Sterling Animal Shelter

Reviews 5

MA

Mary Frelinger

We have adopted several wonderful animals from this shelter over the last 15 years. The staff have always been helpful, and try to do their best by the animals. The animals are up to date on spay/neuter/vaccinations/deworming/and other medical care (and the adopters are notified if there is an ongoing issue that will require continued treatment over time), and all records are in order. The shelter is clean, and has indoor and outdoor areas for the animals, as well as play areas to greet potential new family members. They provide a valuable service to the community here in MA and the areas they assist in the south where these animals would otherwise be destroyed. The people who have posted complaints about this shelter clearly have no experience with how responsible rescues operate - which is for the benefit of the ANIMALS, NOT as a walk-in pet store. Just because you have cash for the adoption fee does not mean you will be a good home. They need TIME for a full interview, to know that you legally own your own home or live in a place where pet ownership is allowed as part of your written official lease contract (a large reason why animals end up in shelters!), and that the animal will be a safe choice for ALL members of the household - children, adults, elderly, and other pets included - and that those family members will be safe for them in turn. If you do not have the time to spend doing this reasonable interview, the time to acquire the appropriate information and materials, and/or lack the time to return another day - then you do not have the time or means for a 10-25 year commitment like a dog or cat.

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Christopher Garner

After driving an hour to arrive with my two children and my wife to look for a new companion for our family we left feeling humiliated and degraded. We also left without a dog. After two hours of playing and searching and choosing which was the right fit for our family we attempted to adopt an animal. We went through the typical questions that were asked of any expected animal owner. However, they then asked me whether or not I owned my own home. I replied that we leased a home and I didnt understand why it was relevant. They told me that not only was it relevant but it was "like living with my parents" and I needed permission. I didnt bring the lease with me and I was not made aware that I needed to. More importantly, I was humiliated. I thought it was terribly elitist and discriminatory. I explained that I was capable of having animals within my lease and they asked me to verify it. They suggested that I call my landlord, as if a strange voice on the end of the phone should be any more comforting if their concerns are real. As a result, I had to hug my son in the parking lot for 20 minutes to get him to stop crying because we didnt have the ability to get in touch with our landlord that day. The fact that I can be expected to pay $500 for a donated dog, to be able to help a worthwhile cause, and provide a home to an animal, and expand my family, but only if I can prove I own my home? This is a discriminatory practice and should be abolished. It is a matter of convenience and probably discourages people from adopting.

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Carlos Gaitan

i had traveled one hour to see a dog my family had in mind and me and my fiance went witout my child to make sure he didnt get to attatched but planned to travel back home another hour and back another hour and back home another hour so we went home got my son and i also called first to make sure i should still drive down i called at 4:15 arrived at 5:10 sign outside along with online says all adoptions must be done 15 min prior to closing which is 6 when i arrived they informed me they could not do no more adoptions for the night keep in mind it is 30 min before the time they list you must show up before adoption nvm the fact they said yes please come so as the manger was pulled aside to ask if we could still adopt the response receive is we dont stay a minute past 6 and adoptions take 30 min and there is three POSSIBLE adoptions looking as im here to give this dog a home right away the fact they told me they wont stay a minute late for a dog who has a life in a kenell cant have a good home proves this place is the last place on earth that should shelter dogs i will report to leigh grady the director who i mind you is running a animal shelter who is more about the humans work time than the animals they have it made me sick to my stomach knowing if they cant stay 5 min past closing for a dog to receive a good home what kind of care are these animals getting ?!? this place has no care for the animals they are all about $$$$$$$$$ so sad!!

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A Private User

We adopted a puppy from Sterling in 6/2009 and he has been an absolute love, in excellent health, since day one. I spent a year trying to adopt dogs through breed-specific rescue organizations and just couldnt make it work because we were renting at the time, didnt have a fenced in yard, and had young children. It didnt matter that we were responsible, very capable people who had a very loving home to provide. Trying to work with other organizations was so frustrating and time consuming, and I spent all kinds of money on application fees for those agencies only to find out that there was no way they would consider us. Sterling was easy -- we drove down, picked out a puppy, then came back the next morning with the whole family, fell in love and brought our little wonder home. I think the adoption fee is a bargain considering that they neutered the dog and provided all shots and medication. We could not be happier with the process (simple, reasonable, and humane for pets and people) and with our little guy! After we brought him home and I started meeting other dogs and their owners on walks, I realized that half my town (Acton) had adopted dogs from Sterling! Then lots of other folks thought our dog was a designer breed that we had spent a fortune on. I think this whole pet industry is crazy. Thankfully Sterling is there to make it work as simply and well as possible.

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Dan Enright

Wasnt a great overall experience. The younger girls were polite and professional. The older woman who helped my family and me was condescending. When I asked if the puppy we were adopting was potty trained she scoffed at me (as she smoked her cigarette) and looked at me like I was crazy. I had to explain this was my first puppy adoption. Later on one of the girls asked if we had any other questions. I asked "what happens if the adoption turns south; like suddenly this dog starts biting my kids?" Immediately this same woman pipes up from the back of the room and says, "you cant just bring the dog back its not a pair of jeans you can return just because you dont like how they look". Were it not for the fact that my daughter was already in love with the dog I would have walked out right there. I wasnt looking for a return policy and certainly wasnt looking for an attitude just before spending upwards of $700. I was looking for behavior training advice or suggestions for therapists. Finally, after a trip to the vet a few days after bringing the puppy home we found out she has both roundworm and hookworm.

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