Seems like when you try to adopt a dog that you have to qualify with background checks and references. I came 2x to see Zeki, the Husky, yet he wasn't there. His volunteer took him on a day hike, which doesn't make sense because how can one assume that the previous persons that visited him a day earlier would not want to effing see him again. .... also they made sure most definitely to prolong my references. Then calling and leaving me a voicemail that my references didn't check out even though one of them didn't send a fax/make the call to the Maxfund. Besides this my REFERENCES DID CHECK OUT ON THAT SAME DAY, literally that same day from a different shelter. It doesn't seem like they really want the best home for their dogs. Lol. Even when relaying to these people of the previous pets I've had lol, that didn't seem to persuade them. Even though I wanted to visit him multiple times to establish a relationship with him. The "best" fit is a stupid way to implore customers to adopt your pets. Half the people who go in there probably don't have the time to walk their future dogs for an hour or more. Even after telling them I ONLY go to school 2x a week and that I don't work lol, that didn't persuade them either. I go hiking, like everyday. Except when it's snowing. Why would that NOT be the perfect owner ? Kind of a stupid process. I was able to find another dog that same exact day I was able to take home. You can't assess the best "fit" until that owner and dog live with each other. Bahahaha!!! Otherwise you wouldn't see that same dog being returned. Dumbass. And just because someone LOOKS affluent or cleaner or speaks more colloquially, doesn't mean they're a better owner or that they will be. Good job Maxfund. Why don't you just keep the dogs so they'll never get adopted lol. Seems like you and your volunteers like to keep them to yourselves. read more

So here I am trying to do a good thing and NOT buy from a breeder but rescue an animal that needs me more than I need it. I went down to look at 2 puppies that were posted on their website that had already been adopted out 2 days before I even saw them on the site. So they don't keep the site up and the lady at the front desk even admitted it. So go down there if you want to see what they have. Anyway after realizing that the dogs we wanted were gone I decided to look anyway. I fell in love with a puppy and applied to get him only to find out that we would not be a family they would accept to adopt him. Turns out that families with small children cannot adopt puppies only older dogs....which if you are a parent of a younger child the thought of bringing a large shelter dog into your house with who knows what life trauma, is not the road you want to travel. We have a dog and our child is great with him. Even after offering to have a rep come observe our family and my son, we were still turned down. It makes me sad to want to do a good thing and have a snobby shelter of all places tell you no. I mean I get that it is a no kill shelter, which I completely support, and that they can take their sweet time to find "the perfect home" but what is better for the animal? A loving home or months in a cage while they figure it out. Some of those dogs have been there for months and months. Sadly I will never go back there. Such a disappointment and heart breaker. read more

I was treated like a criminal. My dog got loose and was turned in 5 days later to maxfund. Those five days were very stressful because of non stop searching,posting, and crying. I posted ads in pet harbor .com. went to every shelter. Called every shelter. She was even micro chipped. She was turned into max fund n Tuesday which they were closed supposedly. they could have scanned the chip and contacted me. The moment they open on Wednesday I was in contact with them and that is when the s*** show started. They treated me like a criminal because my dog was a little under weight. She needed some hospital attention and they sent her there without my consent. $700 later they said I could go get her if I have the money. But that was the only way they will release my dog. Then they said I couldn't get her to 430 after I took off work early borrowed some money and was heading down there at 2. I get there and the police are there. they held my dog hostage basically . I am NOT in support of this place anymore. they are not a charity. In 2013 they brought in 6 million dollars and kept 2 million. In comparison Denver dumb friends league brought in 15 million dollars and kept one million. this place is not about charity. I will never recommend this place to adopt or anything else. read more

I adopted an old chihuahua from Maxfund two months ago. This is the most loving, joyful little dog you could imagine! She gets along great with our other dogs, our cat, our kids. She is playful (crazily so given her age), loves to ride in the car, loves everyone she meets - I take her everywhere and tell everyone I got her at Maxfund. She is the BEST ambassador for her breed, for shelters, and for adopting an older dog. We always adopt senior pets, and you have to expect an adjustment period, but they are the most wonderful, grateful, happy pets you will ever have. They are potty-trained (once they figure out the layout of their new home), way past the chewing destructive phase, and are quick learners who just want to please. I see that people either love or hate Maxfund. Rescue work is not easy. Mistakes are made. Please remember the pets are the important ones, at shelters through no fault of their own. Rescue workers have to deal with people tossing out their pets for all sorts of reasons - yes, there is divorce, new babies, deaths, but there is also new furniture the pet doesn't match (I am not making that up), new pets that are younger and cuter than existing pets (this happens a lot), and other b.s. reasons. It's not easy and the staff is trying. YOU are saving a pet. THAT is the important thing. In a better world, rescues wouldn't be necessary at all because people would take care of their animals. Thank you Maxfund, for saving this lovely little girl for us! read more

I have to echo the frustration of other yelpers. We went to MaxFund and filled out an application to foster one of the dogs there. We spent a lot of time to find the dog who would get along best with our current dogs, and whose energy level would match our lifestyle. It took MaxFund 4 days to call our references, and we were finally approved on day 5. But when i called to schedule a pick-up, i was told that the dog had been given to another foster. He sat in a cage for 7 mos, but they found another foster the day before we were scheduled to foster him?!?! I didn't get the sense that this decision was made in the best interest of the dog ... more that they needed his cage and were in a rush to get him moved. Obviously there are other dogs we could foster (the list of homeless dogs is never-ending), but i'm hesitant to get involved with a rescue group that is so disorganized and so poor at communicating with their foster volunteers. It's a shame that the animals have to suffer because of that ... read more

Beware of this place. Everyone here seems to have a superiority complex, they act as if most people walking in aren't deserving of one of their rescue dogs. Poorly managed, unreasonable adoption process and the staff is flat out rude. I fell deeply in love with one of their dogs and filled out the insane application they had. Maxfund called all my references, who all told them what an awesome doggie mom I am, and at first were very friendly on the phone and said everything sounded like a perfect fit. After another day of them calling my vet and job for verification, they called back and asked if my dog was neutered. I was honest and told them he was not, because he is a very well bred dog who I train vigorously in dog sports. First I was told "Well if you fix your dog, you will be approved and could take the dog home after he recovers." After contemplating it-because I had fallen so in love with the shelter dog- I called back and asked if I could be guaranteed a successful adoption if he was fixed, I was told "No we can't do that. He has to be neutered before we can continue on with the application process" and hung up on. Poor dog was left at the shelter an additional 5 1/2 months looking for a home around holiday season. The ironic part is one of my friends adopted a lab mix from them 6 months prior to my incident who was severely malnourished and in need of emergency veterinary care, and she owns two UN-SPAYED dogs. They are trying, but not very hard. I wouldn't be surprised if this was a front for some other business because I have no idea how they stay open with the way the staff treats the public and the fact that dogs are not being adopted out at a reasonable rate. If they eased up a bit on the application process and were able to filter dogs at a quicker rate imagine how many more hundreds of dogs they could save in one year alone? There is just no reason for a dog who has a responsible potential adopter to sit in a cage for 5+ months. A good home which maybe isnt perfect to their standards, but will provide vet care, shelter, food and love is better than a cage at Maxfund. read more

I really don't understand all the negative reviews for Maxfund. The only reasons I can think of is that 1) you must be all peeved, because you didn't qualify for animal through Maxfund or 2) you've apparently only been to the Denver Dumb Friends League which has MILLIONS of dollars, a new facility, and money to hire tons of staff (hence the pristine condition of the kennels and cat area). Maxfund is one of the few only true no kill shelters in Colorado. They don't put animals down because they are sick and old or won't get adopted for years and years (seriously, some of the animals have been there for many years). Unlike other local shelters that give animals a number of days to be adopted or a monetary amount that they can't go over per animal. Maxfund is run on only grants, donations and volunteering, and consistently runs in the deficit. Therefore, that's why you won't see a gorgeous facility and fancy cages. I walked through there today, and the animals were as happy as they could be in cages, the staff and volunteers were very nice, the small dog area was very clean, the large dog area had sad concrete kennels (every shelter is in the same condition except for DDFL which I've mentioned has millions of dollars), the cat rooms are clean and the kitties are happy to have visitors. All in all I think Maxfund is amazing. They will scrutinize your application, as they should. I wish other shelters would do this and not have an "application" process and then just adopt to anyone with the money. The animals MUST be spayed/neutered before the leave the facility, and a lot of people don't like this because they have to wait. Just because you want a pet, doesn't mean you have the right situation for one, and that's why you will get turned down. So before giving places that are saving lives and not putting every single animal down when they reach their expiration date negative reviews, take a look at your own life and realize maybe it was best that Maxfund didn't adopt out a pet to you. I'd also like to see people run an entire shelter on very little money, dependent on volunteers and community donations and see how perfect everything looks. I only have 6 animals at home and it's a constant battle keeping the house clean, so I can't imagine 130 cats and 75 dogs.....think about it. So adopt from Maxfund...give a pet a life long home, and open a position for another animal to be saved from a kill shelter (Maxfund usually runs at capacity and can't always accept animals due to room, and therefore people take their animals to kill shelters.) read more

Wow! Was so looking forward to applying for my first dog this morning but when I showed up I was told the Manager had given her a family already! I was told several times she would not be available until today and to simply be one of the first in line. Needless to say I am heartbroken and will NEVER go back :( read more

My husband and I started volunteering at Maxfund in January 2016. We chose Maxfund because they are a true no kill shelter. We adopted our second dog from them this week. We brought our current dog in to meet with a few dogs that we thought might be compatible. Their adoption process was more vigorous than our first dog's (adopted from Anti-Cruelty in Chicago) but we had completed our application ahead of time. Our references, vet, and apartment building were on notice so we were approved very quickly. Benji (formerly Nelson) is snoozing away with his brother as I type this review. Thank you Maxfund! read more

The vet clinic is awful. For $10 more go to planned pethood and get a great vet doc. I waited 45 min at maxfund and the vet, an older male, was a condescending jerk who insisted on unesssary tests and muzzling my lil dog. DONT TAKE YOUR DOG HERE! read more

Pros: Well they are helping animals and saving their lives. They are no-kill. Cons: Some VERY rude workers. The receptionist - the older lady- is incredibly rude. You would think you are trying to adopt a kid. References are fine, but they really dragged this out with my family. We were approved, and took home our dog- our sick, sick, dog. Would have been nice to know he was sick. He got our other dog sick too- that's not showing care to our dog... I understand its a shelter, they are going to pass stuff around, but if we would have known we would have waited a couple days or tried to keep them apart so they didn't both have to be sick. When we called to let them know, they said oh ya, thats going around in here. Well, thanks for the heads up. Some of the dogs have been in there for years! What kind of life is that? So stressful, so sad. I just wish they would maybe not draw the adoption process out so much. I bet they are turning down some really great homes, or losing people who go elsewhere. We would have but we all fell in love with our dog immediately, so stuck it out. Really, our whole experience could have been made better if the staff had been more helpful and polite. We love our dog, and he is fine now, btw. read more

I visited the cat center at the MaxFund this weekend and it was a good experience.  I'm looking to foster and possibly adopt another black cat.  I tend to focus on black cats because they have a harder time getting adopted for some ridiculous reason. They are mini panthers. The staff was friendly and the cats here are beautiful inside and out and all deserve loving homes.  I feel the need to comment on some of the previous reviews on here stating that the staff was unfriendly, etc. This is a shelter that operates on donations only and they are not in business to turn a profit.  Did it ever occur to you that they might go through periods of being short staffed or having limited volunteers and there is only so much some people can do.   Please be more gentle in your reviews as this place is a safe place for many animals and what these people do is truly amazing.  You are walking into a shelter, not a high end hotel.  With the amount of animals they care for, I think they are doing an amazing job.  I love that they are a true no kill shelter and they care for special need animals that other shelters would turn away or put down.  They really try to give them a second chance at life.  I try to donate whenever possible and thank them for everything they do. read more

I adopted a dog from this shelter at the beginning of 2012. The dog was healthy, joyful, and a great dog, albeit, underweight when i received him. I did not disagree with their rather stringent adoption policy, and their shelter was well appointed. Why I gave the shelter two stars is their lack of continued support and full disclosure. When i adopted the dog I specifically asked if the dog had a history of aggression and I was adamantly told no, however, they would not tell me why the dog had been returned 3 times already. The dog, unfortunately, started showing signs of aggression a few months down the line, so I contacted them to take classes with their trainer, as I had promised. The trainer never returned my call and several months passed, and he became more aggressive, and I had told them if this happens it wont be tolerated, so I brought him back. After several derisive conversations from them they took him back, and he is advertised on the website as being returned "because I worked long hours". A flat out lie. read more

MaxFund met my expectations for cleanliness in an animal shelter and the ladies were helpful. I love that the cats run around inside separate rooms and are for the most part not in cages. You were free to pick up and at with any cat without having to wait in line to ask. I got a loving black cat fans I couldn't be happier. read more

Four stars because I didn't tour the kennels, I wasn't there to adopt so there was really no need. I came across a stray dog, and one place I had hear great things about was Max Fund. The staff was really friendly, helpful and answered the few questions I did have. If you're looking for a friendly dog (granted I was only with him for an hour), sweet and well behaved, look for "Pete." read more

The MaxFund is great!! Not only is the staff very friendly and helpful, but the volunteers are absolutely amazing. It's amazing, first of all, to see how many people volunteer for the MaxFund and how much help they put forth. This must really say something about the MaxFund. I must be a wonderful place if so many people want to help out. One thing that give the MaxFund a one up, besides the fact that it's a no-kill shelter, is that they actually have feline Leukemia and FIV rooms. This means that, instead of killing those animals, they give them the opportunity for the same great life that healthy animals get. Plus, they actually pay for the vaccinations for the remainder of their lives, if you adopt one. That's unheard of! Most people think that these diseases can spread to humans, but this is not the case. I have also gone in there and seen many cats with one eye and dogs with two legs that have been spared. MaxFund has made outstanding efforts to really show that they are a true no-kill shelter. Just as they give these wonderful animals a fair chance at a good life, you should also give the MaxFund a fair chance and adopt from them. MaxFund will always be my number one choice! Thank you MaxFund for all that you do. read more

I love Maxfund. I appreciate that the staff and volunteers allow you to explore and get to know the animals, but are also available to answer questions whenever you need help. I also love the descriptions of the dogs. You can tell that they truly get to know each animal and want to help each animal find an ideal home that they can stay at forever! read more

Hi, my name is Alexis. I'm writing this to let everyone know about MY experience with MAXFUND. My fiance's mom had a male Pomeranian not too old but not a pup. He happened to get out of the yard when the gate was open. We looked everywhere, put up posters, and finally looked on craigslist. October 25th was the day they lost their beloved Max. The add on craigslist described him, so we called and the lady said she turned him in to MAXFUND. I called shortly after my conversation with the woman who found little max. I was told by max fund they would call me back after they could come up with a rate for me to pay. They called back 2 hours later and the girl on the phone said he had some work done. Totally explainable, he needed it. She said it would be $550.00 to get him back. I explained that max is not my dog and that IF the family could not afford that price, could I adopt him. She said no because I live there. I asked If my mom who lives separate from us could. She said ," YES just bring 125 for the adoption fee" I came home to ask my fiance's mom if she could afford that. She said no. I told her not to worry because MY MOM would adopt him and keep him for her family. (The kids like the dog) and he would be able to visit sometimes. She wasn't to happy since that was HER dog but she was happy at least he would be in the family. My mom Ashia Vigil and my fiance Javier Millan and myself went to Maxfund the next day. We came in joking with the people at the front desk about the dogs being in "maximum security" for the doors being locked. There was no response. The woman was already RUDE when we walked in the door. We told her we needed to see "Chester" (as they renamed him). She was not very helpful in the situation. We explained that the staff member the previous day stated that my mother could adopt him. she again stated that we needed $550.00. I asked if there was payment plans. She said NO! I asked again if my mom could adopt Max. She said "NO BECAUSE I HAVE A BAD FEELING your mom is going to give him back to the other family." First of all, We stated very clearly SHE wanted the dog. the tech decided to go based off of a "feeling" she was having and told my mom she could not have the dog. She also changed his adoption status to on hold because of the medication from dental. The woman told my mom she would have to pay $550.00 for Max AND the $125.00 adoption charge since she knew the family. We did become frustrated because of the rude comments. We were asked to leave the property after my fiance became upset with the tech for stating a very insensitive comment. The tech said, VERBATIM " IF YOU CANNOT AFFORD A DOG, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE ONE." This woman does not know anything about his family or if they can afford a dog. They have had max for 4 years and taken care of him. My fiance's family has 5 kids and 3 adults to be taken care of. They work extremely hard and ADORE Max. he just got out. It happens to a lot o people all the time. I also was rude when I asked them to call him by him name MAX and the woman in the BACK ROOM (it was none of her business) AND the tech and the male at the desk stated, "We're not changing his name we have called him Chester for the past 2 weeks!" I told her it doesn't matter he'd been called MAX for 4 years! I did not appreciate the horrible customer service the staff gave. This is a non profit organization who should be more concerned with either reuniting families with their pets, or adopting to at least stay in the family instead of the money. She also asked why we hadn't looked for him and I told her we'd put out posters of him, but no one responded. She asked about his chip and I told her I think they had changed their information. She said in a very smart-alike way, "Why wouldn't you have changed it then?" This was in NO WAY professional staff. Very rude and non helpful. It hurts to not have that little dog in the family. He was the ONLY therapy their mom could afford. She loved the dog and to at least see him, would keep her happy. I also tried to call 11/10/13 and request to see how "Chester" (MAX) is. The lady stated that they had no clue what I was talking about. she said, "There is no dog named Chester and there hasn't been" I told her,"OK, well what about Max?" and she said, "No we haven't had a male Pomeranian AT ALL." I don't understand their poor customer service at all. I HAVE THE MONEY for the dog and they won't tell me where he is! I know he could not disappear from the shelter, ON HOLD in 3 days. I want to know WHERE MAX IS! Please help my family be able to adopt MAX into the family again. IF you are donating to this organization, please reconsider. I would recommend DumbFriendsLeague because they have helped return out dog Wendy to us before when she got out. Please help us get MAX back. Until then, I will make sure I keep complaining about this situation until my mom is able to adopt Max. read more

The first time I went to Maxfund was when I pulled over and ran down the highway to save a little dog and I called Maxfund and they were super sweet to take her in! About a month ago I saved another dog from the streets and took him up there and they were very rude! I've never been treated that way for rescuing a dog and bringing it there!! The young lady was very rude to me!! So I now pick dumb friends league over Maxfund now!! The dumb friends league was very nice and very loving when I brought the little guy in!! They actually loved their job and we're very welcoming!! Sorry Maxfund! Your supposed to love rescuing animals and especially love your job and the animals that are brought in!! read more

I dropped off my 2 cats at the facility at 720 10th Street. Michael helped me carry my cats and their stuff in from down the street (I put them out at the dog building by accident), and was very supportive as I sobbed my way through the intake interview. I had my eyes open for the rude people described in the other reviews, but everyone was nice and hard-working. My cats were not stressed: no sounds or smells like at the vet, I guess. Michael made an emotional drop-off as smooth as it could be. read more

I was a foster parent for MaxFund and chose them because they were not as savvy or resource filled as DFL. I wanted to help a no-kill shelter who might appreciate their volunteers more than a giant non profit would. I became SO frustrated with MaxFund because no one calls or emails you back... ever. Once you enter the Fostering program you're completely out of sight out of mind. I don't need nor did I expect a babysitter but no one ever called to check up on my fosters or invite us to any adoption events. Once a dog is in foster care the shelter seemed to dismiss them entirely from the adoption process.. I was there to Foster (and keep on fostering), not adopt! At the time I knew several other foster parents who felt the frustrated and under utilized - initially we were so excited to foster and wanted to help as much as possible- share our love of the shelter, hold foster parent events, etc. but we were basically ignored. It is so frustrating to watch people who are so motivated to help and give lose their drive and not be utilized by the very group they desperately want to help. Shelters need to USE foster parents- they are an easily dismissed and untapped resource- who may be willing to help with website work, foster events, adoptions and more. I understand shelters are undermanned and overworked, but volunteers, workers, fosters, we all want the same thing- adoptions! - and we all have the same goal- saving animals. When a shelter starts alienating their volunteers they're losing their connection to the very people they desperately need more of. read more

This is a summary of my entire Maxfund Cat Shelter experience, from beginning to end: I found a time during business hours to visit the shelter. The location was relatively easy to access, and upon entering the shelter, the entire building was clean, with no cat smell whatsoever. I signed in and was told I could go about the rooms as I please, as long as I sanitized between each. Very simple. I then got help from both Jackie and Marina in picking a number of cats that would be a good fit for me. Jackie showed me around the shelter and pointed out the cats I should pay special attention to, and even knew most of the dozens of cats by name! The setup of the rooms in the shelter is helpful in picking out a pet, because the cats are able to come up to you if they please instead of being forced to interact. This helps their personalities emerge. Once I picked out the perfect cat for me, they were upfront about his habits of eating bedding and toys when stressed or under-loved, and went through his entire history at Maxfund with me. The application was not difficult but asked the right questions to ensure that the cat will be in the right environment and not returned on a whim. They called me the next day to let me know my application had been approved, and my cat's exit exam would be complete the next business day. My references were all called within 20 minutes of me leaving the shelter, and the cat was off the website when I checked that night. Marina made picking up the cat an easy process, and although they forgot to give me the food to take home, they put up with around a dozen calls from me over the following week and were extremely helpful with each question I raised. Great experience, will be adopting from here in the future! read more

Though I had issues with the Maxfund clinic, my experience with the shelter was pretty good. I had heard horror stories about people who came to see a specific animal, only to hear that animal had been given to someone else. So I was tense when we knew which dog we wanted even before we visited, a dog we found out from a friend that had been taken to Maxfund. They rarely answered the phone during my adoption process which made me stressed because I wanted to know what was going on with my chosen pup, so don't hold your breath about getting any updates except in person. First, I stopped by to meet her and fill out all of the forms. This is a lengthy process but totally valid and worth it. Then we came back with our two other dogs. Their process of having all dogs meet and "agree to get along" is a good one, and they mostly leave you alone to see how things will go. You aren't rushed in the slightest. I had a high maintenance dog in my house already so this was nice, they left us to do our thing outside and decide if things were going to work out with them. They actually called references immediately and our new dog was in our house just two days after our initial meeting. I think they knew they had a high energy dog and were lucky to find a home for her where the people knew what they were getting into. Which they stressed a LOT, they must have asked me a million times if I knew how much effort the Brittany breed requires. I was glad the staff took the time to make sure each animal went to the right home. Now that I am at the Denver limit for dogs in my house, I probably won't be back anytime soon, but would definitely consider getting an animal in the future from Maxfund. read more

Extremely poor customer service! Will adopt a dog elsewhere. People at front did not greet us and were not helpful in giving us any information we asked for. Thus my one star rating. read more

We found the animals at the Maxfund to be wonderful and deserving of a loving home. Also, the volunteers were very friendly and helpful; however, the paid staff at the Maxfund were unfriendly, condescending (to both the people and the animals) and insulting. After the loss of our dog of 17 years, we decided to bring another animal into our home. However, Amy at the Maxfund decided to verbally assault my wife on the phone and accuse her of not taking care of our recenlty lost dog. If this is how people are treated by the paid staff of the Maxfund, signficant concern exists about the treatment of the animals. read more

Our recent experience with Maxfund has been very frustrating and disapointing. after completing the application, then driving down to the facility to drop it off I found them closed; I didn't realize it was Tuesday, but someone opened the door and accepted my application, even seemed excited about the dog's name I indicated I was interested in. On Friday afternoon, I thought I should call & ask some questions as I hadn't heard from them. I explained the situation to the woman on the phone, she put me on hold, then josh picked up and was extremely hostile to me when I repeated my conversation to the female & told me I'd have to re-apply, my application wasn't left out for them. I re-printed the appl& drove down there the next day, the place seemed in a high state of confusion, the new volunteer director's behavior indicated , by way of much heavy sighing and eye rolling that 'Josh' was in control of my application, and had in fact reviewed it, and we would have to talk to him. A male, did come back into the area, spoke to the director some minutes later, when she called me back to the counter, she told me I had been rejected because I allowed my cat to go outdoors. Hmmm, what would've happened had I said I needed a 'mouser'? If you go, don't tell them you allow your pets outside read more

If you are considering volunteering to make a difference, pass up this place. You will die of frustration. You will see extreme inhumane treatment that you will never get out of your head; dogs being held prisoner for 10 days (TEN!!) with no interaction from humans, no other dogs, in the dark, and without walks or even a trip to the sidewalk for a short potty break. The Head Vet Tech gets to them when he feels like it, even when people have written in the book that the dog is vomiting, has diarrhea or is unresponsive or bleeding. Meanwhile, they are sitting for sometimes a week with fresh wounds, marinating in their own urine & feces-- crying out for anything, anyone. It then makes them "kennel crazy" and much harder to adopt out. The Head Vet Tech does not speak almost any english, and is horribly rude and abusive to staff and volunteers. Everyone bows down to him (even the owners, who are a delusional, loony older couple who refuse to see what is right in front of them, and care only about popping up once in a while for large donors at charity events. They have very little clue what goes on at the dog shelter, and as long as the $$$ donations are flowing in, they do not care. They have outbreaks of ringworm and have been reported to PACFA for several health code violations including, but definitely not limited to: hoarding ("overcrowding") cats, ringworm, kennel cough, and warehousing dogs, which means dogs coming in with little to no care given to them-- just stack them and forget them. This past summer the A/C broke and there was no back-up generator or anything, in a 100º heatwave. Owners were on vacation, again. So many beautiful, sweet (and otherwise healthy & adoptable) dogs have died for no reason other than the Head Vet Tech not feeling like getting around to it. He also puts up very nasty signs all over the place in his broken English. And worst of all, he is NOT LICENSED, which apparently you do not have to be in the state of CO, which is terrifying. How many more loving, adoptable dogs will end up dying slowly at MaxFund that no one will ever know about because they put on a good face for the public? Everyone that works here or volunteers here ends up leaving with a very bitter taste in their mouth after being abused by the ding-a-ling the Mrs hired to coordinate volunteers. Go somewhere else to volunteer- where you will be appreciated, and not degraded and condescended to. Go somewhere else to ADOPT --where they actually have the welfare of the animals as a priority and the Vet Tech's unbearably enormous ego isn't getting in the way. I have volunteered in many shelters in several states and I have never seen such a ridiculous amount of chaos. If I could post some of the photos, I sure would. Super duper shady. read more

I called maxfund in my search for a pair of cats for my work place. We were looking for cats to live in our indoor arena and box stalls facility. Where they can be spoiled by guests and staff while suppressing the rodent population. I simply called to ask if they had any cats that would do well in that environment or if they ran a barn cat program. The lady on the phone (Her name was Brittany) was hands down the rudest person I have talked to in a very long time. Instead of simply stating that they didn't run a barn cat program and had a indoor at all time policy she very sharply informed me they would NEVER adopt to someone or someplace like us. That cats were meant to be inside at all times and anything else was uncaring. When I asked if she knew of any barn cat programs or anything of the like, she scathingly replied that there were other shelters with lower standards of care that might let me have a cat. All I wanted was a professional phone call. What I got was an atrociously judgemental scolding. read more

If I could give a zero rating I would. This place is just about taking money they make the approval process so long or they convienantly can't find your application they don't return your call and when they do answer the phone very rude. I was also very disappointed to see 9news sponsors this place.. Some of these poor animals have been there for over a year. They clearly are not open to letting these animals go to a home. They will start losing money. Max fund shame on you read more

We just adopted the best dog from Maxfund!! Her name is Tally she is an English Mastiff and we lover her very much. The staff there are wonderful and caring people. Maxfund has a little red tape you have to get through but the reward is priceless. They took such good care of Tally and now its our turn! Thank you Maxfund for everything!! read more

The adoption process was great, no arguements there. They called my references immediately after i left. Then called me the next day to tell me my application was accepted. However when i brought by dog home she had a problem pooping. So i took her back to the vet behind maxfund and was told she was constipated and needed an enima, but they couldn't do it there and was told i needed to go to the hospital. i was at the pet hospital that same day. Luckily for me the hopital did not charge me the visit fee and waived the exam fee because she was a rescue. But clearly the x-ray the maxfund gave me confirms she was constipated and continued to adopt her out to me anyways. Long story short they adopted a dog out that clearly had a medical issue. Little upsetting at first but all is okay now. She is still with us and her life is good now. We all love her dearly. read more

I just read all the reviews that people have posted. How much money do you think this shelter gets? Have you ever thought about helping a shelter like Maxfund? I bet not, you just want to judge because you think you know best. Have you ever taken care of a bunch of unwanted animals everyday? Ones who are sick, old, and just tossed aside! I bet no..... Have you had to deal with the public who thinks they are the best pet owners? Nope again.... You failed to pass the adoption..... Well than maybe you need to review what kind of pet owner you are. Maybe Maxfund is wanting these animals to have a forever home. And they do get to make the choice ! And for the guy who is upset because they would not let you adopt due to your dogs being left alone for hours outside! Well GOOD! You jerk! Dogs do get stolen from yards! even if you have a 6ft. Fence. You know what might happen to your dog? sold to testing labs, sold to be bait for pit fighting, abused and maybe even killed. Did you know about the case of the dogs stolen from the back of a pickup truck? Guess what mr. wonderful ! The dog was dragged down a road and killed. So sham on you for thinking you are such a good owner. Maybe you should leave your kids outside until you get home. You know they can make messes as well. I cannot understand how people think that just because you want a dog you think you should get it. Until you walk the walk of a shelter manager, staff or volunteer don't judge them. If people were not so horrible we wouldn't need shelters to take care of the unwanted. So to all of you who think you know best I would like to see you spend one day in a shelter. One day! Than maybe you can write a review. God bless the shelter workers, rescuers and volunteers. You are the voice for the voiceless! You are the angel who protects these animals! read more

I went to the shelter aspect of Maxfund (NOT the vet) this weekend looking to adopt a new dog. My current dog was a puppy mill rescue, and he means so much to me, I wanted to save someone else too. This place is pretty crazy though... try to go during the week, because the weekend is PACKED! The receptionists are very nice, despite the fact that this place is super stretched. They seem to treat the dogs in the shelter very well, and let you have time with any one you are interested in, but because they are so short on time/energy/staff they don't always give you all the important info you need about the dog you are interested. Example: I wanted to hang out with one of the dogs. They said sure, here you go. I put out my hand to let it sniff me, and it attacked my hand. I was bleeding everywhere, crying, and scaring all the kids. What they didn't tell me was that this dog was very aggressive, was not friendly, and was A BITER! If I would have known, I would not have tried to take the dog out. So visit this place, but make extra effort to get info because you might not get it outright. read more

I'm very apprehensive about this place. I got a 2 month old puppy a few days ago and I love her. She's a blessing and such a smart pup. And I know they "try their best to keep the dogs healthy" in the shelter but my lively, hungry, smart and cunning puppy is now basically in a coma because she's in so much pain. Kennel cough is so common I understand it's hard to contain but these are baby puppies. Simply clean their kennels and keep them poop free. We noticed when we visited a few puppies from the same liter they were stained from the poop and pee. Not cool. The people were a little on the rude side up until the day we brought her home when we were simply confronted with a bunch of papers and a "don't bathe her for two weeks she just got spade!" (While we walked out the door) Instead, lets sit down and mildly educate people on the fact that being recently spade weakens the immune system, in fact making them more likely to get very sick. I'm not saying give a complete doggy manual nor am I putting all the blame on them, I should have done more research I suppose, but I feel like there's a few more steps that could have been done to prevent the tears and anxiety I've had over the past 24 hours because I thought my dog had parvo or was dying. read more

My amazing dog recently died and I went over to the Maxfund to donate her dog food to them. After I donated the dog food to the Maxfund clinic, I walked over to the Maxfund dog adoption center to see the dogs and potentially adopt one. I was buzzed into the building and I was so poorly greeted and poorly treated by the young lady sitting at the receptionist desk. I asked to see the dogs and she told me this is how it's done here and proceeded to tell me the process in a rude, monotone, almost robotic voice, all the while looking at the computer monitor. No eye contact at all. There was no enthusiasm, positivity, concern or happiness in the fact that a Maxfund dog could potentially be given a forever home. I stood there dumbfounded and took the negativity from her as a sign and walked out. After reading the YELP reviews, it is revealing that I'm not the only one to have a negative experience with customer service. I feel extremely terrible for the animals at Maxfund because the staff is not making the adoption of these animals the Ultimate Priority. read more

My wife and I are new dog owners (through Retriever Rescue of Colorado) and had originally decided to go to Max Fund since the dogs were well cared for. We were all set to adopt a beautiful dog, when we got the news we were rejected. We were surprised, since upon choosing the dog, the initial reading on our part was that we were accepted. Curious as to why, we went back to the shelter to ask why two responsible and loving dog lovers would be denied. On our application, we said the dog would have its own dedicated dog run apart from a big back yard, and when one of us was home the dog would be allowed to go in and out of the house. We failed to mention on the application that when we were gone for 6 hours out of the day, we would keep the dog inside. Since we didn't specify this on the application, the lady in charge of the adoption process said that we were backtracking on our statement and interpreted our statement of the dog's freedom to move in and out of the house when we were home to extend to the time we are not home. She called the dog run a "cage." even though it is there to prevent runaways. She scathingly asked how "would we like to live in the garage." When I mentioned we had a big back yard (something else we did not put on the application since it was not asked) she looked at me like I was lying to her. Later, she accused us of harboring a negligent philosophy towards dogs, what she called the "old philosophy of letting dogs roam free and giving them little attention." This was very upsetting, since she not only tagged us with a philosophy that we don't share, but also insinuated that all the dogs my parents owned must have not been loved or cared for appropriately since they were allowed outside the house. Rather than taking the opportunity to get to know us in person, the adoption lady instead chose to take a paper application as 'gospel" and questioned every statement we made. We hope our could have been dog finds a home and are saddened that the shelter refused the opportunity to get to know us and trust us. read more

I adopted a dog about 2 months ago and could not be happier. I was a little concerned because I have 2 cats who had never been around a dog and didn't know how that would go. The folks at MaxFund helped me find the right dog and the adjustment could not have gone any smoother. Daisy is so relaxed and chill around the cats that they adapted quicker than I even imagined they could. They did an exit vet visit for her to make sure she was good to go and gave me some food to take home for her. I absolutely LOVE this dog with all my heart. I thought the one staff person was going to cry when I took her home. It was a great experience. I know some people criticize them because they make you do a lot of paperwork and background checks, etc. But this is because they want to make sure the animals are going to good home and don't get returned a week later. It is worth it to have a loving companion. read more

When friends learned that I wanted a dog they highly recommended the Maxfund. In fact, many people in my office had adopted animals from Maxfund as well. I went on a Saturday in December and a lot of people were already there looking for pets but the staff was very friendly, asked questions about size and what type of dog I was looking for and took time to explain the process for meeting animals. I was able to take several dogs that I was interested in out for walks to get to know them, finally settling on one that I thought was a good match. I must admit I was a little intimidated by the application, but it was good to know that they were concerned about who was adopting and in ensuring that the person was prepared for the responsibility and long-term nature of dog ownership. Well after a week, I found out that I had been approved--YEA; however, unfortunately, I had picked a dog that many people were interested in and I lost out to someone else. BUMMER! The woman who had assisted me in completing the application informed me not to be discouraged and to come back because they had gotten in other dogs; which I did. After walking though both the big and small dog areas, I found a little rascal sitting quietly in his kennel batting his soulful eyes at me and I knew I was a goner. I had to wait a week since he had just arrived and they wanted to ensure that an owner didn't turn up. I was able to visit several times and at the end of the week I learned that he was mine. So on December 24th I was able to pick up my Christmas present, he was neutered, had a microchip implanted, had his first round of shots and I knew his history as much as they knew. I am so grateful to the Maxfund for being so helpful and guiding me through the adoption process. I got the dog that the cosmos intended for me. He's a great little guy and I am a HUGE fan of the Maxfund. I would highly recommend it, AND when it's time for my little guy to have a buddy, I'll be knocking on their doorstep again. Thank you Maxfund for the work that you do, for the careful screening process, and most importantly for being a no-kill shelter. YOU ROCK! read more

Two bad experiences.Wont be back.I feel really bad for the pets being held hostage there. Staff is rude and acts very morally superior.Be prepared to waste a lot of time waiting . Staff gets annoyed with a how dare you question them attitude if you ask how much longer..Same at the vet clinic.We tried to adopt a cat a few years ago finally gave up and adopted else where.Recently took a stray w/ an infected paw in to get it treated.Had to pay a neuter deposit for it to be seen.,so we took it back for neutering,as we are going to try and keep it tho we already have a cat and a dog. After waiting an hour and a half in the waiting room the dog that came in 20min after me was called.After being called back,we were left in exam room another 45min.Noticing the cat owner in the next room questioning the wait, I went out too. The women acted insulted we were asking how much longer we would be waiting and brought a sick dog(not the dog that got in ahead of me for spaying) out into the hallway saying "I just wanted you to see this". Will be taking the cat somewhere else.Would of stayed if they had been polite rather then acting like we were horrible people for asking what was going on.I could of come back Fri. instead of wasting all that time. read more

My wife and I just visited Maxfund this weekend, and met with a very sweet basset hound, we even did a meet and greet with our kiddo (10 year old black lab) to make sure they got along. Unfortunately these folks are not up front about their very strict policies- about 2 years ago we did an adoption through ddfl, and the dog we adopted wound up being aggressive with the son we've had (another rescue btw) for the last 7 years- we complied with the policies of DDFL and brought the new guy back within the time frame allowed by DDFL. Apparently because we returned a dog because of aggression towards another member of our household, this precludes us from adopting from Maxfund. There are two things here- #1- if that's your policy and there is never an exception, then post it and say so during the interview process, don't give people the impression that it's not a big deal and we could be considered still. #2 WHAT A DUMB POLICY. As with any policy or rule, things should be considered on a case by case basis- Our current guy is incredibly happy, we provided three references for you to check that out with and said we were fine with a home visit even- I rescued our current lab mix from the humane society 8 years ago with no issues- I am absolutely in favor of the best thing for the animals- which would be to treat prospective owners well too read more