Animal Village NM

Cynthia Werner

2021-05

I am so happy with my experience with Animal Village NM. Mt relationship with AVNM started when I saw a cute set of puppies on petfinder.com that "matched" what I was looking for. This was a big decision for me, and I liked the fact that there were lots of photos and videos of the puppies. It was clear that all of their animals were well cared for, and Sunny does everything she can to make sure they have a positive shelter experience. The next step was filling out the adoption application. I was worried that the review might take days, but was impressed that applications are reviewed and references are called on the same day of the application. After I was approved, I talked to Sunny by phone to ask a few follow-up questions about the pups. It was during that call that I realized that AVNM is a truly remarkable shelter. She took the time to describe the personalities of the puppies, to describe everything she knew about their history and current care, and to send a photo of the puppies' parents. After I arrived from a long trip from out-of-town, I was treated like a special guest as I met all of the pups in the litter, and selected my puppy. My adoption was finalized, and now I am enjoying my perfect puppy!

Maryann Wilson

2021-05

We adopted a sweet little pup that we named Junebug from Animal Village NM and couldn't be happier. She is a happy little puppy and you can tell she was very well taken care of. Yes, the application is long and you have to provide references. They do check with your vet to make sure you are a responsible pet owner. If you are, then you shouldn't have anything to worry about. You can tell they really care about their animals and want them to go to a good home. One thing I really appreciate is if your pup accidentally gets out they will mobilize all of their resources to help you find them, no matter the time day or night! They were also super nice and the puppy room was really clean.

Moises Mascorro

2021-05

Extremely satisfied with this place. After doing the extensive application, which they will follow up on, no doubt, and being called and told that we have made it to the meeting portion, everything went smooth. The staff at Animal Village really care about the animals they care for and only want to find them the best possible home, such is why the extensive application. All the pups were really well cared for and had some training. Our pup was not afraid to meet our doggie and they've gotten along really well. Thank you Animal Village.

Lani Williams

2019-05

After a long and extensive process, my family and I were finally able to get out to Animal Village to see the dogs.When we got there we were welcomed in and went straight out to the park/play area. They brought out a few dogs one at a time. We decided we would take home Mash. And he's been a joy. He's great on our walks! Sleeps at my feet and lays in my lap (even though he's about 70lbs). Absolutely 100% trained. He's so amazing. I really want to thank Sunny and the staff at Animal Village. This was a great experience.I will admit, I have read the other reviews. But I'm pleasantly surprised by the time spent with us and the personal attention that we received. I can't say anything bad.

epli pastorfield-li

2020-05

they are wonderful! couldn't have had a better and more thoughtful experience. i love my cat, and it's clear they knew him and loved him so well until his forever home came along. by far the best adoption experience i have had in all of my years of rescuing animals.

Maize E - W

2020-05

Animal Village NM is a wonderful animal rescue organization. They have a beautiful facility. They have a phone number and they answer it, which in itself is unusual nowadays; at least that has been my experience. I inquired about a dog I had seen on their website and he was still available. The online application for adoption was thorough and showed they really care about who adopts their animals. I submitted it and in less than 24 hours I was approved to adopt. It was a four hour drive to get to the shelter, but totally worth it because we came home with Charlie, an amazing 6 month old puppy. Raised on Science Diet puppy food and supplemented with flax seed meal, blue green algae and salmon oil, Charlie has the softest coat imaginable and a sweet smell. He is a real love bug!

Carl Balser

2020-05

I have been supporting Animal Village before they even opened their doors as a volunteer on the weekends. That was late 2010. I still support Animal Village to this day with monthly donations. I currently have 2 wonderful 9 year old dogs that was adopted from Animal Village. Animal Village only has their animals best interest at hand. I would recommend Animal Village to anyone looking to adopt a pet. Animal Village goes above and beyond to make sure all animals adopted out receives a loving and caring life time home. They also go to great lengths to bring back any pet adopted out that is not taken care of like they should be. Animal Village is the best animal shelter I have seen.

Anthony Lucero

2022-05

Sunny helped me adopt this beautiful and fun parrot...could not have asked for a better partner in arranging for the bird to come to a new home...I have wanted a parrot since I was a kid and Nappo here has not disappointed me at all! Thank you Sunny

Laurie Kirschner

2021-05

We adopted a senior dog with Cushings disease and we were very impressed with the shelter and how well Sunny and the staff care for their animals. I had to fill out a detailed adoption application and when I met our new family member I understood how careful Sunny is about making sure that the animals are going to a new home that can care for them and give them the love they deserve. I have recommendedAnimal Village to people who want to adopt. I'm so glad we chose to adopt from Animal Village.

Kristen Sell

2021-05

Sunny was great to work with and we are just absolutely smitten with our new baby girl (puppy). She did her due diligence checking our family, references, and home before allowing us to bring our girl home. You have to understand that when you are adopting from animal village NM you are adopting one of their "babies" and they make sure that their kiddos go to good, loving homes ❤️

Tami Colon-Escobar

2020-05

I have had the pleasure of witnessing first hand the monumental effort of love and care that this wonderful rescue puts into saving animals. They have ALWAYS gone above and beyond to find the best homes for their rescues! They meticulously follow up on their adopted babies, sharing the good news with the rest of us who follow them! I 100% recommend this rescue above ANY I have ever dealt with in the past! Nothing but respect and admiration from me!

John Campbell

2020-05

This week marks one year of my adoption of a wonderful best pal. The Animal Village is nothing sort of amazing. Friendly staff, clean facilities, and healthy, well-cared for dogs. I would go back there and adopt them all if I could. I'm at my limit, but I will recommend my friends to check there when they are looking for a great Rescue/adoption place.

Arista Boone

2020-05

I called to ask questions and get some information on the adoption process. I tried to explain we had to give a dog up from a shelter we had adopted from because the dog had bit me and drew blood. The owner got on the phone and kept talking over me and wouldn't let me speak. I will be going to adopt a dog from a shelter and giving it a forever home. I will not be adopting from this facility. Our personal information is ours and does not need to be known by this facility. Just because someone doesn't want to give you their personal information doesn't mean they will be bad or irresponsible pet owners. We are a military family therefore we move a lot not by our choice. We do the best we can. We have a very happy dog we saved from abusive owners, and have had her for a little over a year and is now much healthier than when we first adopted her. So thank you for assuming I would be a bad owner.

John Gower

2018-05

My family just recently adopted a dog from here and we are very happy with our overall experience. The staff were very friendly and worked hard on maintaining the facility and caring for the animals. So it is obvious to me that they truly do care about the animals and where they end up.

Sara Halbrook

2016-05

So this is a review for Animal Village NM. We adopted a beautiful puppy last week from them! The adoption process was amazing! I love how much they put into checking everything before letting anyone take in an animal. You can tell they truly care for their little ones! Well after taking in this 8 week great puppy we realized her playful puppy side was constantly biting our 20 month old son who was great with her surprisingly with how young he is. We tried everything we could run get her to stop but nothing was working. We understand she is just a puppy but our son had several bad bites and it started to scare him of the puppy. Side note he was attacked by another dog at just 13 months old so with his fear now of the new puppy we knew we couldn't keep her because we didn't want to scare him for life of dogs. We have to think of our son first. So after just having her for a week we took her back and as soon as my husband asked if they do a refund Sunny went off on my husband when all he did was ask and she said no so he said wee would like to try again and train her with their classes and she said no we are keeping the dog she asked him to leave and he didn't so she called the cops. Apparently the is a common occurrence with her from what he was told. So we lost out $300 and a dog. When we only had the puppy 7 days and I understand their worry for the animal but what about the safety of a child. She will adopt the puppy or again and make another $300 she sure is making out good here huh!? Everything was great till she went crazy, couldn't even remember how long we had the puppy and even lied to the cops. I don't ever post reviews but honestly people should know be careful!

Connie Glass

2019-05

They have the healthiest & happiest pets ever here! All the animals are well taken care of and up to date on all their shots. The staff here are wonderful and know everything about each animal which helps to adopt the right pet for your home and life style. You cannot go wrong adopting from this shelter!

Robert Walton

2023-05

Thank you Animal Village NM! I didn't know what I was gonna do for food for my dogs cause I had no money till Friday. When I pulled up, the lady was leaving out the door, but she was so kind and helpful, she went back in and grabbed me two bags of food for my dogs. Y'all are a blessing, I had no idea what else I could do.. thank you so much.. God bless you for helping keep our furbabys fed.. just sometimes we fall on hard times and it's nice to know there are people that help

Becky Horowitz

2016-05

We had the most wonderful experience when we adopted Sammy from Animal Village. As we have other dogs, Sonny advised us to bring up the Alpha dog in the pack, so we brought up Mookie to meet Sammy. Under the guidance of Sonny, we introduced them to each other in the play area and walked them around on leashes before letting them play together with supervision. The meeting was successful, and we made arrangements to adopt Sammy. He is a real joy and gets along well with everyone, and we could not have had a better experience at any other facility. The place was very clean, the staff was dedicated, and Sonny was actively involved in the entire process.was activity

Boxer FortyFour

2020-05

We have had very good experience with Animal Village. So good in fact that we've adopted 3 great dogs from there. They show a level of care and concern for their animals that I don't know how they could improve.

Andrew GILLESPIE

2019-05

My wife and I are retired, have owned dogs all our lives. We found Animal Village very difficult to communicate with to simply ask questions. Further, we found the application, which apparently must be completed before we could even meet the dog we were interested in adopting, very intrusive. Pay stubs, utility bills, references, complete health history of all our other animals, references, vet information, personal information of our nearest neighbor. We will look elsewhere to adopt.

Jackie Johnston

2020-05

This is the best animal rescue! I like the training that the adopters and their dogs have after adoption. That is so important for making the adoption successful. The animals are not forgotten after they are adopted. Animals abandoned long after adoption thousands of miles away have been brought back to Animal Village. I do not know anyone more committed to her rescued animals than Sunny Aris.

Monica Woltz

2022-05

I only gave one star so that I would be able to leave my review.. Sunny Aris is a disgusting human she took my son’s fur baby and refuses to give him back. He is chipped under my son’s name animal control and law enforcement is now involved. Anyone who tries to support my son is blocks and comments are deleted. If she did nothing wrong why delete everything. Please be cautious adopting pets from her they probably were not hers to adopt out. To the person who may have adopted our beloved Taz (Puck) please return him to his rightful owner my son!

Felicity Stish

2022-05

Every time I have asked about places to adopt an animal around town, the first thing I hear is "Dont go to Animal Village". From stealing the rescues back to the gaslighting to the cutting of the employees paychecks, this place does not seem safe for any rescued pets.I had applied for an interview for this place a while ago, and while walking through I noticed that they had some dogs inside and some outside. When we went outside, the dogs had small cages, some had multiple dogs, and small igloo houses to themselves, which in the New Mexico heat seems extremely unsafe. One dog was mentioned as extremely aggressive and that we couldnt pet through the cage which is fine, except why allow the animal to be listed to be rehomed if the animal is aggressive and not trained yet?I had heard many rumours about this place, and while peeking through the reviews it seems most of them are true. I would hate to spend all this time and money on giving a pet the perfect home just to it be taken back from me. I dont understand why anyone would do this to animals, but maybe Animal Village should reconsider their tactics because rumors spread fast and is causing people to be weary of your shelter.

Shelley Horton

2022-05

I have adopted many animals in my life and Sunny and staff are the most professional and compassionate rescue I have worked with. In the middle of the pandemic I lost my 12 lab who was companion to my 1 yr Chi. He was devastated. I live in Nevada and you could not find a dog to adopt ANYWHERE! After a month of filling out many many applications I found Sopapilla now (Sandia) on there web-site. Well I fell in love! Upon submitting the application within minutes Sunny responded and with a lot of legitimate questions and concerns regarding an out of state adoption we started the process to make her mine. Needless to say it is a 16 hour drive to Alamogordo. I arraigned a transport which totally flaked after being told to meet in Las Vegas, in which we were already there. I was crushed and due to time restrains there was no way to drive to get Sandia. I was going to have to leave without her and my Chi at home was not doing well at all. Sunny reached out to an associate and with in 15 min Richard was on the road with Sandia to drive 5 1/2 hours to meet in Holbrook,AZ. I truly don't know of anyone else who would have made this happen. Sandia turns 1 yr old 7/8 and I cant imagine my life without her. So if you are looking to adopt please ignore the nasty and negative reviews as these dogs in her care have won the doggy lottery to be with her & Staff

Mary Dziak

2019-05

Animal Village N.M is a wonderful place to adopt a new family member. All of the animals are well cared for and loved. The application process is a bit more complicated than some shelters, but in the long run it's worth the effort. We're happy we adopted our dog from Animal Village N.M. and wholeheartedly endorse them!

Jonah Harris

2021-05

If you spend more than 2 minutes with Sunny, you'll be able to tell how much she cares about these animals. She toils around the clock to make sure local dogs are taken care of; additionally, she goes above and beyond when it comes to finding homes for these dogs. She thoroughly vets (no pun intended) potential owners to make sure they will care for and love the dogs as they deserved to be.

Jennifer Wright

2020-05

Sunny is top notch when it comes to caring for all the animals in her care. I adopted a chihuahua mix, Marcos, who had been adopted twice before. The first adopter didn’t live up to their end of the contract and Sunny made sure that Marcos’s best interests were taken into consideration and she took the adopter to court and won! Together they set precedent. Animal village NM rocks and I will not only continue to support them monthly but will adopt from them again in the future. Thank you Sunny and all the people at animal village NM for all you do.

Syni Brent

2020-05

I run a rescue in the Pacific Northwest & have collaborated on re-homing 19 dogs in last 4 months with Animal Village NM as partners. I can say, without reservation, that all of these dogs are in excellent health and well adjusted despite experiencing prolonged shelter life. This can only be accomplished through attentive care and nurture of each dog in the facility. I applaud Animal Village for their tireless efforts and look forward to rescuing many more with them. Highly recommend adopting through their organization and supporting their initiatives.

Theresa Rodriguez

2019-05

So I can only post on the limited experience I have had with animal village nm as I unfortunately never ended up visiting their facility. First of all their adoption process involves the use of online applications and a $25 application fee BEFORE you are able to visit the animals. This part of the process is a bit tedious as you are required to get vet recommendations, attach paystub‘s, show proof of homeownership, as well as provide references all without even seeing the pet in person. I understand that they are a very small facility with a small staff however I have visited other animal rescue leagues in El Paso that are capable of providing compassion and help to these animals while still being realistic with the adoption process. I did have an issue with distemper at the Humane Society of El Paso which is why I had chosen this animal rescue league due to the extensive measures they take to ensure the health of the animals. However I do feel they were way too far on the other end of the spectrum. I had called to see if I could schedule a visit to see their available puppies and whoever answered the phone was very passive aggressive, rude, and would just speak over me repeatidly stating I obviously didn’t read the website because I had to apply before seeing the animals and would not allow me to explain myself. These unfortunately are shelter animals and not many are willing to go the adoption route so some compassion to those trying to adopt would really be helpful. When looking over other online reviews there are very passive aggressive comments relayed by the owner which in itself is very unprofessional and seems to provide a disservice to only the animals, as it seems they are not taking any accountability for themselves but instead blaiming those willing to adopt. There is no excuse for being rude to those trying to finding a new member of their family. I decided to adopt elsewhere and only posted this comment in the hopes that the owners will address these issues at hand.*** Hi Sunny no that was not me, my husband and I do not live on base and we do not have any children only a golden retriever. I had called September 16th and when looking over my call log the call had lasted only one minute before I was hung up on. This again highlights that I am not the only one that has had this issue.

NMpam55 Skowronek

2022-05

I have known this group for many years. Their care is top notch, the loving and training they provide the pets in their care gives the new adopters a wonderful pet at adoption! Couldn't ask for a better rescue to work with to find a new furry pal