Animal Advocates of Howard County

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Ellicott City, MD
Animal Advocates of Howard County

Animal Advocates of Howard County is an all-volunteer, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to preventing the suffering of animals.

10/17/2025

Just a reminder to join us on Sunday Oct 19 (even though the poster says Oct 12-- it rained and this is the rain date!) as we attend this community celebration of dogs, and their people. The event kicks off with a Blessing of the Animals, then visit adoptable animals, vendors selling gifts and goodies, followed by a Dog Costume Contest, a Dachshund Derby, Trunk or Treat for dogs, and The Great Inflatable Race. The race benefits us and promises to be hilarious as the humans dress up in inflatable costumes and run for a prize! Admission to the event is free, and you can register for the race for just $10. We look forward to seeing you there, in your inflatable;)

10/11/2025

PLEASE NOTE! This event has been RESCHEDULED to SUNDAY OCT 19 due to weather! Join us on Sunday Oct 19 as we attend this community celebration of dogs, and their people. The event kicks off with a Blessing of the Animals, then visit adoptable animals, vendors selling gifts and goodies, followed by a Dog Costume Contest, a Dachshund Derby, Trunk or Treat for dogs, and The Great Inflatable race. The race benefits us and promises to be hilarious as the humans dress up in inflatable costumes and run for a prize! Admission is free, and you can register for the race for just $10. We look forward to seeing you there, in your inflatable;)

10/02/2025

"Let us develop respect for all living things. Let us try to replace violence and intolerance with understanding and compassion. And love."
--Jane Goodall

09/26/2025

Yard Sale tomorrow Saturday September 27! We’ve had over 230 generous donors (Thank you!) who kept their unused items out of the landfill, and we are turning it into funding to continue our lifesaving work. We’ve spent countless hours preparing. Our Volunteers are simply amazing. See you there!

Last couple of days to donate your unwanted items to help animals! Please call 410 880 2488 #3 or info@animal-advocates...

09/13/2025

Last couple of days to donate your unwanted items to help animals! Please call 410 880 2488 #3 or [email protected] for specifics. We spayed and neutered 37 animals last week, for free, for income-eligible people. This helps people who could not otherwise afford it avoid keep their pets in their homes and their offspring out of shelters. That's over 7 animals per day, and as the cost of veterinary care continues to rise, we really appreciate your help to make this fundraiser successful!

08/22/2025

Our Huge Annual Yard Sale is coming soon! We're accepting donations through Sept. 17. Contact us for drop-off locations and instructions. Thank you!

05/16/2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 16, 2025
410-576-7009
Consumer Alert: Beware of Scam Targeting Owners of Lost Pets in Maryland

Baltimore, MD – Attorney General Anthony G. Brown issued today a consumer alert urging Maryland residents to be vigilant following reports of a scam preying on individuals seeking to reunite with lost pets. Scammers are exploiting the distress of pet owners by impersonating employees from reputable animal shelters, including the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS), the Maryland SPCA, and Talbot Humane.

How the Scam Works

Scammers identify pet owners through lost pet advertisements on social media platforms. Using caller ID spoofing technology, they make it appear as though the call is coming from a legitimate shelter. The caller claims to have found the missing pet, often stating that the animal is injured and requires immediate medical attention. They then demand payment via money transfer applications such as Zelle, Cash App, Venmo, or PayPal, threatening that the pet will not receive care unless the payment is made promptly.

In one reported incident, a pet owner was convinced to transfer $2,600 to the scammer before realizing it was a fraud. Some individuals became suspicious when the scammers failed to provide verifiable information, such as the pet’s microchip number or photographic evidence of the animal’s condition. These red flags helped prevent more individuals from being scammed.

Shelter Policies

Shelters generally do not request payments over the phone or through money transfer apps. BARCS, for example, has stated that they never solicit payments via phone and encourages individuals to report any suspicious calls to their official email, [email protected].

Consumer Protection Recommendations--

To protect yourself from this scam:

Do Not Send Money: Avoid transferring funds via money transfer apps to individuals claiming to represent a shelter.

Verify the Caller: If you receive a call from someone claiming to have found your pet, ask for specific details about your animal that only someone with the pet would know.

Contact the Shelter Directly: Reach out to the shelter through official channels to confirm any information.

Report Suspicious Activity: If you believe you have been targeted by this scam, report the incident to the Maryland Office of the
Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

For more information or to report a scam, contact the Maryland Office of the Attorney General at 410-528-8662 or visit www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov.

Spread the Word:

Please share this alert with friends, family, and local community groups to help protect others from becoming a victim of this scam.

02/05/2025

Big Mac! This beautiful boy has been waiting at the shelter and we want to make sure you don't miss out. He's pretty perfect, plays nice, gets along with everyone and other dogs, he's smart, he's loyal, he's special. Big Mac, Big Personality, Big Love. ❤️

10/02/2024

Join us for Yappy Hour as we kick off the autumn season with a still warm, yet slightly crisp fall evening. Taste different wines and beers, or just stop in to say hello. Historic Ellicott City has unique restaurants, and many of the shops are open on "First Fridays" as well. The event is outdoors and the weather looks like it's finally going to clear just in time! Check our website Friday afternoon for updates, if something changes and rain is in the forecast. See you there!

12/20/2023

All of these dogs asked Santa for the exact same thing--you guessed it, a loving home. These are just a few of the available dogs at Howard County Animal Control and Adoption Center; if you'd like to adopt a dog, or cat, or guinea pit, or rabbit, please stop by! The shelter will be closed Saturday Dec 23 through Monday Dec 25 then again on Saturday Dec 30 through Monday Jan 1 but other than those days, open regular hours. More info about the dogs and the hours on our website. Happy Holidays!

08/04/2023

This handsome older gentleman is newly arrived at Animal Control and is an amazingly loving and laid-back cat. His name is Otto and he absolutely loves people and closes his eyes as you pet him. He purrs and follows you around the house to be by your side. Otto likes to be held for short periods of time and most of the time will curl up next to you. Otto is low key and at his sophisticated age of 13yrs old, he prefers to get scratches or a massage from you, instead of playing. Otto enjoys getting his water from a cat water fountain. He has done well with a dog and done well around gentle children. Otto prefers to be the only cat in his household. If you are looking for a gentleman cat to be your right hand man, come on in to meet him.

Location:
Howard County Animal Control and Adoption Center
8576 Davis Rd
Columbia, MD 21045

You can call first to see if this pet is still available: 410-313-2780 Option 0.
Applications are accepted in person at our facility after you visit this pet out of their cage.

Animal Viewing Hours:
Mon, Wed, Fri 10:00-4:30 (Closed at 2:30 the last Friday of each month)
Tues & Thurs 1:30-7:00
Sat 10:00-2:00 (Closed on county observed holidays and holiday weekends.)

04/28/2023

Our much-anticipated Annual Yard Sale is tomorrow, April 29! Rain or Shine, we're INDOORS at Sports World, 9505 Berger Rd Columbia 21046 from 9:00am to 2:00pm. No Early Birds. Speaking of Early Birds, we caught one! Foster dog Poppy conned, er, charmed the Volunteers into buying her several things that caught her eye.

We're pretty sure we'll have something that you can't live without too. You name it, we've got it. Household items, tools, decor, jewelry, kitchenware, collectibles, vintage, kid’s stuff, clothing, accessories, books, movies, music, art, sporting goods, clothing, toys, furniture, and lots of goodies at our Bake Sale. Not only do we have great stuff, you can feel good about shopping because all the proceeds benefit our Adoption, Spay/Neuter an Humane Education programs.

Special thanks to all the Volunteers who work so hard to fundraise to help dogs like Poppy.

Address

Ellicott City, MD
21041

Website

http://www.animal-advocates.org/

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