We adopted Ziggy (formerly an onion name) last September. They are such lovely people who truly care about their animals! Meeting the foster and hearing about his quirks was also so much fun. Absolutely lovely place. Please don't stop having adoption fairs they're lovely. read more

Centre County PAWS - Our new deaf friend - Animal Shelters Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

Very helpful and knowledgeable and I'm sure they take care of the dogs very well I'm hoping to adopt a Chihuahua

For reasons beyond my control, I had to re-home my sweet dog I got from PAWS over a year ago. Today I took her to the facility. She walked in, tail wagging, because she remembered the love and attention she received from fosters and staff over a year ago. They gave me a private room and time to tell my sweet big girl goodbye. I knew she would be among caring people there, and that makes it easier to give her up, which was best for both Minnie and me. Staff were friendly, helpful, and the facility is clean and pleasant. Thank you to State College staff and volunteers for helping me accomplish a smooth transition. read more

I just adopted a cat from PAWS and it was a great experience. All of the volunteers I interacted with were so helpful and kind. You can tell they all care so much about the animals and want them to go to good homes. I submitted an application on line and it got approved in just three days. The person reviewing mine was so timely and easy to work with. Once my application was approved I went to visit the cats twice before I chose one. The adoption counselor and I set a date and I picked up Lindor. They also gave me a bed, food bowls, and a months worth of food as well as a prescription medication Lindor takes. Extremely generous place. Overall a very smooth and fun adoption process. Would definitely recommend if you are thinking of adopting a cat. read more

Centre County PAWS - Lindor! - Animal Shelters Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

About a month and a half ago I adopted a kitten from paws who has unfortunately been in an accident where she lost her front leg and no vision in one eye. Upon adopting her we were told she was completely fine and had no underlying issues. However that was far from the truth. Never once when we adopted her were we told she had broken ribs or that she had roundworms. Fast forward to about a week ago she fell extremely ill throwing up blood and roundworms. After looking at her records we noticed she had roundworms at PAWS and after looking at her vaccination records it clearly showed paws didn't treat her roundsworms within the correct time frame they should have been treated. Therefore resulting in us having to rush her to the vet in hopes we caught it in time. At the vet they clearly stated these had been in her for month due to the expensiveness of the amount and her condition she was in. After reaching out to PAWS and speaking with their medical manager Colin who said verbatim "we cannot predict the future" and basically said they weren't going to make it right. In addition he explained they don't do fecal tests to make sure the worms are gone and that they train their people to share all the medical history which wasn't done. In their mission online they hold themselves to values of open communication and responsible practices which is most certainly not what I experienced. I will never be adopting from here again which is a shame and I advise those thinking about adopting from here to proceed with caution. read more

I came to PAWS to adopt a dog after hearing fantastic reviews from friends and family that have adopted in the past. We went in during a busier time as dogs were being walked, saw the two dogs we specifically came in to see, and placed an application. We wanted to see a third dog, but we kept getting forgotten and then the building was closed. The volunteer helping us around the shelter was fantastic. She was very knowledgeable, hilarious, and helpful. She was the one whom had helped us start the application process for the dog we had fallen in love with and whom had fallen very much in love with us. We were with this dog a solid 45 mins as no one came to check up on us or check to see the dog. We waited for 1.5 hours to see an adoption counselor. Mind you, for the last 45 minutes we were waiting alone in a room, not with either dog we wanted to possibly adopt. The counselor finally came in the room, asked me two questions about my work schedule (which I work from home so I would always be home) and then proceeded to say I was not a good fit for a dog and walked out. She also did not greet us when she entered the room and was quite annoyed that she had to meet with us after the center had closed. However, we were waiting to see a counselor for 1.5 hours, well before the building closed. She did not tell us anything other than that so we were very confused as to whether we should just leave, whether our application was going to be processed, or what. I will NEVER adopt a dog from here based off this experience alone. Which is an absolute shame because these dogs need great homes. I will be taking my business out of county when looking for my future family addition. read more

adopted my sweet cat from paws 2 years ago and have fostered multiple times! have found the staff very kind, helpful, and non-judgmental. they are great with the cats and know each of them very well. would highly recommend adopting a cat or kitten from them! read more

I had heard nothing but good things about PAWS, so I really wanted to adopt a dog after I had started volunteering there. I quickly fell in love with a great fit for my family and home situation and was assured that despite the dogs minor health problems we would be suitable candidates for his adoption. We were told this several times after asking specifically about his vision problems. The following day we were excited to re visit PAWS to see the dog we were hoping to adopt. We were stopped at the door and suddenly the story had changed. We were told because of the dogs vision problems they wanted him to goto a home with another dog. Which we quickly said we were told that it was not a problem by the adoption counselor we saw the previous day. We felt very lied to by the adoption counselor we had spoken to perilously. Hurt that we could not adopt this dog that seemed very happy with us, and felt like there was some other reason they did not want us to adopt this dog that they were not being upfront about. It would have been very simple if they had just been very clear, consistent with the information they were telling people who were hoping to adopt, and forward when it came time to letting us know why we could or couldn't adopt. I wanted nothing but the best for the dog even if that meant he would goto another home, and I felt lied to about his situation. I am extremely disappointed and feel very much hurt by their adoption process. I would also like to mention that I feel so strongly about it that I felt the need to post it on Yelp which I had never previously posted on before! If you want consistent information about the animals you want to adopt this is not the place for you. read more

These people are wonderful. In 2005 I was a college student with a fiance in another state. I was looking to foster an animal to keep me company while I finished up school. Foster meaning you keep the animal during the week and bring it back on the weekends so people can see, and potentially adopt, them. It keeps them from being stuck in a cage all week, and I loved the idea. I fostered a few cats, and even though I was a flighty college student, they treated me respectfully and went well out of their way to help me with the cats I fostered. I can't say enough good things about the folks at Centre County Paws. In the end, in my senior year in college, I adopted one of the cats I had fostered. Me and Wilson have been pals ever since and he's doing great. read more

PAWS is a wonderful part of Centre County. They are a no kill shelter that runs primarily on volunteer support and donations. They have a spay and neuter clinic on site and the resources to accept cats with FIV and other diseases. A lot of care goes into making sure germs are not spread between the animals and that each animal gets the proper care. Centre County PAWS is not affiliated with any other PAWS. read more

For those of you visiting this page to look for a pet to adopt, I highly recommend PAWS. I was a volunteer at the center for two years and loved every visit to the shelter. The staff treat their animals with respect and love, and the volunteers are trained to appreciate animals and care for them appropriately. You are sure to find good animals who are very deserving of a home in this facility! For the few of you who may have to let your pet go for various reasons...you should know that PAWS is the best place you can send your pet in Centre County. He or she be loved and cared for, and they understand that often times people are put in difficult situations where they cannot care for a pet. read more

Centre County PAWS bends over backwards to find the perfect family fit for dogs and cats. Adopting can feel like a lot of hard work sometimes, but they are really trying to set animal and family up for success. read more

We have adopted through PAWS in past and it pains me to write any negative because we always had a great experience. You can tell the staff are truly dedicated to the animals. However, we did not have a good experience while trying to rescue a kitten on deaths door found in Bellefonte. PAWS told us we were fostering the little cutie until he worked through their waiting list, and even said about us bringing him in on some weekends to be shown while advancing through their system. But we ended up getting stuck with a $900 emergency vet bill for the kitten because they then said we were not considered a foster family. So the good news is it's seems the kitten got fantastic care at a METZGERS Animal Hospital and will be doing well. The good news is there are way more positives about PAWS than what I hope is a one time abnormal practice. If you are looking to adopt...go to PAWS, if you are looking to surrender or re-home through them, you might want to try another local organization as the practices and policies and staffs knowledge of them seems not up to par. read more

A big part of my heart is from PAWS because we adopted one of our Boxers from them. Great organization: well-organized corporation, diligent workers (they called and grilled our adoption references to make sure we were a suitable home for our rescue; they also do follow-up visits/calls), and a great facility for the animals. They do good work in the community. read more

To start: PAWS does great work. They're able to rescue and home an amazing number of animals. Their facility is stunning. They really do care about the creatures they care for, and don't balk at older pets or pets with special needs -- something truly commendable. However, all is not well behind the pretty facade. I'm a university student living at home with a lifelong history of owning and caring for cats. I have a clean record with the vet, have never surrendered an animal, and have adopted many a rescue in my day. I can keep after, feed, and clean quite proficiently. Before visiting PAWS on a weekend late in August, I carefully read through the site, making sure that I met the requirements needed to adopt a cat. Seeing that nothing was amiss, I set off to the shelter. Shortly after meeting with an adoption counselor, my student status came out. I was told that because of said status, I would need to do ten hours of community service at the shelter before my application would even be processed and told that I should instead consider satisfying my 'kitty fix' (a term I found offensive, given my sincere intention to adopt) by volunteering instead of adopting. Having done far more service hours than that in my life, the time was not a big deal. The fact that it was not anywhere on the website that I could (even on several re-readings) gave me an icky feeling. However, having found a sweet young cat, I tried to assuage the doubt beginning to gnaw at my stomach. I was told that I would need to attend training before being allowed to volunteer, but that I could register at the desk. I could not, but was told by the friendly staffer that it appeared the training was open. I registered online as soon as I got home, However, I was told the training was full and I would need to wait almost three weeks for the next one. Distraught, I called my counselor --a truly helpful lady-- who was able to ask the trainer to reconsider. Though she did, the confirmation email I received from her was rude and demeaning. Her demeanor during the actual training was no different, despite my arriving early and willingness to do more than was required. The training, which involved cleaning cat cages, set off my disability. The extended nature of the work was the problem, not the nature of the work itself. In pain past the point of being able to walk, I once again called my counselor, who suggested front desk service. The next training was in two weeks and I would need then wait even longer to complete my service. It would be almost a month until my application was even processed. Frustrated, I emailed the organization's president. I received no response. Sensing that a month plus wait was not fair for a cat who could sooner be adopted by another family, I withdrew my application. It was then that I received a response, simply telling me I was welcome to visit anytime. I, for one, would sooner adopt from Pets Come First, State College's other no kill shelter --- which is exactly what I did. read more

On a scale 1-10 I would give a -20. extremely dissatisfied . I chatted with Allison Allen about adopting a dog. she was completely fine with my application but then she asked for my landlord information, so I provided because I had already discussed with my landlord and he agreed and would talk to paws. Unfortunately she put her personal life before her job. Because her daughter rents from the Same company as I do. Her daughter isn't allowed to have animals so instead of doing her job and calling my landlord as she should have she pulled my application because she assumed I'm not allowed to have a pet either. I was a little upset but I emailed back and said my landlord is willing to talk to her and his company he does his places through. She FAILED to even contact me back. Completely unfair considering she assumed as well as failed to reply to a client who provided her with the information she asked for. she ASKED for my Landlords number NOT the reality agent. either way had she actually replied the reality agent would have agreed considering the person who actually owns the property agreed but clearly Allison Allen isn't aware of how her job works. read more

These people have hearts of gold and LOVE animals as I do...I am over the moon happy with my dog adoption

I saw our Paws dog on a shared Facebook post. From first contact to adoption day, Liz and the rest of the Paws staff were professional, friendly, and detailed oriented. The facility is kept spotlessly clean and neat. The dogs were all in great condition. I'm very happy Centre County has a no-kill option. The senior dog we adopted would surely have been euthanized as un-adoptable at a kill shelter, but he was just what we were looking for. read more

Me and my fiancé went to meet pace which is a very nice dog, very highly recommended if you are looking for a dog he is a chocolate lab mix. The handler was very nice and said he had been there for over a year which seemed pretty darn long from my standards. We applied to see if we would qualify to get a dog from there because we weren't sure about a few aspects of our home. Instead we were denied because we are both considered undergraduate students. Please consider that I graduate in 8 weeks and that right now majority of my work is online. My fiancé goes to penn state and spends more time with school than I do however most of the time she is at home and would be with the dog outside of classes and her part time job. What I am getting at is it seems like we are being discriminated against just because we are in college. Even if we were super busy with school it would be a better environment for a dog than in a cage at the pound. We could give a dog a great home if given the chance. Very upset that they didn't even meet us and see our dedication before telling us to beat it. However whoever is looking for a dog they have some amazing animals we met queenie and pace and they are both amazing dogs. read more