From the moment I walked into Central Texas SPCA, EMILY made the entire experience feel personal and meaningful. She was warm, approachable, and genuinely pleasant to interact with and that's exactly the energy you want when making such an important decision. What really set EMILY apart was her depth of knowledge and her ability to truly listen. She didn't just hear what I was saying, she understood what I needed and matched me accordingly. She introduced me to Specs (now lovingly known as Staxx Benjamin) and honestly? He chose me! That perfect connection happened because EMILY was intuitive enough to make it possible. Since bringing Staxx home, EMILY has continued to show up for us. Her support and helpfulness didn't stop at adoption. She's been a resource and a reassurance every step of the way. Staxx and I are truly lucky to have her as a part of our Family! More adoption agencies need people like EMILY. She doesn't just place animals, she creates families. She is an absolute gem, and any shelter would be lucky to have her representing their mission. 10/10, without hesitation. read more

Central Texas SPCA - Staxx is the cutest!! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Leander, Texas

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From the moment I stepped in to the building, I knew it was a great place to be. There was not any weird odors of urine or anything like that. I saw the dog that I wanted to adopt right away and they put us in a room to make sure that we could live together. It was such a great experience. I just admire them for all they do! read more

Wouldn't want to spend Kindness Day any other way than volunteering at Central Texas SPCA! Such a pleasure to spend the day helping out the staff with a few chores and in return getting to play with the fur babies. Please always adopt a pet of you can. This establishment is a no kill shelter and they actually rescue these babies from being put down at different shelters. That to me is absolutely incredible! Keep up the great work. I loved the 2 acre land tour and explaining everything you do for these babies who need a forever home. The love, care and time is beautiful. I got to witness one of the cats being adopted today and got to congratulate the gentleman on his new pet. It was the sweetest thing! This shelter is very clean and they take the time to make sure it stays that way since some of the pets coming in could have health issues. read more

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We adopted the most wonderful little long-hair Chihuahua last November after we had to let our other little guy go to doggie heaven. The gals working there are the most precious, loving and kind anywhere. Second to none. You can feel the love they have for all their pups and cats. The facility is very clean and the animals are taken out regularly. We had to fill out an application to assure them that we are a great fit. We also had to bring our other dog in for an assessment and they approved! Well, have to give Chika, our other dog, for liking her new playmate welcome. Schnuti writes to his Mama's on a fairly regular to keep them updated with his new life with us. We couldn't be more blessed. They should be getting a new facility in the same location.. not sure if it's done.. If you really need a wonderful addition to your family, look no further. Their animals are posted online, as well. Thanks to our gals forever....BOW-WOW read more

Central Texas SPCA - Chika and Schnuti taking a nap.. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Leander, Texas

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I'm very angry with this place right now. Don't get me wrong, I love the dog I ended up adopting. I don't regret adopting her. She is mine now and nothing will change that. BUT I'm very mad for 2 reasons. I was told she had no health issues other than some soft stool, possibly due to stress. I get home with her, and the FIRST PEE she takes on my lawn has blood in it. I speak to them about it and they swear their volunteers would have noticed this. The woman literally laughed at me. Nice. So I only have her for a week and I'm taking this young dog to the vet. Thanks guys. I get the invoice from the vet. My dog was weighed on April 14 2021 at 46 pounds. She is now 50 pounds. I adopted her on May 7 2021. So why for that whole time did they not have her correct weight on her ad? It says she was 32 pounds. Clearly when I met the dog, I thought she was bigger for a 32 pound dog. But she is also skinny, so I believed it. I tell the woman on the phone like your ad said 32 but for a whole month yall have known she's 46 pounds. The woman's response on the phone was, "you can SEE her right?" Yeah. Well if YOU can see her, YOU should have KNOWN she WASNT 32 pounds and UPDATED YOUR AD. THIS MATTERS. BECAUSE: what if I lived in an area that had weight restrictions and had a landlord who wanted to meet my dog? what if I say she's 32 pounds and roll up with a 50 pound dog? I would get in trouble and I would have to return the dog. That would be YOUR fault. reason #2, I just owned a 60 pound dog and it was expensive. I wanted a 20-30 pound dog to save money on food and the vitamins I feed her. I wanted to start feeding raw. Raw is expensive. So I wanted a smaller dog. But now I have a 50 pound dog, who will probably keep growing to 60 or more. Again, I do not regret adopting this dog. But I have to work harder for her to maintain the healthy way I want to feed her. Again, thanks a lot. reason #3, THINKING she was 32 pounds, IM NOT GIVING HER CORRECT DOSAGES ON VITAMINS! of course it's fine because I was giving less and not more. But now, again, I have to give more than what I intended. Which means more vitamins, going through the bottles faster. Theyre not all cheap. Some are. Some are not. YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO MAKE THAT "MISTAKE." Which the woman on the phone called it. I truly think they lied to get her adopted faster. They had to have known she was not 32 pounds. 32 and 46 are such specific numbers... like cmon.... And they had to have known she was bleeding when she pees, or the volunteers didnt care enough to say. One of my coworkers is a literal ex-volunteer of this place and that was her response. "Oh, the volunteers probably just lied to get her adopted." Literally said that. I'm thankful I have this dog. But this place needs to step up their game and really watch its volunteers. You can't just LIE and put dogs into possible bad situations because youre not telling the truth in your advertisements. Tell the truth. read more

The staff and workers at this shelter are fantastic, they work hard at finding forever homes for the pets. I was very impressed when we put in an application, they immediately called our references before we even made it home to call them and let them know to expect a call. We knew what to expect with Dakota (aka Yodi), they knew she had been a stray in Brady and told us it would take time; just be patient and we'd be ok. Dakota is a wonderful addition to our family. I am so glad we looked at their facility first!! read more

Central Texas SPCA - Animal Shelters Near Me - Leander, Texas

You can tell CTSPCA truly cares about all the animals that come through their door and that they're well taken care of. It's a small animal shelter that's sort of secluded but they have a wonderful small selection of dogs available for adoption. The staff is very friendly and are knowledgeable on each pet and their history and personality. We fell in love with our fur baby as soon as we saw him. There was an immediate connection as we were able to go into his kennel and play fetch with him and just interact before filling out the application to adopt him. They take two applications per pet and it isn't a "first come, first serve" adoption. They approve the adoption based off of which family is going to be the best match for the dog. You fill out the application, answer questions that they have in place to figure out if you'll be a good match and then they ask for three references as sort of a background check which I completely appreciate and feel more shelters should do. My boyfriend and I were stressing out the entire week waiting to here back from them and praying that no one else put in an application - the waiting to hear back is the hardest part by far because there is a chance that they will get back to you and tell you that you're not a good fit. Our adoption went through and our fur baby Chip has brought so much joy to our lives. He's so playful, likes to go on adventures with us and his favorite hobby is to cuddle which is a huge plus! They even provided us with a bag a food when we came to pick him up. His personality has grown so much since being in his forever home. I wish we would have found him sooner. In the future if we do decide to get him a buddy we will be getting him one from CTSPCA. Thanks CTSPCA for giving us our baby boy! read more

Central Texas SPCA - Our fur baby Chip :) He has such a huge personality and we're so happy we found him! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Leander, Texas

I volunteer here, so my review may be a bit biased, but I have adopted a dog from here as well. I decided to volunteer here because a) they were one of the closest shelters to me and b) they are no-kill so I thought I wouldn't be tempted to rescue any animals. So much for that. My adoption experience here was much better than any I have ever had. They actually review the applications and will call your vet and references. They make sure your current pets are up to date on vaccinations and that you will be a good fit for the animal you are adopting. They schedule an exit interview (and meet and greet with your current dog if applicable) and go over all the animal's vet records with you. I was even given a small bag of dog food for my new pup. They were very honest about my dog's past illnesses and treatments. The volunteers that were there (particularly Desiree) knew quite a bit about all of the dogs' different personalities, which really helped me find a dog that my current dog would get along with. It's been a few months and my 2 dogs are still getting along well. I'm so happy to have another four-legged family member. read more

Central Texas SPCA - My baby. :) Presto, now named Jinx. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Leander, Texas

This place is a great example of how a shelter/kennel should work. This place actually takes the time out to interview you and make sure that you are "compatible" with the new family member you are taking home. The process took about two weeks, and the staff was very nice to us. The reason why I say this place is a great example is because they take the time to do a background check on you. Whether the friend you want to take home will be able to adjust and be comfortable. I've noticed certain places just want to get rid of as much of their animals as possible regardless of whether or not the animal is going to a nice and fitting environment. For example: adopting out a high energy doggy/kitty that will only get maybe thirty minutes of exercise a day, and stays home in an apartment all day while his/her mommy/daddy work 9-5... Their process would help reduce numerous animals from heartbreak and having to be abandoned yet again because the person adopting has not been evaluated or been notified of what they will be handling/responsible for. I LOVE this place... I just wish more places would operate like this. Oh, and they are no-kill :) read more

Central Texas SPCA - Front of the SPCA - Animal Shelters Near Me - Leander, Texas

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I was reading the reviews for Central TX SPCA and was surprised at the negative reviews about rudeness etc of the staff. On June 26, 2020, I adopted my Baby Girl, a mini poodle mix, from there. Everyone I had contact with was very nice, professional and helpful. They explained to me all that they knew about her (being found in a field on the Rivery in Gtown, weighing just under 6 pounds, very scared and afraid of everything). They even gave me food and a toy to bring home with her....I give them five stars and if I ever adopt again it will be from there. Baby is now a happy, loud, funny, loving eight and half pound bundle of joy! Kudos to CTSPCA!! read more

After saying good-bye to our sweet 16-year old girl last summer and fostering kitties for another organization this winter, we finally felt ready to make a permanent addition to our family this spring. I was casually looking through petfinder.com to see who was available in the Austin area and stumbled upon the most precious ginger and white fellow at Central Texas SPCA. I forwarded the listing to my husband, got the go-ahead, and we drove up to Leander to see how he was in person. The super-friendly and laid-back shelter manager Desiree welcomed us, had us sign-in, and then directed us to the kitty side of the building. All of the cats are in surprisingly large enclosures on their own or with a buddy. They encourage you to enter the enclosures and spend time with the cat you have in mind to see if there's a fit. We were never rushed or pressured in the slightest. Plus, while the shelter space may be a little older, it is very clean with zero smell. Needless to say, we won the lottery of online (cat) dating and were immediately smitten with our little guy. Desiree told us all about him (they take many strays from more rural shelters that get little foot traffic), we returned the next day with completed application in hand, and then we got the call the following day - after they reviewed our application, interviewed us, and checked references (at least one neighbor and a non-family member) - that we were approved to bring him home. He is now purring by my feet as I write this review. We may add another feline or possibly a dog to our brood over the coming months. If so, our first stop will be Central Texas SPCA. The animals are so well-socialized and obviously loved by the volunteers and staff. Plus, for those of you who are looking for pups, they may not have a huge selection of dogs, but they have a wide range of breeds. While we were there, we met a sweet border collie, several cute dachshund mixes, and a beautiful black lab. read more

Not sure how they treat the animals but the way they treat prospective pet parents is ridiculously rude and downright disrespectful. The application format and level of customer service alone would rival that of the KGB. It's almost as if they are keeping animals there just so the dire place can stay open. But open to whom, I'm not sure anyone can answer that question. My advice to all two and four legged friends Stay away from this place. read more

This organization is a joke. We went to adopt a puppy to be a companion to our current dog. One of the organization's volunteers gave misinformation to the adoption counselor about her perceived opinion of how we care for our pet. We will adopt from one of the other animal rescue organizations so that we can have the companion we desire for our dog. I have had other friends confirm having similar problems with this organization. In further investigation I discovered that only 4% of total funds raised actually goes to help animals (activistfacts.com). read more

My husband and I adopted both of our dogs from this shelter, and we have no regrets! I love this shelter and have had a great experience with them, and I think they are doing wonderful work for animals in the community. In the course of my two adoptions, I've learned there are some important things to keep in mind if you are considering adopting from the CTSPCA... They are a smaller shelter that "pulls" from larger ones, and so have more opportunity to know the personality and needs (social, environment, etc) of the animals. As an adopter, this was important to me to have an idea of beforehand. I grant that it can be disheartening to learn that they are not a "first-come first-serve" shelter if you have your heart set on a particular animal (they take two applications per animal at a time and determine best fit, or at least they did at the time I adopted). However, the purpose of this is to match both the animals and their adopters well. The shelter has an interest in doing this, not just for the adopter and animal but also as a third party. They encourage pets to be returned to them rather than being turned over to a municipal shelter or otherwise relocated, in the event the adoption does not work out. That was another plus for me, and even when I adopted my dogs I was reminded that each one always has a home at the CTSPCA if it is ever needed. This is reassuring, especially in the short-term if the animal and adopter end up not being a good fit after all for some unforeseen reason. Both my dogs received excellent medical care during their time at the shelter, and it was good to know that I was adopting healthy animals. The downsides for some to this shelter may be a smaller selection of animals in terms of breeds/sizes, and the fact as I mentioned that you may apply for an animal but not end up going home with that animal. You also need to be prepared to be patient while volunteers process your application and another, which I recall took a few days. Overall, in my experience the process was worth it, and if you are interested in finding a forever friend, cat or dog, you should definitely visit the animals at this shelter. read more

a week ago my boyfriend and i applied to adopt cedar we went in everyday they were open to check on him and make sure our application was going smoothly NO ONE FROM LEANDER SPCA contacted us to let us know our apartment complex was not answering even though we had already gotten verbal approval from our apartment. we legit went up there yesterday and nothing was said about our apartment not answering. cedar was adopted out by another family and now we are both very upset. we will NOT be coming here to adopt anything. very upsetting that a place would do this. read more

Absolutely unprofessional and rude. I was hung up on while asking about the adoption process. Not accidentally not with any kind of apology but blatantly hung up on because I asked about their adoption process and when I could not get a straight answer I asked for the manager's name *click* This shelter's "adoption process" is CLEARLY being manipulated so that the friends and associates of shelter workers are given "first pick" of the most expensive and rare dogs. Dogs are suddenly adopted without the shelter being open or in operation or anyone answering any form of email or phone correspondence to people who could not have seen the dog OR the workers are blatantly lying about the dogs they do have available to allow the people they want to be approved before anyone else can submit an application. read more

The Central Texas SPCA is an incredibly caring organization dedicated to matching dogs and cats with their fur-ever home. I've experienced this both as a volunteer and as the happy mom of a sweet puppy adopted from here. They truly care about each animal that comes through their doors and ensure to make the best match possible with potential adopters so that both the family and newly adopted pets are happy to begin their lives together. I really can't say enough good things about them :) read more

A little gem in LEANDER near CEDARPARK. Staff friendly and motivated to find right home for their cats and dogs. Stop by and get your forever friend. read more

Staff isn't very friendly, my wife and I were very interested in seeing one of the puppies and the lady said no, they really need their sleep? I get it if there was 20 million people there but it was just my wife and I and it was about 20 min to close! Pretty sad considering one of those puppies could have had a home! We drove in from Austin and won't know when we will be back. read more

They truly care about their animals here. Got our sweet Ella dog for my daughter from them

The caring folks and CTSPCA will help match you with a dog or kitty that is the perfect fit for you and your family! They let you know as much about the pets background as they can and the staff is knowledgeable about animal behavior and very helpful with their observations. Visitors can visit with dogs on leash or in a playpen and the cats have walk in enclosures the size of small rooms! A wonderful shelter! read more

I adopted my second cat from Central Texas SPCA. When I first went to visit their shelter, I could tell all of their animals were loved and treated well. They really care about all of their animals, and treat them as if they were their own pets. And they take extra care into making sure that their animals are adopted into loving homes where they will not be mistreated or abused. I loved how the cats were not in tiny cages, but they had ample room to play, and cat-trees and shelves to perch on. When I decided to adopt my third cat, my fiance and I knew Central Texas SPCA was the place we wanted to adopt from. All of the staff are very friendly and pleasant, and it is always a good experience when we visit. I am very thankful for the two cats that I adopted from them, and for the fact that they were treated with love during the time at the shelter. read more

I have adopted twice from this shelter. They do amazing work and are truly committed to the animals. As others have mentioned, the CTSPCA is a no-kill shelter. They are invested in each animal they take in - learning each animal's personality and taking time to find the best fit for each one. If you adopt from here you know the animal will be healthy and ready to be adopted (meaning trained and socialized if needed). I know that there are many shelters around Austin, and so many animals who need homes. I am always saddened when I hear that someone has adopted an animal and he or she is not happy with the decision. The animal is then back to the shelter to go through the whole thing again. This can be avoided if you adopt the right animal from the start. The CTSPCA will help you do that. read more

If you're here looking for a dog, this shelter is fine, but if you're looking to volunteer, don't do it here... Some of the staff members here are rather unfriendly, and will make you feel unwelcome. The dogs here are all super cool, but are never adopted out. But the dogs are unhealthy, and often have yellow poop and are almost never walked beyond what they get from the volunteers. So one time went I went there I had forgotten my volunteer wristband, and after driving more than ten miles to get there, the lady there that has seen me there numerous times and undoubtedly knows who I am had the audacity to tell me that I couldn't volunteer without my wristband. And she doesn't even offer to let me purchase another one, she just walks away to talk to some people. Another time, we showed up there while it was closed to visitors, but open to volunteers. A couple walked out and had obviously just been in there which says that a staff member was there. But when we went up to the door, it was locked only seconds after the other people had walked out, and they wouldn't let us in... read more

Fantastic place that does great work. Yes there may be some issues with staffing (they "misplaced" our app) but in the end it all worked out and we were able to adopt a great dog and give him his forever home. read more

So disappointed in the staff at this shelter. We had a wonderful experience 6 years ago adopting a great puppy from here. Sadly he passed away suddenly just 2 weeks after our older dog passed away from heart failure at 15. We were so sad we decided to look for a new dog and of course our first stop was here. But things have certainly changed since we last rescued our beloved dog. First it now takes more than a week to get approved. But we found a sweet little guy who we felt would help heal our hearts. We put in our application (the first one for this guy) Having lost 2 dogs we continued our search with other shelters and happened to find the very next day another puppy and were approved and allowed to take him home that night. The next day we stopped at the SPCA to let them know we had adopted and needed to revise our application so we could introduce the dogs to make sure they would be friends. We were allowed to go out to the kennels but then were screamed at for having the new family member with us. I quickly exited and stayed with the puppy by the car. My husband went to visit our hopeful new pet. He seemed so excited to see my husband. The man who screamed at me later spoke to my husband and indicated there was a pending application which we assumed was ours from days ago. We finally got a call today a full week later stating he had already been adopted. My husband called the counselor back to see how we could have been overlooked and found out that the person who took the applications forwarded a second application to her before ours even though we had ours in first. Now I know that they don't have to let the first application have the dog but to lose him to someone's failure to do their job is upsetting. We of course are approved for a dog at this point but the one we wanted is no longer there. read more

we traid and waited 5 days and they told us that they sent us an email and never arrived. we were twice interested in OREO. and the second time my husband the lady only told her that they had sent an email.we never got that famous email, and that day they were taking oreo and she did not tell my husband.and we hope to have it in our house.on Saturday we went again and added that the problem is that they spent a lot of work for the application to be translated into Spanish.(including racism).conclusion as we are latin for them it was easier to deliver the dog to whom I spoke in English. even the older lady working there made a bad gesture when my husband did not understand a word in English. I wonder if to adopt a dog is necessary to speak in English with the local workers. read more