The Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland, founded in 1911, is one of Maine's oldest and largest shelters, caring for more than 4,000 animals a year from its Westbrook campus. It is open-admission and serves as the designated animal control shelter for 14 Greater Portland municipalities. Here is how adoption, the clinic, and its services work.
Founded in 1911, the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland is one of Maine's oldest animal shelters and cares for more than 4,000 stray, abandoned, and surrendered animals a year. It is an open-admission, full-service shelter.
It also serves as the designated animal control shelter for 14 municipalities in Greater Portland, taking in the animals their local officers bring in, alongside pets surrendered by owners and animals transferred from other shelters.
Adoption fees are published and tiered by age, with senior and special-needs animals offered on a name-your-own-fee basis. Dogs include a veterinary exam, spay or neuter, a microchip, a heartworm test, and age-appropriate vaccines; cats include spay or neuter, a microchip, FeLV and FIV tests, and vaccines.
| Animal | Adoption fee |
|---|---|
| Puppy, 2 to 6 months | $550 |
| Dog, 1 to 5 years | $300 |
| Dog, 5 to 10 years | $250 |
| Dog, 10 and older or special needs | Name your fee |
| Kitten, 2 to 10 months | $250 |
| Cat, 2 to 8 years | $100 |
| Cat, 9 to 12 years | $50 |
| Cat, 13 and older or special needs | Name your fee |
| Rabbit | $50 (pair $80) |
| Guinea pig | $20 (pair $30) |
Adoption is walk-in and first-come, first-served, and takes about an hour. The shelter is open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and is closed Wednesday.
The community veterinary clinic provides spay and neuter and other care by appointment, and the organization also runs behavior and training, humane education, foster care, lost-and-found help, and pet food and financial assistance.
The Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland holds a four-star rating from Charity Navigator with a 96 percent score. Its EIN for tax-deductible gifts is 01-0212541.
Dogs, cats, small animals, and birds from the Westbrook campus.
The designated shelter for 14 Greater Portland municipalities.
Spay, neuter, and other care by appointment.
Classes and support for adopters and the community.
Temporary homes for animals not yet ready for adoption.
Help for owners facing hardship.
Sources: Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland (arlgp.org) adoption and program pages; Charity Navigator (EIN 01-0212541). Profiled as Maine's leading shelter because the backlog domain hsme.org is no longer active. Retrieved June 2026. We are not affiliated with Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland and receive no compensation for this listing. Spotted an error? [email protected]
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