The Monterey SPCA gets five stars across the board, from adoption to end-of-life assistance, and additional services, do yourself a favor and check them out first. I've been a long time advocate for SPCA services, Monterey SPCA helped me in April with euthanasia and cremation, it was a very pleasant process. Unfortunately I had to repeat part of that process 4 weeks ago when my last fur baby passed away, and they made the experience pleasant. The turnaround time was fast, definitely a good quality. I cannot brag on them enough! Also, their social media adoption efforts are like no other, check them out! I'll try to post pictures later. read more

Last year, I adopted my best friend from the SPCA Monterey. The staff there was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable about the animals. The facility is very clean and well-maintained. If you're considering adopting a dog or cat, I highly recommend this place. They have a team of friendly workers and animals. Thanks again, SPCA Monterey read more

SPCA Monterey County - Pet Training Near Me - Salinas, California

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I have come to the SPCA for spaying and vaccine services as well as when it was time to say goodbye to my cat. They have always provided great services with care and compassion. I would recommend them to anyone! read more

I dropped off a friendly stray cat lost in my neighborhood. The intake staff were professional and kind and answered all my questions thoroughly. They called me back when I had some follow up questions. However, when I didn't have an ongoing case with them, they did not return my call when I left a message and I have never been able to speak with the intake staff when I call because no one ever picks up. So you would probably be better off just going there in person if you have questions. The building though is super nice and modern for the animals but this is not a no-kill shelter and I find the location kind of out of the way. read more

I got my cat here, nearly 11 years ago. It was the best purchase I've ever made. I have come here many times over the years, to visit and play with the animals. It's really a well kept spca and will always hold a special place in my heart. read more

Cory from the Wildllife center was Amazing!! We had a birds nest fall from our house and 3 baby birds fell down onto the ground. I called the Wildlife center and they said bring the two that survived down for review. Praying they were ok and they were. We were dealing with Cory & helped us. My husband built them a nest as Cory advised we put it up so the momma could come back to her babies. Cory came out to our home with 3 babies as we agreed to adopt a baby bird that was brought in earlier that day. He came with his ladder and drill. He placed the babies up in their new secured nest. And momma came back immediately. He's got a big love for animals and checked to see how the progress was going. So grateful they are doing well. Thanks Cory!! read more

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Came in today to donate towels and blankets for the sweet shelter animals. As soon as I walked in I was told where to place my items and given a receipt for tax purposes. The employees were very friendly and there were tons of volunteers there playing with the cats and walking the dogs. Love to see all the shelter animals getting love. read more

I had a good experience with SPCA I got my dog here but the only thing is that I wanted a cat and they didn't tell us we had to spend 30 minutes with her so I would love if they fix it. read more

Great outfit. Committed to the animals; broad array of services, serving a vast county with an array of needs. My step-daughter just adopted her second dog and this time from Monterey SPCA (first in SF). Put the pooch on hold, spent time with the fam to introduce including with their current dog. The place is always clean, animals well cared for, behavior clinic to help out with harder to adopt dog. Great resource for our community and there to support those in need with their food bank, and during times of flood and fire too. We are so happy with the new little guy in our family. read more

Do NOT surrender any pets here. It seems like they WANT to kill these poor babies. I thought this was a "humane" animal shelter where misfits and strays could seek refuge and potentially find their forever homes. I was wrong. I made the mistake of dropping off a kitten here because we didn't have room for her. They have you sign forms when you get there that state that euthanasia is a possibility. But I clarified with the girl in the front desk that this is last resort. I figured that it's just standard procedure to sign these forms and that the euthanasia part was reserved more for the older animals or ones that are extremely aggressive. Immediately after signing over my rights as her owner it was instant regret and a whirlwind of chaos. It seemed like almost nobody knew what they were doing. Like they had never seen a kitten before who was scared. Like I thought these people were trained in handling animals especially stray/scared ones. She was scared out of her mind and a staff member informed me that if she didn't come around they would euthanize her. I didn't know what to do I should have taken her back right then and there but I ended up leaving in tears. I left that day and I felt absolutely horrible about what I had done. Like I abandoned my baby with the angels of death. And so after a day of anxiety and discussing with my partner I worked on getting her back. I'm so lucky that I was able to get her back and they did end up spaying her, which I really appreciate. That's why I'm giving 2 stars. But the entire process was traumatizing. No staff was able to give me any ounce of reassurance that she wouldn't be euthanized. The intake shelter barely even answers their phone to begin with. And when they do, almost everyone has an attitude. I will never, ever surrender another animal here. I don't think they're in good hands, honestly. I agree with some of these other reviews that the Monterey SPCA almost seems eager to put the animals down. It's quite unsettling. Please do not surrender any pet here because it's essentially a death sentence. I got very lucky that I trusted my gut and got my fur baby back but please don't make the same mistake that I did. read more

Highly recommend the spca! We adopted an amazing, loving, energetic dog. They were very kind, helpful, and honest about the dog we adopted!

Took my rescue pup to SPCA for a rabies vaccine. Crystal at intake walked me through the process even though she doesnt work at the clinic (the clinic wasn't answering they were busy) but she didn't just turn me away! She took the time to explain the process and set me up for success. At the appointment they took us in early, and Jason was extremely helpful. Got the pup in and out in under 20 minutes for a whopping 25 dollars! Can't beat that service and quality and price. 10/10 recommend and the people there genuinely care about the animals they treat. If there was a 10 star option they would get it. Thanks team! read more

People this is my beautiful princess how can these people do a thing they are suppose to be professional my baby was scared they could not give her time to adjust thats all she needed people listen she was stand off to strangers that was cleared explained to the staff she had been attacked 2 times there should not be such a thing of kill because she grawled a little that is what that piece.of shit Ben shawed the shelter manager said 8 freakn hours they killed her can i get some feed back if i can rate a zero I would. read more

If there was an option for zero stars that would be my rating for this specific occurrence. On Wednesday 8/17 my bf called me from his work saying they found a very sick and feeble looking kitten that looked to be hanging on by a thread, so I rushed out to get the kitten. Before leaving Salinas I tried calling the intake center and was forwarded to voicemail and decided to drive there anyway because this kitten was not looking good and the Salinas shelter still had 2 hrs before opening at that point and I felt the kitten needed help ASAP. I arrive at the intake shelter with my son in his carrier and the kitten in a carrier and am fighting my way through the door while the two SPCA employees just watch me struggle and continue with their conversation. Then when I finally speak to the employee/volunteer in charge of intakes that day he asked me where I found the kitten. I found it in Salinas. "We can't take it. I'm not 100% sure of our jurisdiction but we don't take cats from Salinas"..... this is after he took the kitten out of the carrier and looked it over with the conclusion of "this kitten does not look too hot" while it's struggling to even meow. While I know this is not the employee/volunteers fault it was a bit disappointed the way it was handled like he wasn't going to help at all in any way other than "take it to Hitchcock they open in an hour" I do not understand why the SPCA says they service MONTEREY COUNTY but will not help pets from Salinas. SALINAS IS MONTEREY COUNTY. And in this particular event it shouldn't have matter where this kitten came from when it's so weak it can hardly meow when picked up. To say I'm disgusted by the SPCA is an understatement and this was my last straw with them. I will not support them ever. read more

I brought a stray cat here thinking it was the best thing to do. They did have me sign a form saying that although attempts may be made to place the animal in a home, they make no guarantees and that it may in fact be humanely euthanized. However, after asking for clarification on the process they assured me that euthanizing was a last resort and only done if there were health or behavior issues they were unable to treat. She had been friendly with me so I wasn't worried about behavior being an issue. I called three times over the course of a week and a half to follow up on how she was doing. Each time I had to leave a message as they did not answer their phone. They did call me back each time but the answer to the first two calls was that she still needed to undergo a health/behavior evaluation before deciding if she would go up for adoption or be euthanized. I asked if they could notify me before euthanizing if that was the decision, asked if there was anything I could do to help, and even offered to foster if space was an issue (as after I had dropped her off I had been reading that all of the shelters were full). Again, they assured me euthanizing would be a last resort. After my third message they called me back to let me know that unfortunately she had been euthanized due to health conditions that they couldn't treat. However, when I asked what those health conditions were they said that their notes didn't specify. I am extremely disappointed. I can understand if euthanasia is necessary due to an untreatable health issue. However, the lack of transparency has me question whether it was really necessary. read more

I'm so disappointed with the spca lately. I won't go into details here but just not good . read more

Wendi Newman is not someone I would trust or believe to provide sound advice. After an extensive phone call she suggested giving up our dog. Who offers such horrific advice without ever making a visit to our home or seeing a dog. It's like a doctor making a diagnosis without running tests or seeing you in person. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU EVER SPEAK OR VISIT WITH THIS PERSON. You will be sorry if you did. read more

My boyfriend and I were very interested in adopting a kitten and visited this shelter many times over 2 weeks. Each time we came to SPCA we had a great experience and everyone was very nice and helpful. We ended up finding a purrfect kitten and the whole adoption process was very smooth! Susana helped us and gave us all the information we needed about our new kitten! Thank you very much SPCA! read more

I met with Wendi, a dog behaviorist, for my anxious dog. For $90, the 1 hour session was not beneficial. Very high price for the information. Pre call ( virtual) Wendi had me complete a 10 page report on my dog. She reviewed the document and provided guidance that I had researched prior. An example, meds for my dog. The only beneficial idea was a baby gate to make him feel safe in a room. I would only recommend if the cost was reasonable and you do not have time to research online. read more

We've adopted 3 pets from the SPCA over the past 2 years, 2 guinea pigs and a doggie. Now, it took some patience as finding the right companion dog for our elder 14 year old Aussie cattle dog was not an easy task. We made appointments and saw two dogs before meeting little Nelly- the chillest, most awesome 4 year old chiweenie (chihuahua/dachshund mix) you've ever met. We lost our corgi-spaniel to cancer in October and Addie was very lonely. I really appreciated how the dog trainers really took the time to get to know our own dog, she came with us, and make sure that it would be a good fit as she is very elderly and needed to have a partner be lower energy and calm. read more

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I had a wonderful session yesterday with Wendi Newman. Our 15 month old GSD has always been wonderful with people, but reactive with other dogs. I was to the point where I was nervous walking him in case he encountered another dog. After our hour with Wendi, we left with me feeling much more hopeful and confident. Using a harness rather than the choke chain I felt I had to use for control is an absolute game changer! I'm looking forward to taking her online class, and I highly recommend her for any training concerns you might have with your dog. read more

I found a kitten last night and decided to give it a chance at survival by taking it to the shelter (seeing as the street it was found on is overpopulated with cats, and kittens keep getting run over). I called them before heading out there to inquire if they had an intake process. Unfortunately, i had to leave a VM since they did not pick up. I get there, and the front desk girls are chatting away. Why didn't I get a call back during my 30+ minute drive?! Why weren't they considerate enough to open the door for me as I am struggling to walk in with a huge crate? Then they tell me they don't take cats from Salinas? You service Monterey County, isn't Salinas included in Monterey County?! They would've saved me from driving out there had they answered or returned my call!! After I expressed my concern, they did not show empathy and just told me to head out to the Salinas Animal Shelter (which is another story, check my reviews). Again, they saw me struggle to keep the door open and walk out. Heartless. Your employees need to be re-trained on customer service skills, this is unacceptable. The SPCA has the capacity to house more animals than Salinas, they should really re-consider who they aren't allowed to service. You would think a nonprofit organization that bases itself on rescues would care more. read more

Got both of my dogs neutered here. First time the procedure went well. Just picked up my other dog so we will see how healing goes. Staff are polite and helpful. What I am so bummed about is this time I noticed my dogs hind nails to be yellow and rigid. I know from experience this is from "quick stop" a powder to stop bleeding when you hit the growth in the nail. Which saddens me because I was not informed a pedicure was included being that I already maintain them. Please teach staff to properly and carefully do a nail trim. His nails are white so it is not a difficult procedure but it needs to be done with patience. Called, but no answer. read more

SPCA Monterey County - Pet Training Near Me - Salinas, California

This place was very clean. It looked nicely taken care of. The animals looked very healthy and happy. We didn't find our forever family member there. But it's okay. We found her at another shelter. read more

This spca is a bad place to abandon animals, they put to sleep the same day this poor animals, they don't give a second chance, just put to sleep them, but when you go to ask if you can have the rest of your animal, they take a lot of time to do the cremation procedures. They told me in 2 weeks I can have the rest of my dog and it's almost a month and I don't have yet my dog. I mean they have time to put to sleep the same day but when you want the rest of you animal they take a long time. Just please don't abandon the animals just find a friend of familiar to take care and protect them, they are part of us lives they are angel in this world and don't buy just adopt. (The owner of this cute dog take a bad decision, she never asked me if I wanted to take care of her) I feel so bad cuz I really love her Rest In Peace my little angel read more

SPCA Monterey County - She was Kelly - Pet Training Near Me - Salinas, California

My grandma gave up her dog a few days ago and when I went to go check on him they told me he was aggressive and so wouldn't be able to go for adoption. She then said they might have to euthanize him. I told the worker that I wanted to get him back and so the next day I was going to bring my grandma so they can release him back to us but the morning after we called and they told us they had already killed him. Not even a phone call I had to pry any information out of them myself. They are way to eager to euthanize. They don't care about your animals stay away. read more

I adopted a kitten here about 2 months ago. The staff was helpful in advising a cat that would get along with our 5 year old kitty. Very fast and easy adoption process. It was also fast and easy coming in to the clinic a month later for her booster shot. Recommend if you're looking for your next fur baby read more

Has a sign on the door claiming you can make an appointment but there's all sorts of roadblocks and stipulations they in place to ensure you don't come in. THEY ARE CLOSED DESPITE WHAT THEY SAY ON THE WEBSITE. They sent all their adoptable dogs to the humane society. I really wonder what all money that gets donated to this place REALLY goes to .... Seems VERY fishy ... read more

DO NOT SURRENDER YOUR PET HERE! After speaking with the intake person here, I felt very confident that my pet was going to get every chance possible before considering euthanasia. I was terribly wrong. I was told that she would be evaluated by a vet and could possibly be a candidate for the barn program they offer for cats. I was told she would have an ID number assigned to her so I could check on her status. I was told euthanasia was the absolute last thing they would consider if her behavioral issues would not subside. I was told a bunch of lies. Upon dropping her off, the first question out of the intake person's mouth was if my pet was being dropped off for euthanasia. It was made very clear that she was not and that she was coming as a surrender, to be evaluated for either re-homing or the barn program. Everything I had discussed with them the day prior and on the day my cat was dropped off was totally ignored because they had their own plans. She was basically taken immediately to be euthanized. She was dropped off by 9:45 and by noon I received an email with an "euthanasia receipt". I immediately called to ask what was going on and that she was not to be euthanized as we had discussed a plan the day prior and literally told them the morning I dropped her off the same thing. I never received a call back. Finally after speaking to a manager on Monday and then again on Wednesday after an "investigation" was done by him, it was concluded that this was an unfortunate event of miscommunication. After coming across this yelp page, I find that hard to believe. Something needs to change here! I will definitely be telling my story to those who have pets and I will never give the SPCA any kind of donation. I hope that more people will reconsider, too. If I had known this was going to be the end result, I never would have brought her here. Update: spoke with CEO Scott Delucchi and was told by him that the response to my review was edited since they in fact DID NOT HAVE PAPERWORK THAT AUTHORIZED EUTHANASIA of my cat, which they claimed they had. When I asked him what the response was changed to he replied that it said there was an assumption that I knew euthanasia was a possibility. As you can see above from my original review, I was told it was a possibility, but that it was the LAST possibility when she was being surrendered although it was the FIRST thing they did when she was brought in. As you can see from the "edited response" to my review, they are claiming that my father in law, who dropped off my cat, gave them verbal permission to euthanize- ANOTHER LIE. It is infuriating that this organization cannot take responsibility for the mistake they made and instead is trying to shift the responsibility onto us. read more

These people do SO much with such limited resources that it is hard to imagine. We have adopted cats in pairs so that they have a "friend" to play with, and it has worked out fine. Both the volunteers and staff are very friendly and helpful, even if they don't have the immediate resources to help your situation. If you can possibly afford it, when you drop by leave a twenty in their donation box, the animals will appreciate it! read more

I know that Covid is going on but the way SPCA MC is conducting business on adopting animals is very upsetting. I was very interested in a kitten that they had up on their website. I reached out, filled out an application and got a call. The lady who called me informed me that they took payment for the kitten over the phone, I would arrive at their location and someone would put the kitten in my car. I would not be able to meet or interact with the animal whatsoever. I had to decline and I felt very sorry for the animal that I never got to meet. If this is the way they are conducting business I do not want to work with them and would not recommend them either. I know that things are going on in the world right now and all of it is a bit off-putting. But the way this place is conducting business is even worse. It literally felt like I would order a cat at window one and pick it up at window two. These are animals and you should do your due diligence to find them the correct home and put a bit more effort into it. read more

They really do a wonderful job. They care for strays with love & care, the facility is clean, and they do great outreach for the benefit of the animals. read more

Thank goodness for the good works done by all the SPCA's otherwise our cities would resemble Sochi, Russia, where packs of homeless dogs roam the streets terrorizing the hapless residents. Hehehe those poor Russians... I am particularly keen on this SPCA because we adopted our little terrorist here a few Christmases ago. He is a chihuahua/terrier mix that cost me over $200 in adoption fees. Yeah, I paid that much for the little mutt. He is worth that much & more. He is a wonderful pet and hiking, running companion. I had a great experience here. The facility was clean, the staff was friendly and the adoption process was quick & efficient. read more

This is a wonderful place to support and adopt your pet from! We adopted our sweet Aussie mix here a few weeks ago and they were wonderful. They made the experience so easy and you could tell that they genuinely cared about their dogs in this shelter. The grounds were extremely clean, it had clearly been renovated, and all of the workers were wonderful. They made finding a new pup such a good experience and I couldn't recommend adopting from here more! They even included a weeks worth of food and a very nice leash and harness with our dog. Adopt here! read more

SPCA Monterey County - Pet Training Near Me - Salinas, California

This is so saddening and frustrating to have to share and write such a negative review about a place that should spread and do good - sadly that has not been my experience. In mid June, my fiancé and I set out to find some ducks for adoptions - I stumbled upon some ducks they had available here. We have 3 acres in Scotts Valley and have chickens and goats, all who have a wonderful life and setting to play and enjoy. Adopting ducks was suppose to be our next venture and no better joy than helping an animal who may have not had the best life and trying give them that good life. I reached out to the facility and got in contact with their barn manager Jamie. She was very helpful and very kind. I relayed that I would travel up there after work. I work in San jose and live in Scotts Valley. I left the office around 3:00 and hit horrible traffic, as soon as i was aware that I would be cutting it close (they close at 5pm) I tried to call - the people on the phone in the main office are very rude and very unhelpful and of course once they transfer you to the barn, no one answers (this seems to be a very common occurrence). I try calling back and now no one is answering in the main office - I must have tried calling 15+ times within the next hour before I finally got someone on the phone again. The woman then only offered to transfer me back to the barn (it was too much trouble for her to do anything else) - by this time I was an hour and a half into my drive to get there. Finally the woman agreed to send Jamie and email and that seemed to do the trick. Jamie and I spoke on the phone and I explained that I may be 5 mins late getting there, she said that her staff would wait but she had to leave, she was very helpful and i sincerely appreciated it. I arrived just at 5pm and tried to make the process as quick as possible - I ended up adopting all 4 of their available ducks. Jamie and I agreed that I would write my card number down and she would charge the following day and send a receipt - I had no problem with this. This is where everything takes a turn.... Once I get all the ducks home, I begin to notice that one of the girl ducks is limping really bad. We monitor this for a few days hoping that maybe it would go away. Realizing this condition was not getting any better and looking at how swollen her little legs were we had no choice but to take her to the vet - it was at this time that I began trying to get ahold of the SPCA to discuss this health concern, of course just as I had dealt with before no one answers! in fact, I was not able to get ahold of someone for 2 days until I finally got in touch with Scott the manager who personally then reached out to Jamie to have her contact me. By their time the vet had let me know what was going on with the poor little duck; she had/ has a severe infection/ case of bumble foot, one the vet said is so bad it is evident that it has been there for quite sometime. This vet visit cost us $300+ dollars. we then get her on medication, it has now been 2 weeks and we are on the 3rd antibiotic and another $150+ dollars later and the vet is convinced the only way to help her is to operate, which is another $300+ dollars. I have not be able to get on the phone with Jamie, she has called several times (however each time I am too busy at work or in a meeting to be able to answer) and each time I try and call back, it is the same thing it has always been; NO ONE ANSWERS!!!! Their response now is that I surrender the duck and that they told me of this condition before hand, which is a complete lie. I have spent over $400+ dollars trying to take care of this poor animal and I can't even get so much as basic communication out of them. Very very poorly run business skills. And frankly they deserve to be reported for such malpractice. read more

SPCA Monterey County - The horrible infection the duck we adopted has. - Pet Training Near Me - Salinas, California

Everyone was super friendly, the place was impressive and very clean. Even though the dog we adopted was only there for about a week, they knew a lot about her and were able to give us tips to make sure our first meeting was a good one. We also appreciate that they are a no-kill shelter, keeping animals for up to 2 years before moving them to a sanctuary, although they said the longest they've had a dog was just 3 months. All of the resources and supplies they sent us home with were so appreciated and valuable. read more

I wanted to adopt a dog for a while now and had looked at their website. I decided to just drive over to the location to actually see them. The minute I stepped in I wanted to take them all home with me. The second time I came I just fell in love with Pippy. I made the decision to be her forever home. Super super super shy and scared the first day she arrived to my house, but the second day I couldn't catch her and she was unrecognizable! She was running up and down and wagging her tail at 100mph. I'm happy I found my best friend here read more

SPCA Monterey County - Pippy - Pet Training Near Me - Salinas, California

Great organization! But I took away one star because, much as I try? I really hate their new website format.The new and HUGE turquoise banner across the top of the page is very distracting and makes it difficult to see the animals. I don't know why they would change it when it was just fine before. In fact, you could easily see all their adoptable animals.. whereas now, it's very difficult just to see one or two. And, when you do click on the animal you're interested in?, the same HUGE banners show up. very distracting. very annoying! However, I had not one, but TWO hummingbirds in my house recently and I have very high windows in the living room I couldn't open - which, of course, is where they decided to be. Thankfully, Laura from the SPCA Wildlife Rescue did just that. She came to my house and got them down with a long netted pole. I am so grateful to this organization, because I had no way to get them down and they would have died up there. Thank you, Laura!.. and Thank you, SPCA Wildlife Rescue.. you folks ROCK! (except for the new website which is a royal pain) read more

Oh, what a Happy Day!!! Finally brought my "Molly May" home on the morning of July 16th. (sorry about the late posting) She is basically a Tuxedo kitten with a little white by her mouth. Molly May is eight weeks old, and she was found as a stray on June 18th. (which is my parents wedding anniversary) Decided on adding the "May" to her name because she was born in May. (so was Holly!) She reminds me of our beloved cat Lilly, because of her very loving & friendly personality. I thought about naming her "Milly" in honor of our first cat, but thought it might make me sad thinking about Lilly too much. Rebecca found Lilly as a stray, and named her. (she spelled it Lily) Lilly was truly one of a kind...rest in peace our dear kitty cat. I love her so much already, and hope Holly & Molly May will become great friends, like Holly & Heidi were... Rest in peace dear Heidi cat. Misty was Heidi's sister...Rest in peace Misty. (she was Rebecca's cat) After naming her, I found out that there is a song called "Molly May", by JP Cormier, on the album "Another Morning" that came out in 1997. Listening to it actually brought tears to my eyes...such a hauntingly beautiful song about a ship called the Molly May. read more

SPCA Monterey County - My "Molly May" - Pet Training Near Me - Salinas, California

When I adopted my pup from the SPCA-MC, they made sure a trainer was there to facilitate an interactive meet and greet with my other dog. Originally, I went to see another dog, but that one didn't hit it off with my eight-year-old chocolate lab. When he was introduced to Willow, they did well together. The trainer was a great help when it came to making my decision. We are now in their Puppy Level Two class. Willow immediately took to the training, and she displayed a marked improvement after the first class. Our trainer, Wendy, is fantastic. She is patient, yet still keeps moving forward with new skills. We're only half-way through, but I'm already considering the next level class, as well. I highly recommend getting involved with this organization. The Wag n' Walk is a ton of fun, too! Four paws up for the SPCA-MC! read more