Pet Refuge is an amazing no-kill rescue that genuinely cares about the animals taken in. The staff is knowledgeable and helpful, and the adoption process is very thorough. Every effort is taken to ensure that people wanting to adopt are ready and get matched with just the right companion. My wife and I adopted our now 15 week old Phoebe (formerly Chloe) about a month and half ago. The entire process start to finish took about a week and a half. We filled out an application online and interviewed that weekend. The staff worked with our schedule to make the interview possible and let us meet with several of the puppies in the litter to get to know them a little. The facilities themselves were clean and well-maintained. The animals weren't crowded, and we were able to play with one puppy from the litter at a time in a small, private room. We were interviewed by two staff members while we played with the puppies. We were called the following Thursday saying we had been selected to adopt our Phoebe. Pet Refuge even facilitated a time for Phoebe to meet our older dog that Saturday when I came to pick her up. On top of the terrific service and thorough process, the value of adopting a pet from Pet Refuge is tremendous. The adoption fee for our Phoebe was $200--this included her first three rounds of shots, spaying, microchipping, a voucher for her rabies immunization (to use when she was old enough), and a goodie bag with some food, toys, coupons, etc. Overall we were very impressed from start to finish! read more

I inquired about a dog that was on the website, was told to come down to do a meet and greet and fill out the application. Got down there and they wouldn't even let me meet the doggie. They brought out a different dog and tried to get me to adopt it. They said the dog I was interested in wasnt "good with people". Which makes no sense because why would you say she was up for adoption?! They refused to even let me set up a time because "she's not friendly ". How would the dog ever get used to others if she is not allowed to even meet with possible adoptees? The ladies there, obviously volunteers that dont care; were dismissive since I dont want the dog THEY wanted me to take. Pet Refuge sucks and you need staff in there that actually WANT to be there and actually care for the animals. There were kittens running all over the place. I feel sorry for those animals. read more

Pet Refuge has always been a go to place for feral cats trying to assist them at different times.

The best shelter in South Bend. I adopted my cat Skittles from here ten years ago. Most recently my sister has adopted a kitten last year and a pair this year. They all have been very friendly cats and well taken care of. One tip if interested in a kitten during kitten season is to fill out an application and see if you can visit the kittens they have In foster care that aren't quite ready for adoption. You can pre-adopt. read more

DO NOT GO TO THIS PLACE!!!! They are shady,liars. On Sunday I went to petsmart to look at Pet Refuge kittens. I selected a kitten to adopt. I filled out the application. I was told by foster and the ladies sitting at the desk that I was the first one to show interest in this kitten. I was told that I would probably be able to pick the kitten up on Monday. While I was filling out my application another person came up and asked about the kitten and her sister. The foster told them that I was already looking to adopt the one kitten. I called on Monday to see about the kitten, no one returned my call. I called and emailed on Tuesday, again no one returned my call until later in the day. Dawn proceeded to tell me that they had adopted the kitten to the other people that they were there first. I told her that was not true because I pointed out to her about them coming in after us. I then got to listen to her talk about they are volunteers that have other jobs. I get that, but that doesn't justify outright lying about the situation. I will never recommend Pet Refuge to anyone. They pulled some shady crap here. read more

I love these people and the dogs we take care of. As a leader of a Wednesday morning shift I can guarantee you can't find another dog with so much time, energy and live poured into making them a lovable family dog! read more

I found myself reaching out to PR for help when my dog needed rehomed. I had tried diligently to find her a home via local FB rehoming sites, as well as reaching out to several other animal rescues with seemingly no one able to help me. Trying to get in touch on a weekend, I was told to call during office hours and give my dogs information. I did first thing the following Monday morning, the woman I spoke to was polite & seemed like my dog would be a good candidate for them to help rehome. To be clear, I opted to rehome my animal due to recent financial difficulties, it was in no way because she wasn't a good dog. As a matter of fact, she was still a puppy whom had grown up around young children & never had any aggressive tendencies. She knew several commands, and was just generally an all around good dog. I know that she would have been a "fast mover" for PR, as in she would've been quick to find her furever home. ANYWAYS.. the woman told me she would forward my dogs information on to their coordinator & I would hear back in 7-10 days. And if I didn't hear back, it was basically their way of saying no. 10 days came & went with no calls or attempts to contact me. I am taking that as my "no". Very disappointing, as I really could have used their assistance in finding my pup a new home. As luck would have it, just before I had to surrender her to the local shelter, I found her a wonderful home that she is just thriving in! Two stars only because the woman seemed kind over the phone. read more

Went here looking for a cat and I felt like I was being judged as soon as I walked through the door. I have been a pet owner my entire life, and I love my animals like family but these people acted like I was awful. I asked about declawing and they looked at me in horror. Also, when you walk in there is always someone breathing down your neck. There is no time to bond with the animal you want because someone is hovering over you watching everything you do. Terrible experience. Go to the Humane Society instead. read more

I would NEVER recommend ANYONE to even attempt to adopt a cat from pet refuge.I can't speak for the dog side,however the group of women adopting and the board representing the kitties are some of the worst people I have ever been in contact.My case is quite unique and extremely close to my heart.Myself and my family have supported this organization for many years with funding them at various local events to even adopting all of our furry feline family members here.5 yrs ago my mother unexpectedly passed away leaving me,her only child and only family in south bend to care for her 3 pets.On top of the 3 I already had. After months of trying for everyone to coexist with tons of advise from our family vet-it broke my heart but we all came to the conclusion finding homes for two of our "guys" was probably in everyone's best interest.With no luck from friends, family, vet's office or social media(they didn't have the wonderful sites like lost and found or pets in need sites that I knew of at the time)my last thought was to contact PR to see what they would suggest.They were more than happy to help me find great homes and promised to keep me informed on where they would place them.My daughter who was around 8 and I could hardly compose ourselves when we brought them in for our appointment.Next to trying to deal with just loosing the greatest mother and Gammy and best friend of all time this was by far one of the most difficult things I have ever gone through.Although it didn't make me feel any better about agreeing to this option,I kept trying to reassure myself and my daughter this was best and I put all of my trust in Pet Refuge.I later realized that was one of the biggest mistakes I have ever made in my life.They kept their promise on updating me with my kitties.Biggs went to a great home in Michigan and settled right in the lover that he was.They sent me pictures and everything.Judys adoption however never settled easy with me.She was adopted on her first adoption day at Petsmart to a man to give to his girlfriend or "something" I was told.It seemed like little to no screening went into the couple.I prayed I would never see her on one of these remarkable sites lost, found or even worse-deceased.I longed for her to be with back w us.our other kitty hasn't been the same since & all of that stress we all went through at that time.The losses, a new baby, a new home..Too much in less than a years time. In early January my fears of my Jude became a reality.A friend's grandmother whom was an avid volunteer at the center posted a photo of a kitty that "an aweful man" dumped at the shelter.She was in terrible shape and completely scarred and terrorized and unsocial.The second I saw her picture I knew it was her and shared my whole story.After digging through paperwork she was able to confirm it was my girl.I knew I would never forgive myself if I didn't put up a fight to bring her home and now a stable environment.When I was brought in to see her and to see if she would respond to me since she wouldn't anyone there nor had she eaten or had bowel movements since she had been brought in days earlier,she immediately knew me and came out of hiding and into my lap.I spent a couple of hours there and she began eating and responded any time I called her by name-although the couple had changed her name to JuJu.In fact i was encouraged to continue to come back and even bring my family to spend time with her while we went through the adoption process.In the mean time I made sure my pets at home were all up to date on vaccinations.A couple of weeks into the process I was informed Judy had been diagnosed with thyroid issues.After extensive research I had concluded this was common in senior cats and the medical care for her wouldn't be any issue or deterrent for me to continue my fight to get her back and I would be more than happy to begin assuming all of her expensesI was then phoned and grilled about my current pets previous medical history by a woman named Angela.A process that clearly wasn't done prior to this,& Ynow? Shedidn't have any of her facts straight about our records and when I attempted to share with her the accurate info she spoke over me and became very aggressive,condescending,and belittling.When I told her she was being very disrespectful and frankly insensitive of this entire situation she blew up.That is where the conversation with her ended.Not even 24 hours after our phone call my friend went in to work & after sharing Angela's behavior with Nancy(the vp.)and how she had me in tears,my Judy had ironically been put into foster.Linda and Angela both made it clear they would not relinquish who was fostering or her health state.Since,I have called or gone in person every weekly adoption day and have spoken to or left messages for Pam or Nancy 2 update me on her health or even their decision for me to adopt.0 response.Now her file is completely gone and name has been changed.ThisplaceisAWEFUL&we'reHEARTBROKEN read more

This place is a joke and cats aren't properly tended to. Everyone there tells you something different. One lady said a certain cat didn't like being brushed, another lady said he could be brushed, then the bitch of a manager said he had to be sedated to be groomed! Make sure your entire family goes with you or you won't even be considered for adoption. The manager Linda will also treat you like you're stupid and talk down to you! She has no business there!! read more

This shelter clearly takes care of it's animals. Honest love and devotion is found in the volunteers. At any given time there is a decent amount of dogs and cats who clearly need a good home. No euthanasia here. Just care and dedication. read more

One of the top shelters to adopt a dog or cat in the area! Also one of the only non-kill shelters in the area.Pet Refuge is also run by an entire staff puff volunteers. All of the animals are well cared for and I would go as far as to say that there dogs and cats are spoiled by all volunteers until they find their forever home. Please don't shop, adopt a shelter animal instead. read more

I can only speak to the cat side, but I had a great experience! Was approved online within 24 hours. I went to Roxanne's cattery (a huge foster they work with) and she had kittens of all ages who were very well taken care of. I was able to take my kitten home the same day with a goodie bag of food and toys, and she was up to date on all shots and spayed. Now here's the best part: cats from shelters are predisposed to upper respiratory infections, which usually begin with watery eyes. After 4 days of having my new little girl, her eye became runny and got red and swollen after a couple days even with warm compresses. Only one vet was able to get her in within a week, and the rest were booked for 2-3 weeks (apparently because of covid). I knew she was in pain, so I called Roxanne to see if she knew of anything that I could do while waiting to get into the vet. She had me bring my kitten over right away, took her temperature, gave her anti-inflammatory medication, showed me how to apply ointment to her eye, and sent me home with tubes of ointment. She wouldn't even accept money when I offered. You can count on the cattery to provide you with a great animal, and they are always there to help! read more

I called Pet Refuge to adopt a black cat, knowing that they were the least adopted. I spoke with someone and they basically rejected us with a "don't call us, we'll call you" response. I became a volunteer and spent several months working there. I really enjoyed the people I worked with on shift, however, their volunteer coordinator was consistently rude and condescending to me. She was horrible. Aliceann had zero "people skills" and was an awful coordinator. In addition, my parents tried to adopt a dog. They applied and followed up, only to be completely ignored. I also know of other volunteers who have applied to adopt and were given the run-around. Mind you, these volunteers spend their free time helping take care of the animals and yet, they are still given excuses and experience resistance to adoption. There were cats that had been housed there for MONTHS with viable, loving homes wanting them and yet these coordinators will NOT allow the animals to be adopted out. It is incredibly sad how the facility is run & I will not endorse their services until significant changes in leadership and policy are made. read more

The animals are treated very well here. The rooms are clean and you can tell the staff/volunteers care about the animals and their wellbeing. My complaint is regarding the condescending way the staff treats hopeful pet parents. I visited there a month after the death of my beloved 17 year old cat. He lived his entire life with us - from 5 weeks old. He was healthy, well cared for, and unconditionally loved. The staff member that helped me suggested that his sudden death could have been prevented had I taken him to the vet on an annual basis earlier in his life. While the message about the importance of annual vet visits was recieved, I found it to have been delivered in an insensitive manner. She proceeded to hover over me as I tried to interact with the cats. It was very unpleasant which made me sad because I wanted to support this wonderful organization. read more

I am extremely disappointed with the Director of pet refuge. We applied for a dog and when the woman called my wife for the interview she belittled her because we had stopped giving our previous dog heartworm when she was 10 yrs old. She was well taken care of and lived almost to 15. We had talked to our vet prior to making the decision due to the stress on her from taking her to exams. She would have panic attacks and start hyperventilating. The vet said at her age it was a risk but she could basically have a heart attack. She did not care about the situation and basically said we were not fit for a pet. I used to believe this was a good agency but have changed my opinion. I would never recommend dealing with Pet Refuge in the future. read more