Save-A-Pet Inc

When i entered the building in hopes of finding a new kitten I was welcomed with a terrbile smell. The staff was mean and annoyed with my presence. I had to fill out paper and i was interviewed. They asked if i believe in neutering and i said no, it tortures animals! They were mad at my response and told me I cant see any kittens if i dont believe in neutering!

If there were an option for no stars they would get it. They are rude and condescending............................................

I don't normally do this, but feel the need to because of all these negative reviews. First off, I have adopted here more than once. No time did I ever feel the way that others state here. I have felt this when just visiting, which does bother me and I also understand. The cats need interaction and visitors, but they also are protective of their animals and therefore watch your interactions. I am very protective of my kids (cats) and understand why they are as well. They love and care for these animals and don't want just anybody coming in for a "cute kitten". Like most small things, they grow up and the cuteness can wear off (as in, now a big cat that has more needs). So I get it. So if you feel that you are being judged, guess what, you are! Would you not judge the person you were handing your child over to? If you were pregnant and decided upon adoption, would you not go over every person with a fine toothed comb? I sure would. And one reason why I won't volunteer, is because I'd probably think no one was good enough. Too many people like the idea, but not the responsibility. I currently have two ferals at my back door constantly. You don't think some stupid human adopted and then set them free? I'm sure they did…Save A Pet decides to make that decision before it happens and I say "Great job"!

Yes Save a Pet asks alot of questions but they just do not want theses orphans to be bouncd over a over again.I got the most wonderful black kitty there and had NO problem with the questions.Everyone was kind and helpful and Im really glad I over looked theses negative reviews.Give Save a Pet a chance,Im sure glad I did and if you are really ready for a pet so will you.

I have been thinking about getting a cat and have never been a cat owner before. I went into Save-A-Pet to try to decide if a cat was the right choice for me.



I was helped in the main cat room by two very nice volunteers. They were patient with me and gave me some useful information. I was amazed by how helpful and knowledgeable they were. I have no hesitations about going back to Save-A-Pet when I am ready to adopt. It's an unbelievable place and can see what good work they do!it

After the loss of my cat I went to Save A Pet hoping to adopt two young small kittens. The "large kittens" they were trying to pass off as less than a year were not exactly what I was looking for. I asked if they had any "smaller kittens". I felt like I had asked for something I shouldn't have. They told me that we would have to foster smaller kittens if that is what we were interested in. I filled out all the paperwork, was interviewed by a rude young staff member, and waited, waited. I called called called - no response. I own my own home, have a stable job but yet was not deemed good enough to adopt a pet no one wants. These poor animals are in dirty small cages, the whole place smells yet someone who would love and provide for them is turned away. I will have to find my kittens thru ads in the paper. I will tell everyone what a bad experience I had.

Wow, I went there to adopt a cat or kitten because after one and a half years of grieving I finally decided it was time to get a new kitten. But the staff was so mean and grouchy. Not helpful at all, and really put a dark cloud on what should be a happy experience. I felt they were judging me, scrutinizing me in a very suspicious way and I could not understand why because I have always been a good "cat mom" and been loving and caring with the pets I have had. I left there, without a new pet, kinda in shock at the way I was treated. I wonder if it is just the grouchy women at the desk or if the people who work with the cats are so unhappy too. I hope they are nicer to the animals than they are to the people. It seems this shelter used to get good reviews, but not for the past few years. I would think with all the homeless pets out there, they would be trying to encourage folks, not treat them like they are criminals. What a pity because all those animals need good homes. Maybe I shouldn't judge the whole organization on the poor dispositions of just a few. Maybe they have heard so many pet horror stories over the years that it has spoiled their taste for humans. Anyway, the people at Orphans of the Storm were very very nice.

I was at Save-a-Pet last week looking for a kitten for my son and daughter. We had decided on an adorable kitten, but I was told that I had to bring back my lease and a note from my landlord stating that he would allow cats. So the next day I brought the required information back to their office. Then they wanted me to go back home and get my dog, an adorable Chihuahua, to make sure that the kitten would get along with her, my dog. So I did. During that time, we found out that the kitten had a parasite and could not have contact with other animals or small children, even after my children played with it the day before. The female manager had told us that the parasite was only transferable to other cats, not dogs or humans. I was willing to make adjustments for the kitten to come home with us. Then to our avail, after 3 more hours, the manager told us that his gut feeling told him that our dog and the kitten were not going to get along, so he would have to decline our adoption. My children were heart broken. I would never recommend anyone go there, unless they like wasting their time.

Wow, where do I start with this one? It amazes me to this day the ordeal Save-a-pet unnecessarily put my family and I through … and we were only there for approx 2 hours. (Unlike other people’s reviews I have found, that have spent days trying to get a pet from this center) Seriously, if anyone is reading up on this center before they go in, “save-yourself” the trouble.



From the moment we walked in the center, we could just feel the tension and hatred oozing from the employees. Not once did anyone look us in the eyes and smile. Not once did they put out any effort to make our trip to this center a positive one. As a family we went in, hoping to make a nice day trip on visiting the animals, and if we were lucky find that special someone to bring in our lives. We are responsible, patient, loving people; but this center never found this out, and we refuse to do business with this type.



I’ve searched all the reviews about this center and its pretty consistent. These people are like the dogs themselves, barking and snapping at the people that come in. It’s really a sad situation, because I am sure most people that walk in have a positive attitude, wanting to do right. And the people this center is afraid to do business with are the very people that will lie and tell them what they want to hear with ease, while walking out with their pet.

I now have a 11 month old am staff who I lovingly adopted from another shelter (for more money by the way). But I had an awful time at save-a-pet. We had been looking for the perfect dog for us for about 6 months and were concerned about getting a pit bull that would be good with our 4 year old. We spoke to the people at Save- A- Pet and they said that they understood our concern and seemed okay. However they were NEVER friendly towards us on our 4-5 visits there. The last time we went the women was very stand offish and did not seem to care that we would like to adopt a dog. When they finally finished talking to us they left and 20 min later came back and said we could not have a am staff due to the fact that we did not have a fence (which we were planning on getting). We said that we had already had an permit to get one and that it would be put up the first week in march. She walked away and came back with a guy who told us even with a fence we could not have a puppy from them. When we asked why he said that we did not have enough experience with Pit bulls to get one (we have both had pits when we were kids and had another large dog as adults). I was very irritated because most shelters try hard to adopt them off because they are less desirable (according to some people I have never loved a breed so much) and these people are hording them without ever having seen us interact with one of these amazing animals.

I hope people go into Save-A-Pet and experience it for themselves. I had NO problem adopting from there. I have 3 dogs now from there and I work, don't have a fenced-in yard, etc... Their expectations do not seem high at all, just reasonable. It really seemed like they just want to make sure they are helping you with the right match so the animal will stay in your home for life and not be homeless again. Every time I have gone in there the animals are healthy and the place is extremely clean. Their adoption fees are average range for the area...I have seen MUCH higher! The thing I love most about this place is that they know their animals well and are brutally honest about them. They don't want to see them come back so they want people to know what they are getting into up front. This was the case with my adoptions...I knew their special needs up front and wanted them anyways. Save-A-Pet is a wonderful place to adopt from!

They are not completely honest on their website or postings about issues and behaviour problems with certain pets. We went to see a dog that was listed in all their ads as two years old and calm, and they turned out to be eight, and not good with people at all. The manager is so condescending that she gives long diatribes on how awful a pet owner you are right before they refuse to show you a dog. All that because her dog rearing philosophy and yours might not be completely the same, even if there are plenty of dog trainers, vets and books that back up your training methods and understand your dog because they have worked with your dog. We brought our children in and were told that you should ignore what your vet says and listen to her if you ever want to have a dog, and that the dogs were better off in her care (in a cage 22-23 hours a day) than they would be in a loving home if you ever had to leave your dog alone in the house. Even if you meet the expecations listed on their web site, be assured that you will not be shown a dog at all if you don't jump through hoops for the staff. Their ads for their animals are rude and condescending to the prior families and have a lot of passive agressive negativity mixed in with their comments about "love and compassion" and "karma". Worse experience I've ever had with staff, and I've adopted dogs in the past with great success and visit//volunteered at several shelters. It's clear that the manager treats the facility as her own personal hording house, since she makes it very clear that pets are better off with her than anywhere else. The dogs are well taken care of but they are not a people friendly facility. Shelters do a great service to animals and animal rights, but it should not be done with paranoia, and self-righteous disdain for potential owners.

I went to this shelter to adopt a pet and was shocked at the number of sickly looking animals with dirty cages. I spent several hours waiting and filling out paperwork. I answer several questions with an employee about what my plans were for this animals long term care as well as how much money I was willing to spend monthly (which I had no limit to). I was also informed that the animal I had picked was very sick and needed medication which I was ok with. However, after over 3 hours of endless questions and smiles from staff I was told my home was not going to be good enough for the animal I was looking to adopt. A warm home with a bed, food and constant love and care isn't good enough for an animal trapped in a cage with no one to care for him? I asked about a yard being an issue (since I do not have one) and was told that was not it at all but that the manager would be contacting me with a few questions the next day and the pet could not come home with me at that time. Over a month later, with me trying to contact them several times, this imaginary manager has not contacted me at all. I am not sure what happened to that poor puppy and I hope daily that he lived.

I would not recommend this shelter for any animal to be stuck in. It smelled horrific and looked overly populated and dirty, with dogs and cats in cages stacked up all over the walls and down halls. Obviously they are in it for the money since a dog adoption fee is over $200.00 (which is the highest of all the shelters I have since looked at) and they are not concerned about the animals getting good homes, since I was not the only person told I was not a good enough home that day.

I have since gone and adopted a dog from a different shelter. They asked the same question about finances and long term care. They required me to bring in old vet records from my dog who passed away as well as proof my landlord would allow a dog. They could not believe the amount of money I spent to save my last pets life. This entire process even with waiting for faxes from my landlord and doctors took less time then I waisted at save a pet. I also paid an extremely lower adoption fee that included all the same stuff (micro-chipped, fixed, vaccinated) and this dogs not sick! Do yourself a favor and go to a shelter that is really looking out for the animals, not just themselves and the paychecks they will get from your money.

These animals need a home! A rescued animal makes the best pet.

Animal adoption is a great way to obtain a new pet for the home, and Save-A-Pet is one of the best in the greater Chicago-land area.