Took some dog supplies, I.e. blankets, dog beds, food & toys. The place was locked during the day with a note that stated that you have to make appt to see dogs. Door was locked. Left things at front door. read more

Im not sure they are doing all they can to help animals, when the hospital moved it opened up a lot of space...to save animals which they dont even use, and they dont even offer a foster system....doesn't make sense to me...I think this place is suffering or completely mis managed....do fundraisers or something instead of going through the motions...all that wasted space right next to you. read more

Amazing staff! I found a baby kitten hurt and didn't know what to do They stepped in and took care of everything no charge! read more

I read some of the reviews that were negative about this place. Given the fact that all you have to do is look on Nextdoor, Straydar and or other sites and see all of these dogs and cats running around loose whether by getting out, owners dropping them off anywhere they can or posting on sites they want to get rid of them, do you blame the people at Sun Valley being very cautious who they adopt these animals out to? I volunteered at Sun Valley and I know first hand how they love these animals. Maybe you haters could volunteer here and find out yourself how kind they are to the animals. read more

No kill animal shelter that spays/neuters and chips animals before they are up for adoption. The dogs were so sweet and they make sure they go to the right home. read more

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A Wonderful place staffed by wonderful people. This is a no-kill shelter and they are very thorough before they let someone adopt and leave with a new pet. Which is a GOOD thing. It is amazingly clean and well organized every time I have visited. Please adopt instead of buying from puppy mills- these animals need good forever homes too. read more

Sun Valley Animal Shelter - Our newest addition- - Animal Shelters Near Me - Glendale, Arizona

Animal rescue is a tough gig. Usually run by volunteers who have the ultimate goal of the animals prosperity and happiness. In my interactions with this group, I was dismayed by some of the staffs condescending attitudes and blatant discrimination towards prospective adopters. I've worked within the rescue community of Phoenix for 14 years and am really put off by what I've seen here. Reading the reviews confirms what my observation was. Certain staff members are abusive in their power for adoption approval. You have denied adoptions to highly qualified and open-hearted people based on your own personal biases, which in effect, ends up another dog or cat being put down that you couldn't helped place it you'd moved an appropriate adoption through. Shame on you. read more

the woman at the front desk an older woman very snappy and had an attitude, otherwise cats were very well taken care of and place was very clean. read more

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Nothing but absolute love and respect for this animal shelter! They make sure each and every fur baby is a right fit for you. I am in absolute love with the newest addition to our family. We scheduled 2 meet and greets and we really hit it off. I love that all they want is for their babies to go to a good home. I am forever thankful. Also, ask for Jay he is amazing. read more

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We found a Cornish Rex cat here through a posting I was sent from a friend and I immediately fell in love. Having a couple of pure bred cats we adopted from ethical breeders, one being a Cornish Rex, we were already familiar with going through an interview, application and waiting process. The interview and applications were in depth ( for good reason ). These are all processes that any ethical breeder would implement. We actually didn't even get to meet him on the first visit which we were ok with. We got the call a few days later that we were approved and deemed to be a match for this little guy. We went in today, met with him and played with him at which point we were given the opportunity to adopt him. We decided to bring him home. We were advised to sign a contract with certain agreements such as we won't rehome him without notifying the shelter first ( which we never would anyway ) and that he will wear his tags (he was also microchipped). He is an awesome cat and we are so happy with our decision. Sun valley is an amazing shelter. They truly care about their animals. I respect that they are willing to turn down an interested party due to them not being a good fit. This is also similar to any ethical breeder. This place is clean and definitely the best shelter I've been to. We did see the negative reviews prior to applying and I strongly feel based on my experience that these reviews were made by people who have not had to go through this type of process to adopt an animal before and/or were turned down. More shelters *should* be like this. All breeders *should* be like this. Adopting an animal needs to be a serious decision. Thank you Sun Valley for our wonderful little boy Rio!!! read more

Sun Valley Animal Shelter - Animal Shelters Near Me - Glendale, Arizona

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A lot of the bad reviews are by people who can't properly take care of their animals. I had an amazing experience getting 2 cute kitties. They do have an application process but it is to make sure these animals go to a good home !!! 10/10 would recommend to anyone who needs a loving pet!! read more

Absolutely impressed with the staff here. We adopted "Squishy" today. We did promptly change her name to Myndi. We originally went in looking at Myndi and Lollipop. I loved that they put us through a rather extensive interview process. We were even required to bring our Yorkie Woodson to see how they would get along together. After bringing Woodson, we ended up with Myndi. Lollipop was a little too much for Woodson to handle. Had they not done that test, it would have ended in a returned adoption which would have been horrible. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. It is also a No-Kill shelter. The adoption fee included all vaccination, a new collar, leash, doggie bed, toys and food. Top notch service. You can tell they care about the animals here. They had a long list of people interested in Myndi and I was concerned as I was not wanting to be put at the end of a list. They stated they only put those signs on the popular animals to avoid holiday window shoppers. They were really specific they wanted to feel confident the dog went home to the perfect forever family. We are very happy with Myndi "Squishy". She is a great addition to our family. I would highly advise going here. read more

Sun Valley Animal Shelter - Here is Myndi "Squishy" with her new mom. She loves her new home and her new name :) - Animal Shelters Near Me - Glendale, Arizona

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Hidden spot for your animal kingdom. Inexpensive and always stellar service. Professional staff, appointments available and prices are my favorite. Plus my buddy never argues about going to the doctor. I can see the compassion and love for their job from every level of the staff. Thanks for a job well done. I'm never stressed for my buddy in their hands. read more

This is an excellent facility. They do a superb job in not only matching pets with forever homes but also training and preparing little furry angels to be introduced to their new homes. Staff is friendly accommodating and attentive. Love this place 10 out of 10 would recommend! read more

The shelter staff, especially Sarah M. ,was great to work with in adopting our new cat Tootsie Roll.

This shelter is amazing. I almost felt guilty taking our beautiful Hope (now "Melody") from such a calm, cat-oriented environment. Before arriving at the shelter, I expected to walk into a warehouse full of caged animals. What I found upon arrival was the exact opposite. The place feels more like a sanctuary. The ladies at the front desk requested that we sign in when we entered. We were then directed to the Cat Room, where we found about 15 cats lounging around in a good sized room full of comfy chairs, kitty condos and super high shelves on the walls. We were then able to visit with the cats at our leisure. If you visit the cat room, one thing to keep in mind is that (according to the volunteer, and I found this to be true), after being in that room for awhile, the cats kind of "zone out". They lose a lot of their "spunk". When visiting with Hope, for example, she barely showed any personality. She was mildly responsive to petting, but that was all. However, upon getting her home, we discovered the most delightful, playful, warm and loving personality we could ever have imagined. I thought we would be able to tell a lot about the cats by having the opportunity to visit with them in this open environment, but you may not know how amazing they truly are until you get them home! One thing I wish we could have done differently was to have completed the application and had the interview before we decided which cat to adopt. I was just so worried they would not find us acceptable, based upon the negative reviews I'd read. However, the process was surprisingly smooth, the interviewer was kind and supportive. I really felt like she just wanted this to be a positive experience for us and the cat we took home. However, do be prepared that YOU WILL BE INTERVIEWED!!! It's not a lengthy drilling process, but you will sit with someone and be asked questions about your home, other pets, etc... Once we were ready to head home, they loaded us up with cat food, treats and toys! They even put a little blanket in the carrier for our new kitty!! From beginning to end, everyone we came in contact with was kind and helpful. I think it's important to remember that these people are motivated to make a good match, partly because they don't want the poor pets to be returned to the shelter, and they have a serious obligation to these animals to be sure they will be treated properly and will be safe. I would strongly recommend you visit Sun Valley Animal Shelter if you are considering adopting a pet!! read more

Sun Valley Animal Shelter - Melody (Hope) was so well cared for at the Sun Valley Animal Shelter, she adjusted to our home and small dog quickly!!! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Glendale, Arizona

We went to the shelter to look at the dogs we saw online. The dog we really wanted to meet was excited to see us, and really seemed to like is. We had an adoption interview that lasted quite some time and were advised we would hear, one way or the other, within a week or so about adopting the dog. I called the shelter after a week and was told they were still discussing which home would be most appropriate and our application was still being considered. It has been a month or more, and we've heard nothing. I checked the website and the dog we wanted was gone. No call. I would not recommend them. read more

After reading some of these reviews, I regret leaving my late cat's kennel and other paraphernalia to this shelter.

Jaime was so professional! They take great care of the dogs & cats here and love that they do "match making" vs giving the dogs/cats off to just anyone! We love our little girl! read more

Sun Valley Animal Shelter - Animal Shelters Near Me - Glendale, Arizona

they keep their pets way too long..i will never recommend this place The dogs looked malnourished as well read more

Sun Valley Animal Shelter... WOW! What a great experience adopting our kitty Todd. My daughter and I went to a few shelters before finding Sun Valley and I was so impressed when we walked in. We were greeted, signed in, and then directed towards the kitty room to go play with and meet all of the cats up for adoption. For the 3.5 hours we were there, everyone was helpful and knowledgeable and answered every question I had. The facility was extremely clean and organized. We fell in love with a little cat named Todd and knew we would love to have him as part of our family. We talked with Sarah the adoption counselor and had a very extensive interview to make sure the cat we chose would be a perfect fit. I'm thankful they were so thorough because we have had our kitty at home with us now for 2 days and he is the absolute best fit for our family! After our interview and time spent playing with Todd the shelter called my husband as well to make sure that everyone was on board with bringing Todd home. I'm so glad they vetted us as much as they did because they obviously really care for the animals they have taken in. It is definitely a more strict and multiple-stepped process to adopt from this shelter than most, but I appreciate that because we were "matched" with a cat that was perfect for us and more importantly perfect for Todd. I will always recommend Sun Valley to anyone looking to adopt the perfect pet for their family because as extensive as it is to adopt here, if you are selected for the particular pet you love, it's a life-long decision you know is right! read more

Sun Valley Animal Shelter - Animal Shelters Near Me - Glendale, Arizona

In November of 2016 my boyfriend and I decided to wander into Sun Valley looking for another cat to add to our otherwise quiet home. The place is clean, well-maintained and when we walked in were greeted kindly and asked to sign in before being directed back to the cat room - everyone greeted us with a smile on their face and in the FOUR TIMES I came back within the next month not one of those times did it change! Each time we went we spent about an hour in the cat room getting to know the cats. We had chosen a cat after the first session but knowing she had been at the shelter for some time wanted to come back to make sure she was the right fit. After 3 other times of coming to see her we adopted Calista. We filled out an adoption application, got an interview with a counselor, showed documentation that our condo allowed us to have another cat and while many people feel like this may all be excessive it's because they genuinely care about the health and well being of these animals. Having an animal is a life long commitment and the staff and volunteers understand that and want to make sure everyone else does too. I couldn't be happier, Calista ended up being the perfect cat for our household and fit in with our other cat as if they were a bonded pair. The amount of love and care the staff gives to these animals is admirable and if you're truly committed to finding your furrever friend then Sun Valley is the way to go! read more

Found this place from the reviews from Yelp. Brought my dog here to update her vaccinations. Had made an appt in advance. Place was very busy and had to wait about 30 min past my time appt. Service though was well worth the wait. Each pet was taken better care of than some hospitals for human peeps! Prices were also very reasonable compared to some vets I've been too. Highly recommended. This review is only for the hospital that used to be next door and not the shelter. read more

The facility is nice and the staff was friendly, that was until they found out I had a pitbull/boxer mix. (who I have had since she was a baby and has no history of violence) When I first walked in, they wouldn't let me walk around to see the animals until I had an interview. So I had the interview and found a cute little dog that would be a great new friend to my existing two dogs. At the interview I informed them about my multi poo and my pit/boxer mix. The mood CHANGED DRAMATICALLY! They ended the interview and said sorry we cant adopt any animals to you. Bye! I was in shock! I understand giving the animal to a stable home, but really? These animals have no chance of being adopted because no one is good enough! I went to the Human Society and got Rocky, my new pitbull/lab puppy and he had been with us for almost a year. I feel bad for the animals here, they are not really helping them. They are just hoarding them. read more

I love this place. When I first moved to the west valley I volunteered there and I know all of the work that goes on behind the scenes. This is a clean shelter where all of the employees love being there and love the animals. I took my grand kids last week to see the cats. We sat in the cat room and played for over an hour and they didn't want to leave. For the people that are butt hurt because they were insulted that the shelter interviewed them. Well folks that's why the animals are there. Bad fits from the beginning and then people dumping or abandoning their pets. Pets are family. To the review that felt they were being judgmental--what is it about you that you feel was being discriminated against? Rowdy kids, loud and destructive and mean to pets? Sorry, not sorry, you were hurt, but the pets come first--your feelings are insignificant. read more

My boyfriend and I met one of the dogs from this shelter at a Petsmart adoption event. We quickly realized he could be a perfect match for us and our dog at home! After playing with him for a while, we talked with one of the adoption representatives and filled out paperwork. She asked us several questions. She then called her manager, who told us to bring in our current dog to the shelter to meet and interact with the new dog. When we got to the shelter later that day, we were not exactly welcomed warmly by the office staff. We waited for about 20 minutes and were finally greeted by a different adoption representative. She told us to put our dog in a gated-off area (random vending machine area) while she took us outside for more of the SAME questions. Didn't we just go through this earlier today?? She then went inside. About a half hour later, we were still getting nowhere and waiting for this representative to come back. She came back and said no, they can't let us take the dog home because we live in an apartment and don't have a backyard. WHAT!? We told you that this morning at Petsmart! We were so upset that we had driven there, brought our dog, and had our hopes up for nothing! They knew we lived in an apartment before we even came...what changed? They tried to push other dogs that were "better matches" on us. I love all dogs, but we aren't going to make an impulse adoption on a different dog than the one we came there for. I asked to speak to the manager, and was told no that's not possible. Great customer service. This dog could have had a very loving home. We live next to a dog park and we walk our dog there all the time. It's a shame that they wasted our time and wasted a perfect opportunity to give this dog a loving, caring home. I just checked the website...two months later, he's still there. I'm sad he ended up at this shelter. read more

Trying to adopt a kitten. Took over 3 months since we turned in our application. After visiting 4 times and calling to check in every week and being told " we will contact you", the cat we fell in love with was adopted out. I get trying to find the right owner, but the waiting period is beyond excessive. Update: we found out they don't adopt out to military, so avoid this shelter if you are stationed here. read more

I DO NOT recommend adopting from Sun Valley Animal Shelter. Sun Valley Animal Shelter pressured me to adopt a dog that had been returned to the shelter by 3 previous owners. They explained the dog was great with ALL people and pets. After I gave into the pressure, I brought the dog home and tried to work with her for over 6 weeks. I am a very experienced trainer & owner. With this in mind, I was unable to keep this dog. The dog continuously tried to attack my cat. I did not feel that my cat was safe with this dog in my house. I returned the dog to their shelter after explaining the dog was continuously attacking my cat and the dog was a danger to cats. The shelter would not listen to a word I said. They banned me from the shelter and called me all sorts of expletives. I would never recommend Sun Valley Animal Shelter. I highly recommend adopting from the AZ Humane Society. I adopted 3 animals from them and support them completely. read more

DO NOT GO HERE! I WOULD GIVE THEM NO STARS IF I COULD!!! As other reviewers have posted, this facility is VERY nice, unfortunately, that is the ONLY nice thing about this place. My wife and I went looking to adopt a new cat and after waiting around for about 45 minutes were told that they wouldn't let us adopt the cat we wanted because she was "shy" and we have an 11-month old son. Of course, I forgot to mention that the "adoption counselor" told us that "she is great with kids and I don't see any problems at all" Then of course they tried to push other cats on us (as other reviewers have mentioned several times). To be honest, I've purchase vehicles easier that were easier then my ordeal here. I DO understand that they wan't to make sure that animals are placed in the right homes, but this was totally ridiculous. I would recommend ANY place over this place. read more

I should have read all the negative reviews on google before I took the trip out here. Bottom line: Staff is rude, and they could use some social skills with humans. The place is DIRTY compared to others I have visited this week. They also badmouth other resues. They WILL discriminate, if you're black, mexican, or you bring children -- you will not get a dog. They did however offer me some older dogs in the 6+ category for the same price, and these dogs all have issues. It seems like the good dogs and pups are reserved for some higher class folks and the lesser ones who don't stop barking are their perfect match for you. Skip this place, don't bother donating because obviously the money is not going to where it should be. read more

My husband and I came here at first to browse and look to see what they had vs the humane society. We saw dozens of small dogs and big. We decided to come back and really to keep looking to fit our family. We already had a Lab/mix with border collie. We ended up rescuing our pure breed American Staffordshire Terrier. A few months ago I was driving in the area and saw that a man had thrown a dog from his truck. I amd this man got out the car to get him. I went and alerted sun valley animal shelter. The woman asked "what kind of dog and is he vicious?" I of course said he is a bully breed and no he is more scared. The woman took out some treats and a leash and said I can try but if he doesnt come "oh well.." in my head im thinking "WTF?" Isn't this a animal rescue? Needless to say the woman didnt rescue the dog she let him run off. My son now being a bit older asked for a smaller puppy of his own. Being that we are always watching my husbands supervisors dog when she goes TDY. My son loves it so much we had decided to start looking for a small puppy. Recently 2014/October I took my dog to Petsmart to get a full groom which I do on routine. They had a bunch of lovely selections of big dogs and little up for adoption. Later that week my husband and I decided to go look for a new addition. We found the ok ne that would be perfect for our sons and make amazing companionship with our furbabies. We have a 2 story house with plenty of play room and a huge back yard with grass, rocks, and sand... which we keep the matanance up weekly. Our dogs are also inside dogs and are walked every day... and dog parks 3× a week. When we met with the woman to discuss the adoption. She asked what kid of dogs we have she had no idea what a "American Staffordshire Terrier" was until my husband told her it was a bully breed she then asked if he was neutered....(side note: my Amstaff is 1 and we take him to the vet monthly and if we get him nurtured he would not be able to go under he would have to be awake during the procedure.) Which I am not fond of... our vet discussed with his because he is allergic to the anesthetics because we are responsible parents and are not breeding him. He is okay. So after we told her he was of bully breed and not nurtured we could not adopt. She then went into explaining why we still need to get him nurtured. She then ran down the many things he could do by not being neutured and that he can become vicious bevause of his breed. I felt really appalled because our Lab/mix we have had she is 5yrs old is fixed and she has no issues with our pit who is 1 1/2. It seems like the times I have come they have the same animals and none are adopted. Are they hoarding these animals and just keeping the donations? In addition 4/13/2015... I received a message in response from them only claiming that I told them my Riley my amstaff is allergic to latex... Which doesn't really make it okay for them to make medical decisions about my dog telling me what I need to do...So my question is where is your license to make medical decisions about animals? If a military vet, banfield vet, and a Estella hospital vet stated that he is okay? Yeah... Mhum... Continue to steal other people's money for "donations" read more

The front desk staff attacked a lady who was looking at pets. She mentioned she keeps an outside dog at her home and all 4 women attacked and berated her. I had to step in as my two youngest daughters began getting upset. The staff reduced this woman to tears with their insults. It was a disgusting display or customer service and I will never be back nor recommend this shelter to anyone. read more

After waiting 2 years to be ready to adopt a cat/kitten I went to this shelter. I was so happy walking in. None of the cats are dog tested and staff had no idea if they were child friendly. I decided a kitten would be best. It was not to be. We have a cat friendly pit bull and twin toddler boys at home. We were denied. It didn't matter that we have extensive animal knowledge, have owned 3 police k-9's, horses, regularly foster for rescues and have helped rehab a variety of animals. I even worked at a shelter full time while I was in college. I was in charge of the feline department. Haha I wasn't qualified to adopt a kitten!! Needless to say this was devastating for me and frustrating. Phoenix is one of the highest kill cities in the nation. It scares me that this place gets funded. The staff needs to be educated on how many animals are dying daily in this valley. I'm afraid other people may be ruined and not seek other rescues after dealing with this place. This affects the big picture. Management never returned calls or emails. I suspect their funding is per year, not per animal saved, so they make more money adopting fewer pets out. AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS!! Go anywhere else! Also, if they did deny you and you are reading this, please don't consider this typical of rescue! Dogs and cats are literally dying to be yours! Contact SPCA or find your new best bud on petfinder.com. I'm sorry to any animal lovers that shared my horrible experience. (Someone should apologize, and they never will!) read more

At first I was a little put off by how rigorous adoption of process was. But I totally understand b/c I adopted my forever dog that had previously been adopted and returned read more

READ THIS IF YOU ARE ADOPTING: The workers at this Shelter have been trained for many years often, and they do know what red flags to look for when it comes to adopting. I have read the negative reviews and can see why they wouldn't allow an adoption of some of the animals immediately. Remember when you deal with this Shelter that they are on the animals side always and not the humans. They will do what they feel is best for the cats and dogs first and foremost. Yes, they do a number of adoptions per week. I know as I see them all the time. I asked and found out they make their money primarily off the Thrift Store and not the adoptions, so there is nothing in this for them turning an adopter down--unless there are some critical issues that would put the animal at risk--and they will not take a chance on an animal being harmed. I have been here many days to look around at the cats, and the one thing I know is that I have never been treated rudely--if anything, they have encouraged us to play with the cats and get to know them. My friends and I have always felt welcomed. In addition to that, we can say that they treat the animals extremely well and with great caring for their health and safety. The facility itself is very nice, too, with a lack of smelly odor I found at other shelters. This is an overall excellent facility for any cat or dog to adopt from, and, since the Vet is in the same building, they are well taken care of. read more

These people do not know what to look for in finding a good home for a dog. They are rude and condescending. I understand the desire to screen and ensure a good home but their process is absurd and they are doing the dogs a great disservice. On top of that their adoption fees are 2-3 times that of other shelters in the area. Would not recommend. read more

I've been in this place 3 times looking for a cat. I've been through 2 interviews and even brought my children to see the kitty. I've been told that for an interview you could take the animal home the same day. Now another counselor told me they will hold onto the application until they have several more and then call us back after 2 weeks to a month!! So much miss communication! They even refused a dog that a couple were trying to surrender. I probably will find that dog along side the road on my way home . They also said I need to correct the behavior of my cat because he will sometimes go outside when my kids leave the door open! They are not interested in adopting pets or even helping them find homes! read more

While the shelter is clean and the animals seem happy, I was very turned off by the interview process and the interviewer, who seemed immature and a bit lost. I have no idea what will happen to the application I just turned in, but I will not be adopting from this shelter, as I don't trust the personnel or the process. I'm looking forward to checking out additional shelters and finding those that are more professional in their approach. read more

I have been to several other shelters and no one is as caring and friendly as this shelter. I was going to adopt a second dog because mine seemed a bit lonely, I spoke to Vanessa and she was so helpful! She taught me everything I needed to do before I get the second dog to make sure everything is safe and smooth. Yeah their application process is a bit annoying but it's only because they truly care about their animals and they want to make sure they go to good homes! I would highly recommend this shelter to anyone looking for a new friend! Thank you! read more

This place is awful! We were in the door to see a dog that we had seen on their website. The front desk lady tells us right a way that the dog we are coming to see needs other dogs so we don't qualify to adopt her. So we look at another dog and decide we love her. They then tell us to do an application and interview cursary to say the least. Then we are told that they have received many applications for her and we will be notified on Friday Who they decide will get her. Friday comes and goes no notification, we call and are told calls will be made Monday, again no call. We call on Tuesday and are told she was being adopted to someone else and they were scheduling a meet and greet with the new adoptees. It is the worst kind of torture to fall in love with a puppy and to then be jerked around like this. I have had many dogs thru my life and always give my dogs my whole heart. I will never return to this shelter. I would prefer to rescue than to buy but if this is how rescuing is going I can't let my heart be broken like this again. read more