To be honest, I have never visited an animal shelter that would get less than five stars. To take…read moreon the responsibility of providing shelter and rescuing animals with very limited resources, that takes a big heart... although if you see how cute some of these animals are, who could resist?! Originally I had suggested to Mr. Snarky that we go play with some puppies to help relieve the stress caused by work. I remembered that there are some universities in the U.S. that are bring cute animals in right before exam time to help students relieve stress. So I thought it could work in this instance. Parking isn't a problem, but if you find all the parking on the road taken, we parked at Sainsbury's on our first visit (since we were going to pick up a couple of things after) and walked over. You could hear the dogs barking and there were a couple out in the play area. When we walked in, there were loads of pictures of animals that had been adopted. The lady behind the counter told us not to stick our fingers in the cages... so unfortunately no petting or cuddling with the animals. They have more dogs than cats (well at the time we went) and they seemed to be larger dogs. I only noticed this because we live in an apartment so we don't have a lot of room for a large dog, nor a yard of our own. However, there was one cutie who must have caught onto the 'no fingers in the cages' rule as she pushed herself up against the door to her pen so you didn't have to stick your fingers in the cage. Clever girl! And her eyes... oh those eyes. We went inside to look at the cats. At the time we thought they only had six cats as those were the only ones on display. There was a black kitten that was so loving and couldn't seem to get enough of Mr. Snarky. We had seen an ad for Suzie, a 3-year-old cat who had been at the shelter for about 13 months and couldn't seem to get adopted because she is a bit of a grouch. Mr. Snarky has a soft spot for these kinds of animals and was considering adopting her. We left and while we did not get the cuddle/play time I had been hoping for, we did succeed in starting a discussion about adopting a pet. On the next visit, one of the staff spent some time with us showing us the cats and talking about the characteristics of each one. Our original idea was to adopt Suzie, but also get a younger cat for some playfulness, but also knew that the staff would let us know what would be realistic. The staff member did tell us that Suzie wouldn't be good with another cat and the black cat that we were looking at had just been adopted. That's when the staff member told us about two pairs of siblings that were ready for adoption if we really wanted two cats. They were just being held in different areas because they didn't have enough room in that particular room. So we took a look at the first pair... two months old! The sisters (one black and one white) were curled up together in the midst of other cats pawing and meowing at us. There is a male cat (not sure if he has been adopted yet) but he is a brilliant, loving ball of fur and we nearly adopted him... you should go visit him. However, I may have fallen in love with the little white mustache on the black kitten of the pair. We then went upstairs to visit a brother and sister duo that were absolutely full of energy and if you have a fly problem, they will take care of it! The staff member did explain details about both sets of kittens so we could understand what we were getting into and make the best decision. Ultimately we went with the two-month old kittens. They chipped the kittens, fed them a bit of chicken, and filled out the paperwork for us. We also picked out some collars and tags which they engrave with your address and phone number... although these two are far too small to be wearing anything like that. The staff were so helpful and answered our questions and told us that the kittens have had their first set of vaccines and gave us a voucher to get them speyed at six months at their vet. They put all of their paperwork and records in a folder for safe keeping and also put a piece of the bedding that the kittens were sleeping on in the kennel to help with the transport. They also said they would give us a call in a week or two to see how things are going and told us to ring them or stop in if we have any questions or concerns. The kittens are now exploring their new home... don't worry, I will post some pictures :) You should definitely go and visit and they are in need of donations (bedding, food, money, etc.) and also volunteers to walk dogs.

I am a proud owner of one very sweet, very pampered greyhound - he's currently called Dave but…read moreprior to that he used to race at Perry Barr Greyhound Stadium, under the moniker 'Magical Climate'. He was actually quite good - although this is a bit of a surprise to me and my Mom, as he now spends his retirement loafing about on the sofa, begging for tripe sticks and being tickled under the chin. We got Dave from Daybreaks Kennels which is home to the Perry Barr Retired Greyhound Trust and which is run by an amazing woman called Ruth Boswell. Dave was a bit of a state when we first laid eyes on him - without wanting to lay on the schmaltz too much years of racing had rendered him threadbare of tail, gammy of tooth and with what one could only describe as a 'lean and hungry look'. However, with Ruth's care - and lashings of tripe sticks, Dave made really good progress and although I'm obviously biased I think its fair to say he is a really handsome, jolly dog now. As for Daybreaks itself - the kennels are open daily and you can arrange a viewing by phoning ahead. If you're feeling particularly soppy you can also check out their website where you will be greeted by photos of dogs who need a home. This is a brilliant place run by a dedicated, extremely lovely team - they are always happy to offer advice on homing procedure, guidance on the right sort of dog for you and will happily talk to you after you've taken your dog home. As well as the kennels there's a shop that sells collars, leads, beds, food, toys and well...all sorts really.

I got my two cats from here about 2 years ago. I found staff to be very friendly, professional and…read morethe many cats they have rescued to be well looked after. There are many cats and kittens to choose from making it difficult to choose. Be careful, you may go in to get only one cat (like we did) but somehow come out with two! There is a long hallway with glass hatches on each side. Each hatch contains two cats. When you have found a cat you may be interested in, a staff member can open the hatch so you can get to know the cat more. Once you have chosen which cat (or cats) you would like, staff will arrange a visit to your house to ensure your home is cat friendly. Once all is approved, you can take your new cat home. You get six weeks pet insurance and possibly follow up checks in which you need to bring your cat back to the centre. I believe I only had to do this as the cats I had taken had only been at the centre a couple of weeks and not all the necessary checks had been completed. I did have some problems with both my cats in that it was found that one cat had a flea allergy and the other had caught ring worm. We had various treatments from the inhouse vetinarian at the centre which went on longer than the free six weeks insurance. However, because it was ongoing problem, I wasn't charged for the visits beyond six weeks (it lasted a little over two months in total). Both cats are now absolultely perfect and I've had no problems since. You do need to be aware that as they are rescue cats, the previous habitat wasn't adequate. Therefore, there is more chance for there to be something wrong when you first get them. But with a good diet, love and attention and the perhaps some necessary initial medication, your cat can be no different to buying a cat/kitten from a pet store.

read my article and search on be careful of the cats protection as some locations tell you what…read moreyou want to hear, just to sell a cat and don't have the best interest of the cat at heart. This is not a gripe at CPL as I had supported them for many years, but I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole and if you read my article I have paperwork to support all my comments and the excuses that the CPL have given me. There are some people earning a packet in this so called NON-PROFIT company!!Cats Protection League What they don't tell you at adoption

The RSPCA on Barnes Hill shelter homes for many different types of pets for such a small rescue…read moreshelter. You can adopt and care for pets from dogs, cats to ferrets. It's really sad to see animals locked away in cages but the cages seem spacious enough for the animals as they each have their own cubicle with large spaces to move about if they ever need a stretch. The RSPCA supply a very informative booklet on what animals they are holding within their shelter and display at least a paragraph about these animals personally in order for you to have knowledge about their background, what breed they are and their age all for your reassurance. They have selected viewing times if ever you wish or think of adopting any of these animals so that you can bond with them.

Very caring staff, been to the dogs home quite a few times…read more Had a really lovely casket when we lost our pet for sweet memories of our beautiful border Collie.

It seems odd to be giving the Manchester Dogs home a star rating but I'll give them 5 just to…read morespread awareness and help stray dogs in Manchester get the walkies and loving new homes they need. If you love dogs, but can't keep one of your own or are looking for a new family dog then Manchester Dogs home definitely a place to consider. I'm in the first category, I live in a flat but love animals so recently joined the dogs home as a volunteer so I can walk the dogs when I'm free. Becoming a volunteer is easy, there is a section on their website called volunteers where you register. We were then invited to an informal day on-site where we were greeted by the friendly Julie who gave us an induction to becoming a volunteer and helping out at the home. Their approach is very relaxed and there is no obligation, you help out as much and as little as you can. There are a variety of things you can help with if dog walking isn't your thing either as they often need extra non-walking help at the home. Once you are registered you just sign in and then proceed to the kennels where the trained staff will hand you a dog on a lead. You can specify the size of dog as well, so if you're new to this, like we were, you can pick a small dog to begin or whatever dogs you're comfortable with. Walking the dogs is great, we had a little Jack Russell called Babs who was really happy to see us. Behind the dogs home is an open area full of grass, trails and paths to walk the dogs in. Little Babs obviously led the way... little tail wagging. The staff have always been really friendly and helpful with us, so if get involved today and visit the volunteer section on their website.

Freshfields Animal Rescue Centre is a lovely place. It's out in the middle of nowhere and has a…read morepeaceful atmosphere to it. The staff are mainly volunteers who really love what they do and take pride in looking after the animals and sending them to suitable homes. A couple of our family dogs have come from here and they have always been delighted to hear from us when we have kept in touch after taking the dog home. They often hold fundraiser events so look out for these, and go and help them raise some money for this very good cause.