Best Animal Shelter Cambridge Near Me

Ann P: I was working for weeks with this organization to adopt a specific cat and only by the time my approval was done did they tell me the cat I wanted had already been adopted. I'm heart broken and the experience made me not want to adopt any cat from this organization again.

Sam Gonzalez: Broken Tail cares so much for their rescues and truly work hard to find them loving homes! They are thorough in their application and put in the effort to get the process done in a timely manner so that these kitties can be with their forever families. Would definitely recommend checking them out if you're looking to adopt a cat. :) picture of my 10 year old rescue, Sheba.

Emily Anderson: Great organization. They really do care about their animals. I adopted from there this summer. Brooke and her team are great! Odin is the best!

BreBre: Asked about one cat kept telling me I have to bring home two cats that’s not what I asked for though what if someone can only have one pet can’t force them take take both the animals when someone wants one and why would somebody want a cat that you can’t hold or play with not fun.

payal khanna: I highly recommend Broken Tail! After months of trying to adopt a cat and applying at numerous shelters with no luck or no response, Broken tail was a relief. Cats were very well cared for. The experience was great and we could adopt a cat very quickly. The entire process took 2-3 days. Maura was extremely helpful and friendly. She was very sweet, kept me updated throughout the process, highly communicative, answered all my questions. I adopted Shona in October 2021 and she is a blessing in my life.

Sin-D Supplee: I was able to adopt the sweetest 6 month old cat. The cats there seem very well cared for.

Damian Rose: Fun times

Tes C: They are a wonderful non-profit organization.

Molly Walker: People working hard for good outcomes. Good karma cycle

Laurene Darosa: Broken Tail is highly recommended by me! After months of trying to adopt a cat and applying at numerous shelters with no luck or no response Broken tail came through. Maura was extremely helpful and friendly. She answered all my questions and kept me updated when they got a cat that would be a good fit. My daughter and I went to meet the cat and Margaret was extremely helpful, I had to pick up a few things before I we brought our cat home she kept my daughter company while she continue play with the cat while I went to pay for the items I purchased, she gave us recommendations and was patient and very helpful!

teanna babcock: Healthy and sweet kittens 😸

Pearl Xie: Couldn't recommend them more! My boyfriend and I had been in serious consideration of adopting a kitten, and after applying to several shelters in the greater Boston area, we had no luck of getting any responses from anyone except Broken Tail Rescue. We submitted an application at 7 pm on a Friday night and got an extremely quick response from Brooke just two hours later. We were approved for adoption only a day later after a few more questions about our eligibility for adoption and were told no kittens were currently available but we would be notified as soon as there were. That was more than fine - we were happy just to get a response from someone (after leaving multiple voicemails, emails, and social media messages to other shelters with zero responses) and were willing to wait however long we had to for a kitten. However, the next Tuesday, just four days after we submitted our initial application, we were contacted about two kittens who were getting spayed and would be ready for adoption later that week. The foster family contact, Maria, was phenomenal - she sent us several photos and videos of both kittens with thorough descriptions of both of their personalities as well as answered all of our questions in the days leading up to us meeting them. When the day came, she allowed us as much time as we needed to spend with both kittens before deciding which one to take home, and sent us back with all the appropriate vet records and her favorite blanket and toys. She's also kept in touch afterwards to keep answering all our kitty questions and provide advice for helping her feel most at home. Since then our new kitten has adjusted super quickly to her new forever home, and I can't help but credit that to her amazing foster family for socializing and providing for her so well! We really couldn't be happier with our experience with Broken Tail :)

JOHN CHIN: Looks nice, haven't used it yet

Faith Barcelo: Great, caring staff! Maura helped me find my cat and couldn't be more grateful

Daniel Rufo: Good

Teena Eggleston: Save then all.

Angela “Brown eyes” Perrigo: It's a great place to adopt cats

C. Yang: A wonderful outfit!! All volunteer run & absolutely worth supporting in every way possible!!💪🐾👍

Katelyn Hoyt: I was helped yesterday with a volunteer who was extra polite and very experienced with the cats. I applied online while I was there, went next door to Panera Bread to grab lunch, and was approved while I was eating my lunch. I went home to get my carrier and picked up my new fur baby later on in the early evening. Very easy experience. I’m super happy and grateful! Thank you again!

Cog nomen: Really thorough and helpful, both on behalf of the cats and humans considering adopting.

Seth K: This non-profit does amazing work helping humanely control the feral cat population with TNR, helping cats survive cold winters with free shelters, and helping injured cats recover.

Kerry S: A member of Charles River Alleycat has assisted with trapping 4 ferals and strays that showed up over time at my house (Boston, MA). All were examined, neutered and vaccinated at no cost to me. 2 of them were more socialized and able to be adopted out pretty quickly. 2 others were feral and returned to my yard. 1 of the ferals has since been socialized and adopted out, and the remaining feral I continue to feed and look after. I’m grateful for the resources and commitment of this organization.

508 Magnets: The crew at Charles River Alleycats is amazing, always willing to help in anyway they can. Brockton has fewer homeless and sick cats due to their amazing team and TNR work. Truly dedicated to helping cats by keeping them safe and healthy! I can not recommend them enough!

Jan: I can't say enough good things about CRA. I live in Somerville and over the years there have been a few feral cats living in my neighbor's shed, and also using the little shelter that I put in my yard to keep them dry and safe. I supply food and water every day. CRA showed me how to trap the animals for neutering (lent me a trap) and even drove us to the vet for the procedures. When one of the males (who had been around for maybe 4 years) - got very sick and broke his leg and needed to be put down, the CRA rep was so kind and supportive. I was an emotional mess. She drove us to a vet who works with the organization, who very gently helped the little cat cross that rainbow bridge. If you need help or advice about the ferals in your neighborhood, don't hesitate to contact CRA.

Antonio Rodriguez: This woman traps cats next to their home and forces you to pay fines before she returns your cat. My cat is not the same . This woman Jacklyn who’s name should be Karen is a disgusting human being disguised as a cat lover. This woman is sick and took advantage of a struggling family during Covid. She refused to return our cat and accused a minor of being a criminal and breaking the law. Then told my 15 year old sister she has to pay a fine and was to negligent her cat. We found our cat and she said we are negligent after she setup a cat trap in his backyard. Took him away then lied and tried to force us to buy him back.

B johnson: There are not enough words to praise the hard work and dedication Theresa has displayed at my home day after day, night after night with her fierce determination to catch the feral cats and kittens that appeared at my house. She is amazing at what she does! Thank you so very much!!!

Jeff Brune: I live on the south shore approx. 35 miles from the base in Boston yet they came and answered my call for help..I can’t say enough on how their dedication, determination and understanding in our as senior citizens problem which had gotten out of control.Theresa was outstanding in her perseverance and constant attention in regards to trapping the 10 ferals and kittens. There aren’t enough words to praise this organization and especially Paula who sent Theresa who’s constant vigilance, diligence and obvious knowledge was remarkable..Thank you all!

Christine Atwell: Helps to help strays. Good organization

Stephanie Stanley: Amazing shelter, I used to volunteer here. The staff is friendly and the cats are very well care for. I highly recommend this shelter.

Aly Krastin: Kind, caring professionals and a clean, low-stress facility for rescued cats. Highly recommend!

Sadie Ray: Good selection, nice staff, but unfair in the way they do the selection process. I have been strung along after being pre-approved in person and then ultimately rejected for a cat I was approved for and had a hold on, which is and was ridiculously unfair and disappointing; I do not appreciate being led on and lied to. I suggest adopting from elsewhere (as they suggest those they "don't approve" do. Anyone who applies but is not approved evidently gets blacklisted indefinitely).

sibel raif: This is an excellent shelter dedicated to cats. I recomment to all who şs thinking of becoming a cat parent. They really make sure you are matched perfectly to make the experience perfect for everyone in the household.My second cat was matched perfectly to the difficult cat i already had at home and they have been living in harmony for the past 3 years.

Lynn Marie Foy (ElleMarie): I am so grateful to the shelter. They have really helped in my time of need.

Erica Marie: No kill shelter, nuff said

Maya Alfred: Thank you Gifford for helping me find the perfect new addition to my little family! I was so impressed by the level of care and support I received from Gifford at every step of the foster and adoption process. Gifford’s personalized approach helped me to ensure the safety, health, and happiness of my kitten, my resident cat, and me. I am over the moon and will recommend Gifford to anyone who is looking to adopt.

Pamela Lindhe: I just found the application confirmation in my email... from September of 2020. I'd lost both my geriatric cats earlier that year and was getting lonely. I never did hear anything -and it was the only shelter that never got back to me. If I was rejected, I would have liked to know. Thankfully, other shelters did respond and I was able to adopt a beautiful cat somewhere else.It does sound like they take good care of their cats and will do so as long as it takes for them to find a home, so if you just want a place to support this might be a good choice. If you're looking to adopt-be sure to include other shelters in your search, too.

Carolyn Griffel: I adopted from this shelter 3 months ago and the experience has been amazing. The shelter is super careful about placing their cats with the right forever home, which made me feel that much more confident that my cats and I were the right fit together. You can tell the staff really cares about each and every animal, well aware of each cat’s personality and needs. They are very honest with all medical info so there are no surprises upon adoption. As part of adoption, they offer 1 month free of pet insurance and 1 free vet appointment. They also have a behavior coach available to help you out at any time. I can’t recommend Gifford shelter enough. Next time you are looking to adopt, think about adopting from here!

MB: Very clean and the animals are well taken care of.

Alexandra Nope: Submitted an application by email. No response for nearly a month now. Tried calling multiple times, no response. Unfortunate.

Christine Nunziato-Bonenfant: Still trying to get in to see ANY cats for adoption. They canceled two prior appointments because they didn’t “have any cats to fit my profile.” I was interviewed by a knowledgeable volunteer over the phone almost 2 months ago to learn I was accepted as an adoptive parent. The online appointment process is akin to getting a vaccination back in April. We’ve had cats for 30 years. COVID is no excuse for this controlling and overly drawn out process. I understand the welfare of animals and appreciate a shelter’s mission. But not this is something else.

Emmie: This the greatest no kill free roam cat shelter! This nonprofit is an great place to adopt. The genuinely want you to find the best fit for both you, your family,lifestyle, and the cat/kitten(s) as well. You must apply and be approved before being able to search for cat/kitten(s) in the shelter, but GiffordCats.org is a website where you can get a look at some of the cats/kittens and their personalities. Want a kitten? Gifford adopts them in bonded pairs usually, but not always. Gifford always in need donations of items, go to web page to look at wish lists. My Moonshine (adopted here) fully agrees with my post.

S M: I adopted a feral kitten from the shelter. Amazing, caring staff. It’s a non kill shelter, the facility is clean, cats are in different rooms rather than in cages.

Chris Bailey: A great place to find a cat! Their adoption service is top notch, cars come fixed, and chipped. You get a free wellness check after adoption, and lifetime behavioral assistance. The staff is great and the cats are great too!

Spencer Warren: Had a great experience and they set me up with the perfect cat

Linda Kaboolian: I hope everyone reading these reviews remembers that during the pandemic shelters relying on volunteers were especially hard hit. This shelter was one of those. I was trying to adopt cats during this time and found that communication was difficult with all shelters. I eventually adopted two wonderful cats but the pandemic made the experience very difficult for all involved. Luckily there are no kill shelters like this one and while I did not adopt from here, I am going to support it with contributions. Please consider that when you think about ratings.

Donna Adduci: The cat we got has litter box issues loves to poop outside his box. Not easy to tolerate.

Teodor Georgiev: Was attempting to adopt a cat from here and was approved for one. The experience was just very odd and I got the sense that the person showing us around wasn't being honest with us. They first told us to just wait until the cat was seen by a vet before adopting it, but then that turned into "the cat has bonded with another cat so now you need both. But we'll call you about other cats." They never called us back. I would encourage officers to be more honest in the future.

Dalila Franzolini: The Gifford Shelter has been AMAZING from the beginning to end. We wanted to foster a cat and this was the perfect place to do so. The most caring staff really made sure we found a perfect match, so much so that we adopted our new family member :) I have LOVED this experience with Gifford and would recommend it to everyone! I would like to thank Marie and Emily especially for their constant patience and help throughout the months!

Melissa Jefferson Caste: Such wonderful, caring people. They helped me & mostly my kitties. Made my heart feel at ease, & my kitties get a new chance. Very grateful.

Ruth Henderson: Refusing a transport because they were “late” and putting cats in jeopardy? This is not a rescue.

Emily L: Good group of people, relies on nearby community members volunteering their time and homes to foster pets waiting for adoption and help with other coordinating, driving to vet appointments etc.

yashvi parikh: I was a foster at this organization for a couple of months . While the cats here are absolutely adorable , everything else is just horrible. The owner and some of the volunteers don’t really give you any detail on the cats you are getting and if they are sick . The cats are all kept in a basement without any hygiene conditions. They forget that you have your own schedule and will schedule calls and visits with potential adopters anytime. Your personal information will be all shared and they will blame you for everything if it doesn’t work out their way .

Jessica Lance: Best place for kittens

GP#34 Google Censors The Truth - crApple too.: Never answer the phone. Called multiple times Left a polite message and asked for a return call I’ve never received a return call. Literally there is no way to get in contact with these people what do they do how are they making money hopefully it’s not from taxpayers.

Robert Scott: Owner is unprofessional. Does not care about the animals, rude to the volunteers.

M F: Although the communication was a little intermittent and the process took much longer than I expected, I am so glad I hung in there because I got the most adorable kitty ever! Not only does Oreo have the spunkiest, loving, friendliest personality I've ever seen in a cat, but she checked out at my own vet totally healthy. This is also the 1st cat I've ever owned that jumps on the bed to snuggle with me and I love it! She is fine with the dog and I am so happy! Thank you guys so much!

Tori Gardiner: Amazing experience. Super fast. applied for a little cutie, had a video call with foster home, paid and then brought her home the very next day. Foster home was amazing and kind and super nice.

c massone: Owner is extremely rude! Grabbed my friends cat by the neck roughly; berated my friend for her cat carrier (she had donated her good one to another kitty connection pet owner) and was just an all around JERKFind somewhere else to get a pet or leave your pet; My friend was already upset she couldn't keep the cat(daughter developed severe allergy) You don't need to treat ppl that way.Remember to BE KIND in EVERY SITUATIONI hope the owner reads this and apologizes to my friend; she knows what she did was out of line and wrong!

pam tipping: Fabulous cat centred charity. They truly care for their kittens and strays. We adopted 2 kittens that were used to being handled. Both have adorable personalities and our grand children are over the moon.

HelloKaylee: Not responsive at all! No matter how many times I fill out an adoption form for a cat they always say that they will bring an adoption consular to talk to me and if I haven’t heard from then in a week then I will have to email again. Did it and NO RESPONSE. Feels like these people are ignoring me than actually helping out. Also their YELP reviews don’t look so good…

Marianelys Tejeda: they lied about our cats age, they said she was 1 when she was actually 4 years old and made us pay the price of a kitten rather than an adult. i get why they want to lie about the cats age but that is just bad business. she also came with worms and the overall space was very sketchy, smelled bad, cramped. when we walked in there were two cats that were literally fighting each other.

A. W: Save the kittens!!!!

Maria Mica Garcia: Nicest people, amazing auction and yard sales.

Amanda LeBlanc: I really don't recommend supporting this organization! The owner is EXTREMELY unprofessional and rushed me out of the disgusting freezing dirty basement she was keeping the two kittens I adopted her from in. I was unaware that you had to adopt kittens in pairs, but I chose to adopt the two because of the poor condition they were in. Luckily enough, they are the two sweetest loves of my life. Marie is definitely in it for the money. They also see the worst rated veterinarian in Lynn, which could explain all of the sick cats easily. I'm sure the fosters are wonderful, but overall the owner is not someone who loves animals at all. This isn't a charitable organization. This is a money grabbing business. I pray for the poor cats who have to go through Marie.

Lewis Wilson: I actually surrendered a cat here, I was heart broken to do it in the first place and the rescue contacted me through my kittys add asking me to surrender her to them. At the time I was happy to do so because I didn’t want my cat to go to a kill shelter and they told me they would keep in contact with me while she was adopted out. After we surrendered her we never heard from them again. I looked online for them to list my girl for months and they never did and that’s when I discovered their Yelp and Google reviews. Morale of the story is don’t consider surrendering here if you care about what becomes of your animal. Read all the reviews on this place.

Dewey Johnson: GREAT, FRIENDLY people! So nice meeting them, and we love what they do for the kitties!

V Brightside: Positive:ProfessionalismAdopted a kitten who we named Lemon Lime through Kitten Connection in October 2020. Her sister Rumple was adopted from a similar organization, Cat Connection, down in Florida. Cats are fostered by different individuals so may be a mixed bag, but my experience was very positive. Cats I met were all very well-cared for and socialized.

Paul Trager: So attentive when I called for help with feral cat and baby. They care!!!

Jasmine B: We go here for training classes for our dog and I’m so impressed with how much I’ve learned. Our trainer, Summer, is helpful, dedicated, and cares about every dog in class. We will certainly be doing more training classes here, I highly recommend this location for any training classes.

Renee modlin: The rescue league is just as serious as I am about animal cruelty. They were sure to follow up several times AND involved the Boston Police who also followed up.

Jonathan Dasilva: My boyfriend Chandler and I adopted Lavina a couple of weeks ago! She's the cutest thing! We're adopting another puppy in a couple days as well! Staff is very nice!

xue jie: About a week ago my bf and I adopted our perfect dog Bilbo (AKA Ross), we had great experiences there - clean environment and animals were receiving lots of love from the staff! We feel very lucky to have Bilbo, he is the sweetest guy and very well-behaved despite being a 7-month-old baby! Thank you ARL-Boston for making this happen!!

Annaliese Tubbs: I went and gave money after me and my friend saved up all year! they were SO thankful and I am planning a huge bake sale to raise money to donate again! Thank you for helping animals in need Animal Rescue League of Boston! I am also planning when I can to maybe come and adopt an animal!

Luisa Salazar: 3 years ago I adopted my cat in this place, but today I visited the place to take a donation and adopt another cat, the woman at the reception a whole love, but when the manager of the place came to talk to us I had a terrible experience, she has no empathy, her treatment was rude and grotesque, she was sad and disappointed after having had a good experience years ago,Adopting is the best option but you always want to have a good experience when you visit a place, it makes me sad that she is the manager of a place to adopt someone who will be part of your family

Angela Allard: They are awesome at the Boston Animal rescue League. They have the most wonderful and caring people you will ever have the privilege to meet. They are absolutely wonderful. They helped us find our girl. When we went out (from Worcester) there to see the dog they felt he wasn't a good match for us, and they were right. When we got back home, I sad so disappointed. We told them again what we were looking for, and they said they would keep their eyes open for us and said they would do their best to find us what we needed to complete our. When we get home that night they sent us a picture of our baby. Right away we knew she belonged home. We went back out the next day, spent some time with her, took her home that day and she hasn't been back since. Our forever girl found us. We've had our little girl for two years now. We couldn't love her anymore.Thank you Boston ARL for completing our family,The Allard'sDavid, Angela and Charli ❤️

Susan Zangari: Was checking g to see availability of dogs for adoption.

Holly Snoop&Fuzzy: my favorite local shelter. So much so that ARL is Beneficiary in my Will. Hopefully, ARL has a tow company arrangement for vehicle donation. The MS PAWS Mobile is 20 trs old and "done". Will be donated to charity.

DEE KO: I went to the Boston location & I was adopted by a tabby Cat, he chose me!

Jacob Dong: In the afternoon, I was bored with my girlfriend and wanted to go to shelter for a walk. I came across a new litter of puppies. One of them was a black one, which we saw at first sight, and the staff kept telling us to make sure there was no one in line ahead of us to see the litter. After an hour of waiting, we finally got in line, and the staff knew we were next and adopted the dog with an another family. We double-checked that the puppy was not reserved, first come, first served, and that family came after us. Later communication with the staff was useless, only admitting their mistakes but not solving any practical problems. The most outrageous is telling us that we can't punish another family for their shelter's mistakes, implying that we have to accept their mistakes? Just don't go to this shelter to get angry 🙏

Greg Ivey: Great place to volunteer!

Andrew Capostagno: I highly recommend adopting from here. Such a great place with a very friendly staff who definitely care for the animals well.

Kelly Miller: We recently had our cat neutered through the Franklin Park Spay Wagin'. It was a great experience! The staff was wonderful and the incision healed beautifully. Highly recommend if you are in need of low cost vet care.

Julor Hart: I called them about a lost guinea pig and talked to someone there. I was told that I would receive a call back and someone would come out that week to get him .. I never received a call or any type of reconntion after calling back a second time. I know nothing about guinea pigs and it was almost impossible to get to talk to someone about him.. now the guinea pig is extremely sick and I feel like a bad person because of his current condition. IT IS EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONAL AND INHUMANE TO HEAR OF A ABANDONED ANIMAL AND DO NOTHING!!

Raza Shirazi: Caitlin and Michelle is who I spoke with. Very unprofessional staff including managers and very unfriendly welcoming. They basically want to keep pets which are all nice and easy going. Generally speaking they won’t help u with your situation and rather run their business.

Rose M. Gottschalk (Wonderland): Its a very caring place. However if you plan on trying to volunteer, you would have to pay for change to be picked to trained last time I checked it was 12$ or 15$? To hold a spot or something??

Paul M.: Very nice and clean,

Bobby Carapellucci (Bobby Cap): Friendly staff.

Peter Donnelly Jr.: Everybody is so nice and helpful.Csn get the pet of your dreams there.

Tayun Park: I came in to foster a cat and they were very helpful, friendly, and informative. The fostering process was pretty speedy and thorough. Would highly recommend fostering or adopting with them.

S. Diez: We tried to be part of The Cat Connection as fosters and the communication was terrible. They wouldn't answer or return our calls or emails. After trying a few times we finally got and answer asking us to fill up the paperwork we had already filled and sent twice. Not the best place to foster.

Darlene Statkiewicz: Very clean and pleasant atmosphere for cats and visitors. Volunteers and director were very friendly and helpful when I needed to surrender my female cats.

Marce Pareja Araujo: The people who run The Cat Connection are literal angels for cats. From the intake volunteers to the people at the shelter and their foster and adoption network, every step of the way is done with the outmost love and care for cats. I could not have found a better place to bring a stray baby I rescued. Thank you so much for all you do for the kitties!

Anirudh Chirala: Adopted two cats here. Can confirm, the cat connection provided the best interaction I’ve had with an adoption center

Runz with Scissors: T.C.C. folks are Truely "Angels" in Disguise. They helped tremendously when I suddenly Inherited a full grown furbaby. Poor guy had been abused & neglected. It was my neighbor's dying request that I take his Cat. I'm a person of my word. I already have a cat w/neurological issues. In any case, I/we worked w/"Dupee" and he came around to only become a big Snuggle Bug! Both my "Kidz" are awesome. Thank you C.C. for all ur support and I'll keep donating items when possible. ♡ ya

Diane Shaughnessy-Moy: So thankful to them for my beautiful, playful furbabies!