No response whatsoever. No call back. I called after hours as they are listed and were recommended as 24/7 and an emergency organization you can call. I left a message, which asked for a call back the next business day. Nothing. No return call. Even days later.

Its a kill shelter, I wouldnt recommend it at all. I had a cat sent there that I had rescued because I had cats of my own I couldnt keep her. They euthanized her within a month because of her behavior, animals need time and patience thats something they obviously dont understand.

They are under new management who is now in the process of totally redoing the buildings from the damaged way they were left by the previous owners.They are not open yet, but when they do open its looking to be a much better, open in all ways, to the public, and wonderful place.If you can, they will need help with donations from both your pocket book and your time. This place is worth it.

I recently got an adult cat from here! When I got there I was supper surprised they had a room to meet the cats in. When I walked in the cat room with all the cats there was no oder! Great staff. Ver helpful. They gave me information about the best cat food and how to introduce him to the resident cat. Only 2 hisses!! Awesome but I would have liked if you guys told me or warned me that he was only recently sprayed so resident cat smelled his harmonies and got a little crazy. They are doing good! Very loyal and calm. I visited the dogs and saw how the staff is taking good care of them taking them on walks ect. One last thing I love how you guys make us apply for the animal and the background checks making sure u don’t give ur animals to anyone bad. Anyways thank you for the card I got mailed to me. I’ve also been seeing reviews saying that this is a kill shelter.. This might sound wrong but giving other animals a chance is okay but taking animals lives thinking they will never find a home isn’t. I’m glad I’ve got my cat how knows what could have happened.

Very friendly environment. And the pets there look well cared for.

They’re only goal here is to keep the shelters packed so they can ignore any animal in need. If you do not own your home or have a fenced in backyard, no matter how active you are, they will deny you. The requirements are outrageous here. My husband is a fitness trainer and him & I are extremely active. We hike regularly as well as have a neighborhood dog park and live a few doors down from my sister and her wife who have two amazing dogs. I so badly wanted to adopt instead of buying out of fear that I’d contribute to a puppy mill. I was hoping to have a great adoption success story and contribute to my local animal shelter but it didn’t turn out like that. In the end I had no choice. We bought our beautiful French bulldog Evie from a breeder on greenfield puppies. She cost us $4500 but she was well worth it ❤️ This animal shelter should be ashamed of themselves. They contribute to puppy mills far more than anything else.

Would give 0 stars if allowed, Not a good experience, adopted a kitten on 08/18/21 and it has been to the vet more than he has been home , kitten was ill and full of a rare form of tape worms when adopted not to mention over a $300 vet bill since adoption because of the expensive medicine needed to treat him, not happy at all !!!!!!!!!

This was a great experience there very organized and they were giving out free food for dogs and cats. Very pleased

Very frendly would recommended adopting a pet from here. They are very helpful in knowing individually every pets needs. This is Romeo we adopted him from here and just like the people there he is lovely 💘.

One of our neighbors abandoned a pair or rabbits they had been keeping as pets. We caught the rabbits and tried to return them to the owners, but they refused to take them. We contacted a shelter for rabbits that used Howard County Animal Control & Adoption Center as an intermediary- we had to drop off the rabbits with them. Although we were polite and did everything we were told, the staff were VERY unfriendly and rushed- they constantly reminded us that they were about to close for the day and that we were inconveniencing them. The staff showed no interest or empathy in the animals themselves.

Please if want to adobt a pet please dont do it through Howard County Amimal Control & Adoption Center. They will shack you down for money if you do not get the pet spayed/neutered in Howard County. The kitten had a hard time gaining weight and so he couldnt get spayed/neutered when they suggested and we dont live in Howard County. The only reason why this place chosen because someon suggested it to us. We should have did our research. Even after they were sent the documentation that the kitten was spayed/neuered they keep saying that we are not compliant so you will continue to keep trying to increase the fines saying you were not complaint. So now we have to wait and see what the judge says.

Employees where nice and I was in and out fast. Dropped a abandon kitten off

Would leave 0 stars if possible. Found a kitten and saved it from a fox, and brought it in after work the next day. All the staff members were incredibly rude. You’d think people in the helping animal industry would be kinder about others trying to help abandoned animals. Very unpleasant experience and has deterred me from every wanting to come back or to consider them as a place to potentially adopt from. Terrible miserable staff.

I gave up a beautiful cat named Scarlet (she wasnt my cat but I loved her cuteness) took her for a month but my cat could not get along with her. I dont see her in any pictures and my heart would be broken if they put her down. She would have made someone happy as she purred her way into your heart.

From the moment I made the tough decision to surrender my cat, I never imagined that the hardest part would be encountering the workers at the Howard County shelter. The lobby was quiet and I was the only person there. There was 2 women behind the counter--neither of them greeted me with a hello or a kind face. Before I could place my cats crate on the counter, the terrible disrespect began. The first thing out of one of the attendees mouth (with no eye contact) was Are you from here? I replied I do live in Howard County if thats what you are asking. After that, the two ladies proceeded to tag team with a line of questions that seemed to be routine--why I was surrendering, where I adopted, behavior issues, etc...However their tone was so nasty and condescending, I was blown. I asked Whats going on here? Why the attitude? The attendee never looked at me. Her partner gave an explanation as if the attitude was warranted...as if I was not worthy of their time...as if I had done something personal to them. One set of paperwork was set before me to surrender my cat for adoption. Then, in a blink of an eye, the paperwork was then taken away and an authorization to euthanize was placed before me. I was rapidly told the chances of adoption were low and eventually he would be put down. I was asked to pay a fee then told they would waive it because they made the recommendation. They spoke directly to my cat with eye contact and kind words--they spoke to me with shocking disrespect, rudeness and hurt. No care for humans, no care for the unfortunate circumstances that are put before those that have to surrender their pet. I hope that nobody else is treated this way.

They are kind to the animals, they take care of them very well

They have a clean facility, great staff, and the dogs are well taken care of. All the animals are so cute.

I just learned this shelter euthanizes unwanted animals. Do not recommend.And this shelter is government funded, but they always post on FB like they are desperately in need of stuff, otherwise the animals there will starve.

It smells great! The staff is curtious and professional. The volunteers were very helpful and unobtrusive. All in all a positive experience.

Nice and clean, when you walk in there you cant smell that there are animals in there. Its a breath of fresh air to me.

Ive been donating animal food to this place for a couple years now. Every time I drop off, I get to see cute little cats and dogs. It make me happy that they let me see them. (:

If I could give zero stars for this place I would. They are holding an elderly therapy dog hostage who needs meds and special food just because they are not open on Sunday. The person in charge is heartless. The media has been called for a story for the news.

Very quick and courteous.

We adopted our two kittens here. The staff and the volunteers were all wonderful and helped us find the perfect cats for us. They also helped us find a vet and make sure the cats got all their vaccines. The shelter is clean and the animals are well taken care of and loved. The adoption process is through but not ridiculously so. All in all I would definitely recommend the Howard County shelter to anyone looking to adopt a pet!

Nice building. Clean. Went to adopt a dog .They only had 1. Guess that was a good thing. Poor thing had his ears cropped (ugly). He was 7 months old. Someone messed him up, then got rid of him.

Such a clean, friendly, and wonderful place! Stopped by to give donations (they will not take sheets or pillows, but blankets are needed!) I found the love of my life, Bear, here and it was so easy to apply, so inexpensive ($56 for a 170 pound Mastiff for the rest of my life!) and setting up play visits were no problem at all. The staff was very helpful and full of smiles. Will be my first choice for a new pet again!

Just adopted two kitties from this facility. Its a much calmer environment than the SCPA downtown and the animals are well cared for and do not seem as stressed with fewer animals surrounding them. The volunteers are knowledgeable, but dont crowd or rush you when youre visiting your prospective pets. Volunteers were actively socializing the kittens and trimming everyones nails. Would adopt from them again.

We just adopted a dog from Howard County Animal Control and would happily do so again. They were extremely forthcoming and honest with information about the dog and were very thorough. Our dog came in to meet the new dog and there was no rush- they wanted to make sure both dogs were a good fit. When the adoption was final, they were as excited as we were. We got a packet of information, including a training DVD. Our little guy needed to be neutered and the shelter arranged it. When we went to pick him up, he also had ear wash and drops- which we werent charged for. Not a cent. It was amazing. The whole experience was wonderful and we highly recommend this shelter!

I had a wonderful experience here. I am surprised at the bad reviews. My cat was turned in over the weekend, and I went to pick him up. I got my cats as kittens and had them neutered and made sure they had shots, worming, and flea meds. They still wanted to go out and I let them, thinking it was safe since I took these precautions. Today I was given alot of education and resources that I was unaware of...and made aware that outside still isnt a safe place for them. I was happy to pay the fee for the service provided and now start the process of retraining them to be indoor cats. Happy he is home safe :)

Overweight white lady at the front desk was quite annoying and immature. A stereotypical Karen. I think shes a bit desperate for attention. Ask to talk to someone else, and dont give her any personal info if she asks. Ive seen this quite a few times before, they are easy to manage once you recognize them.

We have adopted several of our pets from here and have only had wonderful experiences. It is a clean facility and the animals are well cared for by the staff. The staff really tries to help you find the best pet for your family. We brought our older dog to meet the one we hoped to adopt and were guided through the process of introducing new pets.

Me and josh. He would read to the animals and I would ooh and aww at all the cuties wishing I could have a cute dug ..or rabbit. ...a pasha.. Or cat. Miss @samurai and will miss cleo..my sisters .fat cat sitting in my basement ...

Great place, friendly staff. Animals seems to be well cared for and comfortable as much as can be expected in a shelter. Clean environment and plenty of hand sanitation stations everywhere. You can just walk in and browse, you dont have to check in at the front desk unless you have a question. Seniors help at the cat section and nice to see them stay busy and share their experiences of cats with the visitors.

I love you care for those with a voice ....... humans are suppose to be humane ...... yet we could learn from animals.... especially dogs ..... they know how to love unconditionally in spite of being hurt by some humans..... and you and others try to balance that

Make sure to have appointment during covid.

They function by the book which I consider good, however;. they are to busy to be friendly and rush when dealing with you. This is my second experience with them and got they same feel as the first time.

Good

Went with a co-worker to find a pet. She fell in love with a pup that was friendly and clean.This center was very clean and I took notice of families there looking for pets with their children. The staff here was very friendly and the location was nice and clean where the animals were kept. No odor noticed of pet smells in the holding areas. Noticed staff taking dogs out for walks and grooming cats were taking place. There were 2 cats there, that was very playful and adorable. I would recommend this location for pet adoption.

Very informative staff. Very clean. Animals look well kept. Give a nice welcoming gift bah when you adopt and have low cost or free things for your newly adopted pet. Got my dachshund from them. Would recommend for adoption very highly.

Beautiful people help and assist all the pets. Provide a really good care to them. We can apply for adoption too

We have adopted several kitties from this location. They were well cared for and very social. Once we had to call them to rescue mother cat and kittens someone dumped on our property. They were prompt and professional. We were so worried about the kitties outside in the cold. Ittook about a week to catch them all, but they did it. I currently have two sweet boys we adopted 2 years ago. They are wonderful. Would recommend. They are very careful about screening for adoption.

My husband and I are looking to adopt a new kitten after our 2 senior cats have passed away. The process of adopting a cat from many of the shelters in Maryland is very time consuming. You reach out to them by phone, leave numerous voicemails and send emails through Petfinder or their websites. Ive already contacted 3 shelters and Ive got either got no reply or they tell you to visit them at Petco or PetSmart. Honestly, it makes you want to give up on the process. At least with this location, if you see a cat, they will let you know right away if the cat is in the adoption process. I believe from what the nice lady told us, is that if you like a cat, you submit your paperwork, and you can take your cat home in about a week or 2, thats if they approve your application. It sounds pretty easy if you find a cat that isnt adopted or find one that you like. There isnt much cats there at the moment. The staff is nice and the pet area is very clean. I can only speak for the cat area and there was a nice receptionist there as well.

We had a great experience adopting our senior dog. Their Lucky 7 program made it free. Facility is spacious and clean. There were lots of staff but they didnt all seem busy, even though customers were waiting.

Unprofessional, unhelpful, and rude woman Jessica up front took a great of pleasure in providing no assistance. Denied me adoption based on a simple miscommunication/misunderstanding about paperwork; then placed blame on me and said I was unable to understand their system and that she didnt have the time. Told me she didnt believe I would follow through and that my cat would be adopted before I could figure it out, then ignored me to chat with another customer about puppies. When I asked for her name she finally provided some information, counter to what she previously said, but I felt so disrespected at that point I opted to leave.I would greatly recommend any other shelter for adoption for those who like to be treated with respect.

One nice worker and about 4 really rude workers. We went to look at prospective dogs and were completely appalled by the employees. Their attitude makes it clear they don’t care about the dogs.

These people do great work!

Wonderful staff and a great facility. The animals arent extremely stressed so its a better environment to gauge personalities than other adoption centers Ive visited.

The workers there really care about the animals they have. Its a lovely place

Very friendly and helpful staff. The facility is nice. There werent a lot of animals up for adoption when we went but I see that as a good thing. Keep a watch out for animals that come in because they get adopted quick!

Staff talented in reforming rescued animals, with full volunteers support staff that know personalities, readiness for adoption

They really care about the pets. Theres an indoor room and an outdoor room to meet the pets. Very clean cages. I will have no qualms adopting a pet from here.

This is an excellent animal adoption center. It is clean and the volunteers are super sweet. The animals look really cared for here. I adopted an awesome kitty from here 14 years ago and am ready to look for another again.

Dont buy a pet, adopt one! Its so difficult to leave this place without falling in love with one of the lonely dogs or cats looking for a new family. The pets choose you here.Great volunteer opportunities for children to come and read to dogs. Both sides get something out of it. Its adorable.

Wonderful place. The staff was so friendly and helpful. They clearly care about the animals. They also processed our application in less than 24 hours, and we are so happy with our new family member!

Horrible customer service by one lady in particular. I came back today after dropping off my bearded dragon the day before and she said Yeah, so were not giving her back to you. Theres a process and when shes ready well put her up for adoption on the site and then your friend or whoever can go online and fill out the application. Even then we dont guarantee that theyll get her. But shes doing fine, shes settling in Super smug, no empathy whatsoever. And just walked away.

Caring, compassionate staff, clean facility. After my recent adoption, I wouldnt want to go anywhere else. Prices very reasonable

I volunteer here and think its a great organization. Love the staff and meeting new people from the community. Would recommend to anyone ....adopt instead of buying...especially buying from a pet store!!!!

The quality that stands out the most is that everyone onsite really cares about the animals. Everyone was compassionate, patient, and sincere. The facility is clean and well-managed. Truly commendable.

Insensitive staff to say the very least.We found a dog in horrible shape and decided to bring her in to see what they could do for her. After spending a few hours with the dog, we were able to see how sweet and friendly she was, but obviously couldnt do anything further for her without her getting checked out first.As soon as we entered we were treated like criminals. They were incredibly rude and it was obvious that people skills were lacking. One of the ladies, Lisa Marie I believe, told us that they would see what they could do for her to hopefully get adopted, or simply just put her down. Understandable, but disappointing and sad nonetheless. So when I began to cry (because Im sensitive and a dog-lover), she looked at me and asked me coldly why I was so upset. Well ummmm you guys just said that this sweet dog is going to more than likely be put down...........I can understand being desensitized to euthanasia. I can also understand that many people probably surrender their animals in horrible condition, so maybe shes sick of hearing sob stories. But this was a case where people were legitimately trying to do the right thing.Note to staff: there are still good people in the world... dont be so rude that it discourages people from doing the right thing!

Love that all cats & dogs are spayed, neutered & microchiped before leaving for their new home. The pets & kennels looked clean. Staff & volunteers were very helpful.

I brought a dead stray animal here (use to the left entrance). Theyre very efficient and compassionate.

Staff is honest and helpful. They have a really hard job. We adopted a great dog from here. Highly recommend. If you follow the rules, you wont be disappointed.

I visit all the timeI met the dog of my dreams there.My parents arent fond of dogs, or cats, or animals in general, but a short drive from home, work, or school and Im happily visiting these wonderful animals.The staff is absolutely wonderful and lovingIm planning to volunteer!

Sad to say i had to put my cat down and they did everything to make me and my cat comfortable. It was cheaper than the vet

The front desk staff was bad !! No customer service at all ... there were 3 of them that saw a line at the front desk ... no one ever looked up and asked if we needed help ... so we just walk to the dog holding area and looked around for ourselves ! Got a few brocbures and left ! They need to be more engaging and welcoming

Had a bad experience of dropping off an abandoned cat. the woman working the desk acted like I was turning over my own cat that i no longer wanted. She gave me the worst look. Im sure this location does great work but geez, here i am doing the right thing by an abandoned cat and she gives me a hard stink eye. I have two cats already, both are adopted. really bad customer service here. would recommend taking abandoned animals elsewhere if possible. or, if ya dont mind a guilt trip, go for it.

I adopted my fur baby from here, the process was fast, very informative, and the staff were very friendly. My dog is the love of my life and never leaves my side

Excellent facility. Cheerful, professional staff. Bright, clean office areas and pet visiting rooms. Thats my sweet kitty!

They can improve their attitude a little bit. Especially front desk. Doctors and their support staff is great.

The people are friendly and helpful. Compared with many shelters, animals are adopted quickly (they bring in animals from other areas) and choices may be limited

Very friendly and helpful staff. They helped guide us towards a dog that has fit in perfectly with our household and current dog.

Great place to adopt a pet or volunteer! They always could use a loving hand.

Always a nice place very clean we have a dog from their 5 years now great animals they take care and is good place to get a dog or cat or Pat and so great place to leave of our dog Garth cat if you can not keep the animal anymore

Beware- this is a government owned and funded animal shelter. Donate your time and money elsewhere because this shelter already receives government funding and staffing. Nice facility for adoption, but they have only a few animals at a time which causes people to fight over them (most animals already have 3+ applications). The staff members were very rude and discriminatory to me the last time I was there

We adopted a wonderful 7 year old Chihuahua mix. The staff & volunteers were knowledgeable, the facility was clean, we had a fantastic experience.

The woman Jessica here is extremely nice and helpful. Another woman I spoke to not as helpful. I found a stray dog and was exploring options - Jessica was helpful in explaining requirements, etc.

People on the phone are uninterested

Provided a free cage for a dollar donation great place looks like a clean atmosphere

Staff has zero personable skills and is bias towards military families.Their idea of wanting to make things easy so pets are adopted, is not one that they live by. Because we were incapable of bringing our previous dogs with us (from a state that is over a 24 hour drive ) and because the military holds your belongings for weeks, theyre not able to move your pets. Our application was denied because we brought our dogs back to their previous owners (well kept people I may add). And when told that, the staff seems uneducated in what that meant. Very dissatisfied and outraged! Itd be different if we were asking for a dog maybe, but requesting a bunny rabbit for our daughters birthday present. They need to be more focused, professional and understanding of situations when conducting applications.Their staff also needs more training in etiquette and how to speak with children.

The people here are rude. The services are good

Friendly staff helps u move adoptions forward. Met my best bud there now we love together ;)

I called the office this morning, per the recommendation of my vet. Last evening, I found a puppy without tags or a microchip. I called HoCo Animal Control to see if perhaps the owner had called in to report the missing pup. The woman answering the phone and taking down my information was rude and condescending to me. Here I am trying to be a Good Samaritan, and she was making snide remarks about not only my description of the dog, but about my vet not giving me an estimate of its age (I was just grateful that the staff at my vets office took the time out of seeing paying patients to scan the pup for a chip). Really disappointed in the whole experience, and people should realize that staff answering phones are representative of the business or organization as a whole.

I find it interesting that this facility is so highly rated.BEWARE: Important details about a pet may not be stated on the online listing: dog chaser and does not respond to Invisible Fence etcEven though you may be the 1st person to VERBALLY STATE your interest in a pet, that does not guarantee that you will be the first person to SEE/MEET the pet. We left 2 voice mails over the weekend, drove an hour and half and were the first ones in the door.Being 1st in the door means NOTHING!VERBAL interest to the staffmeans NOTHING!Another potential applicant, who arrived after we did, saw us visiting Jinx at her kennel. She then proceeded to approach the front desk in order to visit her before us even though she knew we arrived before her. Afterward, the front desk staff gave her an application to fill out which put her in a position in front of us.What part of this is right or fair?My daughter went to the car heartbroken and crying. She could not believe how insensitive and rude the gal at the first desk was.What is the goal here?Another staff member asked if I wanted to see a Supervisor, which I gladly accepted.I asked if she was open to a suggestion which she willingly listened to and HOPEFULLY implimented:This entire emotional mess could easily have been avoided if they had a SIGN IN SHEET:Name of person/Pet of interest/Arrival TimeWe went with high hopes of bringing home a new family member after the loss of our dog. We came home sad and frustrated.Also, be prepared to be interrogated over the phone IF you happen to get a call back. ANY pet you have EVER owned including FISH must be accounted for.In the end, we opted to pass on the CRAZY Border Collie who chased cars and ignored her shock collar. She unfortunately had never received the attention and training she so desperately needed as a puppy. We wish her the best and hope her new family does not have to undergo an experience such as ours.We wish you the best!

Dont have room for other animals 😂 what kinda of mess it that

Great to see a really kind people taking care the animals like their own family.

The staff there is rude. I recently had a move in which my cat could not come with us because she is very shy and afraid of anyone who is not me. In order to move my cat out of my old house animal control had to come get her, take her to the shelter, and wait until I readopt my cat. That right there was crazy, because I never wanted to even put my cat up for adoption. A couple days later I went to the shelter to simply check on my cat, and they would not let me see her. They would not give me any information about her well being, or even tell me if she was doing okay. They told me, her OWNER, that I was not certified to receive any information about her. I started crying and worrying even more, and the lady at the front desk proceeded to sternly tell me that she cant say anything, its a police ran shelter, and she could lose her job for telling me anything. My experience there was bad, and I am just trying to get my cat out of that shelter thats full of rude, uncaring, and insincere workers.

Nicest staff Very helpful informative,facility is clean animals look like they are getting the best care possible

They have their dogs under control very well here, this plave is inexpensive and you can even have meetings in a room with the dogs

Agree with previous reviews, there is a huge wale of a lady at front desk maybe thats the reason of her laziness and bad attitude, she should not work be working there if she has better things to do than help people find a pet. When I went there she didint even mention there were a couple of dogs available that where not in the facility.

We tried every service and place out there to find our lost dog and Howard County animal control were literally the only organisation that helped at all. We reported our dog lost as soon as he went missing, and a week later they received a call from someone who had spotted him, but gave a slightly different description of our dog. Animal control connected the dots and put us in contact with them straight away. They were very sympathetic with us constantly calling and checking throughout the week our boy was missing even though Im sure it was annoying!

I was looking for a dog to rescue for my parents that I had seen the night before on petfinder did not think the dog I had seen was still available. I was on my way to see my parents and stopped in. Visited with the dog and went and told my parents. They are waiting to be approved for the dog.

Great place. Kind staff ready to help you

In Howard county major changes as far as the law needs to be changed and addressed better and staff are rude ignorant impolite do not care do not know and do not do there jobs

I went there looking for 1 of my cats that came up missing they were very helpful and the place has really changed over the years it was very clean!! Much better than years ago!!

These people really care about the animals in the well-being of them in the community.

Clean and neat animal areas. Staff person pleasant.

Professional caring staff helped me locate my missing dog quickly.

Clean and animals seemed well cared for.

Very nice clean facility for fur babies awaiting their Furever homes!

They have quite a few adorable dogs, some may be old, some young, but they have a great application process.