Little Shelter Animal Rescue & Adoption Center — Attraction in Town of Huntington

I want to be completely honest with this review. Me and my girlfriend were looking for a furry friend to bring home and enjoy (A cat). We first went to another cat adoption in Smithtown and most of there cats were very nasty so we decided to come check out little shelter. The staff at first were very nice and knowledge about there cats even know there were almost 300 of them. When first brought into the cat area it smelt very bad, I mean what can you expect when there is 300 cats! This was not the end of the world for us as we figured it would be the case, maybe not as extreme but we looked passed it. We found a cat that we loved and he seemed to love us just as much letting us hold him and play. We filled out all the necessary paper work and left the $25 non refundable deposit which was fine with us. The paper work requires 2 references and an alternate caregiver. We supplied 4 references as well as two caregivers if something were to happen to my girlfriend and I. We were told it is a 24 hour process and we would be approved/denied the next day and if approved we would have to pick him up by 6 p.m. the next day. The following day I started getting calls from all of my references who were surprised with how rude and aggressive they were. They called 3 of the 4 and all had the same answers for their questions. It seemed to be their big concern was if we would de-claw the cat or not. Before we thought about adopting a cat we would of considered it but after talking to the staff at more then one adoption location and doing some research we were set on not de-clawing the cat. We explained this to little shelter as well. After being extremely rude and not giving us any updates nearly 24 hours later I called to make sure all the necessary phone calls and paper work was received and the lady stated she needed some more information from some references and paper work. I made sure each refrence called her right away and got it taken care of. This took multiple phone calls to both friends and little shelter. I told them i was on my way as i would not make it there in time if i did not start driving to their location. I arrived there and was told by the secretary that i could not wait inside and that they would call me with a decision. Judging by their attitude i assumed we were most likely denied. I could not figure out why as we would be able to give this pet a wonderful home and all the attention he could ask for. I let the secretary know that I would sit in the parking lot until the decision was made. Eventually i received a phone call from the lady going over the adoption paper work. She was polite in telling us that they would not let us adopt the cat as they felt we may de-claw the cat. I informed her that we had no intentions of de-clawing the cat. I told her that the only circumstance that we would de-claw a cat is if that particular cat constantly scratched and hurt people, which i can not see happening as this cat was extremely friendly. Overall it was a pretty big let down as it seems all they want is your money, It is extremely unprofessional of them to push off the decision to the last minute as they did. I can now see why they have 300 cats, It is impossible to adopt any of them! I would not recommend this place to any one and I will definitely cross this place off the donations list. I feel bad for the cats as the cats here are great but the people are misleading and not.

Sincerely, Tom (An adopter who will go else where and recommend others to stay away from this place)

P.S. Some one please adopt Freddie as he is a wonderful cat and deserves to get out of this place! (they told us he doesn't like other cats but meanwhile is housed in "Gen Pop" with over 100...

Let me start by saying upon my search in looking for a small dog over the last 6 months i finally stumbled over this place Little Shelter. I spotted this one particular dog i feel in love with. I reached out to shelter & expressed my interest being i was traveling a bit far to come meet & greet with him. So upon visiting the facility about 2 weeks ago being that my son wasn't able to come at the time i filled out the necessary paperwork & everything was verified & reference was checked out 100% i was approved. I want to say upon the day agreed upon i wasn't able to be there due to small mixup beyond my control in which it was explained ahead of time i ask to pick the dog up following day i was denied the the dog & Manager David spoke to me in such a derogatory manner over the phone & showed no sense of understanding or compassion knowing how much me & this little dog connected. It totally crushed my world being my son & I was looking forward to the added addition to our warm & loving home. I must say i have never been treated so cold & disrespected in such a way i could not believe because of a minor issue he would deny my application & spoke to me so rudely & hung the phone up in my face. I have written a letter to have this look into much further being i was totally cordial & respectful thru the entire process to have something taking from you & knowing i ask to see the policy stating his reason for denying me he wasn't able to produce i refuse to accept this & will move forward to make sure he never does this to anyone else. He not only hurt me the dog was cheated from being put in such a beautiful home life he is so deserving of being he been in a shelter for little over 4 to 5 months that no one showed any interest in him. I was the 1st truly to show any interest & he probably will be there even longer when the opportunity was shut down from such a heartless & in-compassionate human being. There was a person outside coming in as i left the shelter & stop me to ask why i was so upset & as i began to explain she told me to hang in there she never made it in after me explaining what took place she said that's horrible what kind person is he to take away something that was already promised & under circumstance of reason i gave the dog should been given to me. She told me she is sponsor of Little Shelter but will go home & explain to her husband what took place with me & will not submit any more money to this Animal Shelter & she let me know they donate a good amount of money to this organization being she lives in Huntington. She also took my name & number & told me being her husband is retired Doctor he knows a lot of folks they will be in touch with me & she told me although i didn't receive the dog from Little Shelter another will come my way. I thanked her for being so kind & understanding in my time of distress being yesterday was mothers day. This guy David they have as a Manager needs to be fired he not a people person he could care less. My son was very upset by the way he handled the entire situation i wasted time & gas to come as far as i did to be told my application was denied & his exact words we are finished in such a cold manner. I will never recommend anyone to this place i would hate to see them endure what i had to go thru yesterday. I will say the few people that help me when i started process was really nice Shelby & Mike who was dog rescuer they were so nice. I just needed to express the hurt & disappointment i went thru over something so small one day should not have made to much a difference after i called & also explained to David in...

I recently visited The Little Shelter while searching for a companion for my cat. The shelter appeared to be at full capacity, with many cats in need of homes, and I was extremely hopeful to find a good match for my sensitive feline.

Unfortunately, from the moment I arrived, the experience was disappointing. Upon checking in, the front desk staff called the individual in charge of the cat adoptions to let her know we were there. It was immediately clear that our presence—an hour before closing—was unwelcome. I overheard the staff member on the phone respond to the adoption coordinator’s apparent frustration by saying, “You want me to tell them that??” and then laughing, which made us feel like an inconvenience rather than valued potential adopters.

When the staff member responsible for the cats finally came out to meet us, she greeted us with a curt, “So you’re here for a tour?” I clarified that we were there to adopt, not just to look around. Her demeanor was noticeably irritated, and the interaction felt unwelcoming and unprofessional.

Despite this, I did my best to focus on the cats and spent time with several of them. Eventually, I found one I believed would be a great fit for our family. I completed the required forms and paid a portion of the adoption fee. I waited, extremely excited and hopeful, and a couple of days later, I received a call from Diane, who informed me that my new apartment complex only allowed two pets—information that directly contradicted what I had been told by the property’s management.

I respectfully requested that the shelter hold the cat temporarily—just a few hour or until the end of the day—so I could verify the pet policy. Diane refused, stating they couldn’t hold animals “indefinitely,” even though I was only asking for a few more hours. She was not receptive to a conversation and had clearly made up her mind.

She also proceeded to tell me that my building required a $400 pet deposit and monthly fee, which I was already fully aware of. The tone of her statement felt unnecessarily judgmental, as though she was implying I wouldn't be able to afford or manage it, which I found insulting.

It is TRULY disheartening to walk away from this experience—without a cat and with the impression that some staff members were more focused on rigid procedures than on thoughtfully placing animals into loving homes. I came to the shelter hoping to provide care, stability, and love to a cat in need, but I left feeling disrespected and dismissed. I take NO pleasure in writing this review, but I believe honest feedback is important so no others are left feeling the way i do. I hope the shelter reconsiders how its staff communicates with potential adopters and reflects on whether its current practices truly serve the best interests of the animals...