Roy was incredible. He found me the best cat I could ask for. He was quick to respond to my inquiry about adopting a furry friend, and the process was super smooth. We went from initial email to adoption within about a week. And what a wonderful pet I have now, rescued from a kill shelter. I'm tempted to get another furry friend through Melrose Humane Society, if only I had more space! read more

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10/10. One of the most stress free and pleasant experiences I have ever had with adoption. I filled out their adoption form and than was referred to go in person to one of their foster homes (Andrea) to see a bunch of cats/kittens because "the cat chooses you" is extremely true! Their adoption coordinator Lori set everything up super easily. Upon arrival Andrea was incredibly accommodating and let me take my time. After spending half an hour there at least, I was confident I found my cat. Andrea let me go get the stuff I needed from Petsmart and return to get her with all her paperwork set and ready. Our cat has fit in extremely well in our home and we love her dearly. Thank you! read more

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Have adopted 8 cats through them through the years. They really care about helping their cats & finding good, loving homes for them!! My 2 favorites were ferals that had been rehabilitated for months! Both were terrified when we brought them home @ first, but I also don't think any cats could be more grateful & loving! I still have my Yoyo who's 13 now! We cuddle on the couch together every night for a few hours before bed!! read more

This is on behalf of a friend, who has been a near life long pet owner, has never abused or given up a pet, and is an advocate of cats. The person recently tried to adopt a cat from this shelter, and not only was turned down, just because they can, but also was treated very rudely. Shelters like Melrose "Humane" should be shut down by the state, because the HUMANE thing to do for an animal is to let a loving pet parent that has a 20 year record of being an exceptional pet parent, bring the pet that they choose to its forever home. Shame on the owners and employees of Melrose Humane for treating both good pet parents poorly, and extending and allowing the animals to remain in the shelter, for no good reason. read more

This is the worst encounter with an animal shelter I have ever had, period ! About a month ago, I lost my 19 year old orange female tabby named Kitty to sudden cardiac death, she was everything to me, and it has been traumatizing. MHS had an eight month old orange female, just like her. A worker by the name of Andrea set up an appointment with me last Tuesday to see the cat this past Friday. Friday came, I called twice and she did not answer, the rest of the day, her phone went straight to voicemail. Turns out she emailed me, but why could she not pick up her phone. In the email, Andrea claimed that the cat was "sick" and had to go to a vet and she would let me know "IF the cat became available again". I emailed her further explaining my situation, and expressed concerns about MHS's poor reviews. I also said that I really wanted to have the adoption go right and leave them five stars, but if I was being lied to or denied for no good reason, they would get one star. She took that as a threat and now will not home the cat with me. Such a sad and totally unwarranted situation. These people should be reported to the AG. Don't waste your time with this organization, look for your pet elsewhere ! read more

I am basing this review on my close friend's heart breaking experience.She was interested in adopting sibling kitties.She had owned cats before and is a very good cat mom.She found two kitty brothers on Petfinder and contacted Melrose Humane Society She was so excited to adopt these kitties and went out and purchased food,litter, toys etc.The foster mother kept my friend informed through pictures and texts.They led her on for weeks.First they indicated that one of the kitties had a cold and later the foster mother was traveling.Finally, the big day came and a volunteer came with the kitties.My friend was so happy! The volunteer left with the kitties and said she would return in an hour.saying she had forgotten something.My friend asked if something was wrong and the woman promised to be right back.Shortly after she got an email saying the adoption was " cancelled".I can't see a valid reason for this and that is a terrible way to treat people! read more

I've been fostering for Roy for about 1 & 1/2 years now. He genuinely cares for each and every kitty. He goes out of his way to make sure these cats are placed with the best families possible. Sometimes it may sound as though he's asking too many questions but his concern is only for the cat and for them to be matched with their forever family. Roy goes out of his way to make sure all the kitties are healthy before they are adopted. Unfortunately, sometimes issues creep up after they're adopted that we're not evident while in his care. As I know from being a foster, if Roy is aware of any illness, he rushes them to the vet to be evaluated. read more

I'm a first time cat owner and I contacted MHS to inquire about adopting a cat that I thought would be perfect. I got a call the same day from Roy to ask me a few questions which felt more like a job interview or interrogation. With no other experience adopting, I thought it was odd but not unbelievable and it sounded like I would be a great fit for the cat. He then informed me that the cats foster family would be leaving and he was looking for someone to adopt the cat the next day. I was shocked as it was already well into the evening and wouldn't have any time to prepare as I was at work. I really loved the cat and had been thinking about him and looking at his post since it got uploaded so I said I would see if it was possible I could scrounge up a ride and could buy some supplies that hadn't come yet last minute. The application felt pretty normal but there was a question near the bottom that asked if you would ever consider giving up a cat and for what reason. Being the horrendous overthinker I am I said yes. If something horrible happened in the future that rendered me completely unable to take care of a pet, wouldn't it be unfair and unhealthy for me to try to keep it? Or if I had a child in the next 20 years with severe health complications that took up all my time and resources? In these extreme cases it would be cruel to keep it no matter how much it would hurt. I thought that was reasonable. Later that night Roy asked if it was too late for a follow up call. It was a little late but I was so excited of the prospect of adopting that I answered the call. He then proceeded to grill me on how I should never ever give up a cat and I was irresponsible and should give up on adopting until I and at an age where I am unable to bear children. I was floored. This not only felt completely unprofessional and invasive but completely backwards considering its to "protect the cat." I froze up and sat there until he finished verbally assaulting me and told me to remove myself from adoption listings before promptly hanging up. What a horrible way to end the night and a perfect way to deter future cat lovers with safe loving homes from adopting. I will still be looking for my perfect little kitty elsewhere but this was such a horrific experience that I needed to warn other potential adopters. And as my first experience it's given a bad impression on the whole process in general. read more

It can be a long process and being flexible with timing (since folks have daytime jobs they are holding while trying to help these animals) and following listed instructions is very necessary. This is a labor of love for the folks who do this and they clearly prioritize the wellbeing and fit on the cat's side which I believe in. We couldn't be happier with our pet (formerly Max now Fiddle!) that we adopted in 2021. read more

Melrose Humane Society - Fiddle enjoying the view in Cambridge! - Pet Adoption Near Me

Omg!! When i tell you that roy melrose was truly a huge blessing during my time in my life when i was going through so much i could no longer care for my 3 pets Roy qas able to assist and help me to find them homes i am truly grateful for his kindness patience love and passion to care for pets thankyou so much Roy you truly helped me to be able to sleep at night Roy Barrows will forever be my Superhero!! read more

I used to foster cats for this organization and I mostly interacted with Roy. Some of the cats needed medical treatment during their time at my place, I've seen how expensive those medical bills were and when I do the math I see that the adoption fee can hardly cover the medical expenses incurred. They have very reasonable adoption fee to facilitate the adoption, and they make sure that the cats fully recover from any known health condition before they get adopted - one pair of cats stayed with me for two months because one of them had an upset stomach. We took the time to figure out the problem and find the food that he can tolerate. Roy is indeed a very busy person. From what I know he works two jobs in addition to running the rescue business - which itself seems like a full time job to me - and he probably is heavily subsidizing the rescue thing out of his own pocket. So if he is not that responsive, please be considerate and simply try to contact him again. All the cats rescued here have foster parents, so I would suggest talking to them to get to know more about the cats. The adoption process is simple - well it could seem to happen too quick for some people, but if you need some more time to think, just ask! I really enjoyed this fostering experience. I had to end the fostering because I need to leave Boston, but I ended up adopting one of the cats I fostered and took her with me all the way to California! She is an amazingly friendly and calm cat who does not mind traveling with me and adapts to her new home pretty quickly. read more

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On March, 2023, I sent a email to Roy Barrows in regards to adopting a cat at the Melrose cat shelter and never received a response. Upon not receiving a response, I called the shelter and a woman responded and gave me a number to call A man named Brian and called and left a voicemail with no response and latter called again and he informed me to call Roy Barrows which I did. Upon calling Roy he put me on speaker phone and this was the worst interaction I've ever had and disqualified me after having cats all my life with my last cat for 23 years who had to be put down due to illness. read more

I've read almost all other reviews about Melrose Humane Society and Roy. I'm sure it's case by case, but my experience talking/working with Roy on the cat adoption was absolutely smooth and pleasant. As a first-time cat owner, I keep throwing questions to Roy and he was always there and very patiently explaining what I need to do for the cat. I truly admire his dedication and efforts he put on rescuing & caring for cats. I adopted a 8-months female calico cat, and she is absolutely gorgeous and sweet . I would highly recommend Melrose Humane Society and Roy! read more

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I've had my cat for almost a year that I adopted from MHS. Roy was very helpful with the adoption process and responded promptly! Maggi (FKA Xanadu) was well taken care of by the foster parent and Roy provided her medical records along with the application. I'm happy to have found my angel kitty from MHS, she's been a blessing. The only thing I would wish is that for skittish cats like Maggi, MHS let the cats stay only with experienced foster parents. Maggi's neurological tendencies were dismissed as pain from matter by the foster parent, it was only their first time fostering a cat so I don't blame them for it. read more

Melrose Humane Society - Maggi - Pet Adoption Near Me

Choose another rescue! These people are totally incompetent and incapable of running a fair and orderly adoption process. They completely bungled an adoption, were not transparent, and to boot, are disagreeable with no customer service skills. They can get away with such lack of transparency because there is no regulation around how they must process adoptions and fosters. They have the cover of "choosing the best home" for blatant discrimination and lies. Brian was particularly inept and rude. Stay away and deal with a professional operation that thinks not just about the animals they place but the humans they deal with too. read more

I have been wanting a cat for years, and a few weeks ago my roommates agreed to let me start applying to foster a cat. I initially spoke with Roy, who told me about a bonded pair he thought could work. That evening (yesterday) I spoke with Roy and discussed the details of the foster. After our call, however, my roommates decided they weren't comfortable with it after all, particularly due to limited space in our apartment (3 bedrooms, 5 people, and a dog). When I told Roy today that I was sorry but I wouldn't be able to foster after all, he got incredibly rude with me and attempted to guilt and shame me into fostering anyways. I explained that I just wasn't the best person, or house, and I didn't want to be unfair to the cats by not properly providing for them. At this point Roy attempted to persuade me to foster just one cat, which I would have loved to do, but was not an option since my roommates had vetoed the idea. I tried to explain this to Roy but he essentially blamed me for these two cats potentially dying (wtf?) and did not respect my answer that it was not only up to me. After I confirmed that I definitely wasn't going to foster, he told me to "don't bother messaging me again", and that any other texts I sent would be blocked. I had planned on reaching out again at a later point when I was actually confident I could properly foster, but I highly doubt I'm going to try to do so for MHS. I was spoken to like I was the most horrible person in the world for not wanting to be irresponsible! Roy was pushy, rude, and refused to understand my situation at all. I still plan on fostering in the future, but if this is how MHS treats people who aren't sure and actually want to give animals the best care, then I don't think I'll be involved with them. It still baffles me that Roy would try to SHAME me into fostering, even when I said I didn't think I could provide the proper care these animals needed! I understand the stress and difficulty of finding homes for animals, but this was NOT the right way to make it easier. read more

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My fur baby was delivered to me, at the beginning of the Covid epidemic. I could not have expected a better outcome. read more

Melrose Humane Society - My little boy relaxing in his new home. - Pet Adoption Near Me

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On 6-26-2023 I adopted Adelle a torbie kitten who was ten month old at the time. She has been wonderful. The staff at the Melrose Humane Society brought the cat directly to me (and I live on the South Shore.) They were great to work with. The woman who fostered the kitten reached out only a couple of times. She was definitely pleasant and NOT pushy. Was always willing to answer any questions or give any advice. Highly encourage people to work with them. If you would like to find a kitten/cat through them you can reach them at: 978-774-8370. read more

Awful experience, Roy thinks he is God and will disqualify people without any explanation or remorse. Spends most of the time talking about himself and how many cats he's rescued and cares very little else about who you are. He's not looking to find the best homes for cats/kittens, rather he wants to inflate his own ego and self worth. You will never get a chance to explain your history with cats or pets. Rather, he is looking to have his ears tickled by asking you subjectively broad questions that are up to interpretation. He should not be completely responsible for making the adoption decisions at his age and lack of rest. Claims to sleep very little due to his humanitarian efforts. I suspect he tries to fill the void of having a failed marriage by being an overzealous condescending cat rescuer. He thinks he is the second coming of Jackson Galaxy but lacks any empathy or understanding of people. Spent half the time lecturing me about how to take care of cats assumed I didn't have any experience with cats; never asked me about my family cat for over 20+ years and assumed I would rehome a new cat if i had a massive heart attack or a brain aneurism. How am i supposed to take care of a cat if i'm in the hospital? Very arrogant and self-righteous I will be reporting this issue to the vice president and to the society itself. Nobody should make the adoption interview process so harrowing, and uncomfortable. It's a shame that Roy makes the adoption so difficult because he is virtue signaling and eliminating A LOT of good homes for cats based on his own personal biases. Please don't take my word for it, look at all the numerous negative reviews posted about this individual. I highly suggest another shelter to adopt a cat. read more

Where shall I begin , I've called many time over the years to adopt and and help and donate , my texts and my inquiries have never been answered, I left many messages and still no call back , ver disappointing.... Sad and not surprised read more

It's been almost three years since I adopted my bonded pair of cats ( Male and Female both age 2 at adoption). The pair was being fostered in Boston with a college student in an off campus apartment. Roy was the point of contact and It was clear to me that he cared about the cats being placed in an appropriate setting. I'm grateful for Roy's effort and dedication. Thank you! Sincerely, Cat Mom read more

Melrose Humane Society is one of the most stand-up organizations I've dealt with. I see some negative reviews coming from peoples difficulty to adopt cats... keep in mind this is not a place to go and just buy a kitten or surprise someone with one as a gift; in fact this is how they end up with a lot of their cats. This organization CAN make it difficult to adopt, due entirely to the fact that they deeply care for their animals. Some of these cats have been through trauma, a lot of it stemming from people, and the organization does its vetting to make sure these cat's don't face more hardship that they do not deserve. My girlfriend and I intentionally sought out a cat that needed extra attention because we both had a lot of experience with cats. Brian took extra care to let us know what we were getting ourselves into and closely monitored the situation which ended in an adoption where he even gave us a discount on the adoption fee for giving a cat that really needed it a good home. If you are looking to help a cat in need and give them the home that they deserved from the beginning and may not have been lucky enough to have, then I highly recommend contacting Brian and the Melrose Humane Society read more

Melrose Humane Society - Java: our brazen and lovable diluted tortie - Pet Adoption Near Me

Inquired about the kittens they had, spoke to a Roy Barrows at length, in short he intended to sell me a kitten without telling me its health status saying "you'll have the paperwork" , I just wanted to know I the kittens where healthy but he refused to disclose information and was offended by my apprehension and while being upfront about one cats severe food allergies that he could not tell me what the allergy was to and claimed a vet couldn't tell me , he referred to allergies in general as " not a health problem" and was also offended my my apprehension here. He also went on rants about many unrelated things and his beliefs on many examples of animal cruelty, And then on the meat industry saying he has tried and intends to continue trying to make his cats vegan , something vets do not recommend. And something I did not ask about. He sent me an application but after that conversation but I just can't trust this guy. And I don't recommend you do either. read more

Wonderful people! They really care about animals and pairing them with the perfect home/family.

I inquired about adopting a young adult cat found on pet finder via an email to this organization. Roy send me an prompt reply to set up a phone call. From get go he said that I was on a speakerphone and said that he has no association with the humane society . He had a few questions that were great but soon he proceeded to ask me my exact age , I told him that I was in the 55-63 age group. And told him that I wasn't disclosing my exact age information on a speakerphone nor that I knew him but I felt that the age group range I provide was reasonable . He then told me that he was 63 and if I don't tell him my exact age it was a deal breaker. Then he said that I was too old to adopt a young cat that I should consider adopting a senior cat only. He went on a single lane dialogue about his 4000 cats he rescued, staying late at night and all his efforts.... I jumped ships on this one . I am sad for the cats in his guardianship and he is a road block to cat happiness. read more

I want to start by saying that I understand completely that adopting a cat should be a vetted process, and that it can be competitive, so emotional maturity is in order for animal adoption. Since many many many folks, (due to COVID-19) have wanted the companionship, and to care for, a pet that means it can be an intense and long process. It can be demoralizing to have to continuously search through pet adoption sites and feel like if you don't email or call first (or respond within minutes when you are contacted by email or phone) for a potential pet then you will be seen as a lesser candidate/not considered at all. It's good problem to have for the many animals that need and deserve stable homes and responsible owners. I was successful in adopting a pet from Melrose Humane Society, but it was by no means easy or pleasurable. I just knew I wanted my eventual cat and was willing to dance whatever jig they hummed at me. Is it right? No. But if you want to adopt from here that is the reality. I would have given three stars based on this, but the two stars are based on the fact that we did not receive clear information on our cat's medical history. We were given two very conflicting medical records after adopting our cat. We were not given them beforehand. We were too nervous to ask questions about it since it seemed asking questions about the cat we wanted to adopt would be seen as an annoyance and possibly a reason to not move forward with us on the adoption. Our cat had issues that were not in the records but it was OK for us financially and our cat is now doing great. Nonetheless, that is just not a good practice for ensuring successful adoptions or the health of the animal. So, I will confirm that the negative comments here are not wrong. I spoke with one of the folks mentioned here frequently as off-putting, and he is a character and half. I sensed right away that if I did not do things exactly to his preference (being available at all hours of the night, listening to very long stories...) then we would be rejected. It's weird to feel like I, as a responsible, knowledgable (about cats), and financially stable adult, needed to perform submission to someone's quirks to adopt a pet. He was nice to me though, but that could be due to the fact that I caught the tune of his personality and worked with it. The current pet adoption system is largely an informal one due to more and more networks of volunteers being created to support animals not being stuck in or euthanized in shelters. That means folks can be rude without consequence to people wanting to adopt animals. Sadly, many folks who get into animal adoption may have good intentions, but it also gives people a lot of power over others in a vulnerable position (wanting a pet). I think what Melrose Humane Society is ultimately amazing (volunteering so much of their time and energy to save these animals), but I also feel many of them are high on the power they have over others. If you fall in love with an animal associated with Melrose Humane Society, then treat it like a job interview/toxic relationship. Be prepared by reading through reviews to understand the personalities at play (like a high stakes interview) and then keep your phone on high ring all night (because if you don't pick up...they will likely reject you). read more

If you want to adopt a cat are lonely and can't sleep at night, Roy is the guy to talk. He's only available to talk late at night and when he talks to you he's an arrogant ass. If you're old he'll say you'll die soon and ask what will happen to the cats.. if you're young, he'll tell you this isn't a pet store.. he has a hard time trusting that people will take care of their cats. He's divorced and lonely and fills his emptiness by rescuing cats at night... he's not a normal cat lover like the rest of us. read more

Was very happy to get an email from Roy about one of the cats -- once I called him, he did not hesitate to continue attacking me as to how I am as a person, and how I would not be at all suitable for a cat. Given that I have only known this stranger for 0.2 seconds, I found it ridiculous for him to have such a fervent opinion. He went on to attack all of my answers to his questions, to which I decided it was not worth to continue. I have enough self-respect to not work with someone like Roy, so I can only hope that others feel the same. Please take your cat adoptions elsewhere, Roy will only use you as a punching bag. read more

I fostered for this organization under Roy. Simply put Roy is an unkind and unstable individual. His negligence and volatility are unbearable to work with. At the very worst his actions lead to one of my foster kittens passing away. At the least it was stressful and unhealthy to be in contact with. I recommend you stay clear of this individual and organization. read more

I had an interview with Roy to discuss adopting a cat, and when i told him that i had once given a cat up for adoption (one of the most painful experiences of my life) he became very rude and told me i should have kept the cat no matter what. I tried to explain that it had been a choice between having somewhere to live or keeping the cat at a time i had no income and no support from family or friends, but he only told me only that i should have kept it and "if i had done it once i would do it again". I am still haunted years later by the horrible experience of having to give the cat up, and to be shamed for it by a stranger, when i am now in a position to give a loving forever home to an animal and wanted to adopt one, was really awful. I dont recommend working with this person. read more

My boyfriend and I were hoping to adopt a kitten, but we found that Roy Barrows was an incredibly difficult and unresponsive person to deal with. My boyfriend enquired about two specific kittens, received reassurance from Roy that they were still available, completed an interview, and submitted all necessary paperwork the following day. We made multiple attempts to follow up, but got 10 days of radio silence from Roy. We assumed that the kittens already got adopted and were ready to move on, but Roy resurfaced again and said they were still available if we wanted them, with no information on how to proceed with adoption. After another immediate response from us hoping to complete the process, Roy disappeared again for another week, until reappearing and claiming that we would need to interview again (which we already did!). Attempting to adopt from here is a continuous, drawn-out, and frustrating process of Roy getting your hopes up, and being disappointed when he fails to respond. We have since moved on and will be looking to adopt from other more responsive and organized shelters. EDIT: One month after we initially contacted Roy about the kitten, the kitten STILL has not been adopted. Surely there was no shortage of interest in this kitten, and I feel sorry for those animals who would otherwise have homes, if not for Roy's incompetence. read more

These guys are great! They helped us to spay / neuter our cats (2) at minimal cost. We had no aftercare problems, cats were healed with a week. One male, one female. If you can't afford vet bills for these very simple, but oh so important procedures, check in with them. Also if you receive SNAP or TAFDC you can get a hugely discounted rate. read more

Roy Barrows (not really sure what his relationship is to melrose), is quite possibly one of the worst people to deal with if you want to adopt a cat. From the start he was extremely aggressive in his behavior and made unnecessary comments that were not only unprofessional, but also made me feel uncomfortable. He shows a complete lack of respect for his potential adopters and it's most likely because he has a boring and companionless life (except for his cats). In addition to his aggressive behavior, Roy is extremely unresponsive; I tried to contact him multiple times regarding the adoption, but he would take days and days to respond, if at all. This made the process extremely frustrating and I felt like my inquiries were being ignored. I believe that this level of unresponsiveness is unacceptable, especially when it comes to caring for animals. To top it all off, Roy demonstrates a complete lack of knowledge and understanding about the cats in his care. I found him to be rather unqualified to handle a cat adoption center. His lack of understanding about the needs of the cats was very concerning and I felt that the cats were not in good hands. I would not recommend this adoption center to anyone due to the unacceptable behavior and lack of knowledge of him. It's very obvious why people who work with him don't work with him for very long. read more

I emailed MHS about a kitten for my grandma and got a response quickly from Brian. That was great. He told me to contact ROY BARROWS. This man told me over the phone that he would never allow me to adopt a kitten for my grandma, and would hope that no one would adopt to me. He said "Your grandma is going to DIE SOON and then the kitten would be sad and left alone in a shelter pissed off". He then continued to tell me that she's old and can't handle a kitten and again IS AT THE END OF HER LIFE. When I connected the shelter they laughed it off and told me Roy has no filter. My mother called Roy as she was upset at the comment he made and when Roy called her back he said "I don't have the time to listen to all my voicemails i'm very busy, i get over 200 phone calls a day". It's a shame that I can't adopt a cat for my loving grandmother. read more

This is the most horrid experience that I have ever had. I am a healthy 63-5 in April woman who works as a farm Manager, takes no medicine and who's parents lived until they are in their 90's although that is not any ones business. I Tried to adopt a kitten today. Two actually because they should have friends. Some donkey's behind of a man named Roy told me first he was too busy to talk to me. Then begrudgingly started grilling me about my fitness. Told me I was not eligible because at 64-5 I was going to DIE! His exact words were the cemeteries are full of people who were not going to die. Rude, angry from the start, and never ever worth the insult of dealing with. GOING TO DIE !!!! WOW thanks Roy you back side of a mule! read more

I had two wonderful experiences with Melrose Humane Society. These people are angels that go to great lengths to save cats and place them in good homes! read more

this was honestly the worst human interaction i've ever had with a man named Brian. I can't believe someone is so miserable and rude. My pet died in my arms a month ago and I was trying to adopt a cat I liked. He had me come in again to see the cat and I fell in love with her then he was shocked to see I was 23 years old and told me i'm "too young" and "Can you even financially support a cat" Which is very odd considering I make a GOOD amount of money with my TWO JOBS. I spent close to $4000 on two of my last pets surgeries and vet visits so I don't understand how money is ever an issue. The way he talked to me is dehumanizing I've never had a worse experience in my entire life and I was nothing but nice to him. He claimed it "wasn't a good idea" to adopt a cat if i'm moving out May 31st yet I already have a place to go that accepts cats. The other volunteers were great. I just can't believe they let some scrod run a program like this it's truly upsetting so now the cat I was going to adopt gets to stay in a tiny enclosure unhappily i hope you're happy Brian. read more

I also need to comment on Roy as a representative of this organization. My wife and I both inquired about adopting two kittens via email and texting directly with Roy. We never heard back from him. Not even a quick response that he got our messages or that the kittens had already been adopted. Horrible non communication for a place looking for good homes for cats. Thankfully we adopted two other kittens easily and with great responsiveness. Don't hold your breath if you have to deal with Roy. read more

While I can't speak to their services at rescuing, fostering, or adopting out cats, I can say that the emails I received after finding a stray cat and contacting various animal rescue organizations, including Melrose Humane Society, to look into suitable no kill foster situations left a lot to be desired. Brian, who appears to handle all their communications, ignored the information I provided in my email about the cat, demanding I call him or text despite offering email as a means of communication, and was overall very unpleasant in tone. My statements that the cat was comfortably housed, fed, and cared for, and being taken to a vet appointment within days of being found (no mean feat with the COVID backlog at veterinary clinics) were met with the comment that "The cat needs to go to the vet. My vet is XYZ" and a question as to why I would contact or consider other nearby animal rescue organizations. When I replied again that we had found help with another no kill rescue organization and had a vet appointment scheduled so would no longer need his assistance, he replied with a childish "I guess ok" and then went on to say his vet could have seen the cat earlier and "that he had been trying to help with this cat but you never texted or called." Had he simply said in a brief email that an earlier vet appointment could be obtained, I would have jumped at the opportunity. While the Melrose Humane Society itself may be wonderful, they need to rethink how they reply to those who approach them for guidance or assistance, as this frankly hostile communication left me with a very unfavorable impression, especially in contrast to how lovely other animal rescue organizations were in their communications. read more

The Melrose Humane Society is an awesome cat rescue organization! Their volunteers are very dedicated to saving stray and unwanted cats and helping them to find homes. We got one of our cats from The Melrose Humane Society and were very pleased with our experience with them. They also have a very active facebook page for their organization. read more