WAGS Pet Adoption — Local services in Westminster

I am never going back and would never recommend this place to anyone looking to adopt.

I went in for a kitten adoption event in October (2019) and adopted the healthiest kitten I could find that checked all my boxes. Everything seemed to be going good til a month later when I found injuries up and down my dogs legs where the kitten had attempted to play with him. I expected the kitten to try playing with my elder dog, but I did not expect for his legs to become a scabbed up wreck.

I contacted the shelter through a text line since they don't answer direct calls asking if it would be possible for me to bring in the kitten I had adopted in order to exchange for an elder cat who is a better fit. They were perfectly happy to help me with this at no charge, and gave me permission to bring my dog with in order to have a meet and greet!

We get to the shelter and there are very few people there, which is surprising since it took forever to be helped. An employee would come up to help you, ask some questions, say they were going to go check something or pull up your file and then never return. While waiting we heard that there was an outbreak of parvovirus (a lethal illness) in some of the foster kittens that had been adopted out (one of the kittens was brought back and was one step away from the rainbow bridge), they had no intention of notifying any of the adoptees, and an outbreak of upper respiratory/sinus infections among their 250 cats (which was well over their capacity). There were at least 5 rooms of cats, although some were marked quarantine, and we were later notified that all rooms contained ill cats. This would account for all of the goopy eyes and sneezing I could hear when inside each cat room.

During this time they had taken the kitten I had previously adopted back into what I was told would be a separate kennel and I had been asked to sign an owner surrender form. I refused to sign the form until I had found a suitable cat since, if I didn't find another cat, I would be taking the kitten back home with me.

I had settled on two kitties that I wanted to have a meet and greet with and was informed that both were healthy. Neither was a good fit and I had asked to see the two foster cats they had that were raised with dogs, the person helping us left to retrieve the dog-friendly cats. After being left in a room for over half an hour with no return from the employee I went out looking for someone. The lobby was empty! I rang the obnoxiously loud cow bell at the front desk (which is there to notify that there is someone at the front desk who requires attention), and no one came. After a few minutes of standing in an empty lobby, I went looking for an employee. They were all having a pow-wow in the back!!!

I managed to grab someones attention and inform them that I haven't found a good match and will be taking the original kitten back home with me. The state of the shelter and the lack of employee control over anything was appalling and I refused to leave any animal there.

Remember how I said that they had told me the kitten had been placed in a separate kennel??? NOPE. They tossed her into one of the cat rooms that contained ill cats! When they finally brought her back out to me she was absolutely terrified! In the few months that I had owned her I had never seen her look more scared and panicked than she did in this moment. (I had to stop at a gas station right around the corner before heading back home to hold her until she calmed down. She had plastered herself to the floor of my carrier.)

It wasn't until I had gotten home that I hopped on my email and found that an owner surrender form had been added to my file...a paper that I NEVER signed. Luckily I was able to get that removed, but still.

It has now been a week or two since that ordeal and I have noticed two things that also came home with me that day. Both my cat and my dog now have fleas (in a house that has never had any flea problems before) AND my dog has ear mites. Thank god nothing more serious...

I was not interested in getting another dog, however, my boyfriend saw a couple walking a beautiful Boston Terrier. He immediately was in love. He has never had a pet in his life and has only been exposed to a pet through me. So, he wanted to see what was out there. I was very adamant about only rescuing, because right away he was looking at breeders. I only agreed to getting another dog if this was the case. We went through many shelter websites and came across this one. We saw this gorgeous little stray Frenchie. So we went straight there, unfortunately the poor little guy wasnt available just yet. We were told to check back Tuesday. Let me just say the asian girl at the desk was very "as a matter of fact". No greeting or anything. I texted in the am to see if he'd be available and recieved a text back hours later. I didn't wait for the text I was right down the street when I git a response to check back at 2:00pm because he was being neutered. Kind of weird that they would allow visitation right out of surgery let alone send him home with a new family. I went back at 2:00pm to be told, "he's having a hard time waking up come back at 4:00pm". I was told that I was about the fifth person to be interested, so it may be a "lottery" type of thing if everyone shows up. I filled out the adoption application online on Sunday and received the email that it was approved before they opened on Tuesday. The email stated that it would be a first come first serve basis on approved applications. She told me they all had approved applications, which is weird because she didn't even ask me for my name. Showed up at 3:15pm and waited until 4:00pm. There wasn't anyone there to see him. I was able to visit with him for almost 40 minutes before someone showed up. I would think it would only be fair to say I met the first come first serve policy right? So, after the gentleman got a 10 minute visit, along comes a couple at 4:51pm to visit for the last 9 minutes. The lady then asks for our names, writes them on a piece of paper and has a co-worker pick a name out, as if he is a prize. Welp, low and behold the couple that didn't seem to care to show up on time (which gives the impression it wasn't really that important) gets the baby. What really puts a bad taste in my mouth was when I walked back in to ask them to take my information just in case it doesn't work out, they already had the puppy in their hands and already paid for it. Where is the application process? Where is the introduction with the family or if any family pets that are specifically in their contracts? I understand that being a Frenchie puppy is in demand. I wasn't dying to have him because he was a Frenchie, (my daughter has one that I've raised, and I have a full bred White German Shepherd, both of which are very well taken care of and fully trained by me). My boyfriend fell in love when he saw him right away. During my visit he was fresh out of surgery shaking badly. I comforted him so he stopped shaking and fell asleep in my arms. Long story short I don't feel this organization cares much about these animals going to good home. It seems they are just looking to get rid of them. Ask a lot of questions about their policies and procedures because the way they handled it went against every single one of their terms to have your application approved. I really hope he actually went to a good home where he'll be happy and taken care of. Oh one more thing, I'm not even sure they disclosed that he had a medical issue that will cost a lot of money and surgeries that are very expensive for that type of dog. They only told me...

At first glance I did like this shelter. There's 4 different rooms of cats cage free. Most of them get to roam around freely. So that Saturday my boyfriend and I picked out a 4 month old short haired Siamese flame point. I was so excited but we had to wait until Tuesday 1/29 to take him home after he's been neutered. He was doing great and we were bonding with him. Friday I noticed his eye looked like he had an infection and was developing some respiratory problem. I contacted Wags the next day by text because they never pick up their phone. They told me to take him to the Vet across the street no appointment needed. So I took him and they seemed confused as to why I would go there and told me Wags would be covering his visit and sent me back to the shelter to pick up some antibiotics. There was 3 different medications we had to give him for a week. So we started his antibiotics 2/3 by Thursday night 2/7 he was awfully sick. He had diarrhea, dry heaving, vomiting and was keeping his distance from us. Friday we took him to the same vet 2/8 & he was diagnosed with Panleukopenia. A very deadly contagious virus among cats and especially vulnerable to kittens. Wags told us there really isn't much that can be done and they would euthanize him for us, refund us our adoption fee PLUS give us a credit for another cat. I would never go back to this shelter. I'm sure I'm not the first or last that will experience this. We decided to fight for our little fur ball. Our Vet bill was over $800. Guess what ... a week later and he's recovering very well!! It breaks my heart to think he would have been dead if another family hadn't had the means to pay for his treatment. This whole situation just seems very unethical and I would be careful adopting any kitten...