The staff care about their mission - providing a s...

The staff care about their mission - providing a second chance for animals with tough and/or aggressive history - but the protectiveness and processes are a detriment to the experience of hopeful visitors.

After joining the waitlist to meet a dog, you cannot interact with any animal while you wait. At all. Even holding your knuckles slowly and briefly near the fencing of friendlier dogs gets you a swift, drive-by reprimand from staff, "don't put your fingers in the kennel!" Ya think? I understand where staff are coming from and the concern but I also know better than to offer up my fingers to an unfamiliar dog. Dogs who calmly approach and gently sniff me through the fence aren't threatening.

We visited twice in a week on waitlist without any text that it was our turn to finally start the process before introduction. Both times while we waited and trolled the rows, we were sternly told to not put fingers in kennels when no fingers were in kennels. We waited for over an hour to even POSSIBLY meet the dog(s) we're interested in which is ridiculous in the first place. We gave up. Especially after learning that dogs with a 1-star dog/cat score most likely means bite history. We do not plan on revisiting which is a shame as even in our restricted "taboo" through-the-fence interactions with those dogs we were interested in, we started to get attached and hopeful.

The conditions of this shelter do not seem to lend a healthy environment for these dogs who have anxiety and aggressive history. While they have a concrete wall partially separating from the outside open fenced area, they're still visible without privacy. They're either distractedly pacing, defensively staring, or forlornly whining for a scrap of attention.

Even if our appointment was to take place, we were both so turned off by how the staff treated us and how long we had to wait just to INTERACT with a dog (we both have experience owning cats and dogs, all rescues) that the meet with the dog would have had a negative overtone, nothing of which had to do with the dog itself. When meeting with a dog or cat, you should be made to feel comfortable and welcome, not incompetent and a threat.

We had an infinitely better overall experience at AAC on Levander. Very informative signage per kennel that was also explicit on dogs with bite tendencies and color-coded legends so you know the dog's in-shelter behavior. You can visit and engage with dogs in and out of kennel without waiting around twiddling your thumbs. Much more welcoming and friendly staff. Will continue to look at other organizations, rescues, and shelters. Not comfortable at all at APA. Disappointed.