I had a disappointing experience with this rescue's adoption process. I completely understand wanting the best fit for a dog, and I respect rescues being careful about placements. However, the communication and screening process felt unnecessarily judgmental and inconsistent. I provided detailed answers about my home, schedule, fenced yard, experience with rescue dogs, veterinary care, and active lifestyle. I also explained that I work remotely several days a week, have a flexible schedule, and am only away for short periods on non-remote days. Despite this, I was denied without even being offered an in-person meet-and-greet or home visit. What was especially frustrating was the implication that only someone who is home 24/7 could provide a loving environment. In today's economy, especially in San Diego, that standard feels unrealistic and excludes many responsible, caring adopters. Being physically home every second of the day does not automatically make someone a better dog owner. Love, structure, training, financial stability, veterinary care, and emotional involvement matter too. I also felt uncomfortable with the assumptions made regarding my current female dog not being spayed. I clearly explained that this decision was based on veterinary guidance due to severe medical allergies and skin inflammation, and that we are actively working with a veterinarian to get her healthy enough for surgery. Instead of feeling heard, it felt like the explanation was dismissed. read more

we found FAS on Petfinder. We contacted them about cats that we saw online. The women were very sweet gave us the time we needed to pick out the cat for us. The facility was clean and we happen to go at an open adoption time although you need an appointment normally. We found Greg a beautiful orange tabby just about three years old with a perfect temperament and he has settled in our home with our other cat Willow!! I would highly highly highly recommend adopting through FAS as our experience was 100%. read more

The Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary is doing a Pawsitive Job!!!!! I adore my new adult grey tabby named Loki! And I feel good about rescuing a furry friend! read more

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Adoption process was fast and easy. It was adopt one get one free so we paid $100 for 2 cats. All paperwork was simple and quick to deal with. Cats were adopted spayed, vaccinated, treated for worms, fleas and microchipped. Cats are super happy and healthy. Very friendly staff. read more

Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary - Our rescues - Animal Shelters Near Me - Fallbrook, California

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I can't say enough good things about Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary. I had to make the incredibly difficult decision to relinquish my dog, Sato, due to an out-of-state move where I couldn't take him with me. From the very beginning, Vicki from the sanctuary treated both Sato and I with so much compassion, understanding, and care. Vicki truly went above and beyond to make sure Sato was not only safe and loved, but placed in the perfect home. He is now living his best life on an acre of land with two retired school teachers who have the time, love, and patience to give him an amazing life--and that means everything to me. I'm beyond grateful that the dog volunteers at Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary took the time to work with Sato and gave him this beautiful second chapter. Knowing he's happy and thriving has brought me so much peace. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you do. read more

Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary - Dog - Animal Shelters Near Me - Fallbrook, California

Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary is amazing! I've never been to a shelter/refuge center for animals that was so clean. The cats and dogs are obviously well cared for, as they are not only clean, but happy. Vickie was incredible and so fun to work through our adoption process. The other volunteers were equally caring and loving towards the animals. I would highly recommend adopting a pet through this rescue facility, as it is true to their name "sanctuary"--a safe place for these sweet animals. My family is absolutely smitten with our sweet Phoebe. read more

Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary - Phoebe, 2 months old. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Fallbrook, California

I cannot say enough great things about this place. They truly care about all the animals they look after. It is volunteer ran and every single person there has such love and compassion for these furry friends. I adopted my sweet girl from them and Micaela helped me find my fur baby. She is such an angel and really helped make the meeting and adoption process a breeze. She knows the animals so well and you can truly tell how passionate she is about them. If you are looking for your next furry friend I highly recommend reaching out to them. All of the animals were well taken care of and seemed so happy. Even if you don't adopt from them consider making a donation to them, every little bit helps as they run off of donations. The work they do for these animals is incredible and they are giving them all such great shots at life! read more

Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary - My sweet baby - Animal Shelters Near Me - Fallbrook, California

I recently started working in Fallbrook and found this place that does tremendous work for cats, and dogs, and are always so thoughtful and caring towards the animals. They provided an easy, stress-free and comfortable environment to adopt my kitten, and then returned for a kitten for my mom and we found our fur babies. Also love how they are non-kill, we need more of these shelters out there in the world!!! read more

Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary - Animal Shelters Near Me - Fallbrook, California

Absolutely fell in love with Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary this past year. The volunteers work extremely hard and are so passionate with finding every furry baby their Furever Home! I've learned that Single Kitten Syndrome is a real thing! Kudos to not only educating my family on this, but for running a BOGO special that summer to help us keep 2 siblings/litter mates together! We are forever grateful for our new family members Pirate & Hyland read more

Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary - Pirate & Hyland - Animal Shelters Near Me - Fallbrook, California

Shout out to Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary for the quick and quality services. I have had the pleasure of meeting Micaela who took in a litter of 5 kittens without hesitation. She sent updates on the kittens, and they were adopted within weeks. The free Neuter Scooter also neutered my boy kitties, and when I had some concerns, Micaela was quick to answer my messages and reached out to other professionals right away on my behalf. Bravo! Thanks for everything! read more

Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary - Jinx + Kyron orange cats - Animal Shelters Near Me - Fallbrook, California

Visiting Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary while meeting Atlas was such a great experience! Micaela was amazing--so friendly, patient, and happy to answer all my questions while I spent time with Atlas. I also loved how thoughtfully the cats are set up in their own group areas--everyone has space, yet you can tell they're still having an absolute blast. I'm still thinking it over, but the visit was relaxed, fun, and really showed how much they truly care about their cats. read more

Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary - Animal Shelters Near Me - Fallbrook, California

I love this animal sanctuary!!!!!! I have had such a positive experience here multiple times. I got 2 of my lovely kittens spookers and Casper here. Everyone was super helpful and kind. They made sure the kitten of my choice was perfect for my family. read more

Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary - Our 2 beautiful kittens - Animal Shelters Near Me - Fallbrook, California

I have been volunteering in the cat area at the Fallbrook Animal Shelter for a couple of months now, and I can honestly say it has been one of the most rewarding experiences. Being able to help care for so many amazing, beautiful cats brings me so much joy every single time I'm there. The staff are absolutely wonderful, kind, knowledgeable, and incredibly supportive. The training they provide is thorough and helpful, and everyone is so welcoming and loving, which makes volunteering feel comfortable and meaningful from day one. It's clear how much everyone truly cares about the animals, and that love is contagious. We loved the animals so much that we even ended up fostering a senior cat, which has been such a special experience. I cannot recommend volunteering at this shelter enough. If you're thinking about giving your time somewhere that genuinely makes a difference, this is the place to do it. read more

My 18 and 19 year old cats passed away last May and and June and we have been so lonely so we went to FAS for an appointment to find a kitty friend and fell in love with two from different families. Tuxedo kitties. So happy and they are already best friends Maverick and Eva. read more

Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary - Maverick and Eva from FAS in their cat tree. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Fallbrook, California

when I first walked into see about getting my little baby kitty, they were very helpful, loving, caring, sensitive people. I just recently ran into a crisis that I needed records and realized they were lost. They went out of their way to help me find the records. Unbelievable the amount of time they put into the animals plus the cat parents. They go out of their way for everything if you want to adopt, this is the shelter to go to. I feel so blessed to have come them. read more

We've adopted from FAS twice, and both experiences have been wonderful. They truly care about their animals and are diligent in making sure they are placed with good, loving homes that will take care of the animals they adopt out. The volunteers we worked with were warm, helpful, and knowledgeable. It was really lovely experience, and we appreciate the amazing work they do. read more

Volunteering at Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary has been such an amazing experience. I also foster kittens through them, and I've learned so much from everyone about caring for and handling kittens. The team is supportive, knowledgeable, and truly passionate about the animals. I'm so grateful to be part of such a wonderful community and love being able to make a difference. read more

This Place is wonderful! As a consistent volunteer at this facility for almost 6 months i can say with confidence that falbrook animal sanctuary has the upmost standards of care for all of the animals there. They have a strong staffing capability which ensures daily upkeep for the facility. They also have a talented veterinary team which works full time to provide any medical services needed for all the animals. Everyone there is so friendly and welcoming. The place is very organized and generous to the community, consistently providing adoption events and other public engagement events. The volunteering opportunities are diverse and flexible. FAS is a total asset to the City of Fallbrook! read more

My husband and I volunteer and have adopted our own cat from Fallbrook. We love the other volunteers and the care given to the animals. This is a great shelter to adopt from with the many adoption events and knowing that the animals are well taken care of. read more

Run totally by volunteers and supported by donations I fell in love with the Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary the first time I helped a friend who invited me to volunteer. I was impressed with how everyone was so friendly yet very busy keeping everything spotless and organized. Everyone was working together to make this a wonderful place for the cats and dogs until they could find their forever home, and if not they would live happily here forever. After helping at the sanctuary and several cat adoption events I adopted 2 sweet Ragdoll kittens. But before I could leave I heard the tiniest little meow and felt a tiny paw reach for me. It was love at first sight and I couldn't leave without her.... she had picked me. I had to keep them together so now I have a 4 cat family and we couldn't be happier. I can't say enough wonderful things about the Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary. Now I'm still a volunteer along with others who love every cat and dog who comes through their doors. I hope you'll come to one of the adoption days or make an appointment to come find a forever new family member or 2 or 3 like me. read more

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Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary is unlike any other shelter we have visited. The volunteers and the abundance of love that they have for their animals is amazing. They truly strive for the perfect fit when it comes to choosing your Furrever Furry Baby's. For the last 25 years we found it difficult to commit to a life long pet due to my husband's active duty status. He is now retired and we have found our FURREVER furry babies. 2 cuddly kitty's and 2 full of unconditional love pups! Thanks to FAS they helped us find our perfect match! The sanctuary is clean, organized and run by 100% volunteers which is admirable. Remember to book an appt for a one on one visit as this shelter aims to provide the best service to you and your future furrever family member. read more

I would give this place zero stars if I could. I am a military wife who has been trying to conceive for the past five years. My husband and I ultimately decided that the best way we could grieve with this continuous loss was to add a furry friend to the family. However, when we got here, my husband was turned down. She didn't even have the decency to open the door, saying that she doesn't offer her dogs to active military. Will never come again, and we will never recommend to anyone else trying to find a new addition to the family read more

What a wonderful place to find your forever cat!!! We booked an appointment to meet an 8 week old kitten and were pleasantly surprised that they not only had that one available but a bunch more kittens to choose from. We ended up being picked by a cat named Hawk, he's 5mths old (not what we were initially looking for but we couldn't say no). The thing that stood out to me the most was the fact that all the cats were extremely socialized, all friendly and all very interested in hanging out with humans. The volunteers at this facility really put in the work to get these cats ready for adoptions. 100% recommend to anyone looking for a cat to add to their family! read more

Rudest old woman I've ever met, I tried meeting in person and read the sign outside stating "text or email these recipients to adopt" was shouted at through a window and told don't "text her" I then reached out online to adopt a cat and was met with ridiculous requests, like "we need your homes owners to be in person to adopt a cat" you do know you don't right? That's 100% a personal thing on my end, full stop. I hope the older woman I met is promptly fired and let go. read more

Great folks! Got my latest kitten from them. They do incredible rescue work for the community.

Seamless process. Our adopted kitty has obviously been socialized and loved. He has adapted to his forever home no problems. Shots, chipping, neutered all included. He is in heaven! read more

Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary - Animal Shelters Near Me - Fallbrook, California

Doesn't respond to inquiries. Asked about multiple dogs. Based on their public postings, one (which they showed on Facebook) was adopted out without ever being available publicly. Other dogs inquired about still available, but they never responded to inquiries. I'm primarily upset they never bothered to contact me back, especially since a couple of dogs I asked about (generally undesirable shepherd mixes) haven't been adopted. Good luck, I guess. Will look to adopt, or maybe purchase, elsewhere, and give the dog I get the best life possible. read more

I would give this place no stars if I could. They adopted put 2 kittens who were grossly infected with ring worm. It has now been transmitted to my other 3 kittens, 4 dogs and 3 children. 2 weeks after I feverishly and continually attempted contact with the animal sanctuary to only be ignored, they emailed me saying oh my gosh, we have had an outbreak here and treated those kittens that were infected. THEY NEVER INFORMED ME OF THIS RINGWORM OUTBREAK AFTER I JUST ADOPTED KITTENS FROM THEM! Now I will be working with my attorney, if needed, to have all vet bills and associated expenses reimbursed for their negligence. DO NOT ADOPT FROM THEM. The adoption contract states that I am responsible for medical expenses for A HEALTHY ANIMAL, not a sick and infected one. read more

Was very lucky to fall across an adoption event and find the kitten that we have been looking for for quite a long time. The volunteers at the event for Fallbrook animal sanctuary were easy and excellent to work with. They gave us great advice for taking care of our first kitten and also took a picture for us and helped us out getting the cat to our house. Thank you Fallbrook animal sanctuary! read more

Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary - Animal Shelters Near Me - Fallbrook, California

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=^..^= CALLING ALL ANIMAL LOVERS! =^..^= This is where you should come to adopt your next cat... even if it means an extra drive. And if you can't adopt, this is where you should make your next charitable donation. Why? - They have too many cats to even meet them all in one visit. There is definitely a cat here for you. - I get the impression that this shelter takes in any cat, and they keep them forever (no-kill). They need more cats to be adopted because it's pretty cramped in there and their resources are spread thin. As a result, this is not the most comfortable living situation for them... rescue one and you will have a very grateful furbaby on your hands. - These cats NEED homes. Many have been in this shelter for years and may very well live here the rest of their lives if something doesn't change. - Look at the black cats first. There are so many adorable loving little sweeties who've been in here for way too long simply because no one wants a black cat. One sweety in particular (Casey, I think?) has lived here for 10 of her 11 years and she is an utter sweetheart. ****UPDATE**** Casey was adopted today!!!!! 5/17/17Whodunnit?? This shelter and their wonderful volunteers are doing the best they can with what they have... but they need more support and more animal lovers to come in and adopt some of the not-so-cute and not-so-young fur babies that have been passed over again and again as people gravitate toward the cute kittens. There were so many cats in here that fit this bill but that are suuuuuch sweeties, it breaks my heart to see them in here. I wish i could adopt them all. But i could only take one. If you're sensitive, this is not an easy place to visit. You will walk into a caged area and be swarmed with cats begging you to adopt them. It's not a fancy cat-cafe situation (those cats are living a pampered life compared to these). But you'll be making a big difference in an unfortunate animal's life. I adopted Stormy, the sweetest cat you'll ever meet... who's been in here for too many years just because he's black... and at 10 years old now, he could very well have spent the rest of his life in this shelter had I not rescued him. I can't wait to bring him home on Wednesday and love him and spoil him for the rest of his days. He's a little older than I came in wanting... but when you're an animal lover, that's what you do: help the animal that needs you, not the one that matches your outfit. This shelter also has dogs (small dogs in the front, big dogs in the back), but the CAT situation is what is really struck me as out of control. They need help: adoptions and support. =^..^= Animal lovers, please help spread the word. =^..^= read more

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Our niece told us about this place, not the adoption part of it but the resale shop they have where you can buy/donate items. All proceeds go to the animal sanctuary which is a 'no kill' sanctuary. We donated items we had cleaned out from a closet, like that the money will go to the animals. Staff in the resale shop were friendly and welcoming. read more

I volunteered there and quit because of the rude staff. They turn animals away, they turned volunteers away. Instead of worrying about the communities already owned animals they need to reserve their funding for the animals they are taking care of instead of begging for money and food on a regular basis. It used to be a good place but it no longer is. read more

Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary is a beacon of hope for animals in our community. Without their help many stray animals would be left to fend for themselves, sick, and starving on the streets. It is run predominantly by volunteers who devote their time to help. I volunteer myself and I can only say wonderful things about the experience working with Isabel, Joe, Darcy, Vikki, and the rest of the staff. read more

I have been volunteering here for 5 years now. We are an all volunteer animal shelter and provide a safe haven for abandoned and relinquished animals. Since January 1, 2023 we have rescued 240 kittens.Kitten season is at an all time high this year, and the year is not over! This does not count the adult cats, dogs and puppies. We provide the best care and attention to all animals in our care. We survive on donations only. We do not receive state county or city funds. We rely on our community and donors for their support. We have an extremely dedicated volunteer staff and foster families that only have the best interest of the animals.We accomplish all of this with compassion and love of animals and our community. If you are looking to add a new family member please come visit us and see a little bit of heaven in Fallbrook Ca read more

This is one outstanding shelter. I have never heard of them turning away a animal in need. For such a small shelter, there work is on par or higher with the national organizations. No surgery is too expensive to try to give a animal a fighting chance at a good life. The work the volunteers do is never ending. Not just the hours they put in at the shelter but at home. Where many of the volunteers continue to work fostering little ones at home. Definitely deserves all the time and donations it can get. read more

So happy there is a animal shelter in fallbrook, This is a ok facility but I understand they do what they can with what they got. I turned in a stray Chihuahua without any problems and I found out later on it was adopted by a young family. Thanks! read more

Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary - Animal Shelters Near Me - Fallbrook, California

These folks are angels. All our pets (3 cats, 2 dogs) are rescues. There are always too many and it makes you shake your head that so many pet owners don't get their fur babies fixed. We donate monthly and when we have extras of any pet related product we have taken to FAS. Chewy is good enough that if you need to return something they have you donate it so this is our choice. read more

I love my rescue Cat Bernie! (now named Willie) He is thriving in his new home! Thank you Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary! read more

Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary - Animal Shelters Near Me - Fallbrook, California

My husband and I went to the animal sanctuary to adopt a kitty. When we got there we were greeted and shown different cats and kittens by Fara (?). She was so kind and patient with us giving us time to look and think. We didn't end up adopting because I didn't feel a strong connection with any of the current kitties however it was an overall good experience. Thank you ladies for all you do for the animals! The world needs more people like you! read more

Before you elect to go pick up that wiggly little puppy or kitten from some shop window, why not change your mind and go somewhere where you can do a little more good? Drop into the Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary. There are always a solid amount of cats and dogs that would love nothing more than to have a home with you. The reason they're here is usually a sad tale, and you'd be doing the most good by writing them a happy one. I've volunteered here in the past and, if any of you yelpers are so inclined, I'd be willing to give you a tour and introduce you to some of my favorite rescues that you'd love to take home. read more