had your dog confiscated by MLAR when it escaped, I am happy to provide more info to you. read more

I am beyond appalled at the attitude of this organization. Despite the Yelp reviews below and being warned by several acquaintances that MLAR will find any (and I mean ANY) reason to deny an adoption application, my husband and I decided to submit an application in an effort to find a companion for our current dog. We've been on this hunt for about 3 months now and have met with dogs from almost every rescue in the area to find the right dog for us. Yes, we have a fenced-in yard (6 feet high). Yes, we have immaculate vet references. And yes, we were more than willing to have someone visit our home to ensure that ours is a safe environment for one of their dogs. We read the find print regarding their adoption procedures and we saw the note about their adoption area ("Main Line Animal Rescue does adoptions in our local community in and around the western suburbs of Philadelphia ONLY"). We assumed that they really did mean "in AND AROUND" the western suburbs. Imagine our surprise when, despite our qualifications, we received the generic response of "We are very sorry but it is necessary that we do adoptions in our local community." When I questioned this impersonal and unreasonable response, Nancy responded that MLAR "want(s) people who live within the city limits to adopt from those shelters." Really?! REALLY?! So if we lived 3 miles west and had a Conshohocken address (instead of the Manayunk [Philly] one we have now), I would be a better pet-owner/adoption candidate?! If this organization is going to continue to prevent willing people who love animals from adopting from them, then they really should specifically say that (i.e. eliminate the "and around" phrase from the website). This really is main line snobbery at it finest. read more

Well after looking in their website and Browsing the dogs they had we had a lot of interest in one of their unique dogs. They state you need a fence and good references which I completely understand. They also state you must live in the area which I would assume means the general Philadelphia area because they are not specific. It pretty much means you have to be a rich snob from the main line. Maybe it would help if you put up a map with their adoption area so people don't get their hopes up and then get them crushed by some snob. The whole point of animal rescue is to help the animals not hold them for the rich people. The email they sent me suggested I go to local rescues in Philadelphia which I already have and did not find a compatible mate for my current dog. Most of the dogs were pitbulls. I have no problem with pitbulls but it's just not what I'm looking for right now. This place should be investigated by the animal police. It seems to me they are holding dogs purposely for rich people and don't really care about placing their animals in a loving home in a timely manner. read more

Here is the email I just received when I inquired about adopting one of the dogs on pet finder: "We are very sorry but it is necessary that we do adoptions in our local Main Line community. Thank you sincerely for your interest." I am very disappointed that dogs will continue to live in a cage without a family to love them because the owner has some kind of prejudice against non-mainliners. read more

I despise giving bad reviews, but the treatment I was shown by Main Line Animal Rescue is truly despicable. I applied to adopt a Pomeranian mix named Sunny with whom I fell in love when browsing their site. On my application I noted that I was grieving the loss of my sister to cancer and how hard I have searched for the perfect dog. Thrilled to have been offered an appointment, my father drove 3 hours to take me while my car was in the shop. Upon arrival, I was drilled with questions about myself (happy to answer!) only to be told Sunny was adopted and sent home the day prior. So, in total, my father and I drove nearly 5 hours to be surprised with an extremely neglectful experience. Not a phone call, email, or anything. I ignored the reviews citing this shelter as "snobby," but they are clearly out of touch from a customer service perspective. read more

I just wanted to echo the two other 1 Star Reviews and add my two cents. MLAR is doing a disservice to these animals. If I were a dog, would I rather be in a loving home or stuck in a crowded shelter full of blinded Holier then thou humans who are actively stopping me from going to said home.. Don't believe me? Look on petfinder. See how many personality descriptions or histories are attached to MLARs dog adds. Almost none. What right-minded person is going to submit an adoption form based on a picture alone?? No one.t But you can't inquire about a dog unless you fill one out.. MLAR is either lazy or they're pretty website, fluffy stories and happy endings are all smoke an mirrors so they can keep raking in cash thru donations.. That is what I believe MLAR is about. Donations, not adoptions. There are plenty of willing places that actually want to find these animals homes. read more

No Stars though one for Yelp's sake.. Applied online, followed up twice, only to be rejected for living in Philadelphia. When questioned why, the MLAR rep stated they would like city residents to adopt from the city shelters. If I wanted a pitbull I would adopt from the city shelters. I stated "you are particular" and ended the unsatisfactory conversation. Thank you for nothing. It is indeed a noble effort to save animals in a suburban fantasy, while snubbing certain zip codes for sport, yet you do a great disservice to service with this snide, shallow frippery. Sincerly, Michael McCullough read more

Try your local SPCA or any SPCA, but don't go here. There are so many great animals that need to be adopted from the SPCA or from other shelters. read more

When I went to reclaim my pet dog I was not met with a friendly smile, I don't even think she said hi to me,instead I was met with a bunch of harassing questions with them assuming I am associated with a puppy mill, it's very discouraging when I had found out where my pet was only to have them ask me questions that I thought were very offensive, if I ever lose a pet again please make sure you ask me how I'm feeling and that you're glad that I found her not meet me at the door with a lot of offensive questions, I even had to fill out an adoptive form for my own pet! How sad and traumatic! read more

Update: I have increased the stars on this review since hearing Main Line has fired Bill. This is great news. With a heavy heart I give this rescue 2 stars. I know they do great work and spend enormous amounts of money rescuing animals. That being said, Bill feels it's appropriate to make accusations and unfounded remarks to potential adopters. My sister was looking to adopt a dog from a rescue. My family had just lost their 14 yr old dog and wanted to rescue another dog. My sister contacted Main Line and was told she was pre-approved. Back story- prior to rescuing the dog that had just passed, many years ago she had gotten pre-approved by Bill. This required Bill to come to the house and examine the property. She has 2 acres and an electric fence. Since the their dog that passed came to her as a last minute adoption, she never ended up adopting from Main Line at that time. She never picked out a dog, she just wanted to get approved before doing so. Fast forward to this year. After the death of her dog, contacting MLR and getting the green light, she went to the facility to meet some pups. She met one she really loved and wanted to give a forever home. She was honest with them and told them she had an appointment with another rescue to meet another dog, but put a soft hold on this dog. Not all adoptions work out, so when she was looking for a new baby, she applied at a few rescues. She met the other dog and decided to adopt him from the other rescue. However, she felt she had enough room and love to adopt both dogs. She called MLR and told them she did adopt the other rescue dog, but still wanted to adopt the pup from them as well. They said they had to talk to Bill. After multiple calls to them with no call back....we received an email from Bill. He accused my sister of dog shopping and refused her adoption request. He also accused her of doing this 15 years prior...which was not the case. 15 years prior she got pre-approved. She never actually went to meet or hold any dogs. We were all a bit appalled by the accusatory tone and lack of professionalism in his email. We know how important the vetting process is for potential adopters. It's absolutely necessary. What I can't get past is Bills poor and unprofessional attitude. I unfortunately would never recommend this rescue to anyone as long as Bill is in charge. He's a bit off. Thankfully there are many rescues around. read more

Last week we visited MLAR and took home an adorable little dog. We were already pre-approved because we had rescued a previous dog through MLAR. In reading some of the reviews on yelp, some people get annoyed when they just can't take home a dog or cat before having filling out paper work and getting a home inspection. I think it is a great idea to have Bill or one of his team come to your home to make sure you are all set up to take care of these lovely animals. Most of them have been through horrible conditions and circumstances, so I see why MLAR does what they do. I just can't say enough good things about this operation. Bill remembered us from before and helped us narrow down our choices. We just adore our little guy! read more

We adopted a wonderful, truly amazing dog from MLAR 3 weeks ago. They responded to my initial email very promptly and we set an appointment to meet a dog. I just didn't feel I could bond with the dog so they patiently took me through the kennels. I have to say the dogs looked very well cared for and the facility was clean. They brought a husky out to meet me and she was very sweet but I didn't want a husky. I asked them to call if they received a dog that met my needs. I was on their site every day and within a week I saw another dog I wanted to meet. We set an appointment for Saturday. Friday night I saw the PERFECT dog. I emailed immediately and they answered promptly promising I could meet MS Perfect at my appointment. We were greeted promptly by a volunteer named Julie who was wonderful. We fell complete love but I was devastated to think of leaving my baby there until they checked my fence and references. I should mention it was snowing. Julie and another lovely lady were so amazing. They reached out to a volunteer in my area who went right over in the snow and cleared my fence. They came in and said Ms Perfect could go home with us. I was thrilled and truly love Charlie. Through completing the paperwork we are told by two people to call if there were issues or questions. Tuesday Charlie woke up in the middle of the night coughing so hard she was throwing up. I called the vets that do a free appointment but couldn't get in to see a vet for 5 days. No problem, I made an appointment to see our vet who recommended calling them to tell them she had kennel cough. I called, they were somewhat sympathetic but no one ever called back to check on us. As soon as Charlie was recovered I took her to the local park. She very aggressively tried to bite a gentle and calm dog. I got home and called MLAR to ask for their help. The lady said I will have someone call you back today. I called the three more times but never was given the courtesy of a return call. This doesn't make me regret our decision to adopt Charlie. However, don't make promises that won't be kept. Simply say once you walk out the door you are on your own read more

I have been on the other side of the fence and have been checking references for another rescue. The rescue I volunteer has had 6 or 7 adopters who volunteer for MLAR. If MLAR won't adopt to their own volunteers, how are they going to adopt to the public? I hope that people realize this rescue gives all rescues a bad name read more

*It is important to note that when we left the facility we were told to continue checking their website. We were rejected as adopters after my review was posted* So now I am a liar and apparently unemployed... Read between the lines, infer what you can from these reviews and responses and save yourself some serious defamation of character - adopt elsewhere. read more

Customers used to blame Bill Smith for problems at this facility, granted he was a little weird, but his weirdness definitely rubbed-off on the Board Members and some of their volunteers, especially the women who've been there for many years. I recently had problems with people running the front office and a few female volunteers not to mention their paid employees. Ignorant to the bone. Im still so upset as to how I was treated. All I can say is, don't deal with these idiots. Although, I do feel sorry for the animals there. read more

My review was up for over a year and then suddenly got flagged...twice! Hmmmm...Big Brother IS watching! They are radical when it comes to who can adopt their pets, and pets wait for months to get adopted, because they tell YOU who is best for your family. Started the process in early Nov. and it took us a month to get approved in general, including our yard. We waited for a dog for weeks after that. No word....emailed them....no word....emailed again. IGNORED! Told them it would be great to have this dog by Christmas for my family. Well, guess what, I got a response. Bill Smith wrote back and said he would never give a family a dog for the holidays and promptly DENIED my application. Don't bug them......they get nasty! They prey on every word you say. Horrible experience........I suggest any other rescue, esp. Last Chance Animal Rescue in Quakertown, where we got our baby. Our dog goes to work with my husband every day, goes to the beach house with us, and never misses a family function...we take her with us where ever we go! Luckiest dog on Earth! read more

Here's my opinion, they have their policies and they definitely come across as arrogant through email (no matter how they attempt to justify it). I'm sure if you make it into Oz your experience will be wonderful and a perfect match will be found, there are many people who love this group. I also know they are doing what they feel is in the best interest of the animal. That said, be prepared to have your blood pressure go up significantly when dealing with them. Should you be deemed not worthy of one of their animals you will be insulted and there's no way around this. So if you know rejection will be more than you can handle skip this adoption center and go directly to one of the other adoption groups in the area. There are several who have more reasonable requirements and are wonderful to work with . read more

We were initially very impressed by the Main Line Animal Rescue facility when we arrived for our scheduled appointment. Because we currently have a large 4-year-old Rotty, we expected some scrutiny regarding the selection of a second dog. The volunteer we worked with was very nice, and guided us through the facility to identify dogs who might do well in our situation. After significant discussion, several candidates were brought to the meeting pen and introduced to our family including our Rotty. One in particular impressed us all, and both ot the introduction volunteers said the meeting went very well. After the potential adoptee was taken out, Bill Smith came by. He seemed quite suspicious of us, but indicated that a home visit would be scheduled to check our fence. We were told that a "soft-hold" would be placed on the dog we'd met. By this point we'd all begun to fall in love with the animal we felt sure would be joining our family, and went home in a great mood. After looking at some reviews of the rescue online detailing their reluctance to adopt animals out, we began to worry a bit. Our fears were then confirmed about 24 hours later when we received an email form letter indicating that our application had been rejected. The message indicated that the reason for the "committee" decision would not be detailed or explained. My opinion is that the management "committee" is more interested in publicity than in adopting animals into loving homes. I'd recommend that families who are trying to find that special addition look elsewhere rather than having their hopes dashed in the form of an impersonal and inexplicable email. read more

If you have a Philadelphia address, this facility will not allow you to adopt. Here is the email I received: "Thank you for your application for adoption from Main Line Animal Rescue. Because of the number of dogs and cats in Philadelphia looking for new homes, we ask that people visit their local shelters to adopt..." Regardless of where you live, I highly recommend you visit Street Tails (streettails.org). The young lady that runs it is amazing, very honest - and will not discriminate with regard to where you choose to reside. read more

Last winter, my husband and I started our quest to adopt a dog. I did a local search and found some dogs we thought we'd be interested in at Main Line Animal Rescue, so I called to start the application process. Like many of the commenters here, we live in Philadelphia. When I called MLAR to inquire about the dogs on their website, they told me that it's not their policy to adopt to city residents...not because I don't live in a sprawling mansion with a picket fence or because they are snobs who think the world ends after Gladwyne, but because there are hundreds of dogs in city shelters that need homes, and it is in the interest of saving animals' lives to redirect people to their local shelters. The woman I spoke to at MLAR explained this to me in an extremely friendly, polite, and logical way, and she then went on to give me a list of Philly shelters and rescues that I might try. She told me to call her if I had any difficulty or further questions and wished me luck. I went on to call one of her recommended Philadelphia rescues and we adopted our dog soon after . It saddens me to see all of the negative reviews of MLAR because of their policy not to adopt to out-of-town residents. MLAR wants to save lives, period. Their dogs and cats are already safe and no longer in danger of being destroyed. By encouraging non-residents to adopt from their own local shelters, they are asking people to save an animal who might not have such a certain future. I think MLAR does extraordinary rescue work, and I am grateful to them for their help with my adoption search. read more

I live in King of Prussia, which is NOT on the Main Line. I had a wonderful experience adopting a dog from MLAR. From the first phone call I received after submitting an application, to spending 3 hours with a volunteer meeting different dogs until I found the right match (during which time Bill Smith spent 15 mins chatting with me). Everyone involved was dedicated to helping me find the right dog. I respect their adoption rules and have no problem with the requirements. When I lived in Philadelphia several years ago, I adopted a dog in Philadelphia. And it was not a pit bull. This facility is lovely, the volunteers who work there are awesome, and Bill Smith is doing great work. read more

I have to say that our experience (and we are not "mainline snobs") with MLAR has been amazing. We lost our dog after 15 1/2 years and my wife and daughters were crushed. Waiting until my wife was ready to think about another dog, we decided to adopt and went to MLAR. Our experience from the first phone call until the day we took our dog home was nothing short of personal, professional and the care they provided in ensuring we were the right fit was above and beyond. Too often people don't properly think through adopting an animal that has been abandon or rescued but the folks at MLAR definitely do! read more

MLAR is a place that deeply cares for their rescued pets. I have great respect for their commitment to animal advocacy.

I wish I could give Main Line Animal Rescue a large donation along with 10 stars for a review. The amount of work these volunteers/staff do to make sure that these animals are safe, happy and most importantly loved, is amazing. The staff there (including the owner Bill) really care about each animals placement in a home, they are not a shelter that let dogs be adopted to the wrong homes. Bill and his team carefully select each applicant and inspect their environment making it so that the animal has a loving, safe, environment to grow up in. My boyfriend and I just adopted an amazing animal from their shelter and Bill and his staff answered all of my emails/phone calls, filled with questions and what was the next step to have our new family member have that forever home that she was longing for. We adopted a AMAZING love bug Janice who has fit in PERFECTLY and we could not be happier. We realize that our happiness with Janice would not be possible unless the people at Main Line Animal Rescue gave their love, time and patience to make Janice the wonderful dog that she is today. We love her so much and our love goes out to all the Volunteers/Staff at Main Line, we know your job is not easy by any means but you certainly go above and beyond for your animals and that is what truly matters. Thank you again. read more

Main Line Animal Rescue - Janice...shes perfect! Thanks MLAR! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Phoenixville, Pennsylvania

Do not use this adoption center. My story is too long and upsetting to post. Go anywhere else. The brandywine SPCA is great and I have adopted a puppy and two kittens from them who are now my children. The SPCA will treat you with the respect you deserve for rescuing and pledging your love to these animals.....unlike this place. read more

My husband and I had 2 terrible experiences with MLAR. The first was a sick dog that was much older than we were told. When we had to return the dog, which we were VERY sad about, we were then judged by MLAR in a negative way. We were later lied to about the future placing of the dog. Secondly we found a 2 day old kitten and brought it to MLAR to get help in caring for her until we could take her home. We clearly stated that we wanted the kitten when she was ready. We were encouraged to visit her, which I did for 6 weeks. We then recieved a letter declining our adoption of her. When we went to see what that was about we were lied to, and realized that it was because of the dog we tried to adopt previously and a few other reasons that in NO WAY have anything to do with the way we love and care for our pets. If they had actually talked to us we believe this could have been resolved. We were told then that the kitten ended up dying. Would she have died if they had given her to us? Maybe, but we'll never know and were devastated. We have heard numerous stories since sharing ours about MLAR discriminating against older people trying to adopt, and folks getting sick animals. They are known for hoarding the animals they have instead of picking up the phone and actually talking to potential pet families and finding folks that love and care for their animals instead of living by these rediculous rules and judgements. I encourage anyone to look elsewhere for help with a pet you cannot care for or checking around beofre you get your heart set on a pet there. Prepare to be disappointed. Many of us animal lovers are up-in-arms over the lack of communication and judgements this organization has made. read more

I was there that day. The person below failed to mention that her 100 lbs. plus Rottie was not neutered and the reason Bill Smith was suspicious is because he wasn't sure their dog liked other dogs and they wanted a Chihuahua! When asked (politely) why their dog wasn't neutered, they explained that they were going to breed him/he was in a breeding program. This person was surrounded by 200+ homeless dogs and he wanted to make more dogs??? MLAR was right to turn them down. They didn't mention any of this in their comment though, did they??? We adopted two wonderful dogs and think MLAR is AMAZING! They even delivered the dogs to my home. read more

I cannot say enough good things about Main Line Animal Rescue and Bill Smith. We have adopted two dogs from there and we feel fortunate to have them in our lives. Thank you, Main Line, and Bill Smith, who actually brought our beloved CeCe to our house. read more

The volunteers are wonderful and very caring but if they want to get these great pets into caring homes, then they need some better communication between potential families and the management. I completely understand the importance of screening families to adopt but talking to a family once and then disregarding the facts are not okay. This rescue needs to get their facts straight before denying a capable household with a loving family looking for a pet to care for. The reasons we received for not being able to adopt a cat were not even close to the truth and the owner was rude about the whole situation. read more

Alas, I was very disappointed that they denied us an opportunity to take home a dog. We drovve up there, interviewed with them, picked out a dog and then were denied. In the denial e-mail (see below) told us that they would not let a dog live in a house with a "doggie door." Well, it;s their loss when they have to start putting down dogs because of their ridiculous standards. Here is the e-mail thread: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amazing - it is in your notes that you were asked if you had a dog door (twice) and you said no. You also failed to flag the entire property which was required for a complete home visit. There were no flags across the front of your house - just bushes. If you had told us you had a dog door we never would have invited to come to our farm. Both Helen asked and I asked and you said no. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In a message dated 5/8/2011 11:43:58 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, nancy writes: Bill, I was disappointed to read you e-mail and what appalled me was your accusatory tone. We came to your place because we had heard good things about your staff and how you treat your animals. I have to say, after this incident, I no longer feel that way. To be specific, as it seems you wish to be, if you had mentioned anything about a dog door, we would have gladly told you that we had one. Did you really think that I would have asked to you to visit our property if that was the case? Neither you nor Helen asked us about whether we had a dog door. If this was such a "show stopper," then why was there no mention of doggie doors in any of your paperwork? I can only conclude that you must have mistaken us with someone else and that you do not understand that we would have provided a loving home for Aiden. The question that you did ask was, "should a dog be left out in the yard when you are away?" We replied, "no." It is our belief that when we are at home, a dog door is a convenience for both us and the animal. As I stated earlier, we understand the risk to leaving an animal unattended when we are not home and it is something that we have never done, nor ever will. In closing, it is apparent to me that you and your organization is not what it appears to be and we will not waste any more time with this matter. I will be posting my experience on your web site so others can be warned in advance of your picayune attitude. I can only assume that you can handle constructive feedback along with positive feedback. Hopefully, I am not mistaken in this belief as well... Your truly, Bob & Nancy -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sent: Thursday, May 5, 2011 12:37:51 AM Subject: Home Visit Mrs. Grant Fox - I completed your home visit (as you know you are a distance from our farm) and it took me all Tuesday afternoon. That said, I was extremely disappointed to see a dog door leading into your screened porch. We specifically asked you if you had a dog door and you said no. Helen also asked you if you had a dog door before you were invited to MLAR and you told her you didn't have a dog door. Unfortunately, we cannot move forward with the adoption. No dog should ever be permitted to go outside unattended. It's dangerous. Bill Smith MLAR read more