2 people found this review helpful
Review from CharityNavigator North Shore Animal League America , Inc.
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April 12, 2013
2 people found this review helpful
I volunteered at North Shore Animal League for a number of years, and finally left due to my disappointment in their operation, and the personalities of the people in charge. They seem to have a "holier than thou" attitude which is paramount, and more important to them than the animals in their charge. Neither paid staff nor volunteers keep the animals clean; they always have dried feces and food on their fur. No one seems to spend time with the animals, helping them to feel more secure, and despite the amount of money and material goods which pour in, there never seem to be beds or toys in the cages or the runs. They bring in animals from several states, anywhere from Virginia to California. They also bring in large numbers of mill dogs, mostly small breed purebreds, for which they charge adopters double what they charge for mutts. Despite their so-called emphasis on "muttigrees", and adopting mixed breeds, they make a big fuss over the purebreds, advertising their adoption events in advance, so that people will be there on the appointed day, lining up outside at the crack of dawn. For a group promoting the adoption of mixed breeds, the message they send is still that purebreds are more desirable. The poor mill dogs have been living in cages all their lives, and often hide in the backs of their cages, shaking . They do not spend any real time socializing them, or getting them used to living in freedom. Get them in, vet them, and shove them onto the adoption floor. They then send them home with a booklet on how to deal with a mill dog. Paid staff on the floor do just about nothing but fill out adoption applications for people. The managerial and administrative staff are unapproachable; they are distant, cold, and impossible to ask questions to or have discussions with. They perpetually look as though they are sucking on lemons. Despite the fact that there are supposedly "buddy programs" and a large outdoor area for dogs to be exercised, I rarely saw anyone outside playing with a dog, and ran across hardly any "buddies". Although there is supposed to be a foster program, which in reality is where all mill dogs should go when they first arrive, in order to be evaluated, and to learn how to live in a home, I never came across any evidence that there were more than a few dogs in foster care. Most good rescues put their dogs in a home for a period of time to get them ready to live with a family on a permanent basis. North Shore cares only about the money they get for adoption. They adopt out "special needs" mill dogs who have eye damage, who are missing most of their teeth, and other problems, to homes which have no experience with special needs pets. I don't know why I stayed as long as I did. I guess I was hoping that I could make some suggestions which would better the lives of the pets there, but the staff has a snooty attitude which basically negates any outside suggestions. They are living on their so-called "reputation", which they really do not deserve. Most of the puppies seem to have upper respiratory infections, and are on antibiotics. All in all, a horrible work experience.
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Would you volunteer for this group again?
No
For the time you spent, how much of an impact did you feel your work or activity had?
None
Did the organization use your time wisely?
Badly
Would you recommend this group to a friend?
No
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
January 24, 2013
DO NOT adopt/buy/donate to NSAL. They are a FRAUD. Animal protection groups protested there in 1986, when I was there. nsal made 31million $$$, their expensese 30million. Their president gets paid $350,000. NON PROFIT??? I DO NOT THINK SO. They bought PRIVATE JETS!!! They ARE NOT helping homeless and abandoned animals.
Linda 212-676-7842
I was forced to give NSAL one star in order to get my comment printed. They get 0000 stars from any animal rescuer
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How does this organization compare with others in the same sector?
Badly
How much of an impact do you think this organization has?
None
Will you recommend this organization to others?
No
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2013
November 30, 2012
I love the Help me Heal program and that they give updates on how the animals are doing. It's nice to see the pet whose story made me want to contribute be well & ready for adoption or be in their new home. I like that they care for animals who would probably not be given a chance in other agencies.
More feedback...
Was your donation impactful?
Definitely
How likely is it that you would recommend that a friend donate to this group?
Definitely
How likely are you to donate to this group again?
Definitely
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
November 17, 2012
they refused to answer requests for information on how donations are spent and when i stopped donating they have continued mailings several months after i asked them to stop
More feedback...
Was your donation impactful?
No
How likely is it that you would recommend that a friend donate to this group?
No
How likely are you to donate to this group again?
No
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
July 5, 2012
I adopted a 6 month old cat in 2006 that had a heart murmur. He had been at NSAL since he was 2 months old, cute as a button, but I suspect no one wanted to adopt a less than perfect cat. I agreed to take him and much to my surprise, NSAL said that they would monitor and treat his heart condition for life free of charge. Since then, for the past 6 years, my cat received the best care with echocardiograms and medication with a caring veterinarian - the same one each time - and wonderful staff members at the hospital. I continue to donate to NSAL whenever I can for the wonderful work they do. I read a few criticisms of the president's compensation which I feel is totally unfair. I worked for nonprofits for over 25 years and you need to compensate talent fairly in order to attract excellent candidates. I am sure that the president of NSAL would make more money in the for profit world.
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How would you describe the help you got from this organization?
A lot
How likely are you to recommend this organization to a friend?
Definitely
How do you feel you were treated by this organization?
Very Well
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
January 25, 2012
2 people found this review helpful
I've seen poor reviews for NSALA here on CN, and everyone is entitled to their opinions. But CN does not address anything relating to how they (charities) operate their "services". They give the ASPCA 4 stars, and we know they have the highest kill rate in the country. I personally don't find having total admin expenses less than 4% and fundraising expenses less than 17% outrageous, when you consider they do not euthanize ONE animal that can be saved. The same cannot be said for many of the "4 star" animal charities/shelters out there.
More feedback...
Was your donation impactful?
Definitely
How likely is it that you would recommend that a friend donate to this group?
Definitely
How likely are you to donate to this group again?
Definitely
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
January 7, 2012
1 person found this review helpful
When I was young I worked directly with Mrs. Lewyt. We started the save a pet vans together..I was the vet tech that traveled to the high kill shelters and rescued the abandoned dogs, cats, pups and kittens. Mrs. Lewyt is the heart and soul of NSAL.Later in my career, I trained older dogs to asst. handicapped and seniors. The program was Helping Paws.We rescued 1000's of animals and gave them a new leash on life.I am now a prof. trainer,vet tech and a nurse.I rescue animals from high kill shelters, spay and neuter them and place them in forever homes.I learned from the best! I only wish I could still be working with Mrs. Lewyt.She is a true saint, dog lover and a friend of all creatures great and small. Donna Barry Foley,Redding,CT.
More feedback...
How does this organization compare with others in the same sector?
Very Well
How much of an impact do you think this organization has?
Life-changing
Will you recommend this organization to others?
Definitely
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2011
December 29, 2011
1 person found this review helpful
It's a shame that this organization pays so much to the CEO. That alone will keep me from donating to them. Other CEO's who make this much are bringing in 4 times the donations, so maybe they're worth it, but this CEO should be ashamed of him or herself.
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Will you volunteer or donate to this organization?
No
How much of an impact do you think this organization has?
Some
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2011
November 2, 2011
6 people found this review helpful
As a former employee of NSALA, I've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. I do believe that NSALA could be a truly fantastic organization, but unfortunately it's currently run by a group of administrators that could care less about the animals they claim to protect. There are many good people that work there and who take excellent care of the animals, but the management has some serious problems that do trickle down to the level of the animals. The Medical Center is a full animal hospital on site where any sick cats or dogs are hospitalized until healthy enough for adoption. This area of NSALA is absurdly understaffed, leaving a skeleton crew of good-hearted, hard-working employees with far too many responsibilities to be able to take good care of the sick animals. And unfortunately, due to the # of animals in any shelter that are in close contact with one another, it's inevitable that most dogs and cats coming through the shelter end up with at least a minor infectious disease, which leads to a very busy hospital. The people who run NSALA do not devote any amount of effort to fixing the huge problems in the medical center, presumably because adopters are restricted to the clean, well-staffed main "kennel" building and never set foot in the hospital area. No amount of protest from the staff regarding these problems gets through to the administrators of NSALA, and they would much rather fire someone who is a potential whistle-blower than actually deal with the problems at hand. Aside from the poorly managed medical center, NSALA also has a reputation for bad customer service that is well deserved. Until this organization is run by a different group of administrators who truly care about the mission statement of the organization and who can better distribute the millions of dollars they bring in every year and who can provide an appropriate level of respect for their animals, employees and clients, NSALA will continue to have an extremely high employee turnover rate and many unhappy clients. I witnessed a number of terrible things that happened to animals there that were a direct result of incompetent people were running the organization. If you want your donations to go toward helping animals, I urge you to do your research and find a different charity that truly stands by its mission statement.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Adopted two pets from NSALA
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Require more transparency with regards to the inner-workings of the organization, add enough staff to take appropriate care of the animals in the shelter, improve human resources department to allow better communication between management and staff, and improve client relations so people will want to return to NSALA and recommend it to others.
More feedback...
How does this organization compare with others in the same sector?
Badly
How much of an impact do you think this organization has?
A lot
Will you recommend this organization to others?
No
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2011
October 23, 2011
4 people found this review helpful
I used to donate to this group, but after reviewing their financial data, it seems that they spend a fortune on management salaries, almost 350K for the president...I feel that the money I donate should be used for animal welfare, and not to pay such exorbitant salaries.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Yes
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Significantly reduce the management overhead and especially the exorbitant salaries they are paid instead of using the funds for animal welfare
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