I had a feral cat that had some facial concerns and, of course, needed to be 'fixed'. They got us in quickly and did a superb job at a very reasonable fee. They love helping the kitties and we appreciate it! read more

Pawmetto Lifeline - Post op Leo - Animal Shelters Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

The staff were so rude while I was surrendering two kittens. I'm not sure why, but the experience was awful and one that I would not recommend to anyone. read more

I don't usually leave reviews because I'm not sure it normally serves a purpose. But I need to warn people about the animals that are adopted out. Older cats and dogs may not have these issues, but I adopted, two months ago, two littermates who had very soft stools when I took them home. I did mention it to "someone" who was at the desk the following week, but was told it's not that abnormal in kittens. They had also sent me home with some fairly decent dry food for the kittens, and two cans of some random grocery store pate. As the softness continued, I researched and learned the wet food was for adult cats, and my kittens were 2.5 months at that time. So switched to kitten food. Softness continued. Some days it was more like diarrhea. I discontinued all wet food and added some rice to their kitty kibble. Nope, no change. I was using a bag of Breeze litter every four days. $20 a bag. My cat Sophie uses one bag a month. Then I had them neutered, no concern in the spay neuter clinic about their chronic diarrhea. Now they're a little over three months and I hope everything will clear up when the anesthesia and pain meds gets out of their system. No, that didn't happen. I observed little accidents as poop ran out of them as they ran fir the litter box. By now poop was the consistency of a cream soup. I made an appointment for both kittens at my cat clinic and took in a stool sample. It took 6 days to get results back from the lab. They both have: 1. hookworms 2. a protozoal parasite called Cryptosporidium. This is a parasite that infects the small intestine and causes diarrhea. It is notoriously difficult to get rid of, but most patients with Crypto "learn" to live with it as their immune systems bring the parasite down to small numbers that don't cause disease; 3. Clostridium perfringens toxin. This is a secondary pathogen that capitalizes on the Crypto weakened gut to make the diarrhea worse; 4. coronavirus. In the past week I've spent over $800 on office visits, lab work, prescription medicines and prescription diet $80 for a 7 pound bag, that they will need indefinitely, up to age one year. All because PAWMETTO LIFELIFE doesn't medically vet the kittens before they put them out for adoption. REALLY?? Never again. Healy and Rooster were 6th and 7th I've adopted, but never, ever adopted kittens in such poor health. I'd have been better off going to a breeder. At least those kittens get seen by gets before they're adopted out. read more

For people who are new to the Care-a-van, it can be very confusing. Those who already know what to do, the staff seems to take to them better. Evidently, you stand in line to wait for the clipboard and paperwork to complete for your pet(s). Then get back in line to return completed paperwork. After lining up twice, you then wait to be called then go get your pet from the car, then line again to have vaccinations. Yes, one more line, to pay for services. The woman ahead of me must have had several questions because she took longer than everyone else ahead of me. That is perfectly fine, but only if people like me, who don't know the process, get to receive the same amount of patience with questions and not talked down to as if I come everyday and know the process. If you are going to volunteer to do these sites, please be more respectful and don't pick and choose who you have patience with. We all love our pets and all spending the same time, money, energy, effort, gas, etc. to get here to use your services. Keep in mind, you are there for the people as well, our pets can't get there alone! read more

Volunteering at Pawmetto Lifeline has been a life highlight for me. Wish I'd thought to get involved years ago. The respect shown by the humans to all the cats and dogs is inspiring. When I signed on to do the work, I had no idea how rewarding and fun it would be. If you have the time and truly love animals, do this. It'll be an excellent choice for you and the fur buddies. Hope to see you there. Andy Woods read more

I took our dog her to their spay and neuter clinic. It was a great experience, I registered and paid online about a month before the service. A couple of days before the surgery, I was sent an email with directions. The morning of the surgery I arrived early in the morning, checked in and was told they would begin taking the pets shortly. About thirty minutes later, an employee came out of the car and took my puppy back. In the afternoon, I arrived and again check in. I paid the res rod the bill (rabies vaccine and collar- $35) and waited about 15 minutes. An employee brought my puppy out and we walked to the car. It was a great experience and I appreciated the low cost. When I asked my vet they wanted between $500-700 for the procedure. Pawmetto was $155. Great experience. Thank you read more

submited aplication, was aproved, NOBODY CONTACTED ME ABOUT MY CHOICES OR ANYTING!!! i went to Pawmetto Lifeline and staff was colder than ICE? Why i did not had options, if saving life is so important?! read more

Yes they ask questions to disqualify you. They don't appreciate honest they want you to lie. They are very judgy and and opinionated. Meaning you tell then what you want and they want to give you something else. So they psychologist, social worker, therapist, ok then. read more

Recently I had to make the decision to re- home my dog and was instructed to take him to Pawmetto Lifeline. Choosing to re-home is a very stressful and heartbreaking decision and Pawmetto Lifeline didn't make it any better! I was grilled, talked down to and treated in such a disrespectful manner that I walked out. One employee rudely told me that adopting a pet is a lifetime commitment. Another one actually called me after I left and told me I would owe them 1,000. I have made every effort to ensure my dog is safe, fed and all shots and vaccines are up to date! He's not being mistreated but my work life has changed and I'm currently not able to give him the attention he needs. I was also told he's overweight and the Woman had such a look of disdain and judgemental look on her face that was completely uncalled for. I will never use their services again! Be warned read more

Pawmetto Lifeline - This is Mylo. Seeking a new home immediately - Animal Shelters Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

I was told that they had to have a copy of my driver's license to verify who I said I was. Glad to show it to them along with my miliary ID, but no copies. Info on copies can be used to make counterfeit documents for identity theft. read more

First time here and I brought a cat for spay surgery because it was FAR less expensive versus my vet. I was able to get the surgery, pain meds and microchip for $125! My vet quoted $350 just for surgery. The communication by this facility is outstanding and everything was extremely well described in detail. It was clean and well organized despite long lines. Tip: Google maps will not take you to the correct address despite using both numerics given. The wait list is long- we waited 2 months for an appointment. read more

Went yesterday to get my puppy vaccinated. It was a nightmare! After finally finding a parking spot way around the corner and walking around the building to stand in line, there was NOBODY telling us what to do, but apparently you're supposed to get a clipboard with a form and take it (and your pet) back to the car to complete it, then LEAVE YOUR PET IN THE CAR and come back to the line (which was now even longer). The line was not moving at all and the young blonde woman behind the table was extremely rude when I asked questions. She told me I needed to leave my puppy in the car with the AC going (my car is a hybrid and that would completely drain the hybrid battery, not to mention my puppy would go INSANE by herself). After waiting in the line for about 10 minutes, it didn't move AT ALL. I finally decided to come back another day, so took my clipboard up to the table where the woman asked in a very curt manner what I needed. I handed her the clipboard and said I'll come back another day. She then barked out, "I need the form." I said, "I'm going to come back another day." She kept her hand out and said again, "I need the form. I need to void it." I held it out and she grabbed it from me annd said, "I need to void it." And then she set it aside and went back to what she was doing. I won't be back. They need more people out there helping to move the line, explain what to do in a customer-friendly way. read more

Affordable vaccines, reasonable life saving care, with an appointment. I highly recommend the careavan vaccine services for multi pet households. read more

Pawmetto Lifeline - Kitty with Boo Babe, her most favorite person. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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We went in just to look and maybe check out an animal to adopt. the woman at the desk was RUDE AS FUCK to us and everyone else there, approached us and made nasty faces and wouldn't let anyone even look at the animals! SHE WAS UNBELIEVABLY RUDE! She was nasty and almost accusing us of some shit...it was wild, and all of the animals were behind lock and key and looked so depressed, and it's no wonder why. bad business that doesn't seem to properly care about finding these animals good homes. shame. do better. read more

"You need to take your animal to your car, leave it, and line up for a third time ( in any order) outside the spay and neuter doors." This was the 'order' barked by the rude, unfriendly woman to animal owners who had waited in line since 8:15 A.M. after visiting the site the day before, 7/15/2025, and who had been careful to obtain instructions for receiving rabies shots for 2 puppies 7/16/2025. Upon our early arrival on a hot, sunny morning with temperatures already in the 80's, it was so hot that others waiting actually had small fans to help them. At 9:00 A.M. an employee turned the line at the front by the Van around and directed all to follow to the spay/neuter doors. So those arriving the earliest were now at the back. That's when another employee came out those doors and then ordered all to remove their animals to their cars, leave them, and return to line up again!! When we voiced that we had 2 puppies barely leash trained, objected to leaving them in a hot car, had dragged them from our car when we arrived, stood where directed the day before, arrived early as advised the day before, dragged them as instructed now to the side of the building, and would never put them in a hot car or leave ours running, (a police officer was just fired for leaving his K9 in a running vehicle when the compressor failed, and the dog died from heat), she said that the Palmetto Lifeline policy needed to be followed or we should leave which we did. As the founder of a 501 C-3 in another state, an active attorney on the Animal Law Section of the Bar of another state, a teacher with a Humane Education Club in past years, my husband and I were appalled. One lady had a 17 year old dog in the original line, another brought a rescue to have its nails clipped etc. Animal lovers and sweet people who were herded by a woman who could have played Nurse Ratchett in "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest"! Leaving a dog in a hot car to finally wait in a third line would be animal abuse where we come from! We left!! read more

I have been taking my pup to the Care-A-Van since I got her in May. Today was the worst experience I've ever had. The girl Alex was rude to me, she was rude to her colleagues, she gave the vibe that she hated her job and had a condescending attitude. I could've overlooked her rudeness and still got what my pup needed, but nahh, I didn't like the way she was tapping the paper like I was beneath her. So therefore, I will not spend my money with them again. Alex if you don't like your job, pick a new profession sweetie. I hope what we discussed before I left gave you a reality check. read more

They lied when I called and ask them if they can give shots to the dogs at there van and we went up there,they said they don't do that on the van.my wife tried to take the paperwork that she had filled out the paperwork and then tried to keep it with are info on iflt and the woman up there tried to put her hands on my wife and scream don't touch me when she the woman was the aggressive one . read more

if I could do -0 stars I would, this company do not care about pets or their pet owners... I took my do to get a medical evaluation even paid $300.00 & they refused to give me back my dog... I will be taking this to court to get justice read more

Pawmetto Lifeline - This is the lady who stated she was helping me the best way she could only to take my dog & lace him with dog drugs - Animal Shelters Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Awful experience trying to adopt a kitten!! Older lady upstairs yelled at me when I came up saying that I couldn't be there unless I was approved and said she was sick of Sarah (don't know who that is???) sending people to look at cats if they weren't "approved" but I had already gotten the application filled out and told I could come up Then when I found one I wanted to look at I asked her if I could hold it and she sighed really loud and said no that I had to watch it in this little play pen. A guy came over and told me that I could hold the kitten as long as I washed my hands but then the older woman yelled at him saying that's not how we do things and he walked off saying he needed to "smoke a fat one"... I don't know how they expect these cats to find a home if we can't interact with them and I don't know how they can sleep at night knowing these cats were living in filth! The water was full of orange slime, litter and food was everywhere, and some of the smaller cages had space taken up by several trays that looked like smaller versions of what you get a hot dog or nachos in... And don't even get me started on the woman with caterpillars on her eyelids saying she wanted to "make out" with a kitten which was disgusting Short version is that the staff is unprofessional and too lazy to care for these poor animals read more

Very unorganized, not a pleasant experience. Every pet owner for themself, with nor prioritization. Have used their services twice in the past 24 months read more

I had adopted a cat, which turned out was not compatible with my other pets. The cat had been adopted through another agency. As the cat had just been fully prepared by a veterinarian, I figured Palmetto would gladly accept my cat. Not so! The staff was rude and dismissive, and they would not accept my vaccination etc. paperwork. And wanted me to pay a fee for THEM to adopt my cat! Fortunately the agency that I adopted the cat from took him back AND refunded the adoption fee! No thanks, Palmetto Lifeline! read more

We adopted our sweet kitty Leia from Pawmetto Lifeline and definitely will return someday when we want to adopt again! Very friendly and welcoming staff and volunteers, clean and organized facilities, healthy animals, reasonable adoption fees, etc. Leia is our first fur child we have chosen as a married couple so we had so much fun getting to come in, play with kittens and choose our baby!! read more

Pawmetto Lifeline - Animal Shelters Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

DON'T LET THEM FOOL YOU... THEY DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOUR ANIMALS. THE MALE VET SCREAMED SHUT UP TO ONE OF MY DOGS REAPTLY !!! ALL I COULD HEAR IN THE EXAM ROOM WAS THE DR YELLING SHUT UP!!!!!!! Also I wanted to add that they actually have no earthly idea what the hell they're doing over there when they neutered male he was dripping blood for about 2 weeks I contacted my new vet and they told me that that was not a successful neuter. And when I took another dog in to get looked at there because i found starving to death on the street I asked them if they could do a complete blood panel to see if he has any organ damage they told me that his levels are out of whack from being nervous but his new vet told me that he in fact has organ damage and when I asked them how old he looked they said three to five years old but I got a DNA test on him and he is in fact 8 months also they told me that he had a infestation of hookworms they gave me two little pills thinking that that would kill them when I took him to his new vet they said he still has hookworms stay away from here they're going to say I'm lying to protect themselves... I definitely regret trusting them with my dogs their money hungry and they don't give a damn about any animals. read more

A total scam and sham. Looking to find an older dog for my lonely elderly mother. Her past two dogs passed away after 15 years. She has a stellar history with those dogs and since she is now older, we wanted to give a loving home to an adult dog. These people couldn't be bothered. No response on application, no communication. I think they post pictures of pets to lure people into making donations. And worse, they have broken her heart. She can't understand why they won't respond. As far as I can tell, they are a scam of an organization with no real compassion for placing unwanted animals into good homes. Avoid them at all costs. read more

My family and I adopted 2 kittens from here about a month ago. We started off by just wanting to look at the kittens because we weren't entirely sure if we would find what we were looking for. We had to fill out an application which was kind of inconvenient for my family knowing we had a small toddler with us. After we did that and waited a good 30-40 minutes just to see the cats, we decided on 2 kittens to take home with us. The paperwork for these kittens took another 45 minutes. The kittens were 25$ a piece with a 75$ deposit on each kitten to ensure they were spayed and neutered. I was told I would get a call the following week to have their spay and neuter done. I proceeded to call palmetto lifeline spay and neuter clinic after week 1 and they told me that I was on the waiting list. So we waited and waited and 2 more weeks passed and no call. So I called back because my kittens were showing signs of mating with each other!!! They told me not to worry because if my female cat got pregnant by her male "brother" they would take care of that during the spay!! What?!!! it took me a almost 5 weeks to get my cats spayed and neutered and I have yet to receive my deposit back from them. $150 dollars? They told me to call in 10 business days if it wasn't returned to my card. But no need to call because no one and I mean no one answers the phone. Honestly I would not recommend this place to anyone. Not only am I getting the run around but the employees act like they absolutely hate their jobs. I have never adopted a cat, I have never gotten them spayed or neutered. There is no reason to be rude to someone for asking questions when they have never done this before. I did not receive an email telling me what time drop off was or pick up, I wasn't told they weren't supposed to eat or drink before their surgery, I had to look it up on the internet. I will definitely be getting my deposit back, but I will be thankful when I don't have to deal with this place again. I take reviews very seriously and my review has been honest. read more

Love the animal selection as well as the medical services and aftercare for fixing the pet that you adopt

THE WORST IN COLUMBIA! This is nowhere near a "lifeline" for animals, they are only focused on selling pets not helping any animals that are abandoned or suffering and actually NEED A LIFELINE. For them to be a non-profit they sure do care only about PROFIT! I found 4 kittens on the road that were in need of help and they told me to just feed them myself and put them back outside. NOT TO MENTION THE LACK OF EMPATHY AND DISREGARD FOR PEOPLE IN THIS ESTABLISHMENT. This is sad and unacceptable considering tax dollars and animal lovers keep this place thriving. They're lucky it's impossible to give NEGATIVE STARS ON A REVIEW! read more

Had horrible service there. The workers are extremely rude and one old lady was mocking us when we were there to adopt. SMH. Do not go here they suck. read more

Small cyst on service dogs back. Expressed small amount of fluid used topical antibiotic for few days but decided he needed to be seen. Pay up front unlike any other vet I have been to. When ask at desk am told nexgard not for heartworm prevention. But it is. Then tells me chart says give 2 twice daily for 2 weeks. Bottle says 3 twice daily for 2 weeks.i tell her this. She looks again and says oh yes 3 as rx says.Today I see pills different color. Green. Other more turquoise. I go to see if correct. New female vet comes out and I say not the same. She says color according to manufacturer. I ask who filled rx. She does not know. I have question and very rudely tells me I'm not arguing with you. I say I am not arguing just want to make sure last rx correct. Couple of staff ok. Rest are rude or indifferent. They act like you are an imposition. For nonprofit they are very high in prices except for care a van. There was no reason for new vet to be rude. You cannot explain to me without going on defensive. So you do not have records of who fills prescription? Really? Really? How do you accountformeds?. If you wish to be Treated like you aren't appreciated go there. Cheap is not always better. If I could give 0 stars I would. Sorry I took 3 minutes of your time. read more

I went into Pawmetto looking for an older dog that could be my companion. I explained to staff that I work from home but travel a lot (on the road) and have a large family and wanted a well socialized dog that would do well being my adventure companion. They introduced me to a 5 year old dog named Lucas that they said was very mellow and friendly. After I completed the paperwork and was about to leave with Lucas they gave me his meds.... He had been prescribed 400 mg a day of trazadone (he's 47 pounds). Lucas wasn't well socialized... he was totally sedated every day that he was at shelter. after consulting with two different vets I was told that he should not be on a sedative dose like that and we worked together to wean him off. In the meantime Lucas started exhibit very protective and reactive behavior. It's not been three months and I've spent thousands on training to try and medigate his aggression. i love him, but needless to say my entire life changed without knowing what I was getting into. Lesson here: check before you adopt from here to see just how sedated the animal you are looking to adopt currently is. read more

Don't adopt from this place - FOSTER only. Don't let these idiots separate you from your own personal pet to align in a caged space with an unknown/unfamiliar animal that you may be considering as an addition to your family -- it's absolutely irresponsible and any harm done to your personal pet would be devastating lesson to learn. YOU should always be with YOUR pet and diligent of protecting your pet from potential bad situation. Animals are unpredictable. These staff don't understand this fact. Don't trust this staff as if they are knowledgeable or caring - they are not. They are a fundraising entity doing minimal work to mitigate county shelter overflow - and are definitely not forthright with information. You will NOT be able to get their compassion or professionalism to mitigate an incompatible adoption and they will not be truthful of the animal's behavior, medical conditions or anything that would potentially give you second thoughts of suitability. Adopt from the county shelters if possible. If you donate to ASPCA, donate to your *LOCAL* SPCA, not the national one - the national one hoards donations and reallocates cash donations in $50-200 to the individual ASPCA locations doing the front line work throughout the nation. read more

I've been a volunteer at PLL for almost 2 years. I'm also a foster. This is a wonderful organization and the staff and volunteers are tirelessly at work to save dogs and cats in the Midlands! The Pet Soup, Boot in Service, TRN, and many other awesome programs they offer, not only for the health and welfare of the pets, but for the pet owners, that couldn't otherwise afford the food or vet care, is extraordinary. No organization is perfect. My critique for PLL, is the adoption process. It is quite time consuming and a lot of paperwork. Be prepared when coming in to adopt a dog or cat, to spend approx 1+ hours. Even the pre-approval process to visit with a dog or cat, can take up to 30 minutes. But have patience! The dog or cat you're waiting to see, could be the one that brings endless unconditional love to your life! read more

They were great to my kitten I found at orange burg McDonald's and I didn't even have enough money to pay the bill and medication. They are also helping my friend who has 15 cats that she's trying to take care of in her home. They are spaying and neutering them for very little and taking them in to their facility and re- homing them. It is hard to get someone on the phone so I had to email and then talk to them when me and my friend got there, other than that I had no problems read more

I adopted a kitten from there. Everything is good with it. But in couple weeks I found a kitten and I went to them. They were so mean with me. They told me that they don't care if I am going to leave it on the street. But the problem that can't keep it because my cat is fighting with it all the time!!! If you know someone who is looking for a new friend I have a Kitten 2 months old and it's so lovely. Absolutely for free!! Female. Just call me 609 305 8226. read more

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I do NOT recommend this animal shelter! The staff at this shelter was extremely rude and gave me an awful experience. I came in with hopes of adopting a cat and immediately let them know that I am a senior in college, currently working a full-time internship. They made me fill out their lengthy adoption application, just to turn around to reject me from adopting, solely because I am a college student. They all knew this from the minute I walked in the door. They immediately assumed that I wouldn't take care of the cat well because I am in a "transitional period," yet they didn't ask me any questions regarding my living situation or future plans (all of which will well accommodate a cat). I was extremely upset and cried in the parking lot, where the one kind worker in that establishment comforted me and assured me that I would be a good candidate for adoption, but that there was nothing she could do. I am very disappointed in the employees' horrible customer service and their lack of finding suitable homes for the MANY cats living in their confined space. I feel bad for the poor animals in their care, and hope they do and treat people better in the future. read more

Don't go here unless you are ready to vote for Bernie Sanders! I am an uninformed potential adopter looking to figure out if a dog adoption is the right thing for us. Got totally stonewalled at the front door and they refused to even show a dog to us without a well laid out plan for how I would care for the dog that I don't know anything about. At this point we were only looking to meet a few dogs to see if their personalities made sense and we were forced to fill out an adoption application. They then refused our application that we didn't want to fill out to begin with. No one was looking to adopt a dog that day.I'm sure there is a place for what they do but if you are considering adopting a dog for the first time this is definitely not the place. Somehow I left feeling bad when all I wanted to do was figure out if dog adoption might be right for us. read more

I've heard great things about this place in the past, so when we started looking to adopt another cat so our current cat could have a buddy, this place was our first choice. We had no issues getting through the application process after we fell in love with one of their little guys on their website. A few emails back and forth later and it came time to set up a meeting for the little guy we were dying we meet...and then there was no word back. This place ghosted us after telling us our application was approved for the cat we had our intentions set on. There was no explanation on if the cat was adopted by another family or if we just weren't the right fit for that particular cat or anything like that. They just stopped all contact. We will not be trying to adopt from this place again. read more

Extremely rude staff. I walked in for five minutes and the lady behind the desk started screaming at a lady behind me, she was so embarrassed she actually left the building with her son and their dog who had accidentally slipped off the leash. Mind you no one was around and even if there was accidents happen. I feel so bad for her read more

We adopted a dog from them March 2019. When it was time to renew for medications, we had to go elsewhere because their hours did not fit our schedule. Here we are 6 months later and still getting charged for medications but not getting anything in the mail. I DID like the service but now that I cannot reach anyone to get it cancelled, I am more than a little upset. I cannot afford to pay twice every month for medication. I have called 3 times that I have noted and one other time I did not record the date. No one ever answers a phone there. I have called the vet clinic and several extensions on the adoption side. Only once did anyone return a call. It was last month and still nothing happened. I just got another charge alert today. We love the dog we adopted. He had heartworm. While we were adopting and getting him taken care of, they were nice. But now they are all ghosts. read more

Me and my partner adopted two little kittens from here a few months back and couldn't be happier. When we got their we where just looking around not sure if we really wanted to adopt at the time and they where very understanding. To help us out they asked us some questions to try and help us find the perfect pet. My partner was very determined that he wanted a Siamese and me I could have cared less as long as they where healthy. They put us in a room and brought the two Siamese kittens they had in the room with us and allowed us to spend a little time with them so we could decide if we wanted to take one home. My partner from the start feel in love with the little male kitten by the name of Jackson ( aka Jasper now ) and he decided that was the kitten he wanted but I wasn't so sure the little female kitten Evalyn ( aka Eva now ) was just the sweetest thing and very loving. We talked for a little while and one of the girls from the front desk came in and talked to us. My partner told her that we where getting to male kitten and she could see on my face that I was not as happy about the decision. After leaving the room she came back in and talked to us about an event they had going on that weekend where the rehoming fee was cut down drastically. At that moment I quickly told my partner that we where getting both kittens. After doing are paperwork they made sure that we had everything we needed to start out with to welcome the kittens into are home. After a few month it was time to get but Jasper and Eva fixed and due to us getting the kittens from here it was free to have them fixed with them and all we would have to pay was for the medication. read more

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