Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County

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I have a service dog, but she needs to go through a professional training to make her more appropriate in public. The training she has had hasn't focused enough on her smelling people and everything else, and a few other things the training didn't really focus much on. So I am wondering if you ever aid people complete training, or even better do you know someone who does. I am in need of $99.00 to get her through her final classes of training. So am really praying you or someone you know can aid me with this need.Tammi [email protected]

I got a very sweet kitty from here at a great price. The building is clean and did not smell bad. The staff were friendly and helpful. I adopted a 5 yr. old kitty because I know they are harder to find homes for than kittens. Her name was Beth but I named her Freckles for the spots on her front legs. Whoever lost her or threw her out, lost a nice kitty.

They connected me with my best friend and aid. The facility is clean and user friendly. I hope all owners can re-unite with their lost friends.

Below is why we recommend people go try out the animals soon at their nearest shelter. A surprise blessing for your life may just be waiting there for you! The Tacoma Humane Society let us adopt a wonderful little Bichon Frise on 4/5/2012. My wife who has suffered numerous losses in recent years had been growing lonelier as a result. But with this sweet addition to our family she is lonely no longer! Here is a description of our adoption process experience: we walked in on our 2nd visit mostly for fun, not necessarily expecting to find the dog for us. However, the type we'd wished for was in the very first pen, looking up wonderingly at us. The paperwork stated he was picked up as a stray near JBLM ... The Humane Society can be a busy place with a whirlwind of simultaneous activity. Animals are adopted out on a first come first serve basis. One must be prepared ahead of time to act quickly when opportunity arises; there is no time for hesitating when other parties are likely interested in the same animal. Such was the case, of course, with our choice of this adorable little Bichon. [Caution: when one has "fallen in love" with a dog or cat there, there is no way to tell if paperwork is already pending on the animal you want most. This possibility creates suspense which we found nerve wracking for a time. We sympathized with the person 2nd in line for Dandy, and were gratified to later witness her being rewarded for showing flexibility and an open mind as she adopted another sweet small dog, coincidentally our own top alternate choice.]We advise anyone desiring a specific breed to get comfortable making an instant commitment. That is probably what will be required of you when you see that face behind the cage longing for you to, "Pick me, please!" We were only 90% ready initially, but overall we were encouraged and made confident vs feeling rushed about this exciting development. After a hands-on visit and walk with the dog we were transformed to 100% committed. Despite its popularity and crowds, the Humane Society is organized to operate like clockwork. It is thorough down to the detail. We managed to exercise patience. Deep breaths! Things progressed for us step by step. Voila, 90" later we walked out eager to begin this new adventure together.The part played by six employees and several volunteers w/whom we interacted displayed an obvious level of caring involvement. A lot goes into an adoption decision. Each of these people did their part to answer our questions, address our insecurities, share their knowledge/experience, explain the rules, etc. For instance, we learned a family has 30 days to bring an animal back for an exchange if harmony at home cannot be achieved; and the Humane Society vet is responsible for the integrity of an animal's *sutures. Ethical rules are laid out for all parties. Dandy had received a $600 dental treatment as well as being *neutered on site before entering his pen for selection by the public. FYI, outgoing animals receive a complimentary vet appt. at the vet of the owner's choice as a part of their exit package. We were provided other perks that promote successful pet ownership starting right there, right then. The Humane Society is rightly named humane. We would like to applaud those working for and volunteering at the Tacoma Humane Society. We realize now how much our right decision was aided by the help of all those involved. Collectively, everything done by everyone there directly impacted our lives for the better. They gave excellent care to our little pet, and treated us, his potential owners, with consideration. They interviewed us to make sure our home was a safe, loving destination for him. We all worked for the same thing, that is, that we knew what we were doing when we departed with Dandy, ready to embrace the chall...

I find the Humane Society very good for mainly relying on donations and volunteers. People complain about the euthanization of animals but what they don't seem to understand is that there is not enough homes for all these animals because of people who refuse to fix their pets. They can't just stack the animals in the back of the shelter. The cages are cleaned multiple times during the day, and most lazy volunteers drop out eventually. They are a good shelter, trying there best on limited supplies

I find the Humane Society very good for mainly relying on donations and volunteers. People complain about the euthanization of animals but what they don't seem to understand is that there is not enough homes for all these animals because of people who refuse to fix their pets. They can't just stack the animals in the back of the shelter. The cages are cleaned multiple times during the day, and most lazy volunteers drop out eventually. They are a good shelter, trying there best on limited supplies

I find the Humane Society very good for mainly relying on donations and volunteers. People complain about the euthanization of animals but what they don't seem to understand is that there is not enough homes for all these animals because of people who refuse to fix their pets. They can't just stack the animals in the back of the shelter. The cages are cleaned multiple times during the day, and most lazy volunteers drop out eventually. They are a good shelter, trying there best on limited supplies

I find the Humane Society very good for mainly relying on donations and volunteers. People complain about the euthanization of animals but what they don't seem to understand is that there is not enough homes for all these animals because of people who refuse to fix their pets. They can't just stack the animals in the back of the shelter. The cages are cleaned multiple times during the day, and most lazy volunteers drop out eventually. They are a good shelter, trying there best on limited supplies

I read info on a dog that was owner surrendered. The prior family had the same age children as my family and the animal had no behavioral problems. However, when I expressed interest in the dog, they performed a 20 minute behavioral analysis and over-ruled the former owners two page history and said the dog was too timid for a house with young children (even thought the prior owner said the dog was great with the same age children as mine). I objected referring to the prior owners history, spoke with two supervisors, all to no avail. I was shut down and told my application would be held for 60 days and could see other dogs. They rationale was poorly based in their opinion of the moment and disregarded the prior owners comments. I would not surrender an animal to this facility due to uncertainty of what they would decide regardless of my history with the animal.

It was an accident that I adopted Liesl. My brother took his girlfriend to just look and I tagged along. However, when I saw a terrified kitten standing in her own diarrhea, my heart broke into a million pieces. She was cleaned up to see me, otherwise, I doubt she would have been. The fees to adopt her were astronomical, but at that point I had already fallen in love. However, a few months later I found out my beloved kitten was dying of FIP. I called the staff vet to express my concerns that it might be traveling through the cats the shelter. No picked up and no one ever called me back. I've dealt with them before and it seems to me most of their "volunteers" are doing community service. How else can you explain their appalling rudeness?

I was pleasantly surprised when I went to the Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce Counties. They know the dogs quite well and were able to give me good advice. They had no problem with my bringing my dog in. They were honest about which dogs had been cat-tested and which had not. The dog I adopted was pretty clean--had clearly been trimmed and washed. She had been treated for Bordtella. However, it was not grooming that one would see in a Christmas card photo. I do not think they have the money for that.I spoke with several staff members and they all knew my dog's story. It was clear that the staff love the dogs.They looked so happy that I was adopting a senior. (third senior that day). I looked over my shoulder as I left the building. Two staff were high-fiving each other and one was saying, "YESSS! Third senior TODAY!"

I found this wonderful dog over 4th of July weekend scared out of his mind. I call the them to get him in the "Found" books after holding for 30 min. I finally get this woman on the phone. She puts me on hold but forgets to push the mute button and proceeds to talk to her friend about going out and getting drunk and who she would like to have sex with that night. I clear my throat and she hangs up on me. Wow, really no thanks!

We just adopted a new kitten and it was totally a pleasant experience. Last adoption was 10 years ago (in the same new remodeled building). The fee was $114 but included microchipping, vaccinations, deworming and spay/neuter license (that's about $12) plus a free exam by a vet of our choice from a long list. Our regular vet charges $25 just for the microchipping. We think the fees are just fine. All four of the people that worked there that we talked with where nice, pleasant, helpful and wanted to help us to choose the right kitten for our needs. We would recommend this shelter to people.

I do believe in rescuing animals and adopted dogs and cats from the HS in the past, but won't do so in the future. For one thing the adoption fees rose to a point where you might as well go to a breeder. They renovated the place a few years back, supposedly to make more room for the animals, but all they did was build a fancy lobby; the dogs still live in the same grubby concrete kennels they lived in before, and the new cat room is only a little bigger than the old one. They still have a high kill rate; the claim of the volunteer that only a small percentage of the adoptable dogs gets euthanized is laughable: what's the percentage of adoptable dogs out of ALL the dogs that come to the shelter? One piece of advice I have for anybody needing a new home for their pet: try to find a new home via private pet rescue organizations, no-kill shelters or even through Craigslist; just be careful and screen potential adopters.

I don't know if the Humane Society of Tacoma and Pierce County is really doing a better job or not, but I do think they charge too much for adoptions. My wife and I have always gotten shelter dogs, two of them from that shelter, when the County ran it. Currently we are of very limited means. A hundred dollars is a lot of money to us, though I know it really isn't that much for most people. We just had our last dog put down. She was sixteen or seventeen and very sick (that alone cost us over a hundred dollars). We would like to adopt one or even two more dogs, but the adoption price! Frankly I feel discriminated against because of my economic status. If HSTPC really cares about having to put animals down because no one adopts them, why won't they open their adoptions to people like my wife and I, who want a pet but can't afford to just plunk down a hundred dollars to do it? Do the poor not deserve to own a pet?

We went to the Tacoma H.S. to adopt a play mate for our 9 month old cat. The staff was extremely honest, caring and professional.The service we got is hard to come by these days, I would recommend the Humane Society to anyone that wants to adopt a cat or dog!!

I have adopted several pets from the humane society in my adult life and the Tacoma Humane Society has been wonderful. They are helpful and honest when reviewing animals for adoption, though I wish they could afford to be open longer hours. They were also able to help me for a very reasonable fee when my beloved cat was hit by a car and I needed to have him creamated. They are certainly unable to maintain a 100% No Kill policy as they would be irrisponsible to adopt out unsafe pets and they obviously can't feed, house, and care for all those animals with their limited resources, but they have always seemed to care very deeply. In face, I once adopted a cat that my previous cat didn't get along with and was able to return him and wait over a month till I could find another cat I wanted that would get along with him. They helped make recommendations based on age, sex, and temperment. I highly recommend supporting this Humane Society.

I volunteer at the Humane Society. To clarify, the $350 fee is for small, purebred dogs. These dogs are the easiest to adopt out, so their adoption fees help to subsidize the older dogs and/or bigger dogs that do not get adopted as quickly. A large dog, over 7 years old is only $75. Younger dogs are $106. The fee covers veterinary care for the dogs while at the shelter, vaccinations, microchipping and spay/neuter if needed. The shelter is not profiting from adoption fees. To respond to the euthanization of dogs: The Humane Society is required to take in all animals unlike private rescues. Strays are NOT automatically slated for euthanasia after 2 days. After 3 days, they undergo behavior assesments to help them find the right home. I'm not sure where the reviewer got their info, but in 2008, no adoptable dogs were euthanized. Unfortunately cats are still. I encourage you to donate/volunteer to the Dugan Foundation so that Pierce County can someday become 100% No Kill.

My first and last visit at the tacoma humane society was such a dissappointment, after my husband and I decided to get our first pet, which we decided for a dog. I don't beleive in paying the price for a full bred, since people selling 'em are doing it for the money. Well, anyway from when I first walked thru the doors, I was greeted by the most rudest employees, like it was a bother for them to help. so we walked thru the back and found one that we wanted, it was a male lab mix with eyes that were just made your heart melt. well after finding out what the wanted for him, almost 300.00, after fees, and this and that, (for a lab-mix, for christ-sake) it made us turn away, and it just broke my heart. So we left without him. that nite neither my husband and I couldn't sleep thinking out this dog. we went back the next day, he was still there, paid the 300.00 plus this and that fees, and thought maybe they could use the money for a public relations training for their employees.

A friend of mine was watching my 7 month old boxer mix puppy. He got out of their yard and some how out of his collar. They found him at the shelter but didnt have the paperwork to get him out. And my wife and kids are out of town. I am in the military and had to wait till I got back from training, just to find they sold my dog. Was not even at the shelter for a full week. And all I got was, I'm sorry you should have came to pick up your dog sooner. They will never know the pain they have caused my family.