Safe Haven Cat Shelter & Clinic

Took my puppy to Safe Haven for a spay procedure. My biggest issue is the central drop-​off and pick-​up times. When I arrived home with my puppy, I realized she had been sitting in her feces for some time. I say this because I know how much she excretes at once, so she must have moved her bowels at least two times and sat in it for hours. She has a medium-​length coat and her feces were soft so it was caught in her hair. She smelled terrible and I couldn’t bather her after the procedure, so that sucked! They only take a limited number of pets per day, so why they cannot give them the attention they require, particularly after a stressful procedure, beats me. Other than that, she seems to be healing pretty well so no complaints regarding he actual surgery. Safe Haven, please check on the animals post-​surgery until their owners pick them up, please and thanks.

Drove all the way from Carrboro for this place and we’re so glad we did! The whole process was great! We first filled out an application online and they responded very quickly, called and asked if we had any questions or concerns. When we got there they were pretty busy but were so efficient we didn’t have to wait too long. They had looked over our application and had picked out a few cats that they thought would work best for us. Why don’t all places do this? It wasn’t too overwhelming and we got to focus on a few really great cats. We picked out our baby within a couple of hours.
Probably my biggest praise for this place is their follow through. Our adoption counselor walked through how to do cat introductions before we left and reassured us that it may take time but we shouldn’t get discouraged. She followed up a couple of weeks after the adoption and walked through some things with us as we were still working on getting our kitties used to each other.
We couldn’t be happier! Thanks Safe Haven!

An excellent shelter that combines saving animal lives, preventing pet overpopulation, and community involvement, Safe Haven offers everything from cat adoptions to a pet food pantry and a spay/​neuter clinic for kittens, cats and small dogs. They organize a variety of events for fundraising and education, partnering with diverse organizations like the Hunt Library, Indy Weekly, and even international cat superstar Lil Bub to create enjoyable experiences that also better our community through their mission. The adoption area is well-​kept and spacious and the volunteers are friendly, helpful and clearly prioritize the well-​being of the cats in their care. If you’re looking to adopt a cat, learn how to foster cats or kittens, or volunteer to improve animal welfare, Safe Haven has the resources and lovely kitties you need!

Safe Haven is a wonderful place to adopt a cat or kitten. When choosing a candidate for adoption you are not rushed in making a decision. I was given ample time to look at all the cats, and play with my top picks, even though they were busy. The volunteers are truly trying a find a forever home for the cats. As a first time cat owner, I also appreciated the advice and follow up call. I have had no problems with my adoption. However, if I had, I am sure Safe Haven would have worked tirelessly in correcting the issue. The facility is clean and bright.

This place is amazing.
Efficient. Friendly. Caring. On-​top of it!
Yesterday, my boyfriend and I adopted our first pet together, Roscoe, an 11 week kitten. We were very impress by everything Safe Haven had to offer.
We are in love with our precious kitty. Thank you, Safe Haven, for being so wonderful and helpful. Roscoe says thank you too for helping him find us.

Brought my 6 month kitten there for spaying, easy to set up appointment. They email you instructions and then bringing cat there and picking cat up was easy too. The price can’t be beat, $ 75 for spay and exam and nail clipping. Safe Haven you provide such a great service and I will certainly return and tell others about your affordable and professionalism.

My Mother and I came here to adopt a companion Cat for her last week. We had always had a cat although my Father preferred dogs. Mom is recently widowed and needed a Cat to keep her company after many years of taking care of my elderly sick Dad. The staff at Safe Haven were wonderful. I liked that they were careful about who they allowed to adopt and took the time to help her find a Cat that matched her needs. The new, beloved kitty (now called Sophie) is making my Mom so happy, and that means the world to me. This facility was clean and did not smell bad. The staff obviously loved their work. Bless you. Susan Clamp

I have been a volunteer here for a few years now which has allowed me to really see how this shelter runs. I am proud to be a part of this organization. It is such a clean environment.
Where they really shine is their commitment to all cats. Situations where other shelters would put cats down, such as ringworm and upper respiratory infections, are treated until the cats are healthy and can be adopted. It is such a positive place to be to both volunteer and adopt, which I have also done through them. The no-​kill movement & TNR are such important things to support, an both can be done by supporting SAFE Haven.

You can’t go wrong here. Walk in and you’ll never know there are animals in residence. There are no nose-​pinching aromas. Safe Haven is clean, the animals well-​cared for, and is staffed by engaging workers who’ll direct you to the right pet-​mate after you’ve answered a few simple questions.
Safe Haven also manages a foster program if you’d rather do that. It’s a pretty rigorous screening process, but that only makes sense as you’re entrusted with caring for animals who’ve probably had a very hard life prior to joining the SH family. I very much appreciate those who have the hearts big enough to foster animals waiting for adoption.
As with other similar places, you’ll need to complete a form before you can interact with the animals; something about the insurance they’re required to carry. That’s somewhat of a deterrent if you’re just looking and not yet ready to commit, but it’s a small price to pay to find your perfect furry friend.
After completing the form, you’ll be escorted by the staff to visit the various residents and you’ll get background information and answers to any questions. For some reason, on the day I was there, I felt rushed and never had any time to actually visit with the cats one-​on-​one. In their defense, SH was busy the day I was there, so the feeling of being rushed may be an anomaly. At least I hope so.
So again, you really can’t go wrong here. I don’t think a single employee at Safe Haven would let that happen. When you’re ready to adopt; they’re ready to help.

Somehow, I found myself the owner of 2 fuzzy little buddies and after a quick facebook post I was directed to Safe Haven For Cats. I had called around to several vets and neutering/​spaying can be expensive… $ 180−200+, not including the cost of shots and exam. I was looking at $ 300+ per cat!
Safe Haven was able to do the neutering, shots, and soft claws on the front feet for $ 110 per cat! Extremely affordable!
Their clinic is located just behind the shelter in N. Raleigh (just N. of the mall). You drop the kittens off between 7−8am and pick them up between 4−5pm. My kittens didn’t really eat for the next week and I was on vacation. The vet was very responsive to calls from my mom on/​off hours, which we were so appreciative of.
I’d recommend them to anyone!

First, a disclaimer: I’ve been a volunteer adoption counselor here for a few years now, and I do spend a lot of my free time here and at their fundraising events. Despite my obvious allegiance, I’ve also adopted from Safe Haven and have to say that it is truly the best shelter in the area.
Litter boxes are scooped and the floor is cleaned daily, so you never walk in to a room full of smell. Everything is beautiful, well-​lit and you can tell that the volunteers really know and love the cats. The adoption process is easy and a wealth of information is available to first-​time (and repeat) cat owners.
All of the cats that are available for adoption are fixed and the receive all their shots before coming up to the «adoption showroom» from the clinic building down the street.
When I had fallen in love with a young, male cat, I was all set to adopt. A few days before I planned to come in and do the paperwork, the Associate Director Sherri sent me an email saying that they had found a suspicious spot on one of the cats in one of the colony rooms (room where cats roam free and cageless), that may have been ringworm. Therefore, all of the cats in the room were going to be treated for ringworm just in case. I was so appreciative of this. A lesser shelter would probably have let me adopt a cat that potentially had ringworm and made it my problem, instead of theirs.
I was given the choice of waiting for the cat I’d chosen to complete treatment or come in and work with an adoption counselor to choose another cat. I decided to wait and within a few weeks, I was able to take my new bud home.
While any shelter is a stressful environment for a cat, Safe Haven is as good as it gets. The cats never lack toys, food, fresh water, clean litter, beds and playtime with eager volunteers. As the original no-​kill shelter in the Triangle, Safe Haven lives up to it’s name. It’s a great place to adopt from AND to volunteer at. I recommend doing both.

Okay, due to scheduling conflicts, and now living about 30 minutes away, sadly, I’ve not been helping out at SAFE Haven as of late. But, I was just looking at my review going, «Why 4 stars and not 5, Psalm??» I do not know. I love cats, I love what they do for cats, and I know they are well taken care of. The Tuxedo Ball is right around the corner — think about hitting it up, or at least donating a little dough or your time to a great cause.

Safe Haven is a GREAT shelter for cats.
The staff are knowledgable and obviously have a passion for cats. What better place to spend the moring/​evening than Safe Haven?
I’ve volunteered for a while now, and my only chagrin is that I have to drive down Capital blvd. to get to it. For a cat lover this shelter is an ideal paradise. The cats are tended for lovingly and are adopted out to new homes! I get very attached to each cat I meet, but I’m overjoyed that they’ve found new homes.
Volunteer duties include cleaning cages, feeding and watering cats, cleaning the floor and of course: playing with cats.
If you’re shy or introverted (like me) no one will bother you at all when you work here. If you’re a teen that needs volunteer hours the adult volunteers are very accommodating! The feeling of a massive group effort all committed to changing the lives of cats is wonderful. I love spending time with cats and cat lovers.