Having volunteered at SAVE in the past, I had high hopes when applying to adopt a cat at SAVE. However, I was extremely disappointed with my experience and have decided to pursue an adoption elsewhere. After not hearing back about my application, I made several attempts to follow up via phone. However, my interactions with staff members have been dismissive, disorganized, and condescending. While I understand the importance of adoption policies, the way potential adopters are treated matters, professional and respectful communication is essential if animals are going to find the homes they deserve. Sadly, my experience with SAVE fell far short of that. read more

I'm not sure what went wrong with these other reviewers! I had a great experience. I applied online to adopt a cat and within a day they contacted me and scheduled an appointment for me to come in and meet the cat I was interested in. The whole process only took about a week, and I adopted my cat yesterday! She's a love and the staff at SAVE were all super friendly and helpful. Adoption process is fast, and the animals all come microchipped, spade/neutered, and are up to date on vaccines. Amazing facility as well. Definitely don't let the bad reviews scare you. read more

Excellent experience adopting my 3rd cat from SAVE! The facility is immaculate and the dogs and cats are treated very well. I've known this shelter since before it moved to the new location, have volunteered on and off for over 10 years, and have seen the changes in staff, management, and board members over the course of time. Like every organization, sometimes you get a few bad apples (still with good intentions) that eventually get weeded out. It pains me to see the negative comments, particularly regarding money. While funds are essential to keep up the good work, it has never, ever been the primary focus or motivation of this animal shelter, or any for that matter. I sincerely hope that anyone interested in getting a cat or dog seriously considers rescuing vs. buying, whether it be at SAVE or elsewhere. PS: The adoption fees cover a lot of expenses. If this poses a financial problem, reconsider getting a pet. Proper care for these furry babies cost $$$. read more

Placed an application for adoption almost 3 weeks ago. Had to send emails for contact to find out what happened to the application. Response by email from Jill was what application was it a cat? A dog? So I called so it can be clear and I was rejected. Seams I was rejected after more then 2 weeks since they had no idea what I was adopting. I didn't ever get an answer back by emails, without the call I would never have know anything. I appreciate the honesty of why I was rejected, so I can address those issues. But there was none till I called and asked. Background I have adopted from Save for years before this. The amount of pets I have has to do with adoptions from save. I was told I had to wait to hear almost 3 weeks because they are busy and understaffed. I can understand that. But an email back in 3 weeks simply saying I can't adopt at this time would have been fine. I have donated and given items for the shelter animals for years. Based upon prior great experiences and the kindness we were shown. I'm not sure where that kindness and caring has gone. But I have decided to donate instead to leashes of valor. I can't see supporting a shelter that can't be decent and send a email or text back for almost 3 weeks. It takes 2 seconds the most. I do have to thank save since my new cats I was able to adopt elsewhere was meant to be. read more

Walked in on my way home from work to make an appointment to meet some of the dogs. Some nasty woman told me look at the website it says call for an appointment. I was not looking to meet the dogs just to make an appointment. She wouldn't even look at me. Not sure who would think her face as the greeter is a good idea but she should be the one picking up the poop instead read more

How is this place still in business??? It needs to be shut down. We had such a miserable experience with the people here! We offered to foster a dog that was clearly in distress at the shelter. We met the dog, who we were told had issues with men, had issues with other dogs. They did not specify. After meeting the dog--no issues--we went downstairs so that I could sign the paperwork. Which meant that I READ the paperwork. An entire gaggle of hens emerged--so anxious--and oblivious to the fact that we ALREADY had our discussion, the decision was ALREADY made that we were going to take the dog home. I was later told that "the man was listening, but you weren't." The "man" wasn't reading the papers and signing them, as they require--I was! Anyway, the dog was WONDERFUL!!! He started to relax and give up his nervous mannerisms very quickly. He was a young dog with a lot of energy. So, I wanted to exercise him. I bought a ball with a pitching wand at the pet store, and tried to figure out where we could take him. We went to the dog park, hoping that there would be an empty fenced in area. There was. This dog just wanted to play with the other dogs. Since I didn't know him that well, I didn't want to set him loose in the other area where the dogs were running. So, one woman who said her dog was very friendly and would present no issue, felt sorry for our dog, and brought him over to meet. They were in heaven! This dog had the time of his life!!! That evening I was so ecstatic at how well everything was going, that I made the mistake of sharing this info (although I was NEVER told not to bring him to a dog park, and there was nothing in the paperwork that said not to bring him to a dog park or keep him away from other dogs.) The woman immediately started freaking out. The next morning I get a call from the manager saying I needed to bring the dog back NOW. I said I would bring him back later in the day. SHE CALLED THE POLICE AND MADE A FALSE CLAIM THAT I REFUSED TO RETURN THE DOG!!! When I did return the dog, when I took him out of the car and he saw where he was, he immediately went into his stress behavior that he had when he was there before, but which he had given up in our care. I wrote a letter to the Board. I never received a reply. I got a call from Heather, the director. I said that they needed to fire the manager who made a false report to the police. She said she couldn't just do that, that there were procedures that needed to be followed. Since then, walking in the neighborhood, (I live fairly close to the shelter), I heard several other horror stories. We were also traumatized by the experience, and would NEVER do business with them again. But, THIS PLACE NEEDS TO BE SHUT DOWN!!!! read more

The shelter makes it difficult to adopt and does not treat people very well. There are very good people who work there and take good care of the dogs and cats, but when it comes to interacting with the people who want to adopt or foster, there is much room for improvement. My primary complaint is that they seem to be looking out for their own self-interests more than the interests of the families who want to foster or adopt. read more

A Traumatic Experience that has tainted our feelings towards adopting from a rescue. I wish I could provide all the details of this dreadful, 6 week foster-to-adopt experience. These people held-back vital information. Each time I interacted with a different staff member another negative issue was revealed. Even with his "fatal flaws," we decided to work with him. We really wanted to help a dog in need and had experience with his particular challenges. We spent a considerable amount of dedicated time and money on weekly training, treats, etc. After notifying Lisa of our intent to adopt, a short time later they demanded we return the dog via an unprofessional phone call, from Pamela, and Julie. We tried to communicate with Save, and were ignored. No one from SAVE seemed to be interested in how he was actually doing in our home. I sent an e-mail to Heather, Executive Director giving details of our progress and his improvements. She just gaslighted me. My husband sent a letter to the president-board of trustees. He did call him and say he would look into it. He did call back and said they could not adopt this dog to us because he has a "high prey drive." (It took them 6-weeks to figure this out)? They knew this from day one! We are emotionally exhausted from this experience. We were used and abused by Save! We were halfway through the most difficult period of welcoming a new dog into the family. We were bonded and becoming a close-knit family. It is completely disgusting how dismissive and cruel the staff is here! read more

We adopted a cat prior to Christmas from this shelter. The staff were all extremely helpful and knowledgeable about the personalities of the cats. Everything was clean and the animals looked well taken care of and healthy. We did need to schedule an appointment to come to the facility which worked out well since we had a staff member with us that provided helpful advice throughout the appointment. We ended up taking home our new family member that day and could not be happier. read more

A few months ago we adopted a dog from SAVE and long story short within two weeks of having him he ended up biting several people both in and out of the home. We met with a certified trainer who specialized in aggression and upon her recommendation we had to make the difficult decision to rehome him and per our adoption contract he had to be brought back to the shelter. The trainer said despite the jobs we gave him when others were around to give him purpose, puzzle games he played with to stimulate his mind, and multiple runs he took a day, our house full of visitors, would never be a place he could feel safe and comfortable in. We loved that dog, and still think and speak of him often, but ultimately we knew that it was not best for him to live in our home where he could not have the full worry-free life he deserved. This was a crushing blow no one adopts a dog, thinking they will have to return them. We were devastated but based on the advice of this professional we contacted the shelter to explain the situation and come up with a plan to make the transition as easy and stress free for the dog as possible. The staff did not want to work with us at all, they just demanded we bring him back before they closed. Both on the phone and in person the staff was ruthless toward us. They accused us of hating animals, not being fit dog owners, not loving our dog, and not understanding the commitment a dog requires. None of these things were true, I am a lifelong dog owner and we adopted to try and save an animal. We tried every solution and sought the advice of a professional before eventually being out of options. When we returned the dog they berated us, followed us outside and recorded our license plate (we assume to blackball us), and did not even allow us one final goodbye. It was heartbreaking. They blamed us, when it was truly just an unfortunate circumstance. After this situation we realized some red flags we experienced about how they handle adoptions and do not fully vet dogs. This experience has unfortunately tainted our feelings towards animal adoption and I do not know that we will ever be willing to adopt again. read more

We did not understand one of the questions on the animal adoption application and were denied because of our answer, without being given an opportunity to clarify or discuss further with an employee. I had already purchased a ton of cat stuff and was absolutely gutted. This is no way for a service provider to act. We are willing to pay for a cat and you should be trying to get our business. We will be spending that money elsewhere now. read more

If giving a rating of 0 stars was an option, I would give them 0. We had been in conversation with them for over 3 weeks discussing a particular cat just for us to come in and have them tell us that we're not the "right fit" for the cat. We're all people of color (2 Black people and one Hispanic person) and they were so so racist and ableist. At one point, Lisa proceeds to tell me that the cat isn't a good fit for me because as a person with a documented disability, I would need emotional support and so how could I provide emotional support to the cat. Absolutely awful and rude as hell. If you're a person of color, do not go here, it's not worth the mental torment read more

Newly renovated, supper clean & supper friendly staff!! My boyfriend and I had a wonderful experience adopting from SAVE. Everyone we encountered was really nice and helpful. The shelter itself was clean and smelled fresh. The dogs were taken very good care of and the staff seemed to really love and care about their animals! We applied online before going to see the dog in person, after a day or two we were approved and allowed to go see him! We were able to adopt the day we went to meet him. Meeting the dog, taking him on a walk, and adopting him took about an hour and a half all together! Very fast and Lisa at the front desk made sure our adoption process went as smooth as possible! She was the best! We will definitely be returning back to the shelter to visit and hopefully adopt more in the future! read more

I think the old staff was so much better than now. I would stay away from here. They only care about money and not the animals. They treat most volunteers badly. And their staff badly also from what I've heard. I've seen horror shows in the " back room" with the poor cats in quarantine. Dirty cages on the floor with sick animals in them. One vet tech callously sticking a sick kitten under running water while it screams in fear because it had diarrhea all over it's behind. It made me sick. After I complained I was banned from the room. Executive staff is confrontational person who writes and calls anyone that challenges her. Charged someone to get back their service animal. Really messed up place. Adopt animals just to get returned is common practice here so they can get more money. If you take away their fancy building you are left with the worst of humanity here. read more

Me and my family adopted a beautiful puppy named Tina on Tuesday and so was sick. On Wednesday we brought her back so she could get treated. My mom made a mistake by not having a leash on her when she brought her back but my mom had the dog in her arms so why did they make a bog deal out of it. They just kept giving us the go around when we called to see how Tina was doing if she was going to be ok. On Friday yesterday on the phone they tell us they are not going to give us Tina back because of my mom making that mistake about the leash but like I said my mom was carrying the dog. The dog wasn't on the floor walking. It was an Honest mistake. My mom said you guys are willing to take Tina away from a loving home and family. They said Tina will have a loving home and family just not with you. Those people were so rude and such assholes. I felt like my heart was ripped from me when they said that and I haven't been able to stop crying. I haven't felt this depressed and sad since I lost my cousin. In my opinion these people are heartless. I know I will never go back there again and I hope other people do the same. This really has me so depressed upset and sad just how we were treated. We loved Tina and for them to do this is wrong read more

The previous reviews that you read about their poor customer service is TRUE. Just spoke with a VERY RUDE Sierra who chose to spend five minutes on the phone arguing with me rather than answering my very simple question. Rather than being polite and answering the question, she chose to spend her time and energy roping her manager Jill into the discussion. If this is the way customers are treated who are trying to adopt animals out of the kindness of their hearts, it's hard to believe that the poor animals who don't have a voice, get good treatment there. DO NOT use this shelter. Sierra was condescending and took the position that she was doing me a favor by answering the phone and I was wasting her time. Go elsewhere! read more

Me and my family were so excited to adopt a cat, but the staff was so rude, and borderline racist, and were were left with such a sour taste in our mouths. Can't believe this behavior is present at an animal shelter of all places. AVOID THIS PLACE! Find somewhere else. read more

Beautiful premises that allow for a great temporary home for pets looking for adoption. Would likely be helpful for staff to remember that most potential adopters and volunteers are looking to contribute positively and treat them accordingly. It is a stressful business but courtesy and mutual politeness goes a long way. read more

Today we went to the shelter to look at the cats which we have done multiple times in the past. The woman standing at the front desk was absolutely the most disrespectful person I've ever experienced. If she was a part of my team at work I would terminate her immediately. She asked us what we were doing and we said "just looking at cats" and she smiled and very curtly said "we don't DO 'just looking.'"And proceeded to tell us we had to fill an application out. Then decided that the cats were sick so we wouldn't be able to see any. This is a shelter. One that we've visited many times weeks apart where I see the same cats in the same cages. Isn't the point to get them, I don't know, adopted? She was absolutely speaking down to us, and it was 100% because of our age. My girlfriend and I are in our early to mid twenties, and you could just tell she assumed we were nobodies because of it. In reality between the two of us we give absolutely spoiled lives to FOUR cats. We would LOVE to give another one a loving home. It is a shame that such snobs are able to be the face and power behind something that should be all about love and compassion. I wish this was the only bad experience we've had here, but our experience here is the exact same as any younger adult that has posted here. It's pathetic that anyone would act like that to a customer. It's something very similar to a high school mean girl vibe, childish and empty. Hopefully this place can clean house and get some more compassionate and friendly management, that poor staff must be miserable. read more

I've had good experiences here before but they changed somethings such as, having to fill out an application before you even can look at the animals. Went to the shelter, drove half an hour and got there at 5:25 and they close at 6 it says but I still wasn't allowed to go in because they closed the wings. Just wanted to say it on here. Update: I went back in today to go see the cats at 1:30pm and the lady at the front said " let me go check on your application" and then came back with another lady and said " your application was denied, you can never adopt from us or come back here to see the cats". I thought she was joking at first and she kind of was smiling at me and I was very confused. She didn't explain until finally she said " I heard the way you guys left the other day, slamming our doors on the way out" (which by the way, did not happen whatsoever. Their doors don't even slam, they have the door silencers on them) and then the lady even had the audacity to question the validity of my application?? On my application I had put I lived alone in my own house and that I was 18, she said " you don't live in your own house" and scuffed at me. I said " I do... my father passed away a year ago and left me the house." And she said " mmhm okay... " in a very rude judge mental way, as if she didn't believe me. I left the store and broke down crying. Embarrassed, upset, and just absolutely in shock of how these grown middle aged/ elderly people, treated an 18 year old. You'd think these people would want people to come in and adopt their poor little animals who don't have homes, and they deny me from going in because i assumingely " slammed their doors" on the way out. I'm astonished at how I've been treated and how save handles situations. I'm an aspiring psychologist and have good people/ communication skills and trust me, that's not how you treat someone. where is the morality? Almost everyone i know also have had horrible experiences with save, it's becoming a pattern. So what does that say about save? I would rate this place a negative number if I could. I don't know how they have a good reputation on here. No exaggeration here, thanks save for ruining my day! :) read more

Just adopted a kitten from here. Super friendly staff and nice facilities. We are extremely happy to adopt and support the shelter. Their support of shots and care for the cat even post adoption is really nice read more

Extremely rude staff at the desk! Wanted to volunteer will look elsewhere! My daughter was crying when we left! Two staff members including a tall blond came out and were so rude! I should have listened to the reviews before wasting my time! read more

The staff is RUDE. I was very impressed by all of the cats and kittens, but then I realized they had so many because they make the adoption process impossible and it goes on forever. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME! read more

We got our dog at Save when it was in Princeton. It was great then and even better now at its new Montgomery location. We visit every so often and bring toys and treats for the animals. The ENTIRE staff there is friendly and extremely caring for the cats and dogs. They definitely have a passion for what they do. If you are looking to adopt this is the place you want to go! read more

I adopted my kitten from SAVE this year in January. I must say it was the right call to adopt from SAVE. They care a lot for their animals and are very thorough with the adoption process. My kitten was well taken care of, spayed and uptodate with vaccinations when I adopted him. I would definitely recommend adoption from this shelter/rescue. Adopt Dont Shop! read more

This place is an absolutely amazing place to go for adopting a dog or cat and for volunteering. I adopted my cat here as a kitten and I part time volunteer there for fun. Truly spectacular staff. When you go there you can tell all the dogs and cats are very well cared for. read more

Going onto my 4th year of volunteering here and unfortunately things have gone extremely downhill. There are still some wonderful staff, but there's been a lot of turnover and the current crew are rude beyond belief to everyone from potential adopters to us volunteers. If they treat people -- who can speak up for themselves -- so shabbily, what do they do with animals (who have no voice) behind closed doors?? The woman named Lisa is the worst - yells at us for coming into volunteer if we are unable to sign up for a slot beforehand (for GOOD REASON Lisa, your sign up system crashes all the time - so how the heck do we sign up - fix your damn system first, before yelling at us). She also yells at us if we come into volunteer later in the afternoon, b/c, allegedly they have somehow changed their hours for volunteering WITHOUT EVER TELLING US. The correct way to handle that, if you are a professional, is to explain the situation and let us know to come back another time. Not to yell rudely in our face. Again, if they treat people that badly, think of how they may treat those poor animals who cannot speak out.... I've seen this Lisa woman respond to potential adopters' questions with the lamest, most thoughtless responses possible (e.g., Adoptor - looking at kitten with a leaking eye: Can you tell me more about that kitten's eye? Lisa: Oh it's just like that). Can someone possible care LESS about the animals in their care or the people who are trying to adopt and save them? Again, still some wonderful staff - especially out back - but the "front facing" folks, especially Lisa (you will spot her by her not-naturally-enhanced lip job) are terrible. Turns off potential adopters. Turns off volunteers. Turns off pretty much everyone. And the animals suffer as a result. I care for the animals here, but am rethinking my volunteer stint - who wants to spend their precious free time being yelled at by a sad, rude person? read more

Extremely rude staff. Multiple people told me to stay away from SAVE because they were extremely rude and not helpful. I called them multiple times in order to talk to the woman who is in charge of the volunteering department, and each time she was "on lunch" or "on break". When I was finally able to get ahold of her, she dismissed me quickly when I asked kindly if there was any way I could help out with volunteering. She told me that the only volunteering opportunity was cleaning the "cat room" for a few hours. When I asked her if there was anything else I could do because I'm slightly allergic to cats, she told me that they didn't want my help because I would be disruptive and useless due to my allergies. I myself work at a restaurant where I pick up phones all day and am aware of the common phone curtesy. She had absolutely none. I would never ever talk to someone who was offering to help for FREE they way she did to me. read more