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February 2024 by Kristen F
They won’t let you even look at a dog because you “don’t have breed experience” but like, if I’m getting a new family member, I’m going to learn about them and their health needs, which we communicated with the staff. So they’d rather the dog sit in a shelter their whole life than go to a loving family. Makes no sense at all. Sorry doggies, we tried to help you have a great life!! We’ve grown up with dogs of all kinds of breeds our whole lives but we’re too inexperienced for their dog. Guess we’ll go to a breeder and cause more problems. HSSCM causing more problems than they solve.
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February 2024 by Brett Cosner
I've rescued multiple dogs and cats over the years, cared for their needs, and have never had a bad experience working with shelters to adopt. I would consider myself an excellent pet owner. Sadly HSSCM has an extremely narrow view of what constitutes a responsible pet owner. I filled out the application truthfully (first mistake) and shared that my dog is not fully up to date with vaccines because he will not tolerate going to the vet after having a traumatic experience with a vet that tried to pin him down to draw blood for a heartworm test causing my dog to crap all over the table while thrashing around until I put an end to the madness. My dog is well and getting up there in years so it’s more of a priority to keep him happy than it is to have him jabbed with vaccines and heartworm tests that he can’t tolerate without causing him additional trauma. I am still looking for the right vet for my sensitive pooch, but this actual caring act disqualifies me from adopting a cat from HSSCM. They would “need to verify that my dog has been current on at least two vaccine cycles” before they can approve my application. We also have a cat that spent the last year scratching at the window begging to be let outside, so we got him up to date with all vaccines and have slowly introduced him to the outdoors which has stopped all the scratching and calmed down his demeanor, but again meeting the needs of this specific pet was seen as undesirable. “We do not adopt out cats to anyone who will allow them to be outside because indoors is all they have ever known”, and I believe it. Indoors and in a cage all their lives while HSSCM denies them from being adopted by many would be loving families. Some cats love being outside, but that is not responsible pet ownership according to HSSCM. In my opinion this shelter is an elitist organization only accessible to people who have and care for pets in very specific ways. If you take the time to read through their adoption policies they are very upfront about their policy to discriminate against families that work long hours, have limited income, or do not own their own home, even people with disabilities will likely be denied for not possessing the “ability” to control an animal of a certain size. You must be privileged and able bodied to adopt a pet from the Humane Society of South Central Michigan. My kids were sad to hear that there was no chance for us to adopt the cat were interested in that we found on Petfinder so we have moved on and will likely pick up a kitten off craigslist or a pet from another more family friendly shelter of which there are many. I’m a local realtor and I love supporting local businesses, charities, and organizations that do good work in the Battle Creek community. Unfortunately I will not be recommending HSSCM to anyone I care about or any of the many clients I serve or the many people I work with in this community. The experience was disheartening and the discriminative policies at this organization set people up to fail. Ultimately these types of discriminatory policies only work to push people to find pets on sites like craigslist or to puppy mills where it’s easy to pick up a pet without being treated like you aren’t worthy to care for one. Shame on you HSSCM, you have made adopting and rescuing animals a negative experience for so many families in the Battle Creek area. I hope the board of directors reads this review and really considers changing policies, but unfortunately from the responses to other negative reviews it seems they will continue defend their discriminatory practices making adopting pets unobtainable to most families in the area.Edit: I was able to find a wonderful rescue cat locally in Battle Creek and did not receive any criticism for the way I have taken care of my other animals. When I shared my experience the lady said it was a shame because there are so many cats that need to be adopted and HSSCM is not helping the situation.
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December 2023 by Liz Overhiser
They rejected my application despite fulfilling all stated requirements on their site, stating that despite my current dog never having been boarded or spending time around other dogs, it had to have parvo vax for two consecutive years or I couldn't adopt. Despite my already having an appointment to get this vaccine updated. And despite my having spent thousands of dollars on vet care in the last year. Apparently because I didn't get my dog vaccines he didn't need, I wasn't qualified. Dont even waste your time applying, they will find a reason to reject you. I feel like they aren't very committed to finding homes for these animals.In regard to their response. My records did reflect that my animals are seen regularly and I only refused what care they told me was unnecessary. Perfection is the enemy of progress, they could have more animals in loving homes instead of cold jail cells, but they choose not to. The reason they gave me over the phone was precisely that my dog did not have 2 annual Parvo vaccines in a row. I told my vet that I did not board him and he did not share any spaces with other dogs and we agreed it wasn't necessary. I'm changing my rating to one star from two due to their disingenuous response.
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November 2023 by Alexa Lewis
Really disappointed in my experience with this place. Being told I was “sketchy” and a “liar” because Lakeview Vet ( who is known for their awful record keeping) couldn’t get my records straight. I contacted Lakeview Vet they admitted their mistake. I am a wonderful loving pet owner and treat me fur babies better than I do myself. It’s very disheartening and very unprofessional for LACEY to call me a liar and tell me I’m sketchy. She also hung up on me. I work with the public every single day and I would never speak to anyone like that let alone a customer. No wonder their shelter is overflowing. I sadly do not want to do business with this establishment and will take my business and love to another rescue who actually wants to see their pets and rescues in great homes. Good luck to anyone who deals with these unprofessional power trip of women who run the desk. As for the Director she was nothing but kind and understanding to the misunderstanding. Unfortunately after consulting with my Vet and hair clients apparently this place is known to treat people this way. I’m just sad for the animals who are sitting there without homes while these workers interrogate and call adults names like children. Let’s hope their caring and animals skills are better than their social and people skills. I recommend taking your love, money, and time to a rescue who is kind and has nothing but good intentions and plans for their shelter animals.
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October 2023 by Sealcoat
So this is the third time since i was 18 that i have tried to adopt a pet from this place. First time they said my other dogs vacs were not current, which were per dickman rd vet clinic. Second time it was i wouldnt have enough time for a pet with my work hours and now the third time its my current dog doesnt have vacs up to date which they are . And they also now have a standing policy on other dogs being in the household . I dont see how this place stays in business. Seems like they discriminate. My dog is always up to date on her shots per my vet. I dont get what they are looking for .....maybe goverment funding.
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May 2023 by Kali Lechtanski
I had applied to hopefully adopt a dog from this shelter as a family pet and a best friend to the dog that we already have. I received a phone call from a representative to this shelter not even 24 hours later basically rejecting my application (that they hadn’t even reviewed) solely based off of the fact that I don’t have a fenced in back yard. The excuse that I got from the representative was “the dogs don’t recall or know how to walk in a leash”. I had mentioned in this conversation that with time and training we would get that down. The rep was rude and told me that it wasn’t going to be a good fit when I started asking more questions on the situation. I just don’t understand how this shelter expects get these pets to loving forever homes when they are so quick to decline people based off of something minimal.
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April 2023 by Kellie Clay
I'm changing my review and letting everyone know that I got a private email from Kari and it was very mean and extremely unprofessional because I adopted josie and she was sick. They are very rude people and she took it one step farther and called my vet. She has no right doing so. Vet said people complain about them constantly and I want everyone to know that I changed josies name and she's out of that cold jail cell and we love her more than life. So I'm taking this email and I'm going to the proper authorities and hope justice is done on behalf of these animals. I hope animal lovers like me stand up and have a voice because they don't and people working at Calhoun county humane society should be fired. Rude, mouthy, and I can only imagine what those poor babies go through. I love my puppy and she wakes mommy up every morning slapping my head and face.i will not tolerate being treated like that again and I will make sure this issue gets resolved
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April 2023 by BOSS LADY
They claim to have low cost services, I called needing to have my dog out down and there service is the same price as the actual vet, when she's want love cost I was told it's based on weight and they don't do lower cost so I still have a drug that is needing to be put down and every place including here is 150 or moreThen low cost euthenasia should not be advertised it is mis leading.
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April 2023 by Tally R.
They refused to go any further with the adoption because the vet did not have records of heartworm medicine. We had our pet for 14 years. He never had heartworm. I take care of stray and feral cats. My animals are well taken care of. They are treated like my children. I knew this was coming after I had read the reviews. I feel sorry for those animals there. People want to give them a good life and they are refused. What do they think people did when there was no medicine for that around. No animal I have owned has ever had heartworm. I thought this place was for finding good homes for animals. I will pass my experience on with this place on all social media and make sure people know not to have anything to do with this place. This place does not care about animals. I wonder if my donations even went for the animals.
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January 2023 by William Bogen
Over the years, we have adopted a total of five cats from these fine folks. After two passing away (in the last two years) it was time to refill our kitty population. The staff is very aware of each cat's personality. They were very helpful in assisting us in selecting two sister cats that might best get along with our remaining cat. ( They are fine with each other) We've always had an excellent experience. I highly recommend them!
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December 2022 by Jon Nelson
Can't even view the animals up for adoption. Lengthy applications that get approved for a animal they already fostered. Waste of time! Feel really bad for there animals. Do more!!!!!
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December 2022 by PATRICIA MCCANDLISH
We send money when we can and have for several years. We have called on occasions to drop off several stray cats only to be told no, call the city where I get the same answer...Today we can with a trunk of donations, foods, toys, towels only to find "you have to call first"...there were cars in the parking lot. . you want money and doations but we can't.....It should be open door for donations.
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November 2022 by S B
Friendly staff. We visited the cat room and although they had lots of great kitties, we did adopt the one we originally wanted. Explained everything about the paperwork, cat's history and answered all our questions.
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October 2022 by Darlene Miller
I see a couplehadpriblems adopting puppies turn them in to attorney general's office in lansing we tried to get a puppy today and they said we had to have a fence in yard so we put up fence and they now it had to have a roof. We did the pen in a car port 20 x20 ft all we had to do was put more fence up on two ends but no we were denighed. It's a scam I'm turning them into attorney general's office let's see what they come up with.i bet they are taking home and selling for more
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October 2022 by Todd Kuty
If you are reading these reviews and wonder why some people are blown away by the effort and care this staff put into placing these animals and others are so put off this is why….. these people really care about giving these animals the best shot at a successful adoption and forever home. All too often people want a certain type of dog or cat that maybe their situation isn’t best suited for, but don’t like to be told this is the case. If you want the best chance at a successful adoption I have not ever been to a better place hands down. Wish this was the norm for adoptions and glad to have gotten lucky enough to choose them.
