I came to the Berkeley Humane Society after being told they were providing a free health clinic on Saturday and Sunday, December 6 and 7. This included free spay and neuter services with advanced sign-up. The staff and volunteers were absolutely amazing--so kind, organized, and genuinely helpful throughout the entire experience. One of the sponsors was Tony LaRussa and LaRussa Rescue, along with other rescue organizations. Tony and his wife were there during our visit, taking time to chat with people and personally thanking everyone for coming, which was incredibly touching. I've been wanting to visit this shelter for a long time, and I'm so glad I finally had the opportunity. The dedication and compassion of everyone here truly shows. An amazing place filled with amazing people. read more

Berkeley Humane - Rescue organizations who donated for this event. 12/6-12/6 2025. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Phenomenal Shelter!!! My partner and I started off fostering dogs and ultimately foster failed. We worked closely with Ian who was phenomenal, supportive and so responsive. They gave us all the supplies (food, toys, advice, leashes, etc.) we needed to give our foster pooches what they needed. We fostered a sweet girl for nearly 4 months until she found her forever home, which was difficult for us but so rewarding to be a part of her journey to a home and family who could give her everything she needed. We fostered a bit more and ultimately foster-failed and have had our boy Rickey (formerly Kona) for nearly a year! Rickey has been the most perfect pooch we could've asked for. I am so appreciative of Berkeley Humane, Ian, and the whole team. Cannot recommend this shelter enough! Foster and/or adopt from Berkeley!! read more

Berkeley Humane - Animal Shelters Near Me - Berkeley, California

Title: Extremely Unprofessional Follow-Up After Vaccination -- Sent to an Empty Clinic With a Sick Cat My cat received a vaccination at Berkeley Humane on December 6. Two days later, she developed noticeable swelling above her eye and redness around the pupil -- symptoms she has never had before. When I called Berkeley Humane for guidance, I felt completely dismissed. Instead of helping or taking responsibility, they referred me elsewhere without clear instructions. Because the symptoms appeared directly after their vaccination, I expected at least some level of follow-up care or responsibility. After leaving a review about this experience, a Berkeley Humane manager contacted me and scheduled an "examination" at their Pinole location inside Petsmart for 3 PM the same day. I drove 30 minutes each way with a visibly uncomfortable cat whose eye was getting worse. When we arrived, Petsmart was open, but the veterinary area was completely empty. I waited over 30 minutes outside the exam rooms, expecting someone to come out. It wasn't Berkeley Humane staff who informed me -- it was Petsmart employees who told me that no veterinarians were present at all. No one from Berkeley Humane called, emailed, or warned me that the appointment was cancelled. Only after I messaged the manager asking what was going on did she reply that the employee "got sick and left" -- information that was not communicated to me in any way before I arrived and waited. At that point, I had already booked a real veterinary appointment elsewhere because my cat's condition was worsening. This entire experience showed: * Lack of communication * Lack of accountability * Lack of professional oversight * No concern for a sick animal after their own vaccination * And a public Google-response that does not reflect what actually happened Being told to drive to an empty clinic with no notice -- while my cat was visibly unwell -- is not just unprofessional, it is unacceptable. I truly hope this review helps prevent someone else from going through the same stressful experience. read more

this is where I found my sweet calico cat...I will be forever grateful that I found her at Berkeley Humane!

"Bravo Bravo!" I had the chance to meet these nice people at a local brewery in berkeley. They were hosting an adoption event at Fieldworks, featuring a beautiful German Shepherd puppy. They explained that they source many of their animals from city shelters. They drive their animals, or even fly them to get to their new destination. That's what I call dedication! Thanks for all the wonderful staff and volunteers working here. I don't know how they do it. read more

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We had such a great experience training with Nancy Frensley and Dee Iaroli! It was our very first class together of any kind. Violet just turned a year old and they were so patient with us. My dog is very high energy and overly friendly with other dogs and yet they were able to help us pass the tests to be able to get our AKC Good Citizen Certificate. Even though the class has been over for sometime, I keep remembering all of the tips they gave me, and we continue to work a lot of the techniques that we learned in class. I felt like we got a lot of individual attention, and I felt like both of them were amazing. Both women have a wealth of knowledge between them and so much experience - it was an honor to be in their class. I am excited about taking more classes at Berkeley Humane! It doesn't hurt that there are some really good restaurants very close by as well heh read more

Berkeley Humane - Violet and I upon completing the AKC Good Canine Citizen class. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Berkeley, California

Pet adoption with Berkeley Humane. Firstly, the staff is made up of volunteers that are very knowledgeable in the adoption process and deeply care for the animals. There are two rooms that houses the cats. I am not sure if there is a separate area for other animals. The cat areas were very clean and the cats themselves were very clean. During the process, you complete a check in form and someone walks you to the cats. Once you've decided, you go into a separate room with a staff to go over the paperwork. You are given documents including records of your newly adopted animal and a welcome bag with cat food. They prep your new family member in a cardboard box for a safe ride home. You can return your animal back anytime less the adoption fee. Check out their website for updated pets to adopt. Hooray for wonderful staff at Berkeley humane! read more

Berkeley Humane - Animal Shelters Near Me - Berkeley, California

Nice facility. Pets look well maintained. I have not utilized their medical. I have seen many negative reviews regarding medical procedures. I cannot verify them. There are a number of veterinary's close by. I donated several pet supplies: frisbees, W Pet Hol-EE Roller Dog balls, etc. Check their inventory. Support shelters instead of breeder losers. Plenty pets in need. read more

Berkeley Humane - Animal Shelters Near Me - Berkeley, California

Nice facility. The dogs and cats seem well. Adoption fees are reasonable. Great cause. Thankful for trusting Berkeley Humane. I have not used their medical. Plenty of vets nearby. Codornices Veterinary Clinic in Albany is excellent. Banfield in Albany has low fees. I have seen many specials where adoption fees are exceptionally low or FREE (waived)! read more

Berkeley Humane - Donating a bed. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Berkeley, California

My son says that I'm Dr. Doolittle. Yes, I talk to animals and from the look in their eyes, we understand one another. A few weeks ago I walked by and popped into a adoption event. After seeing the great care and understanding Berkeley Humane's mission, I signed up to volunteer. Eight hours per month are asked of the volunteers. We all participated in a training orientation, which provided us with a great understanding of what the organization accomplishes. There's plenty of opportunities besides just waking a dog or visiting with the cats. Go to the website and sign up for the orientation and then decide. I'm looking forward to serving and supporting the fantastic care of our furried friends. I am Dr. Doolittle. Did you know all dogs and cats understand Spanish? Trust. read more

Berkeley Humane - Ted is a proud 16 year alumni. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Berkeley, California

If I could give 0 stars I would. If I knew my cat was going to die due to who ever spayed my cat I would have never gotten her fixed here. I dropped her off to get a simple spay done and was told she was clear for surgery since she was in good health. She was only a year and a half old. I went to go pick up my cat at the time I was told and the moment I saw her I knew something was wrong.. she didn't look good. I brought her home and she looked very weak and didn't want to drink or eat. I know some cats may not eat or drink after the surgery but this was different. She had no life in her. I immediately took her to the emergency room at a different clinic called (VEG in San Ramon) btw, go there if you ever need help with your animals they're amazing. But I took her there and they found that she had internal bleeding that spread to her lungs which made fluid build up. She had to stay two nights in the emergency room with so many needles pricking her and tubes through out her body. She even needed to be in a oxygen tank because she couldn't breathe. I stayed there two nights by her side just to watch her die. I thought "Berkeley humane" they want to "spay the bay" must be nice. Nope. Got the exact opposite. My cat died. And I'm left with heart ache and a 4K bill from trying to save her life.. I even called them to ask for help and I was told I'd get a call back from the vet there and never received one. This is horrible. My poor Lovely Bones... I can't stop crying. UPDATE: This is appalling, Not only was I not contacted at all during Lovely Bones death you now portray you did everything in your power to help me and my grief. This HAPPENED TO MY CAT. Not yours. I was the one by her side for almost 3 nights, crying, heart broken watching her die from your facilities practice while you and your "vet" were never to be herd from or found. When someone is dying in the hospital, do you talk to other doctors or do you talk to the family of the person dying... Your money you gave me did nothing for me. The fact that you have to announce that you paid me a measly two thousand dollars in the loss and devastation of my cat is incredibly heart breaking. I didn't sue you because I wanted to lay my cat in peace and you're right, I couldn't now because we didn't do a necromancy! The fact that you're assuring everyone on Yelp that this may never happen again when there are documents that you sign stating if your pet dies is horrible Also, you'll always keep Lovely Bones in your heart?? You don't care about my cat.. that was MY baby. This continues to be the worst thing that has ever happened to me. So traumatizing even by the words of your business owner. I will always say bad things about your facility. And I will keep spreading awareness of what happened to my baby in your care. Bye. read more

Berkeley Humane - My cats hair that I got to keep as a keep sake from her passing.. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Berkeley, California

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This is for the basic training class. I would not recommend the experience; it was not a good use of my time or resources. We had a switch in trainer halfway through the four classes, and the second one was better, but we had already far behind in the curriculum from the first trainer not being able to manage the class. It often felt like she was showing off her own dog's tricks instead of teaching us how to train our own dogs. The experience did not meet my expectations. I appreciate that they are inclusive of all dogs but it was too large of a class, and it may be best to offer some of the more reactive dogs private training sessions. read more

I recently had my kitty spayed and it went great, drop off and pick up was quick and easy and had no troubles at all! My kitty has been feeling good and healing as she should, I would definitely recommend having your pets spayed here, also as a person of lower income the cost of the spay was not expensive at all! Thank you for a wonderful service, you guys are amazing! read more

Berkeley Humane - Animal Shelters Near Me - Berkeley, California

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All of the staff at Berkeley Humane were really helpful in helping my partner and I adopt a cat. Currently (Oct 2021), dogs are still by appointment only. It's good to ask the staff what they think about the personalities of the pets you're interested in as they work with them the most. They were great in providing a packet for me to read as a first time cat owner and also gave me a TLDR version of important details. You can get the starter kit for your cat (includes the basic necessities for when you take your cat home) for about $35. read more

What great place, warm and welcoming and caring! Thank you SO much Ian for helping me out with kittens I found. Ian is professional, and provided exceptional customer service! I can't thank you enough!! Thank you, and all the Staff at this facility I appreciate you all!! read more

These people are so WONDERFUL. When my mom was had a home, she could barely make her rent/bills even with my help. Berkeley is expensive to live. Berkeley Humane gave her food such as kitten and litter to survive for her cat Smiley, Cali and before that Snowny. I'm a monthly donor to them. God bless these people for helping the animals and people RELENTLESSLY with support for their animals. Thank you (Berkeley Humane) for your support over the years. Anyone out there support them because they "always go the mile for the elderly and poor people with pets" . read more

We got our wonderful little Misty, a few days ago and it was a dream working with this organization. The team spent a lot of time reviewing Misty's background and what we would need to do, to get her acclimated to our home. They are so helpful and have connections with vets and we were able to get a check up for free from one of the recommended vets, the day after adoption. They were able to train Misty to sit and lie down, which has been a plus. This is a wonderful organization with caring individuals who want to make certain that the pets truly get their forever homes and that the prospective owners find their forever new additions. I'd give them a 20++ rating if I could. Well done team Berkeley Humane. read more

They charge too much for their animals that they have a rescue. It's just not fair especially when people that are lonely like the senior citizens. read more

waited an hour just for my dog to be taken into the clinic for his neutering when I had an appointment. When I picked him up he was out of it but that's what I expected him to be coming out of anesthesia. A couple days later his sack was very red, looked like he still had balls, and looked over all concerning. I took a picture and noticed it looked open. I sent the picture to my primary vet and they told me to take him in to the emergency room right away. The emergency room vet said it was infected and very swollen. Prescribed him antibiotics and other pain medication. What I thought I was getting a cheap neuter at the human society (which I do appreciate) turned out to be very costly having to take him into the emergency room. It still looks like he has balls and doesn't look right. Not sure what happened but I would think twice about getting your dog neutered here even though it's cheap. read more

My rating is based on their dog classes. I love the instructors and learned so much. I took three classes and one online class. It really makes a difference to get instant feedback and to ah e community. Looking forward to taking more classes here. :) read more

I took my baby Cleo here to get spayed this week. They were very kind when I arrived to drop her off, it can be very scary to drop off your little fur baby for surgery and they walked me through the process with care. I recommend filling out the intake paperwork before you arrive, I did not do that and it made the drop off process a lot longer. Drop off is at 8, you take the carrier with you and come back at 3 to pick up the babies from surgery. At pickup they give detailed instructions on how to cone your pet and for how long the cone should stay on for, the full two weeks! I personally had a very hard time putting the cone on my cat, and when I called them to ask for suggestions they were very helpful with different methods I should try. I gave my cat the works while in surgery, they trimmed her nails, gave her all her shots, chipped her, and gave her a little tattoo, this cat is mine forever! read more

Berkeley Humane - Post surgery rocking her cone! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I've been a volunteer at Berkeley Humane for almost 4 years now, and I can't say enough good things about it! The people who work and volunteer there are wonderful, and give so much love and high-quality care to the animals! Their passion for animal welfare is contagious. And I love how much they give back to the community, especially stepping up during the pandemic with now twice-weekly Pet Food Pantry give-aways and low-cost spay/neuter and vaccine clinics. read more

Berkeley Humane - Welcoming committee! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Berkeley, California

Phenomenal service, excellent pricing, wonderful care! I enrolled my kitty for a spay service via their Spay the Bay program. We were smack in the middle of the pandemic and many services such as the SPCA were not open yet... Berkeley Humane cheerfully responded relatively fast for the circumstances. Their intake process was simple and easily understood, and Tracy and Kayla were very kind in their customer care. My kitten is healing well after surgery and I highly recommend all responsible pet owners to get their pet fixed, as homeless ferals are a serious, consistent, and unfortunate issue in our area. This amazing animal welfare organization is a great resource and I appreciated them being here for me and my fur baby. read more

I volunteered with Berkeley Humane for six years but parted ways after a bad experience with them. I'm posting this review for anyone interested in volunteering with Berkeley Humane. At animal shelters, there's always a baseline risk for being exposed to illness and disease because you're dealing with strays. But they are typically not highly contagious. If you plan on volunteering, it'll be your responsibility to ensure you don't inadvertently put yourself or your pets in harm's way when it comes to more contagious illnesses and diseases. Berkeley Humane will not do that for you and there are no OSHA guidelines to protect you as a volunteer. This may be the same for all animal shelters, but I'll be asking the right questions before volunteering at one ever again. Its sad that Berkeley Humane wouldn't value their dedicated volunteers by treating them with more respect. Not very humane. Please note: Berkeley Humane's reply to my post is PR damage control only and not a legitimate response to what I experienced. read more

Take your pet here if you want a death sentence for them. Quick easy snip procedure for a cat they medically cleared her for the surgery said she was completely healthy. So once the procedure was done our cat started having no energy and was not feeling good well turns out she had internal bleeding which was caused from the people who did the procedure on her. We had to put our cat down after we took her to an emergency room for care... they also told us our cat contracted pneumonia from that place.... When we called Berkeley humane for answers we got zero... literally the worst thing ever rip to our baby read more

Very unorganized. I understand volunteers at front desk but part of being a volunteer should include being given clear instructions and processes. This isn't rocket science. Looked at a cat last Friday but you can't hold them...only pet the in the cage. So was told I could do a short term foster this week. They neglected to tell me there was no way I could apparently contact them Tuesday-Thursday... so not sure how it could have happened. Sent in application Monday tho the Foster guy was sick but no out of office on email. Left messages both on main line and his line...no return communication. Went in today less than half hour after they opened... explained what happened and how frustrating... but only semi defensive responses. Was told is first come, first served. But apparently all I did didn't count. Got in to see the cat and as I was petting him they put an adopted sign on cage. Really??!! As trite as it sounds I know when a door closes another opens but don't think I will be going back there ...just not worth it. Also will be making donations elsewhere. Hopefully they can get their act together and not put others thru unnecessary angst. read more

As I mentioned in my previous review, my family has a history with Berkeley Humane, we have adopted many dogs into our family from this organization. Sadly and suddenly, Bianco passed away after five years with us. The Mother was very saddened by his death. Three days later, The Mother and I went to Berkeley Humane about possibly adopting and welcoming another dog into our family. The Mother and I looked at the available dogs posted on the wall. The Mother chose to look and visit with the smallest dog that was available named Minnie. We had to wait a bit for the staff to bring her to us. When they brought her in, I was very surprised by her small size. Minnie seemed overwhelmed by the attention and the conversations in the reception area. I said to her, "Come here Sweetie," and picked her up. Minnie sat down on my lap and on my purse while I was playing Pokémon Go. I removed my purse so she could have my lap entirely. It was as if she decided and wanted to go home with us. The Mother asked me if I wanted her. I replied, "Yes." It was a no brainer--of course I wanted her. We went through the usual intake of filling out the forms and consulting with the staff before Minnie became our newest member of the family. Dolce is still with us, she and Minnie are like sisters . . . they have their moments. Minnie is attached to me and had a bit of an adjustment period of separation anxiety. When I took Dolce for a morning walk the next day, Minnie got upset. When The Mother let Minnie she was here with her, Minnie reacted as if to say, "Who are you?!" Minnie takes her cues from Dolce, if Dolce barks at dogs and other passerbys, Minnie is right there with her barking and backing Dolce up. We are grateful to the Berkeley Humane Society for our dogs past and present. Highly recommend them for adopting your new best friend; canine, feline, and/or both. Adopt, don't shop. Adopt at the Berkeley Humane Society. Cheers and Ciao! read more

I love cats. In the future I plan to adopt cats. So came here to check out how the shelter look like. It is very well organized and clean. Information for each cat are available at each cage. Cats are very affectionate, some vocal. So cute and it was very hard to close the cage each time...(yes, it is possible to open cages and pet them). Staff are friendly. read more

I adopted my second dog from BEBHS this past weekend. After weeks of perusing Petfinder.com and other dog adoption sites, I found a couple of potential dogs at BEBHS. Then one day I looked at their site and this cute little chihuahua mix caught my eye immediately. His name was BoomBox and he was rescued from a shelter where he was scheduled for euthanization!! I decided that this is going to be my new dog. Luckily for me, BoomBox was still available by the time I came in on Saturday. I immediately pointed him out to the staff and they let us spend some time with him in one of their rooms. After spending some time with BoomBox and deciding that we wanted to go forward with the adoption, the staff recommended that we bring our current dog over to see how they get along. This helped my dog Mimi meet BoomBox on neutral territory, which helped them both with the transition. The staff was very friendly and you can tell that they really enjoy what they do. From the moment I met BoomBox, until the moment I left with him, I felt very comfortable and well taken care of. I could tell that BoomBox had made an impression on the staff in the few days he was there. What I really liked about BEBHS is that they really educate potential adopters about taking care of their new family member. Unlike my first experience adopting a dog (we won't go there, but I'm happy I found my dog Mimi), BEBHS makes sure that you are knowledgeable and understand what you are getting yourself into. Luckily for me, I've had experience with adopting a dog before, so I was ready for the commitment. The fee for adopting my dog was $200, which includes all his vaccinations, microchip, free training classes, neutering (he was neutered a few days prior to me adopting him), and a free examination with a local veterinarian. They even gave me two cans of dog food and a bag of dry food, to help him transition. Being that I've had two completely different experiences adopting dogs, I can imagine most of them should have happened similarly to my experience at BEBHS. So my experience may be the norm, but either way I was impressed and thankful for their commitment to finding animals a good home. P.S. After reading some of the more negative review for BEBHS, I'm confused. I had no problem adopting BoomBox. I don't know if things changed, or if I'm a better candidate for a dog, but it seems odd that others have been turned away or had bad experiences here. Before you get scared off by negative reviews, I suggest going in to check it out for yourself. read more

Berkeley Humane - BoomBox - Animal Shelters Near Me - Berkeley, California

This review is in regards to their dog obedience workshop only. This is my first impression of the place and I did not have a good class at all. I wish I could have put the money back in my pocket and went home. Their class offerings are very limited and they did not offer a discount to me for my rescue dog for this workshop. Tuesday evening is just oo late for me and my dog, but it was the only time it was offered, so i gave it a shot.. Never again. I think they should have offered a discount on the class too. But that's the least of my complaints. The building is horrible. Its an old warehouse maybe with dry wall up to separate things. They are trying to do what they can with what they have but it's not great at all. Noise echos, people walking down the halls sound like elephants. not good. A hungry mouse was milling around at the end of our session looking for food and distracting the dogs. NOT GOOD. I did not connect at all with the instructor. She talked a million miles an hour and didn't care if you got what she was saying. URGH. ok, enough complaining. that was my first impression. read more

Solid neighborhood vet & reputable shelter. Bringing my kitties to Berkeley Humane for check-ups was a low-stress and enjoyable experience. The front desk staff were all very nice, friendly and professional. The examination rooms were secure and clean. My kitties were not freaked out beyond the "normal" of being examined -- and the vet who examined them for their annual checkups was super friendly, informative and efficient. I did not have a very long wait time at all. All of my kitties were adopted from different Humane Society shelters in the East Bay - I'm a big fan of the SPCA. The Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society was established in 1927 and is a "no-kill" shelter for adoptable animals until they are placed in loving homes. As a private, non-profit organization, they are supported by private contributions. Here's what they say about their policies: "Berkeley has been on the forefront of the "no-kill" movement, which aims to stop the killing of adoptable and treatable cats and dogs. The Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society, in cooperation with Berkeley Animal Care Services and local rescue groups, guarantees to find a home for all Berkeley's adoptable cats and dogs - animals that are healthy and free of serious behavior problems. In addition, each year we save hundreds of treatable dogs and cats that need medical or behavioral care before they're ready for adoption. Animals are euthanized only if they are too sick to be rehabilitated, or too aggressive to be safely placed in a home." read more

Professional, attentive staff. Plenty of kittens even in November! They exaggerate a bit when they give you their quick tutorial on cat ownership 101. For example; told me unequivocally that my kitten should not be allowed to become an indoor outdoor cat until she is a year old. I don't agree. She can be let out sooner than that. It might be a little riskier so explain this but don't make such strong black and white generalizations. read more

Although they are still recovering from the fire in May 2010 their clinic and animal adoptions are still going strong. I stopped by the other day with some fleece blankets since I read on their FaceBook page their blanket supplies are low. I visited the cats and their new digs are nice. Even though they are in a "caged" enclosure there are different compartments now including a private litter box area. If you are thinking about adopting a cat or dog please consider BEBHS. Check their website for hours and info. Check their Facebook page for some wonderful touching photos of the animals with their new forever families. My heart melts with joy whenever I see these photos. read more

Nancy is a wonder and awesome. We brought our newly adopted adult dog to see Nancy for her behavioral issues. From the assessment meeting, Nancy was able to determine what sets our dog off. What she is not comfortable with and how to correct the bad habits and make her a get over the past baggage that she carries. I was almost at the end of my patience until our visit with Nancy. Now that we both know how to deal with our new doggie, hopefully it will become easier. If not, I am sure another meeting with Nancy will help us out. read more

They allowed my roommate to adopt a puppy without: checking to see if the landlord did in fact allow pets or have the other animals in the house meet the puppy to check with compatibility. I own a 130lbs mastiff and I am beyond disappointed that the shelter made zero efforts to talk to me and make sure my dog was appropriate with puppies. I have volunteered in the dog and cat world for years and every single shelter and rescue I have worked with does a meet and greet with the other pets in the home. I had to call multiple departments at the shelter to get anyone to call me back, and when I finally was able to speak with a woman she attempted to claim that going by face value on the applications has not led to any more animal returns than before. What she failed to mention is that most people who decide to forfeit a previously adopted dog or cat more often than not take the animal to a different shelter because they are embarrassed/ashamed. it happens all the time where I volunteer. Luckily my dog is well socialized, but if he was not he could have easily killed the 14 week old puppy just in a correction that was too harsh. Or a fight over a toy. It is completely irresponsible of the shelter to not do just a tiny bit more work in their adoption process. read more

We adopted our puppy from Berkeley Humane during the Clear the Shelter event. Everyone was so nice and some of the friendliest people I have ever met. We were given very clear and specific directions about how to take of our puppy, with some coupons, and even dog food. The staff made us feel so welcomed and happy that we adopted our puppy! We all walked out feeling like celebrities. read more

Berkeley Humane - Our puppy! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Berkeley, California

If you adopt from Berkeley Humane, you get access to an animal behaviorist for the life of the pet you adopt. It's a brilliant investment. Carly made a huge difference to me in starting off on the right foot with the feline love of my life, and it makes a huge difference to me knowing there's a person who can help me to figure out what to do in the future if I'm stymied by any aspect of cat care. My impression was that the kittens I saw were well cared for and not as stressed as I would have expected shelter kittens to be. The adoption process seemed thorough, and two weeks of follow up veterinary care was included, along with lots of resources of local vets. I know Berkeley Humane has a strong program of foster families for animals too young or too sick to stay at the shelter. All this is good - but being able to ask advice FOR THE LIFE OF MY CAT is amazing. read more

I would like to express my gratitude for the Berkeley Humane Society. I noticed a small family of feral cats in my backyard two months ago. Thanks to the help of a woman from Cat Town (another great organization) I was able to borrow traps to catch the mother cat and her three kittens. The mother was a catch and release case due to the fact that she has been living outside for at least tree years. However, the kittens were at the age where they could be socialized. Covid-19 had essentially shut down everything at this point so I decided to 'foster' the kittens on my own. I reached out to every rescue organization I could find but everyone was overwhelmed and overworked at this point in time. I love fostering the kittens until they can find forever homes, but I was unsuccessful in finding them good forever homes. After several failed attempts of finding forever homes for the kittens, including people giving false reference, people who simply wanted to come see the kittens with no intention of adopting them, and people simply did not have suitable living environments I lost hope. I reached out to the Berkeley Humane Society to inform them of the situation, and they were able to help immediately. They kittens are able to stay in their safe foster environment while the Berkeley Humane Society helps find them good forever homes. The men and women who work for and volunteer for the Berkeley Humane Society helped me and these kittens after I had lost all hope. I can't express my gratitude in words. We had a wonderful experience when we brought the kittens into the Berkley Humane Society to be examined we had a wonderful experience. Everyone was incredibly kind, and we were impressed by the pet food pantry. Thank you! read more

Today is a year since we adopted Amber. They estimated her age as 2 years, but I think, and the vet agreed, that she was closer to a year old. She has grown and gained weight over the course of the year. She and Jordin were friendly and she seemed concerned when Jordin was ill and seems to miss her since she died a month ago. She's an indoor/outdoor cat, as all of ours have been, and she's a healthy, friendly kitty. She hated being kept inside for the two months we attempted after we brought her home. In fact, she let herself out through the pet door a week early. She came and went happily that day and has since. I took her for her shots a few days ago and the vet pronounced her health good. I have decided today is her birthday. She's two years old today and is a well loved member of our family. read more

DO NOT DO NOT Take your animal to Berkely Humane to get spayed or neutered. I should have written this review much earlier but just recently read that someone else's beloved pet died under their care so I wanted to let everyone know of our experience too. On 2/23/23, we took my parent's sweet, sweet kitten, Mimi, to be spayed. We even paid extra for the Gabapentin that they recommended we purchase for after the surgery. Mimi was perfectly healthy and up to date with all her shots and had even been to our vet prior to the surgery with a clean bill of health. Mimi returned home very sleepy which is understandable but even after the next day, she did not seem herself and was stumbling around and not eating. She steadily became less active and we even called Berkeley Humane in a worry. We were told to stop the Gapabentin which we immediately did but it still did not help her condition at all. By the next day, she was not able to really move and not able to eat, drink, or use the bathroom. We had to feed her pureed food and liquid. We also ended up taking her to our local vet at emergency rates and spent almost $600 alone just on tests and IV. My parents are seniors with limited income hence why we took Mimi to Spay the Bay thru Berkeley Humane (relatively low spay fees) so being told that we would probably have to spend at least a thousand more for additional care and told that her condition was very bad was extremely traumizing for my 82 year old and 91 year old parents. We ended up bringing Mimi home that evening and continued to feed her and help her with going to the bathroom but she died the next morning. This kitten was so full of life and perfectly healthy prior to the surgery. They told us that Mimi may have had a heart problem which does not seem plausible as she had a clean bill of health at our vets and she was an active, healthy 5 month old kitten. We believe she was not given correct dosages or possibly had internal issues from the surgery as others have written about. I even asked if they would at least credit us the spay, rabies, FVRCP, and Gapapentin Fee or help pay for the hospital bill and they said no. I donated the extra Gabapentin we never used to a local rescue and they told me that they noticed that the syringes did not all have the same amount of Gabapentin in them but were of varying amounts (do they have quality control for dosages?) We did not do a necropsy on Mimi to determine her true cause of death as again my senior parents have limited income. Healthy kittens don't die from a routine surgery and seeing reviews from other people and hearing about the death of an animal from someone in our neighborhood who also went to Berkeley Humane (Spay the Bay) tells me that something is not right at the clinic . Avoid this clinic. I appreciate how they are helping the community but to have many folks with animals that have died under their care should really give you pause as to whether you should take your beloved pet there. All of us including my elderly parents still mourn and miss their sweet Mimi. read more