Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center (MCASAC) is sounding the alarm as it reaches critical levels of animal overpopulation. Despite community support behind a recent initiative to adopt larger dogs, the perilous overcrowding persists.
In a bid to motivate more people to adopt, MCASAC has decided to forgo adoption fees for the first 100 pets to find homes by August 24.
The shelter has an abundance of animals for adoption, including dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters, rats, mice, turtles, and birds. Potential adopters can initiate the process online via the shelter’s adoption questionnaire or in person at the adoption center. The shelter at 7315 Muncaster Mill Road in Derwood opens from noon to 7 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays and from noon to 5 p.m. on weekends.
MCASAC wants to recruit more volunteers for their foster program. Fostering is free, and MCASAC will provide all necessary supplies to care for the animals. The shelter needs fosters for large dogs, underage kittens, and nursing moms with kittens.
With the shelter quickly reaching full capacity, it will now prioritize the intake of animals needing immediate assistance to minimize euthanasia rates. Pet owners contemplating giving up their pets are urged to explore rehoming platforms instead. The shelter offers to feature pets on its website to facilitate rehoming.
Those who find lost animals are asked to keep the animal for at least 48 hours and try to locate an owner before notifying MCASAC. Guidance on this procedure can be accessed on their website’s Found a Pet page.
More information about the adoption process can be found here.
