FALLSTON, MD—The Humane Society of Harford County (HSHC) is struggling with overcrowding after a sudden and large influx of dogs last week. The shelter said it has reached critical capacity and needs the community’s help to make room for new arrivals.

HSHC is the only municipal shelter in Harford County. It serves as a place for residents to surrender pets, strays, and animals seized by animal control as a result of hoarding, abuse, or neglect. The shelter was recently expanded to a 19,000-square-foot facility in Fallston, which was designed to house about 65 dogs.

The HSHC took in 34 dogs last week, 17 of which were seized by animal control last Thursday. The shelter is expecting more new arrivals in the coming weeks and months.

“We were already close to capacity last week when we got the call that almost two dozen dogs would be brought to us the following day,” says Bob Citrullo, HSHC’s executive director. “All of these animals are part of an investigation, which means we will be caring for them for at least the next few weeks, but it could become months while things are sorted out.”

As a result of the overcrowding, the HSHC is in need of adopters. Anyone who is unable to afford to care for their pet is encouraged to contact the shelter about its pet food pantry. The HSHC also offers free consultations for pet behavior modification and other services.

“To help encourage folks to adopt, we’ve added several programs,” Citrullo added. “We waive adoption fees for first responders as part of our Hometown Heroes program. Adoption fees are also waived for senior citizens who adopt a senior pet. Adopters who choose an animal who’s been at the shelter for over 4 months get a free bag of food and 3 months of flea, tick and heartworm preventative, a package that’s valued at $150.”

HSHC is located at 2208 Connolly Road in Fallston or online at https://www.harfordshelter.org. The shelter is open to the public Monday-Friday from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m..

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.