Shelter From the Storm Animal

Devin Everett

2023-11

I have adopted two cats from Shelter From the Storm and both times have been an amazing and easy experience! Adoption staff were very flexible on appointment timing. They gave me plenty of time to meet the available cats and make a decision and were friendly and knowledgeable. I contacted and looked at a lot of potential shelters/cats both times but Shelter From the Storm has been the best option. My cats are perfect and I would highly recommend this shelter!

Brittany Elizabeth

2024-05

We visited during their adoption event. The staff and volunteers were very friendly! We took a while to choose the right kitty for us, and they were very patient and answered any questions we had. The adoption process was easy and seamless! Definitely would recommend this wonderful organization. Thank you, Shelter From the Storm!

Skye

2024-05

I adopted from them. A dog named Elsa. My boyfriend and I adopted her, we returned her because she’s a biter (which we weren’t told that after we asked and she ended up biting my little brother), she has food aggression towards our food and her food (resulting in more bites), they have her on a mild sedative due to anxiety (which they also didn’t give us until like 4 days after we adopted her and we asked.), she used the bathroom a lot in the house even when we took her out (after they said she was house trained). It was so much more. I would love for this baby to find an amazing home, but I would also love for the shelter to at least tell people interested in her the truth about her background and all. She was a sweet baby overall though, just a terrible shelter. Then, when they reposted her and I tried to call them out on not telling people her history, they deleted my comment and blocked me. I would never adopt from them again.

Lucius Madison

2024-05

They adopted out dogs and cats that are sick we found 2 ticks on our dog that my and my fiance adopted 4 days ago they are claiming that he is healthy when he is not on top of gave use antibiotics for upper respiratory infection and other meds to drug up the dog to stay calm which they should not be doing that bc it can kill them over time we have seen other reviews abt animals coming home sick and dying on the ppl that adopted them they have denied the fact that they didn't know he was sick even tho they knew abt it with out saying anything about them being sick they did not ask us questions like that are supposed to they need to be shut down and sued for everything they have on top of they should be arrested for how they miss treat every animal that comes in there door. My and my fiance will be taking them to court in the up coming months for all the vet bills and for most of there money bc they quickly adopted out dogs and cats fast with out even making sure they are healthy and safe with the family they go to. Another thing i have to mention is that I have to hand feed my dog that we got from them bc he could have lime disease bc they did not find the ticks my and my fiance pulled off of him these last two days so DO NOT ADOPTED ANY ANIMAL FROM HERE THEY HAVE BAD SERVICES HERE AND DO NOT CARE ABOUT THE ANIMALS HERE

Laura Bickel

2024-04

A month ago i lost my emotional support cat Raylan and I was devastated. I have another cat named Finn who was really attached to Raylan and we have been greiving together. I didn't want her to be alone and i knew Raylan would want me to rescue another like I did her 14 yrs ago. I've always has girl cats so i went looking for a girl. After walking into SFTS I saw a beautiful girl and started to pet and talk to her. As I was there was a little boy trying to get my attention. I kept telling him "yes you are cute I wish u were a girl" but it didn't phase him. Over the next 15 mins this little boy kitten named "Bernardo" meowed and purred at me. When i brushed him off he kept at it and ended up completely climbing up my leg and body all the way to my shoulder. Next thing I know him and I are in the car on the way to my house. I changed his name to "Boyd" because i needed a one syllable name since I have been saying "no", "get down", "don't eat that", "quit untying my shoes", etc alot. I love him very much but he is a Tasmanian devil.The ladies at SFTS were so kind from the moment i walked in the door. Answering any and all questions i had.Boyd knock my tv off my dresser n broke it on DAY 3 of me having him. He climbs my shoe racks like they are a rock wall and has recently decided that climbing up my clothes and walking on the hangers is fun. He runs around with the zoomies all the time. My girl Finn hates him but she's slowly accepting that he isn't going anywhere.Even with all the chaos he causes, I am so glad SFTS made it possible to have my little man in my life.

Jasmin K.

2023-05

A smooth adoption process for an adorable kitten. Kind and helpful staff.Saw a picture of Honey Bee on petfinder and sent an inquiry through there. Once I realized she was at Shelter from the Strom I immediately went over to their site and filled out the application through them. This sped up the process and made things 100 times easier for everyone involved. After I was approved we sent a few emails back and forth to set up a meeting date and time. A week later my bestfriend and I are pulling up to meet Honey Bee. We were about 20 minutes early and the staff wasn't the least bit bothered by this. They even got us in sooner because they didn't have a previous appointment that day. The entire time they were friendly and helpful. And while I'll admit there was a strong scent in the kennel area it's nothing I haven't experienced in other rescues or humane societies. It's something that unfortunately happens when you're trying to save large numbers animals from being unjustly put down. During the introduction with Honey Bee the staff member told us a bit about Honey Bees personality and her medical history (there wasn't much on the medical part because she's only about 2 months old), then she explained a few things that new cat owners might not know(I'm not a new cat owner but it's good to hear them telling people these things), and lastly she told us about the free adoption kits we could pick up for Honey Bee at participating retailers. After that I signed Honey Bee's adoption paperwork, paid the fee and off to home we took her. All in all it was a very smooth adoption and the staff was knowledgeable and kind. Honey Bee has a very loving home and it's thanks to Shelter from the Storm she was able to find it. <3

Max Hernandez

2023-05

It was a little of a hassle to actually adopt the dog we wanted and was going around in circles with them for nearly two months but the long wait was completely worth it. Communicating with them wasn’t the easiest but when we did, they were completely nice. They answered all our questions and made sure I knew everything I needed to know. It’s been almost a month with our new dog and I couldn’t be happier. I know it’s only been a couple weeks but I can’t imagine my life without our dog Kiyoko. Thank you so much for bringing our dream dog into our family (:

Jenny K

2019-05

I volunteer here! I love it. A wonderful local organization. All of the animals coming in are so friendly. The cat room is a living room like setup where the cats have a home like environment. The dogs have a great big yard to play in. I can't say enough good things about this place. Please check out the website and find a friend. So many wonderful animals for adoption!

Andrew Wood

2024-04

The people were friendly, the cat was absolutely adorable and they made the adoption process very simple and easy

Mary Holbert

2023-05

I rescued my pup Raya from SFTS last March and she is a wonderful addition. I can tell they took great care of her!!

barbara cook

2024-01

9 years ago I adopted the sweetest little fur baby from sfts sadly his life was cut short due to illness but I will return to sfts for a nother best friend and I think the fees are very reasonable

Lisa Fox

2018-05

We adopted our dog Yancy from SFTS. He was neutered, had an EKG for a heart condition, was given all his shots, and much needed TLC. He is a beloved member of our family and I would happily adopt another rescued animal from Shelter From the Storm!

Kimberly Hayward

2023-05

Shelter From The Storm has helped me twice when other area veterinarians would not. I brought a stray cat to them for medical care. When they saw the condition of the cat they graciously offered to take the cat into their program for treatment. When one of the ferals I take care of because gravely ill they treated her with the most compassion anyone could have asked for when it was determined that crossing over to the rainbow bridge was the kindest treatment for her. They are a wonderful organization and I appreciate their willingness to see the kitties that no one else will.

Natasa Baumhak

2018-05

Adopted my dog Ojo from here. Do not regret it one bit. Someone sponsored him and I was able to adopt him for free. He was and still is very healthy, and has brought me so much happiness. The shelter does great work and I truly am grateful for them. Follow him on insta!: @og_ojo ♥️

JD Nelson

2022-05

It has been a wonderful experience working with the folks from Shelter From the Storm. Communication was excellent. They were amazing. This shelter is Working hard to tryi to make a difference in the lives of animals and they are! They really worked w me to accommodate me because of some timing issues. The dog I adopted is was she was described. She's a perfect match. I highly recommend them.

stacey tropp

2023-05

Absolutely awful!!! They never called to check if additional pets were allowed, then the allowed an elderly, disabled couple adopt a dog that was WAY TO HIGH ENERGY,AND NEEDS! Then in less than 48 hrs they returned the dog....after realizing this...and they were told the adoption fee is a contribution not a fee...when it clearly states adoption fee on line!!! Also in the state of WI you have 72 hrs to cancel any contract!!!! This as stated by the staff is the contract you signed...( when sending a picture of it)Dirty practices, I will be reporting you to the BBB, as well as the consumer trade commission!

Erin Ball

2022-05

I adopted a kitten here and he had eye and nose crusties. I asked the women I was meeting the kitten with if he was okay and she said yes, he was seen by the vets there and kittens just “look like that sometimes”. I went to my vet, Cat Care Clinic, days after getting him because I didn’t trust he was okay. My vet said he was sick. For a little over 2 months we tried to get him better but he just got sicker and sicker and sicker until he passed at 5 months old. I tried contacting the shelter for help with the sick kitten they adopted out to me, but to no help… ever. The vet they told me they would pay for my appointments at never helped me either. Shelter from the storm ignored almost every single message I sent trying to get help treating him. I was practically begging them to help me get him better because he was so sick and I was so worried, but that didn’t matter to them. I finally figured I would reach out to the vet, Spay Me Clinic, directly since nobody from the shelter was answering me. When I went to the vet for my other cat, I told them I had sent them multiple emails that had been completely ignored and tried calling multiple times about my kitten needing EXTREMELY important tests done. Still to this day have never responded to me or attempted to, even after I talked to them in person! This shows they really don’t care about the pets they adopt out or should be taking care of at the shelter and vet. They also have not helped with any of his bills and hardly answer my emails. I am a full time college student working multiple jobs to try and make ends meet. I spent over $2000 on this kittens medications and visits with no help from them. They said they would be willing to help with his bills and then after, the replies stopped. I finally got a reply almost a month later after I sent three emails in a row trying to get them to answer. I am still emailing them trying to get help. Let me add, this is the executive director, so that already tells you a lot about this company and shelter.

Jamie Dunn

2022-05

We adopted a dog from SFTS in July and had an easy and straightforward adoption experience. They let us spend over an hour with the dogs we were considering. I was pleased to have all of our new family member’s medical needs taken care of and included in the adoption fee.

Jen Owen

2022-05

Yesterday I caught a dog that was adopted out from this rescue. The owners had her 24 hours before she ran away. They didn't want her back. This dog had been on the run for two weeks. I had my vet scan for a chip. They found one. The information was for this facility. After many calls with no response "during open hours" I took her to Jefferson Human Society. They took her and also waited for a response from this rescue. I know they can't be responsible for the new owners but how well did they educate them on this dog and her breed.

Greta Martens

2023-05

We had a fantastic experience adopting from SFTS. The process isn't too painful and they work with you to match you to the animal you're interested in. Our cats came chipped, fixed, and vaccinated too which was great.

Sabrina Jean

2023-05

Love love love this rescue! The staff is so dedicated and kind. Rescue work is tiring and these guys don't let that get to them. They have changed a lot over the past few years, and it is certainly all good changes! Highly recommend looking at their adoptable animals if you are looking for a new furry friend!

Rhonda Davis

2019-05

I have adopted two dogs from SFTS, one in 2006 and one this month. My 13 year old from 2006 is still going strong and my new dog is doing wonderfully - my experience with this organization has been great. I like their mission of giving animals a second chance by working with overcrowded shelters to save them from being euthanized. The adoption process is easy - my references were checked within two days of completing the adoption application and they were very flexible with timing for picking up my new dog. The adoption coordinator provided detailed answers to my questions and it's obvious the staff and volunteers really care about the animals. I will continue to adopt from them in the future - they do such good work!!

Anna E

2019-05

As I entered the urine soaked air my eyes started to water.  How could a shelter smell this bad?I met my dog. She is wonderful. I notice she is extremely dirty. I notice the night we get her home that she snorts a bit. When I look at her records I also noticed she had only been vaccinated for rabies, not kennel cough or distemper, which is unusual for a shelter.Two days later she starts coughing. The vet confirmed kennel cough.We are treating her for it but on top of the stress of living in such a dirty shelter, she now is sick.

Lani J

2021-05

If you have to surrender your babies or if you're interested in adopting, this is the place to go. I can't recommend them enough. I'd say emailing is best but I never tried calling. I kept in touch with Ketty, a volunteer, all the way up until the day I had to visit them. Love them for what they do

Amanda Campbell

2016-05

I have personally worked at and adopted from this shelter and they do everything they can to make sure these animals are well taken care of and go to good homes. I have helped with the check ups (I am a certified vet tech) and they do the best they can to make sure these animals are healthy. It is impossible for them to know exactly how a animal will respond once taken out of the shelter and put into a home. I can promise this place and the people who volunteer/work here are very dedicated to these animals.

Nick Adam

2023-05

Beyond awful. Barely above a puppy mill. They take in an abundance of animals they don't have the means or resources or desire to properly care for, or vet ownership for, and flip them through the doors as quickly as possible. They will lie to you about health and behavioral issues, and once you've taken the animal and paid them their fee, good luck ever getting a response from them again. Horrendous organization, awful for animal welfare, and should be beyond ashamed at themselves for the garbage practices they employ and the horrendous way they treat animals and owners. That they have to keep sending employees and volunteers out to Google to counteract negative reviews is a telling sign. Go ANYWHERE else.

Kerry Burke

2018-05

I had a very negative experience with this agency. Adrienne did not contact my references or have any contact with me before I received an email indicating that I was approved to adopt a dog posted on their website. When I asked for information about the dog's history and temperament, I was received coolly and did not receive answers about the dog's background. The online description indicated that the dog had been in foster care, but when I asked to contact the foster parent to get more information about the dog (I have young kids and wanted to know if it was good with kids and other dogs), I was told that the dog was only in foster care for a short time and was living in the kennel at the shelter. When we went to meet the dog it was clear that the dog had not been well socialized. It had a strong fear response and was clearly not comfortable around kids, yet Adrienne seemed annoyed when I asked about her medical history and expressed hesitation about adopting the dog (who was frozen with fear) on the spot. Where other rescue agencies I have worked with have a pre-approval process that includes a home visit, interview, and background check, Shelter From The Storm made no effort to interview me or call my references. There was no effort made to find a good match for the dog or a good match for our family. Instead, they seem eager to unload their pets on anyone willing to take them immediately without asking questions. Sadly, the kennel appeared to be a rather bleak place for the dogs I saw there, with a small fenced in gravel yard as the only outdoor space the dogs have access to.There are so many other great rescue agencies in the area; I would caution potential adopters against choosing this one.

Brigit W

2016-05

My husband and I were trying to adopt a dog from this shelter. The communication with the adoption coordinator was very good - she was responsive and helpful. Unfortunately we were over 100 miles away and per the director, there was no way we could meet any of the dogs outside of the PetSmart events on Saturdays. We went to an adoption event and had a very positive experience with the volunteers outside, we also had the opportunity to meet and speak at length with several of the foster parents who were able to answer our questions - all of this was a positive experience.However, interactions with the Director were anything but positive. She was rude, abrupt and had no people skills to speak of - my husband and I were trying to adopt a special needs dog, I spoke with the Director at one point about the dog via the phone and she gave me a history. Unfortunately when we went to adopt the dog and finally had access to the vet records from the UW veterinary hospital, it showed a different story than what we discussed over the phone. We asked more questions and the adoption coordinator (who was delightful) called the Director who was disrespectful and made my husband and I feel like we were bad people and completely out of line for asking more questions about the dog that we would have for years to come.The bottom line was the dog had a piece of her jaw removed after an initial surgery several weeks prior. There was a jaw fracture diagnosed per the vet notes, and we wanted to know if there was follow up performed at the UW - specifically an x-ray to see if the fracture was healing appropriately before we adopted. This was not an outrageous request - when fractures are discovered, there should be follow up to see how the fracture is healing. We were told by the Director that this dog had a clean bill of health and no issues after this surgery - even though no follow up x-rays were ever performed. We were then berated by the Director, she was rude to me and when I passed the phone to my husband she was equally if not more rude to him. She made us feel like we were a problem because we were asking for proof the jaw was healing prior to adoption. She explained how much money she spent on this dog and that she wasn't spending any more on her, which quite frankly left us feeling sorry for the dogs in her 'care'. The entire interaction with her was uncomfortable, it was one of the worst experiences with a shelter professional we've ever had. As a result, we did not adopt the dog.The bright note - during our terrible encounter another family was looking at the same dog and took her home the next weekend - we hope the dog is doing well in her new home :)

Dawn Stewart

2020-05

Silent online auction was greatStaff is very friendlyGreat organization. I’ve used for affordable health care for my cats

Google User

2016-05

My Fiance and I recently adopted a dog from Shelter. While we were initially quite happy with the experience, we've unfortunately since run into a few issues that have left a sour taste in our mouth.Prior to adoption, Shelter was incredibly responsive to many emails/questions that we had about the dog and the adoption process. We met with them at PetSmart to meet our prospective new companion and they seemed to be caring, knowledgeable and trustworthy folks; we applied on the spot and were approved a few days later. They wanted us to pick up our chosen dog the following weekend, but we had a scheduling conflict with a trip out of town. We didn't want to "lose our place" with this beautiful animal and see her adopted by someone else, so we made arrangements to pay the adoption fee before leaving town and then pick her up upon returning home, two days later. When meeting with Shelter that Friday to pay the fee, I was assured that she had been given a thorough checkup and had zero health issues. When picking her up on Sunday, however, we were suddenly being handed tubes of medicine for a yeast infection in her ears that had not previously been mentioned to us. Minor issue though it was, they should have disclosed this information when directly asked if they were aware of any problems. Strike one.Regarding the manner in which the dog's personality had been described to us, she was to be quite calm/quiet while indoors, while letting her playful side out once taken outside to the yard. We were told that she knew basic commands, responded to her name, and did very well with the shelter's cats. Not much of that has actually turned out to be true. While we don't mind that she gets a little rowdy in the house (she is a young dog, after all; it is to be expected), nor do we mind working on teaching her her name or various commands, she has unfortunately taken to chasing our two cats at every given opportunity. We had made it very clear when we met Shelter that this would be a problem, and they insisted that "she does great with our cats at the shelter!" They either knew this to not be the case and chose to hide it, or had never actually exposed her to the cats and were simply telling us what we wanted to hear. Strike two.A couple of days after bringing the dog home, we noticed that she seemed to be having a bit of a chewing problem, with some possible slight discoloration around her gums/jowls. We emailed to ask if they had given her a dental checkup, and what the results were? No response. We emailed to ask again, also inquiring about her known history before they took ownership of her. No response. Three emails later, still no response; quite contrary to their prior behavior. Finally, we called and left a message for the director in regards to a supplies "wish list" that had been included in the adoption folder that was given to us; on the list was a washing machine and dryer. We sourced a working set from an older couple in our neighborhood, who were willing to give them to Shelter for free if we could only help them move the machines out of their basement. WE WERE OFFERING THEM FREE MACHINES THAT THEY HAD REQUESTED. Guess what? No response. Strike three.I understand that many shelters are, unfortunately, over inundated with animals and, in most cases, function almost entirely on volunteer support. But it truly feels as if a.) we were intentionally deceived about her behavior with small animals and the issue with her ears (minor though it may have been) and b.) they want to have nothing to do with us now that we've taken the dog off of their hands. We had previously heard great things about Shelter, and we do love our new dog very much, but this experience has left us rather dissatisfied with the organization itself. I would still encourage people to look at their animals if you are seeking to adopt, as they absolutely deserve a chance to find a happy home; however, be aware that you may possibly be mislead about certain aspects of the animal, and subsequently ignored once the paperwork has been filed.