As P.G. County lifts the 27 year old pitbull ban, our shelters remain overcrowded, and winter arrives, the animal shelters need our help more than ever. Here you can find everything there is to know about PG and Greenbelt shelters and how to help them, whether that be adoption or fostering, donating supplies, or simply spreading the word.
After nearly 30 years and $3 million annually spent on enforcement, P.G. County has lifted the ban on pitbull-type breeds, with plans to put in place a new system that holds owners accountable for their dog’s actions regardless of breed or size. Though some are still concerned about the history of pit-bulls, pilot programs are being put into testing to ensure that owners can be trusted with these dogs via permits, mandatory training, and certain fees for owners. You can find more information about this new program here.
A large majority of the shelter dogs, especially in P.G. County shelter, have been registered under the “pit-bull” umbrella, preventing them from adoption over the past 30 years. With so many unable to be taken to a forever home, and overcrowding the shelters with their presence, nearly 2,000 pit-bulls have been euthanized in our shelters to make more room over the past 2 years. While this number decreased annually, going from over 1,000 in 2023 to around 750 last year, these numbers are still far too high. Despite all these efforts and euthanisations, the shelter remains at critical capacity near-constantly, and is in desperate need of adopters or fosters to help.
New dogs and cats arrive at the shelter almost every day, in need of various surgeries or health assistance, shelter or food, and a loving home to stay in. At critical capacity, P.G. County Animal Services cannot provide these to every animal in the facilities, forcing themselves to prioritize healthier and younger animals that are more likely to be adopted. This often leads to older animals or ones that have been in the shelter longer being placed on a list to be put down.
There are many ways the shelter asks for help, which people of all kinds are able to assist in. This usually takes the form of volunteering, becoming a foster home, or donating money/supplies to the shelter. P.G. Animal Shelter is always accepting volunteers, including students 14 or older to fulfill their community service hours for graduation. The process for becoming an animal shelter volunteer is simple and brief, taking no longer than 2 weeks to get accepted. You can find more about that process here!
On 24petconnect.com, the website P.G. most relies on to advertise their adoptable animals, you can also find all the available Dogs, Cats, and Other Animals in need of a permanent or temporary home. You can also find advertisements for their animals on P.G. Animal Shelter’s Facebook page, among other websites.
