I am beyond heartbroken by the treatment I received from the Licking County Humane Society. During a personal crisis, I tried to work with an agent to tind a temporary safe place for my two dogs until I could have someone pick them up. Instead of help, I was met with threats of felony charges and a complete refusal to discuss boarding or any other options because the agent "wasn't working the weekend." I was forced to surrender my dogs under extreme duress. The agent was cold, rude, and showed zero compassion for the fact that I was losing my family. This experience has left me devastated. They need to seriously re-evaluate their staff's ethics and how they handle people in vulnerable situations. read more

Licking County Humane Society - These weren't just dogs!! They were my FAMILY. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Heath, Ohio

Our family has adopted 5 dogs from here over the years. We love our mixed breed doggies!! The staff is always friendly and I love how they post on line who has adopted a new pet. read more

Licking County Humane Society - Grandpa with Sophie, Woody, and Urban. All three were adopted from here. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Heath, Ohio

Initially we were very impressed with the cleanliness of the facility. We ere equally impressed by the staff and their knowledge of the dogs in their care. They answered all our questions. Finally, we were happy to be chosen to adopt Flora. The adoption process was handled efficiently and quickly. Flora is happy in her forever home. Thank you from Jose and Connie Echevarria. read more

We visited the Licking County Humane Society with our grand daughter on Friday, November 21, 2025. They greeted us warmly and the whole experience was excellent. They checked the cat we were giving to her for Feline Leukemia, gave him his shots, looked him over for fleas and ticks, and checked to be sure he was a male. Everyone there was friendly, helpful, kind and so very nice. Thank you to the Human Society for a great experience for our grand daughter, her new kitty, and for us. We highly recommend this facility. read more

BIZARRE MEAN AND RUDE went to look at dogs, they have you fill out an application and call your vet to verify all your dogs are current on their vaccinations before you can ever visit with a dog, again you never met with the dog yet to know if you like it wow. big interrogation then they set up a meet and greet the next day again to meet your dogs and you never got to see the dog out of the cage to know if you like it yet, we never ask for meet and greet. bizarre you don't even get to visit with the dog unless they can confirm your dogs are all current on vaccinations. wow. i will never go there again so rude and weird. remember they will call your vet and schedule your pets to meet the dog, before you even know if you like it. terrible keep your dogs read more

Tuesday( 10/22) I set up meet and greet for today ( Friday 10/25) at 12 noon . The dog has been adopted as of yesterday . Our drive was an hour . Stephanie - asked me if I know Lori personally . I don't- Sorry . Jackie needs investigated asap . I've never met a human being like this . I was told Lori is in a meeting and wouldn't do anything for me per Jackie . I was told that the board was above Lori and they wouldn't help me either per Jackie . No one had called to cancel the meet and greet . How was the dog adopted the day before ? Has this happened to anyone ? Who did you contact for help on the matter ? read more

stopped in a week ago to look at the dogs to replace my cocker which we had to put down in January. saw a dog which seemed to meet all of our needs. talked to a nice lady and told her I would let her know. wife and I went in on friday but got there just before closing time so all we did was look, Wife, grand daughter and I went over last sunday and they were very busy but we were able to see the dog. things went pretty good until I mentioned that we would like to take the dog for a ride just to make sure that she rode ok, and we live an hour from Newark, but was told at the time that was impossible, and the girl disappeared. We like to go for rides and take the dog with us so without that knowledge we were at a loss. The dog is still there but with out the riding test we will have to look here for a dog to fit out needs. I looks like we will have to talk to a couple of local vets to find a dog. I can understand the need to protect the dog but this seems to be somewhat much. Not overly impfressed with the operation. read more

Everyone was super helpful and super friendly! They helped me find the perfect puppy to introduce to my family! They even threw in a bag of puppy food and a couple of toys Great staff! read more

Licking County Humane Society - Pic of me Declan! (Possibly changing his name haha) - Animal Shelters Near Me - Heath, Ohio

Very condescending to the point of being judgmental employees. You can't even meet a puppy without being vetted which is fine but I'm not looking to adopt that day. Just wanted to see if the puppy was the right fit. Will never go back. read more

REPOSTING HERE SINCE THEY HID/DELETED MY GOOGLE REVIEW! IF YOU'RE BLACK (or a person of color) BEWARE COMING HERE. I submitted an application 8/26 (the previous night) expressing an interest in a poodle beagle puppy. * Well aware that puppies are very popular and go fast. * With that being said the next morning, I arrived at 11:30am to wait outside of the shelter which opens at 12pm. My sister and I were number 2 in line. Doors open at 12, the front desk lady speaks to family number 1, while Kathleen "animal supervisor"walks over, ignores us and speaks to the 3 people/white families behind us. When the front desk lady returns I inform her my application was submitted the night before and they direct me to sit down at the tables for processing. Danny, who was extremely sweet, helped us through the process and informs us everyone in the waiting room wanted to see the puppies also... as expected. At the time most people had not previously submitted their applications. We were basically 1 in line now because of this... They [Lchs] requested I send a homeowner permission email to adopt a puppy which was sent within minutes. After this, during our wait all staff members appeared to be avoiding eye contact and conversation with us. We waited for probably 30 minutes, which gave other families time to get in their applications. The only statement we were given was that the counselor needed to determine best fit. Kathleen comes out and grabs an older white couple that had been much further back in line, they get to visit with puppy #2. Completely skipping over us. A few moments later, Danny returns and says the 2 puppies were no longer available and asks us if we want to see other dogs. We say yes and meet with two very different breed puppy brothers. Meanwhile, Kathleen is lingering walking past our room several times watching us. Ultimately, after visiting with other dogs we decided to not adopt the third options. It was mentioned that we were a good fit but it's first come first serve.... If that was true we would've been walking out with the original 1st/ 2nd puppies of choice. Danny was very nice but Kathleen's attitude and presence seemed to poorly influence the experience with adoption. Danny's energy completely changed when she was nearby when I asked if I could see one other dog. The response was weird.... I just said forget it and we left. Again, I understand there is a certain process and not everyone gets the dog they want. BUT it appears the process was adjusted per individual biases not a 1st come 1st serve best fit. Long story short... if you're Black be prepared coming to this shelter. We were the only black family there out of about 10. It felt that Kathleen is racist and will not allow you to adopt the dog you want. I'm sure if we inquired about a black pit bull I wouldn't even be writing this. Also, I am now blocked from their social media sites for speaking out on my experience. In addition, I do not care about being banned from adopting from here because I will NEVER be back. Would've given negative 20 stars if I could. It's disgusting. It's 2022 not 1955. EDIT: Forgot to mention my application was very heartfelt and thorough. No red flags. Big yard. Work from home. Puppy experience. Young and active. Also, drove almost an hour to get to the shelter. EDIT 2 9/7: They know they're wrong. Can respond to other reviews but not mine Kathleen must run social media sites. read more

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We adopted our dog 3/2024 and had a great experience. It is obvious that the process is set up to #1care for the wellbeing of the animals and #2 vet the prospective adoptees. I'm guessing that the people leaving the poor reviews were most likely not qualified and had to be told such. We found the facility clean and the workers professional. I would highly recommend this facility. read more

Don't bother with this outfit. Wanted to get an older cat to be with our 9 year old. Rejected because the 9yr old cat is both inside and outside whereas this cat cannot go outside. Their response was "We can't be sure you won't let him out". What a bunch of condescending assholes. Had cats my whole life and even gave one shots on a semi weekly basis. Basically calling us liars. Gave them a 1 star review only because I couldn't give a 0. NEVER DONATE TO THIS OUTFIT!!! read more

Don't bother trying to adopt a puppy from here if you work outside the home. I'm glad they vet for the best owners for the pets, but I think you have taken it too far when you deny perfectly good dog owners a puppy because they work out of the home and there are a few days a week where the puppy would have to be crated for their safety while the owners work. Yes no puppy initially likes the crate, but they adjust. I have had many dogs since they were puppies since I was a child. Basically, today you said I couldn't work outside the home or wait until I retire to adopt a puppy. That is more than 20 years away. So I will be going somewhere else to find a puppy which I will care for their entire life. Your vetting process has crossed the line! read more

Love how thorough they are with the vetting process during adoption. It's clear the adoption counselors want the pets in the best homes. Extremely clean, animals well taken care of. read more

I get being strict but the whole expierence just felt condescending, we have plenty of animal experience and seems like they make a decision on you very quickly and if they don't you'll have to jump through hoops just to even start the process of actually meeting a dog, also insane lack of information on the dogs the fact a dog is in need of 20,000 dollars worth of surgery isn't mentioned anywhere even at the shelter is a horrible practice,overall left with a bad taste. read more

Awful adopted paid for scottish terrier he was microchip to me , signed papers and got his dog license registered to me. there was another dog next to him in a cage she became VERY distraught when I took him no wonder she was his SISTER a bonded pair they did not care but I did!! so i adopted them both but they are cruel and they would not let me take CHLoe because she needed spayed, I signed papers I would spay her the next day, I have owned scotties for 45 years, I am in the scottie club of northeast OHIO I am a registered nurse, a good person and wonderful fur child mom, they said 2 weeks to pick Chloe up I was devastated, Chloe was crying , but i would wait as CHLOE needed her brother Max and so I signed papers, paid and wanted to get Max out of cage ASAP so I was taking Max by car for his 2 hour trip to his new home in Lorain ohio but 10 minutes of driving enountered medical issue being emotional distraught from the BAD treatment of the kennel and leaving Chloe in a cage especially without her brother . I had to return the dog he had to stay overnight they said I could pick him up up in morning// I called in am to make sure my 4 hour round trip to get MY max and see my CHLOE was ok , NO ONE ANSWERED , I had feeling something was sinister going on and they were not answering my calls , so i called on my neighbors phone and they picked up immediately and sounded upset it was me tricking them calling from another phone because their game was they were not answering MY calls and they tried every lie to tell me just wait to come, I said no I was on my way/ they called back and said Max was accidently sold yesterday to someone else and they were refunding my money. I knew gut feeling that was a lie so I drove there. and snuck in the back door where there was a couple in my Max cage , He was there!! they were petting him. I asked if they had adopted him they said no but they were thinking of it, so I confronted the supervisor that Max was there and she told me to leave the building, I asked why she said she did not have to respond then she threatened me saying if i did not shut up she would not let me have CHLOE in two weeks/ I called the microchip company they said the Max was legally mine, I callled the county where the I had registered Max got his dog license and they said he was legally mine and to call the police which I did the police said they were on their way as the supervisor had called to report I was threatening them WHEN I said nothing except I wanted my dog I had paid for and signed papers, she was the one threatening me !!! CRAZY experience, the police came said they could say I was 100 percent truthful and to go down to the Newark court to pursue a claim to get Max back and Chloe. which I did. but The head board of the Kennel was the judge (LOL) and my lawyer said we had no chance of winning the case because the lies ran deep . I am traumatized to this day of the Licking County Humane society. I found out the mother of the couple that got Max was a vet tech for 22 years at the kennel and she wanted her daughter to have him so they stole my baby from me, NEPOTISM at its best!! read more

Highly disappointed in this humane society. I have never experienced so much disrespect. The first time that I came to this Humane Society me and my friend were there to look at some puppies, and the workers told us that unless we had a pet policy from where I rent then we weren't allowed to even look at them. I decided to come back today with my lease pet policy and I found a cat that I liked so I went and sat down at one of the lobby tables and workers kept walking past and nobody even said hello to me until I stop someone and ask for some help and she said somebody would be with me shortly then a girl comes over and asked me if I did my questionnaire and has fill one out then she never even comes back over to me again so I stop someone else and she has somebody else come help me then he basically tries to hand me a card and tell me that I need to come back when I have a written statement saying that I could have an animal at my apartment even though I had my lease agreement. Everyone was extremely rude and acted like they did not wanna help me, so I asked the gentlemen if they just did not want to help me and he had someone else come out and talk to me and she was even more rude. Basically was yelling at me and told me that I need to get what I need and then I can come back and said "so do you want me to hold the cat or not" I said yes so I stepped outside and made a call and then came back in and sat down and nobody acknowledged me so I walk to the front and asked the lady sitting there if I could put a deposit down to hold a cat till Monday and she said they don't do that and I said the woman in black told me that I could I think, and she was standing right behind her and started yelling at me from across the room, telling me that she did not say that and that I needed to come back with the statement then I could get an animal. I genuinely don't know how these people work in customer service. I will not be returning and will not be recommending anyone to go there. read more

We had a great experience on June 9th when we adopted a kitten from the Licking County Humane Society. The facility itself is beautiful. It is clean, well-lit, bright, and cheerful. The staff are friendly, helpful, and kind. We had several kittens from which to use and were able to visit with them before choosing one to take home. The staff make the process pleasant and easy. Also, they have pet products for sale. This was a delightful experience, and we recommend it for anyone looking for a new pet to love. Also, the animals have initial vaccines, are spayed or neutered, and are microchipped. read more

Absolutely horrible front desk service. Staff was incredibly rude to me and my sister. I went there looking for help for my kitten about 3 months old and suddenly lost the ability to use her front legs. I go to the Licking County "Humane" Society to ask for assistance. The lady at the front desk tells my sister while I wait in the car that they offer no vet services and instructed her to contact Value Vet and administer her as an emergency. My sister asks for the phone number for the vet she suggested and her response was "sure or you can google it". Then I go back in to ask if they knew of any places I may be able to surrender her in the event that I cannot pay for the care that she may need. The desk worker told me to contact family and friends to "cough up the money" because there was no information or help from their office that could assist me. Their pet care is a joke! They do not care about your pets. The website has a list of of services that they absolutely do NOT provide. read more

I had a great experience adopting my dog here around 5 years ago. Professional, courteous staff, and a clear adoption process. Would definitely consider adopting another animal here in the future or recommend it to others. read more

This shelter is one of the best shelters I've seen. The cats and kittens have so many things to climb on and windows to lay in front of on several levels. They have many roomy boxes to get into on several levels on the walls that can give them space when they need it. The staff is friendly and they take good care of their cats and dogs. They walk the dogs daily and give them fresh air outside. They really have the animals welfare in their minds and hearts! Great place to adopt a friend to give your heart and care to! read more

Just adopted a dog from here. So friendly and helpful. I was impressed at how much they know about the dog we got. Much better than some other larger counties animal shelter. read more

We recently had to have our 16 year old friend put to sleep so we have been looking around for puppies to adopt. We were excited to see several Australian Shepard Cattle Dog mix puppies on the Licking County Humane Website. We drove over to look at them today. To our disappointment they were not available. Their website is not up-to-date to say the least. They said they don't remove an animal until it has been picked up by the new owner. They don't have the animals listed as pending adoption mentioned on their website. So if you are thinking about going here to see a new friend to adopt you will more than likely be very disappointed. Really bad website!! read more

Horrible service. Tried for 3 days to adopt a kitten. They would not hold from Friday to Sunday even if I was approved and paid. Tried to have my mom physically pick up the kitten and they would not let her take it for me. Applied Monday morning, called at 12:03 when they opened at 12, confirmed they received my app and let them know I'd be in today to get her. Called again at 12:29 to let them know I was on my way and was told no one was even there to look so I was good to come in. Not even 10 minutes later I get a call saying someone else was adopting the kitten. Worst part: when I returned the call to express my disappointment, I was simply told "have a nice day". Guess what? You ruined my day so try again. Beyond disgusted at this horribly ran circus. If I could give it a 0/5 I would. read more