Surge of animals takes $100,000 bite out of Harford Humane Society budget

Gone are the tent and trailer that housed the sudden glut of shelter dogs. At the Humane Society of Harford County in Fallston, there’s a respite — and sense of normalcy — following a spike in canine admissions last spring that taxed the staff’s resolve and cost the shelter nearly $100,000 in non-budgeted expenses.

As a no-kill shelter, the humane society is required to take in all animals left on its doorstep or seized by the county’s Animal Control division. In February, that unit impounded 34 dogs, including 17 from one residence, exacerbating the already snug conditions at the 66-kennel shelter filled with post-pandemic turn-ins and pets from owners who lacked the funds to care for them.

The intake of animals “put us over the tipping point,” said Bob Citrullo, executive director of the humane society, and forced it to acquire the emergency tent for $18,000 a month. A series of strategies, including the waiver of adoption fees, stepped-up foster care and the transfer of some dogs to single-breed rescue centers helped end the overcrowding; in June, the tent came down. But the crisis response bit into the humane society’s $2.2 million budget, a sobering omen of crises to come.

“The problem remains that, if tomorrow, animal control seizes another 10 or 12 dogs, we’ll be right back to where we were,” said Citrullo, the shelter’s director for two years. To that end, the staff has negotiated with the county to house animals in another building, rent-free, 10 minutes away, should a crunch arise.

Also, construction began this month on an animal training center, adjacent to the existing shelter, a facility already in the works. That venue, which could accommodate dogs in an emergency, will be funded by a $250,000 donation from a late benefactor who gifted it to the humane society in a will.

Finally, Citrullo said, the crisis has spurred talk of building a third structure specifically to care for animals confiscated by the county.

“We’d have to raise money for that,” Citrullo said.

Meanwhile, there’s that $100,000 hole in the budget to be addressed.

“We’re going to have to eat a lot of that,” he said. “We’ve sought restitution from [the biggest hoarder] who was found guilty of nine of 17 counts [of animal abuse]. We’ll learn how much money we can expect later this month, but rarely do we see the full amount.”

Somehow, Citrullo said, the bills get paid:

“Last year, we found homes for 2,610 animals. We’ll find a way around [euthanasia]. We just have to think outside the box.”