Programs
Read about a few of the Maryland SPCA's animals and learn more about our programs below.
- Meet Juney and learn how our adoption program saves lives.
- Meet Vance and learn how our spay/neuter program reduces pet overpopulation.
- Meet Kahana and learn how our transport program saves lives.
- Meet Sally and learn how our behavior program helps pets and people.
Meet Juney and learn how our adoption program saves lives.
Juney, an adorable Terrier mix, arrived at the Maryland SPCA in early June. She was abandoned, with a badly injured back leg, at approximately six months of age. We thought her leg would require amputation, but Dr. Goodman at Everhart Animal Hospital was able to save it. Then she went into foster care to recover. After several weeks, Juney’s leg had healed enough for her to return to the MD SPCA and enter our adoption program. Because of her special needs status, she was selected as the August Kaycee Fund dog. A generous donor enabled us to establish the Kaycee Fund to cover the adoption fee for one special needs dog each month of 2009. A day after Juney became the August Kaycee Fund dog, she was adopted to a good home!
The Maryland SPCA connects wonderful animals to loving owners. To make sure that our dogs and cats do not contribute to the pet overpopulation problem, every one is spayed or neutered before going to a new home. The cost is included in the adoption fee, as are the costs of shots and other necessary care. There is no time limit for how long an animal can remain in our adoption program. In 2009, we adopted out, reunited with owners or sent to rescue more than 3,200 animals. See the adoptable pets who are currently available in our adoption program.
Learn how our spay/neuter program reduces pet overpopulation.
Vance is one of 46 kittens placed in MD SPCA foster care in June of 2009. Our volunteer foster parents care for animals that are not yet ready to enter our adoption program. Kittens must be at least eight weeks old and two pounds before they can have spay/neuter surgery and become available for adoption. After his stay with his foster parent, Vance was adopted along with 141 adult cats and 155 other kittens in June. This was a record adoption month for the MD SPCA.
Due to the high volume of cats and kittens typically entering shelters in June, the Maryland SPCA and other Baltimore Animal Welfare Alliance members (Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter and Baltimore Humane Society) waived their adoption fees for cats and kittens in a month-long promotion called The Baltimore 500: A Race to Save Lives. Regular adoption procedures applied. BAWA members adopted out a total of 573 cats and kittens in June of 2009. The Baltimore 500 was a success, but it demanded a lot of the participating organizations’ resources.
The Maryland SPCA does not euthanize healthy animals, and we strongly promote spay/neuter programs to reduce the pet overpopulation problem. Unfortunately, there are more animals than good homes and people to care for them. Each year, an estimated three to four million unwanted animals are euthanized in this country according to the Humane Society of the United States. Unfixed animals can reproduce very quickly. In one year, the average fertile cat can have three litters of four to six cats and the average fertile dog can have two litters of six to ten puppies.
In 2009, we spayed/neutered over 9,700 animals. This is a record number for our organization and more than any other shelter or veterinary clinic in Maryland. In addition to fixing animals in our adoption program, we offer five innovative, low-cost spay/neuter programs: Feral-Fix for feral cats in Trap, Neuter, Return programs, Fido-Fix for dogs with low-income owners, Fix-Able for cats with low-income owners, Fix-Em for animals from local rescue groups and Pit-Fix for pit bulls. The spay/neuter clinic can be reached at 410-235-8826, ext. 140 or fixem@mdspca.org.
Meet Kahana and learn how our transport program saves lives.
Kahana, a two-year-old Seal Point Persian cat, arrived at the Maryland SPCA in August of 2009. We transported him from the BARCS city shelter in our MD SPCA transport van. He had been a stray, and he weighed only eight pounds and had severely matted fur. This blue-eyed cat was certainly not looking his gorgeous best. We gave him a proper shave and dressed him in a green and white sweater to make him feel comfortable while his hair grew out. He was adopted to a good home less than two weeks after arrival at the MD SPCA.
Our transport program enables us to accept animals from overcrowded shelters, giving the animals the opportunity to be adopted at the MD SPCA and allowing the crowded shelters to focus on other animals. At the MD SPCA, the transported animals are examined by our medical staff and behavior specialists and made available for adoption. There’s no limit on their length of stay. In 2009, we took in 1,918 animals through our transport program.
Meet Sally and learn how our behavior program helps pets and people.
Sally is a sweet, young pit bull mix who was found tied to a dumpster, with a crate full of her puppies nearby. A good Samaritan brought her and her puppies to the Maryland SPCA. Her puppies were quickly adopted, but it took two months for Sally to find her forever home, much longer than our average stay of three days for dogs. She was adopted in December of 2009.
Our pit bull adoption process is designed to ensure that potential adopters are adequately prepared for the breed. Our behavior specialists monitor and evaluate the behavior of pit bulls, as well as the other animals in our adoption program, to ensure that we place safe pets in homes. We provide pit bulls with strong toys and behavior training to keep them happy and learning while in our adoption program.
Training can help create and maintain a positive, lasting relationship between pets and pet owners. Our behavior specialists offer classes to dog owners and encourage our pit bull and other dog adopters to participate in behavior training. Positive Pooch is a one-session class that we offer to our dog adopters for no charge and to the public for a small donation. All-Star Canine is a six-session course open to dog owners for a reasonable fee. These classes meet on the grounds of the Maryland SPCA. In addition, our website offers behavior advice, and our small but dedicated team of behavior specialists is available for individual consultations at 410-235-8826, ext. 104.
