County Animal Control Assistant Chief Offers Pet Adoption Advice
The Baltimore County Animal Shelter saw three high profile incidences of animal abuse last week.
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Are you considering pet adoption? Tom Scollins, assistant chief at Baltimore County Animal Control, has some words of wisdom for you.
Last week, Patch reported on three incidences of animal abuse, including Louie, a Yorkshire Terrier who was thrown off a balcony of an Owings Mills residence. To avoid further incidents, Scollins urges potential pet owners to think carefully before adopting.
"The main thing people need to remember is to pick a pet that fits their lifestyle," Scollins said. "If you're a young professional that's out a lot, you might want to get a cat or a fish, which are more low maintenance."
Dogs, however, require more attention, so Scollins suggests that a member of the household be around a good amount of time to care for them.
"It's also important to pick out a [dog] breed that fits your life," he said.
For example, a smaller dog with a mild tempermant is preferable for homes with small children who may pull on its tail and hair. And, a Great Dane, which requires more exercise, may not be a good fit for someone who lives in a small apartment.
Prospective pet owners should also note the financial costs of raising an animal. Food can cost as much as $100 a month and vet visits could cost a couple hundred dollars a year, assuming the animal doesn't require urgent care, according to Scollins.
But if you've already adopted an animal and things aren't going smoothly, Scollins suggests turning to obedience classes and trainers, which are generally affordable, before giving the pet up.
"A lot of times people turn pets in because of destructive behavior," he said. "This usually occurs because [the pets] aren't getting the attention they need."
However, if you're adamant about getting rid of your animal and can find no other alternative home, the best option is to drop it off at the Baltimore County Animal Shelter.
"No questions asked," Scollins said.
Editor's Note: This article has been modified since its original publication.
D. Davis
3:45 pm on Wednesday, January 18, 2012
It is important to use Baltimore County Animal Control as a last resort for "getting rid" of you animal. You should try and find a good home for your pet before using Animal Control. The current laws in Baltimore County say that a surrendered pet to the shelter only must be held for 1 day before it can be euthanized (ie killed). It will be killed in a humane way but the vast majority of animals do not make it out of the shelter. We are fortunate to have a task force working the Baltimore County Council and the Health Department to try and reduce the number of animals killed at our shelter but it is essential that we all do our part. Heed Mr. Scollins advice and adopt a pet that fits your life style. Be sure and spay/neuter your pets. And if you really have to rehome your pet, find a home with another family or find (get on the wait list) for a no-kill shelter.
Adam Thomas
6:41 pm on Wednesday, January 18, 2012
The dog mentioned at the beginning of the article wasn't "flung off a roof." He was thrown from a balcony. Please correct this.
S. Weaver
11:38 pm on Thursday, January 19, 2012
D.Davis - I don't believe there is such a law, it's depends on the shelter's policy. Dr. Branch demanded that owned animals, if adoptable, be held when there is space. Now BCAC is warehousing animals for lack of promoting adoptions and refusing to work routinely with rescues. You are right though, do not take your animal to BCAC unless every other option has failed. For $65., a photo id and 18 years old, anyone can adopt from them, no vet check, no background check. Your animal could be going to an abuser or to less than responsible person. This task force has it's work cut out for it - nothing will ever change there until the county takes a good hard look at the supervision there who has over the years made their preferences shelter policy with routinely killing pit bulls as being unadoptable. The Chief and Assistant Chief must be replaced, the sooner the better for the lives of the animals there. BTW, some staff needs to be replaced as well!!
B. Phillips
11:59 pm on Thursday, January 19, 2012
Mr. Scollin states, "For example, a smaller dog with a mild tempermant is preferable for homes with small children who may pull on its tail and hair. And, a Great Dane, which requires more exercise, may not be a good fit for someone who lives in a small apartment".
I've worked with animals all my life and this is coming from someone that has no knowledge of domestic animals and is certainly in the wrong line of work. Small animals are usually not placed in homes with small children for the simple fact of their size, small dogs can suffer severe injuries from over zealous children. He must believe people that live in small apartments don't routinely walk their pets. Regardless of the size of one's apartment or the size of their dog, that dog requires to be reguarly be walked. A dane, unless a puppy, does not require more exercise over other breeds. To make misleading statements like this is evident Mr. Scollin is clueless about animal behavior. So sad.
Cindy
1:33 pm on Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Mr Scollins has some good points but he leaves out one very important one. You should determine why the pet was placed for adoption. Many viscous breeds and breed mixes, such as pit bull and ridgeback are not good choices for adoption. These breeds are bred to be viscous attack dogs should definitley be avoided. Since you cannot find out this information from the shelters it is very risky to adopt this type of dog. You cannot retrain a dog that is bred to be viscous.