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November 2023 by Lydia Oyku Dogan
People who work here were very friendly and they are very knowledgeable and they really care about the animals. It was really fun and nice and a little heartbreaking seeing all these beautiful ? looking and waiting for their forever home and now me and my boyfriend are going home with our beautiful Adagio. Thanks for helping us and thanks for being so nice.* Over a year later, Adagio is the cutest, playful cat. Yes he gets over stimulated sometimes, but who doesn't right? We love him so much ❤️
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November 2023 by Maggie B
Such a positive environment. Sam was super kind and helpful!
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August 2023 by B. F.
I am disheartened to feel the need to write this review. I had hoped I left this place in the past some time ago. I worked at Burlington Humane for several years. In the time I worked there I watched countless coworkers come and go, along with multiple managers. I would often need to help train the new manager or pick up slack between new hires (with no change in pay/hours). I made a little over minimum wage even after being there for several years. The latest manager has zero previous animal care experience and is the reason for multiple volunteers and staff leaving. Many of us stayed because we put the animals first. However, after several very disturbing instances... it was time for me to give my notice. I have not worked there for a few years and it seems that things have got even worse. Animals are put second to politics. I have read another review about the camera's being watched and fully corroborate this. Yes, the job was physically and emotionally exhausting. However, I absolutely loved working with the animals (some feral, some abused/neglected and some simply found). The volunteers continually amazed me at the amount of time and patience they put into BHS. Some working nearly full time hours to simply ensure the dogs who were left in the back could be walked. This is an extremely underpaid job, even for a charity organization. No one was looking for a living wage, we were hoping to make slightly more than minimum wage. There's barely enough staff to cover most shifts and the animals pay for it. Shelter work is not for everyone, but that's no excuse for lying and scheming from management. Coworkers helped each other out often staying WAY past their paid hours, running errands before and after work, supporting each other in many ways just to get through the day. New idea's are rarely welcomed and micromanagement happened, not "hands on help". Please, if you are looking to work in the animal care field consider your options heavily. There are many other opportunities out there that will be rewarding. This was a pure toxic work environment because of management and a few individuals in particular from The Board. Volunteers who do not agree are let go or called radical/ harmful. This may get lost in the shuffle as other new 5 star reviews pop up. Thankfully, I am seeing other 1 star reviews on here. As sad as it is, it's good to see the truth come out from so many of us who felt they needed to keep silent. Nothing is going to get better until the management changes and some of the Board decide to let the reigns go.
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August 2023 by Emma P
If you adopt from here, make sure they provide full medical history of the animal. My neighbor adopted a kitten without all the information they had on her and has since spent $4000 in vet bills on a congenital illness that her mother "possibly" had but which wasn't disclosed at the time of adoption. This is cruel to the kind-hearted people adopting, and the animals.
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July 2023 by Phoenix Deluca
I got my cat here. Just a great place in general!!
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July 2023 by onesmartchick50
BHS is politics over pets. Five of some of the best, most dedicated (7yrs) and caring volunteers have been let go in the last two months because they had brilliant ideas to better the facility and benefit the pets and the exposure BHS gives them for optimum opportunity for adoption. One young lady drove upwards of 30 minutes one way, sometimes for 7 days straight to ensure all pets were given the outdoor exercise and attention they crave. But, some admin staff were concerned for their jobs and not open to fresh, new ideas and the volunteers were dismissed without notice. ALL volunteers and Board members should undergo an annual review to assess their contributions for the care and administration with the pets in mind, first.
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May 2023 by Kaitlyn Mraud
EDIT: I am extremely disappointed that I feel the need to change my previous review. Over the past few months this rescue has devolved SO drastically that I can no longer, in good conscious, recommend it to anyone. To employ a "manager" who previously worked for companies known for their inhumane practices (denying any poor practices and claiming the animals are well-cared for) and employ an "adoption counsellor" with no background in animal care is disturbing.Simply put, BHS is being run as a business.The members of the board should be ashamed of themselves, they have NO idea what is happening there but continue to make decisions that they don't understand the repercussions of. PLEASE look into other rescue organizations before turning here, I will never make the mistake of adopting from BHS again.Let me start by acknowledging the negative/less favourable reviews.Initially I had an unfavourable impression when I went to adopt a cat. I was told I wasn't allowed to see the cat(s) without filling out a form, then upon filling out the form was told I had to come back to speak with a counselor because I had checked indoor/outdoor cat, and I found the person I dealt with to be dismissive.HOWEVER, I have to say this is a genuinely wonderful shelter. They unequivocally have the animals best interest at heart even though this may not always be clear to those on the other side of things. Their prices are absolutely reasonable to help sustain the shelter, if you can't afford the adoption fee then you can't afford a pet. They are very dedicated in ensuring the people who come in are matched with the right animal, not just the one they may think is the cutest. If going through multiple hoops to adopt an animal seems like too much, or something worth complaining about, then perhaps you're not serious enough about the wellbeing of all of their animals. Hoops are nothing compared to the lives and welfare of these animals.This is my beautiful boy I adopted years ago, he was my absolute heart-pet and I am eternally grateful for him.
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May 2023 by Mackenzie Campbell
I took the Pet First Aid Course here with Doug and I highly recommend it! It was very interesting, informative and Doug is a great instructor! He gave us a tour of the building and we were all so impressed with how well cared for and loved the animals are. This is a wonderful establishment, thank you guys for everything you do!
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May 2023 by Bob Pevere
Thank you so much to everyone for helping us say Goodbye to Chance today. We loved him so much and will miss him terribly. The kindness and compassion shown by the staff was truly wonderful! ❤️
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January 2023 by Kathryn Parsons
A wonderful organization. The kids program is amazing. They take good care of the animals. A good place to volunteer or to check in to see if they need any donations
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January 2023 by Sarah Purchase
We adopted our furry little family member here just over two years ago. If we ever decide to get him a sibling, we will come back.
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January 2023 by Maiesha Mae
The process was very smooth in terms of adoption of my lovely kitty <3 The staff/volunteers are so so lovely and had a lot to say about each of the cats I was interested in. I viewed 3 cats on my visiting day, and knew who I wanted that day - I was urged to go home and sleep on it, at first I was so scared I would lose my cat of interest to someone else in that day, but whats meant to be is meant to be c:Heres Susu:
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January 2023 by Abdullah Mohammad
First off it took us a month to get an appointment and when we got there the staff were very nice but we were told we couldn't adopt because the dad wasn't there to meet the cat so we will schedule another day. They let us meet some of the cats and the girls were a bit scared because it was their first time being near an animal. They then escorted us out telling us we will reschedule. When I made the email to reschedule they responded that we will not be able to adopt because the girls were hesitant and that the cat will not appreciate that. We emailed back saying that I'll try getting them used to cats but instead we got ghosted. So we basically wasted a whole month for nothing then we contacted petsmart and within 3 weeks we had the most loving cat in our home and they weren't so difficult about the process.Adopt from Petsmart
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January 2022 by Teresa Hawkins
I love this place, and all that they do for our pets without homes. I understand post covid times are difficult, and I'm sure it has not been easy for them. I recently have been trying to adopt a cat, but it seems the process now is VERY difficult. I called twice, and emailed. No reply. I went in person to discuss the process, but stood outside and waited for 20 min. Inwas unable to schedule an appointment due to their restricted hours. Certainly makes it difficult to schedule full family appointments. This process should be more accessible for families wanting to adopt. I suggest evening hours and open on Sundays. Pets would find loving homes much faster.
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January 2022 by Caitlin MacKay
We adopted a kitten who was in the Burlington humane shelter with her three siblings. As soon as we brought her home she started having a lot of problems and was very sick. After about a month and over $1000 in vet bills we get a call from the shelter saying that one of her siblings died of leukemia. The fact that the shelter brought in kittens off the street and did not test for leukemia is horrible. Now we are in love with this kitten who will only live a few more months. These cats should’ve been tested for leukemia before they were brought into the shelter. We brought our kitten into a house with other cats and put them all at risk as well. Now our cat is dying, all of her siblings are dying, and whoever else they infected in the Humane Society. Do better. We are in love with this cat and she is dying.
