Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Austin Animal Center

    3.5 (246 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 7:00 pm

    Austin Animal Center Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Austin Animal Center

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Cute promotion of who's still looking for their furever home
    Christina H.

    The Austin Animal Center (AAC) is super organized and has so many different options to choose from. When we arrived to the center, we had no idea where to even begin. Luckily, the employee that helped us was super helpful and cheerful. She explained how AAC's pet viewing system works, and even provided a useful (& accurate) map for us. You'll find dogs and cats of all sizes and occasionally, a chicken if you please. The kennels are kept pretty clean here compared to other shelters I have been to. Unfortunately, I can't speak for the adoption process itself, as we never found exactly what we were looking for. If you ever have any donations, such as gently used toys, comforters, dog supplies, etc, you can drop these off in the front.

    Laarni C.

    Service: I dropped off a momma cat for SNR, and the process was easy and quick--done in just 20 minutes during their 11 AM to 1 PM intake window. Process: 1. Use a QR code to check in. 2. Fill out a form with your contact information. 3. The staff takes your paper and your cat. 4. They return your blanket and trap after their internal intake. Staff: Ginger was fast and efficient, making the process smooth. Overall: I appreciate the important work they do at this pet resource center. A great experience with friendly and efficient staff.

    Home is where the heart is
    Laird A.

    we would like to give The Austin Animal Center an enormous thanks for everything including giving my cats proper attention and care, providing them paperworks for transport and extending our reclaim days. Special Thanks to Melody Courtney for helping us with my 6 cats to go home. Thanks for going above and beyond and for giving us wonderful support. Thanks to Officer Billy Burgess and all the crew of Austin Animal Protection who helped trapped my cats during and after our mishap. We will be forever grateful!!!!

    The human who did not call me "eeew...what are YOU?" and called me "Let's go home!"
    Elizabeth G.

    This is where Miss Sophia came as a pup, abused and mangy. How wonderful for me! This place lets you find just the right pup and become a forever home! My pup needed extra TLC, but such a joy! The staff is amazing and the work that they, and the volunteers provide in caring for and training the animals is remarkable. They actually can tell you about the animals personality. Animals receive medical attention prior to discharge. Great experience and large turnover of animals...so find the one that's just right for you!

    Pepper, dog adopted
    Jessica T.

    I have gotten a cat and a dog from this location during the summer when they waive adoption fees because they become over loaded with pets. I love both my animals and they made sure we were well informed of any issues they might have. Staff are friendly and helpful (they ask a lot of important questions to make sure you are a good fit) and the app they have is easy to use. 10/10 I would recommend looking for your best friend here.

    Syrine K.

    I had bad experience with them, the lady works on customer service was her name lili she wasn't helpful at all, she was being racist to me because I have accent she was treating me like ungrown, she told that I need to go home and think more!! The cat department manager she was more helpful and nice atleast she tried to help !! It's totally waist of time and money I would rather buy from a breeder than supporting unhumain shelter administration like that .. Totally Racist, Shame on them !! They wants help only Hispanic Bcz they were people after us and they helped them .. If you can't treat a human right how your gonna treat a puppy right Ma'am LILY and her manager EVELLa, my first experience was horrible !! feel bad for those pets over there after I saw how they treat human ..

    Tibby!

    I recommend adopting from here! I frequented this shelter a number of times before I met and brought home my cat last month. She was 3 months old, so we brought her home as a foster with intent to adopt. When we brought her back for a spay (free!) it went extremely well. The incision site was super clean and the surgery was clearly preformed meticulously and prudently! She healed in no time! Reached out to the vet team a few times and they were so helpful. Now that I've gotten to know my kitty, I realize how relaxed and happy she was here when we met her. Honestly, I met with a few cats and every one I met with (even the apparently skittish or misbehaving cats) seemed relaxed and content with the staff and the environment, and all warmed up in a few minutes. It takes skill to create an environment where every cat seems generally happy, even at capacity. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Everything is kept clean and organized. There are always several volunteers floating around ready to answer questions, on week days and weekends alike. Process went very smoothly and everyone was incredibly friendly throughout the entire process. I found the PERFECT pet here! Something to add- I wasn't supposed to meet with my kitten when I did, she was too young to be handled as her immune system is still developing. This was explained nicely to me by a senior volunteer. I felt like I had really caused trouble and I was worried I had upset the staff but she was incredibly reassuring and provided information to make me feel at ease. No one likes feeling scolded, and this volunteer did an incredible job setting a clear boundary out of concern for the animal while acknowledging my remorse and consoling me. This is exactly the kind of person you want taking care of cats, truly. Patiently firm and naturally kind, who clearly cares about the health and safety of the animals there. Can't recommend enough if you're looking for a best friend :-)

    Raquel G.

    My husband and I recently adopted a dog from Austin Animal Center, and she's become the perfect addition to our little crew (already had a rescue cat and rescue dog). Thank you so much AAC for making the adoption process easy, simple and fun! Our new little lady has brought so much joy and love to our lives.

    Sensei watching his favorite show ;) (adopted from Austin Animal Center)
    Rebecca R.

    Austin Animal Center deserves more than 5 stars in my book with all the awesome work they do..so kudos to all the Austin Animal Center staff & volunteers!! My family was blessed with our pit bull mix Sensei, who we adopted from Austin Animal Center 4 1/2 years ago when he was 2 yrs old. With our family never having a dog before we were nervous about the process & not sure on how we would choose the best dog for our family, especially with us having 3 kids in the house BUT adopting from AAC it made the process so easy for us! We would go to AAC & visit w/ all the dogs that were available for adoption & I love how each kennel has a "report card" for each dog listing helpful info on that specific dog like how long the dog as been there, personality traits , skills (house trained, knows basic commands like sit, stay, etc) & each kennel also has a green dot or sign which means it's ok for you to take that dog on a walk or to one of the areas to play w/ the dog to get a better idea on how the dog interacts w/ you. I really liked how there are lots of volunteers around so if you're needing help w/ getting a dog out of the kennel to walk they will help you or just help w/ any questions you may have. Helpful Tip!!!! -even if you are not wanting to adopt a new furry family member you can still visit the Austin Animal Center to visit the dogs who are patiently waiting for their forever homes & take them treats, take them out for a watch, play fetch.. This is what my daughter & I did on our most recent visit to AAC on 7/8/2017 since sadly we have lost our furry baby Sensei a few weeks ago & to honer his memory we we to Austin Animal Center to donate dog treats & to visit w/ the dogs. I read a few of the previous reviews about people having a bad experience w/ staff from Austin Animal Center but PLEASE DON'T let this stop you from adopting pets at Austin Animal Center..believe me I sometimes think animals are waaaay smarter than us humans sometimes:) & there really are awesome animals waiting & needing forever homes at AAC & speaking from personal experience pets really become our family & will bring so much to your family. Stay awesome Austin Animal Center...till our next visit!! -Rebecca out

    Pan

    See all

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Maria W.
    346
    1339
    5476

    2 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Amanda F.
    1311
    2475
    2329

    5 years ago

    Helpful 12
    Thanks 0
    Love this 9
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 9
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 11
    Thanks 0
    Love this 9
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Autumn D.
    556
    32
    6

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mike P.
    24
    46
    2

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Owl F.
    223
    46
    16

    5 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Allie M.
    188
    18
    8

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jai C.
    545
    1527
    2531

    14 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Emie S.
    439
    70
    39

    4 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Very sweet staff, very easy process in getting my pet and making sure they were up to date with their treatments.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    Page 1 of 7

    Austin Animal Center Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Austin Animal Center

    Review Highlights - Austin Animal Center

    We came to the Town Lake Animal Center to look and fell in love with a handle full of the of them.

    Mentioned in 9 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Animal Shelters 1,096 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Austin Pets Alive!

    Austin Pets Alive!

    3.3
    (315 reviews)

    Austin Pets alive saves the lives of 12,000 pets per year, who come through the Austin shelter --…read moreand countless more with their outreach to animals and organizations throughout Texas and the country. APA!'s mission is to promote and provide the resources, education, and programs needed to eliminate the killing of companion animals. Their vision is that every shelter animal, in Central Texas and beyond, gets a true chance at the life they deserve. Austin Pets Alive! is not an average animal shelter. They pioneer comprehensive, innovative programs designed to save the animals most at risk for euthanasia. They have a 95% animal save rate...the highest in the country. I volunteer as a dog walker every day. The dogs are well cared for, and they ensure that each dog gets walked 3 times a day. In addition, they participate in play year activities to make sure they get proper exercise and socialization. The kennels are always kept clean and hosed down after pet accidents. They have matchmaker services to make sure an adopted pet is compatible with their new owners. And they offer a lifetime of behavioral support, by dog behavior experts, for adopted dogs. Austin Pets Alive values their volunteers and hold appreciation meetings twice a year. The most recent one as at AGBG, with free pizza for everyone. They were voted best nonprofit for several years.

    I dropped off my 10 week old kitten to get neutered at 8am. They told me to pick up later between 5…read more-5:45 pm. When I got there to pick up they told me that they hadn't even started the procedure yet. They finally finished up around 6:15. ***So they left a tiny kitten in a box with no food or water for 10 hours! The team there seemed overworked and not trained well. I found incompetence across the board at APA. Will never go back.

    Gold Ribbon Rescue

    Gold Ribbon Rescue

    4.3
    (27 reviews)

    I just recently adopted my new dog through GRR and it was an incredible experience start to finish…read more Yes, it's thorough and yes it takes time, but I definitely feel like that is by design and ultimately matched me with a pretty incredible pup - you shouldn't be in a hurry to find your next family member! The care and passion for each dog is apparent, and I had a whole support team throughout the process to ensure I had all the information and resources I needed to bring my Cooper home.

    short version: most of the people in the org are nice but it all depends on who you get as your…read more"matchmaker". if you get Jennie Lou then I wouldn't waste your time and just start looking for another place to get your golden. don't waste almost a year like we did. just be careful on facebook a lot of the group posts are scams. i had high hopes for GRR, i've been following them for a couple years and they were the first people i reached out to about donating stuff when i lost my last golden of 15 years. After going through the intense interview process we were assigned a matchmaker. I thought this process would be exciting but it was not. JL didn't have the best communication, not hearing from her 1+ months at a time and even getting us confused with other couples. She was usually abrasive and condescending over the phone. I felt like I had to keep reminding her that we've had goldens before. We tried to suggest dogs that popped up on the website or facebook page and were reprimanded for doing so. We said that a main requirement was making sure the new dog got along with our current one but that never seemed like a concern to them. JL would call us about a dog that just came in that they didn't know anything about and give us a couple to hours to decide and we'd have to go pick them up in 2 days from the Vet right after being spayed. I felt like they just wanted to throw something at the wall and see what sticks. She kept telling us to trust the process (over and over again) so we did with one of these last minute dogs and it did not work out. In fact she wound up having giardia and gave it to our older dog. Then we got gaslighted for saying it was a bad match and I once again had to remind her that we've had young goldens before. This is when I started asking around and it seemed like everyone I talked to that had a positive experience adopting from GRR had a different matchmaker than us. Before giving up i sent an email to the GRR President and VP pleading to try one more time with a different matchmaker and instead of responding they forwarded it to ours and she proceeded to chew me out over the phone like i was a child. I was never mean or ugly or anything in that email. if there was room i'd paste the email in here. As I'm writing this it's been 3 months since we've heard from JL. No check in or anything. In that 3 months we've found another golden rescue (based in dallas), got approved and already have had the new dog a couple months now. We've also met several other people that used to get their dogs from GRR that are working with this new rescue now. They were assigned JL as well and just gave up and left like we had to. Hopefully you'll have better luck than we did with GRR.

    Emancipet

    Emancipet

    4.1
    (283 reviews)

    The service to the community is needed and valued; however, the execution leaves A LOT to be…read moredesired. You will lose an entire day to try and get a round of shots for your pet between standing in line hoping you can get in for the day- then waiting the six to eight hours to come back for a 30 minute appointment. Forget trying to get an appointment in advance because on your appointment day and time- you will be told you have 30 people ahead of you and you have a minimum one-hour wait. What a farce! Our time is valuable too! You also can't call in- no one answers and the desk staff admits no one will answer- so for a very noble premise- the staff does not follow up with the mission nor do they seem to care. Organization is non-existent and while I am sure they are overwhelmed with the volume- this is clearly a choke point that needs to be resolved and intake and processing need to become efficient to better serve everyone.

    Used Emancipet for spay and neuter for years. Staff members on yesterday's visit were efficient and…read morepleasant. The newer facility is very clean and the AC is a life saver once you get in. Be prepared to line up in the heat outside with your pet for drop off. A staff member will come and take your pet inside but that may take a bit. You will then be directed to still wait outside until they call you to enter to speak with the intake staff member at the desk. Yesterday there was no shade at all while waiting and even though 8am is arrival time, it's already toasty. There was also no water or chairs where you may be waiting for about fifteen mins or so. Emancipet does send out an email stating to bring an umbrella for shade and water. I neglected to read the email so this is not complaint just a heads up. However, upon returning for pet pick up, there were two pop up shade tents with a cooler of water and dishes for pets. Hopefully, going forward they erect those tents for the drop offs too. I will continue to use Emancipet as it's a great organization. This review is for the peeps that skim their emails...

    Austin Pets Alive! Thrift - Burnet

    Austin Pets Alive! Thrift - Burnet

    4.7
    (156 reviews)
    $

    Austin Pets Alive! is near and dear to my heart because of the many animal lives they save. This…read morereview is a long time coming as I have many draft reviews that I am still working on getting posted. As the mother of a rescue dog who was going to be euthanized, I am 100% behind everything this thrift store stands for. In fact, every 6 months when I overhaul my closet, I donate A LOT of clothing, shoes, and accessories to the store in support of the cause. I also like to swing by as part of my North Loop jaunt (every few months, hit up North Loop stores and pubs---to include APA!) to make purchases. Found quite a few cute things here over the years not only for myself but friends and family. They've got an amazing selection of items and each time I pop in they seem to have loads more. Support this local shop in saving animal lives. Trust me, you will find something to buy!

    When my aunt was alive every Christmas she would give me pieces of depression glass as a gift…read more These pieces were special to me because over the years she thrifted and amassed a fairly large collection. My collection has dwindled over the years through breakage. So I was thrifting looking for pink depression glass. The Burnet Road location is large, well organized with two-stories of items. It is filled with just about anything that you can imagine. Clothing...they have it! Shoes...they have it! Vintage items...they have it! Kitchen and house wears...they have it! Unfortunately, no pink depression glass. I will definitely return to thrift here due to their large selection of things. In addition, their prices are very reasonable. First stop Austin Pets Alive! - Burnet. I learned that all net sale proceeds go directly to support Austin Pets Alive!'s lifesaving programs for animals most at risk. Their clear mission is saving animals' lives, which is so heartwarming. According to staff, Austin Pets Alive! is known for pioneering innovative programs that help keep pets out of euthanasia and place them into loving homes. The Burnet Road location plays a critical role in sustaining those efforts by serving as a critical funding source for the organization's work across Central Texas.

    Heart of Texas Lab Rescue

    Heart of Texas Lab Rescue

    3.6
    (19 reviews)

    Start to finish, a clear and transparent process to adopt our 2nd dog from Heart of Texas Lab…read moreRescue. All volunteers were communicative and responsive. Overall a great experience working with them.

    We've adopted 2 dogs from HoTLR over the years (and have had 10 Labradors over the years - most…read morerescues) the latest was in Jan 2024. Our second Lab from HoTLR was used as a puppy mill prior to being rescued...like our last Lab She has a number of concerning health issues... Broken teeth, tumor adjacent to one of her anal glands, and She has such a severe limp, massive swelling in her elbows and has such a difficult time negotiating steps we had her limbs radiographed. The results? Severe bilateral degenerative osteoarthritis of the elbows - this girl is in pain ALL of the time. We have a 1 story house, with steps down to the back yard; we walk her around to the backyard now to relieve herself. Walks in the "neighborhood" are very short and only to "lubricate" her elbows. She does love to retrieve, but becomes disinterested quickly because of the pain she's in (our Vet prescribed an anti-inflamitory, 2 different types of pain meds, & glucosamine. We also give her turmeric, hoping it would help). We have had this sweetest of Labs for a little over 9 weeks - this week will be our last. We won't let her suffer any longer. SHAME ON YOU HEART Of TEXAS LAB "RESCUE?" for NOT DOING the right thing by not having our sweet dog euthanized when you obtained her. It's not about the adoption fee, or the Vet costs, it's about the DOG, and her quality of life. These folks search shelters and more all over Texas to get their dogs. That's where we'll go in the future.

    Austin Animal Center - animalshelters - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...