Ever Wonder How Many Animals Were Brought To HSHC Last Year?

2,896 cats and 1,350 as a starter.

These 4,246 animals, plus representatives from more than a dozen other species were brought to The of Harford County in 2010.

The Humane Society of Harford County is an “open admission shelter”. Unlike the "no kill" shelters located in communities throughout Maryland and the United States that are generally highly selective in the they take in, “open admission” means that HSHC is obligated to and accepts responsibility for taking in any animal brought to the shelter by the citizens of Harford County and Harford County Animal Control. In an average year we accept approximately 4,500 animals, and in the last year this included dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, ferrets, hamsters, raccoons, rats, chinchillas, tropical fish, sugar gliders, snakes and more. We have chosen to accept the animals that are rejected by the no kill shelters and animal rescue groups; this includes aggressive dogs, feral cats, the sick and the old. And with each animal that enters our shelter, a decision must be made.

There are basically two types of animal intakes. The first is owner surrender, where the legal owner of an animal is no longer able to ‐ or chooses not to ‐ care for it and the owner signs over custody to our care. The other category includes animals brought to us by animal control and strays brought in by the general public. In general, these animals are evaluated over a four day hold period by our staff ‐ primarily for health issues and temperament ‐ to determine suitability for being placed into the adoption pool. With these two types of intakes are three types of outcomes ‐ the animal gets placed for adoption, it is placed with an that has space and for which the animal is qualified, or the animal is humanely euthanized. Animals are euthanized for one of four reasons ‐ medical, temperament, feral, or unfortunately because there are not enough adopters and we have run out of space.

In theory, we have a very simple mission ‐ to promote the humane treatment of homeless, stray and abandoned animals by providing shelter, care, adoptions and community education. Yet as an open admission shelter we are also the line in the sand when it comes to issues of public safety. In general, if a or cat is brought to us and it has a bite record or is sick and suffering, the difficult decision must be made, and often that animal must be put down as it would be completely irresponsible for us to place this animal back into the community.

Over the course of 2010, HSHC took in 1350 dogs from three sources ‐ Animal Control, strays brought in by the public, and owners.

• 524 (38.8%) of these dogs were adopted, • 427 (31.6%) were brought to us as strays and subsequently returned to owners, • 2 died of natural causes (.1%), • 12 (.9%) were transferred to rescue groups, • 141 (10.4%) were euthanized at the request of the owner, Uniting Pets and People Since 1947 2208 Connolly Road • Fallston, MD 21047 410-836-1090 • Fax: 410-877-3788 www.harfordshelter.org • 39 (2.9%) were euthanized for medical reasons, • 165 (12.2%) were euthanized for temperament, and • 5 (.37%) were euthanized for lack of adopters and kennels during unusually crowded times. • 35 (2.6%) dogs remained in the kennels at the end of the year.

The number of cats brought in was a staggering 2896. Of these,

• 861 (29.7%) were adopted, • 39 (1.3%) were returned to owner, • 76 (2.6%) died of natural causes, • 2 (.07%) were transferred to rescue, • 94 (3.2%) were euthanized at owner's request, • 668 (23.1%) were euthanized for medical reasons, • 507 (17.5%) were euthanized for being feral (wild) and unsuitable for adoption, • 336 (11.6%) were euthanized for temperament, and • 224 (7.7%) were euthanized for lack of adopters and kennels during unusually crowded times. • 89 (3.1%) cats were at the shelter at the end of 2010.

As you probably know, HSHC is out in the community with offsite adoption events several times each month trying to get our animals adopted. But adoption is only one part of the equation. Responsible ownership dictates that pets MUST be spayed or neutered or the issue of too many animals and not enough homes for them will continue. It would be a wonderful thing if no‐kill shelters had unlimited space. But they don't ‐ no shelters do ‐ and there is usually no room for the old, the sick or the aggressive animals. If those animals are lucky they get brought to an open admission shelter; if they are not lucky they get dumped on the side of the road, alone and scared and wondering what they did wrong to deserve this abandonment. Unfortunately we do not yet live in the ideal world where a home exists for every dog and cat in need, and the tough decisions on life and death are left to HSHC and other open admission shelters throughout the country.

The Humane Society of Harford County is deeply committed to our mission and our responsibility to help find homes for those animals that are adoptable, and to insure that those animals that are here for any length of time are treated humanely, which unfortunately sometimes includes euthanasia. We are proud of our Shelter, our staff and our volunteers. Together we do what we can to save as many lives as possible.

One might ask "What can I do to help?" First, of course, is to visit us and adopt a loving pet that needs YOU! If that is not feasible, then please make sure that your existing pets have been spayed or neutered. Consider fostering an animal for a few weeks when our kennels are full. Tell your friends and neighbors to adopt instead of buying from a pet store or a breeder. Support our offsite events. Donate your time, talent and treasure. This is a community problem that needs a community solution.

Thank you for your support of The Humane Society of Harford County.

David Fang President, Humane Society of Harford County

Uniting Pets and People Since 1947 2208 Connolly Road • Fallston, MD 21047 410-836-1090 • Fax: 410-877-3788 www.harfordshelter.org