Monday CLOSED
Tuesday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Wednesday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Thursday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Friday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Sunday CLOSED
Routine calls for service are handled by calling 410-222-3939
Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm excluding county holidays
Saturday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Emergency Field Service - 24 hours daily, call 911 if not during regular hours
2. If the adopter is an Anne Arundel County resident all current cats and dogs 6 months of age or older in the household must be licensed with Animal Care & Control. (This can be done when you come to the shelter.)
3. The adopter must provide photo identification with their current address, or a photo ID plus proof of their current address, such as a bill.
4. If the adopter rents, their landlord must approve the adoption, either in writing, by phone or in the lease.
Anne Arundel County Code requires that all stray domestic animals be held for a minimum of five days unless they are extremely aggressive, seriously injured, or suffering. This time period gives an owner time to locate his/her pet. The exception is if If stray domestic animals are under 12 weeks of age; Maryland law allows them to they can be released sooner. according to MD Law. Animals surrendered to the shelter, with proof of ownership, can be adopted faster without the holding period. After the required holding period, if applicable, animals deemed adoptable have no set time limits for how long they can remain available at the shelter.
Animal Care & Control frequently receives underage puppies and kittens. Since state law prohibits the sale or adoption of animals under the age of 8 weeks, whenever possible Animal Care & Control sends underage pets to will accept foster families until they are of or volunteers to assist with getting the puppies and kittens to adoption age, or transfers them to a rescue group. . Animal Care & Control also works with various rescue groups to take in these animals and care for them until they are of legal adoption age. These Some underage animals may appear on the website BEFORE they are old enough for adoption in effort to expedite their departure from the facility when once they are legally able to be adopted out.
Dogs and cats that are deemed adoptable will be available for viewing in the facility's Feline and Canine Galleries. Ask our front desk staff how to view smaller "critters" such as rabbits, Guinea pigs, reptiles or birds.
Yes. Anne Arundel County offers a low-cost rabies vaccination and microchip clinic on some Thursdays. For more information about our $5 rabies vaccinations and $20 microchips, please go please visit Rabies Clinic information.
Anne Arundel County Animal Care & Control encourages citizens dealing with nuisance wildlife to consider ways to coexist. Wildlife is best left alone especially juvenile wildlife.
A common myth is if a person touches a baby bird or rabbit, the mother will abandon it. A mother may be hesitant to return to her young while you are present. If you encounter wildlife on your property, it's best to leave it alone and allow nature to take its course.
There are helpful tips on the Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Problems page: https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Pages/plants_wildlife/wildlifeproblems.aspx You can also contact DNR at 1-877-463-6497 during normal business hours. Its website also has a list of licensed independent contractors that for a fee will assist with removing the nuisance animal.
If a pet or human has direct contact with wildlife please contact Animal Care & Control (410) 222-3939
Please come to our shelter during our open hours to reclaim your pet. Bring your driver’s license and proof of ownership (photos and/or vet records). If your pet is currently vaccinated against rabies, please bring a copy of the certificate or the name of the veterinary facility that provided it, the animal's name and under what person’s name the records will be. If you would like to notify us by email that your pet is at our shelter, email ACCFrontDesk@aacounty.org with the above information plus your full name, address, phone number AND your pet’s actual name and age. If you saw your pet on our website or Facebook live videos, please also provide the name the shelter is calling your animal.
Please note we do have fees that are in accordance with County code (some/all may apply depending on what stage in the process your animal is in and other factors):
- $25.00-$200.00 impound fee (depend on if the animal is spayed/neuter and previous impoundments),
- $5.00 per night board
- $20.00 rabies vaccination (if needed)
- $40.00 microchip fee (if needed)
- $0.00-$125.00 animal license fee (depending on animal and owner)
- $???? Veterinary expenses if your pet was seen by a veterinarian due to a medical concern
- $50-$1,000.00 citation(s) (if applicable)
Yes. Anne Arundel County Animal Care & Control performs humane euthanasia of a pet at the request of an owner. If not an emergency, please email ACCIncoming@aacounty.org or call 410-222-3894 during our open hours to make an appointment to bring your pet to the shelter.
The procedure is performed by technicians certified in humane euthanasia, and costs $5.00 per animal. The owner may leave the animal’s remains with the agency for disposal at an additional cost of $0.79 per pound. If the owner prefers to take the animal’s remains home with them after the procedure has been performed, this can be arranged, but the owner must inform the Animal Care & Control employees of their intent to do so at the time of their arrival.
Animal owners requesting euthanasia must provide a driver’s license (for identification purposes), proof of ownership of the animal (i.e. veterinary records, proof of license, etc.) and all applicable fees at the time the service will be provided. Animal Care & Control is unable to allow owners to remain with their pet during the euthanasia process, nor does it provide cremation services. We recommended that owners speak with their regular veterinarian or a private crematory service provider for those services.
Anne Arundel County Animal Care & Control spays or neuters all cats and dogs adopted from it and provides free spay/neuter services to some low-to-moderate income Anne Arundel County residents.
Applications are available online to be filled out in advance or at the shelter's front desk. They should be submitted in person to the shelter's front desk staff.
For other options, view the list of lower-cost spay/neuter clinics in our area available to the general public.
Anne Arundel County only allows for trapping of non-wildlife animals in violation of Anne Arundel County laws. Community cats, by their mere presence, are not in violation of Anne Arundel County Laws (see There is an eartipped cat in my community what does that mean?) Generally speaking we do not loan traps for wildlife. Exceptions will be made for wildlife inside a home or wildlife involved in bites to people/pets. However, if trapping you must first obtain a permit number through The Department of Natural Resources at 1-877-463-6497.
Humane animal traps are available from Animal Care & Control free of charge. You must be an Anne Arundel County resident. The trap may be used for two weeks and must be set inside Anne Arundel County's borders. You must obtain a trapping permit number prior to the issuance of a trap Permits can be obtained Monday through Friday through the Nuisance Animal Hotline 1-877-463-6497. Anne Arundel County Animal Care & Control has limited traps available and may not always have one available for loan.
Please email ACCIncoming@aacounty.org or call 410-222-3894 for an appointment. Please note if you are having issues with Nuisance Wildlife please contact 1-877-463-6497
Traps may be set on Monday beginning at 8:00 a.m. through Friday until 4:00 p.m. Traps may not be set on weekends or holidays. Traps must be monitored several times per day. Trapped animals shall not be touched or handled once trapped. Animal Care & Control should be contacted immediately for trapped animals.
Anne Arundel County, all owned cats and dogs above the age of 6 months are required by law to be licensed. You can only obtain the license and license tag from Anne Arundel County Animal Care & Control. This is not something that you can obtain through your veterinarian. For more information, see: https://www.aacounty.org/animal-control/animal-related-licenses/dog-cat-licenses
If you call our agency (410-222-3939) with the address of the owner, Anne Arundel County Animal Care & Control will send a letter to the owner advising them of the complaint. If sending a letter is not helpful the next step would be for you, the complainant, to file an affidavit against the owner of the animal. Affidavits must be complete, correct and notarized (see instructions with the Affidavit for more information). Once the affidavit is received at Animal Care & Control a citation may be issued to the owner for the violations of the law you witnessed. A link to the affidavits is provided below.
Anne Arundel County law requires that a dog kept outdoors be provided with food daily and have access to clean water at all times. Both a shelter, which could be a doghouse, and an additional shaded area must be provided and meet requirements outlined in the flyer below. The shelter must be adequate in size to allow the dog to stand up, lie down, and turn around without touching the sides.
Access the County Code Article 12 Title 4 for more information or view the image below.
Anne Arundel County Animal Care & Control should be notified at (410) 222-3939. An officer will investigate the situation and take action as necessary. Please remember that an officer must observe the dog outside without shelter and/or other legally required items, such as clean water. If the dog is inside when the officer responds, the officer will not have the authority to require corrective action by the owner. If the officer does not observe a violation, the officer will work to educate the owner on the laws in an effort to avoid future violations.
If you or someone you know has been bitten or scratched by an animal in Anne Arundel County , you must contact the Police Non-Emergency line at (410) 222-8610 to report the incident. Additionally Animal Care & Control always recommends you seek medical attention for an animal bite or scratch. This information will then be forwarded to Animal Care & Control's Bite Investigation Department and the Anne Arundel County Department of Health for follow up. It is important that any bite or scratch be reported due to the importance of tracking any possible rabies exposures. Rabies is a lethal disease. There is no cure.
Animal Care & Control's limited number of officers and dispatchers work 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. During other hours or on county holidays, an officer will be on call for what are deemed true emergencies. The same officer who is “on call” will be required to work their regular normal hours in addition to the “on call” hours. To maintain a safe environment for both the community and the staff, certain types of calls cannot be responded to during "on call" hours
Animal Care & Control accepts CASH, CHECKS or CREDIT CARDS for most transactions. Checks are not accepted when a citizen is paying to reclaim a pet. Credit cards are not accepted as payment during our rabies vaccinations/microchips clinics.
Yes, individuals that witness violations of Potentially Dangerous or Dangerous Orders issued by Anne Arundel County Animal Care & Control to protect public safety can file an affidavit of complaint. The affidavits must be complete, accurate and notarized. Based on these affidavits of complaint Animal Care & Control can issue a citation for the violation(s) witnessed. If the animal owner decides to dispute the citation the complainant will be needed, in addition to any evidence of the violation, at hearings regarding the citation.
Yes, if you complete a Request to Inspect or Receive Public Records request we will provide you a copy of the order. Please keep in mind while we try to fulfill these requests as soon as possible we have up to 30 days to provide the information.
Your property must meet minimum size requirements for the number of chickens/ducks you want. You also must obtain a Chicken/Duck License before getting chickens or ducks. Please view the Chicken/Duck Application and Information Packet. Applications are also available at the shelter.
Please see "Cats in my Neighborhood" page
Yes, as long as you live in Anne Arundel County. Please bring your Photo ID and proof of ownership (the pet's vet records and or photos of the pet). If you do not have proof of ownership, you may still surrender the animal. There is no charge for surrendering your animal. You can do so during our regular business hours, but appointments are required to surrender a pet. Please email ACCIncoming@aacounty.org or call 410-222-3894