As with many organizations around the world, the pandemic is taking a toll on us, too. In order to continue providing the best care possible to the dogs in our shelter, we have to temporarily refrain from taking in more stray animals. If you find a stray dog, you can help us by trying to find the owner or by providing a temporary home for the animal. You can also contact local animal rescue organizations which are listed on our website at https://mcanimals.org/resources/rescue-organizations. If you feel the animal is a threat to public safety or is being abused, alert the authorities. Please help us care for the stray animals in our community.
The Montgomery County Animal Resource Center will be returning to normal hours and restoring services beginning June 1. Previously, we had reduced hours and staffing to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The shelter will continue to encourage social distancing within the facility by limiting public visitors to 10 at a time. To ensure everyone has access to in-person services, visits will be limited to 10 minutes.
Business hours are being restored to:
Monday through Friday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. (For lost and found searches only)
Anyone who encounters a stray dog is encouraged to attempt to find the owner by checking with neighbors, posting on social media, and calling the shelter for guidance. If attempts to reunite the dog with its owner aren’t successful, call the Animal Resource Center at (937) 898-4457, and the shelter will dispatch an Animal Care and Control Officer to assist.
To meet the goal of connecting pets to forever homes, the Animal Resource Center has established its own foster program. The program will create a network of foster families who can temporarily care for animals in their homes before they can be permanently adopted. Applications for both our foster and volunteer programs are currently available online here.
If you are interested in adopting, please view our adoptable dogs online before stopping by the shelter. Additionally, if you have lost a dog and believe they are at the shelter, please view all lost and found dogs and contact the shelter by phone at (937) 898-4457 to arrange a lost and found visit.
The Montgomery County Animal Resource Center has made several changes to operations to help protect the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.
First and foremost, do not panic! At this time, there is no evidence that companion animals, including pets, can spread COVID-19 or that they might be a source of infection. We still recommend washing your hands with soap and water after contact with any animal. This protects you and others against various common bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella that can pass between pets and humans.
Preparation is key. Identify backup caretakers for your pets ahead of time in the event you are confirmed to have COVID-19 and are not able to care for them. If you can’t find a backup caretaker, and public health officials require home care and isolation, wear a well-fitted mask and limit interaction with pets and other animals.
In the event that you become too sick to care for your animal, having a preparedness plan is essential. Some steps to take include:
Pets should have proper identification: a collar with ID tag and a microchip with current, up-to-date contact information.
An Emergency Boarding grant program, supported by a generous donation from Purina-RedRover’s Purple Leash Project, is now available to help animals belonging to owners who are hospitalized due to COVID-19.
Grants will cover up to two weeks of boarding while the owner is being treated. Applicants must: contact area boarding facilities to find reasonably priced options; ensure boarding is through a business and not an individual; provide a written estimate and final invoice; obtain the owner’s permission if someone else submits the application; and provide updates on the pet owner’s condition.
Grants can also cover costs of vaccinations needed for the animal to enter boarding. Nicole Forsyth, RedRover President & CEO, said the grants are designed to enhance the human-animal bonds that are even more important during times of crisis.
“Knowing a pet is well cared for will hopefully bring some peace of mind to those undergoing COVID-19 treatment,” she said.
