Harshaw Family Foundation Animal Shelter — Local services in Watterson Park

I want to share that I have never in my life left a complaint on anyone or place. I always give people the benefit of the doubt, whether they could be having a bad day, bad week, bad month, etc. I fell in love with a dog at the Louisville Metro Animal Shelter. I adopted it. The community on their Facebook page shared so many words of kindness and praise for both myself and my newly adopted fur-baby. The first week was wonderfully spent bonding and adjusting. Everything was going great! But then, it was like someone had switched my dog out with another dog. I was concerned about this new behavior. My family was scared. I kept telling them, “Our dog is still adjusting, remember about the {3-3-3} rule. Before we even passed the second “3,” there was an incident. A certified dog trainer and I scheduled a meeting. I have never sensed so much fear until I saw how the trainer reacted after we tried the first exercise... This trainer could not work with my baby. The trainer ended up reaching out to a supervisor, informing them about the incident and the trainer’s own experience with our dog, also adding on that there is a possibility that my dog and I would be coming back because it’s not safe. I took a few days to really think over my options. After talking it over with my family, we came to an agreement that it would be best if we brought our dog back to its shelter staff family. As heartbreaking as it was, that’s the best solution we could provide. The afternoon we finally mustered the courage to surrender our dog, I was shattered. I walked into the Animal House building and I was greeted by a nice young man named Carson. I could barely get the words out of my mouth without breaking down. From that moment on, he knew exactly who I was. He was very apologetic, supportive, sympathetic, and empathetic. He made sure that I wasn’t being hard on myself and said that these types of situations happen and when they do, they are out of anyone’s control. After his words of reassurance, I finally calmed down and walked across to the Harshaw Family building to surrender our dog. After waiting in line, Ashley was the young lady who helped me. I explained that I had to return the dog given the circumstances. Immediately, I was met with her unpleasant, hostile tone. After what seemed like a one-sided discussion, she finally forced a clipboard with the paperwork in front of me. She told me that it would be a long wait period before I would be called. I waited patiently. Carson had changed areas and moved into that area of the shelter. Ash made a comment about how “name of dog” is coming back. Carson tried to suppress her discourteous remarks. Ash, in front of all the clients and her colleagues, shared that she felt it wasn’t the dog, that it was the owner. He called my party up to the counter. I shared with him that I didn’t appreciate being judged and her behavior was unacceptable. He agreed. I was asked to fill out more paperwork. In doing so, my dog attempted to attack a bystander, causing them to trip and fall on the ground. Immediately, I made sure the person was safe. I was just remorseful. Carson witnessed this incident and reassured me again, that I was making the ethical decision. Because of the reactivity of my dog, I gave the leash to him over the counter and then walked away and watched him take my dog away. I was in the enclosed area before the exit, and I fell to the floor and drowned myself in my own tears. The way that Ash made me feel was inhumane. Someone who is not empathetic, ill-mannered, and lacks professionalism should not be in a position where clients are already feeling heavy-hearted. Ash was overall incompetent. I pray that nobody will have an experience like I did. I always try to find the good in people and animals. God created me to have a big heart, but it can be very fragile. I can proudly say that I will not recommend the Louisville Metro Animal Shelter to anyone, and I will look at other local animal shelters when my family and I are ready to adopt again.Thanks for reading about my...

If I could give -0 stars I would, Im not the type to write reviews but this time I HAD TO, so yesterday morning on my way back from Frankfort I found a hurt cat and me being me I pulled over and after trying and trying i eventually caught it mind you im allergic to cats but I couldn’t just do nothing the poor thing needed help so once I got it I immediately began looking anywhere and everywhere for a place to take it and for someone to help the poor thing , and Im clueless when it comes to cats I have never had a cat and again IM ALLERGIC to cats, well after what seems like forever I eventually end up getting in contact with this place well I first had left a voicemail and then I received a texts from a women not long after, and she tells me I could bring it to them, so after going through all this trouble to get ahold of this cat calling NUMEROUS places trying to find help for this poor thing, I then make the almost 50 min drive to metro to what I thought was to drop off this poor cat, well when I arrived they were VERY busy which I didn’t care about I was just glad I made it there and found help for this poor cat, anyways I was greeted by a man who asked what was I there for which I said I had called about a hurt cat I had found and I received a message saying I could bring it here, so here I am with the cat, he said okay sign in here so I did and then I sat there for almost an hour patiently waiting with this cat and with a face mask on because again I’m allergic to cats, eventually a guy comes up to me asked what was going on and I again told him the same thing, I said I was driving back from Frankfort and on my way back somewhere along the way I found this poor hurt cat, and me being me I pulled over and caught it then sat there for a while trying to find a place to take it and I was told I could bring it here, he then proceeds to tell me they can’t take it because I got it from Frankfort which I said I didn’t no exactly where it was at I just found it along the way as I headed back towards Louisville, but they didn’t care I said well what am I supposed to do with it!? It’s hurt Im allergic im clueless and I can’t take it, I’d already exposed myself knowing Im allergic just to try helping the poor thing, and I was told yall could take it and now your telling me you can’t so what do I ado !?? he pretty much told me to bad and he can give me a number to a shelter in Frankfort which I again said I didnt no if it was exactly in Frankfort I didn’t pay any attention, but again he didn’t care, I literally begged them to take it to help it they told still said NO, so I begged them to atleast look at it treat it they still said NO, so I then just said okay well I can’t take it Im sorry and I began to walk away without the cat, because I was thinking to myself I can’t help it they can even though he’s telling me no but if I just leave it here and walk off they arent gonna just leave the cat sitting there so itll get help one way or another, so I begin to walk off apologizing as Im doing so without the cat but he follows me and then tells me if I don’t take the cat with me he will file a report and take me to court for ANIMAL abuse/neglect…I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, I turned around and im crying I said neglect ITS NOT MINE Im the only one trying or help it, ITS NOT MINE I CANT HELP IT, YALL HAVE THE RESOURCES TO HELP IT, I WAS TRYING TO DO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RIGHT I WAS TRYING TI BE A GOOD PERSON AND GET IT HELP, IF ANYONE IS NEGLECTING IT ITS YOU ALL , to turn away a hurt animal is a new level of HEARTLESS especially when you have the means the resources to help it. SHAME OF YALL !!!! EDITED I wanted to come back on here to give an update I found an AMAZING place that went above & beyond to help me, they even came all the way to my house & picked up this hurt cat, if u need help with a stray, a hurt animal or even your own pet & CANT seem to find a good place that’ll help, GO TO OLDHAM COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY YOU WONT REGRET IT THEY ACTUALLY CARE UNLIKE METRO, DO NOT GO...

I waited for an hour to drop off a black kitten someone abandoned. The kitten kept running into the street and following people and I didn’t want it to be ran over by a car so I took it and decided to take it to a shelter thinking it would be adopted. The kitten was so stressed crying and meowing yet it kept getting distracted by lightening bugs. I couldn’t leave it outside so I took it in for three days planning to take it to a shelter. I found this clinic. I was told other clinics can reject a cat or any reason but this one doesn’t.

And they tell people dropping off strays that they will neuter and spay it and release it where it was found hoping it won’t die or that people will feed it. I offered to foster it because they have a foster program for house pets that have been dropped off and abandoned but I was treated like I wanted free services for the kitten and like I couldn’t afford to have it done myself. I even asked if they could call me before releasing it back outside so I could find it and help it and I was treated like I wanted free services just to get the kitten back. So after an hour of waiting and seeing people get helped that came in after me, I walked out and I was told police would come to my home in an hour and summon me for court and I’d have huge court fees and abandonment fees. The receptionist was intentionally rude and prolonged the experience. Her co worker even joked that she was a bully and someone would post on Facebook about it before I wait for an hour. I asked why I had to stay if I couldn’t help and I filled out paperwork and I was told I had to sign documents or I would be fined and the police would track me down. I will never take a kitten or animal in again because of this experience.

The clinic is horrible for not allowing a person to foster a kitten or pet IF they say they will foster it. I would not donate to this clinic because of my experience.

This kitten is such a good kitten it’s just a playful and curious kitten and I can’t afford to lose a tv and items because the cat pushes it over a dresser or counter and tv stand. She messed up my Christmas tree, iron and toilet paper being a kitten.

They made my experience terrible and they prolonged the suffering of the kitten and myself. I didn’t want to drop it off but I have my own medical needs and multiple surgeries needed so I can’t afford to get il the kitten shots every year and to buy it litter every three days to keep a smell out of my studio apartment.

This is a government facility so you will be treated like a criminal tracked down for just dropping off a pet in a box even if you leave your information. It should not take a person an hour or more to have you sign one document. The receptionist was being a racist, prejudice B word. I didn’t curse her out or call her a name but she was rude to me. I hope her job depresses the crap out of her. I hated being there and hearing cats cry.

Update 1-2025: a black kitten with an animal bite came into the warehouse I worked in the day of a three day snow storm and I took it to the only shelter I knew wouldn’t reject an animal (cat/dog) because I worried about the weather. I feared that they would reject the kitten because of my first experience but they didn’t. And the process was so quick. I couldn’t foster the kitten and I was told it would be released where I found it which was a bad area for a kitten. But, I think it could be put up for adoption. I’m just glad they would treat the animal because it was in a lot of pain days before I noticed the injury. In fact, it began to pull its hair off to...