The staff was very helpful, and the cat was honestly described. We adopted Cookie in a matter of minutes. The adoption fee is $200 for an adult cat, a little more for a kitten, and a little less for a senior cat. Reservations are required to visit the shelter. It was a great experience. read more

The team at Pet Refuge is so lovely! Everyone there is willing to go above and beyond to provide exceptional husbandry for the cats they care for. We are lucky to have them in our community! They have helped so many cats and families in Rhode Island! read more

I adopted an adult male cat from this shelter afew months ago. We spent afew days corresponding through email after I reached out via PetFinder. The cat I originally wanted to see was adopted after I had planned to see him. I had asked them if they had cats of a similar temperament available. They pointed me in the direction of one, and sang his praises. I fell in love with him. When we visited the establishment was just freshly cleaned. Everyone we came in contact with was very friendly. Although the cat we adopted- his personality was much different than originally described by the shelter. He is a very "scared of his own shadow" type of cat. But he still fits right in, and with some work he has gotten better, and is starting to show his goofy side. A volunteer reached out for updates afew times to see how he was adjusting to his new home, which I thought was great because most places aren't that invested in their animals and are looking for quick turnaround. read more

Amazing cat shelter with lots of kitty interaction and stimulation! They rescue a lot of cats with no where to go!

These people are so judgmental and rude! They turned my friend away about a year ago (who is a wonderful, kind and generous person) and now they are judging me! I had to make a decision to rehome my sick kitty who went to a loving vet tech - who could care for him better than me. I put quite a bit of thought into the decision and I would do it again! They are very abrupt on the phone, controlling, and someone really should replace whoever is in charge over there. They have little compassion and they think in black and white. If anyone needs to rehome a cat or wants to adopt, they should go to anywhere but here. read more

I tried to call about a little cat abandoned in my neighborhood. The lady who answered the phone was rude and dismissive, and just about hung up on me. It was an off-putting experience, especially assuming a no-kill shelter would be compassionate at the very least. read more

The OVERWHELMING STENCH OF POOP assaulted my nostrils as soon as I entered the Pet Refuge and the odor only intensified the further I went into the shelter. As I interacted with the volunteers, I quickly realized that not only did this shelter smell like shit, but it was also full of shit. You see, I arrived at the Pet Refuge for my appointment to adopt the cat I was interested in. In the weeks leading up to this appointment, I'd corresponded with the volunteers about the cat in question and they assured me that there was no need to put a deposit on her and that the cat would definitely still be available for my arranged appointment. To my dismay, she was already in the process of being adopted by someone else when I arrived. But the misinformation didn't end there. I'd also been led to believe that this particular cat was tolerant of dogs and that she also had an easily manageable chronic health condition. Well. Donna, the woman who seemed to be in charge(?), informed me that this cat had extremely demanding symptoms and that her condition was beyond my ability to care for properly as a first time cat-owner. Out of curiosity, I asked her if the cat would get along with a dog. Donna laughed at this, turned to another volunteer, and said "could you IMAGINE this cat with a dog?!" At this point, I wanted an explanation for the contradictory information I'd received from other volunteers. Donna explained that the person in charge of marketing and communications liked to embellish details about their cats and often wrote descriptions that were, according to Donna, totally inaccurate and misrepresentative of a cat's personality. This fact did not seem to bother Donna and the other volunteers at the shelter one bit. WHAT?! The ethics of this boggles my mind. My impressions are that this shelter is disorganized, chaotic, smelly to the point of being unhygienic, and untrustworthy. The cats themselves seemed perfectly sweet, but they also seemed uncomfortable in their cramped cages . Honestly, I wanted to adopt them all, if only to get them far, far away from this place. read more

I'm so sorry to read Marcia S's review. Though I am sure she has loved her pets, I believe her attitude about letting her cats out (whether for just a short time or longer) is an outdated belief. Many realize that putting them out exposes them to risks of attacks, disease, & deadly cars. ONE car is all it takes to kill or main your loved kitty. To expose them to this is irresponsible just as if you let a little child out on the street alone. If kitty gets killed I know you would be devastated, but it would be your fault. I am glad Pet Refuge tries to get indoor homes for the kitties. They deserve the lap of luxury & total safety. Bravo Pet Refuge. read more

Fantastic positive changes since the the new president and new board took over. The place is so much cleaner, the staff seems so much happier. Tons of wonderful cats and kittens needing a good home. So good to have a no-kill shelter in Rhode Island. So happy to support this great team with all they are doing to help the animals. It is amazing how much it costs to care for the volume of animals they are dealing with. Kudos to everyone who volunteers there and to those who make donations and support this organization and the cats they serve. read more

My issue- look at the application after it is submitted and let the person know then that you WILL NOT LET THEM ADOPT if they intend to let the cats out at any time!! I have had cats for over 35 years, treat them very well, have in home pet care when I go away, always up to date on all shots yet I felt like a criminal when was told I was denied because I let my cats go outside- as if I leave them out all day which I do not. I will guarantee they have let people adopt who will not provide as good care and love as I would have to the 2 kittens. Furthermore, I was referred to them by NK Animal Hospital whom I intend to speak to about this issue.Before I went over for an explanation, on the phone, the girl who told me I was denied, refused to tell me why and then hung up on me. read more

We recently adopted a kitten and his year old mother. They are both happy, healthy and full of energy! The staff genuinely cares about all of the animals and you can tell our new family members got lots of love during their time there. Would highly recommend a visit. Even if you aren't in a position to adopt, they can always use supplies. read more

Short rundown of my experience trying to adopt a pair of kittens from this Pet Refuge. - Walked through the front door with my fiancé to stand in a filthy office ungreeted by a man sitting at a desk with his back turned to us. CATS ARE EVERYWHERE. There are cats on the keyboard, cats on the desk, filing cabinet, random cat trees, stacks of paper, pretty much anywhere available there was a cat wandering around. Shouldn't be an issue adopting here, right? Greeted by a volunteer (she was very nice, props to her) and she introduced us to the woman in charge - who barely acknowledged our existence after we were introduced. The lack of enthusiasm when we explained we wanted to adopt some kittens was astounding. She looked at us like we were crazy. Went to the back through a maze of isolated rooms where dozens of cats walk free and other cats are locked in their cages. There are a few volunteers walking around taking care of the cats - I applaud their efforts. There must have been about 20 young kittens "available for adoption". Maybe around 40 or 50 cats wandering around or locked up. The facility looked as if it hadn't been thoroughly cleaned in who knows how long. Anyways we told the supervisor we were interested in adopting and she told us we couldn't adopt today. Besides the fact that she appeared disgusted by our interest in adopting, she gave us a minute for application review. We had pre-filled out the application and brought it in to show her as we were in interested in adopting the day of and she "took it for review". The issues she had with our application were: - Besides living with cats for 23 and 24 years, we had not had a cat apart from our parents residence's. - We indicated we would allow our cats to go "in and outside" during the day, and inside at night. The application has a long list of options. APPARENTLY allowing a cat outside is not acceptable. Those were our discrepancies. The supervisor said she would have to run it by another supervisor and give us a call back. -Received call back 2 hours later stating that "we are not going to be able to adopt to you because you allow your cats in and out, and we only allow indoors." Thanks Pet Refuge. In conclusion: this facility has no intention of adopting any cats to anyone - it has more of an appearance of a hoarder house than of an adoption shelter. The facility is dirty and overcrowded and apparently has very strict (ridiculous) adoption rules preventing people from saving pets. This facility is not a rescue - it is a prison. read more

I'm not sure about the other reviews. I don't think it's very nice to deter potential adopters from visiting this shelter just because you didn't have a good experience with their staff. I didn't read anything about the way they treat or mistreat the animals, and as far as I can tell they treat their animals very well. It's refreshing to know how picky some shelters are when adopting out. One, they don't want to see the animal abused, neglected, or killed. Two, they don't want to see the cat/dog/whatever brought back to the shelter because "it didn't work out" and three, they're not looking to make a quick buck. I adopted two female cats from this shelter. The staff was very polite and caring and the cats were beautiful, up to date on shots and both spayed. Revolting to think that someone would recommend you NOT to donate to this shelter. I donate when I can and I believe it's worth every penny because THE MONEY GOES TO THE ANIMALS and not the "rude" staff. Now go visit your local shelter! Or this shelter! read more

Disappointing to say the least. Place smells horrible. The workers were rude. Seems like they are more interested in hoarding animals than trying to place them in loving families. I would recommend to the owners of Pet Refuge to look at their staff and clean house. Get some quality people who care about placing the animals in homes where they can have a good life and not be stuck in cages with grumpy old cat ladies. Can't say it enough, staff was horrible. Would recommend no one ever donate to this place until they change this attitudes. I sure hope the staff is all volunteers because if donation money is going to pay these sorry souls, people are being ripped off. Did I mention it was horrible. Ok, just wanted to make sure I was clear. Stay away. read more

What a loving group of people! I spent time there, and spoke to the owner,and a volunteer. ( Tracie.... and Sandi ) unbelievably nice! They truly care about each and every cat,and kitten there! You will find the cats that have been there for a long time,and have not been adopted, and being a no kill Ever shelter they are free to rome as this is there home. I was so pleased to see this, knowing that these precious babies are not subject to being caged 24/7 This is definitely where you would go to adopt and maybe if need be, leave a precious one. And yes they are very decerning as to who they allow to adopt..... this is highly commendable! Please consider donating to this wonderful facility. Thank you ladies,great job,and God Bless all of you !! read more

I had an amazing experience at the Pet Refuge! It is clean & the staff is so caring & friendly! I have adopted all 3 of my cats from them & the staff was so helpful each time! I explained the type of cat I was looking for & they matched me to the perfect cat! They know each cat by name & know their personalities! My youngest cat was born there & he is so loving, you can tell he received plenty of love his earliest weeks. The best part is this is truly a no kill shelter. When you adopt a pet from the pet refuge you save two lives, the one you adopted & the one who takes its place. I recommended everyone who is interested in adopting a pet visit the pet refuge!!! read more

The people that this shelter are awesome they go out of their way to save any animal! All animals there are loved and friendly, the ones that for some reason don't get adopted, When you walk in you are greeter by cats laying in the windows getting sun., they cats here are happy and well taken care of. I have adopted many times from here over the years and will do again. read more

I can't believe that person would write such a scathing review because they weren't handed two kittens right on the spot without any kind of vetting process. Kittens, they admit, that they planned to throw outside all day! Sorry, but IMO, it was right that they were turned down. Then another reviewer wasn't happy with their experience either so they urged people not to donate money to the refuge. The Pet Refuge exists on donations and without any donations, the cats don't eat, they don't get medical care, and they don't get a chance for a permanent home. Why make the cats suffer because you had a bad experience? I've donated many times to The Pet Refuge and I'm confident they've used every penny to care for the cats. I've also been there many times to leave items for their fundraisers and the place was always clean and it didn't smell. In fact, every time I've been there, volunteers have been busy washing floors and carrying out bags of dirty kitty litter. I haven't found the volunteers to be rude either--just very busy working. The Pet Refuge isn't your traditional municipal-run shelter with a sterile stone building and rows upon rows of cats in cages. The people who run The Pet Refuge created the best shelter they could on the funds they had to work with. And they believe in giving the cats as much out-of-cage time as possible, So, yeah, you may be taken aback by the fact that it looks like a converted ranch house (which I think is exactly what it is) instead of your typical animal shelter. And there are cats walking around free and lounging on the furniture. It's better than them being caged up all the time. And they're all friendly and get along remarkably well with each other. I, personally, have never adopted a cat from The Pet Refuge (mine have always been strays) but I've been there when other people were happily making adoptions. And some of my favorite cats there have been adopted--so it's not a "hoarding situation" as the other reviewer claimed. The Pet Refuge has some sweet, wonderful cats who would be dead right now or on the streets starving if the refuge hadn't taken them in. read more

I always enjoy visiting here as the people are wonderful. Taking care of the kitties is a labor of love. They are truly selfless and dedicated. Each cat was introduced by name with a bit of history and description of personality. These are well cared for animals. read more

I have had 2 experience with Pet Refuge, both of which were fantastic! I adopted my cat, Brian, from them about 3 years ago and it was a great experience. They recently helped me out again by taking a young cat I had taken in over the winter but couldn't keep due to some health issues my cat had acquired. I had such a hard time finding anyone who would even answer a phone call about taking the cat in but Pet Refuge went out of their way and set her up her own space the very next day! I am so grateful to them and always recommend them at the highest regard! Thank you to all the great staff and volunteers at Pet Refuge! read more

I agree with Erica M's review. I adopted two kittens who are brothers in Dec. 2012 from the Pet Refuge. I live in MA but decided to adopt from the Pet Refuge in RI because I work with a woman who volunteers every Saturday there. She shared with me many stories from the shelter and how the volunteers genuinely care for all the animals they house. I liked that there was a vetting process involved in adopting and understood they were choosey about who adopts from them. My boys were in great shape when I met them, they had their shots and were neutered. I brought them immediately to my vet who confirmed they had no health issues and were healthy. While I agree, not everyone may be comfortable with cats roaming around. I viewed it as kind thing to do opposed to having them stuck in a cage all day. This is a no-kill shelter so while not fancy, I do believe this shelter and the volunteers who donate their time do care very much about the animals under their roof. I donate twice a year (boy's birthday and holiday time) and do so without hesitation. read more

I am not affiliated with the Pet Refuge, but know someone who loyally volunteers there. The volunteers at the shelter are extremely dedicated to the welfare of the cats. As animal lovers, they want to make sure the cats they adopt out are going to good homes and if that requires the customer having to wait a day until his/her landlord is called to make sure cats are even allowed in an apartment then the customer is going to have to wait!! And I'm sure they are limited with how many volunteers they can get to care for the cats so if the limited time they have is spent caring for and feeding the cats then who really cares if the place is a mess? It is an animal shelter after all! I know that when my friend goes to volunteer, she cleans the cat cages and feeds/medicates the cats and changes their litter boxes. Perhaps she and the other volunteers don't have time to sweep the floor or dust the office. You can't hold that against them! And a person who is disturbed by the fact that cats were roaming around the shelter instead of being locked in cages probably shouldn't be adopting a cat in the first place!! read more