Great experience! Adopted Jeju (formerly Orion) from them. They provided a feeding schedule, care handout, and some food that they had been feeding at the shelter so that I could transition him slowly to his new diet. My baby was very, very constipated when I adopted him, but I think anyone who adopts a shelter cat should be prepared to pay steep medical fees just in case something happens in the first few weeks. His constipation is now mostly resolved. A kind and understanding team of volunteers here at Berkeley Humane! Would adopt from them again. My cat now has an instagram @jejuprince0134, and a little family that loves him very much - including two dads who try to spoil him rotten and an 11 month old cat brother who adores him. Thank you berkeley humane for caring for Jeju before he found his now and forever home! read more

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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

Berkeley Humane keeps their dogs in an outdoor kennel. Some of them bark all night, keeping the neighbors awake. Move the loud ones inside so the neighbors can get some sleep? No way, that would be too stressful for the poor animals. June 11, 2020 - one week later - still barking ... read more

The customer service here leaves a lot to be desired. My finacee and I have owned several dogs through our lifetime, and understand these workers would like to find the best home for their dogs as possible, but their people-skills need serious work. After visiting the location several times, along with area shelters, we saw a dog we wanted to adopt. Because of their rules, the dog had to pass a medical check which took over a week. During this time a representative was corresponding with my finacee via email. The time came to visit the dog and I took off work early to go fill out an application. The representative disqualified us within the first five minutes because we had 9-5 jobs and they wanted someone who could be home every 2-3 hours for potty training. Seriously?! Could you not have told this upfront or in any of the several emails we sent back and forth? Thanks for making me take off work for nothing. I wish I could come home every 2-3 hours, hell, I wish I didn't have to go to work at all but that is not the way the world works. Unless you're a retiree or patient enough to deal with their version of a professional sports draft, don't waste your time trying to adopt a dog at the Berkeley Humane Society. I was so fed up with them and the poor service at the local shelters I purchased a puppy from the classifieds. And guess what: we housebroke her without coming home every 2-3 hours like we have for all of our other dogs. The crappy service of local animal organizations, especially the Berkeley Humane Society, completely discouraged us from adopting. Thus, one additional dog in an area shelter and you know what happens to them. Great job Berkeley Humane Society. read more

The Vet that Spayed My 1 year old Cat was Caring enough to also do surgery on Her Paw that had a claw ripped off when I wasn't home, I definitely was to blame for not seeking medical attention for Her upon discovery of the injury. So after the Spay and paw surgery I was to bring My Cat back in three Days to get the paw checked out and a new bandage put on. Well that didn't happen because I had fallen asleep the night before, for maybe 5 hours, because I was so worried about My Cat chewing or soiling her bandage, I watched over Her like a hawk. Every time She hit the litter box I cleaned it, plus I had two litter boxes, just in case I did fall asleep. The vet could care less about the cats paw, believing I didn't either, just because the bandage appeared soiled. but it was liquid from a can of wet food that overflowed when I emptied it onto a plate. Another thing the Vet was upset about was the cone that isn't necessary for a cat that doesn't chew on Her bandage not even for a second, but does everything possible to remove the cone from Her head, it's torture for Her, if She did chew on the bandage then Yes the cone would definitely be needed. So I took My cat home put a bandage on Her Paw and will be monitoring Her and changing the bandage daily.. When it's time to remove the stitches I will do that too, it's a simple task and with the right tools and a steady hand.. read more

When I decided to adopt a dog, I searched a lot of internet sites and found several rescue and adoption agencies. I had visited dogs at adoption events but ended up getting my heart broken after being turned down for a pup I had fallen in love with. I kept searching for more dogs, only to find that the dogs I was interested in were already adopted. After a few weeks of this, a friend of mine offered to take me to visit the shelter she volunteers at: the Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society. I agreed and hopped online to take a look at the dogs at the shelter. I found one in particular that I was interested in and went to the dog run with my friend to visit her. I had never visited an animal shelter before but I was happy to see that the dogs in the indoor run looked well cared for. Each dog had a crate, a blanket (or towel) and a toy or two to play with. Helpful to would-be pet-parents was the fact that each pen had a sheet of paper with the dog's shelter-name, as well as information about them: how social they were, where they came from, what their temperment was like. For instance, the sheets would tell you whether or not the dog was suitable for a family with children, cats, whether they were toy or food motivated, whether or not they were crate trained and/or housebroken. There's also an outside dog run. When I visited, there were a few dogs available for adoption there but most were still being trained or processed for adoption. Also, there's about three roomfuls of cats but since I'm allergic to cats (though I love them!) I didn't visit any. I found myself smitten with the Border Collie/Labrador mix that I had seen online and asked to meet her. A volunteer leashed her for me and we went into the room to meet with the dog for a bit. The volunteer offered a lot of information about the dog, her temperment and what not. I told them that I was interested but had to talk with my husband about it. They don't do adoptions unless the entire family meets the dog anyway so this was fine. I returned the next day and thankfully, the pup I'd fallen in love with was still there. My husband and I met with the volunteers, met with the dog and the dog counselor who gave us even more information about the dog. We could have taken her home that day but since we still had to go out and buy supplies (and puppy-proof our apartment) we arranged to come back for her the next day. After spending a small fortune on supplies (and an equally small fortune of time puppy proofing the living room!) we arrived the next day to bring the dog home. We sat down with yet another counselor who was extremely no-nonsense and helpful with outlining what was expect of us as adoptive dog-parents and how to handle our new family member. The adoption pack included proof of her vaccination, magazines, coupons for several pet stores including PetFood Express (this came in extremely handy), samples of the dog food she had been eating as well as a roll of training treats. I'd recommend adopting a pet from the BEBHS to anyone within driveable distance. The volunteers at BEBHS do wonderful work with the animals. The dogs are rescued from various shelters around California. (My dog came from Merced which has a very high ratio of euthanizations.) The dogs are extremely well taken care of and undergo basic training as well as socialization. This alone is worth the adoption fee. All dogs are neutered/spayed and come with up-to-date vaccinations. (The same is true for cats.) They also offer basic supplies. Though we had bought most of our dog's supplies at PetSmart in Fremont the day before, we did buy her collar, leash and crate from BEBHS. The prices for the crate were cheaper there and my husband and I believed our money was better spent there than at PetSmart for these very crucial basics. read more

5 solid stars!! My husband and I just adopted a little furry companion in the form of a chiweenie (Chihuahua-dachsund mix) from the Berkeley Humane Society, and we are super-pleased with them all around. We were pretty adamant about adopting rather than going through a breeder but in our dealings with other rescue organizations, we felt unreasonably scrutinized and passed over. It was almost to a point where we were wondering if adopting was going to be too many heartbreaks and hurdles. Luckily, we stopped by here and things worked out for us. The Berkeley Humane Society is obviously staffed with individuals who care passionately about the animals and want nothing more than to have the animals get matched with a good home. On top of all that, they were reasonable, fair, and straight forward. We met with a counselor upon arrival, saw our now-doggy and met in a meeting room and discussed the adoption process while playing with our dog. Things went smoothly from the beginning and now our lil doggy is curled up in the living room. This place is highly recommended! read more

I was interested in fostering. I had planned to attend the foster training last weekend but had a family emergency. I tried calling and emailing Arianna to reschedule. Finally on Friday I got ahold of her and planned to attend the foster training today from 10-11. I got here, 20 mins out of my way. I asked an employee where to find Arianna. The employee went outside and told me Arianna had moved onto other tasks and she would contact me- in a cold tone, and moved on to the next person without the slightest sense of appreciation that I wanted to help their shelter by being a foster. Why offer to hold a class from 10-11, and "move on"? Plus, it seemed like there would be more people than myself or I would've asked for a different time. I don't believe Arianna will contact me. She didnt the first time despite my attempts and today she didnt even come over to say hi or to introduce herself or apologize. That is LAME. The lady employee who helped me was rude to say the least. I'm parked in front of the shelter writing this because I'm mad at the bad service. I'm done. I'll find another shelter who actually appreciates their pet fosters. *I ended up fostering with Big Dawgs Rescue. Jackie brought my foster cats to my house, provided supplies, overall extremely friendly, helpful and easy to reach. read more

It is with regret that I downgrade my review for this place. Over the years, Berkeley Humane has occupied a soft spot in my heart. Not only have they provided care for Oliver, my 19-year-old tabby, but I volunteer here as well. As of today, I will only volunteer. I do not plan to return and entrust my cat to their care. A few months ago, Dr. Gordon (whose services I had never previously taken issue with) suspected Oliver was suffering from feline asthma and prescribed aspirin in addition to the Cosequin he's already taking. It made him sick and we're lucky it didn't kill him. Did you know aspirin can kill a cat? I found out after doing extensive and scary web research. How could she have been so rash? I was extremely disappointed to say the least. Then comes this morning. I think he has an upset stomach (I hope it's that minor) and I called in hopes of getting a last-minute appointment or at least just dropping him off to be seen today. The person on the phone sounded about six years old and had very poor customer-service skills. I've dealt with her before and she has a very lackluster attitude, not the kind of thing you want to see when you're nervous about your pet. She told me that the vet "will call." Not good enough. In my experience, the Berkeley Humane vets are so overloaded that you can't necessarily expect them to call back that day, or the day after. I still think they care about animals, but they are way too overloaded to give their patients the time and attention they need. BTW, I called Berkeley Dog and Cat Hospital and got an immediate appointment for later this morning. I'm thankful someone can see Oliver today, and I do not plan to return to the Berkeley Humane Society Vet Hospital. read more

*Update* After completing Puppy K and half way through Dog Obedience 1, I finally realize that , duh..., the training is for me more than the dog. Nancy has taught me valuable skills in handling and dog behavior, recognizing the difference in play and aggression, handling aggressive dogs that owners seems to think its OK to let run free and general handling of my own dog's health and well-being. . This review is for the obedience classes ONLY, specifically Puppy Kindergarten. We are currently in our second week of Puppy K, and after the 6 week course is over, i will update accordingly. Just shy of a month ago, a little 3 month old black Lab/ Border Collie mix who we named Absinthe, decided to adopt us from Big Dawgs Rescue in Livermore. Having seen some ugly interactions with dogs and people in the Bay Area, I knew training was imperative to having a happy urban pup. Absinthe was showing some fear aggression towards other dogs and even at 3 mos. has a big dog bark , so I was very anxious to start Puppy K and get her socialized and identify any potential problems. Nancy, the trainer, had answered several of my questions prior to class and after the first class we knew Ab was a "frisky" puppy. Since Ab is twice the size of any other puppy, special care needs to be taken and Nancy is helping to train me just as much as Absinthe with very positive results. In the two class sessions thus far,I've noticed marked improvement outside of class (honestly, she is a wild one in class) and her aggression towards dogs we meet outside has reduced about 75-80%. I know Absinthe will need continued training and I feel reassured that Nancy is as dedicated as I am to working toward shaping Absinthe into a fun loving outdoors dog. read more

The staff here is very kind and courteous, you can really tell they care about what they're doing. Plus one time I saw a cat that looked like it had human eyes... it stared me down. How cool is that? read more

While I have never adopted a pet from EBHS, I do serve as a volunteer. The staff all have kind, big hearts...the animals all have big, wet eyes. EBHS is an organization comprised largely of volunteers, animal lovers, and orphan pets. Those pets are in dire need of loving, caring homes. No one with two or four legs that crosses the threshhold of this shelter can do anything that would remotely merit a bad review. The four stars is perhaps to draw attention to the much needed renovation of the 'indoor' dog shelters that generally seem to provide little or no much needed heat on cold, damp Bay Area evenings. Also, the bedding and supplies could use a fresh blanket or two (Target, Wal-Mart, Petsmart, and Petco pay attention). While the volunteer training program is shaky and disorganized at best, remember, those wet noses need you just as much as you need them. The San Francisco SCPA gets a lot of love and attention...let's not forget our lonely buddies in the East Bay who need your money, love, and time, too (the last two won't cost you a nickel). As a matter of fact, do whatever you can to scratch a furry head or two no matter where you are. read more

What a wonderful place! I adopted a kitten here at the end of August, and he has been such a wonderful addition. The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. Legume, as they named him (I was blown away by such an awful name, but I came to terms with this by hoping that the high turnover demanded that they resort to names of this ilk), wasn't entirely rid of fleas when I got him, so I had to buy some extra treatment. He also still had tapeworms, but I had *no issue* taking him back to their vet to get him fully treated. They told me that they had just gotten him a few days before and had directly hospitalized him for neutering and medical treatment. Friendly, low-key, enthusiastic volunteers and staff, and committed to the care and placement of their animals! Thanks for such a wonderful kitty! read more

These guys do awesome work, I adopted my dog here. I got him when he was 3 months, and they took care of all his vaccinations, microchipping, and neutering all for a very small adoption fee. They really deserve more than what they charge, especially since they do such a good job. The adoption process was smooth and the staff were all very helpful. They also offer 50% off the training classes for your newly adopted dog. However, the classes are the reason Berkeley Humane losses one star. The training classes were not very effective, due to their size, approx 10 dogs, and the trainer not making the experience fun. I could tell that dog training was just a job for her and not something she really wanted to be doing. Despite the bad training experience I would recommend adopting an animal from these guys, they really do a good job, and provide the area with a great service. As a side note, Berkeley Humane is trying to expand their services into a vet clinic as well as mobile adoptions. This could be very beneficial for the area, and the animals they help. read more

Me: Sorry Bebo, today you are getting your manhood removed. Bebo: (Damn You!) Sad face.. :( I got really lucky and was able to bring my dog in one month early from his original scheduled appointment due to a cancellation. Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society offers low cost spay and neuter for people with low income and college students, but you have to be a Berkeley or Oakland resident. I brought my dog to get neutered about 3 weeks ago. The cost was only $50. I dropped him off at 8am and he was ready to be picked up by 4pm. His stitches have healed nicely so I know they did a good job with him. The staff are very friendly. They don't try to rush you and they don't have attitude. They treat everyone kindly. The older woman working at the front desk is very sweet and helpful. She'll answer any questions you have no matter how busy it is. If you have any pets that need to be spayed or neutered this is the place to go. Over 5 million animals get put to sleep every year due to over population and not enough adopters. Please stop the cycle of over reproduction and spay/neuter your pets. read more

The Human society really is a great place to pick up a new pet. There are tons of very nice dogs and cats who need to be adopted that are very well taken care of by the human society. If you can't take a pet, perhaps be a volunteer as they need people to help with the animals. It's a very rewarding experience and it's like having a Pet without having to annoy your landlord. read more

I would call Berkeley East Bay Humane Cat and Dog Heaven in Disguise. The staff are sensitive, loving , dedicated. The building itself is a bit run down, but there is so much love and light there, that I want to organize a painting party. Thank you.!!! They are sponsoring the Bay to Barkers for the Dogs. I want to talk with them about the same for Cats - call it Cat Festa ijn the Park or? - And where is the Cat Park where Dogs can only watch outside and not disturb the kitties? read more

We wandered in on a whim (we've been toying with the idea of adopting a dog, and, being a cat person, I'm very anxious about it) and while we didn't find the right type of dog for us, this is a really low-key, friendly location. I've been to a number of animal shelters when I was looking for a lost cat, and at a lot of them they make you feel like you're an animal-abusing criminal until proven otherwise. They don't have a lot of dogs and cats up for adoption here, but there isn't that desperate look, either. The volunteers seem to really care for the animals. If you're looking to adopt, this is probably a great place to start. read more

My Roundie McPanda came from the EBHS, and I used to volunteer here in college. This is a wonderful shelter staffed by kind and professional people who care deeply about finding lasting homes for these animals. As a cat person I can more speak to the way the cats are treated and handled - like little princes & princesses! The cat space has several "Cat-topias" which are rooms where 3 or 4 cats can play together and hang out. It is a great space with positive energy, and I highly recommend looking here for your new pet (or volunteer activity). read more

We got Gillian from here. She is the best dog EVER EVER EVER! Sweet & loving & kind and the human staff are friendly too! read more

Berkeley Humane went above and beyond this last year to help families affected by COVID - from handing out thousands of pounds of free dog and cat food for folks in need to moving their training classes online to help everyone who suddenly realized how their dog really behaves all day. Through it all, they offer the same compassionate care to all the animals in their care as they have for decades. Glad they are in my neighborhood! read more

I'm going to preface this review by saying that I believe that Berkeley Humane probably does want the best for the animals in its care, and that this review mainly pertains to the limited interaction with staff that my friends and I had at their facility. Today, on 6/24, myself and two friends (who were both on the lookout for a new dog to add to their families) decided to stop in and take a look around. As we approached the door, a woman exited the building, so naturally, we assumed they were open. The front door was unlocked and there was no sign (at least in obvious view) that implied otherwise. We walked in and were immediately greeted by a woman probably around 5'8", blonde hair a little bit past her shoulders, with an incredibly irritated look on her face who in an annoyed tone of voice asked us, "Can I HELP you?" When we told her we would like to look at the animals that were up for adoption, she told us in an incredibly rude tone that they would not be open for adoptions until the next day. We apologized and exited the building, but not before we heard her say, "We REALLY should lock the door." Rude. read more

Seven years ago my wife and I adopted a cat through BEBHS, and we loved her every chance we got. I recently lost my job and we had to move to a palce that did not accept pets. I began looking for palces to take our cat, but none of our friends could take over the resposibility. Then I looked at BEBHS and saw that they are a no-kill shelter (which gave me much relief), and then I saw that they will take back any pet that has been adopted from them. Last Saturday took back our cat, adn they were very kind to us. We were treated kindly in our grief, and after BEBHS prepared a place for our cat, my wife and I were allowed to go into the room, and hold her and say goodbye in our own time. read more

Being a new puppy owner was pretty daunting - especially when it was time to get my 4 month old spayed. The receptionists here were very helpful in answering questions and easing my anxiety about the procedure. Also, the operation was just $50 because I was able to take advantage of their low-cost offering as a full-time student with no income. The only negative part of the experience was having to show up very early in the morning and wait for over an hour just to sign her in. Other than that, this is a wonderful, affordable service. read more

Berkeley Humane - Pickle was spayed here! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Berkeley, California

Great place. Convenient. FYI- They don't offer vaccine shots anymore for people bringing in their pooches. Apparently, there was a fire a few years ago, and now in the limited space that remains, they don't have any room for an on-site vet. read more

I adopted my first dog here(matchy), when I was around 17. The first time when I wanted my first pup. I was naive!!! (just like everyone else .....Just hoping for a companionship) Recently, I just adopted a 5 years old "CAT" called Bailey. Before I decided to adopte Bailey. I was struggling whether or not I was ready for a pet. (cause my beloved Rottweiler "ZEUS" passed away one year n' 10 months ago) So, for over month I often pop in the shelter alot to check up for bailey.(to feel if she is the one). Anyways, All I know that this shelter is "THE BEST SHELTER" cause Bailey was microchipped, shots/vaccinations up to date, had her matte shave for me as requested (ready to go without needing you have to pay for the pricy checkout. Since, they are no-kill shelter. I adopted Bailey for $75 with everything I named above. But doesn't it sounds like a DEAL??? UPDATE: Is just so sad to see that these animals are getting more depress and lost hope of living. what ever happen to the sunshine loving best friend that we use to shared??? They almost forgot the mentality of being people's best friend. I really wish that I can do something about these abandon buddies.....If for any reason that your life don't allow you to have dogs/cats. Maybe you can give your love to visit these shelters here on weekends/weekday to give some LOVE for these long lost LOVE fren...... read more

We took our seriously leash-aggressive Chihuahua, Hollis, to their Dogs with Attitude class. The instructor was a bit of a pain, but we did learn a lot. Hollis is still nasty, but better. He's always a fraction of a second from flipping out, so this is progress. The best part of it all is that I've been applying what I learned to our Lab, Mo. He was also very leash aggressive, but has been responding well to his training. His behavior is so much better in a number of ways and he is still steadily improving. For an older dog that was never properly socialized, I'm impressed. In short, we got pretty well-trained in how to deal with our dogs. read more

Dog Training My dog and I didn't have a positive experience with our dog training course. I forget the instructor's name; she had an accent. She was good with dogs but very cold to me. My dog was 1 year old that I had just rescued. Because we were just getting to know each other, and I was a first-time pet owner, I was very anxious about everything. I didn't feel like I was doing it right. The trainer only made me feel worse. She never reassured me that things were going well. She only made me feel even less adequate when she would demonstrate how she could get my dog to do the task for her. Good with dogs. Bad with people. read more

Even before we got our dog from a different shelter there was something magnificent and luring about the East Bay Humane Society. We met many dogs and cats that looked like they were well taken care of and on their way to being 100% adoptable--even AFTER the fire. We were impressed with the tiny space they were able to create. I felt like with each visit, I learned something new about the facility, a specific breed or something general about pet adoptions. The staff has been and continues to be incredibly knowledgeable and super friendly. Since we rescued our big black lab, we have enrolled in one course here: "Basic Dog Obedience". What a fun time we had! I was impressed with the open, warehouse kind of look since they have remodeled the inside. The partitions inside were big enough to give our furry friends enough privacy to focus on the class. We had Nancy and thought her teaching was unique and interesting--especially when she worked with other dogs. They just seemed to love her! Not a whole lot of philosophy/theory but just enough to get you thinking. I loved that she provided us with notes about the class and handouts with our "homework" assignments. We felt like this class was very beneficial to our (at that time) recently rescued lab. With all that practice and guidance, he has become an obedient lover boy that enjoys both people and other dogs. We will DEFINITELY consider taking more classes in the future and highly recommend any pet-seekers, and non-seekers alike, to support the EBHS! read more

We use BEBHS for their training classes, which are all wonderful and incredibly fairly priced! Nancy Frensley, their head trainer, is awesome. She is better than awesome, actually. The other trainers are very good, but I always try to get a class with Nancy. Nancy has helped me train two service dogs, and has helped several others in the area, as well. Her classes are always interesting and tailored to the people in the class. For example, many people re-take Rally class as they are preparing for competitions or just having fun fine-tuning behaviors. If there is a class of mostly new people, she will spend time reinforcing the basics. If it is a class of experienced people, we'll learn advanced exercises and work on exact positioning. The obedience classes are amazing as well. I need to re-take the advanced obedience class sometime, there is just so much to learn from the trainers there! read more

I like this place. We found that our doggie has socialization and behavioral issues rather quickly and wanted to get it resolved asap, so we booked an appointment with Nancy, who is one of the animal behavorists. We had a nice hour and twenty minute initial conultation with her and she told us that our dog has issues with socialization and doesn't like to be touched (that was the layman's term). So she wrote up some notes, told us the red flags, and gave us some handouts and gave us some good advise and practical exercises on how to adjust her behavior. I really got a lot of the session, and I found Nancy was very patient and knowledgeable. She said that we could email her if we had any additional questions. And since its a not-for-profit organization, they don't really gouge you. She said that it wasn't really necessary for an additional follow up session, unless of course we really ran into a brick wall with the dog (hopefully that won't happen). We also are going on a trip in about a month and are in need of a doggie sitter while we're gone. Nancy was kind enough to recommend a place for us. We'll have to check it out and make a review of it later on Yelp. Highly recommend this place if you are having trouble with your doggie. read more

It's just not fair! I wanted to leave with all of them! The humane center here has all sorts of animals that you can adopt or foster. I came trying to find a cat/kitten that might be a good addition to our family but my cat's already 6 years old and already had many bad habits. He is also a little territorial and shy so I wanted to find a companion that would be a good fit. The workers here definitely love animals and are passionate about being there. It didn't feel like I was talking to someone who was trying to make a paycheck or trying to get community service hours out of the way. They helped us play with the kittens a little bit and introduced us to them. My only complaint is that I feel like when it came to adding a pet to a pet-existing household, they were a little unknowledgeable about the issues that could arise with that. Otherwise, please come! And adopt! Particularly the sweet little pitbull that they also had! read more

My dog has taken two training classes here. The instructor Nancy Frenseley is awesome. You will learn a lot and make improvements with your dog but you have to put in your own personal effort outside of class really working with your dog and yourself. I've recently starting bringing my dog here for veterinary services, once for a basic preliminary exam and bordatella vaccine, and again for the DA2PP vaccine. We'll be going back for the rabbies vaccine. The doctor was nice and gave some thoughtful sounding advice and tips. The vet techs were incredibly friendly and my dog was really comfortable around then. I was late once and they still let Creme be seen (well getting the shot only took a few minutes so I guess it wasn't a big deal anyway). sort if unrelated.... I did something kind of dumb at the front desk and no one made me feel like a big idiot about it, even though I did in my head. Overall, it's not super duper stellar but I like patronizing the shelter and giving them my money. read more

We came to the EBHS to proceed with classes in basic obedience last year. Brigit was our instructor and she was the most patient, friendly, and positive influence we could ask for. We signed up for another course, but did not "stay the course" as it were for various reasons: my dog was not yet ready for the particular course I was interested in for her at the time, and the instructor this time scared us both.. I did not get a refund, but I was offered a one-on-one class as an alternative. So, this suited me fine, yet it seems they forgot they offered this to me and I never saw the class, or my money again. I have no problem donating my $50 bucks to a well deserved animal rescue, but at least give me the option. The three stars are for Birgit. read more

Nancy Frensley is a superb teacher! Her instruction has been head and shoulders above other classes and sessions I have had with other trainers. Classes are positive and upbeat. Not only does Nancy make training fun for the dogs, but she also treats her human students with respect. She incorporates short individualized lessons during class (and even after), and I have gained terrific exercises to practice with my puppy. read more

I can't have pets in my apartment, so I visit here sometimes to get a kitten fix. Also, every six months or so I bring my old sheets and towels over to Berkeley Humane to donate to the puppies and kitties (young and old) so they have something comfortable to lie on and snuggle in, and maybe chew on a bit. It's easy to donate and very appreciated by the staff and volunteers. My friend just adopted a cat from this facility and they've settled In together great! read more

After 60 years never again. I got my first cat from this clinic in 1947. I have not been there recently, but all my other experiences (at least 12) had been good, so when I had trouble with my current ailing cat, I turned to them, a known commodity, against those with known problems. I called Tuesday April 3rd to indicate my cat had a scratch under his chin and was bleeding. He appeared to have been attacked by my other cat. The situation was under control and I was given an appointment for today April 4th at 3PM Today the situation got much worse and I called them to clue them in. I was told to come in early, so they could get started. When I got there I was asked if I thought the cat needed a stitch. I said yes in view of the bleeding. The said to take him to the Berkeley Dog and Cat emergency clinic. I objected and said that clinic had a bad reputation for overcharging. Still service was flatly refused and I was turned away. The emergency clinic did see him in a timely and polite manner. However the scratch was cancer and they recommended I put him down. I agreed True to there reputation, the bill was $580.00 I absolutely DO NOT recommend either of these clinics, but to be asked to come in early to treat a serious problem and than turned away, in a cold manner is without excuse. Others who have indicated in their reviews the new staff is cold, is understating the case. Bob Kurtz read more

I like bringing my cats here for veterinary care, knowing the money goes directly to upkeep and that they are discounting the care a bit. And I really believe in what they're doing here, despite the poor space which needs updating desperately, with all the socialization the volunteers are doing on a daily basis. They did very good work with Daisy, who needed multiple tooth extractions and treatment for some gum abscesses (all of this a by-product of living feral for who knows how long before I brought her home). (I had to surrender a couple rescued kittens here a few years ago, though, and had such a lousy experience that I was soured on these folks for awhile. The manager told me they had ringworm, which was a bald-faced lie it turned out, so they couldn't take them. That's all that's fit to mention, but it was a game they played with me for over a month, and it only ended when I told them I'd had enough bullshit.) read more

We adopted our dog from Berkeley Humane in April (she was then 8 months), and did the Small Dog Basic Skills Course with Karin this summer. Not only do we love our pup, but the skills course gave us the confidence and tools we needed to do some pretty standard training. The class was the perfect size--about 4-5 other dogs--and was a part of the week we really looked forward to. More than anything else, Karin taught us training methods for teaching our dogs whatever skills and commands we might want to teach, and it was a success even if we had just come away with "sit." Now we have the confidence to take the pup to dog park, let her go off leash, and meet other dogs on the street. We're grateful to Berkeley Humane for connecting us with Sasha and for the class to bring us closer together! read more

Friendly staff. Went here on Sunday with my bf. They just had one dog & mostly only cats.