As a former volunteer, I have to back up some of the points made in the 1 star reviews. They have over 600 cats in a space that's far too small for that many cats. As a result, respiratory infections run rampant. While it's obvious that the volunteers care, otherwise why would they be there, it's also obvious that there's an issue with how many cats are kept there. I've worked with animals for years as well as had cats, dogs, and reptiles as pets and my parents have owned cats and dogs all their lives. When I went with my mom to look at cats a couple years ago, it was obvious that nothing had changed with the overwhelming number of cats housed there. We filled out the application and told them what my parents were looking for and we were taken to a few cats that didn't fit anything we had gone over. We were then basically dismissed and there was never any contact afterwards about being able to adopt or not. My parents had a huge house, never let their cat outside, and their previous cats had all passed away after being euthanized by MedVet or a trusted vet after natural causes (cancer, nothing that could be prevented) had caused their quality of life to severely decrease. Luckily, we found an awesome cat at OAR-which I highly recommend- and if you ever have a chance, check them out because it's like night and day with the two shelters. I understand the fear of animals being returned, I've been there when animals were left outside tied up instead of properly returned. I've seen pets come back weeks, months, even years later. I've been angry and frustrated with people with their irresponsibility. But I also understand that the point of the shelter is to find good homes for these animals and let them move on to a better chapter (or to give a loving home for the remainder of their days if unable to be adopted) and sometimes the process and the way some volunteers choose to speak to potential adopters weeds out perfectly awesome potential pet parents. I feel as though the sheer number of cats there puts the volunteers at a disadvantage when it comes to truly knowing the personalities and what a "good fit" would really be for each one. It's also difficult to go in as a potential adopter because it's fairly overwhelming, even as someone who had been there before. In contrast, the dog side is a lot better as far as the number of pups they have and the connection that the volunteers have with each dog makes it easier to know their personalities and whatnot. It also allows them to be more socialized, which helps with adoptions. I still appreciate the work they do and all the animals they've been able to save and place in loving forever homes. They have some awesome volunteers who work tirelessly for these animals. I just think that maybe the kitty side has gotten a bit out of control and I hope there's eventually a solution that benefits both the kitties and the volunteers. read more

STAF is absolutely amazing! They are extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Before meeting with the cats I was sent a questionnaire about my living situation and preferences so they could make sure i met the cats best suited to me. Amy was my awesome adoption coordinator, she answered all my questions and introduced me to a load of little buddies including the one I ended up taking home. I was provided with a full health history and vet recommendations. The take home kit they provide is extremely thorough, including a carrier, scratching pad, toys, litter, and food! After the adoption, STAF made sure to check in on us via email and is still available for any questions and advice I may need as a first time cat owner. I would give them 6 stars if I could. I have never seen a shelter that provides so much for their cats, not only in regard to their physical health but also their emotional one. 4 months later, my cat is the perfect companion and I couldn't be happier. read more

This "rescue" is nothing more than a group of hoarders. We went there to look at a kitty. My husband, baby and myself went, and were forced to wait outside in the extreme cold for 35 minutes before they'd let us in. When we got in, it was because they let someone else inside first! They had completely ignored us. After filling out a ridiculous adoption application, we were made to wait another 45 minutes in the cold, disgusting-smelling lobby, while we watched other people who had arrived after us be assisted first. Then the real joke came. A lady who was called the "cat specialist" came out with my application, and right off stated that because we had a baby we were in no way, shape, or form, candidates to any of their cats. We weren't allowed to look around, meet the kitty we'd seen on Petfinder, or anything. I will never go there again, or donate anything to these people, and I will make sure everyone I know hears about how awful the people are. I absolutely feel horrible for the 500+ animals they have in that facility. We went to our local SPCA the week after this and adopted the most amazing cat ever. I'd strongly recommend to go to your nearest SPCA or kill shelter and rescue an animal there. Edit: Shortly after I posted this review, I got a private message being bullied by one of the rescue's volunteers. I will DEFINITELY not ever recommend this place, and I will continue to discourage people from going to this establishment. Another volunteer/employee also started name calling on Google reviews. Perhaps if they were less focused on image and more focused on their rescue and finding homes fir their 700+ pets they would be in better shape. read more

Just to be clear, just because you are an animal person doesn't mean that you have to be a horrible human, but some folks missed that memo. My mother lost her home of 40+ years and had to move into an apartment that does not allow pets. She worked with one of the volunteers well in advance of bringing her adopted dog Bella back to the shelter. The woman who greeted my mother at the shelter was disgusting. My mother called me in tears this person was being so rude to her. Look, I understand the volunteers are frustrated. They love animals, animals are forever, animals are family, yada yada yada. But wow. Way to be classist and uninformed. There are many people who love their animals and have to re-home them who don't deserve to be judged and treated rudely. All my mother asked was that they let her know when she had been adopted. And if that's not policy, politely say, sorry we don't do that. Not grumble and roll your eyes and imply that my mother is irresponsible. Seriously, take a seat before you fall off your high horse. I'm an animal liker (not lover)...and a social worker. I'm definitely more people than pets and believe that sometimes animals need re-homed whether the reason is that it's aggressive, you can't afford the vet bills or even just for your own sanity. However, I do know from experience that pets can be considered family and most people do not take the decision to re-home a pet lightly. There are people who may be in a domestic violence situation and they can't bring an animal with them to a shelter,. People who have lost their homes and don't have shelter themselves. People who surrender because they can't afford to properly care for them, and people who are sick who can't care for the animal any longer. It's not black and white. Even if you don't agree, to treat an older person like crap is never okay and always despicable. Keep this woman behind the scenes. She is clearly better with dogs. read more

I am heartbroken. I did not care for this foundation. Worst experience of my life, dirty rooms and surrounding, not to mention it just smelled like they didn't clean the kennels. They show you animals that they do not know anything about. When you email them after viewing potential pets, like asked, they won't respond in a timely manner. They honestly make me not want to go through another agency because its not worth the continuous heart break once you found what you thought would be a good fit for your family only for them to deny you services because you have a dog door. I feel bad for the dogs in their care that wont get homes because of the way their foundation treats people. read more

We recently went to STAF to adopt a cat for our 11 year old daughter. Our whole family went, and we spent about an hour talking with a volunteer and meeting a lot of cats. We had to fill out a comprehensive survey about what we were looking for, current pets, etc. Then the volunteer interviewed us about the answers we provided. One thing she instantly "red flagged" was the fact that our current cat goes out into the backyard for about 5 minutes at a time, once or twice a month - mainly when she dashes out the door. She chews on grass for a bit, then we bring her back in. The volunteer said that all their cats were inside cats, and that we had to pledge that our current cat and any cat we adopted would stay inside 100% of the time forever. She said we would need to sign a contract stating that, and we agreed with it - we said we would promise to keep both cats inside all the time. Our daughter then met the cats, and found 2 that she really liked - she was very excited to come back for the 2nd visit! Well, imagine our surprise when 24 hours later (on a Sunday night) we got an email from STAF stating that they would not let us adopt a cat, because they didn't think we would be able to abide by the 100% inside promise! These people didn't even give us a chance to come back a second time and sign their contract! And, my daughter was quite upset to boot. For a shelter that has hundreds of cats that need adoption, they sure don't seem to want to adopt any of their cats out! I can understand they want the best for their cats, but this was over the line - not even giving us a chance?? We already have one cat, and are obviously serious if we're going through their hoops to adopt another cat... we aren't just running into a kitty mill store and grabbing the first thing we see. After talking with friends, we found a few similar stories to ours from people that had been to STAF to adopt a cat. My recommendation - stay away from these people. They are obviously not serious about wanting to adopt cats out, and their staff is not willing to work with you if you do want to adopt. read more

Thanks for sharing all the terrible reviews. You saved us smashing our children's hopes with dragging them up there to only find out, since we have children under 8 we could not possible care for a kitten. We found two kittens online my wife thought would be an excellent addition to our family. After the initial contact and reading the paperwork for adoption, we thought it seemed over the top crazy, then we read the reviews. Wow. We quickly learned this was not a place to take our children. You would think since the state allows us to care for our own children we could take care of a kitten; nope not here! All the positive reviews I am sure are from mostly the volunteers who work there who love the animals, but the crazy cat ladies at the top who now are able to amass some 600+ cats can continue their work outside of their home where it is legal and tax exempt. You go crazy cat ladies, turn away as many as possible. Two more missed out adoptions by a loving family. Essie and Erin we would have loved to make you part of our family, sorry girls we have to go somewhere else. Enjoy ur orphanage. We found a foster who will let us have kittens to care for; the crazy cat lady board there can only control their empire at STAF. read more

Save the Animals Foundation - Sorry girls... - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I'm afraid I have to be another voice in the chorus of people to warn people away from the cat side of this shelter and beg for intervention by the authorities. My partner and I both had cats several years ago before we were together who passed. Neither of us were emotionally prepared for the eventual heart break of losing a pet, so we waited patiently. We now have a 3 year old son who loves cats, we both felt ready and decided it was time. Our first visit went great. We were shown hundreds of the 400+ cats there, bonded a bit with three. We came back a second time a month later and Peggy proceeded to grill us rudely about how we took care of our previous cats. She was accusatory and shaming. We were told the cat we had liked best would not be available and were only showed a handful of cats and then rushed out. There are so many cats that about a third we saw had respiratory infections or other health concerns. We decided as soon as we got to the car that we would not be adopting from there as desperately as those cats need a loving home and to be away from the hoarders who run the shelter and believe no one but they are fit to "care" for them. To add to it, we received a "rejection" email today. We were both ADORING cat parents who loved our animals as what they were, members of the family. We gave our cats proper healthcare and vaccinations and were shamed as if we'd neglected them. There is a serious pathology going on with the people who run this shelter and I implore the authorities to get involved. read more

We had a similar experience to the other 1-star reviews. I'm going 2-star out of fairness to the act that they obviously run a tight ship. If you run a damn tight ship too, you might pass the interview. I agree with the one 5-star reviewer who said the interview only takes a few minutes... once you hesitate for a second on answering a question, or if you don't give the answer they want the first time, you're basically you're asked to leave. We felt embarrassed seeing as there was no further discussion about the remainder of our application that I spent an hour completing. Just "see your way to the door." We ended up going to the Humane Association in Lebanon and had a fine experience with them. I understand having standards. They need to be a lot more clear about their expectations up front before you fill out an application and schedule an interview. read more

This is my third adoption from STAF and I wouldn't go anywhere else! We had a wonderful experience adopting two cats this month. STAF was really good about taking care of any vet work our kitties needed before we took them home. STAF also gave us a wonderful supply of toys, liter and food to help our new kitties adjust. read more

I love love love dogs, so when I got a place that was a big enough to have one, I immediately started checking out Petfinder. A lot of the dogs that I liked were from Save the Animals Foundation, so I made an appointment to go over there and check them out. Save the Animals Foundation is an amazing no-kill shelter located on the east side of Cincinnati. Adoption hours are on Thursdays and Saturdays. They have both cats and dogs. So many more cats than dogs actually. The facility is very large though and they try to make room for everyone. The adoption process for a dog was a little different here than the process is else where, but its good because they are really thorough. You won't be leaving with a dog after your first visit. They work really hard to make sure the owner and pet are a good match for each other. The first visit is a little like speed dating, you get to meet a bunch of dogs who are the temperament and age that you are interested in. Then if you like you, you can plan an overnight visit to make sure that you guys get a long. If you have a fenced in back yard, someone from the foundation will come check it out to make sure its doggie friendly. If the overnight doesn't go well you can bring the pet back to the shelter and start over. If it goes well, then you can choose to adopt your furry friend. They also ask for references to make sure you are a good person, good with pets, are actually employed and live in a place that allows pets. If I were going to get another dog, I would definitely go here again. read more

Save the Animals Foundation - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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First the couple of positive reviews are written by STAF volunteers hmm...interesting. I took my daughter to STAF to find a cat companion, after spending an hour and half in a couple of the cat rooms( that were described in other reviews) we were asked if were interested in any cats, my daughter found two she was very drawn too. Three days later we received an email saying essentially they didn't think we would be responsible pet owners. We have another furry family member whom always receives his shots, medical care, food, water and all the love possible, who are they to say we are irresponsible. There is no wonder they have so many cats for adoption. We will find another furry family member from a place that does not judge and sentence pet owners in a matter of minutes. If you want to feel the pain of rejection after finding a pet you love, go ahead and go here, otherwise, there are plenty of no kill shelters that will not judge you for having to give away a cat 25 years ago when you were 13. Good luck to all of you willing to save pets from shelters and shame on those shelters who hoard these precious lives and neglect them of having a family of their own. read more

We arrived almost at 130 pm Saturday, with closing at 2. We filled out an application and waited. Cindy greeted us cheerfully, stayed over (this is all volunteer), and showed us some dogs. We fell in love with one, but because she was not good with cats, she would not be a good fit for us. Their policy of fitting dogs to owners and of letting you take a dog for a week to see if it works out is amazing. We left with a good feeling and a chance to talk to trainers neat our home to see if we can take the dog we like home and teach her. If not, at least we know we can love another dog after the death of ours last year. read more

STAF is a wonderful organization that has the best interest in animal welfare. I adopted my dog Lily in 2007 and even though my sister was a seasoned volunteer with them I went through the hoops like everyone else. I appreciate they look into every potential adopter to make sure the animal is getting a good home, as the main goal is to put a dog or cat in a forever home where they will be cared for until death by a responsible owner. I would not hesitate to adopt again from them. I have visited the shelter on special event days and they take excellent care of the cats and dogs, and give love to all of them. read more

We adopted our cat from STAF two weeks ago. Yes, I found the process lengthy but their thoroughness was--to me--an indication of how much they loved their animals. Remember, this is a NO-KILL shelter. They take in all comers in spite of health issues and keep them under good care for their entire lives. This is serious dedication and a lot of work on the part of volunteers. We had adopted our previous cat from them 11 years ago and thought of going no place else to look for a new family member. The facility is clean and orderly considering the number of animals they are caring for. Most tellingly, it is quiet. If animals were in distress there would be crying. The volunteers obviously took their jobs seriously and with understandable pride. Even though we had adopted with them before we had to go through the whole process--for the good of the cat. The instructions they gave us were detailed and minute, but those instructions did make the process of introducing the cat to our home and dog very easy. I can understand why those who go through the lengthy adoption process at STAF only to be denied adoption are posting less than favorable reviews. I can also understand why the shelter insists on indoor only care. If you know you want a cat with outdoor privileges, this may not be the shelter to consider. However, the staff's concerns and rules are to benefit the animals they are trusting us to care for as well as they have. STAF will be the only place we adopt from. read more

I had a very similar experience to others here. There are cats EVERYWHERE. They have them in the hallways, on file cabinets, etc. When you first walk in they give you a 4-5 page application. Then they interrogate you on your past pet history and future intentions. Basically they told me I couldn't get a cat because I may let it outside if I buy a house in 5-6 years and that was a "red flag". Also you aren't allowed to move, ever. They have over 600 cats which doesn't surprise me since they turn everyone down. Basically you have a bunch of animal hoarders running this place who don't want to give up a single animal. It doesn't serve well for the animals in their care when there are plenty of good homes for them and they turn people away. read more

Horrible people who don't want to help. My husband went there trying to find our lost cat. They blew him off. The place is over run with animals and they wouldn't let my husband in to look at the cats to see if our cat was there. There are a bunch of tabbies there and they wanted no part of helping him. They are not dedicated to helping animals if they don't try to help reunite owners with their pets. read more

I had a horrible experience here..the worst in my 50 year history of pet ownership.The staff here a judgmental,aggressive and even hostile.After numerous emails in advance & filling out a form with great detail and explaining we would be traveling a good distance at nite these people did not fully disclose the terms of adoption and they were unlike any I have experienced before..extreme would be an understatement.My experience was exactly in every respect as other negative reviewers.We all cannot be wrong. If i could give a lower rating I would.Stay clear of this place! read more

a no kill animal (dog and cat) shelter that is run by dedicated volunteers. i have adopted two dogs from here and had a great experience doing so. i have also started volunteering there and still love it. there are always events that the shelter is putting on for fundraising (bingo twice a week every tuesday and friday in blueash), walks, book sales, spaghetti dinners, open houses, and alumni gatherings). read more

i'm going to make this short: this place is amazing! i totally agree with casey y.! i got my precious kitty there! read more

Save the Animals Foundation - My special kitty from STAF when she was 10 mos. old - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

To all those people who complained that they were not able to adopt, the name of the place is Save the ANIMALS Foundation. They are there for the animals, not people who want instant gratification. They care about the animals and the people who are willing to make a sincere lifelong commitment. read more

This place is scary. They are very selective about who they adopt to, so if you are pro-declawing or pro-outdoor cat then you are out of luck. Luckily, I don't do either of those, so I was selected to be a chosen one. The place smells terrible, and you are just so sad for the cats. They are cramming many cats into small rooms, and they are all sick. They all are sneezing their heads off. They all have upper resp infection. It is just sickening, and it is equal to animal abuse in my opinion. The volunteers kept trying to push me to adopt cats that were very sick, kind of trying to guilt trip you. I picked out a black Persian cat, but I wasn't too sure about him. At the shelter, he wasn't very friendly at all. I thought I would just give him a chance and the second I brought him home, he was so loving. He just wanted out of that place so bad. I had to take him to the vet the next day because he was sneezing so bad, was very congested, and snotty. I felt so terrible for him--having to be abused in those overcrowded rooms and got sick from it to boot. It's so sad for all the animals there. I think they are being more abused in this environment than in one of the 'Denied" homes the shelter denies--people who let their cats outside. It's maddening. read more

I can see how the potential adopters can leave not being very happy, but as one other volunteer said, you have to be there to see how truly, loving, caring, and dedicated the volunteers are. And they are very strict, due to the terrible backgrounds of the animals there. When a dog goes 3 weeks locked into a cage, when the owners move and leave him with no food, or water, laying his own feces, or a litter of kittens thrown into a lake, with a brick tied to them, or kids beating on an innocent cat, that had no front claws to defend itself, or cats being put into pillow cases and hit with a bat, which left them having a concusion, and broken bones, and yes bringing animals back because they are having a baby or moving. Those few stories should give you some idea, on why they are very protective on who gets them next. It's heart breaking, and there are 28 cat rooms, yes that is a lot, but they are not cramped. And it is not STAF's fault for the number they have, but the unresponsible humans, out there that don't give a crap. So in my mind, I am grateful for this organization, to pick up where carelessness of others have stopped. Yes the place has a strong smell, but that's the least of our concerns there! All goes into being there for the animals. Trust me, if the animals were not put first, and cared for like they are, I would have reported and stopped volunteering there. I am big into animal welfare. read more

I am a two-time adopter from this wonderful organization and would like to respond to some of the negative comments I see posted here. I don't want to negate the experiences of people who say they were not treated well by a volunteer - and I agree that a kind, customer service orientation is necessary at non-profits, as well as businesses - but please try to understand a couple of issues you may not have considered. First, people who volunteer at animal shelters, whether county or no kill shelters, have seen the terrible consequences of animal neglect and abuse in a way that you and I thankfully have not. Beatings, maimings, hoarding situations; animals who have been tied up and starved or thrown out in the cold to fend for themselves; rescues from dog fighting rings; litters of kittens put in boxes and thrown in the river to drown. So yes, all of the volunteers are very protective of the dogs and cats under their care and some of them may have become more wary of humans over time. Please try to have some empathy. They are doing emotionally difficult work for no other reason than that they love these animals. Be patient while they complete the background check. Go into the process with reasonable expectations of the time that will be required. Second, a couple of the posts sound like they were written by people who wanted to adopt an indoor/outdoor cat. That's not ok and I'm not sure what I can say other than to just state the obvious: cars, poisons, sociopaths, dogs, coyotes, raccoons, traps. It just isn't safe to have an outdoor cat. I hope anyone reading this review will consider STAF for their next adoption. They have so many sweet, well cared for cats and dogs that need loving homes. (And as to the ignorant comment about respiratory infections: this is just what happens oftentimes at shelters. It is not unique. Your new pet will be checked out thoroughly by the shelter vet before going home with you.) read more

I think it's important to have an adoption application and process to protect the animals, but this place is ridiculous. I saw 10+ people walk in to adopt and absolutely zero walk out with a dog or cat. Wonderful families were turned down for silly reasons. My friend wanted to adopt a kitten that she saw listed as available online, but they told her she's actually not available (then why would you list her online?...) and if she wants to adopt a kitten, she had to adopt two at a time! Why?! Makes no sense. Also you have to go through two separate interviews before they'll even consider you. This place isn't doing the animals or potential adopters any good if they continue to use this overly strict policy. Especially when you have 500+ cats and 50 dogs in your shelter waiting for homes. After over an hour at this place and leaving without a cat or any promise of later adoption, we just went to the Cincinnati SPCA and got a beautiful kitten for $5 within 20 minutes and both mommy and kitty are incredibly happy. read more