LEONARDTOWN, Md. – The Animal Control Advisory Board (ACAB) held a meeting on September 4th to discuss matters including adoption programs and animal shelter events. Since the May 2024 meeting, the St. Mary’s County Animal Adoption and Resources Center (AARC) has placed animals with new owners 272 times.
The initiative included 85 dogs and 162 cats placed for adoption in new homes in only the last few months. The AARC took part in the Maryland 3000 event, which allowed shelters in the state to waive adoption fees during August with the objective of finding homes for shelter animals.
Tina James spoke on the topic of the Maryland 3000 initiative. She said, “It was a good month. We had quite a bit of transfers to our coalition partner, which was great. We have some great relationships with local rescues and with the Charles County Animal Care Centers. We transferred out 38 dogs.”
Next, the meeting covered the new AARC staff members. In the presentation, Tina James explains, “We’ve hired two new care attendants since our last meeting, and all of our shelter employees are fully staffed with the exception of course of the new shelter director.”
A few upcoming events were also discussed including Trunk Or Treat and Photos With Santa. They are currently seeking a Santa actor and a photographer for the Photos With Santa Event. If you’re interested in either position, you can contact the ACAB by sending an email to diane.gleissner@stmaryscountymd.gov.
The meeting continued forward to discuss the issue of breeding. A big problem in St. Mary’s County is large-scale breeding, and many animals end up in local shelters due to over-breeding. New ordinances have been passed to place greater oversight on breeding operations in St. Mary’s County.
The final topic of discussion in the September 4th ACAB meeting was the foster program. It allows potential pet parents to foster an animal while providing the adoptive owner with materials like food and supplies. Three kittens were brought to the meeting; all three are part of the foster program.
Referring to the kittens, speaker Joy Wilson said “This three-pack of little cuties there; that is Boegart ready to greet you at the door. He’s about three weeks old.” She continued, “We are always looking for foster care providers to let these guys hang out with them for just a little while.”
September’s Animal Control and Advisory Board meeting covered many interesting topics about animal welfare and adoption in St. Mary’s County. If you’d like to watch the entire ACAB meeting, you can find it on the St. Mary’s County Government YouTube channel.
Contact our news desk at news@thebaynet.com
