My experience here was okay only because we couldn't get a dog. The place is a grand hotel compared to other shelters. It's kept clean and doesn't smell. The animals are very well cared for and show it no matter if it a cat or a dog. The people that volunteer and work there are extremely knowledgeable, kind and patient. My only criticism is they don't test their dogs with cats. I know this is not recommended and considered inhumane, but it is extremely helpful when trying to bring a dog into a cat household. We ended up getting a dog and had to take it back. They were very friendly and understood why we returned the dog and they were able to find a home for the animal in a couple of days. Would have saved a lot of heartache if we knew the dog did not work well with cats.

I wish it wasn't as simple as this...but the only reason why I rated them so low was because they DO NOT CALL YOU BACK - EVER. It's been about 3 weeks since I left my message regarding getting my Chi fixed and no call back - mind you, their voicemail (which is all you ever get) states "please do not leave multiple messages as it affects our volunteers being able to get back to people in a timely manner" blah blah blah....Here's a thought - have one of those volunteers answer the phone for a change and then there would not be multiple messages to sort through! How long does it take to figure out? I have been waiting for three weeks and still no word. Are they even in business anymore? Maybe they only respond to friends and family....then again after reading the other reviews it's probably a blessing. I feel like Tony La Russa's good name is somehow being tarnished by this.

I love this place,it help's all kind's of animal's!

A lot of people complain about the service here. If the person who interviews you for your adoption is negative, ask for Stewart. He was super kind, and helped me find the perfect little dog for my household. I suggest going ahead of time, looking around, and signing up early for the adoption times. It makes the process so much easier.

I have been to ARF many times to look for adoptable pets. I love the area, I think they take care of their animals very well. The only I problem I have with ARF is the service. I never have had one experience with them where the people were actually friendly. One time, I went in looking to find out about adopting a cat, about an hour before closing. This one woman, I wish I had her name, was very rude and kept reminding me that they close at 7. She pawned me off to another woman and said "could you please let this young woman know our policy about the animals, and inform her that we close at seven, and give her the paperwork, oh and let her know we close at 7." It was ridiculous! She was so awful. I left immediately, obviously this woman didn't care so much about an animal getting adopted as much as she just wanted to get home. Don't get me wrong, I believe ARF is a wonderful place and what they stand for is great. But, don't ever expect to get good service from this place.