Out of all of my Yelp reviews, I give my strongest and most passionately positive review here…read more Story County taxpayers and animal lovers should be very proud of this shelter. Their dedication to neglected and abandoned animals is unparalleled in my experiences. We adopted one of our schnauzers from this shelter in 2007. I can say in confidence that I've never received more joy in my life for $25. We have a vibrant, active and healthy family member with an exceptional disposition. They are deeply committed to the health and welfare of their animals, and stand by their adoptions. I can't make a stronger recommendation to anyone looking for a new furry family member than the Story County Animal Shelter. Make this your first stop. They are careful in placing dogs in the right homes and know the personalities of the animals in their care very well. They are caring experts before, during and after the adoption process. They'll even give you a puppy-care kit with your adoption. Our dog had a non-threatening hernia (which is common) from her spaying procedure. The Story County Animal stood by their promise to deliver a healthy, happy puppy and covered the expense of having the hernia repaired.

As a longtime animal shelter volunteer and supporter, I am impressed with the friendliness,…read moreprofessionalism and compassion shown by the staff at Story County Animal Shelter. I adopted my dog there for $25 in May 2008 after they rescued him from the streets, had him neuetered and vetted my pet ownership history. Since that time, I've visited the shelter on two occasions and continue to be pleased with their standards and conditions. They perform an (unfortunately) necessary service to our communities with heart and soul, and I am proud to continue supporting them financially.

Star did an epic job on our inexperienced large white rescue dog. Their process is careful and…read morerespectful of a dog's fears and comfort. They take the dog through an orientation that prepares them for meeting the dogs special needs. We were living in a cloud of dog hair until Star gave him the furminator treatment. Highly recommended for price, care, procedure and caring!

Everything is great, but prices are a bit steep. But good place to get some quality products.read more

TLDR: Terrible communication. Was told I was next to adopt a dog and made an appointment to meet…read morehim just for the dog to be adopted the day before, a day I was told they didn't take adoption appointments. Apparently they're notorious for this. Will not adopt from them in future. I am crushed. My boyfriend and I thought we had found the perfect dog on Boone Humane Society's website. We have recently lost a dog that was very special to us. She was elderly and had to be put down due to natural causes. Losing her put a dog shaped hole in our lives. To fill that hole, we wanted a high energy dog that we could take care of and bring on adventures with us. Gonzo, a year old chocolate lab, seemed like the perfect fit. I put in an application, as you have to have an appointment to visit an animal at BHS. After putting the application in, which was a long process, I sent an email asking if we could meet him and see if he was a good fit. I did not get a response. This was on Wed. July 27th. I called Fri. July 29th because I still hadn't heard anything. I asked if we could meet Gonzo, but was told we were second in line and could not meet him until the application was approved. I was then told I would be given an update that night or the next day. I was not contacted and had to call again on Sat. the 30th. During that phone call, I asked about our status and was told we were first now and could schedule the appointment to see him. My application changed to being under review, still not approved (odd because the first person told us we needed to be approved). We scheduled to see him on Monday, August 1st at 4:30. We would have done it sooner but I was told they don't make appointments for Sunday. My boyfriend and I were very excited to meet him and our hopes were high that he would be a good fit. A conflict popped up and I realized we would need a later appointment, so I asked for ours to be pushed back to 5 in an email on Sunday, July 31st. The response I got was extremely upsetting. I was told that we were not actually next up and that someone else was going to see him that day. On Sunday, when they supposedly don't take appointments. If he wasn't adopted we could see him after. I explained that we were supposed to be next but apparently there are two people who work on adoptions that don't communicate with each other. I was supposed to be notified as soon as the appointment for Gonzo was over, which started at 4:30 that Sunday. His photo was taken off of the website, but my application was still under review at 6:30. Still no word at 7. 9 o'clock and nothing. At 9:25 an email was sent saying my application had been canceled. In the email canceling my application for Gonzo, it states they have lots of other pets, but they really don't. The very few other dogs on their website, although they sound like great buddies, would not fit in our household. Unless they have dogs not posted on their website, which wouldn't make sense since you can't go see dogs without an approved application supposedly. I wasn't emailed back from them directly until this morning. They said he was adopted the night before and apologized about the confusion, which seemed very half hearted at best. I was curious about how there could be this bad of a communication error and decided to look at other reviews and found that this is not the first time their communication has been poor. For an animal shelter that only takes appointments that you may or may not need to be approved for in advance, they certainly need to be better. I will go elsewhere in the future and encourage others to do the same. Also, was just emailed back that they don't do holds?? I don't know what that means, but as far as the commutation I was given there was a line? So if there aren't holds why would I be second in line then first at some point? This whole system is a mess.

I got a cat here many years ago. They are wonderful. One of my favorite shelters. To the fool…read morewho gave the lousy review, would you rather have the cat go unadopted or just be put down? Or would you give it a nice home and have it declawed. How Do you know how painful it is for a cat? I haven't heard that said about the Boone shelter, but from my experience, this is a wonderful kind place.

If I could, I would give them a zero. Submitted an application for a puppy and it was approved, but…read moreapparently they didn't submit it to the foster. By the time the application was provided to the foster, after I followed up several times, the puppy was already adopted. Caught the Adoption Coordinator in several lies about the application process and breed (1st saying it was a Yorkie/ Dachshund mix and later saying they didn't know what the breed was). We had another puppy lined up to buy, but waited on seeing the puppy for adoption and now both are gone. If you find a puppy from a breeder, buy it. Don't wait on AHeinz57. They are worse than most breeders in Iowa who they constantly label as Puppy Mills.

We adopted a puppy from AHeinz in July 2024 after following the rescue for a long time. I felt…read morereally confident adopting through them, and it was a wonderful experience. I so appreciate the work they do. I really encourage visiting the adoption center, and considering adoption of a kitty or doggo from AHeinz57. They are thorough and adding a furry friend to your life is always worth it!

This place is amazing! I got my second dog there and the experience was made easy from the…read moreemployees there. You can tell they really care about each and every dog there. Highly recommended! Five stars.

This review comes 6 months after adopting our kitten from Rescue Rehab Rehome and that is because…read moreof our sheer excitement of introducing our new kitty into our home, I completely forgot to write a glowing review for this organization and our experience with them. I discovered this pet rescue on Petfinder, and from initial inquiry, through the interview, the meet and greet and right down to adoption day, everyone and thing was absolutely great. Very, thoughtful, caring and professional organization. I couldn't be more pleased with the process, and we are absolutely smitten with our kitten Thank you Rescue Rehab Rehome - Especially to you Megan!

volunteering there since January 2016. the adoption process is easy as I adopted a special needs…read morecat on August 1,2019

The shelter that doesn't have a lot, but gives so much to special needs animals in our community…read more They put the life and health of animals first and their interest in the well-being of all creatures is inspiring.

I mean...what can you say about the great work that happens at the ARL?! Desk staff was kind and…read morehelpful, answering the many questions families ask. It was quick to be escorted back to visit with the dogs. I was glad that the staff sat with me for a bit as I sat with our newest family member and got acquainted. The check out process is pretty smooth as well, sitting at tables and having everything on a tablet, again with knowledgeable staff. I appreciated the small bag of food that was provided to make the transition at home, easier.

The woman working at the front was extremely rude and condescending. My friend was so excited to…read moreadopt a kitty and she was questioning whether we were 18+ or not. Very rude when setting up my friends arl account. Treated my friend like she was incompetent. The adoption counselor, however, was very kind and knowledgeable.

Last night, my beloved calico sphynx, Thea, escaped from her absolute prison of a loving, very…read morespoiled household to go on a neighborhood adventure. Thankfully, the neighbors found her not long after and she was delivered to Furry Friends. I was hysterical and bawling after posting her missing on Facebook and a close friend told me where she was jailed. I immediately called, sent her documentation, and cried on the phone partly in worry and partly in relief. Furry Friends not only released her to me and we bailed her out, but during after hours. We re-microchipped her for a fraction of the price of the vet and they definitely didnt do any cruel or unusual punishment to my felon of a daughter. She is now home, safe, warm, and on house arrest. Here is her mugshot. She may never show again now that she has a record. She is also getting a GPS tracker (equivalent to an ankle monitor) as well as her sphynx sister. For an exotic breed lover, I am SO THANKFUL to Furry Friends for their clean, tidy facility and loving demeanor with understanding how incredibly upset I was.

Wow the irony in all the poor reviews isn't surprising. My friend Jamie just adopted 3 cats from…read morethere and two started immediately having issues. One got better and one has had on going problems since she got it. She tried taking it to the vet but still nothing helped. when she politely reached out to the manager and asking if she can return the one, the manager was a snot and very demeaning. Making Jamie feel like she was a crappy pet owner and having to defend herself. Thankfully I am not as sweet as her and have no problem speaking my mind. She is the sweetest person and the way they made her feel angers me. The manager then decided to show up at her place sunday afternoon and ask for the cat back? Bizarre and not sure i've ever heard of that happening. Probably because there's no reason to ever do that. Just poor managment and a poorly ran business. Would never ever recommend them.

Owner was very nice and very helpful. Bought handmade cat toys. 2 small mice, large mouse, and a…read morekick stick (like a kick-a-roo). All had catnip in them which I was told was supplied locally and that the lady making these toys would not disclose her source. Led me to believe that it's cats recommended. Well...I brought the bag of goodies home but had to run and get kids from school. Now, my cat Jarvis is a good boy. He doesn't jump on the table EVER. When the kids and I got home, Jarvis had the handle of the bag around his neck, the bag ripped open, and 2 of the toys ripped out of the plastic ziplocks. The other 2 toys couldn't quite make it out of the package. Jarvis loves them. He sure has gotten a lot of play time and exercise with these...and he was pretty high. I will definitely be buying again!

We were in Ames for an extended period and needed a specific product for our 13YO Labradoodle. We…read morecame to the right place, as Treats on a Leash gave us solid customer service, answered all of our questions, and helped us select a probiotic that was a positive addition to our dog's daily feeding. They have a super selection and don't push you. Instead, they are pleasant, and this is a great reflection of owner Michael Morris, who we met on this visit and could not have been kinder. We appreciated his staffer, who was so nice and extremely knowledgeable. Plenty of street parking on Ames' Main Street!