Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland

Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland

4.7 266 Reviews
Kurt
Reviews 1

The staff was great and we took home our little girl Bailey whom we fell in love with instantly.One change I would recommend to your operating procedures is applying the overnight hold fee to the adoption fee if people return.It would likely encourage more people to place a little one on hold and come back.I happened to be there after closing hurried to pay and put her on hold without realizing it wasnt transferrred.

Kate Savidge
Reviews 1

I sent them a message a few days ago and still have not heard back from them. In the past, we got our first dog from them. It was a wonderful, easy experience. We have not had the chance to go back again but I remember their staff to be very friendly and helpful.

Troy Dennen
Reviews 1

An overly complicated process to be allowed to simply view the animals. Staff seem to want you to make a final choice simply viewing thru the glass for those caged. An aggressive staff member who had informed us of a rule we were unaware of, targeted us moments later even though we had gone thru the proper process. A moment of reflection could have avoided embarrassment on both sides. Cost to adopt is much too high for younger animal and we overheard staff discussing how to get the biggest donation (adoption fee) from a family considering a very old cat which should have had no fee associated with it due to age. This group may have lost sight of their core mission. One might consider a smaller more grass roots organization to help an animal in need.

anthony wrecenyar
Reviews 1

Well worth the visit, especially with younger children. A variety of rescued wild animals. Inside area for smaller reptiles and animals. Outside area with some big cats, monkeys and several other mammals. Price is very reasonable. Staff is friendly and happy to talk about animals. Great for young children. Can see everything in an hour or take longer. No one rushes you. Without this refugee a lot of these animals would not be with us.

Hilary A. Gale
Reviews 1

A wonderful organization with an incredibly helpful and friendly staff! I have adopted from and volunteered with the ARLGP for many years and it has never failed to impress me. The new building and location is fantastic, so we'll organized and easy to navigate - so bright and cheery! Just like the staff.

Colin Dilts
Reviews 1

AMAZING! Sorry for the caps but this place is truly special. Their new facility (that's behind the old one) is top notch. The animals have a huge amount of space and you can wander through the space and interact with many of the animals. I loved my visit and would go back whenever I'm in town. Also they have great clothing for sale that supports the organization and are comfy and look great.

Dirk Cooley
Reviews 1

In-laws adopted a dog named "Shaggy". Over $300 in fees. They specifically asked if the dog was good with kids which the shelter assured them that it was. Fast forward 3 days later when we all go to visit and the dog completely unprovoked (was watching the whole time) tries to bite my 5 year old stepson. Stepson jumps into his mother's lap. Dog goes after him again. Naturally in laws want to bring the dog back. Do they get any of that money back? Of course not. The paperwork they had on that adoption is 100% to protect the shelter. Absolutely nothing in the contract is to your benefit whatsoever. They won't give you money back even in the instance of a clearly dangerous dog that is willing to attack children without provocation. I just hope they have the decency to at Ata minimum disclose to the next unfortunate owner that the dog is most certainly NOT good with kids. DON'T adopt from these people.

Christina Boothby
Reviews 1

I will admit I've never been through the adoption process, but I've looked with the intention of adopting several times. The last time I was given contradicting information about the same animal from two staff members. I've also had the great displeasure of having to drop abandoned, neglected or lost pets in their care. Each time, despite not owning the animal, I was given a hard time and treated like some kind of monster for not keeping every homeless animal I find. They claim they will waive the fee if you can't afford it, but I was forced to pay a fee to drop a cat that wasn't mine that they told me they would likely destroy because of health issues. I used to be a huge supporter of this business, I donated to them for years and purchased items from the shelter to show my support. While I may in the future be willing to adopt from there, I have been largely unimpressed with their staff for several years. Take your pet or stray elsewhere to surrender if you don't want to be scolded and treated like a criminal.

Rodney Konkel
Reviews 1

My dog had run off and got lost and was found by the police and they took him to the Animal Refuge League and I went to retrieve him the next day when they opened and they took very good care of him and I was so pleased with their care and attention that I gave them a donation. There are beautiful animals there that are waiting for someone to love them and take them home of if you can't have a pet you can give a donation to help their efforts.

Kaia Palmer
Reviews 1

This facility is top notch. It's clean and they keep their animals looking clean as well. From their volunteers to their normal staff everyone is so friendly. I got my baby here and they have been so helpful every step of the way. My pup Maggie has crate anxiety and I came back for advice and they were so helpful. 100% recommend.

J Wood
Reviews 1

I brought my cat over to their shot clinic over a year ago. I've done this a couple of times prior. I was treated right, they were organized and I got my her chipped as well. They're very reasonable which is very helpful. I will be bringing her back for her shots again if they have the clinics.

Jessica T
Reviews 1

Variable. Be cautious. Likely discriminatory. A lot of people have good experiences here if everything is straightforward. However: I had a coworker who was an incredibly gentle, intelligent, and hardworking Ph.D scientist. He had two children about 8-years-old and not wanting to commit to a large pet, decided to get them a pet rabbit. The Westbrook Animal Refuge League told him he couldn't adopt until he had the cage and everything ready, which he thought made perfect sense. He purchased all the supplies and returned, but the refused to allow him to adopt, and would not give him a reason. They said he wasn't a good candidate. This blew all of us at work away, because he really set the bar very high in terms of being professional and trustworthy. Also, ironically, our employer is huge financial donor to this specific location. We cannot say with certainty, but we suspect it was because he is Asian. In the end, I took him to a relatives house who had rabbits and he adopted a rabbit there. It went into a beautiful cage in the back of his car.

Jenna Ralph
Reviews 1

This place is sketchy. It seems like they always have litters of kittens or kittens from the same litter at the very least. I suspect that they mate some of the cats before fixing them to make money. They charge the big bucks for kittens- 175.00 for 8-12 wks, 125.00 for 12 wks to 6 months. That's ridiculous. Almost 200.00 for a stray cat? There always seems to be a big cat around that looks like it could be the mama cat. Just today, there were three orange tabbies all from the same litter. I adopted one and the other two got adopted also. I ended up bringing my kitten back, a few hours later because it had a large wound that I hadn't noticed, and there were suddenly two more orange tabbies that hadn't been there before. One had a saggy belly, like it had had a litter or two. Also, apparently the "physical" that they give the animals isn't very thorough because my kitten had a giant, swollen wound that felt like a tumor and they hadn't noticed! I really just wanted to give the cat back and get my money back but they didn't even suggest that. They just said they would keep the cat and treat it there and then we could pick it up when it was mostly healed. It also sketches me out that they let the cats go home within a day or two of having been fixed. I feel they should let them heal a little first, especially the females where the incision is on the soft belly. It really feels like something unscrupulous is going on there.

Rachel Hopkins
Reviews 1

I hate that I feel the need to do this but it's been such a rollercoaster since adopting a kitten from here. I adopted about a month ago and he was one of the most expensive kittens there, only because he was a few days shy of 12 weeks which made him almost $50 extra. On top of that, he came home with ringworm, giardia, and worms. All of which I wasn't aware of and he passed the ringworm onto me. Fortunately they did refund the adoption fee for me which I do greatly appreciate. It's just been so frustrating to keep bringing him to the vet, paying those fees, and continuously finding out he has something else. It's also so disheartening to see and hear about pets being sold with many problems that aren't disclosed and now I'm worried that his other tests from the shelter may not have been accurate which I shouldn't have to worry about. God forbid this happen to someone and they can't afford to get the care the animal needs and have to give them back. I know many others got kittens the day I did, so if you got one around June 30th, watch out for ringworm as it's very contagious and he had it while at the shelter. I've heard of others having problems with this shelter and not having conditions disclosed to them of their adopted animal. I've never had problems with animal welfare society, I would highly recommend them instead.

Jamie Bailey
Reviews 1

I had an amazing experience with the animal shelter this morning, where I adopted our new cat, Pumpkin seed! Ashley, the cat counselor, was absolutely great, and did such a good job getting me situated with everything that I needed. The facility is also gorgeous, and extremely large and clean. Do not hesitate to get your next furry family member here!