Cleveland Animal Protective League: Adoption Center

We had gone to the APL three days in a row trying to find the perfect fury family member. We looked at so many cats, and then day three we saw Gogo (now Cookie ) and my 5 year old absolutely fell in love. It was like they both chose each other. We're on day five of having our fury friend home, and we have to say he is absolutely thriving and so snuggly. The cleveland APL was so patient with us, with each visit and once it came down to the adoption, everything went so smoothly and we couldn't have asked for a better experience. If there is absolutely any need for another friend, we'll be coming back to the APL.

This isn't the first time I've had an extremely frustrating experience with the Cleveland APL. Every visit turns into a struggle to get help for an animal that genuinely needs it. Their website messaging is misleading and does not reflect what actually happens when you arrive. They claim to take in injured and homeless cats, but in reality, they only seem willing to accept cats that are perfectly calm and friendly right away. Today, I brought in a stray I've been caring for. He's a sweet, vocal cat who has allowed petting and shown trust over time, but he was understandably terrified after being trapped. Instead of offering compassion or understanding, I was told he was "too feral" and turned away. Which is crazy to me, because I have been caring for this cat for months with daily socialization and so much love. This has happened before with injured cats I've tried to help as well. The APL will not clarify what "injured" actually means, and I've had two cats turned away because they were not "injured enough." One of those cats could not put weight on their paw, and I later found out they had to perform a procedure on that same paw, proving the animal was, in fact, injured. It's disappointing that an organization that promotes compassion and community service would turn away scared or hurt animals who need help the most. Any cat would be frightened in that environment, even well-adjusted house cats. The APL rarely answers the phone, making it a guessing game to reach anyone, and when you finally do, there is little willingness to find a solution. I truly hope the Cleveland APL reconsiders its intake process and starts showing the compassion it claims to stand for. **Added picture of said 'feral' cat ****After reading other reviews, maybe it was a blessing in disguise they didn't take him! Who knows what conditions he would be in. I will continue to advocate for strays in my area with my own resources!

The love that is given to the animals here is felt the second you walk through the door. Every volunteer and staff member is kind and friendly. The whole place is clean and so organized.

I just purchased an 8 year old German Shepherd from this facility. The staff was very caring and through about the dog's history. The dog I adopted is absolutely marvelous! I have purchased 3 kittens from them over the years and they turned into wonder cats. I would highly recommend this facility.

Foster program? I told them my cat has heart issues and it is dangerous to vaccinate. They did it anyways. They also had him chipped. When he was in foster care he got a huge gash on his neck that needed to be treated with antibiotics. No one could(would) tell me what happened. The sickening thing is I am now dealing with a very different cat than before! It took a while for him to recover from his traumatic experience. He is very ill from the vaccines (asthma much worse, drools profusely, bites and only runs a little before having to lay down! He also has missed his cat tree and struggles to jump up on the couch!) Those dang vaccines harmed him. I could be losing him soon. I am beyond angry! Only foster if you absolutely have to! I still want to know how he got a huge gash while in foster care. One person, one cat...10 years old. How? He is a lap cat. Again: only do this if you absolutely have no other choice. Thankful for foster, but if he dies from the vaccine side effects when I stated he has heart issues... Beware as now the big pharma companies are putting the MRNA into the pet vaccines.

I got my beautiful Mocha (previous name Annabel) from the Cleveland APL last April. She's in great health and so loving. Adoption process was smooth and good price. Thank you APL

I called for into to get help for an an injured stray cat. He was suffering. I believe he use to have a home as he immediately let me pet him etc. The info I received and the website is highly misleading. They assessed him in five minutes and said he want adoptable because he wouldn't let them touch him. He had been through a lot, was put in a carrier and taken away. He would be terrified and no cat in that state would immediately respond to humans. The first front desk person responded to questions like an army general. This is not a humane place for strays or hurt animals as it seems they only want pets easier to deal with. And the lobby was so crowded and noisy any hurt animal would be scared. I would never take my pet there or a hurt animal again.

I Came to the APL for my cat. Her name was Cali Because she was a Calico cat. This was a great birthday gift. I had a great time picking and they were super nice. Thank you for a great time