Over the years, I have adopted many dogs from Special Pals, usually large older ones. Every one of them have been great decisions. An Akita, German Shepherd, Mastiff Pit mix, Husky Shepherd mix, Pitbull that was such an ambassador to the breed. I now have a little Staffy pit mix that is sweeter than sugar. I have not had one complaint to share, only praise for their excellent fosters that ready dogs and cats for home life. read more

See all

We learned about Special Pals & their great work to place pets in forever homes. We dropped off food and supplies after our little dog passed. The staff is very friendly and genuinely appreciative our donation and took us on a tour of the facility. When we are ready for our next rescue dog we will go to them. In the meantime we will make monetary donations to help this great group keep going. read more

NO REPLIES after three weeks and several communications by phone, email and messaging. I've adopted and transported from this organization and find this unacceptable for customer service. BTW, had previously donated as well as bought from their store - won't do that again. As I have been involved in rescue for more than 10 years, am very disappointed. This is one reason why people dump dogs - it would have been nice to get a reply. read more

Love love love special pals!! I adopted a 4 month old lab/pitbull mix in October 2022 and they were so obviously caring of their animals. Miss Ronda/Rhonda? was fostering Ghost before we adopted him and you could just see how loving she is. I recommend Special Pals 1000x read more

See all

I found three kittens over the holiday weekend and struggled finding a shelter that was taking in cats. I filed out the intake form on Special Pals' website and not only got a response in less than an hour, but was able to take the kittens in that day. The process was quick and easy, and the staff were very kind. There was no intake fee, just a request for donation if you are able. Their facility looked so cute, and they seem to also offer low costs spay/neuter and vaccinations. I live too far away to be a foster for them, but I definitely know who to recommend if anyone finds an animal in need. read more

All around an incredible shelter and rescue. Everyone is incredibly friendly, they actually genuinely CARE about each animal as well as the person adopting. They also spay/neuter, treat each rescue with whatever veterinary services they need as if it were their own pet. read more

People there are caring and concerned about your dogs. Great place to take your dog for shots and check ups. The also have a great selection of dogs for adoption Check it out for yourself! read more

I absolutely love this place and what they stand for! The care they give to these animals is from the heart! Definitely worth checking out to rescue your fur babies! read more

Got our first pet - a 2.5 month old puppy here! The staff was really good and helpful! easy adoption process! read more

Special Pals - The Shepard mix we adopted! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Houston, Texas

I got a voucher to get a stray cat spayed here Friday 4/26. They didn't provide me with ANY discharge instructions when releasing her back to me after her surgery, first red flag. Once we arrive back home I looked at her incision & it looked like it was barely glued shut but I live an hour away so I decided to just keep an eye on it over the weekend. I kept her in the crate overnight & released her in the morning (4/26). Over the weekend she was laying in my backyard, not really moving very much & I was keeping an eye on her incision & making sure she didnt lick at it but it still seemed like the incision was opening up more & more. I finally emailed them (4/28) & called the following Monday (4/29) & one of the employees told me over the phone to come in to get it fixed. They were about to close so I asked if I could go in Tuesday (4/30) & she said that was fine that I could walk in whenever. I went in Tuesday afternoon, keep in mind this place is an hour away. I get there & the lady at the front says they can not fix it, didn't even bother to look at the incision. She told me I would have to go to the place that provided me with the voucher, which makes no sense. How do you preform a surgery, do it wrong, & then cant fix YOUR mistakes?? She says I have to pay out of pocket & take her to the veterinarian myself to get it fixed. I would not recommend this place, it makes sense why they do free spays & neuters, because they half ass their job & then expect you to pay to fix what they did wrong. read more

Special Pals - Animal Shelters Near Me - Houston, Texas

So kind and genuine. This place is special. True animal lovers. Stayed after close to help me take my baby home same day.

Special Pals is a no-kill shelter for dogs and cats that is privately owned and not for profit charitable organization. We've adopted from Special Pals and always recommend it as an alternative to buying from a pet store to anyone we know. The animals here are always clean and well cared for and don't look miserable like you see in some shelters. I strongly recommend them if you are looking to adopt an animal. My daughter was so thrilled with the adoption of our new family member, she decided to give back to Special Pals by asking for shelter donations in lieu of presents for her birthday. We had a party for her and the guests brought cat litter, pet food, cleaning supplies, towels and checks made out to the shelter and we dropped it at the shelter a few days after her party. As animal lovers, we feel very strongly about the quality of this place and feel it is one of the best shelters in town and needs all the support it can get. So, when you're looking for a pet, please consider adoption first. read more

Special Pals - Animal Shelters Near Me - Houston, Texas

Absolutely wonderful, caring people who helped us adopt Rocco, our new 2 year-old Rottweiler housemate! Valerie was extra careful in helping us determine if Rocco was a good fit for us and most importantly for our 15 pound YorkiePoo, Buster. We brought Buster to visit several times to see how they interacted and Valerie was patient and very accommodating each time. We also did an off-leash play date with Rocco to see how he acted when not restrained. It's sad that shelters have such a tough time finding homes for adult dogs because everyone wants a puppy. I've had lots of puppies and compared to them, Rocco is a dream dog! He is calm and affectionate and we couldn't be happier...we think he's pretty happy too. Please visit Special Pals if you're considering a new pet and they will guide you in making the best choice for one of their awesome guests. Save a life, get a lifelong friend and companion!!!! read more

Special Pals - Rocco comfy in his forever home! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Houston, Texas

Came by during a clear out the shelter weekend. We were lucky to sit with one of the staff member and know more about the cats that we were interested in. Process to apply was fairly simple and our cat came microchipped already as well! Great experience and I can't wait to come back to adopt more pets! read more

This place refuses to take a stray puppy i found because it "looks like a pitbull." Upon arriving the workers went through the theatrics of getting him inside the gates and on a leash. I asked the woman who came out first if they could take him from there since I'm at work and they preach being an "animal rescue" service. She was dismissive and points me to who I assume was in charge. She tells me they aren't a shelter that on-boards, even though she had admitted they took two dogs in the day before. She further explains her reasoning to be that he "looks like a pitbull" so they can't take him. A ~5 month old puppy. I told them I couldn't take him and that I drove 20 minutes out of my way to make sure this dog was safe from 100° weather in the middle of nowhere. They said they'd call the cops on me two separate times instead of offering help or making calls, one time threatening after I had already said I'd take him with me. Would've been nice to know ahead of time, but no one answered the phone even though I called multiple times over the 20 minute drive. Consider adopting from well taken care of and loved dogs from Cypress Lucky Mutt Rescue. read more

To be honest, I don't know why the other reviews said the workers are rude, they were all so nice. Emailed them for an appointment to get my dog neutered, they replied right away, and instructions were very easy. Dropped my dog off at 7:30 A.M., signed paper work which they were so helpful because my dog was so scared and nervous. I left, they called me 1:30 pm and said he was ready to be picked up! The prices were so cheap as well, better than other places that would've cost 300 dollars. It ended up being 150 including microchipping. I would recommend my friends with pets to get their neutering done here. Oh and they gave us pain medication with a recovery cone collar too. It's cheap looking but does the trick! Info: I have a male husky, 1 years old, and 62 lbs! read more

I Iove my dog Olivia special pals was such a big help with helping us find the right dog the workers there were so nice if I could give them 10 stars then I would they were the best dog and cat shelter me and my family have ever been too I really recommend you to go and get a dog or cat from special pals also the adoption fee was a good price my dog was only $200 dollars and she came with a microchip + she was neutered read more

Special Pals - Olivia my dog - Animal Shelters Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

Hate to be the one to complain about a pet adoption place when I generally love this place so much. I would give it 6 stars if Yelp allowed me to. However we came in today to visit the pups and kitties. We do this once in a while because we're looking to adopt and we want to see what animals we really connect with. We also love one of the cats but we're taking some time to get to know him as he is of tough temperament. And we want to do things slowly. It's usually extremely pleasant. The ladies here are accommodating and friendly and helpful. Today we came in and a new woman is here. She is extremely rude, the way she speaks to the visitors and staff and volunteers is abrasive. She talks dowm to people as she's instructing them. I don't think she belongs in this field of work. Or she needs a class on manners and dealing with the public in general. There was a man trying to use the bathroom and she wouldn't let him go. She kept saying there had been a dog I'm that bathroom. With no explanation as to why he couldn't go in. The man seemed in urgent need of using the restroom. This went on at an almost yelling level on her part. A dog was in there! A dog was in there! A dog was in there! Wt...? I don't understand what they communicates at all? They have shirts for sale as a way to raise funds. We wanted to buy a couple to send out to relatives. We told her we'd like to buy a couple of shirts can we look through them? And she snapped 'No!' as she walked away from us, I'm assuming to do something. However when she came back, she ignored us all together and started a whole new conversation not even acknowledging that we were there waiting for her. Wt...? What kind of ridiculous attitude is this? We looked at each other like? I tried to interrupt her a couple of times. Then I was like. You know what. That's enough. That was so rude. We left. And it's really too bad. We always like to contribute something. Whatever we can. This time we left without being able to do so. Simply not ok. If she continies to act like a drill sergeant asking people to 'sign in' in such a rude way as well as everything else. Instead of being nice and welcoming. She will alianate the community. And damage the chances of Special Pals to continue to survive on the goodwill of the people. read more

Special Pals was able to find 2 foster homes for 2 litters of cats my grandma found. This is truly an amazing place. The kittens will get spayed/neutered and microchipped and then get adopted by good people. I was very concerned I wouldn't be able to find a place for them and would have to take them to the pound or leave them with my well-intentioned grandmother. Every other place I contacted didn't even try to help. Instead, they just told me they either weren't accepting pets at this time due to COVID (which doesn't make sense bc animals don't carry the virus) or they were completely full & there was just nothing else they could do. Erin was awesome in responding (via email), answering all of my questions, and ensuring these babies would be cared for before their adoption by pairing them with awesome fostering homes. Extra shout out to the two fostering families that accepted the kittens! The kittens will be available for adoption in a few short weeks if anyone is interested. Here are some photos: read more

See all

Over the last. I think I have visited a few shelters and this was my least favorite by far! The workers were not very friendly or welcoming they send you on a walkthrough and there are no volunteers or workers present to ask questions or get info from! The major problem I experienced was them trying to force customers to take 2 dogs because they are "bonded" together this place seemed not family pet friendly to me at all! I would recommend BARC wonderful facility.I also recommend the Stretch for strays program that's where I ended up finding our new addition! They get some credit because I commented them for trying to help animals. read more

My dog was missing for about 17 days. The shelter charged me $430 for having her there + getting a microchip +shots +the nights she had been there. When we got her back she was super skinny & smelled extremely terrible. But at least we got our baby back. read more

We took my son's puppy for his second round of shots- arrived at 11am on a Saturday and of course, it was crowded. The waiting area was full but the staff were all animal lovers and seemed very nice to all customers. We signed in and waited for exactly an hour but at least we got to go back and meet the vet. Last month, we went to the Humane Society for his first shots- the wait was definitely longer and when it was our turn, they took our puppy back and we stayed in the lobby area. At Special Pals, we got to go back with our puppy, meet the vet and ask questions while the vet checked him out. Other than the wait (which is understandable), it was a great experience! read more

I took my puppy for his shots on a Saturday at around 11AM to their walk-in clinic and will continue to take him there for any non-emergency appointment. The staff and volunteers are so sweet! Their prices are low and these guys are professional. If I ever plan to adopt, I will be visiting this shelter and continue to recommend them to everyone! P.S. Don't forget to bring either a small bag of dog food or water bottles (or anything on their online wish list, really) as a thanks to these individuals that literally make the world a better place! :) read more

Another 5 star performance by the team at Special Pals. From setting up the appointment to drop off and pick up, they treated all human and pets respectfully and with kindness. Thank you for helping out with low cost spay service. I will continue to come back and recommend you every time! read more

Special Pals - Flower resting peacefully after her surgery - Animal Shelters Near Me - Houston, Texas

We chose this place for cat spay and chipping of our 6 month old cat. Very reasonable 85.00 compared to close to 400.00 that our normal vet wanted for the same service. Made the call Wednesday for the appt. and was giving a Friday appt. Dropped her off in the morning and she was back home by 6pm. I am attaching a picture of her incision a day later. Very clean and we haven't had any issues since the procedure. Highly recommend. Great place for adoption also but we have a house full of strays that have made our house their home. :) read more

Special Pals - One day post-surgery/spay and she is doing great. Very pleased. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Houston, Texas

We got a lovely little dog here several years ago, so long ago that I actually forgot about it until I saw it on yelp!! My kids love the puppy too!! He has clean, well cared and had his shots. All we had to do was house train and love him! read more

Is it possible to give 0 stars?!?! So I copied and pasted my google review... I've got an appointment scheduled for Friday the 20th and that day doesn't exist in 2015. So I confirm again "you mean Saturday the 20th?" She says yeah. Guess what? It was on Friday the 19th. I'm beyond pissed off when I get there and she says it was scheduled the day before when normal vaccine vet clinic hours are. I cool it and say my situation and basically blame her that she should have been clearer. No apology, just a come back in an hour for the walk in clinic. You do realize how stupid that sounds right?? I feel bad for any animal or human in this woman's care if she treats everything so flippantly. read more

Hi. We wanted another dog to be a friend of mine. We were allowed to bring our current dog to meet and greet. I found Jack online - he was being fostered. The staff was great. They answered all questions. We adopted that same day. Later had some questions about the chip registration. It was taken care of quickly. Nice facility. I recommend it. read more

Highly recommend adopting an animal here. They take very good care of the animals there and do a great job placing them in loving homes! Help support them if you can! read more

is there a way to leave a rating less than zero stars? my only and first experience with this place was a phone call and that was enough to make me dislike it immediately. i found a stranded kitten on my doorstep and had no idea what to do so i started calling every shelter near me. the lady who answered the phone was just horrible! she sounded and talked as if she just finished smoking a pound of weed and she was very rude and sarcastic. when she picked up, i couldn't understand what she had said so i asked "is this the Special Pals shelter on Greenhouse?" and she answers (after a weird pause for 15 seconds) "um yeah i think we are the only place called special pals in this area." and from then on it was just a horrible experience. if someone hates their job and is that nasty of a person, don't leave them in charge of answering phones and dealing with pet owners in distress! horrible!! read more

Great vets, brought my pup for a routine check. We were in and out quickly! I will be going back soon to donate blankets and dog food I no longer need :) they are also very affordable! read more

I wanted to thank all the folks at Special Pals for all you do. I got my two Kittens spayed and chipped recently and was very satisfied with their services. I was using a regular vet here in Cinco ranch who wanted $360 per cat to spay them. Special pals charges $55 ....... what a difference.You make it easy to do the responsible thing for my pet. Thanks read more

They do great things and provide great services. But they never answer calls, emails, or voice mails. It's very difficult to adopt an animal and make a difference when they can't communicate effectively. read more

If I could give special pals a 10 star I would. My daughters and I have visited a few shelters and the workers here went above and beyond to help us find the right dog for our family. We went to look at dogs one day and the dog we were interested in was already being held for another family. Later that day I received a message on Facebook from a worker who looked me up by my name when I signed in and said the dog we were interested was available. Like really who does that. These are volunteers and they care. We went 3 days later because they were closed for 2 days and when we arrived they informed us the dog had a intestinal issue and needed surgery and would be transferred to a rescue home. My daughters and I were crying and sad. One of the ladies who I believe runs the shelter told us to wait a moment and she would be right back. She brought us a dog that just arrived that day and she thought would be perfect for our family(which she is). We are so greatly for special pals because have our fur baby and she has us. read more

Great shelter. It's amazing what they do with so little funding. We adopted 2 cats and they have been wonderful pets. We recommend special pals to anyone asking about pet rescue and adoption. They have a great low-cost wellness clinic also. read more

This place really is special. The animals look so happy and they get so excited to see the staff and the staff is so attentive. The animals are so friendly. I hate that PETA is actively advertising that no-kill shelters (like this one) are "inhumane" or "worse than death". That is absolutely incorrect and untrue. Come to this shelter and see how dedicated these people are. See how much they genuinely love and care for animals. See how real, friendly and warm the staff are with the animals. There needs to be more shelters like this one and I hope that people who have the ability to take care of animals in this way get recognized for their courage and dedication to the animal kingdom. DO NOT believe what you read about no-kill shelter. THEY ARE humane and the animals ARE happy. As people adopt, they go out and get more animals to fill the empty spots. So please adopt your animals here so that the ones that are scheduled to get euthanized at other shelters have a chance to come here and live a stress free life until the right person comes along. I think it can make all the difference in an animal's attitude towards potential adopters, since they're being cared for in a more home-like setting, with real care. Do yourself a favor, adopt from here. Thank you. read more

We had a great experience with everyone at Special Pals. Especially with Erin. I had made an appt. to get two puppies neutered but ended up having to cancel that appt. And wasn't sure when I could reschedule. But we really wanted to get this done. ( two puppies were running wild, we hoped this would help calm them down !!) Knowing this, Erin kept in touch through email and she was able to get us in on a week that worked best for us. On top of that, one puppy had some issues after surgery and I was able to stay in touch with a tech there for the dogs 1st night after surgery. I will recommend them to anyone.! read more

Special Pals does a great job of caring for all of its animals. I have visited the shelter and have seen how the animals are really cared for; I received great advice for my pets as well. When you adopt from Special Pals you can be sure that the animal has had all of its shots and has been spayed or neutered and well cared for. They have great shot clinics and spay/neutering services for the general public at prices lower than you can get from a normal vets office. I have recommended the to others as well. read more

We were looking for a friend to love and spoil and we stumbled upon Special Pals. We eventually saw our little guy and got to take him out for a walk and get to know him. The staff had taken him in as his previous owners said "he was too expensive to take care of". From all of our interactions with the staff, it was clear that they love these babies and make sure to take care of them as best they can. Not only that, they make the process as easy as possible and TRULY go the extra mile to facilitate adoptions. We were able to meet the dogs, look through their records, and talk through everything. We took our boy home as a "rent-a-dog" to see if he would get along with our cat. The staff was patient, loving, and generous and the adoption process was smooth and easy. Before we knew it, we officially had a new best friend and he has a safe new home. We couldn't be happier with our boy and couldn't be more thankful for the people there. They are doing extremely demanding work, they display a great amount of care and respect to the animals, and deserve every ounce of support. read more

I brought a very sweet young cat there to place for adoption and the staff took him to the back and within a minute came back and said, sorry he hissed, We can't take him. A frightened cat will almost always hiss, especially in a strange place, with strange people, and hearing dogs barking in the distance. I couldn't believe their ignorance! They of all people should know cats. What a waste of time going out there. read more