The Humane Society

I was highly disappointed and upset with my visit to the Columbia Humane Society. From start to finish the whole process was terrible. I wanted to take my cat that I had found a few weeks earlier to get shots and fixed if needed. Over the phone the man was short and rude and I tried to explain I was unsure if the cat had been neutered or not since I was unsure of his age and his hair made it hard to see well. He assured me that their process involves an examine before each surgery and that shots must be given before an animal is put under anesthesia. So I brought my cat in at 7:15 am the day of his appointment which is when they open to assure he was there early and that they would have time to examine him. I got a call around 12:15pm telling me that they had already put my cat under anesthesia and they found he has already been neutered. I said okay well was he still able to get his shots. The lady over the phone was very rude and said "oh, you still want the shots?" Yes I still want shots! If you had done the process correctly and as it was explained to me, shots should have been given directly after an examination and during that exam it should have been concluded my cat was already fixed and did not need to be put under anesthesia. The lady went on to tell me he would be given his shots and that he would be ready for pick-up at 1:30pm. I arrived at the clinic at 1:30 and asked for my cat. The same lady I spoke with over the phone said they were unable to give him the shots because he was not happy with them, it was very loud and busy in the back and he had become aggressive towards them. I am well aware cats can become aggressive when nervous and feel stressed. However, he is a rather small cat, probably no more than 1 years old, and has never ever been aggressive towards us. None the less, if he had been under anesthesia, my cat would of been groggy and tired and there should of been no trouble in giving him a shot. Plus, I know they handle feral cats and kittens which I assume are also aggressive so how is it they are able to receive shots yet my cat who is very social and sweet could not be handled to get his shots. My cat sat in the back, in his crate, with no food or water probably, no way to use the bathroom, all day to have NOTHING done. The lady at the front desk said we could come back sometime that week to get his shots. I said thank you, took my cat, and left. In the car ride and when I returned home at 2:15pm my cat was wide awake the whole time, not disoriented at all, which makes me question if they even put him under anesthesia at all and they just ran out of time to look at him. I was not even given a call to say they could not give him his shots. They could of waited to try again after he calmed down or asked me to hold him for them. The whole process was terrible and I am so disturbed with the level of care and lack of customer service. I will not be returning to get his shots and I recommend you reconsidering giving them your time and trusting your animals with them. I am all for supporting non-profits and I feel this ideally should be a great way to get animals fixed for those who can't afford huge vet bills. However, care of the animal, attention to detail, and curtsey towards pet owners should still be a priority, not just getting as many animals in and out as soon as possible like some sort of assembly line.