There is nothing easy or simple about caring for homeless animals, but I can only thank the…read morevolunteers of the Central Missouri Humane Society for keeping my little girl alive long enough for us to meet. When I first decided to adopt a cat, I looked at their website to preview the kitties they had available for adoption, and one stood out: she was named Oreo for her all black coat with a single patch of white above her eyebrow. I saw her picture and the description saying she was special for having survived despite her heart condition, and thought, that's really sweet, but NO WAY! When I visited to meet the cats they had available, a volunteer told me, have you met Oreo, she's very sweet? And I took her into the one-on-one room just to make the volunteer feel good, having no intention of considering her. 10 minutes later I told the volunteers in the cat room Oreo was going home with me, and they both gasped. As I found out later, she had been there for a year and a half, despite having a heart condition in a kill shelter, and had charmed the staff into keeping her alive in the small chance she would find a home. Fast forward 13 years, and me and Oreo (who I call Thebe) have been together through thick and thin in the best of times, and the worst of times. I was there for her when she had her heart surgery to repair a PDA, when she was diagnosed with fluted, and then diabetes, and she was there for me when I was unemployed for a year and a half after finishing my masters degree... then 2 years after my PhD, and having to accept jobs I could have done just as effectively after high school. And now when I'm entering another period of unemployment, I know she'll be there for me again when I'm at my worst. Always brightening my day with her strange loping walk and chainsmoker meow, and her purr sessions that would melt the coldest heart. For the volunteers and employees of the Central Missouri Humane Society, I can only extend my most heartfelt thank you. Are things perfect there? No! But the job they do literally saves lives, both animal and human. On your darkest days, remember that. You can help bring two lives together who would only be lesser had they never met. And since I'm horribly unemployed again, and rent is the only expense that isn't a luxury, I can only gift this ridiculous picture of Thebe (Oreo) after her heart surgery. She charmed the vet students into demanding she go home early because she couldn't be bothered to be nice to anyone else on her worst day. She says "go away humAn" from her new home in California.

I initially wrote a negative review of CMHS. They were very quick to respond, found what I was…read morereferencing and informed me that I had received the wrong information from another agency. Their quick and courteous review really impressed me. 5 Stars for great communication.

I hate to leave negative reviews, especially for places I've once enjoyed; however, I'm compelled…read moreto share my experiences. The last few times I've made donations for the thrift store have been less than enjoyable and for this reason, I'll need to make it a hard pass for a revisit to donate AND shop. The staff hasn't been kind and, frankly, I'm sick of being barked at by them. Would be different if actual dogs ran the thrift store. I cannot support people that consistently disrespect others. The negative energy at Ozarks Kat and K9 Shelter is heavy enough to keep me away.

Awesome place. Dirt cheap. Clean facility. Friendly and helpful workers. Check it out. Awesome…read morethrifting

I've adopted two cats through Columbia Second Chance, one in 2012 and one in 2024. These folks do a…read moregreat job with their animals and the foster parents I've met have been incredibly dedicated volunteers. I appreciate that Second Chance vets its adopters for animal abuse and neglect in the past and suspect that is the source of some of the negative reviews.

Whispering Willows has been a favorite charity of mine for the past couple of years. I had an…read moreelderly friend that moved into a nursing home and was forced to find a home for her elderly dog. Whispering Willows took Alfie in and gave him a great home with love, care, acreage to explore and fellow brothers and sisters to bond with and share his final years of life. I was able to visit the sanctuary this weekend for a fundraiser, Sanctuary birthday party and open house. Whispering Willows not only lives up to but exceeds my expectations after seeing it in person. A great space and a great team caring for those elderly pups that have been neglected, abandoned, abused or just out of options. Certainly worthy of my charity donations.

From the owner: Whispering Willows Senior Dog Sanctuary specializes in end of life care. We are a one of a kind…read moresanctuary offering hospice and palliative care. Our senior dog intake age begins at 12. All of our seniors receive individualized treatment plans and care 24/7. We are a lifetime home and all seniors remain in our woof pack family until they transition onto their next journey. "Where love is whispered until the last breath".

This shelter is literally located in the middle of nowhere. I'd be careful driving up to their…read moregates, seeing as most of it is dirt road with rocks. Once you're there, the parking is limited to about six cars. A soda machine sits outside, probably collecting dust since I never saw it in use. Inside of the shelter, it smells like wet dog and urine. Very poorly kept, especially the smaller dogs and cats in the front. Most of the time, I saw them walking around in their own feces, sometimes even dried poop on their fur. I went to this shelter several times, in my attempt to find the perfect companion to take home. Eventually I found a 5 month old Australian Cattle Dog Mix. Their procedure before giving you the dog is to have them fixed. I was there the day that my newly adopted puppy, Midnite, was loaded into a crammed minivan and driven off to Sedalia, MO. I questioned the veterinarian about the hygienic state of the dogs before surgery and she explained that it didn't affect the area of the operation. I even asked if I could give her a bath outside of the kennel, just so she could be clean before the operation and they did not let me. I got her in two days and took her home. I immediately took her to the vet to get checked and had her treated for fleas. She was infested in the pests and the area of her operation was inflamed and healing improperly. Days later, Midnite's suture wasn't healing and becoming infected. Also, mind you, during this time I could NOT give her a bath and seeing as she had had a flea treatment and was covered in dry feces; she was in horrible condition (because of the lack of care at the Animal Shelter). A couple of weeks went by and Midnite's wound was still not healing, even though I had treatments given by the vet and tried everything possible to make things better for her. Eventually it closed up enough (even though still infected) for me to give her the bath that she needed so desperately. To make a long story short...due to the poor condition Midnite was kept in the shelter, the lack of animal maintenence and their lack of care and compassion for the animals; Midnite passed away from an infection in her blood caused by the spaying. Warrensburg Animal Shelter IS a KILL SHELTER, and they DO NOT care for their dogs properly. They don't have enough space to accommodate the number of dogs they receive, and usually the place is crammed and full. While I believe in saving animals from shelters, I don't believe in having the dogs/cats spayed and/or neutered without having them bathed. I believe that's one of the reasons that Midnite isn't around today...

I adopted my dog from the shelter in November of 2010 and the shelter appeared to be in decent…read morecondition when I have gone, including when I went to help my friend look for a pet. The staff seemed friendly and my dog was clean, as were the other dogs, when we saw him and picked him up. The shelter staff gave me the impression that he was neutered off site, but that may be incorrect as they never specifically stated. There were no issues in his healing either. The shelter staff seemed to genuinely care about the animals. I only have one complaint, the feed and recommend Science Diet and give a sample bag with adoption. I have NEVER had a dog whose stomach agrees with this food including my dear little Ruger who I adopted from them. I know that at this time, the shelter is a LIMITED kill shelter, that often uses transfers or rescues to prevent putting animal down. Also be advised that adoption fees have increased to $65 recently, to cover costs. All in all remember that this is a place that houses many animals that are very scared. It is going to smell badly, even if all they do all day is clean the kennels. They seem to do a good job every time I have been in, and they really do want to see these creatures go to good homes.