Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center
Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center is the only open admission shelter in Montgomery County now, according to adoption center representative Katherine Zenzano. That means the shelter accepts any type of animal that gets dropped off at the shelter or that animal control officers get called out to pick up. The shelter is home to cats, dogs, ferrets, chickens, and even sugar gliders. The center opened in a brand new facility on March 1, 2014. The facility features a shelter and adoption center, a store, a barn, and a walking trail for volunteers to take dogs out for exercise.
The Animal Services and Adoption Center is run by the Montgomery County Police Department and houses the Police Department’s Animal Services Division, who field more than 13,000 calls each year on a range of issues.
The Animal Services and Adoption Center is staffed by a group of animal care professionals who seek out best practices to care for all of the animals in the facility. Then they work as a team to turn each of those animals into a pet with a forever home. The staff is led by Director Mary Healey.
Animal control officers get wildlife calls on a daily basis, are always on call, and sometimes send wild animals to the Second Chance Wildlife Preserve in Gaithersburg.
To learn more about the Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center, adopting a pet, or volunteering with the shelter, visit montgomerycountymd.gov/animalservices, or call 240-773-5900.
MCPAW
MCPAW is the dedicated partner of the Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center and works to provide enhancements and augment funding for the shelter for the benefits of the animals in residence. MCPAW works to identify and affect the primary reasons that animals end up in shelters and, through special projects and programs, strives to be a catalyst for education and change for the benefit of animals in Montgomery County.
The Animal Services and Adoption Center is primarily funded by Montgomery County government. But the county can’t provide everything. There will be extras that are wanted, even needed. The county has turned to MCPAW to raise the additional dollars required.
MCPAW is finalizing plans for Purple Care, a program to help place senior animals in homes and to help senior citizens adopt and care for animals. MCPAW also offers an Explorer Post and Exploring Club, a division of the Boy Scouts of America, to students, both male and female, who are interested in veterinary science and working with animals. Programs are available for grade six through age 20. One of MCPAW's primary focuses right now is spaying and neutering, especially among feral cats. The organization would ultimately like to provide free spaying and neutering services to every pet in Montgomery County. To learn more, visit mcpaw.org, or call 240-462-5000.
PetConnect
PetConnect is a 100 percent donation-driven mixed-breed rescue group, according to Director of Operations Catherine Edwards. PetConnect is based in Potomac, and the group's mission is to pull dogs and cats from shelters where they are in danger of being euthanized. PetConnect has a five-acre farm in Mount Airy, Muddy Paws Farm, which is home to many of the dogs that the group rescues. According to Edwards, PetConnect pulled about 750 animals to safety in 2013, including adopting 448 dogs and 221 cats to families. The group tries to hold rabies clinics in economically disadvantaged areas of Montgomery County at least once a month, and they host microchip clinics once a month as well. PetConnect also has a foster program and is looking for volunteers. To learn more, visit petconnectrescue.org, or call 1-877-838-9171.