Save yourself time and money by coming to get your checkups and vaccines here for your furry (or hairless) friend. I was going to another vet in the city and getting charged $95 just for being seen for 10 minutes. The tech fee is half of that here. There's a large parking lot. And they're quick. My dog has come here for her regular vaccines, the vaccine clinics, her annuals, and when she's not feeling well. I've had a few administrative issues with email/contact information so that could use a little work. Otherwise, I love coming here. I can't say the same for my dog, because every time she comes she has to step on a scary scale and/or get poked. But this is to be expected! read more

Humane Animal Rescue - Waiting Area - Animal Shelters Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Such a great organization! I signed up to volunteer to take shelter dogs out on a field trip. Duke, the dog I had my first experience with was such a great dog! And the people that work at the shelter are obviously compassionate caring people. If you would like to add new animal family member to your pack, this is the place to go read more

Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh (HARP) is a nonprofit that operates veterinary medical centers (mostly for preventative care and NOT for emergencies), a shelter, and a Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. This location in the East Side of Pittsburgh has a veterinary center and a shelter and also offers obedience training classes. In the past several years, I have visited this HARP many times. In 2015, I adopted two cats from the shelter (for details, please see my previous review below). These two cats still happily live with my family and me. Most recently, I donated several bags of pet supplies to this shelter. HARP collects new and gently used pet supplies for Ellie's Attic, which then gives the supplies to families who have pets and are financially struggling. I dropped off dog beds, cat beds, dog bowls, disposable diapers, a sweater, a training bell, etcetera. I placed the bags near the entrance inside the building. An employee at the front desk kindly thanked me for my donation and asked if I needed a donation receipt. Next, I asked the employee if I could visit the dogs who are available for adoption. Unfortunately, the dogs could not be visited on that day, but I was allowed to view a binder that contained printed descriptions of the dogs. I did visit the cats, and I felt pleased with the size and cleanliness of their cages. read more

Humane Animal Rescue - Cats available for adoption - Animal Shelters Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The caring and loving that these overworked people deal with every day speaks volumes of their character.

I went to hamilton avenue wioth the intention of adopting a dog I was not allowed to go into the kennel to see the dogs. I was told to look at the book on the table to see if i liked those dogs. I was looking to see the dogs personalities, not wheather it was pretty. After going through the HARP match-up I got to see a dog which was way younger than i am looking for and not a match for me. That was it. I saw one dog that I told her I was not interested in and not the three that I may have had interest in. Not a good way, in my opinion to get a dog a good home read more

ZERO STARS. A perfectly healthy female feral was taken there today to be spayed. She was supposed to be done at 1, then it changed to 3, then it changed to 5. After 5 we were informed that she was a sick cat & they had to put her down. I'm not buying that she was sick-no one called to ask before she was put down. DO NOT TAKE FERAL CATS HERE!!!!!! read more

Where should we begin: donations, adoption practices, the animals they adopt out, volunteering? They decide to donate charitable contributions to randos instead of keeping for designated purposes. Prior to donating, I called in asking whether a new cat tree could be used by the cats housed there, was told yes, and after hauling in the 50-lb box, was told by staff that they would be giving it away to an adopter. I didn't make a $100 donation for someone too cheap to buy supplies for their new cat; it was intended for the *homeless cats.* They don't test their cats for FeLV/FIV. (Both are incurable, and FeLV especially is very contagious among cats.) If you want to know that a cat you're adopting is negative for FeLV/FIV, they require you to pay for testing out of your own pocket. So basically, they have you get emotionally attached to animals without knowing whether they can even be safely introduced into your household, and then make you fork over money just to see if that cat is actually a good candidate for your household and can be around other cats without passing along diseases. Staff also explicitly told me that they do *not* verify any of the information on applications and adopt animals out to the first people who shell out the adoption fee. In other words, people can lie start-to-finish and still walk away with an animal. HARP does no due diligence in making sure their animals go to good homes and owners. When it comes to the animals themselves, HARP adopts out sick and aggressive animals. (Before knowing any of the points discussed above) I adopted a cat who was "misdiagnosed" by their vet and needed to return for surgery 2 weeks after coming home with me. HARP did pay for the medical care; however, it was unnecessarily stressful for my cat to have to go from being surrendered to a shelter, moved to a pet store, adopted to a new home, and almost immediately being put under the knife, and recovering post-anesthesia in a fairly unfamiliar setting, stumbling around high as a kite. The problems aren't limited to small animals, either. A friend adopted a St. Bernard from there who ended up turning aggressive and biting someone in the eye. They claim to want volunteers, yet ignored at least 3 sign-up attempts. Rather than volunteer at HARP, which was 5 mins from my home, I ultimately drove half an hour out of my way to volunteer at a different, better rescue that actually wanted and appreciated the help. read more

We needed a place to take a feral cat to be spayed. Humane Animal Rescue was so helpful. We scheduled the appointment, trapped the cat the night before and took her in the next day. They truly care about animals, and there aren't many places in town that provide this service. read more

Older (late 60-early 80's old) woman worker in a green hoodie was VERY rude to my little sister while trying to adopt a cat, so rude she wanted to just go home. We left without a cat because of this woman. An animal lost a home because of the disgusting and patronizing treatment we faced here today by her. Maybe the older generation needs to learn they aren't everybody's "elder" and they can't talk down to every 20-something y/o like they're their own children, which is exactly what we experienced. She worked Jan 4th at around 3-4pm. NOT TO MENTION... the cage conditions of the animals is so poor & they're barely tended to all day. Maybe if the staff spent as much time up-keeping the place as they do thinking they're better than everyone who walks in, there'd be more adoptions. read more

I adopted a dog named Warthog, who they claimed was sweet and loving. She was not that at all. She bit me 12 times, but my stepmother, and tried to bite my neighbor. I have called Amanda, the adoption manager, three times with no call back. I returned the dog a week later. My bank is fighting to get my $200 back due to their lies. I got an infection because I am a cancer patient and have no immune system. I didn't sign the contract and was told the worker does that. read more

Very poor management. Do not trust their paper work on if the animal is healthy if you're looking to rescue. We're running into health issues 3 days after adoption facing a $1200 medical bill and possibly much more only 3 days after we rescued. The woman i spoke to in management had much attitude over the phone when confronted with these issues. There is no accountability if they miss any issues with the animal. read more

I don't feel comfortable in a lot of ways when we adopt a cat from this place. Twice we felt as though the age of the cat had been misrepresented. I wouldn't have a problem with honesty (i.e. "could be anywhere in between 3 and 10 - it's hard to tell!"). But when an estimate of 3-4 for is made with no upper-range possibility, and the same is done with 7, and in both cases your private vet suggests that the cats are likely very much older, there is a problem. Again -- we understand that it's hard to estimate the age of a shelter cat. Just be honest about the upper-end of the range! Health issues are also downplayed on the website. We understand that you're trying to get these cats adopted, but when the website says nothing and we arrive at the vet and there is a several page write-up documenting a plethora of very serious internal issues, there is a problem. My biggest issue, though... Many employees have not been trained in human warmth or patience. EVERY single adoption is the beginning of a new relationship that has a tremendous impact on the lives and comfort of both the animal and the adoptive family. The "everything is in the paperwork" when a question is asked attitude that some employees have is borderline despicable. Every adopting family / adopted animal DESERVES a warm unhurried human-to-human meeting in which all questions are patiently answered, all dietary issues are warmly discussed, and behavioral nuances are pointed out. If you can't bring yourself to do it for the human, then please do it for the animal! read more

To preface, I am a former dog walker at the East Liberty location, so therefore I'm writing this review with some behind the scenes experience -- I cannot speak for the North Side location, so things may be better there. One thing that dog walkers (and, I'm assuming, cat and rabbit handlers as well) had to follow was to not say anything bad about the staff or the shelter. However, as of this writing, I quit the day before this review was written. Therefore this will be a pretty negative review of the staff and, to a larger extent, the shelter as a whole. If they want to sue me for speaking my piece, 1) reviews on Yelp fall under the First Amendment, therefore 2) come at me, bros. Now to the review. If I could give no stars (or even negative stars) to a location, the Humane Animal Rescue would be one of those places. Personally, now that I've had time to sleep on it and think about my time, I am upset with myself that I allowed myself to spend my Saturdays there. Blame it on understaffing, the Covid lockdown of 2020, or anything else that I can't think of at the moment, I don't know, but the staff and how they handle everything has gone downhill since at least 2019. Certainly, the Covid lockdown didn't help things as everyone was unprepared, but that does not excuse how the staff behaves. There was a high turnover of staff, one turnover being really abrupt for one of the staff members who, from what I gather, was really dedicated to her job and was really good at communicating with other staff members and volunteers. The current staff members will most likely deny this, but the way that they let go of staff members, especially in the aforementioned way was as if to say "Don't let the door hit you on the way out" and will not really give a fully detailed reason. Another thing the staff will most likely deny is that, behind the scenes, they are really condescending to others when they think that no one is listening. As an example, there is a blonde girl (Shelby is her name, I think) that, as of this writing, currently works there who is really vocal about complaining about coworkers when she 1) thinks no one is listening and 2) regardless of whether she fully understands this or not, will not save her complaints to either the break room or when she is off the clock. She is one of couple of others who I have seen act in this way about other staff members and volunteers. I saw another review here on Yelp that mentioned Monica Garcia. She no longer works at Humane Animal Rescue, as she left a year after the move to the new (now current) building, but I would say that she didn't do a good job at making sure that volunteers felt truly valued. As an example, probably two years or so after she left, there was a mass exodus of cat volunteers from the Saturday afternoon shift that her successor most likely signed off on which, from talking to other volunteers who were just as upset to see that happen, there was no good reason behind it -- basically, the reason was "it had to happen, just deal with it and go about your business." In conclusion, I would add some words of advice to anyone thinking of volunteering here or even working here. If you are looking for places to volunteer or work, please consider another location. You will not be truly valued at the Humane Animal Rescue and will, eventually, either be treated like trash, be complained about behind your back (or possibly to your face), or be told that you aren't coming back to your shift. To anyone still there, especially the volunteers, please be on your toes and consider going elsewhere to spend your time. read more

Rescued my dog from here 13 years ago, the decline in animal care and customer service has fallen off of a cliff. There are signs all over the place saying disrespect will not be tolerated, all the while being mean to the customers. I'm there, at a minimum once a month for meds, not to mention basic care and vaccines. I went from hanging out with the staff, literally taking my dog with them to the Mike Vick rallies, to getting yelled at by a receptionist. They didn't do the blood work correctly for years. They never told me what the parameters were for when she needed to take her meds and when the blood work needed to be done by. They have also lost my dogs blood work twice, all while never reaching out to me to inform me of this. I found out both ways by calling them for weeks on end trying to get the results. 13 years as a customer and I will never give you a penny again, not even a donation. read more

This place needs inspected and watched. Board makes a ton of money but no upgrades for the pets. Many workers are volunteers and required to sign a disclosure that they cannot discuss policies. Very deceptive practices. read more

We came to see about adopting a low energy dog due to my medical needs. They introduced me to Rito who they claim was a low energy dog. He's been in and out of the shelter several times, having been returned for personal reasons. He seemed calm enough, until I brought him home. In an hour he was not what they claimed. He destroyed several kong toys, jumped at me several times and attempted to hump everything in sight. He was not low energy. I called right away and they said to bring him right back, which I did. I had him for a grand total of 1 hour. They would not refund my $200, throwing a contract in my face that I did not sign. The person who showed us Rito was supposed to go over a contract and never did. They mumbled something about signing my initial for me but I had no idea what she was talking about. The contract I did not sign (but apparently was initialed by the handler) listed several behaviors (humping, destructive nature, etc) that I did not know existed. Had I seen the contract or been told about these behaviors then I would not have adopted the dog. They gave me a number to call (the admin supervisor) and I've called twice and left voicemails. No response. In summary, I paid to rent a dog for 1 hour, a dog that was misrepresented to me and when returning him, the shelter kept the money. I never signed a contract and the person handling the surrender (who let Rito hump his leg in front of us, for whatever reason) said "oh, she must have verbally read you the contract". I said no, she didn't. He said, "well, it's a he said/she said thing so there's nothing you can do except call this admin number." While I love animals and believe in adopting over buying from breeders, I will never visit or support this shelter ever again. They lied / hid information to get a problem dog off their hands and treated me like I'm the bad guy who "surrendered" another dog. They tried to get me to sign a surrender form. Next step is the BBB and news media. I will update the review if the admin rep ever refunds my money. Update: still no response after several calls. read more

Once the ARL merged they went the wrong direction. They don't give animals a chance. Not a first chance let alone a second chance. Don't believe the "open door shelter" or "no kill shelter" messages you may find. They absolutely put more animals to sleep than trying to save them. They're the largest shelter in Western PA with the most funding from the government. More concerned about making money than they are saving lives. read more

I usually don't post things on Facebook or even complain about shit like this in general but when I bring a cat from the street here and I said can we fix her so they stop repopulating around my house and they say yeah and than I tell them make sure you call us when you are done because I wanna bring her back home to my outside area so she back in her environment , even wrote on the paper and told the people when i brought her in for the first time, they dont even call us aftr 2 weeks i had to call them twice after 3 weeks and leave a voicemail for them to call me today to tell me that they release the cat in the " Wild " word for word remind you this a 6 month old kitten that has no clue where she is now or she even might be dead read more

we love cats! there is not a room in our house that doesn't have something to do with, or for, cats. over 40 years of marriage, we've had 11 cats, most living into their 20's. the last 2 passed recently. we missed our kids, but it was lonely. it was time to find some new kids! i saw lewis' picture. he looked SO sad. then i read his bio! no wonder he was sad. his dad got sick & died. then his brother died. he was all alone & confused. luckily for him, har realized his plight & made sure he stayed with a foster family until he was adopted. we planned on getting 2 kittens as well. with lewis being 7, we wanted to make sure he was established as the head of the house, & felt safe. we went straight to the foster. there he was, still so sad, hiding in a teepee bed. he didn't want attention, didn't even come out. my heart ached. we let the foster family say their goodbyes & put him into the carrier. i sat in the backseat with him. we drove back to har. tom and treavor went in & settled the paperwork while lewis & i sat out in the car. he was a little scared when we arrived home & let him out, but slowly, over the next few days, & with tom & i crawling around the floor to be with him, he started to blossom. when the kittens arrived he was more than excited! & they know he's in charge! they actually bow down to him! well, occasionally they like to test him, but when 18+# puts his hand on your head, you stop! yes, 18! he is a tank, but he's so light on his feet! & fast too! lol! his nickname is twinkle toes! thank you har! you gave us a family again, & you did it with minimal hassle for everyone concerned. thank you to treavor & his wife for taking lewis in when he needed it most. adopt! you will make someone very happy! p.s.we took lewis for his 1st checkup, something we do with everyone we get. i said he was 18#+, well, 5 weeks with us & he's already lost 3#'s! he is up & moving around, playing by himself or with is brothers! we are so proud of his success! he just needed someone to care & spend time with him. read more

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Update: i adopted April here on 8/8/16. She is a complete joy. We really got lucky because she is house trained, knows tricks and is very well mannered. Of course, every dog and their behavior is different. I just wanted to share my experience. We renamed April and her new name is Penny. The new location is spacious and the animals seem well cared for. read more

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This rescue is very unprofessional and rude. I called and left many messages about surrendering two animals to them. And, three weeks later they finally called me back on a Monday (during non-business hours) and left a vague message. The person who left this message gave me no name or information. The next day, I called and left another message--I have been waiting now for almost a month to just get in contact with someone. If your animals are not under contract with this rescue I would look elsewhere for help. Honestly, I have little faith that this organization can help these cats find a good home, especially when they can't even answer a phone. P.S. I would give them negative stars if I could. read more

By far some of the worst customer service from the techs. They do not answer the phone and are rude to customers when they are "overwhelmed". I think we are all overwhelmed with covid but why would I trust you with my pet if you are rude to their owners? DO NOT ATTEND THE EAST SIDE CLINIC unless u want a headache and bad experience! read more

I'm a crazy cat lady and proud of it! Being a volunteer here has been so fulfilling on many different levels. It has made me feel so good to be able to help out with something that I feel passionately about. You can tell that the staff puts a lot of effort into taking care of these animals they accept in. A lot of times people will say, oh I can't do it, it's too sad. But the thing is, it's not. It's actually so great because these animals come here and find loving homes instead of being on the street or in an environment that's toxic. I rarely see animals there for a long time. I think that's a testament to the way they are treated while they're in the facility. Now I'll admit, I'm not the biggest dog fan, so I help out in the cat shelter. I can talk about that with a lot more knowledge than the dog side. They just built a new cat facility on their property so they have their own shelter. The cats are all set up in a huge room. They have two rooms for people to play with the cats when they are looking to adopt them. These rooms are also used for "cat cuddling." That's what I do when I volunteer. I get to take the cats out so that they can play, be cuddled or just run around. Then the cats are able to get out of the cages and get used to human contact. The other great thing about the ARL is that they have foster parents who take in cats and dogs while they're waiting to be adopted. This way, they get a great home environment and it relieves the facility of having too many animals at one time. At different points in the year the adoption rates are different depending on the amount of animals they have. Cat rates are usually cheaper in the Spring/Summer because there's more coming in and dog rates are cheap in the late summer months. The added bonus of adopting a pet from the ARL is that they are spade or neutered when you adopt them. It's actually cheaper then taking them to a normal vet on your own. I would STRONGLY recommend coming here to check out the animals and hopefully find your next furry friend! OR you can volunteer! They have volunteer informational sessions the first Saturday of every month. After that you only have one training session to complete and you're ready to volunteer! Just check it out if you're curious. You won't regret it! Your new furry friends will appreciate it as well! read more

Humane Animal Rescue - Animal Shelters Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

We had a situation that goes outside of the norm and they were able to offer the help we needed.

I've had such good experiences with ARL, that I will probably return here again and again. Years ago we adopted a mutt of a puppy that turned out to be the best dog that I could have ever imagined. But let me talk about my most recent visit. While browsing Facebook, I noticed that they were having an event at ARL. This particular event was called the Free Fur All. The event involved free adoption to qualified adopters, free micro-chipping for any pet (adopted there or elsewhere), free dog baths, and goodies for both human and furry companions. I had plans to get Little Man E microchipped during his appointment to take his manhood away (don't worry, we've talked about it and he is fine by it), but when this popped up and said it was free. Hot damn, you know I was in line. It's also probably one of the more easy and humane ways to keep ties on your dog or cat just in case they were to run off one night. Once we were registered, we waited at most for 15 minutes. It's a very quick thing to have done. Little Man E didn't even flinch. He was more amused by his reflection in the table than that little pinch behind the shoulder blade. I have to give huge kudos to the staff there. They are so very friendly to not only you, but your pet. It's like they talk their language. I also have to thank them because while we were there, LME somehow ripped his one toenail and they were kind enough to clip as much of it off as they could (no extra charge either!). Once done, we just walked outside to see what was up (E skipped the bath). We visited one of the tables and E selected a ball and bandanna and we decided to head out after that. This place is amazing for so many different pet oriented things. I'll definitely be coming back here whenever I need something for LME. read more

Everyone I have encountered here is amazing. You can tell they are passionate and dedicated when it comes to their job. I adopted a kitten here at the end of the summer and she is absolutely perfect. You can tell that she was loved & cared for while in their care. I took her for a 6 month check up recently and the vet was so nice. He took time to look over her and was genuinely kind to me and my mom. Sometimes people who work with animals lose their people skills, but this guy was great. It's waaaaay out of my way, but I'd definitely take Lily back there for any problems that arise. Well worth the drive. read more

Humane Animal Rescue - My beautiful kitten, Lily. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Animal Rescue League is simply the friendliest, most human and pet friendly shelter in the city. I cannot thank them enough for allowing me to adopt my new little buddy. I was able to meet and greet with the cat that I was looking to adopt, and spend some time with him in a secluded play area. His foster was there to ask some questions about what I was looking for in a cat and if I had any experience with cat care. All pretty standard for what you should expect before rescuing a new family member. The adoption process was super easy, the paperwork was standard and nothing intrusive or out of the ordinary. The adoption counselors were very thorough with the paperwork and answered any and all questions I had about my kitty's health and history. And all-in-all, I was able to take him home the same day I filled out the paperwork. This place is great and takes wonderful care of their animals. I would highly recommend them be your first stop for adopting. Score out of Five: Friendliness: Five stars! Customer Service: Five stars! Ease of Adoption Process: Five stars! Would I ever recommend them? Absolutely! read more

Humane Animal Rescue - Many thanks to the Animal Rescue League! Me and Mischief (aka October) are getting along great! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Wonderful, CARING people. I left information about my missing cat. A couple of days later I got a call saying they thought I had my cat. It was a Sunday, plus they are closed on Monday. Not wanting to wait 2 more days without knowing, I rushed over there as they were closing, and they let me in anyway. I told them I was OK if they didn't want to do the paperwork, I just wanted to know if it was my cat. They told me if it was my cat, they wanted him to go home as soon as possible. well it was my cat. I was so excited and relieved that I left my phone. The young woman was so nice that she dropped it off on her way home. I am never going anywhere else if I want to adopt a pet. They seemed to be in a nice new home at 6926 Hamilton. Thank you so much! read more

They are a pretty good place. They do the best they can with the limited funding they have. The employees definitely love the animals and want what is best for them. We adopted a cat from this location over a year ago, and while it turned out okay (we still have the cat), I was surprised to learn from our vet that the cat we adopted was feral--you'd think that would have been an important bit of information to share with the adopting family, especially when there's a child in the house! read more

Humane Animal Rescue - Our adopted cat. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I had wanted a dog for months, and I frequently checked the Humane Animal Rescue's website. Then I saw Rebel. There was a 1 minute video of her eating peanut butter, and I was sold. I called before stopping by, and David was very familiar with Rebel and told me lots about her. MY husband and I got to the shelter and were immediately greeted and got to spend some time alone with Rebel. David came in and suggested we walk her. We came back and talked for a long time, and decided she was perfect. I'm so grateful for the hold they offer, because we needed time to get all the necessary dog things. We came back the next day and received all of her medical history paperwork, treats, a bag of dog food, a collar and leash. Because of the polar vortex, they gave us a coat (which she obviously looked adorable in). I am so grateful for the Humane Animal Rescue, and look forward to coming to the vet clinic! read more

Humane Animal Rescue - Rebel - Animal Shelters Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Last weekend, a co-worker of Kay's, knowing that she's been wanting to adopt a dog badly, told her of a family who was staying with her temporarily that had two dogs they needed to give away due to having to move into an apartment. No one told us that they were year-old, unspayed, female pit bulls...in heat. Feeling guilty since the dogs were about to go to a pound, seeing how they interacted with children (the couple's young daughter was distraught over having to give them up), and being reassured by the husband that the dogs were very tame and lovable caused me to cave despite my unease around the breed. Well, Koko, and Chloe, while never harming us in the week we had them, escaped several times, chased a cat, and before I came home from work on Wednesday, broke loose from Kay only to attack her beloved Arctic rabbit Wintersweet. The bunny, whom Kay had for four years, died almost instantly of a broken neck. After days of handwringing and getting advice both pro and con from friends, family, and acquaintances, we decided to surrender the canine sisters to the Animal Rescue League yesterday. We were never judged for our decision, were assured that the dogs would be taken care of, and that while placement was not guaranteed, a concerted effort would be made to find homes for Koko and Chloe. We're still struggling with our choice and may adopt another dog in the future. Two pit bulls were too much for me, especially considering that (a) many cats roam our neighborhood. (b) Kay's other pet (a bird) was in danger. (c) I had never owned one pit bull before, let alone two. Regardless, ARL made a rough time a little easier to handle. I made a donation to the organization right after we dropped the dogs off, and even if you never want to adopt a pet, I urge you to do the same so that no pet is turned away. Groups like ARL reduce the prevalence of stray animals, and that alone is enough reason to give to them. And yes, I still hear the dogs, still smell them, still wonder if I should have given them a second chance. I still see their sad faces. They did take a liking to us after all. I hope the right person give you girls a home. read more

I am still having major anxiety over this place. I recently left a review, but am still so disappointed. Again, while the rescue had my dog, they began to explain to me that he will be put up for adoption. On top of that they claimed "they will make a note that I am interested in adopting the dog." Yes, as you can see it was very traumatic. Stating that I "might" get my own dog back?? They then called the Dog Warden of Pittsburgh, and his response was WHAT?! GIVE THAT FAMILY THEIR DOG BACK! This "establishment" is very unprofessional, and on top of that... doesn't stand for what they say they do. Ripping families apart... instead of bringing them together. read more

Animal Rescue League is great! BUT, I'm very disappointed by their dog trainer/behaviorialist, Lacey. I have a large papillon (a "throwback", as my vet called him), whose previous owners neglected and undersocialized him for the first two years of his life. As a result, he is now extremely fearful when taken outside the home, and he becomes overstimulated and aggressive. I brought him to one of ARL's Saturday small dog classes, but he freaked out, and we were asked to leave. Lacey said she'd be in contact to set up a private class. She called a few days later, and we arranged a private class for 6pm on a Wednesday. I made arrangements to leave work early to drive back into the city and get my pup some help! It's hard to anticipate exactly how much traffic there will be on Fifth Ave during rush hour, so I wound up playing it overly safe and arriving 10 minutes early for our class. After a few minutes, Lacey noticed us and came outside to tell me that she was running fifteen minutes behind. I wasn't sure what to do, because I couldn't really go anywhere with my cray-cray dog, and there was too much traffic to go home and come back again. So, she said we could wait inside in a small hallway. We went in to wait, and naturally, with all the smells and sounds, my pup got a bit riled up. But, we waited...and waited and waited. At 6:25pm, I knocked on the door to the training room. Silence. So, I opened it. Nobody was there, and the door to the outside was open. I peeked out, and there she was, with the people and dog that had the lesson before me. I waited for a moment, hoping she'd notice me and look at her watch or something, but nope. So, I took my dog and walked outside to my car. She turned and looked at me, but didn't acknowledge me in any way. I went and sat in my car with my dog for a few minutes, hoping the other folks, their dog, and Lacey would wrap things up, but no. They just continued on. At 6:35pm, I knew I couldn't wait any longer, because I had work I still needed to finish up that had to be done by 9pm. I got out of my car, and began walking towards Lacey. She just stared at me, rather than saying "We're just finishing up," or "Sorry, I lost track of time," or anything at all. So I said, "We're going to have to reschedule. It's past 6:30 now, and I can't stay past 7." She simply replied, "Okay. I'll call you." I thought it was rude and unprofessional to not offer any type of apology, or even a half-hearted explanation, but whatever. No one said she had people skills, I suppose, and this was about getting my dog help! Well, it's been a week and a half. No call from Lacey! Needless to say, I'll be finding another, more reliable trainer. I'm just really disappointed, not only in her unprofessionalism, but also her lack of caring about my dog. I barely had any interaction with Lacey, but even if there was something about me she didn't like, she should have cared more about helping a pup that obviously needs it. I sincerely hope that others have had better experiences, and I hate to knock even a single star off for ARL -- but this Yelp review seems to be my only way of warning others to seek another trainer for their dog behavioral needs! :( read more

I foster for the ARL. Usually it's a decent experience. However, things aren't always going to be perfect with an non-profit organization. I know they're stressed and irritated with stupid people who should never own/come in contact with animals, but when it comes to volunteers I wish they were more friendly. Twice (including today) one of my foster kittens were put to sleep. I didn't feel like they wanted to try harder. But what do I know? In gonna keep the benefit of the doubt that they care even when it's tough for me read more

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I'm all for what the Animal Rescue League does. My parents just adopted the most precious 5 year old dog from the ARL, but the management here REALLY needs to pull it together. The volunteers and staff are great, but there are just a lot of issues. First, my parents love their little seven pound dog, but getting a small dog here is exceptionally difficult. You need to be prepared to go in at opening and take the dog home that day. They will only place a 24 hours hold on the animal, and many people coming in here want small dogs. There was a LOT of heartbreak before finally landing a dog. Second, there seems to be a lot of oversights. My parents' dog wasn't properly vaccinated, which is really concerning. The poor baby had really severe kennel cough as well, and he was sick for well over two weeks after adoption. They had balls and things in the playrooms that the dogs share, which spreads disease. :( I think with some proper training and/or change, this place could fulfill its mission even better. The good news is that after looking at their 990s, they seem to have successful financial management so this is easily possible. Well... unless you count the fact that they haven't turned a 990 in the IRS in 2 years according to GuideStar. Maybe they just need some stronger management. read more

This is an animal shelter with a tremendous heart. While I realize it's more popular to back the more selective (aka "no-kill") shelters around Pittsburgh, the "open door" policy places the ARL at the top of my list. Where the so-called no-kill shelters can afford to be choosy and accept all-star pets, the ARL will accept any pet, from a private owner, someone who finds a stray, or even the city's animal control. A small, over-extended staff collaborates with a dedicated troop of volunteers, and manages to adopt thousands and thousands of pets each year into family homes. I have adopted two cats from this shelter, and also participated in the adoption of several friends' pets here, too. The paid staff can be spread a little thin, especially if you come on a Friday afternoon/evening, or a weekend morning. Guess what, lots of people want to adopt a pet on the weekend when they have extra time to help it settle in. So don't be surprised to find crowds of potential adopters and exhausted staff!!! For a quieter experience, try a weekday. For the most intimate pet-finding experience, go during a Steelers game. Seriously, you will have the place to yourself. Is it sacrilegious to tell you to do anything during a Steelers game? Whoops. The ARL lists some of their pets on Petfinder, but I have found that the selection on the adoption floor is often too vast & quick moving for them to keep the profiles online updated -- what I'm trying to get at is this: Don't get super attached to a pet online, because there's a reasonable chance it already has a home. And don't avoid a trip because you don't see anyone you like online. There are more future fur-friends waiting for you at the shelter. The staff of volunteers is extraordinary - I adopted one of my cats directly out of a foster home, and the volunteer must have gone out of her way to come to the shelter at my convenience and explain all the in-home habits of my future baby. I had such a positive experience with her, and the shelter. They invite you to send updates and pictures as your new pet adjusts. Yes, the staff & volunteers have a vested interest in the pets and want to know how things go! The rates for adoption vary, depending on the season, so if your finances require some help to acquire your new best friend, keep an eye on their website for info about "sales." You can also donate old sheets, towels, pet carriers, and toys for the animals who stay here on their way to permanent homes. I donate a big pile of worn towels and sheets every time i sort my linen closet. They also accept ca$h donations to help keep up with expenses. Maybe I seem like an over-enthusiastic cheerleader of this place, but the fact is that this organization connected me with two very important cats in my life, and every scratch on my arms, every litter box, and every fur-covered outfit in my life is due credit to their tireless efforts. Bravo, ARL, the pets & their families thank you. read more

The ARL is planning to move into a brand new gorgeous establishment just a few blocks away, very soon. I can't wait! I've only ever interacted with volunteers and dogs. Only minimal staff interaction so far. No interaction with adoptions counselors or front desk staff so I can't attest to that. All I know is that the volunteers and animal care staff genuinely care a great deal about the dogs here. Anyone stating they only have a bunch of "loud and aggressive dogs" are misinformed as barking and other poor kennel manners do not equal aggression. Just an unfortunate byproduct of their circumstances. Not many dogs do well in a shelter environment no matter how immaculate the shelter. The folks at the ARL are very invested in giving back to the animals and humans of Pittsburgh. They are involved in a myriad of outside events constantly working to benefit our great city. Do yourself and your community some good by giving the critters at the ARL a chance! You never know who will steal your heart. read more

Staff members here have always come up short. A past kennel worker sold his litter of pit bull puppies in east liberty and the shelter was made aware of it but excused it. They will lie to surrendering families because they don't want the cold hard truth, the good, bad and the ugly to leak out to the public. They lie ! They kill many many animals because of a very subjective behavioral test that their dog hating staff performs . They kill more pets for space than any other pittsburgh shelter. Many volunteers walk on eggshells here because they know an animals life is hanging in the balance and they are afraid to speak up or not allowed back in to volunteer . Weak leadership. This is the cities highest cat and dog death rate of any shelter or rescue in western pa read more

I volunteer as a dog coach twice a week and i am absolutely in love with the ARL. There are two beautiful babies, whom I have walked for weeks, that I wanna mention (these ladies would be mine if I didn't already have a grumpy Basset and an elderly Shiz zhu @ home): Bunny (my girl!! Bunny ears, and the sweetest temperament): http://www.animalrescue.org/available-pets Honey (I love her to death, 6 years old, just wants to be loved!!): http://www.animalrescue.org/available-pets Stop by the ARL! It is worth the trip. :) read more

I never grew up with a pet so getting one was a new experience. I had always heard kill/no-kill shelters whatever... I got my new dog Crosby from ARL which happens to be a "kill shelter". Thinking about this, I felt truly good getting him there because I felt as though I was saving him from some other destiny. However, he is so cute that I'm sure someone else would have adopted him... The shelter itself is large and the volunteers and vet-techs that you interact with are very friendly. The dogs are constantly walked and you can tell the animals receive a ton of love from the staff. Adoption is made easy unless you rent in which case you should probably bring a letter from your landlord stating you are allowed to adopt. Another perk is that when Crosby had "kennel cough" we went after hours to get him some medication and they still let us in and treated him...In short, great adoption experience at ARL. read more