This place has one of the worst staffs I've encountered. I wanted to adopt a cat. But the staff members were extremely rude. They greeted everyone in the building except me. I held the door for one of the staff members who had her hands full and she didn't say thank you. I was the only minority in the bundling. I'm starting to wonder if I was not greeted because of my race.
Sad pens, very dirty, felt very bad for the animals
They offer a great service to the community and are dedicated to the well being of all their animals.
This last weekend we decided it was time for an addition to the family and started our search for a dog. Austin Pets Alive was amazingly informative, great care for their animals, and we couldn't have been happier with our new addition, Enoch. He is such a GOOD dog, and fits right in with our family. And what is even better, is when you save one animal, you actually save two! As soon as one animal is adopted out, the adoption agent said that APA immediately takes in a new animal from the euthanasia lists around town. Finally, they also offer $20 crates, which I honestly don't know what we would have done without. Thanks APA!!
The people who work here truly care about the animals and making sure they go to a great home.
Some volunteers need to have their attitudes checked. The animals look well taken care of though.
We adopted a cat here. Some may be annoyed by the adoption process but I love that they really care that these animals are going to loving homes. My kids have been asking for a dog, if we decide to adopt, this is where we will be going!
They really care for the animals.My puppy has parvo and they give me the home treatment and they also showed me how to do the treatment
We adopted a dog from APA almost solely because they offered to help fix any behavioral issues that may occur with the dog or between her and our current dog. It is day 12, the dogs have had 3 fights (the last one leaving my dog bleeding for 15 minutes), I ve sent 4 emails (APA doesn t have phone numbers), and I ve received one non-automated email which didn t even include information on available behavior classes or programs. Absolutely would not recommend.
Austin Pets Alive is a beautiful organization designed to build nothing but positivity. I'd say most people working with this organization are super kind, however last Saturday I noticed a not so positive worker while they were set up in front of Healthy Pet. She was really quick to grab the water bottle and spray the 4 rescues when they barked at my dog as we walked into the store. That day it was very chilly, she had a very angry and harsh look on her face when she soaked the dogs. I mentioned to her that she didnt have to spray them, they were not doing anything wrong, barking is nartural and my dog isnt fixed. She sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes at me. -made me terribly sad to see that attitude given to dogs that need love.
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.
I brought a stray in while they were taking animals by appt only and they still took this kitty for me
Supportive from adoption and beyond, from shots too help with behavior.
Amazing place to adopt animals. Such a wonderful impact.
Great place! Amazing people and the great things they do for the lovely animals. At the front yard they have a Japanese symbol that means "California roll" in japanese.
Found an amazing dog here!! The staff are all extremely friendly and helpful, and really just want to find all these animals good new homes. I absolutely love what they do here, and although it's very loud and sometimes stinky, Austin Pets Alive has a lot of well trained and good dogs that you can get to know We had a great experience!
This place is great, due to the adoptions, the treats you are allowed to feed the animals (that is a very nice touch, that they definitely enjoy), and the ability to open the cages and actually interact with the animals.
That being said... The care for the facilities is extremely lacking. It does appear that they put more money into salaries and not enough into maintaining the facilities. Seriously, a little sweeping, mopping, cleaning up where they dogs defecate, and landscaping (to remove all of the mud) would go a long way.
Wonderful no-kill facility run by staff and a wide volunteer base. Innovative for their parvo ward, 91% no-kill rating for the past two years, etc. Great place to adopt a dog or cat.
Very good place to adopt an animal! These folks really do care!
There are no words to describe how amazing this place is. No animal left unloved!! I reccomend adopting from and /or donating to this establishment. We need something like this in southeast texas.
Great layout easy to maneuver and find your next best friend.
Very busy but I've never had a necessarily bad experience. You will smell unpleasant scents but its to be expected with the volume of pets on site. Everyone is doing something so you might have to wait or take the initiative to get some assistance.
In response to another reviewer -fosters are generous folks that open up their homes and donate their time. Sometimes you absolutely fall in love with their foster pet and as interested adopters ask questions, you become selfish and snipe yourself a new family member. Don't be too upset -there are plenty to go around.
Location sucks but there is parking. I absolutely recommend getting your next pet here.
This place is absolutely amazing. They really go out of their way to make sure the dogs and cats are well taken care of and safe. Volunteering here is awesome. Especially with the effects of hurricane Harvey APA has really gone above and beyond. Adopt, foster, or volunteer at this place it's amazing.
I adopted my 2 month old kitten from there during Caturday and the process took about 30-40 minutes at a PetSmart but was worth it to take my baby home the same day! They foster a bunch of kittens and cats and their webpage has a lot of useful information.. it just sucks that they don't have an actual phone number to contact them, just email so it sometimes takes a while for them to get back to you.
We got a kitty here. Good place. Let our 10 year explore with a lot of freedom. So appreciate that.
I love APA and I am so thankful for all of the hard work they have put in during the wake of the Hurricane. I found my best bud, Simon, there and they have made the transition from foster to adoption SUPER easy! Every time I have a medical question or a behavior question, they've been there to help. Thanks APA and keep up the good work!
This is absolutely an awesome animal shelter they care about these dogs if you're not sure if a dog is right for you you can foster it for free for a while and if you just know you found the right dog you can go into the office talk to them about it and they'll let you play with it.
I've been fostering for a couple of months and am in awe of this organization! They are super responsive and supportive of their fosters and really care about all the animals in their care!
Not sure what to expect based on their website but Im sure they are helpful.
They have a huge heart. Take kittens in need that might not be adopted elsewhere. They find great adopters and are all very caring about all the animals they have. Highly recommend!
Great team, they really care to find the best family for every pet.
Pros: Large selection of cats to chose from. Animals are kept in clean surroundings.
Cons: APA does not disclose on its website that they will terminate the adoption process if you tell them that you plan on having your cat declawed. They claim that declawing a cat is inhumane. We were told that we were signing a legal document stating that we would not declaw our pet. First of all, declawing a cat is "inhumane?" Nonsense. We have owned 6 cats over 30 years, each of which were declawed. A day of slight discomfort for a lifetime of happily pawing furniture as much as they want. And in our opinion the cat doesn't go around moping that he doesn't have front claws like other cats do. This policy is ridiculous, but even more ridiculous is that APA does not state their policy up front on their website. We drove 65 miles and filled out an adoption questionnaire. On the back were questions pertaining to our plans for declawing. Even on that form it should have stated "By the way, just so you know, declawing is FORBIDDEN for our animals. If you plan to declaw your animal, please stop the process now and have a nice day." Also not disclosed is any history of medical issues. Our prospective cat turned out to have a seizure disorder, requiring two doses of medication daily for the rest of his life. They couldn't tell us what the average cost of such medication would be.
Bottom line, APA has a good variety of kitties which need homes. Just make sure you get the WHOLE story before beginning the process.
Totally agree with comments about this outfit having way to high expectations for letting anyone get a dog. How do you go to a meet and greet for a dog where they Q&A you then send out an e-mail declining your adoption because you indicated the dog might have to stay outside for short periods. Why don't they just tell you over an e-mail that they won't part with a dog for various reasons. Also think some foster homeowners don't want to let go and look for the slightest excuse to turn you down.
Words don't justify or help. Just when U THOUGHT............
Excellent non-profit organization that helps animals.
It had a very bad smell, all wet. The personnel weren't nice
It was a very long wait to meet a dog. I think I got skipped. I left before I actually got to meet one
I was initially frustrated that this appears to be a "jail for pets", however i know they're working with a limited budget and they are a no kill shelter. My family adopted 2 dogs from austin pets alive and both dogs were initially sick but recovered nicely.
I appreciate the good work that Austin Pets Alive does, i just wish their conditions for housing the dogs were better. I thinl they should raise their adoption fees and also do food drives to help offset the cost of feeding animals.
Austin couldn't have a no kill shelter without their good work.
i love going here with my boyfriend to play with the dogs everything is clean and all the animals seem happy. It doesnt smell or anything like some places and they are mostly friendly upfront. It's a nice place to donate blankets and toys.
Great staff, amazing cats and dogs looking for a good home. We added 1 car and 1 dog to our family and have been happy about it every day since.
A great organisation that helps people meet the right pets for them. It's slightly out of the way, but it just makes the match all the more rewarding. Margaret helped me get my David Meowie.
Austin Pets Alive is the way to go. A popular charity with plenty of wonderful pets to adopt, this is the true Austinite's place to find a forever home for rescued pets. From purebreds to Pit Bull mixes, APA offers support and expertise to bring home a new family member. Austin is a place where no puppies and kittens are put down and the city has rallied behind this wonderful nonprofit. Personally my family has adopted more than ten pets from this charity, and all adoptees have become permanent members of the family! Don't let the name scare you! Pit Bulls are amazing family pets! Cats from this shelter are backed by a full Cat Behavior Team for life, so don't stress about bringing home a new pet! Everything from puppies to kittens to dogs and cats are available here for lifelong friendship, so visit today!
I adopted my dog from Austin Pets Alive 7 years ago. I like their devotion for helping animals.
If you have a surfeit of dogs because of the hurricane, maybe you shouldn't verbally attack people who are trying to give a dog a good home. The conversation with the intake counselor was extremely shame-oriented. His expectations for dog owners are far above and beyond what anyone with a full-time job could possibly uphold. I do not recommend adopting an animal from this shelter.
If you want to get ahold of them you gotta email them a lot. They won t call you and you can t schedule a meeting time
Great people working there! They will help you through every step of the process to ensure a happy and smooth transition
Great place to adopt an amazing animal. The staff is slow to respond sometimes but have a little patience because the results are worth it.
You can tell everybody working here really love their job as well as all the animals that they take care of every single its a no kill shelter every single animal there will never be put to sleep.
It's so amazing how they do everything they can to take care of the kittens and puppies, as an organization they are really worth supporting.
No kill shelter, senior kitties are free and they will help you make sure your pet is cared for and safe.
I adopted the sweetest pup from Austin Pets Alive! in April 2019. After looking through the available pups every day for months (and wanting them all, of course), I saw the sweetest looking dog whose bio matched exactly what I was looking for and knew it was time! She was in foster so I reached out to APA!, got in touch with the foster, and set up a meet and greet. She came home with me about 2 weeks later- after inquiring, meeting, applying, attending an "interview" (met with an adoption counselor, went over medical records, filled out adoption paperwork, etc), and scheduling pick-up. I think the process is a lot faster if you adopt a pup from the on-site location, but it was very easy with the foster! So very much in love with my sweet girl!
I just adopted a 5 year old dachshund from their Tarrytown location. They were extremely helpful and answered every question I had.
You'll have a much better experience at AAC. The dogs are not in small kennels or small cages, and when you're ready to visit them you can actually go to a designated play yard to get to know your potential pet. The cat area here is smaller than the AAC, and the staff here is also less... helpful? It's almost like you have to jump through hoops to have a positive experience here.
The only positive thing I will say, is that I really THINK they care about the pets in their care.
Horrible experience! The volunteers are awful and don't seem to want to adopt out the animals in the least. Not to mention the shelter is over-crowded with humans and animals alike, unsanitary, and extremely unorganized. We have a huge house, yard, and are a financially stable family who went in to adopt a dog, and the volunteer staff acted like we were dirt. They clearly don't care about their animals, or about finding homes for them.
Thanks for supporting pet owners and their pet families!
After rushing across town to adopt our first dog to our new family we were told we had to come back tomorrow due to them being closed. Now we arrived at 6pm(close at 7pm) and found a dog we liked. We were told that we were on a list and waiting for a worker to bring us the dog to look at. We sat in waiting room for bout 40 min to be told to come back tomorrow. Now another worker told us no matter what we would see the dog after 7pm. When the other employee was trying rush us out she didn't say anything as he explained something different. This truly messed up my wife and I experience and we will not return. This place was rude and the communication and organization is terrible!!
Amazing staff. Really care about the animals. Also Gronk is amazing
I adopted my cat from here it s nice place but I wish they provide good health support. After I adopted my cat next week they let me know it have big problems in his chest and will be hard to breath every time he get older .. I don t have the money to do his surgery and wish they told MB e that before. Still will adopted .
Beautiful, healthy and happy pets. Come here to find your furry friends.
These guys are Absolutely Awesome!!! They are some of the hardest working, most caring, and generous people I have ever had the privilege of interacting with in my entire 50+ years. God Bless them all!!
Really nice workers. Take good care of the animals. You can volunteer to help.
Very full of it girls I met looking at dogs that day.
I say this due to overhead comments an Asian girl made who was supposedly there to help.
Also the large girl misinformed us of specifics on certain dogs we inquired about. She was another one that prompted this review.
My cats paperwork wasn t put together correctly when I 1st picked him out. They weren t sure what he was updated with since not all the information was logged into the computer system under him. I later was emailed his records. & I waited over a week almost 2 weeks just to get back AFTER he was brought back in to get neutered for my $100 fee returned back to me. Due to someone forgetting to give me a call back once the check was ready for me to come back down to there location to pick it up. The cages are smelly and dirty both in the cats and dogs cages. But I m happy with the furry cat I have. However I was pretty badly bitten by one cat & it still was allowed to be later petted by other people. A family with children seen the attack when it happened I quickly reported it to the staff that were there washed with soap & water my hands and then later the situation was investigated by someone who emailed me requiring the full details.
The staff here is Incredible! Very informative and attentive!
I adopted my precious kitten from APA! She was spayed, microchipped, and up to date on vaccinations plus adoption was free during an event. They are helpful, kind, and everything went perfectly. Highly recommend when looking to adopt a fur baby.
Awful, smells bad, the dogs are in very small cages, they are mean dogs, the cats look bad, and dirty. The staff for most part are nice with the exception of the ones in the kitty place. They put false advertising on the news to get people down there to adopt the animals, but when you get there they say they moved the animals to another location so you will pay hundreds of dollars for them. They should be glad someone is willing to adopt them. So overall not a good place, they should tell the truth and stop false advertising.
This is an amazing place. You can't believe all they do for little beings!
While I have no doubt that the volunteers here care for the animals and this is no way a reflection on the facility or the care the animals receive, I do have a problem with the service provided to someone looking to adapt an cat.
I took my family to look for two cats to add to our family. When we got there we filled out the form and were directed to the cat house. The second we entered the building my family felt that we were in the wrong building with the awkward looks from staff and the generic question of "can we help you?". After telling them we are looking for a cat and wanted to see how my children do with them we were told we could look around and to use hand sanitize before and after interacting with a cat. We were left alone, without further instructions on how we could interact with the cats, how they were sorted, and how we could interact with a cat once we found one we wanted to get to know better. This information was only given piecemeal. We stood around looking at the different cat rooms and kennels. All in all we only interacted with one cat in the kennel and never got to hold them.
I can say the overall experience was discouraging for us, staff didn't appear to be interested in possibly get a cat into a forever home. This may not be the typical experience, but it certainly was ours. Austin Pets Alive wont be our first destination in the future.
The amount of bird dropping on the inside of the shelter on CC really is inhumane and the staff can get into extremely dangerous situations but for rehabilitation is an excellent quality job...those poor people deserve a better quality of life at work
I liked my experience here, I just think they are a little understaffed
Im a 68 year old cattle rancher from caldwell county , I saw an ad for free feral cats at austin pets alive , have seen a few rats down in the feed barn so I thought get a couple feral cats supplement ......feed them and let them work..right .. wrong.. I drove through this horrible traffic with 2 cages to get my feral cats ,havent been in downtown austin in 30 years , what a disaster that place has become ,get there and said I am there for 2 feral cats ,we have procedures we must follow I was told , I said the procedure involves you getting 2 cats and put them in the cages I brought ,NOPE .. Mean while as I was walking out without any cats a Pit bull tried to attack me through the chain link , he meant business , no one could ever adopt this dog without some one getting badly hurt. 90 percent of the dogs I saw had pit bull in them, STAY AWAY TOO MANY PROCEDURES...
It's really wonderful that Austin has a no kill policy, and people coming to this shelter and others to adopt keep it going. I've adopted two kittens into my family from here, and all the staff were very friendly. Please consider adopting from here!
Just like the way they take care of the animals,good bless them all
Quite a lot of dogs smell a little bad it made me sad to see so much homeless animal
austinpetsalive.org