The Humane Society of Harford County‘s Fallston animal shelter is over capability, with about 105 dogs at present being housed within the 19,000 square-foot facility, which usually holds between 65 and 70 dogs, in response to Executive Director Bob Citrullo.
The animal shelter was already near capability when Harford County Animal Control seized 34 dogs final month, together with 17 prior to now week of February. Since the start of the yr, the shelter has taken in 160 dogs.
“We were walking that fine line … and then animal control had a situation where they had seized 17 dogs [from one household],” Citrullo stated. “That just put us over the tipping point.”
Staff on the shelter, positioned at 2208 Connolly Road, try completely different strategies to mitigate overcrowding, together with erecting a tent to make use of as an emergency shelter, waiving adoption charges for first responders and senior residents who undertake a senior pet. The society can also be searching for individuals who can foster dogs quickly of their houses and is asking for donations from the neighborhood.
The emergency shelter is a tent with a trailer from the American Kennel Club Pet Disaster Relief and has sufficient sources to take care of 100 dogs.
The humane society is the one native shelter beneath contract with the county authorities to deal with and take care of animals surrendered by residents, discovered as strays or seized by animal management. The no-kill shelter takes all types of animals and is barely at present having hassle with house for dogs.
Citrullo stated animal shelters throughout the nation have been experiencing overcrowding. According to the chief director, a lot of the issues stem from folks returning animals they adopted or bought through the pandemic.
“Normally we adopt out, we send animals to other rescue groups, transfer animals, but you have to understand everybody all around us [is] in the same boat,” Citrullo stated. “A lot of things have slowed down – adoptions, transports – so, animals are staying longer in the shelter.”
The shelter’s various placement supervisor, Danielle Holbrooke, says the inflow of dogs signifies that the animals shouldn’t have the right time to be out of their kennels.
According to Holbrooke, the shelter’s fundamental facility has 55 canine kennels, plus 11 kennels for the shelter’s medical crew. The emergency shelter is supplied with 20 canine kennels.
“This definitely has our staff spread pretty thin,” Holbrooke stated, “but we’re doing the best we can to give them everything that they need.”
Citrullo stated new intakes are microchipped and given full medical examinations and obtain vaccinations which are required to come back into the shelter.
The new emergency shelter is costing the humane society an extra $18,000 per 30 days to workers and take care of the inflow of dogs, which isn’t included of their working price range of $2.2 million.
As a no-kill shelter, the Humane Society of Harford County won’t contemplate euthanizing dogs with a view to make available house, Citrullo stated.
“Our hope is that the situation will improve; hopefully adoptions start picking up, and we’re in a better place,” Citrullo stated.
The emergency shelter tent will stay open for six months; the humane society plans to assemble a 4,000-square-foot everlasting house to function a coaching middle for “behaviorally challenged” dogs and to have an enclosed play space for brand spanking new intakes. Citrullo says the venture will cost $250,000 and might be paid for by a donation from an nameless donor.
“We’re going to do whatever we can to save lives,” Citrullo stated.
