Defenders of Animal Rights Inc

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Defenders of Animal Rights Inc We are a nonprofit animal shelter dedicated to eliminating cruelty to all animals, located in Baltimore County, MD. We have adopted out over 30,000 animals!
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Defenders of Animal Rights, Inc., is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating cruelty to all animals. Founded in 1975, we celebrate our 47th Anniversary this year! In 1988, our shelter opened in the middle of a 35.8 acre wildlife sanctuary in Northern Baltimore County.What makes Defenders so unique is that we hold adoptable animals for as long as it takes to find each and every one a forever home. Mailing Address:
Defenders of Animal Rights, Inc. PO Box 25
Phoenix, MD 21131

10/21/2026

high maintenance, high return 🩷💅

📷: Puddin'

Have you ever wished you could have a weird little guy running around your house? Well, you sure can! Meet House Cat!Thi...
10/20/2026

Have you ever wished you could have a weird little guy running around your house? Well, you sure can! Meet House Cat!

This guy is a delightful do**us. One brain cell bouncing around in that little head like an idling dvd screensaver. Those big bright eyes stare right into your soul, but there's not much behind them-- just a guy who's happy to be here, safe and warm and off the streets with all-you-can-eat pate buffet and a room full of friends.

We love House Cat, and we think you will too! Come meet him and our many other adoptable kitties during visitation hours. 🧡 https://adopt-a-pet.org/

This is a first for Defenders... today we picked up some new intakes that arrived to us by plane! Super cool experience....
10/17/2026

This is a first for Defenders... today we picked up some new intakes that arrived to us by plane! Super cool experience. Shout out to pilots Cory and Anthony for giving the dogs and cats a smooth and safe freedom ride!! 🤩🛩

10/16/2026

Queen of shredding stuffies 💅

When T-Bone was returned to our shelter through unfortunate circumstances, we thought a sweet, handsome senior guy like ...
10/13/2026

When T-Bone was returned to our shelter through unfortunate circumstances, we thought a sweet, handsome senior guy like him would have no trouble getting adopted again. But... here we are, exactly one year after his return date without any current prospects or pending applications.

For 365 days, T-Bone has waited in his kennel, having known the comfort of a home and a loving owner-- wondering when he'll be able to fall asleep next to someone, to eat sneaky treats from the dinner table, to go on leisurely weekend walks with nowhere to be. To return to home of his own instead of four cinderblock walls.

He's an easy dog. Walks amazing on lead, picks up tricks quickly, food motivated, and doesn't ask for much to keep him enriched. He needs a home where he's the only animal, but is good with kids.

Give a great dog the loving home he deserves. Apply online today: https://adopt-a-pet.org/services/adoption/

We've been so lucky to have so many amazing adopters come through our doors lately and open their homes to our animals--...
10/12/2026

We've been so lucky to have so many amazing adopters come through our doors lately and open their homes to our animals-- even some of our longest term residents. The impact even one adoption has for our shelter, the animals in our care, and the ones we hope to save in the future is immense. We are truly grateful for all of you!

Share your Defenders alumni photos in the comments! We always love to see how our animals are settling in to their forever homes.

Ace just wants one thing-- a loving adopter with a lap to sit on. Not much to ask for, right?This sweet guy came to us f...
10/12/2026

Ace just wants one thing-- a loving adopter with a lap to sit on. Not much to ask for, right?

This sweet guy came to us from Georgia. It's clear from his cuddly demeanor and round tummy that he once had a caring family, but unfortunately found his way into the shelter system with no one coming back to take him home. 🥲

Ace is ready to settle back down and love again. He's got so much to offer and a lot of affection to give. Here's some stuff we love about Ace:

💚 Dog friendly
💚 Good with kids
💚 knows commands
💚 Easy walker

Want to meet Ace? We think you should! Come by during visitiation hours and be sure to fill out our application online:

https://adopt-a-pet.org/services/adoption/

Hi friends! The shelter will be operating by approved appointment only today, 10/10. No visitation!Our staff is hanging ...
10/10/2026

Hi friends! The shelter will be operating by approved appointment only today, 10/10. No visitation!

Our staff is hanging out at the St. John's Country Fair Day just a few minutes from our shelter to advertise what we do and get some exposure for our adoptable animals. It's running now until 3 pm! Please stop by to enjoy the festivities!

An estimated 2800 dogs identified as pitties are euthanized daily in the United States-- and we aren't exaggerating when...
10/07/2026

An estimated 2800 dogs identified as pitties are euthanized daily in the United States-- and we aren't exaggerating when we say it's not because of what they've done, but because of what they look like.

You'll see a lot of statistics floating around to fearmonger about pitties, but in reality, a lot of the data we have is fundamentally flawed. In breed classification, any dog with 50% or more DNA can be classed as a breed mix. But a study from UFL found that 50% of dogs visually identified as pitbulls actually had less than 25% of bully breed DNA!

So... why does this matter? The misidentification of bully breeds and mixes affects more than you'd think-- aside from dogs being misjudged just because they look like they might be a pittie. Flawed breed recognition skews bite statistics, misguides medical research and supports discriminatory breed-specific legislation. Even the CDC and AMVA recognize that breed is not the greatest determinating factor on which dog will bite.

When we stand up for pitties, we're also standing up for the dogs that get lumped into the stereotype simply because of their look. And if you'd like to help us in idenifying our dogs properly, hop on our amazon wishlist and buy us a DNA testing kit! 😉

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3BCV7076UNJBW/ref=hz_ls_biz_ex?fbclid=IwAR2p3rz2y5pSyzwpeAuyo-pgYOsmqs4hNgqQ6LxmV3Qbm3N5kOoIWllj7Jk

Geddy Lee ● 584 days in shelterOur favorite little meatloaf. He's grown a lot since coming to the shelter-- especially c...
10/06/2026

Geddy Lee ● 584 days in shelter

Our favorite little meatloaf. He's grown a lot since coming to the shelter-- especially considering he spent his whole life living secluded on someone's porch, so close to a real home but still so far away. 🥲 The Geddy we know now is loving, confident, funny, and smart. Though he can be mischevious and would benefit from some trainibg, he has a big heart and is eager to please his people. He has a LOT to offer the right family. ❤️

So what's Geddy's ideal home? He'd be happy either living as the only dog or having a buddy that matches his energy, would prefer older children, and should not live with kitties or small animals due to his high prey drive.

Find our application online on our website, and if you want to learn more about Geddy give us a call or drop us a comment and we'll chat. 🥰

https://adopt-a-pet.org/services/adoption/

Address

14412 Old York Road
Phoenix, MD
21131

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

(410) 527-1466

Website

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