I signed up to foster. Great organization. I think poor reviews are from people who where the…read morefoster failed to communicate or they were found not qualified to take care of a pet.

Misleading, disorganized, and unprofessional. We provided every requested document, were repeatedly…read moreassured that all issues were resolved, and completed a home visit during which we were told we were approved to move forward with payment and a pickup date. Then, we were denied at the very last moment. Communication was nonexistent, expectations constantly changed, and the process was a total waste of our time. This felt less like an adoption process and more like being strung along.

This place rules! I have never seen so many happy, cheerful and good lookin cats in one place. Glad…read moreto have a shelter option this great in the area. The staff was wonderful!

What does the 5 A's stand for? I'll translate for you, it means, Alton Area Animal Aid Association…read more They are a non-profit, no kill shelter that has been serving the Alton community for 65+ years. 5 A's is worthy of their 5 Star rating. They are a great small town, county shelter that takes good care of homeless dogs and cats. Recently they got some publicity for one of their residents who had been living in the shelter for 11 years. Wiggles had a tumor that was unoperateable, but 5 A's kept her and loved her. Finally after appearing on a local news channel, she found her forever home for her senior years. Being new to the Alton community, I stopped by to see what I could do or donate to help them with their cause and was impressed with the cleanliness of the shelter. I was also impressed with the friendliness and love I saw the staff and volunteers showing the resident animals. My house currently is full of four paws, but I now know what they need and will be donating regularly. When: January 2021 Why: Donations

What a wonderful place! All the cats are so clean and well…read morecared for and their accommodations are spacious. The staff was extremely friendly and informative. I've been searching for my perfect cats for months now and I finally found her here!

A wonderful place where cats can have a second chance…read more I've been coming here to volunteer here regularly and everyone working/volunteering here is great. While I think a shelter doesn't have to be non-kill to make a positive impact, I think it's important that places like this exist, especially for older cats who might have a harder time integrating into homes. If you're interest in adopting from this place, definitely come and check it out. If you're interested in volunteering, also definitely come take a look, as the place can always use more committed people that love cats.

I found the staff compassionate and efficient. My dog that I adopted, Angeline (now Angel), had…read morebeen well cared for in this shelter. Her known history and medical care was well-documented. I was very impressed!

I have been volunteering here for 3-4 years…read more First off, the positives - which there are a lot. The CEO cares more about animals than anyone I've met. She is amazing and works tirelessly to make St. Louis a better place for animals and people. She's also very warm, empathetic and nonjudgmental toward anyone who needs to give up their pet or needs help. Staff is mostly the same way. The facility is awesome and constantly changing. I swear every time I go in, there's something new. It's definitely the cleanest shelter I've been in. There is a cat area and a dog area in a separate building. Sometimes the dogs overflow into the other building when they're crowded. The cat area has as many cats roaming freely as possible (ones that get along with one another and people). They do great with feral cats and socializing them. The dog building can be very overwhelming when all the dogs are riled up, but they do their best with calming music and sound dampening materials. The flexibility of volunteering is awesome. You do a training session for cats, dogs, or both then you can basically come anytime to walk dogs, clean enclosures, play with cats, do laundry or dishes, or really just sit in a room with a pup who needs some company. There are multiple volunteer programs too if you have more time to bond with an animal (fostering, staycation, 1:1 program, and more). Even if you only have 20 mins to run in and walk one dog, staff is so grateful. There is also a Facebook group where volunteers can post pics and talk about the animals! Adoption-wise: I adopted my cat, Bali, from CARE. She is absolutely amazing and I'm so grateful for her. I originally brought her home for a "straycation" (a short break from the shelter) because I wasn't sure if I was ready for a new cat after my previous one passed away. The straycation turned permanent after a week of seeing how perfect she was for my family. The adoption process was incredibly easy and I love how CARE makes sure to vet people before adopting and education people about declawing and letting their animals outside, etc. before allowing them to adopt. A few cons: As I mentioned a little, the dog area can be overwhelming. There are absolutely people who are happy to help you but sometimes everyone looks extremely busy. Policies change often which is difficult to keep up with - though they have been working hard on signage for this. Speaking of policies, it can be difficult to keep up with the protocol for volunteers/fosters at the adoption center. The feeling when you first walk in very much depends on who is working at the time. Sometimes, I arrive to welcoming staff and and can go right through to the cat area or the warehouse. Other times, I am looked at like I have 5 heads when I come to hangout with the cats or told I have to stay in the waiting area to receive foster supplies. It's a little odd to me that the front door is locked and requires you to ring the doorbell. I completely understand concern for safety but I don't know any other business that has a locked front door during regular hours and it feels less welcoming to be asked why I'm there before I'm allowed to come in. Finally, the veterinary care is sub-par. They recently built a vet area which is amazing, but I haven't had much luck with the actual vet and I know other volunteers with similar experience. Of course vet care is expensive and it's difficult to find vets who will volunteer their time or be paid minimally for a non-profit, but there is room for improvement nonetheless. The main vet is supposedly very experienced, but he has sent me home with numerous fosters who had issues after their alters or general medical issues. I have brought in cats for him to check out, told they were fine, but then they were very much not fine and had to be brought back in. He is completely unfazed by most things. I'm sure he has seen a lot of severe injuries in his career, but the cavalier attitude toward concerned foster parents is off-putting. My advice is to be very thorough and assertive with fosters - if you think something is wrong, don't give up just because they took a quick look and didn't notice anything obvious. Do some research in advance on how to recognize fleas, infections, etc. so that you can really examine the animal you're thinking about bringing home so that you don't inadvertently take on more than you can handle. Overall, I absolutely recommend CARE for both adoption and fostering/volunteering, just with those few caveats. Even with those concerns, CARE is the best shelter I've ever volunteered for and am proud to be a volunteer.

Adopted a cat from this organization and she has been wonderful. The process to adopt was simple…read moreyet responsible and they have emailed to check in monthly. Could not recommend more!

Great organization! Their goal is to keep pets with their people by offering affordable services…read moreand products for the people in the areas they serve.

Wow wow wow! I'd…read morelike 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!!

Decided to foster a dog for the first time and thought of CARE because they are literally begging…read morefor 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!

I got my baby Zeus when he was only 2 months 1/2 and they help to take my baby with me he is the…read moresweetest boy best decision ever

My dog Rocky was surrendered by someone who is not the legal owner and adopted the very next day…read morewith NO VERIFICATION, I showed them proof of ownership through documentation and microchip information. They have refused to help me in any way. I would encourage them to take accountability for their mistake. The apa shelter needs to verify ownership of these pets before adopting them out so quickly and PERMANENTLY separating a pet from its owner. I quote "The APA is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing people and pets together"

This shelter is phenomenal. ALL the people are kind and caring and my heart goes out to Diane. She…read morehelped me resolve a bitter situation with love and open arms. I brought her a small dog who immediately felt at home with Open Door. The information they retrieve and care they give their four legged children is amazing. Open Door was a God send and a place I will continue to support and donate to.

Staff is unfriendly to say the least, walked in and noone said bo to us, they need some training in…read morehow to deal with the public

This is a great rescue that helps many animals. They also have a store with low prices on pet food…read moreand supplies. This store helps with medical bills.

This is a great place to volunteer if you are looking for opportunities. The leads train you…read morethroughly and explain their twice a day process to clean the litter pans, feed/water, and provide a scratch or hug if appropriate. They follow appropriate procedures for avoiding any cross contamination, required vetting, and administering meds when needed. They have supplies and cute items for your pets too and all purchases go back to supporting the cats care! They mainly take in strays and surrendered cats, so consider taking one or two home and give them the love they desire!