Helen Woodward Animal Center Reviews

Great no-kill animal facility. Offers adoptions, boarding, education, therapeutic riding, pet encounter therapy, hospital, & more.

Phenomenal. The compassion of the people who work and volunteer there is contagious.

They are remodeling right now so they are doing the best that they can with the small space they have to view dogs. It is going to be awesome when they are finish remodeling.

We just adopted our newest family memeber from thier about 3 weeks ago. The staff was super friendly and the facility is beautiful.

Everything you ever needed for cats and dogs (as well as many other animal) and the prices for EVERYTHING are more than reasonable!

High pricing, not great info on dogs. Hard to contact an actual person. Delayed communication. And response time was very low for trainer.

I love the staff and all volunteers esp Robin.They're all amazing people!

This is one of the largest animal shelters I've ever been to within even having large animals such as Horses available for adoption. I had lost my cat and wanted a replacement to keep me company. They were so kind and found me the most beautiful rag doll. It's now been over a month and while I still miss my cat, this one has been so loving and cuddly that I don't want to think about losing her. The problems with owning pets is that usually you will outlive them and a little part of your soul goes with those ones you love. The shelter is clean and there is a nice selection of animals begging to go to a new forever home. Every animal we've ever had have been rescue animals and I am so glad that there are shelters such as this to help find these animals a place to live where they will be love

Great vet clinic. We took our dog and our puppy here when we moved to California and they ve called several times after to make sure our family pets were doing okay.

My teen daughter enjoyed a 1 week 'vet class' ... but she was disappointed it was not as interactive as hoped. Construction made parking difficult. Hoping Summer camps are more involved.

High class pet adoption shelter. But adoption prices are high. Puppies are $480, adult dogs are $200. Unfortunately not for everyone's pocket...

I would not board my dog at Club Pet. Dirty facility, staff were disgruntled while I was there. Seemed to be poor management of the facility as the ceilings are in disrepair and falling down. Bad smells in the lobby (not just doggie smells, I realize it's a kennel). I overheard whom I assume was a manager speaking about either their staff or an animal there in a very negative manner. I would not feel comfortable leaving my animal there in the cages. Not impressed with a place that prides itself on animal care, marketing magic is how they get along in assuming.

I adopted a 6 month old Border Collie here. They were so friendly and helpful. I appreciate their adoption process. They care about matching the right dog with the right family. If I was going to adopt another dog I would go here again. I highly recommend them.

I came here to look for a young dog after being bit by a 150 pound great Pyrenees that I rescued from a high kill shelter.. I was pretty nervous because my dog bite left me with 10 staples in my arm and some pretty serious scars. I explained the situation and they assured me that there dogs were all evaluated for aggression! I looked around and instantly fell in love with a 4 month old puppy that they had! I adopted her that day and she is absolutely perfect! She is now 11 months old and still the love of my life

Lots of cute pups waiting for homes!! They operate on a first come, first served basis, so be prepared and get in early once a dog is available.

Check online for current info on available dogs.

Well kept facilities, caring and educated staff, healthy pets. Please donate to keep this organization going and adopt a pet.

I'll preface this by saying that I've rescued a dog at Helen Woodward before and had a very pleasant experience; my dog is wonderful and I love him very much. However, I've also worked for a rescue organization in the San Diego area as well as the ASPCA, and I know a fair bit about the way shelters, animal centers, animal welfare organizations and animal rescues should work. I am an adamant supporter of animal adoption and completely against breedism. As with humans, I believe that all animals should be treated equally (and well). With that being said, I am so very disappointed with my last experience at Helen Woodward.

After falling in love with a "Cocker Spaniel Mix" (as listed on his kennel and on the website) named Nugget, I proceeded to meet him. I live in East County, an hour away from Helen Woodward, but my heart was set on this dog, therefore I called my father and asked him to bring my other dog out so that the two could meet. Luckily, my dog and Nugget got along very well, and I was 100% ready to adopt.

When we got up to the adoption desk and sat down with an employee, she started by warning us that Nugget's adoption fees were very high. I asked how much, and why, and she told me that, because Nugget was a "purebred," his adoption fees would be $590.

This complaint is not so much about the money as it is about the principle. Shelters should not place a higher value on animals that are "purebred" especially if they are going to list the animal as a mix. Just as it is racist to say that one race is better than another, it is breedist to value a pure breed over a mixed breed animal. Are these people trying to find homes for their animals, or are they trying to make money?

I left the shelter empty-handed on principle, knowing that I could adopt 5-10 dogs for the price of one at Helen Woodward. It broke my heart knowing that HUMANS had tainted my feelings about a dog he had nothing to do with it. Later, the manager at Helen Woodward called me and offered me the dog for less than their regular price ($291) $250. This seems like even more of a scam to me.

If shelters are good and truthful, their motive should be to find animals homes, not make money. They should place similar, if not equal, value on all animals. I'm offended by the way this organization represents animal adoption, and I will never return, nor will I recommend this center to anyone I know.

I applaud the staff and volunteers at this center, such important work they do with therapeutic riding and rescues. What exhileration they all bring to the children and adults involved there...excellent

We had a dog Rambo then he was adopted by another family. We tecaniqly had the dog on holdand owend him but, for a reason that was stupid they needed proof of landlord's approval of housing. Then we go to pick him up and they gave him to someone elsebecuse they only gave us thrity minutes from the time the landllords office opend.

Very nice shelter and clean. The dogs look comfortable. We went on a day where they happened to have been wiped out.

Lost some stars for terrible customer service. My husband and I were looking at cats with our son. One of the older women working was holding one of the kittens. I asked her how my son could pet one of the kittens as we were thinking of adopting. Before I could even finish she said "well if your serious then you can fill out an adoption form and get a meeting space. Oh is that a dog? Yeah you cant be back here with that you need to leave".

Surprised? Yeah I had a dog in a bag on my shoulder....which nobody said anything the entire time we were standing there and she never made a sound. Then I ask you about adoption and you tell me I need to leave??!?! Sad. Bye.

Great staff, they really care about the animals there. Adoptions are not cheap, but pets are spayed and well vetted, and I was glad to spend what I did to support their work in general. Great community events and kids camps as well

I love the Helen Woodward Animal Center! I adopted a Boxer there years ago and ever since been appreciating and admiring all they do. Aside of the adoption center they have a hospital, boarding and educational courses for big and small.
They do a lot of good!

Gorgeous facility filled with caring staff who seem to love these dogs as if they were their own.

The best rescue in SD County. Great caring staff, and the newly remodeled facility is so nice for the animals.

We've adopted two puppies here (including one with special needs). The staff is friendly and caring, it's a no-kill shelter, and they rescue from other facilities. The biggest downside is that both puppies have come home and were discovered to have had parasites. I realize this is the challenge in a shelter environment, but it's frustrating to bring a pup home with extra surprises. I'd still recommend HWAC, just go in with eyes wide open about rescuing.

Once again they've given a dog to same woman who is a terrible dog owner clearly without adequate screening. She works more than full time, not home many evenings and has zero regard for the full sized energetic 1 year old to have company and get out and play/walk. Poor dog is in virtual solitary confinement - as was her last dog barely taken care of and neighbors tell me the one before that.

I've sent pictures, described situation and relayed how other neighbors feel she's not remotely fit to be a dog owner and after three weeks all their director of adoptions will say is they can't discuss it, with zero sense of empathy or urgency.

Professional, knowledgeable, and friendly. The great people of Helen Woodward helped me find a wonderful New love today. Very happy with the whole experience.

Fantastic facility with a great mission. Has a large offering of educational classes, as well as therapeutic riding, and animal day care.

I had to put my friend of 13 years down, he couldn't walk anymore so it was time. We called to see if they could fit us in, was not really expecting to wake up and do that. They were busy with another but said they would squeeze us in when they had a chance. 20 min. later we got a call, Dr. Lauren Colson was coming in just for us to help. They came out to the car to help bring him in( my puppy was a big guy). They took everything slow and explained what they needed to do. They gave us all the time we needed to say good bye. I never felt rushed, they all were very very nice and I think was the best it could be in that situation.. thank you everyone!
Sammy,newfie, 13yrs, I miss you buddy!

Overall, we had a poor experience at the Helen Woodward Animal Center. We were looking at several different shelters to potentially adopt a new dog and wanted to give this one a try. When we arrived the main staff member helping us asked little to no fact finding questions about us or our home and seemed to be looking for reasons for us not to adopt. Additionally, the main staff member who helped us was very rude, disrespectful, and not helpful. However, one of the trainers who came by to answer questions was very nice, helpful, and personable! We were very grateful for her help! In the end there are a lot of expectations they have that are not posted online. We would not have made the 1 1/2 drive round trip if we would have known. This would be easily fixed if you required an online/electronic application where potential adopters had to answer questions. Then a staff member/volunteer could follow-up and let people know which animals would be possible adoption options for them, prior to making a trip. Overall, after this experience, I would never adopt through them and would not recommend others to adopt here. We ended up adopting from the Aussie Rescue and the volunteers were absolutely amazing! We had a fantastic experience at the Aussie Rescue!

(Full Disclosure: I am a current volunteer)

I absolutely LOVE this place. I cannot say how many good people and amazing animals I see whenever I come here. The staff are kind and the facilities are great, as well. As a volunteer here, I am blessed to see how the Center benefits animals and people firsthand. From their Critter Camps to their Therapeutic Riding and Pet Encounter Therapy Departments, HWAC definitely gives back to the San Diego community.

Also, they have an Adoption program that tries its hardest to pair pups and kittens with their forever homes. The cost is high for adoption, that s the only downside. If you are willing to pay the price for a vaxxed, microchipped, new best friend, then this is a great place to adopt. If not, check your local shelter.

Honestly, this place is the best, as the passion and TLC is apparent here, and I would recommend any of the services they provide.

Amazing animal rescue!!
Thank you for everything you do

A place with a good heart. I donate pet items here.

Helen Woodward does great work! Morgan made my experience fantastic! Thank you Morgan and Helen Woodward!

I volunteered for you for years and adopted Chani and Mick Dundee (aka Mickey). I just found a photo of me and my dad, when I was about six months old. We were in a beautiful setting, a picnic blanket in the Adirondacks and he had his right hand on my chest to hold me back but all I could do is reach out for this dog that came up to me.

Life is about helping others. I started before I could even say Daddy.

Surrender fee... a week and then maby I can drop off the dog....if its up to par of course...

Each pet is carefully placed in their new home. They assess the whole family to be. So important for animals who have been traumatized. Trainer on-site to assess interactions between a current pet and a new pet to join the family. These animals are blessed to have these loving angels.

Very professional and kind. Get to the point of what s wrong and is willing to help always.

What Helen Woodward Animal Center does for the animals!

This is hands down the best place to adopt a rescue animal. We got our first dog here 12 years ago, a Jack Russell mix and she has been the best dog ever and still going strong. We just adopted another puppy two weeks ago and absolutely love this new little addition to our family.

Helen Woodward's takes amazing care of their animals and is an excellent facility. Could not reccomend them more highly.

There's so much space for the dogs outside. They didn't have many adult cats, mainly kittens

We have driven down to the Helen Woodward center from Orange County to meet (and adopt) both of our dogs. The staff put the animals' safety and long-term happiness first, always. Woodward apparently rescues from several high kill shelter states around the country. You can tell when you tour the facilities and meet the puppos that every resident gets tons of attention and love the whole time they're there... And the knowledgeable team takes time with adoptive families to carefully set expectations and let you know *exactly* what to expect. Worth the drive and the time to find your new family member!

$500 to adopt a puppy???? That's their standard fee folks! Stick to your local Humane Society.

Wonderful place and staff. They really care for the animals.

Friendly staff, and very caring. They take alot of time and are very aware of each animal they have in their facility.

Firsr class facility for quality companion animal care.

Waste of time. First off the application was super in depth which my husband and I understood because the adoption center wants to ensure the dogs have a proper place to live in. However, we submitted this application a month in advance and you would think that they would review it before hand instead of us driving 35 minutes out just for them to deny us within two minutes. The first reason for us being denied was because apparently they needed to call our landlord to see if it s ok that we bring a dog to the apartments. We told them that the office is closed Sunday but on the apartment website it verifies that we are allowed to have dogs. However, they insisted on calling the landlord despite us telling them the leasing office was closed. Their second reason we couldn t adopt a dog, which totally contradicted them trying to call the landlord in the first place, was none of the dogs available would be suitable in an apartment only in a house because noises spook them (like random noises don t spark up any dogs curiosity).... so if none of the dogs are suited to live in apartments why would they waste time trying to call the landlord or not call us in advance after reviewing the application, so we wouldn t waste our time driving down there. Last time I checked a home is a home whether it be an apartment or house and that you would want to give a dog a home that can provide love, shelter, food, and ultimately a forever family. I didn t realize puppies were boujee and didn t like apartments.

Horse and small animal hospital in between The Covenant and Fairbanks Ranch. Adoptions and Summer camps.

My wife and I kenneled our dog (Maya) at Helen Woodward's Club Pet for fourteen (14) years. The team at Club Pet was always great and their operations continually improved year-over-year. One year when we were out of the country and fires became a concern, Club Pet safely evacuated all the animals under their watch and when it was all-clear safely returned the evacuees all during the time we were away. When Maya passed away on Memorial Day 2018 the outpouring of good wishes was more than we could have imagined. You could not find better people than the staff at Club Pet to provide the best care for your special pet!

15 years ago this was one of the best and most organized rescues. We found that this is now over run and super inefficient.

Helen Woodward is a great place to take your animals to board them or have any type of work done to them they very much care about all the animals and very loving to everybody and of their customers I would highly recommend this place to anybody that loves are animals like I do

A beautiful facility and healthy pets to adopt. Love fostering here

Came in today to adopt a dog, seeings we just bought our first home with a large fenced yard. We asked about a dog that did not have any information on the kennel. When we asked the lady up front about it she said, "the dog could be in the adoption process or not ready to adopt today." Okay great, we kept asking questions hoping she would check. You know , do what you are supposed to do, Find out if the dog is being adopted or just not ready yet. She said, "you have to just keep checking the website." We are here now, why didn't she just go find out for us? I left and went to another shelter where we found another dog. They were very helpful. I felt very put off at Helen Woodward, almost as if we were a bother. All I wanted was to know the dogs name or something. It was just a frustrating experience . Will not recommend the shelter or return.

Had a birthday party here for my 3-year-old daughter. The price is very reasonable (double the price to do it at the zoo), plus you also help animals. We made arrangements about three months prior and the manager explained everything. The birthday host was friendly, professional, very knowledgeable about the animals we were shown and she was very flexible about our schedule. They have a variety of animals that they will show at your party and some you may be able to interact with. They do all the setup and provide utensils, napkins, invitations (you can email/print to guests) and plates. You just need to provide drinks, food and cake. There is a local pizza place nearby and a Domino's about 3 miles away.

Adopted my puppy 6 years ago boarded her several times at their boarding facility. Great facility they love your pets and take good care of them..

Private animal center. I was expecting to spend $100-$200 on a dog (like the San Diego Humane Society) but walked out spending $450 plus fees, ended up costing over $500. Ouch. I would have appreciated it if they posted their prices online so I could have chosen to go somewhere else. The humane society charges $195 and tells you the all the different breeds mixed in the dogs.

The workers there are very rude and the prices to adopt a pet are very high. Would not recommend for anyone but rich people probably

Helen Woodward is amazing!! I adopted my dog from here, and it was a great experience. I also have volunteered as a counselor at the critter camp. Such a lovely way to educate kids on different animals!!

Great staff and animals appear to be very well cared for....we adopted a great puppy.

Best local animal center! Has great camps and events for kids. And very knowledgeable and helpful staff.

This was my dog's first experience with boarding. The staff was fabulous in making my dog AND me comfortable with the time away from home. Actually I was more nervous than my dog. I picked him up freshly washed and happy.

Took my class on a tour here a couple of times. Very informative. No kill shelter.

My husband and I recently adopted our 2 year old Chihuahua blend from Helen Woodward. We weren't in the market for a puppy, and while there were puppies at the shelter, there were also quite a few adult dogs to meet as well. But of course we fell in love with our little gal. She is playful and so affectionate! And no, she was not cheap to adopt. But I like the fact that the money supports a nonprofit no kill shelter. If you want cheap, get a dog off Craig's list. If you want a dog that's been well checked out health wise and is not from a puppy farm, go for a shelter like this one!

Adopted two incredible loving cats here, came back to foster and volunteer! Good atmosphere, veterinary hospital and equine hospital on site, and they take good care of animals.

Disapontied in the consuler who told my kid to shut up don't bring your child here

My experience here was superb. Everyone was so kind and helpful. The facility is wonderful. The adoption fees are higher than other places but it's going to a great place.

Bad environment, every dog is outside in dirty and smelly crate during super hot summer. Discriminated adoption screening and incredible high adoption fee.