I have nothing but positive things to say about Animal Rescue Volunteers. I was treated with…read morekindness and patience. Their vetting process was reasonable as was their adoption fee. At all times it was clear they were looking for the right home for Dougal. I am so happy it was us. Even after the adoption we continue to hear from Staci at ARV with follow up calls.

Decided it was time to get a puppy, and ARV Simi Valley was nothing less than phenomenal in their…read moreorganization and operations. From the moment we entered the facility, it was obvious that all of the employees worked with passion and attention to detail. We worked with ARV president "Staci." She was clear with her communications and expectations of hopeful pet owners, and I would expect nothing less. Lastly, ARV Simi keeps owners in the loop with an (optional) free news subscription and very fun annual "Wag 'n Walk Charity Dog Walk." It's been over a year since we've adopted our pup "Stella" (previously "Prancer"), and we've been blessed beyond measure to be able to care for such a loving puppy. I Highly recommend this business!

Adam is fantastic! He assisted us with our two dogs. Adam helped us over the phone, ensuring they…read morehad the products available before we drove to their store since we had already stopped by three other pet stores. He is very friendly and professional. He definitely helped us and went above and beyond.

I stopped here hoping they might have some non-white pet mice. I wandered over to the room at the…read moreback that has reptiles and browsed around while an employee helped a young family with a bearded dragon purchase. I'm not a reptile expert, but the employee seemed to me to have good advice, steering the family away from keeping the lizard in the garage, because temperatures would not be stable there. The pets all looked well cared for and not overcrowded. An employee did help me with my mouse question, but the only mice they had were white. I think they basically just have feeder mice, not like, mice that are tame and intended to be pets. I bought some super worms instead (average price) and the staff at the counter was very polite and friendly too. Store was clean, well stocked and easy to navigate. I'll stop in again next time I'm in the area.

On a Saturday we found a brown common sparrow sitting in the middle of our yard. Alive,…read moreapproachable, but not moving. A couple hours later, dead. 4 days later, another sparrow, the same thing. We left it alone, but kept an eye on it and called Animal Control, which directed(via automated system) to WVAS. I called and after a hold of about 10 minutes, an officer answered & I explained our concern. She told me we are welcome to bring any injured or wild animal we can safely gather and bring in 24/7. She suggested boxing the bird and bringing it in. We did. 15 minutes later, walking in and seeing the same officer I spoke with. Another employee took the box and went straight to the on-sight vet. While she input our name, address & contact #, I mentioned again that this was the 2nd bird in a few days and asked if we should be concerned or notify anyone else. She said no, the vet will see if they can do anything, if it survives it goes to a bird rehab facility for further monitoring, then eventual release. If it doesn't get better, not, then it's euthanized. I was wondering if the bird gets a autopsy to see what killed it. She said no. She then generated an impound code, in case we wanted to check for updates. We thanked her and left, feeling bad for the bird. When we got home - ANOTHER BIRD! This one in our driveway, just staring at our stucco wall. Grabbed a box & gloves, and back to the shelter we went. When we came in this time, she wasn't there, but the other worker who took the first bird back to the vet was. He took the box and away he went again. He returned to update our intake for the 2nd bird. He then told us that the first bird had died and it looked like the 2nd one was now dead. We again voiced our concern that now 3 birds within 4 days were found in very poor condition. Since we don't work in this field, we asked if this is a concern for them. He just stared at the motor and shook his head 'no,' then said he had all the info they needed and the impound code would be the same. We left hoping to not have to go back and we still don't know why this happened. As of today, no further birds found. We also haven't seen any alerts about bird diseases in our area, which is information the LA County Dept. of Health monitors and shares via their website, but it's good to know that we have this facility in the SFV where we can take a wild animal we may find injured or in poor health. After hours, there is a door bell to the right of the main entrance. Someone is always there to accept animals. Cheers! "CC"

My experience at West Valley Animal Shelter was extremely disappointing…read more On July 28, 2026, I accompanied a couple who had driven approximately 4 hours to adopt a kitten that had recently been removed from the euthanasia list. I was there as a representative of Purrrfect Rescues (a nonprofit) to help coordinate transportation and assist with the adoption process. Unfortunately, the experience quickly became frustrating. An employee named "Delfina" began yelling at me Becuase she wanted to speak with the adopters privately, instead of asking me to give them a moment she decided to escalate the situation and yell at me,I was excluded from the adoption conversation despite being involved in coordinating the adoption, leaving me without important information about changes to the plan. Communication from staff was inconsistent, and the adopters were later told they would need to make an additional round trip to pick up the kitten because he was under the required weight for neutering, then return again once he reached 2 pounds. This was different from what we had initially understood and created unnecessary inconvenience for a family that had already traveled several hours. The staff member we interacted with, Delfina, was discourteous and unprofessional throughout all interactions. Afterward, I learned she allegedly made comments about me to the adopters rather than addressing any concerns with me directly. The overall experience left the adopters feeling so uncomfortable that they ultimately decided not to proceed with the adoption! To make matters worse, when I asked for a supervisor's contact information so I could voice my concerns, I was refused direct contact information and was given a phone number and email address that did not work. I was also told a supervisor would be available the next day, only to later be told that was not the case. I appreciate the difficult work that animal shelter VOLUNTEERS do every day, and I am grateful that this kitten was removed from the euthanasia list. However, saving animals doesn't end there. Shelters should also make the adoption process welcoming, transparent, and supportive for responsible adopters. In this case, the process became unnecessarily complicated, and a kitten ultimately lost what could have been a loving home. I sincerely hope management reviews this incident and takes steps to improve communication, professionalism, and customer service so future adopters and rescue partners have a better experience.

Loved working with these folks. They were patient and throughout. They understood the personality…read moreand needs of their pups and do a lot for their health and welfare. Would recommend!

Here comes a 5 star review if there ever was one! Our beloved dog had to be put down around 6…read moremonths ago. Had no interest in a replacement for her until we thought more and more about it. My wife and I have so much love for each other, we needed to share that with another dog! After all, a house with no dog is no home! We thought about getting a nice puppy, but then thought about saving a shelter dog, and that seemed like the thing we wanted to do now. Enter Robert and Yana. Saw a pure white Maltese online at their rescue that we thought could be a candidate. Drove over there and there were at least 50 dogs there, horses, and all kinds of animals! The Maltese, named Coco, as it turns out, had been a stud for making puppies at a puppy mill. Never got any love or attention. Was treated badly. Owner had actually cut his ears (still can't figure out what that nut was thinking!) He was then abandoned, chained under a house and left for dead in the hot Lancaster sun for months as he deteriorated, his fur became terribly matted, he lost almost all his teeth. Nearby people threw him scraps once in a while, but nobody cared to save him. Then somehow Robert and Yana found about this and drove out there to try to do it themselves! But Coco wouldn't come to them. They tried treats, and everything, but he wouldn't come to anyone. He was a wild dog. Then Robert thought! He brought a female dog to entice Coco, and just like that, he came out to do his life-long duty, when they grabbed him. He has had a lot of health issues, as mentioned, and a bad ear infection to boot. A lot of these things were addressed by Rob and Yana. These Incredible people do God's work, I'm telling you! I was so amazed at how they devote their lives to saving precious fur-babies like they do! We decided this dog was for us! A challenge to be sure for me, but I've always been good at teaching dogs tricks, etc. Coco is a bit rough around the edges, of course, but I feel confidant as he makes strides learning and most importantly enjoying life, with ALL the love for him and him alone! To get puppy-chinos from Starbucks, go on long walks, given the best food, doggy parks, having his own people to lay on their laps.We've had Coco for three weeks now, and you wouldn't believe the changes in him! (and how fast he has become spoiled!) Our hearts feel SO good knowing the good life we will provide him with, no matter how long he has with us in this world and we feel so good for HIM! He comes when called, is learning how to 'sit' and 'sit up', and is very loving! He is very sensitive personality. I can't imagine him being this way and still surviving everything he was up against. Robert is the nicest guy! A great guy! They set me up with all kinds of stuff. Food, treats, some medicines, and everything we needed to know about him. Leash, collar, harness, and this is just the beginning!,They care so much about what they're doing you can't help but get sucked in! Yana is such a hard worker too. Just super loving, caring, knowledgable folks! They went out of their way to help us out every way they could, and no we have a happy, sweet baby that's all ours! I don't know who got the better end of the deal! Him, or us! Thank you SO much Robert and Yana! Wishing you guys the BEST of everything in life. You deserve it!

Yesterday we found a couple dogs that had been abandoned, it was witnessed by a neighbor. We spent…read moretime waiting for the county animal service person to show up, never did. At the last minute my wife and I made a dash for the shelter, technically they were closed. But with big hearts they helped us out and gave the dogs a safe place for the night.

If you're looking to adopt a dog or cat from a place that treats their animals right, this is the…read moreplace. I was surprised to see how low this shelter is rated. I think a lot of the bad reviews are from people who don't value the freedom of animals. If an animal is a healthy weight while living "on the streets" or "in the wild," it probably means they have a whole set up for their life. They know where to find food. They might even have people leaving out food for them already. This is especially true for cats, as a couple people have mentioned in the other reviews. Cats are one of the most perfect predators. "House cats" can be "wild cats." Being "saved" by humans is all some people seem to care about. News alert, humans don't solve everything. The staff at this shelter have seen hundreds if not thousands of cats and dogs. They're trained through experience. They'll know what's best for an animal. I volunteer here with my brother and my cousin. I do agree that some of the staff have very strong, cut-to-the-point personalities but they've all been helpful to me since I'm actually willing to listen to their suggestions and advice. One reviewer made some comment on the shelter staff making generalizations on a dog's breed. I don't see where they're gonna get the funding to carry out a bunch of tests to find the exact breeds and percentages of each dog, especially on top of caring for more than 20 pets at a time and having to play or walk all the dogs everyday. I think the dogs are much more concerned with whether they get their playtime than what breed they are. Every morning I've volunteered, I see the staff cleaning out all the pens for the cats and dogs. They all get fresh food and water and medication as needed. Afterwards, they get what the staff can offer in terms of enrichment. For the cats, it's things like toys and interesting smells. For the dogs, there are puzzle toys, treats, scents, a doggy yard and walks. The dogs are always itching to be noticed and to be walked or played with. I hope more people can consider places like this to get their pets from, especially with how hard the staff tries to treat all their animals well. I'd also encourage anyone who wants to to sign up to volunteer. I'm more of a cat person so most of my volunteering consists of cleaning, laundry, dishes and playing with the few cats. But if you're a dog person, as most people are, I feel you'd have a lot of fun walking and playing with all the dogs. Imagine getting love and being able to give love to more than 20 different dogs!

They rock! I'm so impressed with the selfless work they do. Thanks ! And especially thanks to BEV…read morefor being so caring and professional. Gratefully, Bob M

first rescue to answer out of the 40 I called . I had an emergency and needed to get rid of a dog…read moreand she helped me every step of the way . she's such a kind sweet lady and deserves the world for all the help she does for dogs . couldn't be more thankful

My wife and I had a wonderful visit to Kindred Spirits Care Farm and would highly recommend it. The…read morestaff and volunteers were incredibly kind, welcoming, and clearly passionate about the animals in their care. The farm itself is beautiful, peaceful, and wonderfully tranquil. The highlight was being able to go inside the enclosures, feed the animals, pet them, and spend time with them up close--an absolute treat and such a special experience. A truly lovely place with a warm atmosphere and dedicated people. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and will definitely be back.

Wonderful animal sanctuary. It's so nice to see the beautiful goats pigs horses cows ... that…read moreare rescued by this nurturing organization. Only open Sunday's from 10am-2pm so plan ahead.

This is one of the best county-owned locations I've experienced. The staff/volunteers are committed…read moreto responsible pet adoption. Social media is a lot to manage when there's no budget for it and they do their best. Animals I've seen are well-cared. There's a donation station at the office entrance, making drop-offs easy, which is nice.

They work within the confines of the LA county system to care for so many dogs. The dogs are often…read moresocialized two or three times a day!

Friendly and allowed us to walk in without an appointment. Found a dog and picked her up the next…read moreday. Great dog too!

We have adopted 2 wonderful dogs from Shelter Hope. One of our dogs we adopted eight years ago and…read morejust a year ago we adopted another. We now have three rescues and they are such a blessing and a joy. We found the owner of the rescue to be incredibly supportive and caring.

I just adopted my second dog from Life Animal Rescue. I adopted my first dog from them in 2017, and…read morehe's the best dog in the world. This past time when we adopted our second dog Bom we worked with Nancy and she was wonderful! She was so helpful, caring, and patient with my family of four as we picked up our new addition. I love this rescue and their mission. They have such amazing dogs coming from terrible circumstances. I am so happy that we had the opportunity to adopt from them again. Now we have the best puppy in the world. Thank you Life!

About a year ago, my husband and I became interested in adopting one of the dogs listed as…read moreavailable for adoption. I submitted an application online but never received a response or any follow-up regarding my application. Despite this, we decided to make the trip to PetsSmart in Westlake Village/ Agoura Hills because we were genuinely interested in the dog. We drove several hours and arrived very early, hoping to speak with the rescue before other potential adopters arrived. When we arrived, Emily and her team were getting the dogs out of the van. I approached Emily and asked about the dog we were interested in. Unfortunately, her response and overall approach came across as very unwelcoming and rude. She told us that another family was driving four hours to see the dog and that the dog would no longer be available. If a dog already has a family coming to meet them and and may no longer be available, why is the dog still being advertised as available on their website and social media? One of the volunteers informed Emily that we had also driven several hours to meet the dog and that we had previously submitted an application. It was only after this that Emily approached us and became willing to speak with us. The entire experience left me feeling that the adoption process could be much more organized and transparent. There should be better communication with applicants, particularly when multiple families are interested in the same dog. I also want to be honest about how the interaction made me feel. I left with the impression that we were treated differently, and I couldn't help but wonder whether race or ethnicity played a role in how we were treated. Looking at the organization's social media, I also noticed that the majority of the families featured as adopters appeared to be non-people of color. I hope the organization takes this feedback seriously and considers improving both its communication with applicants and the way potential adopters are treated.