Jefferson County Spca

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Same as dog warden review. Utter CRAP. Never once has this place assisted in caring for an animal that I have saved. Their go to response is cant help....or ask for police assistance. Im sure the police have more time consuming matters for one, and two, is this not why you exist? To help animals? The donations are not just for your salaries and your mill style rabies clinic. SAD just like the Warden. I save any stray animal that lets me get near them and I am treated like I did something wrong! You should all be ASHAMED of yourselves. You all would rather pass the buck onto the police or simply do NOTHING at all for a suffering animal, rather than do your jobs. I will NEVER donate a single penny to this worthless organization or the warden's office, as the money clearly does not go where it should. That is to help animals in need. Time to worry about something other than what time lunch is!

My husband & I adopted 3 cats from this shelter and have had nothing but great experiences all 3 times. We recently adopted 1 male kitten at 3 months old, a male cat at 1.5 years old and a female cat at 1 years old (adopted yesterday evening). We were greeted by one of the staff as soon as we walked in and were allowed to spend as much time as we wanted looking at, holding and petting/playing with the animals. The animals are so cute! I plan on attending a volunteer meeting tonight so I can help out around the shelter.



Before adopting these cats we had one older cat 7 years old, a chihuahua/terrier mix 14 year old male dog and a 2 year old female German Shepherd (we have A LOT of space). My mother in law rescues Australian Shepherds, trains/boards all dog breeds and has taken in 3 strays over the years. My sister in law is an Animal Control Officer in Virginia and she rescued a Boston terrier dog. We're a huge animal loving family. I love the Jefferson County SPCA and would HIGHLY recommend rescuing a pet from there.



Before rescuing a pet, make sure your family and the pet are a good match. Bringing an animal home and expecting it to just 'adjust' is NOT a good plan. If you're rescuing a cat, make sure it has a quiet place to be alone until its ready to come out on its own. Putting your hand in the box and snatching it out only scares it more. Set up a litter box in that same area, along with food and water so that it has a 'safe zone' to retreat to if its too scared for a little while. The cat will adjust with time, don't rush it! There are a ton of cat sites online with more information if you need it. Google them!



*keep in mind, most cats do their exploring at night, when humans are asleep and out of their way and things are quiet. So don't be surprised if your cat is a little more relaxed in the morning. Prior to bringing the cat home, if you've got the money for it (about $45-60) purchase a cat pheromone diffuser. It looks like a glade plug in and let's out a scent only cats can smell and it helps cats with anxiety, stress, scratching, marking etc.



If you're bringing a dog home, introduce it the same way you would a cat, except have it on a leash. Having it on a leash will allow you to introduce it to all areas of the house. It will sniff and look all around and seem a little antsy or it will just try and stay by you. Again, don't rush it! They are getting used to a new environment. Offer it toys, food, water and a quiet 'safe zone' until its ready to interact a little more. There are also sites on introducing a dog into a new home. Google, google, google!!



We've done this sort of introducing with all our pets and its worked well.



HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS SHELTER.



Good luck finding a furry addition to your home!

DO NOT ADOPT FROM THIS PLACE!! My husband and I adopted a cat named Josie.

I saw her picture online and fell in love with her instantly. When we went in we were told we were not able to see her because she was sick with a cold to come pick her up in a week. I had asked how old she was and if she was a friendly cat. They told me that she was a year old and that she was super friendly and super lovable.

A week passes by and my husband and I and kids were super excited anticipating her arrival. When she comes home I saw that she was definately way older and from what the paper had stated she actually was three if not older. But I didn't mind it at all cause I've already fallen in love with her. I let her get familiar with her new home and she seemed fine. I went to pet her head and she bit me. A little disappointed because I thought maybe she needed to adjust to the whole change. After a few days she was not changing at all. I took Josie in to Petco Within 10 minutes they called for me to pick her up because she was not very nice at all just from brushing her. So time passes by and I'm still seeing no progress in her and notice that she's actually getting worse where petting her head wasn't even allowed by her only in her own terms she was sleeping a whole lot she only acknowledged us whenever she felt like it. So I contacted the SPCA they told me pretty much you're on your own. We can't take her back you're not getting your money back (which I didn't want anyways) and you can't get another cat in exchange for Josie. A guy who went by the initial J.H was very rude for no reason at all, he kept talking over me and just wouldn't listen I had to get mouthy in order for me to get my concerns out there for him to listen.

I asked to speak to a director a few times and I was always told she's not in her office, she's out running errands. They took my number and I still haven't heard nothing at all from them. After many many phone calls I got in touch with a lady named Liz who seemed to understand my situation and our families fear of the cat. She then said to bring her in. She told me that they would be able to find a home because she probably needed a different type of family. So yesterday I went to put her in her kitty cage and she began to growl and his at me. If I was within 3 steps away from her she would growl at us. A friend of ours came to help. We had to leave our home in fear of her attacking us and our baby. I contacted the SPCA and asked if they could help me and once again we were on our own. I asked for the director once again she wasn't there leave your number. Surprise no response at all!

I took Josie in already heartbroken and she had to be put down to sleep. I am still a little traumitized, I swear I hear her growling at us then I realize she is no longer here.

Please do your research before you go and adopt from this place.

I am so disappointed on the lack of help and professionalism.

The dangerous position they put me and my family through and not to mention the heartbreaks. Please do your family and yourself a favor and look elsewhere.

A family who's looking for a home for their cats or kittens. You're better of cause at least you'll know they've been handled by humans and see how they are with children as well. I hope you can trust what you're reading

I am certainly NOT a fan of the Jefferson County SPCA. They were in the top 10 of the last Zootoo contest in 2010, so a committee was coming to inspect the facility. The shelter advertised that they wanted as many people and their pets to come on that day to show support, and since I was in need of a companion for my one cat, since my other had died during the pet food recall, I decided to show my support by adopting on that day. When I saw a cat I thought I liked, I asked to take her out of her cage to hold and play with her a bit. I was told that I could not "because she was being spayed later" that day. In retrospect, that excuse makes no sense at all, but since I adore torti cats, I thought it would be fine to take her even if I didn't get a chance to "try her out". The day I brought her home, after her spay, she was coughing and sneezing. The vet diagnosed her with a feline herpes virus...highly contagious and incurable. My other cat was dead in a week, as his system couldn't handle the virus. I believe they KNEW that their cat room was infected, thus their not allowing people to touch the cats, but with the Zootoo people coming, they didn't want to close their cat room. The responsible thing would have been to close it, which I believe the committee would have found admirable. Next situation...One month ago I adopted a small rat terrier after my 17 year old pug died. I was told no less than five times that if he didn't work out, they would not take him back. I suppose that should have served as a warning to me, but I didn't think to question why they were so adamant about his not being returned. At home I quickly realized that he had kennel cough, but when his cough didn't go away within a week, I took him to the vet, and he was diagnosed with Collapsing Trachea. I've learned that that (expensive) medical problem causes a VERY distinctive cough that sounds nothing like kennel cough, a cough that any vet or kennel worker should easily recognize. I believe they knew he had this condition and just wanted him gone. I now have an athletic breed that is unable to run. He can't have play dates with my families' other dogs, since playing with other dogs gets him excited and causes his cough, a cough that can easily turn dangerous. I have been given medication for him at a cost of $90 a month. In the future, he'll likely require an expensive operation, but in the meantime I have a dog I adore that can't be allowed to actually be a proper dog...no running, no playing...just lounging around, sleeping from the medication, and when the winter comes, he'll not be allowed to go out at all, as the cold air will constrict his trachea even further. There's been a change in those who run this shelter since I adopted my sick cat, and the new people are very quick to talk about how bad the others were, but I see no difference, as this still seems to be a shelter that is more in the business of getting the animals adopted whether sick or not. I get the chance to meet many new people every day, and since my dog comes to work with me, pet discussions often come up, and nearly every week I hear another story of how someone adopted a sick pet from this shelter. I will never adopt from the Jefferson County SPCA again, and I will be making no further donations of my merchandise for their auctions, something that I've loyally done for years. I will find another animal charity, one with integrity, to offer my charitable donations.