Wow wow wow! I'd like to preface that it was my first time going here this year but have visited multiple times in the span of two weeks lol I found out about this place when I went on adoptapet.com and found a kitten that was so cute so I decided to go visit her in person. Right off the highway, tucked behind a starbucks is where their cozy building is which comes with a fenced off parking lot. You have to ring the doorbell to be let in! It was quite a commotion the first time I went where it looked like 5 groups of people were being helped. There wasn't really a clear line or anything so I sat on one of the couches to wait for someone that was available. (Definitely in need of some more volunteers!) I had to approach someone since it was pretty chaotic. I ended up speaking with another visitor who told me that you have to go on their website and sign a disclaimer /liability waiver which totally makes sense. Then afterwards, a volunteer took a look at my "application" (you don't have to commit to fostering or adopting, just covering their asses!) but I was interested in fostering. After I got the all clear, I was brought into the kitty room which has free roaming kitties who have been socialized. There's another room for cats who should be in a single home and of course the main attraction, the kitten room! There were SO many cute kitties waiting and ready to be adopted! I honestly wanted to take them all home, but I could decide so I left. That's why I had multiple trips. I ended up going back to socialize with them and find the right fit! My boyfriend came along this time and we had an idea of who we wanted but decided to sleep on it. We came back and picked up our new kitten and the process was so seamless! We went here so many times, we were practically seasoned to be volunteers already. Shoutout to all the friendly staff who helped us and talked to us about some kitties backstories! It was also nice to see that each time we went, there were 6 being adopted at a time! So beautiful to see strangers fall in love with their new kitties and such a nice community to be around. If you're interested in volunteering, sign up on their website and trainings take place on Sundays! Go, go, go!! read more

CARE STL - Pet Adoption Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

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Decided to foster a dog for the first time and thought of CARE because they are literally begging for help. This HAS to be the most unorganized unprofessional shelter. I ask about a dog upon arrival and she was absolutely shocked that I wanted to meet him. "REALLY?!?" Uhh... what?! Is that how you really get dogs out the door? What's wrong with him? After I get him home I realize the amount of drugs they have this poor dog on and how terrible he looks. They tell you absolutely nothing about the dog, why they are on meds and how important they are to stay on them and how to take them off the meds. So I come home with a collar that's too big and slips off his head, a few toys, food to last maybe a week, and a folder of how to reach and update the shelter. Well... NO ONE answers emails or answers the phone. So how am I suppose to get ahold of anyone? This dog had major behavioral issues. Over a few weeks time he attacked my dog and bit my mom. After several attempts to contact the shelter to bring him back I got NOTHING! So I brought him back and they tried to turn me away. "Do you have an appointment?" they ask... NO! You don't answer anyone! Now I am an animal lover through and through. I would never do harm even with the aggression. BUT this is never allowed in my home and is a liability that I am not willing to deal with. I told them I would leave him on the front step if they didn't take him back and he is not allowed to torment my home, dog and especially my freaking mother! RUN FAR FAR AWAY FROM THIS SHELTER!!!! They are absolutely terrible and I would rather urbanization than to see how poorly these dogs are treated. It's DISGUSTING!! Do Better "CARE STL"!!! Shame on all of you! read more

We adopted a dog three months ago and are now having serious issues. He has been attacking are older dog to the point it is not safe. We contacted the agency as far as rehoming and explained the situation, but they refuse to take him back. When I originally was in the adoption process, I asked the question about these things and if he could come back and the lady said yes. But that is cleary not true. I would NOT adopt from here. read more

We've long been fans of adopting dogs, especially Pitties. When our beloved Romeo left us in late January of 2022 we took some time to regroup and then set about the process of looking for our new dog. CARE STL came on our radar-I forget exactly how but we were incredibly impressed with them for several reasons. -Their web presence, FB page etc. So easy to search, great stories and pics and they are UPDATED!! This is one of the most important things for a shelter-updating the page on a regular basis with dog info. -Their Fostering Program and the incredible team of Fosters that are part of CARE is just amazing. We wanted to select a dog that had been in a home environment, we were interested in info on how the dog did in a home etc. Care Fosters are incredibly nice, passionate, clear and honest about the dogs. They want the dog to find a home where it will stay-not simply looking to offload dogs or get them out of the shelter. -The staff team at CARE is great. We stopped in to visit some dogs after our application to adopt was approved and met with one of their staffers who took the time to ask questions about us, our home and the environment we would be making available for the dog. She gently guided us away from some dogs who were not a good fit and suggested others who could potentially be a better fit. We eventually adopted a puppy named Daisy, she's been a delight and a ton of fun. The Forever Families FB page has been a lot of fun for us to keep up with other families who have adopted through CARE and it's even more fun when the volunteers/fosters leave comments. We're searching for a second dog now and we're looking thru CARE, the volunteers and fosters have been equally as awesome the second time around. They provide great feedback, information and they truly want to see us matched with the right dog who will fit in with our Daisy. I can't recommend them enough to you, check them out and you'll be glad you did. read more

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I love the work that CARE STL and as an active foster mom, I simply cannot recommend them more. CARE STL is a nonprofit organization that is chartered by the city of St. Louis to care for dogs and cats (sometimes other animals) that are found by Animal Control. From there they try to find homes for all of their animals. Just a quick plug, as of December 2022, my current foster dog KIARA (attached) is available for adoption! She is around 4 years old and was found under a porch with 8 puppies. All her puppies got adopted except for her, which is so heartbreaking. She is friendly and curious! She loves to snuggle and roll in the grass. She knows how to sit, raise a paw, and lay down and is very potty trained. If you are interested in adopting her, please go on to CARE STL's website and fill out the application form and we can be in touch! Oh and also her floppy ears are truly the cutest :) Here are some of my favorite parts about CARE STL from a foster parent perspective: - It is so evident that they care about all of their animals. Every time one of the employees or volunteers walks by a dog or cat, they always stop to pet and interact with them. They also take all their dogs out to walk 2x a day which is amazing for an animal shelter because they are so busy all the time. - It is so incredibly easy to foster. All you need to do is fill out an application form online and go into the shelter to pick up a dog or cat of your choice. When they pair you up, they really take into account all of your needs whether you want a puppy, friendliness with people, potty trained, etc. Although I will say that all their dogs are pretty big because that's the nature of dogs that end up in the animal shelter. - The flexibility they have for a foster is insanity. You can take one of their dogs home and take it right back the next day. Of course they would prefer you to take the dog until they get adopted, but any time outside the shelter and away from the cages will help the dog's mental health substantially. This flexibility is really nice if you're someone who travels a lot or is temporarily staying in St. Louis. Let's say you're a student going home for winter break, they can take care of your foster dog for you and you can pick them right back up after you come back to St. Louis. - As a foster parent, CARE STL provides literally everything you would ever need, you don't need to spend a single dollar to care for one of their animals. When I went to pick up our dogs, they gave us all the food, treats, toys, poop bags, shampoo, toothpaste, cage, blanket, etc. It was more things than I would ever need to make my foster dog feel comfortable in my home. - There's free vet services! We all know that that's the most expensive part of having a dog, so its nice that all their vet services are free of charge. - The adoption process is very fast too. If you meet someone who is interested in your foster dog or cat, you can just set up your own meeting with the prospective adopter and during that meeting if it seems like the right fit, they can take your fostered dog or cat home. There are so many benefits to fostering. Something I will say that its a little weird that they don't vet their foster parents or adopters for abuse, etc. but I guess they don't have enough personnel to do that, so that makes sense. I cannot urge people living in St. Louis more to foster or volunteer with CARE STL. Their mission and the things they are doing for the St. Louis community is amazing and there is so much heart in the things they do. If you have even 1 week in St. Louis and your residency allows for pets, please consider fostering. It is so easy and you can help a dog or cat relieve a little bit of stress from living in the animal shelter. read more

CARE STL - Kiara - Pet Adoption Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

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This is the most unprofessional shelter I have ever been to absolutely insane. I am fostering a dog and when there's an issue with him, you can never get a hold of anyone you get a answering machine and it takes 4 to 5 hours to get a return call just for general information if you're trying to get a hold of veterinary care it could take days. I have serious health issues with my foster dog and I've called there four times today and no one still is not returned my call. I am about ready to take the dog back to the shelter, even though I love him so much I am so fed up with this crap with this shelter. I have adopted dogs from stray rescue in the past and that's where I'll be going back to. It's a night and day difference between the two the dogs in the kennels at Care St. Louis or housed in a warehouse type building concrete floors with fenced pens, laying in her own feces and piss it's deplorable conditions absolutely disgusting. The whole building is filthy even in the office. I can highly recommend that you do not dog from Care St. Louis. I guarantee you you will regret it. Do yourself a favor and go to stray rescue or the Humane Society. read more

I decided to foster a dog. I asked that it be house broke and dog friendly. I received a dog that was sick with a respiratory infection, was not house broke and did not get along with my dog....which I insisted on a dog friendly. When I got her home the 2 dogs did not get along. I called up to see if I could take her back because they did not get along and the answer was no we will send you some resources to review. Never have I ever offered to help someone out and they write you off once you have the dog. Like it's not their responsibility. And to send me home with a sick dog on top of it. So beware if you decide to foster your on your own. read more

Amazing shelter/animal rescue. It's incredibly clear how much people care about these animals. I've seen many shelters and this is definitely one of the better ones They are constantly sacrificing their own space and comfort for the animals they rescue. They are no-kill and accept not just cats and dogs but also other random animals even including an alligator once! I had the privilege of taking a tour here and getting a firsthand look at what volunteering is like. I plan to return. It's super organized which is RARE for shelters like this. You are trained to the specific animals you want to volunteer with and are given many options for volunteering from cleaning to enrichment (playing with kitties!) to walking and training and even tasks like laundry and dishes for those who don't necessarily want to be physically with the animals. They do their best to keep animals comfortable even when they have a billion of them at once. Staff makes sure that enclosures are big enough, have enough toys and comfort items, and that animals have the chance to get outside or spend time with other animals and other people. Just an all around awesome place. If you have time to volunteer or want a new fur-baby, definitely check them out! read more

CARE STL - Pet Adoption Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

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This adoption rescue place allowed me to rescue a dog that tested positive subsequently for heartworm. Why the dog wasn't tested for heartworm or why it was cleared for not having heartworm is beyond me. I've subsequently taken the dog to a reputable vet who claims that this dog should've never been allowed to be adopted with heartworm and that now the expense is going to be near $1000 for me to treat it !!! They are literally playing hot potato, with animals lives !!!! Care StLouis, their person named Abby, who says she is a Director. was completely rude to me talked over mine the entire time trying to make useless excuses as to why this situation was the way it was. She then tried to tell me how expensive it was and it was an expense issue...trying to pour mouth me and make excuses why the dog was not tested! This is totally inexcusable behavior to adopt out sick animals. as to why the dog may have not been tested for heartworm it's not something that a kind person looking to a adopt an abused animal needs to go through!! MY ADVICE IS TO NOT ADOPT ANY OF THEIR ANIMALA AS TO WHY , THEY MAY BE VERY SICK AND YOU DON'T KNOW IT! They have you sign a document -contract that after you adopt a dog it is your responsibility. I FEEL LIKE I WAS TOTALLY DECEIVED BY THIS CON OPERATION OF A SO CALLED RESCUE SHELTER! This is not the way you do business this is not the way you treat people who are trying to help and adopt your dogs! Not only will I post here, but I will post all over social media until something is done about this!! STAY CLEAR F THESE FAST TALKIN CON ARTISTS ...it's a big SCAM!!!!! read more

I have been volunteering here since last year, when I came for a Yelp Elite event. CARE has many great staff members and volunteers who care for these animals. They keep the place clean, they bring in animal trainers, they keep the pets healthy, and they work to make sure each animal gets put in a home that will fit them! If you are looking to adopt from somewhere, there is no better place than here! read more

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This place is amazing. They're basically taking care of the city's underserved animal population. I love the way they say it, rescuing and enriching the lives of these animals in Saint Louis. They so obviously work hard at this, and when you come, you'll see, it is no easy task. The staff here and the volunteers pour a ton of empathy and care into what they do and obviously are passionate about providing better lives for these animals in Saint Louis. When I stopped in last week, I got to spend time with the cats and learned so much about the needs of kitties in our city! They have multiple rooms with cats in different situations. There is a room of feral cats, who they basically fix and then re-release, which helps the population issue were facing. They have another room for adoptive cats and also rooms for cats with needs for special care. They go to great lengths to support the community who support animals too and have various programs that give food and support to folks who adopt their animal. This place rocks and it will be somewhere I regularly volunteer moving forward. read more

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I adopted a beautiful kitty "Sprite" from this place. I love the way they interact with the cats. Awesome staff. Wish i could adopt all of the cats. I have no problem being called "The crazy cat lady" :) Thanks CARE STL. You all are saints. read more

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dropped off a dog labor weekend2020; they said i could call to check status of that dog. Still trying since then, no return call from the many many voicemails i have left; put on hold for 30-50min THEN picked up/hung up on; was told by staff members "we're so busy - what is your number so we can call you back - no call backs". Still trying to get an answer & it'll be almost 2months now. Waiting to know status of this dog, starting to think they put her down & are ignoring my voicemails and phone calls for this reason. If it's not true; why have they not return my calls????? read more

this place is a nightmare. my dogs had gotten out of the yard and been brought here. I hadnt heard of the place So I had no idea to even call here at first To locate them. I had to track down a neighbor that said the lady who found them MIGHT have brought them said something about maybe dropping the dogs off at care STL. i tried contacting them by phone for days, and was unable to do so, it was a holiday weekend so my dogs were their for way longer than they needed to be because NO ONE answered the phone [on their website it says theyre too understaffed to have someone to answer phone -what kind of business doesn't have enough staff to even take calls-] my dogs are chipped by the way, yet no one contacted me to let me know my dogs were there. Because of the inability of the staff to perform basic functions like and swearing phones or even checking messages (of which I left 7) by the time I got ahold of someone to find out if my dogs were even there, and because they didn't do their job and immediately scan for chips I wasn't contacted..... when I came into pick my dogs up I was informed that one had been adopted out and there was nothing they could do to help me. My other 2 dogs came home not only underweight and riddled with anxiety and something I would relate to PTSD, but they were older dogs and both had contracted a very serious case of kennel cough. After they adopted one of my animals out despite him being chipped and completely deaf [information they weren't even aware of, how do You not realize that a dog is deaf? Are these people even awake?] anyway, after adopting out a deaf dog to family who did not know this when they adopted him and it was too late to make sure they were equipped to handle such a unique dog. after having done that to me And my other dogs contracting a severe case of kennel cough YOUD think that careSTL would at least offer to pay or help pay for my dogs medicine. Right?!?! WRONG. This place is a S$&! SHOW. BEWARE. read more