it was brought to my attention of a client lisa s who apparently was associated with community cats of vilano in some capacity per the humane societys response to her expressed disappointment on several matters.she had in fact expressed significant disappointment in the manner in which she was treated by staff as well as other concerns.it was clear her use of terminology revealed her inability or lack of interest for any number of reasons to describe in her discussion the proper terminology either spay / neuter or ovariohysterectomy /etc, but in fact using the description that four cats were presented to be "fixed". what was striking however was the bold and tenacious manner in which this non humane society lashed out in response.it would have been reasonable and in fact proper and professional to simply respond to lisa s. in any number of ways that could and would have been far more constructive, wether it be stating something simple, such as " we would welcome sitting down and discussing your concerns,we are sorry you are mistaken or possibly offer a discussion to solve any concerns by phone. and otherwise "a polite" ,we are sorry your experience was not as you had hoped, and/or we will try to make your next visit in helping the cats you are so kind to try to help more to your liking,or alternatively simply state we are sorry your experience was not ideal and we welcome you finding others who might better serve your needs.this however was far from what this epic failure of a humane society did.instead ,even if the client was in fact ignorant, "when they called her that" in print on google, this frontal assault was unnecessary,uncalled for and remarkeably thoughtless.having working in so many non profits ,this behavior by the non humane society in st.augustine is out of character relative to how other such equivalent facilities would have responded to lisa.as far as the self described statements by the shelter, what became clear based on the exact facts of the societys protocol for cats with upper respiratory infections, it is obvious if you take them for their word ,its clear their choice of how to treat pets and interact with the clients , borders on "stupidity"not ignorance ,as they referred to the client.what a dumb dvm, and directorship.in discussing how they treat upper respiratory infections, they state clearly that they prescribe or give injections of antibiotics.truly interesting.not one mention of offerring "pcr", polymerase chain reaction testing whereby a definitive diagnosis of a vast array of many possible infectious agents may be occurring singularly or concurrently,all while allowing the clients the opportunity to identify the issue and choose the necessary treatment that will work ideally,if necessarythat also may identify if the pet may remain a carrier for life of an infectious agent,as well as the rare but possible occurences where human transmission may occur, or may have originated from a person.there are fewer very common infectious agents of this nature,however there are on occasions the uncommon and unexpected infectious agents present.furthermore, clearly antibiotics do not treat viruses ,the most common cause of upper respiratory issues in cats, being ignorant to the fact there are a few highly effective products that are not antibiotics that may rapidly help resolve upper respiratory infections wether viral or bacterial at under $10 that can be used concurrently while on antibiotics,or other.thou pcr testing may not be practical for all clients, it is negligence and malpractice to not properly educate clients " on all available options that exist from diagnostics,to treatment, and with multiple cats by further knowing the exact cause ,it has the abilility "as the non humane society used the term," mitigate" issues potentially arising in the future.the ideal progression of this society has not been enhanced but rather delayed as a consequence of a director who has been meiopic on the proper direction to take for the welfare of animals in the area, as well as some board members, one in general who seems to embelish her judaic heritage when in fact she is more dedicated to sending most unappropriate bold , leud photos and clothing to a relative stranger quite clearly while she was seeing another gentleman at the same time.how these board members acquire their position is an anomaly truly,yet that is in iself not unique as it is not quite the vetting process as members of a board of veterinary medicine.on a last note,the society pointed out in their response to lisa s. how they had called another to discuss the issue of a cat with an elevated temperature.they pointed out it was likely due to the anesthesia.the fact is most,not all premedicants,induction agents and anesthesia tend to lower not elevate body temperature, and the one in particular that does in reality has no need to be used, yet there are things such as literature that might have been provided to lisa ! read more

St. Augustine Humane Society As a concerned resident of St. John's County it has come to my attention that St. Augustine Humane is turning paying spay/neuter clients away based solely on the fact that they adopted an animal from a local Rescue Organization. These tax paying private citizens are requesting this service, not the Rescue. Services were denied when shot records from this Rescue were provided or most recently when someone working with a hoarding situation told St. Augustine Humane that they were working with this Rescue. St. Augustine Humane's website indicates that they get both local and federal grants, which are taxpayer dollars. Florida state law, Chapter 823 Section 15 - 2021 Florida Statutes, dictates that all animals adopted are mandated to be spayed/neutered. Below is a list of the grant money provided to St. Augustine Humane. St. John's County Housing Partnership is providing funds through St. Johns County American Rescue Plan Act. Section 8 Public Housing USDA Subsidized Housing St. Johns County Housing Partnership SSI  WIC  KidCare Medicaid Food Stamps Healthy Kids MediPass MediKids Wildflower Clinic As an animal lover, the Mission Statement for St. Augustine Humane and any Rescue should be No More Homeless Pets and to eliminate animal euthanasia. A Non-profit that offers services for spay/neuter should stand for the welfare of the animal and not a platform to settle a score. This is also a clear violation of Florida State Law. Because taxpayer dollars, both State and Federal, are funding St. Augustine Humane, all of us should be appalled that they are denying services to taxpayers of St. John's County. read more

The condescending remarks by this Humane Society if one were to call it that is entirely unsatisfactory regarding their Google response to Lori S. Clearly a caring and compassionate person with good intentions, their offensive and arrogant and callous remarks when numerous other options existed to placate and resolve the issues Lori had were entirely disregarded. The approach to the description by the shelter as to how they treat cats for Upper Respiratory Disease was lacking in proper client communication , improper choices as to the best approach with many affordable ancillary treatments that are effective YET WERE disregarded as well as proper diagnostics that if opted for after ideal communication and client acceptance, was entirely lacking as well as another issue they discussed revealing this Non Humane Humane Societys approach which is unacceptable. Their failures are too numerous to list and the IGNORANT ONES ARE NOT THE CLIENT BUT THE SHELTER FOR THEIR RUDE THOUGHTLESS APPROACH TO A WOMAN WHO DESERVED BETTER.Not surprising considering this Director failed animals in general mindlessly with a spa rather than providing for an ideal facility to house those many pets or atleast some numbers of pets that are burdened by living in distress due to numerous reasons, and simply need a clean environment and food and water to not be under duress and when you have a board that is not adequately knowledgeable and one Bonnie H whose conduct privately with improper contact by sending improper photos,clothing and a trip to a stranger out of state while with another gentleman is simply questionable in judgement.Not appropriate. read more

I have two rescue dogs - one with serious eye problems and allergies the second suffered a rapid onset immune disorder which caused internal bleeding. I can't stress enough how great the entire staff has been from the director to the vet techs and especially Dr. Rockey Dr. Rockey was the only vet out of many ( and many thousands of dollars spent) who caught all the conditions and actually cured the skin and ear conditions of the one gal. During the emergency crisis of the second gal Dr. Rockey nailed the difficult diagnosis ..administered life saving meds and immediately had her admitted to a pet E.R. Most impressively Dr. Rockey called the E.R. at all hours to get updates and she contacted me over and over filling me in and offering her opinion...all at no charge because she loves animals. I had my dogs teeth cleaned by her and yes some teeth were pulled. I am so glad they were because I want the bad teeth removed. I trust Dr. Rockey more than any other vet I have ever met, I love the staff and I love the expert groomer at the pet spa. You will not find a more loving, caring and professional group of individuals anywhere .. Oh...did I mention the prices are extremely low...their goal is to provide super high quality low cost care. Its their mission statement read more

I have never in my life dealt with such nasty people who are clearly trying to get biz for a clinic north of the city, telling me I should be willing to spend $800 for my dog to have a spay and gastropexy (when I merely asked if they do this procedure). If I find out they are subsidized by any government entity, I will make certain they lose their funding. Then when I responded to THEIR reminder that Willow was due for shots--BECAUSE I WENT TO THE TROUBLE TO FORWARD HER RECORDS, they claimed they wouldn't have anything to do with my dog as I refused to take her to Placencia which is TWICE the distance from me. Unbelievable! read more

I adopted my dog from the Pet Center last year and have been taking him to the Humane Society ever since. The vet is the best I've ever been to in over 40 years of pet ownership. She is caring and knowledgeable, especially since my dog has allergies and she has followed up with me, both during my visits and randomly. He recovered from his neuter surgery without a hitch. The staff is made up primarily of volunteers and they do a great job of explaining everything to me. The help they give to those in need is admirable. I've recommended them to my friends and I will continue to use them. read more

To say I was blown away by the care of my dogs and cats at the St. Augustine Humane Society is an understatement. The staff's expertise, diligence, passion and empathy is second to none. I wholeheartedly agree with James S. The entire staff at the SAHS, from the volunteers, vet-techs and wonderful Dr. Rockey to the director, go above and beyond every day to bring the best care possible to your dog or cat. All this while striving to keep the care provided extremely affordable to the pet owner. I cannot recommend the St. Augustine Humane Society enough. read more

I found a sick dog in the middle of the road, and brought her to the St. Augustine Humane Society to see what could be done. They were awesome! This little girl had several serious issues and they addressed each one. They were kind, compassionate and supportive. Dr. Rockey - ROCKS! All the staff, including the volunteers, are very knowledgeable and kind. For all they did, I felt the charges were extremely reasonable. Every time I go in there, I find myself being so thankful we have them to help us care for our beloved pets. read more

I was referred to the St. Augustine Humane Society and couldn't be happier. Dr. Rockey is absolutely fantastic - not only is she knowledgeable, she is very understanding, gentle and compassionate with my fur babies. The staff has been amazingly caring, very truthful, and explain everything- prices are reasonable, and they don't force you into extra costs. Over all, the clinic is very friendly, great attitudes and genuinely care. They always make sure my puppies feel loved... read more

When the head/staff of an organization start acting like you work for them, it is time to look for help elsewhere. Accusing those who bring animals in for treatment of being 'rude' is a good example. It is my understanding that the previous board of this human brought its financial standing out of the red and into the black, yet they were booted off the board? I believe every 'charitable' organization should be periodically investigated. read more

I absolutely love this clinic! Both doctor and staff are extremely caring and knowledgeable. The prices are reasonable, which made it financially feasible to have 4 rescues. Shout out to Emily! Best tech ever! read more

Very attentive, great prices. Much much less than the vet!! Friendly and fast. So, it's not the Ritz!! Who cares. Licensed and professional. Prices are extremely reasonable for spay and neuter. read more

Amazing, passionate people to work with who are competent and caring about every aspect of the facility. From the clinic days to the surgery days. read more