I cannot give a star at all. I had read the Yelp reviews and kept an open mind before I contacted HKK. Adopting a pet is finding a family member, it is an emotional endeavor, it is either because a pet has died, or you are looking for a pet for your children, or you are looking for a pet as a companion for a current family pet, and it could be all of these. There should be a certain amount of sensitivity and responsibility when you are in this type of business. I called HKK on 5/10, and stated that I was interested in coming to the facility. Jasmine told me that she had just had three volunteers quit, so it would not be possible to come in until 5/13. I asked her if I needed an appointment, she said no, just let them know when I planned on being there. I heard her talk to someone in the background verifying that they would be there after four o'clock on Friday, and that I should call her on her cell phone (the only number for the business) since the bell at the house was not working. I mentioned I had seen a couple of cats on the website, she told me that most of the ones I was interested in had already been adopted. There was a Petsmart adoption event going on for the 5/14-5/15 weekend, and she would see that one of the ones I wanted would be at the Touhy store, I asked if she would be there, and she said she was too busy to go, but her volunteers would help me. I asked for the address of the facility and instead of simply telling me, she sent a text with it. How odd, so far I am not getting a great feeling about the place, but I am being optimistic nonetheless. Friday comes. I leave work earlier than usual to go to this place, it is raining and it takes me over an hour to get there. In the meantime, I sent a text back to her to let her know I was on my way. I get there, finally find parking, and enter this dilapidated three-flat. I called to let her know I was at the door. No response, I knock and bang on the door for over five minutes. No response. I am getting angry because I wasted my time, it is an emotional trip because I had lost my pet a few days earlier, and I want to find a sweet cat to keep my other cat company. What angers me the most is that no one answered my call, to apologize or reschedule.
Saturday morning I head to the Touhy store, and they bring the cat I was interested in. I speak to a very nice man named Lemont who hears my complaint about the night before and says that she is very busy, and he understands why I am upset. He proceeds to call her, and he tells me that she knows who I am, and that she will be there in a little while. I am surprised because she told me she was too busy to go to the stores. I thank him and head to the Glenview store, I meet with the volunteer there, but she tells me that Jasmine will be there soon, she is on her way. I then go to the Oakton store, and meet with their volunteer there, Karen and she is very nice and tells me that she is sorry that this has happened, but if I want, I can wait a little while since Jasmine is on her way there too! Now if you are so busy that you tell me that you will not be at the stores, but now you are following your volunteers at the stores, who seem to be doing fine without you, are you claiming to be busy or just blatantly lying? She is treating these cats as commodities, and does not care about people who are genuinely interested in giving a home to a cat. In the meantime, I am complaining so that she knows that I am waiting to hear from her, and giving her ample time to call me with an explanation or apology or to offer to meet me as soon as possible back at the house. Nothing.
In the meantime, I meet a cat that I like and fill out the paperwork. No commitment at this point, but intent of interest and if I do not find another one that I think would be suitable for my cat at home, then I know this one will be a good match. I am still hoping that Jasmine will contact me so I can at least see that cats at the house, and know that I am considering all possible options to find the perfect pet to adopt for a forever home.
Sunday morning, getting ready for church, I hear my landline ring while I am in the shower. I get the call a few minutes later and it is the other shelter calling about the application I had completed, and if I want this cat, we can meet later to start the adoption process. I am happy to hear from her, but still upset that Jasmine cares so little for find good homes for her cats. In the meantime, I unplug my cell phone from the charger, and see that she did call at the same as the other shelter. Now, I am anxious to hear what she will say. But when I listen to the message, there is none, other than the sound of her sighing and hanging up. What kind of a game is she playing? I would have loved to be knee deep in cats to see and pet and meet, I would have loved to donate time and money to her, but something is seriously wrong here. She is inept or just incompetent. The animals lose out as do the people read more