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    RISPCA

    3.7 (35 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Services - RISPCA

    Animal shelters

    Pet adoption

    RISPCA Photos

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    I had an absolutely wonderful experience adopting a cat from the RISPCA, and I cannot recommend the shelter enough. From the moment I walked into the facility, I was greeted by the friendly and professional team in the cat room, who made me feel at ease and truly listened to my needs. As an experienced cat owner, I knew exactly what I was looking for in a companion, and the staff were incredibly knowledgeable and eager to match me with the right cat. The team took the time to understand my preferences--whether it was temperament, activity level, or personality--and offered a thoughtful selection of cats that would be a great fit for my home. I was impressed by their dedication to finding the best match for both the cats and their potential owners. It was clear that the team genuinely cares about the animals they work with and wants to ensure a loving, lasting relationship between pet and owner. With the help of Cathy, she found a cat that was perfect for me and my family. The process was smooth and seamless. The staff provided me with all the information I needed, from details about the cat's history to advice on transitioning them into my home. It was evident that the RISPCA's priority is not just to rehome animals, but to ensure their well-being and happiness in their new environment. Adopting a cat from the RISPCA was an incredibly rewarding experience, and I'm so grateful to the team for their expertise and care. This is my fourth adoption from the RISPCA, with my first being 19 years ago. My family is very excited to have a new feline friend in our home, we are in LOVE! I wish I could adopt all the animals, but I know all the animals are in good hands at the RISPCA. If you're considering adopting, I highly encourage you to visit and meet the fantastic team and their amazing cats!

    Marie M.

    This is an excellent place to adopt your pet!! The people who work here are compassionate, knowledgeable, and dedicated. The animals are well cared for and the place is clean and well kept. We're now fostering a 7 week old beautiful gray kitten (now available for adoption). When fostering, RISPCA will provide all the supplies (food, grooming, toys, litter, accessories). Very generous! If your foster pet doesn't like the foods, they have other alternatives available. RISPCA is also a wonderful place to work or volunteer if you love working with animals.

    Kelly F.

    The RISPCA is a wonderful shelter that truly cares about the dogs and their potential adopters. They want to make sure it is a successful adoption and provide all the tools you need. I adopted Mischa almost two years ago after my sweet senior died suddenly. I was originally interested in another dog but we put it off because we decided to remodel our bathroom and wanted to make sure our new pup could have time to decompress without stress. A few months when it was completed we reached out again and the dogs we were interested in had a daughter that was being fostered at that time. We met her and fell in love (even though she lunged and barked and was trying to be scary) after she gave me her little paw. Rihanna is a shelter worker there and is dedicated to helping rehome these animals. I honestly can't say enough about them. The review that says shelter is dirty and dogs euthanized rather than adopted out are liars. It's very clean, animals are well cared for and are adopted out to the right fit so they are not returned.

    Tamra F.

    I've never adopted from here, but I have fostered some kittens here and the staff that I dealt with were all great. I mostly interacted with Lisa who is the foster coordinator and she was always very quick to respond to any inquiries I had at any time of the day. RISPCA provided me with all the supplies including litter and food needed to care for the kittens I was fostering. The place itself also looks clean. I especially like the little room they have near the main entrance for some cats to roam around. You can see the cats through the glass. I can't speak on the adoption process as I've never adopted from here before so this review is just based on my fostering experience alone.

    RIP Marshy 5/5/2017-6/3/2021

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    4 years ago

    I will no longer be adopting any animals from them. Horrible! Makes promises and a lot is questions like we are idiots!

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    Ask the Community - RISPCA

    How long should you wait after online application before you have can assume you have been denied?

    The best thing to do is check the website. If the pet you applied for is off the website and you have not been contacted, it's safe to assume you were not the best fit for the pet.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - RISPCA

    When fostering, RISPCA will provide all the supplies (food, grooming, toys, litter, accessories).

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Warwick Animal shelter - Gorgeous

    Warwick Animal shelter

    (20 reviews)

    This shelter has an unreasonable set of standards for adoption, unfortunately resulting in the…read moreabusive retention of animals. I believe their standards make it less likely for any animals their to be adopted. If you want to adopt from this shelter make sure to have vet records that comport with AAHA standards for animal treatment, or take the easy option and obscure any ownership history and save an animal from this abusive shelter.

    They took my bengal cat and her kittens because they were illegal they cold not release them to me…read more The lady told me that a situation like this had happened before, in that case they had to release the bengal cat to someone in Connecticut because bengal cats are legal there. I told them I have a friend willing to take my cats in Connecticut. She said the cats will have to go through adoption. I went to check on my cats today and she told me she already adopted them. I told her the cats means everything to me. I expressed that I bought the cat right after a hard time in my life and my cat was there to comfort me and gave me emotional support. I asked the lady "I thought you was going to help me get my cat adopted to a friend so I can at least visit her in Connecticut ".The lady then started being a "Karen" and told me "well I don't really care, all you need to know is that there are in a good home. And just because ur friend put an application in that doesn't mean they were goin to get pick for adoption." She then preceded to tell me I don't seem fit to care for a cat anyways. I had done nothing but gave my cat the best life she could possible have. Now I can never see my cat who I had raised since she was 4 weeks, she is now 9months. She is not just a cat to me, her name is Malu, she's a sweet bengal cat and very shy. I treat her like she's my daughter, she is very spoiled and well cared for. The lady is pure evil and has no heart or compassion. Fooled me in thinking I would see my cats again then goes and get them adopted behind my back. To the people that adopted my cat please reach out to me. I am Malu's father, I have no way in contacting you this is my desperate attempt to see my cat again. Please reach out my email is goldmindkeo@gmail.com. Thank you for reading my story I will not be silenced exposing you guys and ur evils

    West Warwick Animal Shelter

    West Warwick Animal Shelter

    (7 reviews)

    I just visited with west Warwick animal shelter with a friend who has Down syndrome. We were…read morelooking for a cat for his family. We didn't have an appointment but when we arrived the girl working the desk (Abby) said there were no bookings so we could come in. She showed us the animals and explained the details of each one, age, temperament, cost etc, and answered some of my friends additional questions which had nothing to do with the animals. We got an application and Abby went over all the costs with us so we could write them down. She couldn't have been friendlier or more helpful. As sad of a place as an animal shelter can be, she brightened it up and made our visit enjoyable and informative. Hopefully my fiends family will adopt a cat from this location and I know when I'm looking for a an animal this will be one of my first stops. Thanks Abby and all the cats and dogs in west Warwick.

    I give West Warwick animal shelter a five star review. My little Shih Tzu named Penny got out of…read moreour fenced in yard this morning, and I was an absolute wreck trying to find her. I saw a police officer on E. Greenwich Ave. and stop to ask if he had seen a white dog in the area. The police officer was extremely kind and caring. He informed me that she had already been picked up and was at West Warwick animal shelter. I immediately drove over there and when I walked in, I met a young man named Paul. Paul was absolutely AMAZING! I can't thank him enough for the concern and kindness he showed me. The shelter was clean and the few fur babies that were under their care looked comfortable and well taken care of. I gladly give this 5 STARS!!!!!!!!! Thank you for taking such good care of my baby. I am very grateful and especially, to Paul.

    Scruffy Paws Animal Rescue

    Scruffy Paws Animal Rescue

    (5 reviews)

    very disorganized. applied to adopt a cat at the beginning of the month, and the processing time is…read more7-10 days (there is conflicting information on the application and the website) and heard nothing after 2 weeks. I followed up with an email-they strongly discourage following up with them for some reason, because not only did no one respond, but even after talking to one of the owners in person to move my application up, i still had nothing after a month. the cat I applied for was removed off their site now-what is the process meant to do for applicants if you're not even guaranteed to be merely CONSIDERED for a cat before it gets adopted? nevermind that you would jump through all these hoops, they might as well ask for your credit history as well. you could meet the cat and it could go terribly, and waste about a month of your time or more-because you dont get to meet the cat until youre ready to sign the contract. out of all local shelters, i can't even be surprised to why this rescue has a completely full house and has to depend on pet stores to provide space for their extra cats. picking up more work than you can handle is the best way to keep cats out of loving homes. apparently they only care about money, as they spend more time asking for money/donations/people to bring in pets to spay or neuter. while i can understand money and donations help keep these places running-it is completely avoidable if they werent nitpicking who gets to adopt. understandably it is incredibly hard financially to support 30 cats or more, but a choice they are making. most of the local shelters have less than 15 cats and aren't drowning in work the way these people are. they have a similar adoption process but arent choosing based of who's first name they like best or who has the most money to offer them. I applied to another adoption place, they ended up declining my application because i was under 25 (im as confused as everyone else on that one) but notice i received a response within 3 days of submitting. over a month later, still nothing from Scruffy Paws. sitting in a cage all day must be so stressful, especially when no one is there to play with you. the volunteers seem somewhat bored with the cats, and with so many mouths to feed it's less volunteer work and more like an office job you hate(and arent paid to do lol). i couldnt provide a catio in my apartment, and was considering leash training if cat was young enough. i understand some of these cats came from the streets, but she blatantly turned me down and said it's "glamorized" and cats cant walk on a leash. i expected so much better from this shelter, and I hope things turn up good for their cats and any future cats that end up in their care. anyone who's checking reviews, rescind your application. they will leave you with no response for months. go adopt from PARL or other local rescues. they will not expect you to donate a months worth of food money to adopt because that's what Scruffy's adoption targets seem to be. and if they reject you, you wont have wasted weeks to months of your life waiting for a response. better yet, go to a cat cafe-there's a fantastic place in coventry.

    They take an excessive amount of time to act on applications. I completed a lengthy application…read moreform in October, provided permission for them to speak with veterinarians which they did, had a phone conversation with them in December and despite several phone calls and emails requesting a status update, I have yet to have heard on its status. In my opinion that is rude and unprofessional and reflects poorly on the organization.

    Friends of Homeless Animals - Celebrating a year together

    Friends of Homeless Animals

    (75 reviews)

    Elmhurst

    We know have Holden/Spike Dudley…read more It all happened with looking for a kitten on FOHA's website. A cute kitten caught out eye. We reached out with questions all answered in great detail. We completed an application online and left a payment. One of our close friends was then contacted as a reference. Next thing I knew we had a home visit scheduled which turned into Spike's first night at our home and a member of our family. It was an easy process and we have a kitten that is very easy going and great with our kids (but not so great with our shower curtain but that's just catnanigans!) Note: The adoption fee cost covered chipping the cat and neutering through a local Providence shelter

    If you can avoid this rescue, I sincerely recommend you do so. We experienced a total nightmare. We…read moreadopted a dog and were assured he was good with cats. We fully disclosed we owned two cats, a 2 year old and a 16 year old elderly cat. They gave us the dog only three days after two major surgeries, but the foster gave us very minimal details about the medications and did not tell us he had been on a previous medication. The dog ended up having a paradoxical reaction to his medications, and I had to call the vet who did the neuter and cherry eye to figure out what to do. We had to keep him in a crate a lot for his own safety, because a cherry eye surgery needs the dog to be almost entirely activity free for two weeks. When the dog was able to be calm, I allowed him on the couch with me. He attacked our elderly cat twice, and every time he laid eyes on her, it was obvious he wanted to chase her down. One of these attacks resulted in my cat being bitten. The foster then tried to say he probably just put his mouth on her, but she cried out in very obvious pain. He BIT her, full teeth on her flesh. The foster also tried to blame my cat for the dogs behavior, stating it was her fault for not fighting back. She has been around numerous dogs, and none have ever treated her this way. Its inexcusable to say it was her fault. The foster was maybe the worst part of the whole experience. She was rude and condescending and even implied it was my fault my previous dog passed away earlier this year from a silent tumor that burst on his spleen. She also picked apart every single medical decision I made for my animals in a way that felt like I was being severely judged and looked down upon. We did literally everything in our power to save that dog. My husband and I feel that we were lied to, especially by the foster. This dog was not safe with cats, was highly reactive, and should not have been given the okay to come into our home. We were told he was polite with cats. The temperament and behavioral issues were withheld in a way that felt deliberate. It took over a week with multiple phone calls and emails to finally receive our money back.

    Help save one

    Help save one

    (11 reviews)

    My experience with Help Save One was wonderful, and I simply could not be happier!…read more Within one week of submitting my application (and the required $25 deposit which goes toward your total adoption fee if you are approved), I picked up my black lab/collie mix, Mazie! Although communication was slow at first, with a little persistence and patience I was able to get all of the information I needed from Pam and Marissa and overall it was a great experience. It also seems that Mazie was fostered in a really great home. Although only 8 weeks, she sleeps through the night and is completely comfortable in her kennel. She has an absolutely wonderful temperament and is a great addition to our family! I was a little worried about the lack of communication in the beginning, especially after doing a little research and reading a few Yelp reviews, but in the end I was very pleasantly surprised and would highly recommend Help Save One. Like a few others have said, these women work very hard to save and protect these dogs...hang in there and they will get you a great pup!

    Boy, I don't even know where to begin, with this group. Like R.G. said, if I could give them less…read morethan 1 star, I would. I, too, was a foster for Help Save One. I, too, was promised paperwork to show to the vet when she needed to go for her checkups. I, too, never saw any such paperwork even though I'd written several times and was promised they'd be emailed. I'd offered to foster because I used to be an animal control offer and missed it terribly. I wanted to help animals, in some way, and thought this would be perfect. I should have done my homework. ALL the complaints on ALL the sites are completely true, in my experience. Marissa doesn't care what animal she places, with who, as long as she gets her money and has a home she can put them in. It's appalling, really. All you have to do is say the right things on your application. They meet you somewhere in their transit, to pick up the dogs. They never actually see where the dogs are going. I met them, at 4am, on a Friday night about 45 minutes from my house because they'd called to tell me a transit was coming around 10pm. Okay, that was fine. I'd been warning it might be spur of the moment. The transit was late, but they kept in touch over the phone. When they finally showed, they had crates of dogs stacked into a U-Haul van and dragged this scared, feces and urine covered puppy out and handed her, to me, then left before I could even ask about paper work. My husband and I got the terrified puppy home, bathed and sleeping in my lap after 5am. I forgot to mention...I was told I'd be getting a 10 week old pug mix. I got a 16 week old Shepard/Rotti mix. No huge deal, for me, but I can see how it would be fore someone who wasn't keen on either of those breeds. I waited a week without hearing one word as to how the puppy was, so I called my local contact. I asked, what now? She asked, what do you mean? I mean, what now? What do I do? Take her to the vet? I'll need paperwork. The woman had no clue. She said she'd get back to me. A few more weeks past with no word, even though I'd been sending email updates along with pictures. This went on from June until August. My puppy was still not posted to the site, so I called to inquire as to why. I was told that transit was a fiasco and they had no clue which puppy went to whom. I gave her the collar ID number of mine. She seemed so surprised I'd kept it. I managed an entire shelter, so 1 collar was no big deal. Now, they knew which dog it was, or so I thought. I again, sent updates, with pics and again, nothing on the site. One day, I was looking around and I saw, my puppy, listed as an entirely different dog! My update with some small breeds picture. Right then, I knew. These people just send out dogs. Now, I was mad, so I made some phone calls to see about the legalities of what they were doing. What I found curled my hair. They are NOT allowed to transport out of state without paperwork, in hand, and transfer that paperwork to the foster. I called the county in North Carolina where they say they get the dogs, on their site. I spoke to a lovely woman for about an hour, about them. She has a stack of complaints. They are trying to get them shut down but they stay just outside of radar to really do anything that can be proven. She said that they have several friends working in the 2 shelters that pluck dogs off the gassing line and fill out the paper work that they have been gassed. These dogs are then housed in several places until the transit picks them up. THAT'S what they're calling the dog's quarantine period. They've had no vet care, or shots, because they're not technically alive. NONE of the dogs are temperament tested before they get placed in homes. How can they be? They go from one kennel to another cage then thrown in another cage, to a truck, then driven for hundreds of miles and dumped off for someone else to worry about. I could go on and on and none positive. No, I lied. One thing positive did come out of this. I am now the proud owner of a beautiful dog. She's probably the most well mannered dog I've ever owned. But, I think, she and I were very lucky I had the background to handle her. These people are very good in throwing up contracts when WE complain about something to do with the dogs, but try to turn the tables and you'll be blatantly ignore, or screamed to, in email. All animals are in shelters for a reason. Yes, it could simply be the previous owner wasn't aware of the responsibility, but it can also be because the animal has some underlying agression issues. Do we really want to find out at our family's safety? If you'd like to file a complaint with North Carolina please feel free to message me, and I will give you the email address of the woman I spoke to. Every complaint helps. Yes, it's wonderful to save an animals life. It is NOT okay to put human safety about that.

    RISPCA - animalshelters - Updated August 2026

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