Smell is disgusting EVERY time I visit and staff is weird about you seeing any of the animals- probably because the conditions are atrocious and all the dogs have diarrhea. It was the worse smell I have ever smelt, my eye's watered and I wanted to throw up- I couldn't really greet the animals because I was holding my breathe. They have two shop dogs in the front and the little black one peed on the box fan on the floor while the staff left us in the lobby. So the only airflow in the building was a big aroma of piss. Go to Route 66 Animal Shelter, they actually care about the animals enough to pick up after them. read more

Barstow Humane Society - Animal Shelters Near Me - Barstow, California

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Animals are in terrible condition. Staff member with blond hair is disinterested when asked how much to adopt, dogs are in overcrowded small kennels with soiled floors with nowhere to lay down without laying in feces. Some dogs are with mange. All dogs are in distress crying and barking to get out. Smell will stay with you for hours after you leave. Filthy mess and worst part is you are treated there as a nuisance rather than a potential adopter. They have no info on the kennels about adoptable dogs and no info on how much to adopt except one new person thinks a tiny dog was 150.00 but not sure and larger dogs can be 250.00 up. In Nov when adoption is low and other humane societies are as low as 20.00, these animals here have no chance of rescue. This place is in horrific condition and animal cruelty at it's worst. Something you expect to see in other poverty stricken countries. My heart aches for these animals in suffering laying on wet, cold , overcrowded, drenched floors of pee and poop in the cold with no beds or blankets begging to get out. read more

My family and I, are absolutely greatful to Linda & the Barstow Humane Society team! In no way would I have chose differently with the absolute blessings we have through adoption. We couldn't be happier After suffering a loss of a spanial I had for 18 yrs, I truly didn't think I'd adopt another furbaby but now we have 5! Anyway, there are so many animal's there that need home's! Please take your time & hopefully you'll experience the joy we have. Everyone is absolutely helpful, knowledgeable & kind. Whatever you are looking for, I'm sure they have it. They will even help find a furbaby that suits your personality & lifestyle best! Please consider adopting/ donating to this wonderful organization. It's been 6+ year's since we adopted our first large breed & have added 2 more since. They are perfect with each other & their little brother's we rescued. We will always be greatful to Barstow Humane Society for supporting us in completing our beautiful family! read more

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If I could give this thing of a business zero stars I absolutely would. I came in looking for help on my kitten that was dying. It's supposed to be the "humane society" right? Well they're anything but humane. The woman with dark black hair and bangs wouldn't make eye contact and was very dismissive and rude. It didn't matter how much my kitten was suffering her exact words were "I can't do it" as she was walking away. Very unprofessional . If you don't care about the animals find a new career!!!They are not helpful their in it for the money and not for the animals. I would definitely take your business elsewhere because these people don't give a damn about animals. They care about what's for lunch instead of being humane in a time of need. They need to be shut tf down and stayed shut down! It's clearly for a reason they were. read more

Lady running this place actually needs education in animal welfare management. They don't answer questions, they act entitled and won't help unless you beg and submit to their lack of education thought processes. Hiring an actual TRAINED individuals would likely help this non profit., untrained makes answering phones or not answering questions because of lack of trying actually kills animals. Absolutely no clue what advocating or training public is about or how it helps is demonstrated and that's what brings in funds and makes management easier, staff here clueless. Truly an embarrassment to Humane Society overall purpose. This is a warehouse for pets and there is no future for Barstow overpopulation with literally under informed people in charge. Epic failure by BOD to employ untrained individuals. Bigger failure by Barstow to empower this Humane Society to be the city animal control, they are untrained, underinformed abd gave absolutely no clue what advocates do. read more

I give 1 star and that's to the young handsome kind man working the counter 12/01/2022 can't remember the time but sometime around 3pm he actually deserves 5 stars So my dog went missing I looked for her from 5pm when I left the hospital to 2am the next day I found out she was at the animal shelter so I went to pick her up everything went fine however the lady came and asked me do you have another dog I'm like no not here why she goes because she was running with another dog a pit bull if I did don't you think I would come pick both of them up then she tells me with a attitude you have to be careful because they said she was being aggressive and was trying to bite kids I'm like what my dog is around kids all different ages everyday in my head and she plays with my chihuahua who's 9 weeks old she's never tried to bite the kids, the puppy, or any adults she's 1 years old she's a house dog and plays outside around other dogs smaller then her and kids. Then I asked her who called that in I'd like to know she goes oh no worries she's a good dog I can tell etc etc so I'm on their Facebook page looking at puppies because I felt bad for them and I see them saying the same exact thing about another pit bull. She seems very judgmental I don't think she should be around those poor babies she has it out for pit bulls just because she works at an animal shelter doesn't mean you love animals The photo i uploaded is of a post they made about another pit bull saying the exact same thing about being aggressive and biting kids that she said to me. Why say that if it's not true and nobody will want to adopt them she just wants to put pit bulls to sleep. Get her out of there read more

Barstow Humane Society - Animal Shelters Near Me - Barstow, California

I got a ticket and was ordered to do community service. I needed somewhere to do my time, but I was avoiding this place due to the reviews. Finally after so much searching with no luck I gave in, showed up and realized how little people know and how ignorant people are. Yes it smells like animal feces and urine, because they never give up on a animals. They take them all in, to actually help them and take care of them, not to make a profit (it is non profit) I know, Because I was put to a standard of care that they hold. Volunteer or not, there is a standard to uphold in order to insure the animals health is always up to standard. The issue lies in the lack of support from all areas, Too many animals for one. Not enough staff, due to budget. And definitely not enough supplies. Their washing machines are on their last leg, with only 2 dryers (washing machines and dryers are used to keep the blankets used for the animals clean so they don't freeze to death, as well as for cleaning towels and such) The worst part is they obviously love the animals, every last one. I've seen a rude lady bring in a dog who was obviously old, but still kicking. The owner brought the dog in to have it put down because she "didn't want to see him suffer" But the dog was standing up fine and wagging its tail away... Since he was old, he was slow at walking but still obviously loved life. According to the owner, the dog was throwing up and for that needed to be put down. After a very rude experience with the owner the shelter finally said, we'll take him free of charge as long as you let us take him to the vet. This is a huge deal because believe it or not but the fees they charge to take animals in AND the fees they charge to adopt are used for supplies, food, etc The shelter refused to put the dog down without it seeing a vet first, which the owner didn't want to do (I personally felt that she just wanted to get rid of the dog) Bottom line is, if you have a problem with how they do things, show up and volunteer, donate supplies... Learn about how dier the situation is before you criticize. Maybe you can make a difference, maybe you can help make a change. The sad truth is we forget that there's two sides to a story. To us it's not much what they do, but to these animals it means the world! read more

We went to donate food and blankets with my daughter's troop and I wanted to adopt every animal in here if only I was able to. Please adopt a dog or cat here if you can there are so many it makes me sad. read more

Please enlighten me! I will be calling Kern County-Barstow tomorrow on your operating procedures and staff. I have never been so ill instructed and misinformed by a shelter before! I was told the dog came in as a stray and was allotted 10 days until adoption. That was Monday. You were closed so I called Tuesday. You said the owners have been out of town and after the second weekend gone realized their dog was gone. Now I can't find the dog picture on PetHarbor. So they called and described the dog I guess. To me people that go on vacation and don't leave proper accommodations should not have the dog. The Kern county hold law is 4 days? 5? You could have adopted the dog to me when I was there on the 6th day. I am a known entity. The phone call can be anyone that says that is there dog because they think the dog is pretty. They've been out of town for 2 weeks while I standing there wanting to adopt! Is this some kind of local protection of your own in these small towns? From what I can and read Barstow is in the top ten crime cities in California. People using dogs for money. People adopting highly expensive dogs to sell. Finding a Papillon mix, a small young female is valuable and in my case, very hard to find. You bet I'll fight hard for the dog. I have been looking for over a year! I stayed at the Barstowian with my Papillon Sheltie mix. Best dog I ever had and revisiting the area I decided to call on the off chance you had a papillon mix. And you did! I rushed over there! By law you could have released the dog to a sure thing. I mean do a credit and background check on me, educational, etc. I'm clean as a whistle and an animal/dog lover. Check my Facebook page. It's all about dogs! I lost my Gizmo and I have been heartbroken since. People who leave a dog to fend for themselves should not be responsible for any dog as this small dog was found wandering the streets And did not come to reclaim the dog or notice it was missing for at least 8 days. Really? Responsibility is the first law of dog ownership, and the kern county rules said you could have released the dog to me after 5 days. I was there and waited until the 10th day, actually the 11th as as you were closed Monday. I called at 10 am Tuesday the next day when you opened. Sharon S Smock read more

This is the worst Humane Society for animal shelter that I ever came encounter with. they barely open during the week they don't have any help they don't have no animal control riding around checking out the scene. there are so many homeless dogs out in Barstow . It's not even funny I think it's more homeless dogs and homeless people they don't care about you and Barstow please don't move out this way it's more of a travel city travel Cutthrough and get out military town if you wanna military that's OK, maybe if you were single person older it's OK but to raise a family out here you better move somewhere else or you'll be homeless they charge a lot in Barstow Barstow is nasty and a small and they don't keep up with their property. Property owners are full of shit out here. They don't keep up with anything. My house is nice. I can't be mad at that but other than that Barstow is no place to live with family. No class.. read more

I love the animals and people here. The humans try so hard to make sure that each animal has a chance - I've seen them bring dogs and cats back from some seriously unpleasant situations, and not even a month later, these same animals will be up, healthy, and super-excited to see people. They consider the dietary needs of their older animals too, something I've seen much larger shelters neglect to do. Also awesome: They rescue 'odd' animals, too. I've seen guinea pigs there, just as secure and loved as their feline and canine counterparts. If you want a pet, change a life and get one from here. You'll make a truly loving friend if you do! read more

Barstow Humane Society - This little girl was so shy at first - but during my next visit, she couldn't wait to see me! The power of positive handling. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Barstow, California

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Like most facilities like this it needs volunteers, so I hope people will consider this remedy rather than just complain about how it could use a good cleaning. I rescued a very cold cat behind the IHOP a couple of winters ago and brought him to the H S (I live 2500 miles from Barstow). The staff were very attentive and gave "IHOP" every advantage - he had an upper respiratory infection. He was there longer than I would have liked, but eventually was adopted - you can't hope for a better outcome. Barstow Human Society's biggest crime is that its a part of the San Bernardino County System - and the State of California beyond that. If funding is lacking, blame the wackos in Sacramento. read more

Your team deserves 5 stars, all the lovely workers have such a great heart and care for anyone that walks in I'm just so thankful for everything they did for me. I'm just so blessed to be able to team up with them. The bosses are very friendly and the beautiful lady in the front has a good heart. I really really appreciate everything god bless you all. read more

Please help support saving animals in these forgotten about towns! I'm sure there is no money or resources, and they are trying to do their very best with little to nothing. Bless the kind people who are trying! read more

BEST HUMANE SOCIETY EVER!!!!!!!!! Best people and incredible animals! They do the best with the little resources they have! Thank you so much for taking care of Barstow county's furry babies! read more

Had a mama that was abandoned and her babies in my car, just because Dog barked when the employee walked up to the window she said that dog would be put to sleep . I've made calls to protect other animals that I've seen abused and they do nothing about it. There's still a dog living on a chain 24/7 in my neighborhood and they don't give two ..... they drove past my street and saw a dog running across the road didn't ​ stop to pick it up and find out whose dog it was, they're awful. They need new management and some people who care about animals. read more

THIS PLACE IS A ANIMAL HELL! When you first walk in your greeted with flies, rot and animal bowels smells mixed In together, with funk. Not only are they not taking care of the animals, but the animals are all overcrowded in tiny cages. That's not even the worst part, most all these animals have illnesses and are sick, from being owercrowed and under feed. We ended up trying to save a kittens life but sadly he ended dying within a week of adoption. This place needs to be shut down expeditiously, for selling harmed and sick animals that are barely living in this " humane society". The owners and volunteers need to be put in jail, for the way they run this establishment. Honestly the animals would have a better chance of living out on the streets. read more

Lots of critters looking for homes so they are overcrowded. Due to so many animals, there is not a lot of room. (This is the only reason that I gave them a 4). I see this as they want to save as many animals as they possibly can. They have been so helpful, fair and understanding with a situation revolving the kitten I adopted from them (a situation not caused by them). They bent over backward to help right the situation. I couldn't be more pleased and would adopt from there again in a heartbeat. read more

So many sweet animals i wish i couldve taken home. But my heart broke at the appalling conditions. Feces and urine everywhere. Several animals crowded into one cage...some cages small. I saw a poor dog with an open sores on its foot and body. Its beyond me how the care of the animals and the cleanliness can be such a low priority. To top it off i was told by the manager that there were no volunteering options at the time. I would gladly give my free time up if it meant cleaning that place up. If you have the space,time,love,money,ect please rescue some of the sweet babies at this shelter. read more

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Not a great experience. The person we met was uninterested in our needs as customers, we saw them arguing with the customer before us so that should've been a hint. Also please beware that the animals do come in close contact with others so they might be sick or bad tempered. read more

I'd give zero stars if I could! I took my daughter here today and was very disappointed :( As soon as I walked in, I knew it wasn't going to be good. But I drove more than an hour to come here, so I didn't want to just leave. This place is dirty! It smells like urine and feces, there is urine and feces on the floors. The cat room was the first room that you see when you walk in and it smelled so bad. I had to hold my breath just to get past it and see all the animals. When we went to see the dogs, they were all so scared of anyone who came through! It seemed like every dog was barking. I think that they have been abused or are still being abused , because they clearly don't want anyone to come near them. The only dog that was sweet was a German Shepherd puppy that we visited outside and it had a big scar on its side :/ There were so many flies outside and crawling on the dogs, in their food and water. Some of the bigger dogs were very sweet. There were many kennels that had more than 6 small dogs crowded in them. And all the small dogs were so vicious! You can tell that they are frightened. They looked like they hadn't been washed in weeks and their beds were soaked in urine. There was feces EVERYWHERE in their kennels. There was a big pit bull that was so scared of people, he was just sitting in the corner and his eyes were watering! Whenever anyone would get close to his kennel, he would start shaking like he thought someone was going to hurt him. It was so sad! I felt so bad for him. There was a family there who asked to see a small dog from one of the over-crowded kennels & when the workers took the dog out to see the family, that dog was so scared to be near people. It was just laying close to the wall and shaking, like it thought it was going to be in trouble :/ What's really going on at this not so "humane" society? I regret driving such a long way and bringing my daughter to this place! read more

Barstow Humane Society - This was the sweet puppy we saw outside. It was the only one who wasn't scared of people. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Barstow, California

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HORRIBLE! So my brother get's hospitalized, and since he is unable to care for his puppy the police have the Humane Society come to pick up his puppy. I call the facility the next day to see what I can do to pick up the puppy, I was told that only my brother can get the puppy otherwise he is up for grabs in 7 days. At the time I had no idea how long my brother was going to be in the Hospital so I started to freak out because a family member should be able to get his dog. Mind you this puppy is a Kane Corso pure breed that my brother just spent over $3K on. So I have my sister calling to see what can be done to get the dog, while I am taking care of the items at his house and trying to find all the proper paper work. So I tell my sis what paper work I have and sent her all the pics, she informs the manager Linda of what paper work we have and she states "We need to hurry up and get him, there are a lot of people looking at him that want him" One, WTH? He shouldn't even be where he can be viewed for adoption since he was on a hold. So anyways my sis informed her I would be there the next day when it opens. I get there right at 9AM, I inform the gentlemen at the counter who I was and the dog I came to get. He makes a comment that they have been talking about us a lot in the back. He comes back up to grab my paper work and takes it to the back, he comes back up and informs me that this paper work will not work even though my sister informed them the day before of what we had and they said we can get him. So now I am in a panic, this should of been an in & out operation. I get upset because these people have been a nightmare to deal with, & I inform them that I am calling the cops. Well I called and they can't do anything because it isn't in their jurisdiction. So I calm myself down, and ask to speak with the manager Linda and ask her what do you need for me to get this dog today, she replies a receipt & picture of the dog. I take a deep breath, I told her I had some emails I think I could grab from my brother's phone but I don't know about a picture. I leave this hell hole defeated and crying, my brother is going to have a breakdown if he can't get his dog it is the only thing he has been asking me about everyday he is in the hospital (He is a 100% Disabled Veteran with PTSD). A light bulb comes on as I was down the road, I have my brother's cell phone in my car. So I pull over to get it out of the back and start going through his emails where I find the receipt, and then going through his gallery & I find a pic of the cutie sitting on the couch. Sweet relief, I have what I need! So I turn around and go back, and I see Linda the manager and informed her I had everything in the his phone that she requested, she then tells the guy at the front desk that he needs to deal with me and then just leaves. So I show him everything, but then he informs me that he needs the AKC #. I am like WTF! She just told me a receipt and a picture of the puppy would set him free, & never said anything about an AKC #. So now we are arguing over the AKC #, I had his paperwork saying he was registered, but nothing that showed an actual number. At this point my boyfriend drove over and getting a little heated, the guy could not explain why he needed the AKC # properly and why all the other paper work I provided wouldn't work. I said I could call my brother he can tell you I can get the dog, I didn't even know what to do. But I told him I would not be leaving without that dog. Even someone else that was there to look at the animals was getting in on it, he couldn't understand either I have every bit of proof that was my brother's dog and that I was his sister. He kept going on about the AKC #, and something whether he should be neutered before he leaves. I am like... this is out of control. Finally w/ my boyfriend & myself grand standing that we weren't leaving, he just decided to release the dog. So all this crap about an AKC # seemed pretty irrelevant, we got the puppy and we got the hell out of dodge. So the Manager LINDA is an awful person, yes this is my opinion. That they would make it so difficult for a family member of a DISABLED VETERAN to get his dog is beyond me. I really honestly think that they knew what kind of puppy they had, and they knew what kind of money they could get for him and they were doing what was in their power to keep him. The gentlemen at the counter at the end of the day he was only doing his job and following orders, I did apologize to him for getting upset and feisty, but I told him he had to understand where I was coming from and my frustration. Do not go here, do not donate to this facility unless they get new management. Also, the conditions of this site are FILTHY!!! read more

I adopted a kitten through petsmart on armagosa Ave in Victorville on 7/2/2014 that Barstow humane society had just brought in, the guy told me she had just seen a vet the day before, been fixed and given a clean bill of health. She had a small crusty scab on her head the guy assured my was just a scratch from another cat... well 2 weeks later it's not better and had spread to her paws and tail! TURNS OUT IT WAS RING WORM! A HIGHLY contagious fungus!!! 3 trips to their Banfield vet center and 250$ later...I called petsmart and Barstow humane society and both refused to accept responsibility and said kittens are sold "as is"! I now have to keep my new kitten locked In a separate room, bathe her 2 times a week, and force feed her anti fungals for a month!!! These people are TOTALLY IRRESPONSIBLE and I would NEVER adopt through them again! read more

NO STARS. I adopted a kitty from petsmart in Victorville. She was from the Barstow humane society. There was NOTHING humane about it. I brought her back because her stitches from being neutered looked very angry. The front desk lady asked me if I were a vet & how I knew something was wrong with her? I couldn't believe the rudeness from her mouth. Luckily I was able to find care elsewhere. The animals there were caged with many animals in one. I don't know how they get away with it. No wonder her stitches looked the way they did. The manager apologized for the rudeness I recovered from the "dumpy" lady. I hope that if anyone gets an animal from there they have them checked out at another facility. I've never written a review for anywhere before but this needs warning. read more

This Humane Society is not very humane, in my opinion. We adopted a 4 year old male dog at Petsmart during one of their adoption fairs. This poor guy had WIRE stitching for his alteration surgery (which is terribly outdated) and they were too tight. They were literally "buried". One had to be left inside because they would have had to anesthetize him to get it out! His teeth were in bad shape also. When we took him to the vet for the free examination, the veterinarian asked us a few questions and said, "He's must've came from Barstow", so they obviously have a reputation, and not a very good one. I understand they may be running on limited funds but I've heard it's a mom and pop shop and they do the very minimum to get these pets on their way. I feel they should have at the least removed his stitches, and maybe addressed his teeth issues before allowing someone to take him home and take on those costs for what they deemed was a healthy pet. read more

I was pleasantly surprised at the magnificent service I received during an emergency at the motel I am residing. The staff was professional and super courteous. My animals were well taken care of during the two day stay. Felt blessed when I heard that the Barstow Humane Society would be taking care of my animals. Thanks for all that you do for the community! Teresa C. read more

Horrible..... 1. The smell alone as you walk into the front door is enough to give you second thoughts. 2. The staff is not very informative nor trained properly to deal with the public. 3. The manger Linda is very disrespectful when she hears things that she does not agree with. Me and my wife went here to adopt a kitten, we initially seen online the total price was $40 which includes spaying and first shots. When we arrived we were told that we would have to pay a additional $80 as a deposit to the spaying due to the fact the kitten we choose was to young, which is understandable. My issue is why would I need to pay a deposit of $80 when my initial fee of $40 covers the treatment. Answer = to make me come back to get him spayed by holding my money hostage. My reply = No thank you, I was under the assumption that you guys are trying to help these animals, not profit from them, which is more important, finding them a good home or holding my money unnecessarily? Her answer was to start to scream at me and yelling about how others have no issues paying the hidden fee, instead of handling things in a professional manner. We left the location and simply found two great kittens for free on Craigslist. In my opinion this location is not properly ventilated, trained, nor exist to truly help the animals......... read more

Me and my fiancé adopted the cutest 5 month old long haired doxie on April 22. He was acting exactly like a puppy would. Then about a week later he started showing symptoms of being sick possibly kennel cough. Took him to the vet on May 7th and that's what they diagnosed him with and gave him antibiotics. Those weren't working and he continued to get sick, and he started to have a tremor in his left hind leg. We took him to another vet on May 13th and he was diagnosed with pneumonia and possible distemper. Thursday May 18th I had to put my puppy down because the disease distemper took over his whole body. This disease is 100% preventable if this shelter gave their dogs the distemper shot before they even enter their kennels. But because they are incompetent and can't do their job they gave me a dying dog and for a month I watched my baby die. Not only did this disease kill my dog but it is extremely contagious so if anyone has bought a puppy from them recently I would highly recommend getting the distemper & parvo shot done. And I hope no one has to go through what I went through it was so terrible. This place neglects the dogs by not giving them their proper shots. read more