College Park considers new animal shelter

BY CHRIS MELVILLE

The city of College Park is considering adding a regional north county animal shelter to bring an estimated 500,000 pets closer to the services they need.

In an Animal Welfare Committee meeting July 24th, Tamela Terry, president of the SPCA/Humane Society of Prince Geroge’s County, backed the addition.

“The county isn’t doing enough right now,” said Terry. “Prince George’s County pets need us.” Terry has volunteered for over ten years in Prince George’s County. Her local trailer is the only place pet owners will find reduced shots and shock treatments in the area. Residents line up for hours every first Sunday for $10 shots and $25 microchipping. “Unless there’s snow or a Redskins home game,” said Terry.

A study to determine a new shelter’s value is required before construction can begin. Some committee members estimated a cost of at least $200,000 to complete the research, a combination of municipality and city government funding.

Christine Nagle, co-chair of the committee, believes the money might be better used elsewhere.

Our shelters have a 65 percent kill rate for cats and an 85 percent kill rate for dogs. Expanding hold times in cages could reduce that number, said Nagle.

Other members of the committee were supportive of the building in concept but were uncomfortable with the cost. Betty Gailes, in her first Animal Welfare Committee meeting, asked if there were ways current shelters could be improved. At this point, committee members agreed a new shelter is years away.

There are an estimated 350,000 pet owning households in Prince George’s County and an estimated half a million pets, according to figures by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. Roughly 20,000 pets are licensed in the county.

“[There’s] such a huge need out there for low-cost vet care,” said Terry.

Current county shelters do not provide public services, such as animal control. Members said those services were better performed by the police and, if a new shelter were built, advised it follow those guidelines. ​