Austin Humane Society

I will never adopt an animal from this place. To give you a run down, I walked in the front door and was thinking about adopting a kitten and saw a cute bundle of kittens in a little cage at the entrance and brought my son and sister over to it to admire the little things… There was 5 employees/​volunteers behind the front desk talking about how shit faced they were last night and how hung over they felt. Non of them said anything to me while I opened the unmarked cage and pulled out a kitten. We loved up on the kitty for 5 minutes or so until a angry cat lady told me I can’t touch them (in front of the other staff) very rudely, pulled the kitten away from me and then tossed it in the cage before the other kittens caught on leaving the kitten we were playing with tumbling along the bottom level. Her over all presence was rude and unwelcoming… I am a dog person, I volunteer with many organizations and happened to be driving around with time to kill so I entered the dog area to give some of those buddies affection. again unpleasant workers/​volunteers. no one smiled, or acknowledged our existence and then I noticed that the pit bull was free to a good home, but the schnauzer (sp) was $ 300, and the lab was like 150 or something. I was sooooo upset that they priced their dogs by breed instead of using an adoption fee like other shelters. Again, I will never adopt from this shelter, they are more of a doggy jail (no windows in the dog tiny dog room) the dogs are full of fear and confusion, They cats have spoiled life with their private co-​ed rooms and windows. I will always recommend friends to avoid that shelter and adopt from a organization that believes in equal breed treatment. I hate to say that I hate an organization that is meant to help animals but this place is a shit hole and hope they get shut down and the dogs who would have potentially been stored there can be put in a better facility like apa, or the other animal shelter off of lampasses.

This place is so depressing especially for the few dog they do have. They are caged in a Cramped indoor living space. Here u will find many litters of pups and mainly cats at this shelter. The smell is god awful with that big dirty fan blowing the smell of dog feces throughout the dimly lit room.

When my boyfriend agreed that we could get a third cat, I was not too keen to return to Austin Pets Alive, where our experience adopting a dog left a lot to be desired. Luckily, Austin Humane Society is a lot closer to us, so it was an easy choice to come here to adopt our new furry friend.
I had been sending John links to cats I thought would be a good fit with our preexisting pets and one day we decided to go just to look. John really liked this one little black kitten named Sansa. We asked if we could play with her and that was no problem, all we had to do was fill out an application first.
THANK YOU, Austin Humane Society, for having us fill out an application to make sure we would be responsible pet owners BEFORE letting us play with any cats. Unlike at Austin Pets Alive, where no one even looked at our application, I’m glad that you guys take it seriously and you want to make sure we would be responsible enough to have a pet. If you don’t want to fill out an application just yet, they do have a few «cat rooms» that anyone is welcome to enter and play with the cats in the room. If you want to play with a cat that is not in one of these cat rooms, then you will have to fill out an application first. It doesn’t take very long and they just want to ensure that any cat is being placed in a good home. I fully support that decision. (And even if you don’t adopt that day, it doesn’t hurt to have the application filled out if you change your mind in the future!)
After going through the application, we were taken to a private little room where we could play with Sansa. Remember how we came just to look? Yeah, John fell in love with that goofy little kitten. I begged John to let us take home an older cat, because kittens always get snatched up, but his mind was made up. Sansa was coming home with us.
Mind you, I’m not complaining. That rambunctious little kitten has a wild personality all her own. She loves to play, she gets along with the dog, she loves to cuddle, and her silly antics are a delight to all who witness them. Did I mention she loves to cuddle? That silly little cat likes to sleep on your head and neck and, no matter how many times you move her, she will not be deterred. What a goof. She is an absolute delight and a wonderful addition to our home. I’m so glad we adopted her and that we get to love and spoil her for the rest of her life.
I’m thankful that the Humane Society made the process of adopting her easy and straightforward. I am so relieved that they actually went over our application — not that I had any concerns about not being allowed to adopt, but because that means that they really do look at them and discuss having pets with each potential adopter. It helps to ensure that pets really do go to the best homes and that everyone, including the pet, is happy with the decision. I couldn’t have been happier with our decision to adopt from the Humane Society and I am so thrilled that I get to see little Luna beans grow up and become the adoring cat she is. (We named her Luna and somehow beans became her nickname. It’s silly, but she responds to both!)
If you’re looking for a furry addition to your family, I can’t recommend the Austin Humane Society highly enough. If you’re feeling charitable, I know they would be forever grateful if you donated to help them help more pets. Thank you, Humane Society, from our family and little Luna. All of your hard work is greatly appreciated and you are all doing a wonderful job!

Thank you so much for my Polly. I don’t know what we’d do without her beautiful smile and endless energy!!! She is a delight (and a pill!), but I would have much less laughter in my home without her.

I just had the worst experience at this place. They wouldn’t take my mom’s cat because it wasn’t a stray. If your desperate be sure and say u found the animal on the side of the road. The two girls behind the counter were rude and condescending. They gave two shits about my situation.

Wahooo!!! We recently adopted our two year old pit bull mix, Emma, from the Humane Society and couldn’t be happier. She is the sweetest little thing and has even managed to completely win over the hearts of family members who were originally unaware of how gentle pit bulls actually are.
This was our first time adopting, and I’m very glad to have done so at AHS. We were given as much time as we needed to browse the dog room, which was very clean. I really appreciated how each dog’s name, breed, age, energy level, and a brief description of their demeanor was posted beside them. Once we were settled on our newest family member, we headed to the front desk and were asked to fill out an application. We were also allowed a little one-​on-​one time with her in one of their private meeting rooms in order to gauge a better feel of her personality. As our adoptions counselor reviewed our paperwork, he brought up Emma’s file online and shared a few details about her past owner, behavioral, and medical histories. We were given copies of all of these in a folder to take home along with a few coupons for pet supplies. All dogs are also neutered/​spayed, microchipped, and up to date on vaccinations before leaving the shelter. I spoke with a few staff members/​volunteers and could tell that each person genuinely loved their work and truly cared for each animal in the facility. Great place!

How can you rate an organization that changes your life for the better as profoundly as this one did?
Fourteen years ago today, we adopted our beloved blue heeler Darren. He is the best dog of all time. Every day we have spent with him is a gift. Thank you, AHS.

We haven’t been back. because our cats are GREAT! They just turned 3 and have had no health issues, and our one-​eyed cat has not had any problem and is still as happy as ever!

I’ve been volunteering at AHS for a year and a half with the cats, and so I’ve seen how the shelter is run from behind the scenes. I’ve spent many hours visiting with the cats and have volunteered at numerous adoption events and fundraisers, and this shelter is run by a group of really caring, dedicated people. They are a nonprofit and do the best they can with the money they have — it’s not always perfect, but they do not have endless resources. They are extremely fortunate to have a huge group of very dedicated volunteers who do everything from socialize the cats and dogs, walk the dogs, work at special events, to sweeping the floors and cleaning out cages. If you love animals and are looking for a wonderful place to volunteer and give back to the community AND to animals, look no further! And if you’re looking for the perfect four-​legged friend, come here. I adopted my wonderful senior cat Cassie from AHS just after I started volunteering — she was 11 and her owner had died. If you’re one of the special people who are willing to consider an older dog or cat, there is always a group of these special cats and dogs at the shelter, patiently waiting for their forever home. Many people look right past these older animals, so please consider adopting one. You will be rewarded with total love and dedication, and you won’t regret it!

I think they are doing the best they got with what they have. I saw volunteers walking dogs & the animals being cared for but they just didn’t look happy. I have to say this comes from the fact are not with they’re furever homes yet. God Bless the SPCA.

I got my little Ricky Bobby from this spot and it was a quick, hassle free adoption. They have a web page with pictures of most of the animals that are there for adoption and that makes it super easy to decide. You can choose to go look at any from the website and even have some alone time in a private type of little booth. Once you decide on the new member of your family, you will fill out the paperwork, pay your fee and donation if you decide to give more and off you go.
They will give you a new adoption packet with good info including a voucher for a free $ 25 (up to) of food from a local pet place in Hyde Park. You also get a free check up at the local VCA which is pretty cool. Of course, you will end up paying for shots and other stuff they suggest if you want, but a free check-​up is a free check-​up and they almost all charge at the lowest about $ 35 for that. If you are looking for a new pet, this is the place to do it.

I love AHS! I have 2 cats from there adopted about a year or 2 apart and they are good friends (plus one more that I found at work). Nothing beats finding a special pet to love that is already spayed/​neutered and with shots for what I think is a very good price. I love my girls!
I’ve even participated in their feral cat program — what a great service. And AHS, if you read this, I have to let you know that because of this program we were able to give a better life to a feral cat and I thank you for that. «Muffin» was wild and year after year she kept having babies, then I found out about the program. She got spayed and I took her home and released her the next day… after that she never left! Although she remained wild, she was very sweet and friendly. She would not come inside or let us touch her but she meowed at us and stayed close. She knew she was safe. One day (a few years later) she disappeared. We never knew what happened, but at least I know her last years with us were happy and that was all because of y’all!
Thank you for all that y’all do for our four-​legged friends!
P. S. — I like their website too. It’s nice to see what animals are available including photos and all the information about the pet.

They were so thorough and helpful when it came time for me to rescue my new best friend. They truly care about their animals and are selective to who gets to adopt who — I can’t say enough great things about this organization! Thank you!!!

This place is spectacular! I will admit, I have never walked through their doors. My 3 adoptions over the past year were made through PetSmart, which showcase a small handful of AHS cats. PetSmart gets a big fat ZERO for the small portion their responsible for, but that’s another story.
When I called AHS to discuss the poor quality of care at PetSmart & apparent miscommunication on an issue, the AHS Supervisor was beyond polite & apologetic.
Each of my 3 cats came with medical, behavioral and ‘owner surrender’ charts that went into great detail via AHS. Not one cat had fleas, worms or ear mites.
I also love love LOVE that they have «recent adoptions» on their website! I visit that particular page quite often to see all kitties that have found homes.
I admire what these guys do for animals. I noticed that the Supervisor I spoke with, remembered one of my cats from over a year ago. I also really appreciate their Spay & release program. I have about 8 strays around my complex whom I feed on a regular. Thanks to AHS, I have no kittens being born on my patio.
I highly recommended adopting through them.

I can’t believe this has been here since the 50s! This place definitely needs all the financial support it can get. The floors and walls could do with a makeover — the animals deserve better! But the volunteers and staff are so friendly and take initiative to help you. They have rather a large selection of cats and dogs (puppies to older dogs, anything from small chihuahuas to cattle dogs). The number of cats needing adopting probably triple the number of dogs that need adopting. There are also rooms where you can directly pet the cats and dogs and a clinic on site. When we visited, KVUE was also doing a feature on them.
If you see a dog shivering in the corner or a cat missing an eye, it needs all the love it can get! Instead of buying a pet, why not just adopt? Don’t forget to sanitize your hand after each dog encounter to reduce transmission of disease!

First off I did end up adopting from Austin Humane Society but I so wish I could have found our girl at Austin Pets Alive (see other review).
There were several things I did like about AHS. Although it was enclosed the day (s) I was there everything was very clean and minimal smells etc. They had a great variety of pets, which I was very surprised about, I was starting to feel like shelters only had pits or pit mixes and while I have nothing against them I was looking for at least part of a breed that I had experience with. The staff was very nice and easy to work with. After that, everything else was a little disappointing.
We saw our girl and asked to visit with her. We were put in a small room which really didn’t give us a good idea of the dog’s personality or behavior. Would have like to at least take her outside or something but wasn’t given any other option. Our pup hadn’t been deemed «adoptable» yet so we had to wait for a call to let us know she was ready. Once she was ready I was told I had 4 hours (they opened late due to the weather) to come up and fill out the paperwork to adopt her. I don’t know who has a schedule that flexible but we really liked her so we made it happen. She needed to be spayed and told us it would be a few days before they could get to her. I called a couple of times to see when it might be and finally someone told me they only get the list the morning of the surgery. Again, I felt like we needed to be on-​call just to get this dog. For a week we didn’t know when/​if we were going to get her. Sure enough, they called me at 2pm on Friday and told me I had until 7pm to pick her up after the surgery. I was out of town and had to drive back in to get her, of course it’s been worth it but overall I just wish they had been a little more organized and easier to work with.

When I hear the words «pet store,» I think animal shelter. Austin Humane Society is one of the shelters I frequently visit.
Overall a well kept clean animal shelter. The shelter is separated into two sections: cat and dog. The cat section is one of the cleanest rooms I’ve been in. The air condition is always at a good temperature. The floors are clean and the toys are in good condition. They also have hand sanitizers on the walls for you after playing with the cats. Be sure to check out each cat’s description before you touch them in case they are sick and recovering.
I have to say the dog section smells pretty bad; since it’s a closed room, all the dog smells inevitably collide together to create a strong intense odor. There’s not much room to play with the dogs but you can ask a staff member to see if you can walk one.
Austin Humane Society will sometimes offer free adoption for animals, so be sure to come and check out the cats and dogs. A word of caution, know what animal care treatments you would be liable for, and what they would be liable for.

As an adopter: I love that they keep pitbull mixes as long as they don’t have behavioral issues. Lexi, my pit mix, was kept here for 6 months prior to me adopting her. I was actually fostering her due to her heart worm issues, but I fell in love with her and ended up adopting her from AHS. Most other shelters would put pitbulls down, whether full bred or mixed, so I’m happy to hear this one doesn’t!
As a doggie foster mom volunteer: I think their staff was very helpful and friendly. They made volunteering easy and fun, and communicated often when new pups came in. I’d definitely recommend this if you love animals and can handle 2 week old puppies!

I didn’t know I could write a review for the Humane Society! If I did I would have written this a LONG time ago.
February 10, 2012 my life changed. I adopted my corgi mix Union which I immediately changed to Samuel Adams. Yes I named him after one of my favorite beers. Since we’re casual I just call him Samuel. I had wanted a dog for a long time but felt that I wasn’t ready just yet and didn’t have the time for one. I had gone through a break up a few months before and I decided that I needed a companion and I needed to get myself a breakup present.
At the time I was living in San Antonio and visited the Humane Society there. No such luck. There wasn’t any dogs there that caught my eye or that I felt an instant connection with. I went to Round Rock to visit my parents and I told my mom I wanted to go check out the the Humane Society in Austin. So off we went. I just wanted to go and look and see what kind of dogs they had there. I looked online a few days before and noticed they had quite a few large dogs and pit bull mixes. I had no intentions of adopting that day, or at least I thought I didn’t.
When my mom and I got there we checked in at the desk and said that we just wanted to browse the dogs. They showed us where they were at and off we were. It was really loud with dogs barking and quite a few other people browsing also. It seemed they were renovating the place because there was plastic tarp hung up on part of the kennel so it was really tight. We split up and walked around a few times. I saw some really cute young dogs but they were all super hyper. My mom noticed a dog in a corner kennel that was just so chill and just laying in his kennel. We knelt by his kennel and were calling to him hoping that he would crawl closer to us. A volunteer was there and we asked her about him. She said he was really calm and chill and that he was actually a favorite of the facility. She also told us that he was transferred from a shelter in Bastrop. He was all snuggled in his kennel so cute and cuddly. I decided we needed to see this dog.
My mom stayed back while I went to the desk to let them know I wanted to look at a dog. The guy at the desk assigned us meet and greet room and we waited for them to bring Union to us. He wasn’t overly excited, he was just very curious. I sat on the floor and he came to me right away. He smelled me and then sat in my lap for a few minutes. Then he went to my mom and smelled her and sat with her. We just chilled in the room for like 20 minutes. Union was such a sweet boy during the visit. My mom and I sat and observed him and the next thing I knew he was sitting in front of the door staring. He would look back at us and then at the door. I knew that this was the little baby for me.
I was super nervous about the process because I didn’t know what they were going to ask and I was afraid I wasn’t going to be able to take him home right away. I filled all the paper work they asked me a couple of questions about the apartment I lived at. The guy reviewed Union’s history with me and let me know of some things to be aware of. He informed me that Union has been identified as small animal aggressive. Apparently he was adopted out earlier but was returned because he ate the family hamster. Oppsy. It didn’t bother me, in fact it made me laugh. At least I know that he’ll keep the rodents away.
The adoption fee was $ 85. Union was already fixed, up to date with his shots and microchipped. They gave me all kinds of vouchers to get free food at this pet store and a voucher for a VCA vet clinic to take him for an exam. Since I lived in San Antonio it didn’t do me any good but it’s cool they do that.
Everyone was really nice and helpful. I’m a huge fan for animal rescue and challenge people to rescue dogs instead of buying them from breeders. Union now Samuel is the best! He’s been a great companion and has been such a trooper through all my journeys and moves. If I ever adopt again Humane society is on the top of my list!

I have two kids at home. That is, two rescued felines that have been with us for over two years and whenever I’m away from home I need my furry child fix any way I can get it.
We drove by Austin Humane Society and had to stop in. It was really great! All of the staff are very welcoming, loving to all of the kids, and visitors. They allowed us to visit with all of the cats and dogs for as long as we wanted. They answered all of our questions and let us talk to them about our little ones waiting for us at home.
Most of these guys and dolls have been rescued from homes or surrendered by their owners for whatever reason. They work hard to rescue from another shelter that has a kill policy and both have really high adoption rates. You can tell when visiting that these felines are domestic. They are extra loving, looking for that human affection, and very playful.
The pooches are awesome, too! We met with all of them and each has a really great personality. I was surprised to see how many pups were still waiting to be adopted. They’re usually the first to go, but here I was looking at about a dozen maybe even more.
All of the kids seemed very happy and enjoying their time here. It’s surrounded by green area and we sat and watched while many of the dogs were on their daily walks. They have plenty of space here to run around and enjoy the sun!