Animal Ark

I've only ever visited cats, so this is a limited review. The animals are well cared for, and the spaces they have are spacious and comfortable. Staff are friendly and welcoming.

Maybe I am wrong, but my gut instinct is likely right. I was looking at orange and white cats, my son saw a cat at this shelter and he begged me to check it out and apply. He is 12, and my daughter is 8. They are good, responsible kiddos, we treat our cats with respect, love, kindness and lots of patience. We have 4. This cat looked like one of our cats. I applied and went to call the shelter, and immediately the cat wasn’t going to be a good fit bc we had too many other cats, and probably the cat wasn’t good around kids, either. The listing never stated this, otherwise I would have told my son no. The person I spoke to on the phone invited us to the shelter to look at the other cats. We don’t want to look at the other cats, we wanted to look at the one my son saw online. That day I spoke to the shelter, I noticed the cat’s listing was updated to say she wasn’t friendly and she should be alone. Sus! We were going to go and look, and today I see all these one star reviews of others whose children were severely disappointed to not be able to adopt their pet of choice. I was also very disappointed to read the reviews of age discrimination against senior citizens. I am glad we didn’t go to be disappointed and upset. I will adopt from a shelter, but it won’t be here. Felt like a bait and switch and I’m not interested in having to comfort my family bc of rude staff. We dodged a bullet here. And maybe we would have gotten to adopt a cat from here…but reading these posts from other people who have been discriminated against for age or having children, I wouldn’t have liked having this in my head and heart.

The whole process couldn’t have been any easier. We first met our new pup at a local event they were at. We did not get her then but 5 months later we discovered she was still available and ready for a forever home. We got in contact and it was seamless from there. Shout out to Anna who made it easy, she was knowledgeable and stayed in contact and was even there the day we went to pick her up and made sure we were as comfortable as the pup. Thank you all so much. -The Strehlows

We LOVE Animal Ark!!! If you’re looking to adopt or foster, this is the place to find your new fur baby. Or if you’re just looking to support a great shelter, there are endless ways to support them too!! We brought home our sweet Tilly and are so happy to have her. They walked my partner and i through the entire process so seamlessly (especially for us first time pet owners). The staff cares so deeply and they work so hard to make sure you’re equipped with all the right resources. They also made sure she was up to date on all her shots and she is already even microchipped! They also had her already trained to go in her litter box so our transition home was so easy. Adopting from Animal Ark will be the best thing you ever do. 🧡☺️

I understand that since my cat Maverick was surrendered, I no longer have legal rights to him—but that doesn’t excuse the way I was treated. I called Animal Arc simply hoping to visit and say goodbye, since I didn’t even get the chance before he was taken in. Colleen answered the phone and was cold, rude, and dismissive. Instead of showing compassion, she lectured me and acted like I was out of line for caring. Regardless of policy, there’s a kind and respectful way to talk to people—especially when they’re grieving. I wouldn’t trust someone like that with any animal.

Absolutely fantastic 👏. They really care about the animals. The cats have super fun set ups. The dogs are kept out of the public eye until you make an appointment to meet a dog. This keeps the stress down for the dogs. We were able to meet several fun cat friends. The adoption process is involved and requires a lot of information.

Their staff is very nice and the cat rooms are beautifully set up and very clean. You can visit with any cat you want for as long as you like. The adoption process was really easy. And my new kitty is so sweet!

They truly care about the animals, and I genuinely believe they do all they are able to help the local animals in our community. Our family has gone through them twice for some of our rescue cats and the experience was swift and kind.

Contrary to the reviews, Animal Ark is a great no-kill shelter. I have fostered for Animal Ark for twelve years and have the utmost respect for them. Their animals are treated with loving care. That being said, their adoption process is very thorough with the one goal in mind which is that the animals are adopted into the best forever home.

My wife and I adopted Shadow from Animal Ark in 2022 after fostering her for several weeks. The process of fostering/adopting at Animal Ark has been criticized by some, this is unwarranted IMO. The proper match of pet/owner is critically important as was the case with our match to Shadow. She needed people with past Shepherd experience and a peaceful quiet home where she could adjust from being in shelters for over a year. Animal Ark does a phenomenal job with the dogs/cats in their care. Please support them any way you can and if you have it in your heart to adopt, there's a precious dog/cat waiting to come and make your life a little more special!

Hands down one of the worst experiences I have ever had with a non-profit dog shelter. I asked to see a couple of dogs and I was shown such disrespect by the executive staff (red haired lady and the lady with the german accent) that I walked out of the facility. I was able to track down a few of the volunteers (former) and they made me aware that there are dogs that have been in there for years without any effort from management to get them adopted. The former volunteers also mentioned that management eliminated the volunteer program and now the dogs are sitting in their kennels all day without any volunteers to walk the or get them any exercise. Chose a different shelter that ACTUALLY cares for their animals and their volunteers.

Amazing place! They love their animals, it's just a special place. I got my cat from there . He was my best friend for 20 years.

If I could do ZERO stars I would! I sent in a donation to become a friend/member of Animal Ark, and it was DENIED and sent back to me because they claim I am "associated with a group of people who have shown a hostile attitude towards them" - Are you kidding me?? Sounds like they handpick their donors and only choose an inside select group! I am absolutely appalled by this. What kind of organization turns away interested donors with a ridiculous "reason" like that. Seriously. I'd be wary of what goes on behind closed doors - especially with finances! I HIGHLY suggest anyone interested in helping them out find another shelter where EVERYONE is welcome, and behind the scenes business is transparent.

Animal Ark has to be one of the most compassionate rescues I have ever worked with. They sincerely give every animal a life they deserve and the time they need to find a happy, loving home, however long it takes. Please consider adopting, volunteering, or donating. This organization is completely dedicated to animals.

If I could give this organization no stars I would. I do not recommend going here at all. My experience matches other stories shared here. I called to see if a cat on their website was available, they said yes so I immediately drove 45 miles to meet her. After filling out an application, falling in love with her, sending them pictures of my home and a week, I was told there was multiple applications (even though I was previously told she was available) and that they'd let me know when they selected an adopter. 16 days later and no communication at all. What a terrible, unfriendly, heartbreaking experience.

The excitement and hope of being apart the journey in abandoned cats life was very real for our family. We visited Animal Ark, our first impression was one of this an incredible facility and the staff seemed so kind. We decided to fill put an application in for Bristol and Breeze on 8/19/2023. We had return visits, made inquiries, we made multiple visits to see the kittens. We here we are on 8/30/23. We haven't received an email or a call from Animal Ark. on social media they posted this picture. To learn on social media after all of interactions and follow up conversations that we had But were never told the adoption was not happening is discouraging and sad to me because think opportunity we could've given another cat if we had been told.

We can't thank Animal Ark enough, and cannot support their efforts enough. We've adopted from a variety of organizations over the years, and AA absolutely required the most work from us, which we completely appreciated. It wasn't a quick process, and we had a lot of criteria to meet and boxes to check, but we respected their process and loved working with them the first time so much that we went back 9 months later for another pet. Thank you!

I really like animal ark. I wanted to volunteer to do dog walking. I am disabled. I went in to inquire and received my handful of documents to fill out. As I was sitting there a few volunteers walk up. I asked If they thought I would be able to walk them with a bad back. One of them said no absolutely not! Another one walks up and said, We really need walkers. You can walk the little dogs. I have had to have another surgery and didn't go back. The cat aria is the only aria you can visit. They look like they are well cared for. But some cats have been there for years. They love attention and really need homes! They don't let you in to see the dogs. I think they are kept in kennels. It is all very sad to see homeless animals ! Well to me anyway being a animal lover.

They have very much improved since my last post. Have more staff now and our adoption was approved in a timely manner (within a week).

I adopted a pair of cat brothers back in April. Spirit & Pepper. They are wonderful. The staff was welcoming and explained their background and behavior quirks very well, and talked us thru the best way to adapt them to our home.

My significant other and I went in multiple times in hopes to adopt 2 kittens, filled out an application and had a vet set up and everything when I realized I didn't ask if they tested the kittens for FIV and FLV. Sent an email back to them (we had been communicating back and fourth) and received nothing back.... Not to mention the ladies at the front desk are so rude I couldn't believe it. Seems like they don't wanna adopt pets out to first time owners, while they have many cats sitting in the back in cages. Would not recommend.

This summer must be doing some damage to my brain since I'm actually taking the time to write a review for a non-food related place for once. And to think that I'll be blowing my cover as a catlady while I'm at it...oh well... Despite my allergy towards cats, I can't help but fall in love with them. After much deliberation over the past 2 years, I've decided to play with chances and ended up at the Animal Ark shelter in Hastings in search of one. To my surprise, this place wayyyy exceeded my expectation of an animal shelter. Not only was it nicely tucked away in the quiet countryside, it's also nicely decorated and equipped with lots of amenities to accommodate the furry ones. Upon general impression, the place was clean and well air-conditioned. There were even private rooms behind glass displays that housed about 3-4 cats each. For a shelter, Animal Ark is definitely a luxurious haven for the animals during their transition time. Aside from the facility, the people/volunteers who worked there were also great. I liked that the lady who helped me out at the shelter was thorough enough to make sure I wasn't a nutcase who's gonna end up harming the kitty. Overall, I'm very happy with the whole adoption experience and would recommend anyone to go to anyone who's looking for a set of paws to join their clan.

This place is horrible for my experience. I went there with I cat a found lying on the side of the road last night. Still breathing just shocked. I brought it home and decided it would be in best interests to bring the animal to them. First I tried calling 3 times and no one answered. I didn't want to waste my gas driving there if they were going to refuse the cat. I drove there anyways. I walked in and I just got the rudest lady with a accent. Gosh was she rude. She Goes "I do not have a vet here" "you need to go to the vet" I told her that it says on your website you take in animals like this cat and she goes "no I don't have vet" and then stares at me like "why are you still here" so I just walk away super confused. Also to mention that Dakota county TOLD ME to bring the kitten there and that they would take the kitten. I ended up calling redwing human shelter and they had no issue taking the the kitten. I do not support this place anymore.

I am a foster failure. I have a pit bull from there. I also volunteer there to walk dogs. Coved has messed up the volunteer program for dog walking new volunteers. Hopefully new orientations will come about soon. Still a great place to get a pet. They are very responsible in the adoption process. If you want to visit the cats they have great environment for cats where you can visit the cats in condos. Nice way to get acquainted.

I stopped in last summer, because i was interested in walking some dogs or play with cats. The person at the counter, seemed very grumpy & not very welcoming. However, a 2nd gal asked if i could be helped. She was nice enough to show me the cat area, upstairs. I filled out application, & never got a response

Wish I would have looked at the reviews before going here! Other bad reviews are right on! Good luck adopting a pet here. We found one (of course we filled out the app and gave them pictures of our home etc) the day after we put in our app for a cat they shared her on Facebook as available for adoption. The whole family met her and fell in love with her. We followed up several times on the status, the employees said that she had "multiple" applications. When we submitted our application we were not told there were multiple applications, we had the feeling they were just brushing us off... I explained we did an application there, we emailed the pictures, and we also emailed a letter about our family. They sounded like they hadn't even looked at our application yet and this was a week after we applied. The cat was never taken down from petfinder or their website, she wasn't marked as pending adoption. They said the application process is, apply (generic question, how do you know someone from this application?) and email pictures of your home. They look through the applications choose the best one, if one isn't better then the other, they'll draw a name... it's not in order of application either. If you want a heartbroken family, go here and fall in love with an animal, be judged, and don't worry, they don't have the decency to let you know they adopted the animal to someone else. Luckily we were able to find a cat at the Humane Society, took him home right away and now he has a forever home. I am not sure how many animals get adopted from the Animal Ark. it seems that they may want to keep them living in the small closets instead of a real home with a family that will love them.

We adopted our cat from the Animal Ark and couldn't be happier. They were very knowledgeable and helped us find the right one for our family.

I love their commitment to the dogs. They are one of the few shelters that helps pull dogs from Minneapolis Animal Control

We went to Animal Ark to find our new rescue companion (dog). We were greeted by a friendly front desk staff person. We were introduced to our future forever friend. Over the months we visited him, we were always made welcomed and felt like a part of the shelter. When it was time to bring him home, we were surrounded with wonderful staff and volunteers who offered help, advice and well wishes! The staff's main concern was always for the well being of the animal and to ensure the compatibility of the animal and the future owner! Hats off to Animal Ark!!

Some years ago I was looking for a dog. Went to Animal Ark and found a beautiful dog that was part Saint Bernard. He seemed mellow enough, but I learned that he was also sick from an injury, and was not placed for adoption yet. The dog was clearly not feeling well -- moved slowly, as if in pain. I contacted my vet for her input. She said the Animal Ark should be shut down. That made my decision right there.

The kittens they gave us were sick and had lice. They were unwilling to treat or help with payment. They were rude on phone calls, and their facility was filthy. Cats weren't kept in kennels, but small tiny carriers in the food storage room, Healthy cats had to be placed in the isolation room with the sick, contagious cats.. We were told that the cats had their vaccines, but looking through the records, they were missing quite a few. We informed them about this, and again, they were indignant, and uncaring. It was awful, no animal deserves to be in that facility.

An update from my previous post 6 months ago. Three weeks ago I checked the Animal Ark website and saw two white Maltese dogs up for adoption. I knew that small dogs went fast so I grabbed my kids and we went to Animal Ark and came home a couple hours later with Kodie and Khloe. They are 4 1/2 years old and though not from the same litter they were raised together and it was requested they be adopted together. The staff was very professional and since it seemed they were slow in moving pets in and out the first question I asked was if it would be possible to leave there with a pet if our application was accepted. We met the two dogs in the meet and greet room and the kids fell in love with them. We were given a little bit of mixed information on the dogs. All in all it was a good day but we dealt with 3 different people and they were all trying to go by memory about which dog liked whatever. Eventually, I called the original owner because I found her number in the paperwork. She said she had written a very detailed letter with their likes and dislikes but somehow that never was given to us. I definitely recommend rescuing a pet over supporting a puppy mill.

My family has been adopting from Animal Ark for several years. I adopted a puppy (Lab/Pit mix) who is almost 14 years old. Never had a thing wrong with her. I adopted 2 kittens (not related to each other) about a month apart. They are almost 8 years old. Again healthy as ever. (Keep in mind, every animal is different, comes from a different background & has had a different life experience, so not all pets are as fortunate as the next one to live a long healthy life. Just like us humans.) I love Animal Ark so much, & everything they do for these animals that I became a volunteer working specifically with the cats. This no-kill animal shelter runs by way of donations & fundraising ONLY mind you....they don't have a bottomless pit of money...they rely on caring people like you to make generous donations. The staff treat every pet in the shelter as if it is their own, so they take pet adoption very seriously (they won't adopt to just anyone). Since they operate by donations, they can't afford to pay a ton of people to work there, so sometimes you have to wait a little bit becaue the staff is extremely busy. Feel free to come in, say "hi" and ask if there is someone available to show you around, or someone to ask questions to etc. Because afterall, the goal of the staff (& us volunteers) is find permanent loving homes for every animal there! And let me tell you it's a bitter sweet day when the animals get adopted. We are so very happy for them, but at the same time it makes us a sad that we won't get to see them any more (they become our pets too). We build relationships w/these animals because we love each & every one of them! This shelter is in no way filthy, & they do not put healthy cats in with sick ones. The cats that need TLC are in a separate room, & the cats that have not had all their shots yet or are ill, are also kept separate from those that have been fully vaccinated & are healthy. Everyone is required to sanitize their hands between visiting rooms to prevent germ spread. Some pets stay in large cages (NOT tiny crates) just like you would see at a Vets office or other animal shelters. Crates/carriers are used for transporting cats to & from the shelter, but no cat LIVES in a tiny crate/carrier. We also allow the cats to take turns coming out of their cages to roam around the room they are in or out into the hallway for more exercise. The cats who are ready for adoption stay in actual rooms w/windowed doors & windows (some rooms have windows to the outside), and unless they have FIV or FeLV (these immuno deficient cats have their own room), they have roommates that they can interact with. There are 1-4 cats per room, and they too are allowed to take turns letting them out into the hallways for more exercise. Each room has multiple beds, blankets, and climbing towers/cat condos/stratching posts, toys, etc. There are other toys (outside the rooms) for the volunteers to use to play with the cats when we come to socialize them (getting them comfortable w/people if they are shy so someone will adopt them & provide a forever home for them). Animal Ark works hard to raise money to have dog trainers come in to work with the dogs, & cat specialists (kind of like a cat whisperer) come in to work with the cats, & a veterinariam come in and care for all of the pets. These people have helped the dogs & cats tremendously. But again, they can't continue to offer these wonderful opportunities for their pets, unless people like you donate, volunteer, or attend fundraisers to help raise money. In order to become a volunteer, you have to attend an orientation class, sign agreements, & for the dog walkers, you need specialized training. For cat volunteers, you start socializing certain cats first, & may eventually be allowed to socialize some of the other cats who need more TLC due to health issues or physical disabilities. Each pet is monitored & based on their own unique health situation, they have their own specialized diets, & they do not feed these animals low quality food either. They are fed good quality food (some of which is prescription), which is donated to the shelter (as is the cat food, dog food, cat litter, pet treats etc). In fact Animal Ark donates the lower quality food that has been donated to them, to other shelters and families in financial need. Remember this is an animal shelter where most of the animals were found stray, so their family life & health history is unknown. They are provided thorough exminations & if found to be ill, are of course treated. Volunteers are required to alert staff if we notice anything out of the ordinary w/any of the pets (if they aren't acting like themselves, show signs of illness etc). I hope you will consider donating to, adopting from, or volunteering at Animal Ark. As a volunteer I find it VERY rewarding. Remember, adopting a shelter pet saves 2 lives...the life of the pet you adopt & the life of another pet who will take its place!

I have only adopted dogs from shelters, so when my 16 year old pointer passed away I looked to find the closest shelter. My sons and I went to their location in search of a new dog and companion to my other dog who had become neurotic since the death of my other dog. Upon arriving I was greeted by a volunteer walking a puppy. We had a great interaction but I am not in search of a puppy. So we went inside and that's when the trip fell apart. It is the most inviting place I have ever been too. No one seemed to have the time to interact with us and just seemed grumpy. We have adopted 5 dogs over the years and never been ignored by the shelter. We spent 20 minutes waiting for help. Someone released a chihuahua mix behind the counter and my son said man that's a big chihuahua. Some lady behind the counter turned and in a rude/condescending tone remarked it's a mixed breed. Mixed breed means it mixed between two breeds. So we laughed at her attitude and walked out. I did notice that some of the adoption fees were $300 or more which is surprising. I will drive to Woodbury for all my next best friend.

The day was Nov. 3, 2016 when I decided to drive from Prior Lake to Hastings. I had searched all shelter web sites for weeks, looking for the perfect cat that called out to me. There she was, at Animal Ark waiting to be rescued by me. A light grey/tan adult tabby. There were volunteers walking dogs outside and greeted me. Inside was busy, but it was a Sunday, and visitors with many questions. I was escorted to the cat quarters, on the second floor. Large areas, separated by glass windows, food and toys nearby. My little darling was sharing a room with one other cat. I was told by the very helpful women, Kari Searcy, DVM, the cat was found at their front door in a box, with a note attached, 'please love me'. They named her Gee Gee and had been at the shelter 4 months. I named her Sugar. I've had many cats and Sugar is by far the most loving cat. The staff was most courteous and helpful. I highly recommend it.

Love what they do for the animals! They are the only no kill shelter in the state of MN so they have an enormous task with just that alone. Kittens and puppies are always the first to be adopted and you just never know what those babies were born into. They keep or foster as many animals as they can. My brother still has his Katrina cat from 2005 and he is a great companion. (My Katrina cat's owner I fostered through Animal Ark was found so he went back home!)

The kittens I got from animal ark were sick and had lice. They were unwilling to treat or help with payment since I signed a contract. I had a choice between waiting to treat them a risk spreading it to my other cats and traveling an hour, or getting them treated right away with a clinic I trust. I went with the clinic and vets I trusted. When picking up the kitten I noticed that they had white specks ALL over their backs. I brought this to the shelters attention and they said "Oh don't worry that's just dandruff" When I called them a few days later to tell them that it is lice and its confirmed by the clinic, they seemed uncaring and when I asked how they missed that they said they don't do through exams before neutering. Then they offered to do the vaccines that they missed to do that the vet clinic I go to noticed in their file. When I called and tried to set up an appointment they said they don't carry the rabies and leukemia vaccines. So they promised me and then went back on their word and Brian on the phone was really rude about it too. He implied that I gave the kitten lice! As stated above I had mentioned it while I was at the clinic. Besides the lice and treatment I received from the people the shelter is absolutely filthy! They store cats in a back storage room in small animal carriers not kennels! The cats have no room to move at all! No wonder the kittens were sick with that as their surrounding. No animal should be treated like this! I am so disappointed in animal ark was so excited to go and adopt from animal ark in memory of a past cat I had gotten there! But now I will never return! They also kept deleting my post they're facebook page!

Over the last year, I have adopted two cats from Animal Ark and have been so happy with my decision. Both cats had been there two years and they are completely transformed since being in my home; Their loving and outgoing personalities truly shine! The staff are so helpful and their #1 priority is getting these animals their perfect forever home. I was very impressed to hear about the training Animal Ark provides for their dogs as this is important to adopters knowing their potential dog is already in training; not many other facilities in the Twin Cities provide training before the dog is adopted so I thought that was pretty cool. I visited their website the other day and noticed the plethora of adoption events and other fundraising events they are hosting at the beginning of 2017 which is very exciting. Overall, this is a shelter I trust 100% that I will get a great companion for life.