Molly’s Place Rescue Pet Adoption Center

This is a horrible place! I saved a wonderful cat from a parking lot because I just could not stand the thought of the cat getting hit. I tried to get help from Molly’s and the first told me to return later. I came back later only to be turned away. It’s no wonder they have had legal troubles. The should have been shut down! Heartless!

We went to adopt a cat and this place was horrible. The dogs are running around freely, and even pooping on the floor. The cat room actually had urine on it that was never cleaned up the whole time we were there. They act like they don’t really want anyone to adopt a pet and treat you like a criminal — like you are there to do harm to the animals. Its really sad because the pets need homes but they just discourage people from adopting. Awful place. Dirty, poor customer service. Makes you wonder how healthy the animals are. Go to the SPCA in Hershey instead– a reputable place.

I got my dog from here and he is the best dog ever. When I first got him though, he had intestinal worms and a kennel cough, poor guy.
When I was there, the staff is somewhat helpful but don’t really know too much about what they’re talking about. The main woman who interviewed me and sold me my dog was pretty rude and wanted WAY to much. Average to adopt a dog is 150 – 350? She charged me around $ 450 to adopt my dog. Granted he is an awesome mixed breed, and I fell in love with him so I had no problem paying this much.
The actual facility seems dirty and unsanitary. I can’t imagine what the dogs do when all of the employees leave. When you go inside, all the smaller dogs are running around and going to the bathroom everywhere. The staff cleans it up right away but it’s still pretty bad.
I’d look for a different place. But if you find a dog that you fall in love with then it’s worth it, just be cautious and prepared to spend a lot of money.

I’ve been in here multiple times and have personally witnessed neglect. I think a no kill shelter is a great thing but animals with injuries/​dieseases need to be treated, not ignored.

We went here to adopt a dog and every dog we wanted belonged to the owner!!! Keep your own dogs home!!! We were turned off by the dogs doing their business inside. Cat room was horrible. I am glad we never did get a dog from here!

Any business may get a few bad reviews, but the number I saw about Molly’s Place was cause for concern. My experience was negative and confirmed bad reviews. Also, they have a documented history of PA state inspection violations since 2006 that involve animal welfare + other offenses. This is a fact-​based review based on public records as well as personal experience. Their history of violations is inexcusable.
Inspection reports from 2006 onward show many violations that they tried to explain away as minor. Violations included space for dogs, maintenance, cleanliness, health checks were ordered on dogs, etc. Despite that there weren’t serious violations in 2012, the number of violations is alarming. Typical kennel inspections in PA are done 2x yearly. 8 in 2011 alone show local authorities had serious concern, and state vets were required at numerous inspections.
Dockets: PA UJS website public records state the violation «Fail to Keep Kennel in Sanitary and Humane Condition», yet people affiliated with Molly’s say it’s not true. The records are facts. Charges were eventually dropped, but arresting officers brought these problems to court for reason. People affiliated with Molly’s stated it was over a few inches of kennel space. Why would a rescue concerned with animal welfare have recurring problems following minimum state requirements for animal enclosures?
$ 500 – 600 for mixed breed puppies. Here we have a federally tax sheltered non-​profit charging this fee, but they can’t use profits to give the animals enough space? Regularly, they transport free dogs from out-​of-​state rescues in VA or neighboring states to resell at high prices. I was a volunteer foster parent for some of these puppies before I knew about the problems. I experienced the same erratic and rude behaviors mentioned by other reviewers. To the families who adopted the Husky puppies Bear, Grizzly, Kodiak, Polar, and Panda in Dec. 2012, we feel the high price is very unfortunate.
What’s the problem if they are saving lives? A quote from Molly’s Place on the website Nonprofit Resource Network states «We also partner with out-​of-​state shelters and rescue groups who are overcrowded or have limited resources to bring animals slated for death to the safety of our adoption center». Meanwhile, the Mechanicsburg/​Harrisburg area has severe problems with stray overpopulation and dogs can legally be shot by a private citizen if they merely appear sick or injured. Does Molly’s Place help all strays, or do they help strays that they believe will lead to profit?
They are saving lives of out-​of-​state animals because they can profit from those animals, they are doing it at the expense of animals in their own area, and they are doing it while fully aware of the problems in their own locality. They were warned on 7÷14÷11 that they had too many animals yet transports from out-​of-​state continued.
Public outrage that spay/​neuter is done too early. Molly’s employees argues early spay/​neuter causes no serious problems for animals except incontinence in females. This is false. Studies prove early neutering highly increases the risk of bone cancer in med/​lrg dogs. Remember, debates are over early spay/​neuter generally begin at 8 weeks. From personal experience I know Molly’s Place will spay/​neuter at under 6 weeks.
Criminal activity. Director/Molly’s Place charged with dog theft; supporters claim it was dismissed. From public sources I learned people in PA who are convicted on criminal charges can have it erased from the record if they participate in a state program as part of an arrangement. Technically, it can be true that «the charges were completely dropped», but the fact is in PA a criminal can plead guilty, have a criminal conviction, and later have it erased from the record. It never permanently disappears because public legal authorities have access to it. I wouldn’t have thought much about it had discussions of the theft not been accompanied by reviews discussing being ripped off in some manner and that Molly’s Place is about the money, not the animals.
Police officers know the reputation of local businesses and are protected by 1^st Amendment rights to give an opinion. I called to ask if they’ve heard of Molly’s. Public sources can confirm the facts. Ask for documentation on the animal you are considering adopting. Ask for medical records on the animal’s history prior to transport. For ex. if a dog arrived spayed, there is no need to pay twice. It’s a state requirement for information regarding incoming animals to be on file. You can check on an animal of interest by asking for records of how they were obtained… except for the fact that at times they’ve been written up for not having clear records available for dogs transported in. I decided to communicate the facts because silence will never help animals who are subjected to conditions listed in inspection reports.
See GuideStar for more details.

Too many negatives to list! I went there knowing which dog I wanted but when I told them which dog, they tried talking me out of the dog I originally wanted. The place smells something terrible and the cats in there all looked sick with runny noses and eyes. I ended up not adopting from there because they wanted way too much for a dog they hardly knew anything about. Ended up getting a thoroughbred German Shepherd for the same amount they wanted for a mixed dog. Not to mention the lady who «interviewed» me (because I was seriously going to get a dog) was rude.
As a side note, my aunt got a cat from there. The cat is sick and so far she had it to the vet three times in as many weeks and has had two rounds of meds because it’s ill. It makes me glad I didn’t get a dog from there. I fear it would have been a huge mistake.
I think the people that run this place have their heart in the right place but they just can’t take care of all the animals they’ve take in.

We obtained a 1 year old beagle/​coon hound who has been our best dog ever!
The staff was courteous and helpful and though the facilities were a bit chaotic during our visit, the fact that you can search for a pet in advance using
is very helpful.
I recommend Molly’s highly.

Bless their hearts, the volunteers mean well and work very hard. But the place reeks big time. Somebody please adopt their many dogs and cats.