My Nonprofit Reviews

When I retired, I wanted to start volunteering at an animal shelter. After checking out the ones around town, I decided on ADL, and it has been everything I saw during my first visit and more. It's not a fancy facility like some of the newer ones, but it is the kind of place I would want to go if I were a dog or cat in need of a place to stay.

The dogs have large kennels with access to inside and covered outside space, and for much of the day they are in play areas with other dogs (unless they don't get along with others), so it's like doggie daycare for them. No one stays cooped up all day.

They get a lot of attention, both from staff and from the many volunteers who come to walk and play with them. You can see the love of the people for the animals in the way they interact and their knowledge of each animal.

The cats have a life that is as good or better than they would have at a house. It's a big room full of toys and places to sleep or be alone, with two large screened porches accessible by cat doors. Staff and volunteers are in and out all day to play with them.

I was surprised at first at how happy and friendly the animals are, since they have all been abandoned or lost. But their good spirits and friendliness can be largely attributed to the way everyone there treats them as their own.

It's more than a no-kill shelter -- it does a lot of outreach to help people understand the importance of spay/neuter and offers now-cost services for spay/neuter, vaccinations and microchipping.

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