Best Friends Pet Adoption Center

I had an amazing experience adopting from Best Friends Society. I adopted my kitten at just 8 weeks old, and she already came spayed and with her initial shots, which made the entire process so smooth and stress-free. The service was truly amazing from start to finish. The staff was kind, helpful, and genuinely cared about making sure the adoption was the right fit. They were also running a promotion at the time, and I was lucky enough to adopt my little bundle of joy for free. Her name is Dreame, and she has been such a blessing in my life. I’m incredibly grateful to Best Friends Society for everything they do and for helping me find my perfect companion. Highly recommend to anyone looking to adopt! 🐾💖

I adopted my kitten, Freya almost 3 months old, about 10 days ago and it’s truly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. She was very shy at first, but she adjusted so fast. Every day she becomes more playful, affectionate, and cuddly. She also gets along amazingly well with my other cat. they’ve become instant friends! I’m so grateful to the shelter for taking such good care of her before she came home with me. Thank you for helping Freya find her forever home and for making the adoption process so smooth. Highly recommended for anyone looking to adopt! ❤️🐾

I got my kitten from this place and I am absolutely in love with her. Her name was Kya when I met her at the center, and now she’s Padmé 💗 She is such a good girl very shy at first, but little by little she has started to come out of her shell. Seeing her play with her toys and get more comfortable each day has been so special. I’m so grateful for this experience and for bringing her home.

I adopted my 1 year old cat Josh (now Bagel) from Best Friends at the end of August after a weekend foster sleepover with him. He is the most precious, sweet, and loving little guy and I’m so grateful to have him in my life 💕. The adoption process was so smooth and Bagel is healthy and happy. Thank you to Best Friends for this amazing experience 🥹🐱

Just adopted a Cat Called Optimus Prime Day 1: Scared shy it's normal and I get it Then it goes to my living room and hides under the sofa for about 1 hour Then goes to TV stand that is glass and poops and scratches the ground. Staff members said it's litter trained. Almost got electrocuted after touching the wires. And now hiding behind a toilet in my house. Now he hissed at me I know the 3-3-3 rule but he has scratched me 2 times. Overall we got the cat for free and the staff was really nice. We paid for insurance and everything but please train your cats.

I stumbled across the centre as I was walking past and saw cats in the window! 😻 Even though I was visiting from London and had no intention of adopting an animal (I have two adopted cats at home!), the staff chatted with me and let me meet all the animals. What a wonderful service and a great place for the animals. The volunteers told me that most cats get adopted within a few days. I just wish I could have taken a few of the cats home in my suitcase! Don’t be afraid to go in and show the kitties some love.

I adopted my cat from Best Friends almost a year ago, and indeed, my lovely cat has truly become my best friend. I will never forget the kindness the staff extended in the time of difficulty and I’m forever grateful. I’m so happy I met my cat through this shelter. Thank you for bringing us together.

After searching for a place to adopt a cat, my boyfriend and I were referred to Best Friends Society. We visited multiple times within a few weeks just looking for a cat that felt right with us Everyone working here was incredibly friendly, helpful, and all around nice. Except for one individual whom I will not name Last week we were very lucky and found our girl! Right when we met her, my boyfriend and I knew that we wanted to take her home and make her feel loved! Ryan helped us with the adoption process, and he was very helpful and informative I would 100% recommend Best Friends Society to anyone looking for their new pet. Our experience has been amazing, and I’m so grateful we have our kitten!

My partner and I were on a wide search to find a new addition to our family when we stumbled upon Best Friends Lifesaving Center on Canal Street--and thank goodness we did. That's where we met our new kitty, Peggy. No joke, I spent over four hours at the center, trying to decide if that quiet little inkling I had about Peggy was something real. During all that time, the staff and volunteers were nothing short of incredible. They were kind, attentive, and so informative. Answering every question we had with care and thoroughness. From medical history to each cat's unique personality and shelter journey, they offered such thoughtful insight that it made a big decision feel a lot more grounded. What truly stood out was how much everyone there genuinely cares. You can feel it in the way they interact with the animals and in how much time they take with each potential adopter. It's clear that they want the best for every pet and every person who walks through their doors. To top it all off, our adoption fees were waived thanks to the generous sponsorship of Litter Robot. We even received a complimentary new kitty kit stocked with everything we needed to help Peggy adjust to her new home--wet food, kibble, treats, litter, toys... everything. It really felt like destiny. We're beyond grateful for the experience and the people who made it possible. Thank you, Best Friends Lifesaving Center, for the incredible work you do. The lifesaving truly goes both ways--thank you for bringing Peggy into our lives.

My friend came here to adopt a cat after hearing about this center through word of mouth. There's always a bunch of cats and kittens for adoption and they're definitely all so adorable. Small section for dogs too up for adoption. The staff was super helpful and friendly with explaining all the documents and etc for the adoption process. My friend had brought their own carrier to take their cat home but they have carriers for purchase as well that you can buy whenever. Definitely recommend checking this center out if you're looking to adopt any kitties.

ManCATtan, am I right? Am I? No, I checked a map- it's definitely Manhattan. I wasn't sure, so I'm glad I asked you if I am right. I had no interest in adopting a cat 2952 miles from home --- (I already had to pay Spirit Airlines an extra $35 to carry on my penis)--- and I don't want to treat an animal shelter funded by the leaders of the no-kill movement like a petting zoo, but I really needed some new cat fur for the collection on my winter coat so I wandered in and they were super nice and inviting after I confessed I just wanted to have a conjugal visit with the prisoners. CATtica, am I right? (No, I just checked- there's no C).

Adopted two cats that were surrendered from the same home. Everyone was very nice, clean facilities, awesome spot to adopt!

Could have been much worse experience with workers. They wanted me to take a cat right away. I offered to foster but not sure about committing to have the cat for next 20 years and more.

It has taken me almost a week to be able to even compose myself to write this review - my family & I were so traumatized last Sunday. We adopted a kitten on June 30, she was soo quiet & cute -allegedly she'd just been spayed, but we were told she was in great health -although she looked quite lethargic. The volunbteer said she'd recover & get acclimated to our home within a few weeks. But within a few days - I knew something was wrong. She wasn't coming out from under the bed -she was only eating a little, and she wasn't using her litter box - we have 2 kids and 2 other cats, so she was surrounded by love and care 24/7.     July 9 I made the first of what would become many attempts at contacting the Shelter, only receiving ONE response throughout the month we had her.She became more & more reclusive - but the shelter said it was because of her spay surgery - and that she needed to acclimatize to our home - They NEVER recommended a vet - so I began buying special foods, nutrients, everything I could to try and help.The shelter said they'd follow up on her progress, but never did.Despite my efforts, she began loosing more weight (she was skinny to begin with)-she looked gaunt from day one. I sent 5 emails over the course of the month, expressing my concerns, her not eating, loosing weight, her stool was not normal, ect -even asking if they had a vet they'd recommend-the shelters response was a joke-telling me to leave her isolated so that she'd acclimatize easier to our home-& to leave more litterboxes around the room.We even bought a camera to monitor her movements day&night. HOWEVER-Last Sunday we left the house in the morning and when I came back she was lying in the kitchen practically fainted, when I took her in my lap she started to convulse and couldn't breathe-I could barely scream to my husband I was soo shocked. We raced to the emergency vet hospital-only to watch as the vet worked on her limp body for 2 hours-only to tell us she'd been sick for a long time-she had organ failure & infections-she should have come in months ago.She was suffering & it was better to humanely let her go.We had 10 minutes to say goodbye to a kitten that we had fell in love with. It was the WORST DAY of my LIFE! It was even worse having to tell my children, my daughter is still devastated! Ontop of having to pay 1300 at the vet only to have to watch her die! most people seek adoption to give a home with love and safety to animals, never imagining that they would adopt out to us a sick cat! Only to die 4 weeks later of what could have been prevented with the bare minimum of care! This place simply took away my kitten's chance to live, she was only 3 years old,what vet did you get to give her a clean bill of health? She was sickly when we got her, a moron could have seen this!The contract we were given was the biggest joke-not being responsible for adopting out a sick animal?!? How could you even think to do that and then hide behind this joke of a contract? Total negligence. Taking all responsibility off the shelter - when in this case it was clearly the shelters negligence is sinful!what kind ofworld do we live in where this can happen?Shelters are supposed to PROTECT animals, not neglect them!Where's the clause that protects adopters from their psychological trauma of having to see a neglected animal suffer and die after only a few weeks? I've been home from work for 2 days bc I can't sleep- I keep remembering her looking at me, and I keep remembering her in the little room waiting to be sacrificed.I can't sleep since Sunday,I can't eat, imagine what you did with my mental health, with the mental health of my children ?? How many animals are still going out sick to people? I posted a picture - this is the image burned into my mind now. And my kids! You should be ashamed of yourself. Who will help with our trauma? Who will protect this from happening to others? What a joke

Best Friends can legally put unhealthy animals up for adoption, then turn around and protect themselves with "we are not liable or responsible for any defect in the animal" in their contract. Translation? You can adopt an animal from us, but we are not responsible in ensuring they are healthy, simply because we can't guarantee it. So be prepared to roll the dice with Best Friends. The message is loud and clear. Once you adopt the animal and leave our place, the ball's in your court. You agree to provide care, etc, even if we release an almost, dead animal in your hands. This must be to mitigate the euthanization of animals, but it doesn't combat the problem when you deceive the public by making them believe they're adopting a healthy animal. An animal with a problem will eventually die if neglected and left untreated, which Best Friends successfully did. They claim it passed a physical, but if so, they would've detected the accumulation of bile which blocked her liver. Blood work would've picked that up. STAY CLEAR AWAY from these people. They have no regard whatsoever for the well being of their animals and should be shut down immediately.

i loved it here!! everyone there really loves all the animals they have. i just adopted the sweetest 10 month old kitten!! the guy who helped me through the entire process was honestly the sweetest person i've ever met. thank you guys so much for allowing me to this sweet baby. she loves it in her new home with her new family!!!

Cool Dogs, Cool Staff, Cool Location! Great place to adopt! Very friendly staff and large selection of dogs and cats!

BEST FRIENDS, BEST RESCUE Something magical happens when you walk into Best Friends Lifesaving Center in New York City's Soho district. You are first struck by a sense of calm and serenity. Orderliness. The interior looks more like a boutique than a rescue center, and is very welcoming. The cats are in a room fronted with glass so you can watch their behavior and see if they might be a good fit for you. Next you can go inside the glass-fronted room to interact with the pets of your choice. You can spend as much time as you want with them before making up your mind. Once you choose an animal, the process is smooth and painless. You are interviewed by an adoption associate who will tell you everything you need to know about your new pet companion. Plus, they will give you a set of useful written instructions on helping your new honey get comfortable with your family and any other pets you have. Every cat is already spayed or neutered, has been given their annual shots, and had a chip implanted that you can register online for free. Each cat also has been examined and treated by a vet if necessary, before they are released for adoption. The volunteers and staff caregivers are the best. So compassionate and well informed. The center is run by Adoption Supervisor, Diane, who is professional, efficient, knowledgeable, and caring. My Adoption Associate, the very smart, Megan, made the process so comfortable for me when I was adopting one-year-old Birdie. (I named him that because he likes to sit in the window and, well, sing with the birds, and sounds just like them too!) They also sell highly nutritious cat food on sight so you can keep your companion on the road to good nutrition. This is a place worth supporting through your donations as well. They take in pets from all across the country. Save the lives of sweet darlings by snatching them out of kill shelters and off the unforgiving streets and giving them a new start at Best Friends. You will not disappointed if you visit Best Friends for your next cat adoption.

Within two days of my review my kitten has had to go to the ER and on her death bed sneezing up blood. Actual blood...Called the shelter to get an answer on how long she has been this sick and was told well our contract does state we're not responsible once adopted so sorry. WOW vets (besides theirs) agreed shes been sick and untreated for at least a month or two to be the point she is at. Just moved to the city and am shocked by such lack of animal care at this specific shelter (was told its the same as a child getting a cold in school) mm k Told them straight I will be happy to PAY all I have too till she is healthy again but giving away sick animals with out informing a adopter is just as bad as craglisting them Overall PLEASE be cautious when adopting from this shelter and prepare yourself for an interesting vet bill if you choose to do so. Poor animals.

Super friendly, Fast, Care, Loving and just an amazing place! I have looked through so many reviews on other adoption centers and this had the best review. I went there twice on different days and the staff and the animals have been the best and on the second day we adopted one cat! I would 100% recommend this place! (Not even paid to say this or forced to) We talked with Lexi and Margaret who helped us find a cat!

This adoption center is clean organized, well-staffed, and professionally run. The volunteers had smiles on their faces and expertly tended to the animals one at a time, except the cats were able to mingle together in a larger, play and explore area. PLEASE come visit the animals here and adopt one or two to spread the love! They are all SO sweet!

This review is for kitty adoptions only. Been to a few cat adoption centers in the city and gotta say Best Friends has one of the cleanest and most modern cat adoption facilities (again can't speak to how they compare to their canine counterparts). They have a sizeable selection of young and more mature cats available and they seem to be kept in a roomy, clean and comfy space. The volunteers are constantly in the cat rooms, playing with them or cleaning their space. They also have a space dedicated to more vulnerable cats (mostly very young kittens) where they're being nursed back to health. Their adoption process is fairly quick and seamless (a volunteer walks you through all the standard obligations of owning a cat, agreement not to declaw, the needs of the particular cat you're adopting, and answers any Qs you may have). Adoption fee is $125 (which is used towards caring for other animals in their care and which is on the lower end in the city). They also provide extra litter and cat food if you need it. All in all, a great experience and would definitely adopt from here again!

This is a really nice facility and the animals seem to be really well taken care of. I am concerned about the vetting process. I saw something that was kind of disturbing. I hope you do background checks on the adopters. I know you can't tell a mentally ill person that they can't have a pet but the people doing the paperwork should be more cautious

I can't recommend this place enough. The adoption process is straightforward, efficient, and respectful. Overall the adoption process (including meeting, playing with the animal, filling out forms etc) took around an hour and I was given a cardboard carrier, extra food and treats, and a free vet voucher to use. I can't speak to the dogs, but the cats were kept in relatively spacious quarters with lots of toys. You can tell that the staff really care about each cat and were knowledgeable about their personalities. The cat they recommended as a match for me is perfect. Thank you guys so much for EVERYTHING you do!

I came here twice in the past few days in hopes of possibly adopting or fostering a cat. The interiors are bright, spacious, clean, and modern, and according to the staff, they were designed by an animal behavioral specialist. There are two rooms of cats, and typically they only let one party into each room at a time, so you might have to wait around. There's a kitten nursery that you can peer into through the glass walls, but they're not up for adoption and you can't go in. Volunteers Lisa and Kyoko are especially sweet and kind.

I hate leaving a negative review for an animal shelter, as it may impact the chance for an animal to get adopted and find a much deserved final home. However, my hope is that the "owners" of this adoption center will read this review and make changes so that other visitors will not get the same experience as we did, and not get discouraged and potentially adopt an animal. That being said, my wife and I passed by the center about 1 month ago. We're interested in finding a dog to join our family, so we decided to walk in to see what dogs were available. It was a Sunday afternoon and there were no other visitors in the center. We were greeted by a young girl, who was very nice and was telling us about the center and welcomed us to look around. One of the puppies caught our eye and we asked if we could "meet" her. The young girl said sure, but needed to inform a supervisor/manager. A woman came out and we asked if we could meet the puppy. Without going into deep details, the woman basically told us to go online, search for a puppy we're interested in, come back to meet them, and then adopt them. In other words, if you're not going to adopt the puppy(on the spot?), then you can't meet them. We left feeling we were asked to leave because we were wasting her time (mind you, the center was empty). In my opinion, no one who's seriously considering taking in a pet will adopt one on the spot, and shouldn't feel pressured to do so just because you met them once. It's a big responsibility and a serious decision to take in a new pet. You should get a feeling of the pet to see if they're compatible with you, as every animal has their own personalities, before adopting them. In all fairness, I don't know if this is the adoption center's policy, or if the woman just decided to enforce it. I understand that some policies need to be in place so that the center doesn't turn into a "walk-in petting zoo", but still, I feel a middle ground can be found.

This is the best place to adopt a pet we could find in NYC. The workers and the volunteers are very friendly and patient. It is not real home for dogs and cats are looking healthy and limp. We were there for a cat. No sex, no age, no color was important. It was so hard to make a guess which one will be the best one. We found the best one for us. It is the little black kitten. We just change it's name from Dolly to Schwartz. We realized that it is a boy. We happy with him and we will do everything to make him happy with us.

I came here a few times before finally adopting my cat, and the volunteers were friendly and helpful each time, describing the personalities and individual needs of the cats I was interested in. They really know the cats and you can tell that they care about them - but they also won't pressure you into taking on a cat you might not be ready for. When I finally found the right cat for me, the adoption process was very simple (unlike other shelters that do competitive applications - only in New York!) and I really appreciated that they sent me home with some kibble and litter. I couldn't be happier with my kitty and if I decided to get a second someday, I will definitely come back.

Amazing facility, very modern, well maintained and clean. Nice employees and volunteers that greet you immediately and answer any questions you may have. Plenty of cats, kittens and a handful of dogs. Sign up to volunteer or buy some swag to support an awesome cause! Extras: -There's a photo booth towards the back right. - There are two iPad by the entrance where you can view other adoptable pets in their network.

Wanted to adopt from here, but yesterday's exchange with the adoptions team via email irked me. They tried telling me what's best for my cat/family and I without even gathering the full story. If you really want people to adopt, you'd work with them instead of dissuading them towards what would be a good fit. They seemed hesitant of me actually already having a 1 year old cat when I told them I did - like ok, if you don't believe me, then we're done here - I share him on all of my socials and talk about him all the time. I don't need or want to feel bad for wanting to make a good match for my cat. It sucked since I already went to the area just to visit the cats, but then it hit me that they care more about getting their animals out of the shelter and into any home, regardless of if it's a good fit or not. Any decent shelter would ensure it's a good fit prior to adopting. It also sucks since I usually recommend this place over Animal Haven, which is just down the block (don't go to Animal Haven - they'll talk to you like an idiot and their place is smelly). I've also been trying to volunteer here but there's always something preventing me - whether the website isn't working to sign up for cat shifts or they found somebody else that they'd rather have help out for the event (and they take forever to tell you that you're not chosen to help). It's ok if you don't want the help since there are tons of other shelters to spend my hours volunteering at. I also signed up to foster with them, but they recently offered me a ringworm kitten and they wanted to drop the kitten off the next day without asking me if the next day would work with my schedule - like what if the timing didn't work for me? Could you at least ask me before presuming that it'd work? I'd be doing you the favor of taking care of the kitten in foster to recover, not the other way around. Best Friends also associates themselves with Little Wanderers, which is another awful organization amongst the many here in NYC. If you want to deal with a bunch of women who act like immature 12 year olds, deal with Little Wanderers - they acted so immature when they crossed my boundaries when it came to fostering and ultimately didn't get what they wanted because of their own actions making me feel uncomfortable to take the opportunity on when I gladly would've done it had they been understanding and flexible, and then proceeded to harass me via email - because that'll help their case. You know what they say - birds of a flock fly together. Proceed with caution, but you'll find me continuing to support the ASPCA where I've been fostering for almost a year and volunteering for a bit too, and where I have a lovely 19 year old cat on an adoption hold for me. At least they didn't make me feel bad for wanting to adopt another cat from there, and, they spent 40 minutes on the phone with me ensuring that the cat I wanted was a good fit before scheduling a meet and greet with the foster.

Haha, Kitty! Oh, sorry, back to this review. I thought all the staff were and are great in that, first upon entering the adoption center, I am greeted nicely. The facility is clean and organized. Skipping the information pamphlets and the marketing, tablets and the small booth of things to buy pet related. The adoption center is not too large of an area nor too small. There's two glass rooms to view cats and the main area. I assume dogs and cats are some how kept separate somehow. Each room has about a handful of cats to play with to see if you want to adopt. I thought all of the cats were in one way or another very gentle and not wanting to claw my eyes out or possibly take over the world. Some are more docile and some are more roaming around the room. They are all adult cats a year or older ranging in different colors and sizes. There were no kittens for adoption but Best Friends had them in back being taken cared of and fed by pet specialist. The staff answered my questions like how old, what if and what breed. I was there looking to possibly adopt but I did not. I should likely be back another time. I give Best Friends 4.5 stars for having such chill cats, great staff, freedom to choose, caring for animals and having a clean/organized place.

You can't go "looking" for a cat. It's harder than finding a date, because you can go on one date and then never see that person again, but you spend about 30 minutes with a cat and they move in to your house as permanent family. So it's a personality thing, and a being in the right place at the right time thing, and a general confluence of all time / space influences to make the moment happen. Well, I'll take the credit for being there at the right time, but Best Friends was absolutely the Right Place. The staff is compassionate and patient and knowledgeable, the space is clean and welcoming. Once our new friend bonded with my wife and daughter, I filled out the paperwork and asked every question I could think of, and got all the information I wanted. It's like this cat has always been here. She's discovered more comfortable places to relax than I have. But we have to think that the empathy and confidence she exhibits is a "pay it forward" to the care she received at Best Friends.

My boyfriend came here to adopt the kitten he'd been helping out with (a failed foster, as they called it). Everyone was friendly and knowledgeable. The facility was modern and super clean. There's a big play area for the cats to roam and lots of kittens about. They had a lot of larger dogs available also... makes you kind of sad to see them in small spaces but they look well-cared for. Adopt them all! We were helped by Peter (the only lowlight. jk) with the paperwork and were swiftly on the way with our sweet girl. Recommended if you're in the market for a furry friend.

Went in today with my partner to look at the dogs they had up for adoption. As we walked in we passed a volunteer who was taking a dog (later to find out her name is Emma) out for a walk, note we didn't try to pet the animal or approach it. We were walking towards the back and he starts barking at us and aggressively nipped and lunged at my partners hand out of nowhere, which left a mark but didn't break skin! People (including employees) who were by the cat rooms gasped and freaked out a bit. The girl walking the dog just said sorry and made her way out of the facility. A little shocked, I check his hand to make sure he was ok but it was red and starting to get a little inflamed. We made our way to the receptionist to ask if we could go see the dogs and it took her at least a few minutes to acknowledge us. Besides that, no one in the facility asked us if we were okay and sincerely apologized for what happened. It was a little concerning and upset me, to be honest. I've volunteered at other organizations and they would NEVER let something like that happen. It's honestly not about the dog nipping my partner's hand, it was just the way the staff didn't acknowledge or handle the situation.

My daughter had two cats but unfortunately one of them died suddenly a week ago. The other cat seem very lonely so we would like to adopt another one as soon as possible. Yesterday was a holiday that my daughter had no school; so I took a day off and went to the center with her all the way from Brooklyn in the afternoon. I checked their hours online before we headed out and it says "open every day noon to 6pm". When we arrived, apparently it was closed. We also called the center immediately just to make sure we went to the right place. Of course no one answer! I called them again today to find out what their hour is . The person who answered my call did confirm they were closed yesterday and even the day before!!! They will also close the center for few days next week. If you want people coming to adopt your kittens, your hours has to be accurate. How difficult is it to update your hours online!? People there are lazy obviously!

Best friends NY is an amazing facility, full of passionate and friendly people that all come together for a beautiful cause. They hold events for dog adoption and have turned horrible situations into happy tales. Thank you for all you do Best Friends Pet Adoption Center. Highly recommend to people looking to add a loyal companion to their lives. Don't buy, adopt.

I have ambivalent feelings about my experience with BFNYC. 3.5 / 5 The facilities and the staff are great. Super modern, super clean, friendly and enthusiastic staff. One of the staff members actually wouldn't let us socialize with a cat because he was experiencing anxiety. I appreciated this. The well being of their animals seem to be their top priority. We adopted an adult cat (Mollie)-- the adoption rep was patient with us, answered all of our questions, and sent us home with Mollie's blanket and fave toys. A few days after she came home with us though, we discovered she had advanced gingivitis and rotting teeth and may need invasive surgery if her case is grave enough. BFNYC neglected to tell us about any of Mollie's dental issues, either because a) they didn't know (which concerns me) or b) they didn't want to. We sent BFNYC an email for vet recommendations and received a boilerplate answer with no recommendations or useful information. We have no intention of returning her or asking BFNYC to flip the bill (fully aware that Mollie is in our care now). We just wish we had a heads up about her issues. The dental procedure is going to cost around $900 and I don't think that is a surprise ANYONE would want. I hope my experience is a fluke though. I can't imagine with the facilities, staff, and mission statement that makes BF so awesome that this is a regular thing at all.

My wife and I visited Best Friends in Soho today. We were dropping off donations for the dogs and were warmly greeted by Beth, Kory and Joanne. The staff is helpful, knowledgeable and we even got to tour the premises. It is clean and inviting. They understood that we were not ready to adopt just yet, but still spent time with us. When we are ready, we will be back.

The place seemed great until our kitten died less than 2 months later. She was a birthday gift for our 6 year old. Yeah... was great. UPDATED: After seeing my post, the shelter reached out with compassion, and is working to make what happened right. Honestly this place was impressive when we walked-in not just due to its clean and modern condition, but by the professionalism of the volunteers. Our kitten dying was that one in a million kind of thing.

A welcoming, beautiful, friendly, and educational facility. So happy to have an official Best Friends shelter in NYC!

All around amazing experience adopting my cat. Facility is really nice and clean - staff was excellent and helpful. They provided a bunch of resources and lifetime support. They do same day adoptions and send you home with a little food and kitty litter. They gave me a cardboard (one time use) box to take him home in. Would highly recommend to anyone looking to adopt!

Best Friends is my favorite animal rescue organization. They have been around for decades. When they started, I thought they were crazy to talk about changing the system to no-kill shelters. But they have done it in many places, and reduced deaths in others. They are not just an adoption center in NYC. They also advise shelters all around the country in how to function better and increase adoptions. They are in my will.

Do not volunteer at Best Friends. The staff is rude and make you feel that you are more of a burden to them than a help. Epecially in the kitten nursery but the most of the staff is cold, unwelcoming, and complain constantly about management. Also I volunteered for a year and never saw the volunteer coordinators. If volunteers are critical to your work, you might want to alert your staff about it.

I went here twice and each time the staff was not very helpful or cooperative even though not busy. Asked to see the manager, Elizabeth? and she was very unprofessional . I will find another place for adoption. Suggestion: If you want people to adopt, treat them as well as you do the animals!!

Five stars all the way! My friend and I did a dog and cat drive to collect things to donate (this was before covid) and the slightly older lady there was super nice! We were delighted with some Best friends swag and got to pet one of the cats. Everyone who works here is amazing, the dogs are kept in very clean, nice looking, modern areas and all have toys in them. We came back a couple months later and donated some more things and we saw one of the toys we donated in a dogs pen area! We were so happy that they are using the donations. They also said that everything they don't use will go to ACC (animal care centers). So another shelter! They are overall amazing all the pups are nice and friendly. The cats are just precious. There was one cat that took my hand and put it in his mouth ( cat was named Paris, we love him and wish we got him) but didn't bite down. When we asked the lady helping us she said he wanted to play. It was so cute! Thank you Best Friends Lifesaving Center! You are amazing!

I love best friends! This is unlike other adoption centers, the adoption process is fair and is a first come first serve basis. I've been here 3 times and they are very welcoming! I finally was able to adopt my new baby Tahoe who's name is now Ramen please follow him on IG : jack_and_ramen to see how he is doing. If I ever decide to adopt again in the future, I will definitely come back here

This facility is absolutely beautiful. I was greeted by two lovely ladies at the front desk, both of whom made all the information I needed accessible. I was interested in seeing some of the cats to potentially adopt and Sydney was extremely helpful and knowledgable about each and every cat. She took the time to make sure I was being paired with the correct animal. I will absolutely be recommending Best Friends to all of my friends who are looking to adopt. Thanks for the great experience!

While an apology has been given only after I leave review. This happened over a span of 3 weeks. Which I find is beyond unacceptable. I shouldn't have to post a review, especially when I even called their corporate office or in the west.

I've been working with Best Friends for at least two years, giving my time as a volunteer to help with events or even fostering little pups. They are an amazing organization! I can't help but be happy about the new adoption center!

Please read about my experience and see why I left here empty-handed! When I arrived, I was very excited to see the dog I have been eyeing for awhile. I saw that she was in a room with a potential family that was interested in adopting her so I asked if I could wait. The lady looked me up and down and told me she was probably going to get adopted so I should just look around instead. But because I was very determined to meet her and adopt her, I decided to wait hoping that the family wasnt going to adopt her. Eventually the family decided not to go through with the adoption so I then asked if I could meet her. The lady again looked me up and down and said, and I quote, "if you are not serious about adopting her, you cannot play with her. And if you wanted to play with her, you'd have to be a volunteer." Uh.... wtf? I told her I was very serious so she then asked me where I lived and I told her I lived in Queens with my parents and instantly she said, "well, you can't meet her unless your parents are here." WHAT? Why is she giving me such a hard time? If I lived with roommates, did she expect me to bring them too in order to meet this dog?? This is when I started to get impatient and upset. I've been waiting for 20 minutes to meet this dog and another 15 min with this lady who wouldn't let me see her. I was so close to walking out but because I was actually serious and determined to meet this dog, I asked another employee if I could see her. That lady who I was having difficulty with walks up to her coworker and whispers things to her in front of me. I mean, did I do something wrong? Did I seem too eager to meet this dog? Is there a reason I'm being treated this way? And soon to find out, there was a reason. After being asked several questions like if I was serious, if I was going to be the one responsible for the dog, what I did for a living, what my parents did for a living, etc, I answered every question they wanted to know about me. When I told them I was a 27 year old working adult, that lady who was giving me a hard time says "OH I thought you were under 18 this whole time!" ...okay... so... this was why you gave me such a hard time? Because of your misjudgment of me? I never felt this type of discrimination and this type of hurt before. Let me remind you, I've been there for over 45 minutes and I still have not met the dog. Long story short, I finally met her and fell in love. But for some reason, I was still receiving difficulty from the employees. They said that they should put the dog away because she was tired and that I should fill out an adoption survey instead. Sigh* I hate to seem like gave up on the dog but because my experience was so terrible, I ended up leaving empty-handed. All I really care about at this point is that that beautiful dog was adopted into a lovely home and did not experience what I did.

Everyone was wonderful! We adopted our kitten almost immediately upon meeting with the cats. The process was thorough and friendly.

Best Friends NY is one of my all-time favorite places to volunteer. They're an amazing staff, and even better then that... they help so many countless lives! They so so much good in the world!!! love them.

A wonderful place to come and adopt a dog or cat, The facility is fabulous, the staff warm, welcoming and knowledgeable. They go the extra mile to find you the perfect pet for your household.

I visited Best Friends twice within a week. The first time was just all right and we had decent conversations. But the second time (today) was HORRIBLE experience. I saw they just received a new 6-month kitty which I really like, but the lady (seems to be manager on that day) looked at me and asked me "are you on work visa" right away. This was rude, and she followed by saying "THIS CAT IS NOT FOR NON-US CITIZENS". Guys, can you believe this, have you ever met discriminating like this on people who just want to adopt animals?! RIDICULOUS! I've been staying in U.S for 10 years since young and my green card is on the way. Why adopting cat here must be AMERICANS only?? She didn't even allow me to go and meet that kitty, because the lady explained "she is so shy and needs rest". WTF is this attitude? I was lucky later that another employee took me into the room and I put my fingers in front of that window where the kitty is staying. After a few minutes the kitty came to me and let me pet and touch. Is this "Shy"?? I've been to other adoption centers and saw cats came in for days and did not even eat. It's fine that employees did not talk to customers friendly, but she did not even want to look at me while talking. Guys, I checked out many adoption centers within one week and almost every day. This place is the WORST one with obvious discrimination against adopters from this manager. I work in a top financial institution and I can go any other adoption center to get a kitty. What should be noted is this Best Friends Pet Adoption Center generates ~$100mn a year and have many corporate partners. I am very curious to see how they will take this seriously. Link for reference: http://815678169699-bfas-files.s3.amazonaws.com/BFAS-Financial-Statements.-9.30.16.pdf

I am SUPER DISAPPOINTED with Best Friends. The employees are appalling and customer service in nonexistent. I had previously met an amazing dog (Sugar) who was being fostered in the Soho area. I learned today she was taken to Best Friends and instantly went to see her this morning. This is where the nightmare starts....I have never been treated so badly by an organization. They treated me like a second class citizen and were downright rude. I told the woman working (who couldn't be bothered with me and would not introducer herself) I was extremely interested in adoption and asked if I could see Sugar. Answer was NO Sugar has a TV event tomorrow and needs to rest. ARE YOU KIDDING ME! It's apparent these folks are not concerned with getting these animals homes. To turn away people who would give her the most loving home and family is insane. This is why I have only dealt with Animal Haven in the past. They have their $hit together and are an extremely welcoming organization. I urge anyone who is considering pet adoption to stay as far away from this place as possible. Honestly, if this is how they treat potential adopters I can only imagine how the animals are treated. Ten thumbs down to the worst customer service I've received in a very long time.

One of the best place for homeless and unwanted animals. All animals are well taken care of so they can go to their new forever home to start a new life. I will always adopt from them.

I had a wonderful time adopting my pet thanks to Lucy, she is such an angel! You can tell she really cares for the animals. She answered all my questions and was very patient with me. When looking for a second cat I'll be back. I will mention, that while waiting for the adoption papers to print I asked one of the ladies if I could enter to take photos for my Instagram. She said I couldn't unless I was serious about adopting. I explained I was already adopting but she was hesitant, Which I totally understand, you don't want to overexposed the cats to too many people. After reading the other reviews and my experience, and as someone who owns a retail store in soho, I have the following advice for the staff to prevent any more negative reviews; people look much younger than they are in NYC, it's important to not assume, just ask upfront. People who don't dress that nicely, regardless of race, probably are more financially stable than you would assume. If someone asks to take photos of cats don't be combative, say thank you for supporting us but we can't let anyone in unless they are serious, or come up with an alternative oh you know what would be a good place to take photos out little kitten section, where we feed and clean super tiny cute baby cats and direct the client there. Otherwise I have to say the facilities are amazing and beautiful. So happy with my new cat! Thank you guys amazing work!