I adopted two kittens (brother and sister) last Thursday. Bread Crust is now Angus, and Un…read morecrustables, now Caly. The entire process was a great experience. Thank you so much for everything you do. Angus and Caly are doing great. Martha Martinez, Alexandria, VA

I adopted a very sweet kitty from ALWA. The volunteers were so kind and helpful. They also were…read morefastidious about making sure visitors washed hands between interactions. I had a follow up question the next day. The operator was extremely helpful. I would definitely adopt from them again.

Incredible experience from start to finish…read more I recently adopted a puppy from here, and the entire process was seamless. The staff was so helpful and accommodating -- they worked around my schedule and made everything feel smooth and stress-free. What really stood out to me was the follow-up. They checked in to make sure the adjustment was going well, which meant so much. You can tell they truly care about the animals and the families they're placing them with. I absolutely love my puppy -- she has been such a wonderful addition to our family. I'm so grateful for the support and kindness we received throughout the process. Highly recommend!

DO NOT USE THIS RESCUE! I have been trying to get in contact with them to receive vaccination…read moredocuments to pass onto my vet and they STILL have not provided me with anything. I was told I would receive it in my email upon adopting, and that they would mail hard copies in the next week (still havent recieved 4 weeks later). My vet got in touch with the rescue this evening and were informed my dog, that I adopted April 10, will need all her vaccines again since they expire May 23. STAY FAR AWAY FROM THIS RESCUE...they should NOT be adopting dogs out knowing all the vaccines expire in 6 weeks without informing the new owners!

Wonderful Shelter with extremely caring veterinarians, onsite staff and volunteers! The animals…read moreare always treated with tender loving care. If there's the slightest indication of a health issue, the lil' guys are treated immediately. There is no better Shelter in northern Va.

My husband and I saw a dog we were interested in meeting and possibly adopting so we reached out…read morethrough Instagram to get more details. We got a quick response, which was nice. They let us know that based on the dog's profile, they recommended that we do a meet and greet with any family dogs we already have at home. So we get ready, load up our pup, and go to the center. When we walked in, we felt like the vibes were pretty off immediately. The front desk staff seemed to be pretty unfriendly, barely addressed us, and barely made eye contact with us. But we moved on and I tried giving them some grace... We then told them which dog we were interested in meeting and they let us go back to the kennel for a first glance. We came back out and when we asked for a meet and greet, the one worker seemed super hesitant in even allowing that. Lots of "ummm, yea, I guess you can" vibes. My mother-in-law waited in the lobby with our pup and they led my husband and I to their yard for a visit which went well and I asked if I could switch out with my mother-in-law and were told that it'd be best not to have the dog meet too many people in one instance since it has a "stranger danger" personality. What if the people after us wanted to meet him, would they have turned them down because it was "too many people"??? We then asked to have our pup meet since our meeting went well and were met with more hesitation. We let the staff know that we also have kids at home and they recommended that we come back with them so the adoptable pup could meet everyone at once instead of letting our dog meet in that moment.... we thought that was odd since we were already there and prepared. My husband was already over it and left and I went back in to ask if the dog we were interested in could be adopted that day or before we were able to come back. They let us know that they couldn't guarentee he'd still be there. Never once did they really walk us through the process or even offered that we could essentially put the dog on "hold" until I kept asking more questions. They finally directly us to a QR code that went to an interest form. I filled out the whole thing and then they were like, "oh, BTW, its a nonrefundable $50 fee/donation to put an animal hold on". So... fine.... because we really wanted to make sure he was still there when we came back. Fast forward to the next day, we bring our kids and our dog back in. They then tell us they they're going to have our dog meet their dog 1st and if that goes well, we can introduced the kids. What the actual crap since we already had our dog in the day before! So the meet and greet with the pups didn't go the best which isn't anyone's fault. We understand and recognize that is out of everyone's control and don't fault the staff for that interaction. One of the other workers who wasn't there the first day tried helping and made some suggestions to have us adopt and older dog but at that point we were ready to go. We were so frustrated with the entire process. They wasted our time, weren't upfront about the fee/donation, and the staff either didn't understand the process themselves OR they really didn't want it to actually work out with us from the moment we walked in there. We've adopted from Wolftrap Animal Rescue twice and had wonderful interactions. We also visited the Lorton Animal Shelter and everyone there was really kind and friendly so I'd recommend others going through one of those other agencies instead. We just hope our nonrefundable $50 donation goes to good use...

Both my parents and I have adopted dogs from City Dogs, and I cannot thank them enough for bringing…read moresuch fantastic dogs into our lives. The adoption process was super easy, and they were willing to work with with me since we weren't sure my first dog was ready for a fur sibling. They wanted to make sure that the adoption was a good fit for everyone. I can say that compared to other rescues I have worked with, CDR goes out of their way to ensure that they are giving dogs a good home and make sure they are up front about a dogs needs and medical history. Pictures of my CDR friends, Lou and Elliot, are attached. :)

Trying to adopt a cat from City Kitties place was one of the most upsetting experiences I've had in…read moreyears. The way they handled it was so concerning that and I can't in good conscience recommended them to anyone. They are too disorganized and unprofessional to be trusted with the well-being of vulnerable animals. The short version of my story is, they told me for weeks that they were working on my adoption application when they'd actually deleted it because of a technical glitch that they never bothered to tell me about. The full version is as follows: I spent hours filling out the lengthy application to adopt a cat, Lala, from them and waited for weeks to hear back about her. Every time I contacted them about my application, they said they were working on it and I would hear back soon. As time went on, I knew something was off, but I didn't know what. Finally, after weeks of little-to-no communication from them, they sent me a curt email telling me they'd just given the cat to someone else (who applied long after I did, so clearly they have the capability to get adoptions done quickly when they want to) and that they knew all along I'd been trying to adopt her but had deleted my application without considering it and without telling me they'd done so. I was absolutely devastated. I'd wanted that cat so badly and had been waiting for weeks to hear back. I cried for days after getting that message. Everything about the way they handled this was incredibly suspicious and frankly gross. I truly don't understand why they chose again and again, for weeks, to tell me that they were working on my application when that wasn't true. They should have told me that there'd been a glitch so I could fill out a new one - that would have taken no more time and effort than telling me they were working on it. (Not to mention, the whole time this was happening, this poor little cat was homeless. Did they not care about her at all?) At the very least, they should have just said at the beginning that they weren't considering me; that would have saved me weeks of anxiety, confusion, and uncertainty and then the heartbreak at the end. No one at the organization acknowledged that I was hurt or that telling me they were working on my application when they'd actually deleted it was, at best, a wildly inappropriate and unprofessional thing to do. FF, I now have a lovely cat I adopted from Last Chance Animal Rescue and we're very happy together.

We just adopted a dog through AHOTO. Everyone on the organization that we interacted with was kind,…read moreprofessional, responsive, and very knowledgeable. We highly recommend them!

I adopted my cat through AHOTO. They asked me to foster and it was obviously a fail. The…read morecommunications and support were great. Natalie is very attentive to all their cats and kittens and super helpful with adoption. She knows which cat to pair which human with, and is always spot on. I would 100% always adopt from them.

I just went back and got my second Yorkie and she's beautiful! The only place in NOVA that has…read morehealthy puppies and a clean environment.

this pet store in Centreville sells sick puppies. Our dog is 1 years old, and we still have issues…read more we went to their recommended vet after purchasing, and we ended up having to put the puppy on several medications. we had to do a follow up, and he still had issues. we decided to go to our regular vet, and again, more medications was needed. by this time, we invested quite a bit trying to resolve the issues. eventually we resolved this issue. they claim these puppies come from reputable breeders. these dogs and their parents are not properly tested. we just had his 1 year checkup, and now we are told he is missing several teeth. that is genetic, and should have been disclosed by the "breeder". for the prices they charge, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND going to a certified breeder. going into puppy stores is difficult. it's hard not to fall in love with a pup, and purchase it. I have learned an expensive lesson. I believe these pups are from backyard breeders, who just want to make a quick buck.

I said goodbye to my 16-year-old cat at the end of December, but it took some time before I was…read moreready to open my home to another kitty or even pair of kitties. We saw adorable five-month-old sisters on Petfinder, filled out an application, and King Street Cats got in touch quickly. We set up a time that worked for the foster family, went out to Alexandria, and waited in a small closet-like room for them to arrive. I think it's wise for shelters to have a place where you can interact with cats you're interested in. While we were there, they put two other kitties in the room with us, but they weren't interested in us. The two girls we were interested in, Jacintha (whom we renamed Lilah, which is Hebrew for night) and Zaneta (whom we renamed Harley, after Harley Quinn), were as friendly as the listing indicated, so we decided to go through with the adoption. Since we were already pre-approved, filling out the final paperwork and paying the adoption fee was quick and efficient. If you want to adopt a cat from (or any organization), I recommend filling out an application before going. KSC is an all-volunteer organization with a small shelter in Alexandria. They have set weekend times for seeing cats, or you can set an appointment. They were clearly busy caring for the cats at the shelter, so knowing what sort of cat you're looking for is wise. They also remind you to bring a carrier with you when you go to adopt. I recommend throwing a toy in the carrier to distract the cat during the drive home. The only thing I don't like is that KSC is the primary name on the microchip all cats who leave the shelter have. But the adoption was overall a good experience, and our kittens are very happy in their new home.

I found this organization when I was ready to adopt after the loss of a senior cat, and was mainly…read moredrawn in by being able to go in to meet the cats and by how close it was to my home. The people that work at this location were all wonderful and I greatly enjoyed speaking with them. They deserve endless praise. I put in a general application and followed up to ensure I didn't need to submit anything further, and was informed that I was approved and asked to come in to complete the process. I replied that I was making sure everything was in order and that I had a foster in the home until the end of the week (for sure leaving over the weekend) and would have space after that point. I asked a few follow up questions about a particular couple of cats that I was instructed to ask by the adoption counselors. My egregious mistake was either following up in less than 7 days, or it was that I had dared to foster with another organization. Based on the emails that would follow, it seems that it's unacceptable to contact any other adoption organization or to foster (even though there's no information on fostering through KSC?). So I was approved around March 9 and it's now the beginning of May and I've finally gotten them to say that I am being turned away, with no stated reason, after an initial approval. In the meantime, whomever was emailing me was incredibly rude for the sake of it. I asked for clarification about an ambiguous wording on dogs and was told that this cat's rule on dogs is clearly stated and that she must go home with another specific cat from the shelter. Unfortunately, the adoption counselors had also thought wording was ambiguous and told me to clarify. And they weren't aware of her messing to go home with a specific cat. In fact, they told me she'd been there years and clearly wanted me to take her. Unfortunate that this person would rather keep a cat for years in that tiny place than adopt out. Additionally, there were constant comments that were an obvious attempt to take a moral high ground but didn't make sense as a reply to an email, and it quickly became clear that they were trying to insult me and insinuate that I am not capable of caring for a cat. I inquired about one not yet medically cleared and they made comments about how "expensive" her condition could be. My resident cat was on the same ear drops and the combined household income is far above what is necessary to care for medication. Lol we both work in healthcare. The scrambling to find any reason to deny my application after having approved it was impressive. And unlike some other reviews, it seems that no one was able to dig up any even minimally negative information that could be used to deny my application after the fact. It's unfortunate that poor attitudes kept a cat or two out of a good home. If you read the other negative reviews, know that they're real. I had plenty of pleasant interactions until suddenly they weren't. You'd think I insulted them by contacting other organizations, or that a couple extra emails is actually a burden. They seem to not truly be about the cats at the top level.

This review is specifically for the agility class...which is AMAZING! I literally can't say enough…read morepositive things about the agility class! My pup LOVES it and the instructor Sherri is SOOO patient and so good with the pups. She tailors the exercises for the different skill levels so it's fruitful for everyone. I know my pup is...different (he's part husky so he likes to talk) and Sherri never makes me feel bad about it. The Level 1 class is difficult to get into because it's sooo popular but so worth it!

Have been going here for years and love it. The workers are fantastic and they will work with you…read moreif you need something specific with your pet. We love our time with them.

Lucky Dog made my adoption experience incredibly positive. The volunteers were kind, patient, and…read moreextremely helpful, taking the time to answer all of my questions and walk me through every aspect of dog ownership over several phone calls. Adopting a dog always involves some uncertainty, especially since I adopted mine directly off the transport van with no animal specific information, but it ended up being completely worth it. Throughout the entire process, I felt genuinely supported. I initially reached out about a different dog, but after speaking with the team, I applied for another dog who turned out to be the perfect fit and whom I absolutely adore.

Adopted a wonderful five-year old beagle. The entire adoption process went smoothly and quickly…read more Extremely happy!!!