Humane Society of Missouri

Found and adopted a dog from the west county location. Easy and how I would expect all locations to be, sadly they aren’t all ran properly. Go to the West county location if you want to actually be able to adopt, avoid wasting you time at the downtown location.

Good luck getting a dog here… it’s an act of congress. All of the staff is at the reception area and the back area (where the animals are kept) is like a ghost town. Occasionally you can see an employee scurrying through, but they make it clear that they’re on a mission and are not open to questions. The worst part is hardly ANY of the dogs are available for adoption. 90% of them have signs saying that they are not available for WHATEVER reason (visited several times… same situation). When I was finally able to corner someone and ask about a dog that I was interested in, she told me that they were still monitoring her and our only option was to check the website to see when she became available. Kind of like a random doggie lottery. Great. My partner and I returned home and checked the website several times a day, every day, with no luck. We returned to the location the following weekend and the dog was gone. WTF??? So upset.
The APA on South Hanley is a MUCH better option. Most of the dogs are ready to go and the staff is readily available, helpful, and welcoming. I will not be returning to the humane society.

First I want to say «I love the Humane Society» for saving unwanted animals. I have over the last year rescued 2 furbabies 1 from the Macklind location and 1 from the Maryland Heights location. Each costing me $ 210.00 a piece. Now I have found a 3^rd baby to rescue and since he resides at the Chesterfield location they want $ 285.00 for him. Again I understand all the costs that go into each animal. But I feel they are just trying to get more for the location meaning people are wealthier on that side of town. I feel it should be a straight across the board fee. I don’t care if they own the building or rent it as they told me as to why it cost more at the Chesterfield location. So I have tried emailing the organization with no one contacting me about why they feel the need to increase the cost in Chesterfield but I am for sure going to make everyone aware I feel this is unfair to the animals that might not get adopted for this reason.

We visit this shelter every so often just to look at the cute doggies! There are two large adult dog areas that are set up so that during feeding time, the shelter leaves out the food in a bowl and you can «feed» the dogs through a simple chute system (hard to explain). They have separate areas for cats, bunnies, and PUPPIES! We haven’t adopted a fur-​baby from HSMO yet but definitely keep looking. If nothing else, it’s an fun way to spend 30 minutes on a weekend.

Well, I adopted my first and only dog from HSMO after falling in love with his online video «ad”(
)so there’s that. I was new to the adoption process, so I don’t have any experiences to compare it to, but I’ll do my best.
I assumed I had to fill out an application before I could even look at the animals. Nope. You walk in and go wherever you want. Surprised me.
Tips (for dogs):
yellow star on sheet: I «walk nicely on a leash»
one blue star on sheet: I «usually go to the bathroom outside»
two blue stars on sheet: I «usually hold ‘it’ overnight, and won’t go to the bathroom in my kennel.»
There are also white stars, and I’ve seen a few red stars. Not sure what they stood for.
Anyway, it took several trips through each of the dog «rooms,» but I eventually found the ‘lil guy I fell in love with in my ad in a holding cell of sorts that was outside of the doggie «gen pop» and almost out of sight. I gave the adoption counselor his tag number, as well as those of several other dogs I was interested in. I had one-​on-​one dog time with each of them and, sure enough, I was set on the boy in the video.
The counselor quizzed me (a practice I totally support!) on issues such as:
apartment living with a dog
why get a dog now?
City requirements for dog owners
How often to go to vet
Healthcare needs unique to small breeds/​minpins/​chihuahuas.
After about an hour and «passing with an A plus plus» according to the [very sweet] adoption counselor, it was time to talk money.
I didn’t realize that what the website meant by «desirable breeds» was «small dogs,» and as such, was a bit surprised to wind up paying $ 210 for a non-​purebred that was over 2 years old. But I didn’t care (and still don’t)!! Money well spent, for sure. NOTE: they’ve since clarified on their site that ALL dogs under 35 lb will be $ 210. Thanks, HSMO!
That said, I did NOT use their veterinary services. Seemed very pricey. I’ve used Carol House’s services on Jefferson and they are a steal!

We all know that the Humane Society of Missouri is a great place to adopt a new Fur-​Baby and a place where you can get very affordable veterinary care for your pet. What a lot of people do not know that they are also a place to go when your beloved pet has crossed the Rainbow Bridge. For those of you who do not know what the Rainbow Bridge is, here is a link to help you understand.
Last week my neighbors feline friend of 20 years, crossed the bridge peacefully at home. As any one of us pet lovers would be, he was a little distraught. So I assisted him in wrapping Thomas up and taking him to the HSMO for cremation. The staff was very compassionate and caring as they filled out the necessary paperwork. They offer a variety of urns and boxes for the ashes, but with Brian being a woodsman he opted for the ashes to be returned in a simple bag and he’ll create something special for his beloved friend.
Some may think it is creepy to save the ashes of a pet, but some of us don’t. So it is good to know that this type of service is available at a very reasonable price. Our pets gave us unconditional love. So the least we can do is give them a proper ending.

ST. LOUIS HUMANE SOCIETY… NOT HELPING.
My boyfriend and I went to the Mackland location in St. Louis this afternoon to meet a dog that was up for adoption. After spending 20 minutes of filling out paperwork we were informed that they would not let us meet Dasia (a small 2 year old Dachshund/​Schnauzer mix) because we have a 10 year old boy. They stated that the minimum age for a child with this dog is 12. They told us that Dasia doesn’t do well with people of small stature and she was easily «excited». Small stature? I am nearly the same height as my boyfriend’s son. Then I explained to her that his 10-​year son grew up with a dachshund his entire life and that we currently have a Yorkie that his son went through extensive dog training with. His son with worked one-​on-​one with a professional trainer. I also explained that our Yorkie used to get excited and even nipped at my son but with time, patience and training they have become great friends and we don’t have any problems.
They wouldn’t even entertain the idea of meeting his son and seeing him interact with the dog. He has more experience with small «excitable» dogs than any 12 year old that’s never had a dog. or even an adult that’s never had a dog. I couldn’t believe she couldn’t comprehend that maturity and height can vary vastly between kids that age. I asked if the dog has a past of biting and she went on to explain that they would never give away a dog that bites people… SO WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?
They were contradictory in almost every statement they made. «She’s a stray»…“She’s a rescue”…don’t you know? «it’s best for the dog… It’s best for the family.» Her final comment was that they refused to set the dog up for failure.
If the dog needs to go to a home without kids, fine, I get that. But to say the kid has to be 12 but not even look a kid who is 10, had dog training and grew up with a dog is ridiculous. No to mention they were rude. I don’t even know if I want the dog and certainly if my kid comes and meets the dog and it looks problematic I’ll walk away.
It’s sad to see they won’t even give our family an evaluation because of their own ignorance. At the very least, THEY are setting up the dog for failure. Sadly disappointed. BIG FALURE on behalf of Nikki and her colleagues over on Mackland. Dasia is just a cute in real life.

I have been here twice with my elderly dog and I have been pleased with the care we received. The staff takes the time to listen to the issues and then will work with you on the best course of action. The techs and doctors are calming and will offer you several options when it comes to cost. They also do not make you feel obligated to choose the more expensive options and have only suggested tests that warranted. They also follow up the next day with a call to make sure everything is going okay. I would not hesitate to take my dogs here in the future and would be happy to recommend to my friends.

I came here to donate some old towels. The overall organization of this place is great. The cats were all sleeping when I came here. Must be noon-​time siesta. In any case, I couldn’t hear any loud barking from the dogs in the hallway. Like other reviews stated, this place is clean. No nasty smells.

The people that work here couldn’t have created a more miserable experience for us. As heartbreaking as it is to have to give up pets only this place could make it 10 times worse. We called Saturday before dropping off and were told to wait three days so we did. We then called Tuesday before we headed in and we were told no — others had taken our spots and we were to wait three more days –so we did. We then took them in and were denied at the door. Customer service couldn’t have been worse. And they were happy to throw us out to the street with nowhere to go. The lack of initiative to help us out or apologize for their mess up was the worst thing of all. We called two other human societies and found one in Maryland Heights that was happy to take our pets. (The folks at the Chesterfield office did not even pick up a finger to help us find another Humane Society that could help us.) The facility looked fine but the staff needs a good scrubbing.

We have had great experiences here. The staff is always very friendly and helpful. Last year the hubby and I had to put our 12 year old dog to sleep due to a large tumor and the outpouring of care and concern was wonderful. They even sent us a sympathy card which they all had signed and sent a card with her paw print on it for us to remember her by. They truly care about animals and their owners.

I haven’t adopted a cat from here… Yet.
I’m an obese, single, miserable 20-​something. If I’m not adopting more cats for myself, then I’m at the pet store buying worm medicine, or at the shelter helping my other loser girlfriends adopt cats.
My landlord’s response to the phone call from my bestie requesting permission to adopt a cat? «I thought you already had a cat.» Yeah. All of us do.
Soooooooooooooooooo… Lemme keep this simple.
The Good:
–Clean-​ish
–Pleasant-​ish Staff
–Simple-​ish Process
–Cute freaking animals
–Vet on site
–Name your own price adoption? I actually hate that and find it awkward, but it’s probably a good thing overall.
–Parking
–Good hours
–Über-​nice, lots of seating, lots of fake plants
The Bad:
–Not much info on the pets
–Horrible names for the pets… Seriously. I know this doesn’t matter, but I refuse to adopt a cat that a shelter has named «Miss Kitten». You’re setting the poor thing up for failure. Kind of like naming your kid Blue Ivy. No wait, that’s worse.
–REALLY strict rules. Like, I get that there needs to be a process, but when our landlord didn’t call back INSTANTLY, we were bumped off the list. It’s not a freaking kidney, people. It’s a CAT. That some poor single chick is about to make a life commitment to. Give her a second to get her s*** together!!!
–The staff were unprofessional and rude in dealing with a woman who came in close to closing time to adopt an animal. Again, I get having «rules» and a cutoff time, but for the love of God, they could have been nicer. She was there to adopt an animal, not give you Chlamydia.
Overall, though, this place was actually one of the best I’ve been to in the St. Louis area. Yeah, they are adoption rule Nazis, but they clearly care and maintain consistency for the sake of the kitties. I’m sure my next 15 cats will come from this place.

Why would you say and advertise that you want people to adopt a dog???
This place needs to organize their staff.
One person says one thing, another says another.
Ridic!
My vote goes to the smaller independent shelters.

Even though the Humane Society does good work in animal rescue, they charge too much for routine veterinary services. The staff is very dedicated and friendly – especially to your companion animal.

We adopted our new pup from the Humane Society… she’s great, as are the people who cared for her in between families. The facility is very clean, and the animals are clearly very well kept; the only reason I’m not giving five stars is due to some health concerns that we learned about AFTER adopting her– nothing huge, but may require surgery in the long-​term. Even the vet (who is also at the Humane Society, but apparently there’s a disconnect between the on-​site vet and the shelter) said we should have been told about it beforehand, and we should have even saved on our adoption fee because of it. Oh well– Coco was worth every penny (she even came chipped and spayed… and housebroken… and just plain full of love) and even with the medical info, I don’t think we could have left without her. awww.

This past week I went through the hardest thing any pet owner goes through — deciding to put their animal to sleep.
I won’t spill my guts out with the tremendous pain I have gone through with losing my pet, but choosing to have my cat euthanized at HSMO made the process so much easier.
The staff was incredibly friendly and considerate at this difficult time; the let us make any and all of the decisions of how we wanted to go through the process and gave us the option to have our pet cremated as well as make paw prints.
The veterinarian put us at ease as we watched our cat pass away, talking us through the process of his vital functions slowing and eventually halting.
I hope I never, ever have to go through this experience again, but if I do, I’ll be going to HSMO.

I love the Humane Society! I volunteer here as well as adopted my beautiful puppy from HSMO. The HSMO offers a variety of volunteer opportunities as well as special events and classes, like dog training and Bark in the Park.
Be aware when you visit that the animals are under a great deal of stress and may not act in a way that they would if they had a loving secure home. As far as humane societies and animal shelters go, this is a very nice facility and it doesn’t smell too badly. The staff are very nice, but they may not appear to be available… don’t let that discourage you, they have a lot to do and their number one goal is to care for the animals not visitors.
There are always new animals available, the adoption fee is based on age and bread type. I feel it’s well worth it because you can interact with a potential fit before you decide to adopt unlike some adoption methods. Plus, you can feel good about saving a pet that doesn’t have a loving home.
The shelter has a vet office you may take your pet to as well as a gift shop. The gift shop is not the most extensive but it helps to be able to pick up a few quick things if you didn’t plan ahead for adopting, such as leases, collars/​harnesses and kennels if need be. That way you don’t have to go out with your new dog… or leave it behind to pick up those items the very first day you bring them home.
I have never regretted adopting, but do your homework and be realistic about the breed choice you make… be sure your lifestyle matches.

Well of course I like this Humane Society because it’s where I adopted my kitty cat, Shayna (who is quite possibly the cutest cat, like, ever!). Found her online on a Friday afternoon and she was mine by the next day! I will give the Humane Society props for keeping pictures of their adoptable animals up-​to-​date on
!
This particular location is immaculate! Seriously, for the amount of animals that they house, the place is clean, smells good (considering) and is very much an adoption center. Animals are kept separated — not only cats, dogs and rabbits/​rodents, but they separate the male and female dogs, as well as puppies.
If you are considering adoption but need to take an extra day to think it over, you are allowed to put down a «deposit’ on an animal. If you don’t come back within 24 hours, your deposit is turned into a donation to the Humane Society. How could anyone not come back for an animal is beyond me, but I’m sure it happens on occasion…
My only beef with this particular Humane Society is their veterinary clinic. It’s expensive and they aren’t that nice! Needed a basic form filled out for a new apartment (just to make sure I don’t own a rabid, 40 lb mountain lion) and they wouldn’t fill it out without setting another $ 30 appointment, even though I’d been there in the last 3 months. My cat weighs 9 lbs and has weighed 9 lbs for over a year and a half! Even if she gained a ½ pound, it wouldn’t make a damn bit of difference. I get that they need the money, but so do I. Especially if I was getting ready to move.
So if someone I knew was looking to adopt a pet, I’d definitely recommend the Humane Society. But if they were looking for a good vet, I’d send them elsewhere. ‘Nuff said.

Moving back to St. Louis, I’ve been recently surprised at how many stray dogs and cats roam the streets. Many of the cats are «feral», but some of the dogs have collars or seem interested in approaching you. It makes me wonder where all these animals are coming from, and why people don’t have a careful eye on their companions.
Last weekend, a stray dog wandered into the back of our apartment complex, and she was friendly. When I held out my hand, she immediately came up and began to lick my fingers and my arm.
I brought her inside and gave her some water and then took her over to the Humane Society. The little dog had a collar, but with no tags.
The Humane Society is a great resource because they have an after hours «drop-​box» sort of system. You can go in through the sliding glass doors, you fill out some paper work, and then you put the dog into a two sided cage. The staff leave blankets, water, and food in all of the cages. When you shut the cage, it locks behind. The other side of the cage is open to the animal care staff, so they can immediately take care of the dog or cat at any hour of the night.
I thought it was a pretty cool invention. I used to work at the San Francisco SPCA, and we did not have anything like that.
The Humane Society is a wonderful resource for anyone looking to adopt and rescue a companion animal. These are pets that need homes, and are ready and waiting. Find a friend today!

I’m a sucker for animals. You know that commercial where Sarah McLachlan sings and all the sad animals in cages sit there looking sad and in cages? I cry, nay, I sob right out loud. Thus, I don’t let myself go to the Humane Society very often, but I’m always happy when I do b/​c the animals here (although they’re in cages) seem very happy, healthy, and friendly. I adopted a cat from the Humane Society about four months ago and she has had no health problems, gets along with my other kitten, and is so pretty! If you’re in the market for an animal (and if you’re allowed one where you live, you should be) you should get to the Humane Society.