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New Programs, Events and Information

The Maryland SPCA always has new programs, events and information to share with you. You can catch up on what’s going on through our quarterly newsletter Animal Talk. You also can receive monthly e-news updates about the SPCA and timely animal information by enrolling in our e-mail updates.

Some of our most recent news is presented below.

Mother's Day eCards
Maryland SPCA Statement about Pit Bulls
Cinco de Gato
Baltimore Food Truck Rally at the Maryland SPCA
2013 Pet Calendar Contest
2011 Accomplishments
Maryland SPCA Coming Home Video
Kibble Connection
Maryland SPCA Statement on Violence Toward Animals
What You Can Do to Stop Cruelty Toward Animals

Maryland SPCA Statement about Pit Bulls

The Maryland SPCA is greatly concerned about the recent Maryland State Court of Appeals ruling that 'pit bulls' are inherently dangerous. This determination should be made based on evidence on an individual animal's temperament and behavior, not breed. We are, obviously, saddened to hear of anyone hurt by an animal. We feel that pet owners are the solution to preventing dog bites and attacks. Owners must supervise their pets, train them and, most importantly, neuter their dogs. In an effort to help pit bull-type dogs, the MD SPCA has and will continue to provide adoptions, spay/neuter surgeries and training. We are worried that this ruling could result in more dog abandonments and fewer adoptions at area shelters and rescue groups. Please contact your local legislator (http://mdelect.net/) and urge him/her to consider legislation that would make certain that animals are judged on behavior and circumstance and not solely breed.

Cinco de Gato

We celebrated Cinco de Mayo with our Cinco de Gato promotion. Our adult cats (6 months of age and older) were available for adoption for $5, not including licensing and microchipping. The promotion ran Saturday, May 5 and Sunday, May 6. We adopted out 15 adult cats, including Chubbs. Chubbs is a one-year-old brown tabby who loves being stroked under his chin and on his belly. His previous owner moved and couldn't take him with her. Happily, he found a new home during Cinco de Gato.

Baltimore Food Truck Rally at the Maryland SPCA

On Friday, March 23, we hosted a Baltimore Food Truck Rally at the Maryland SPCA. The event was open to the public, and we thank everyone who attended. In addition to fine weather, our guests enjoyed music and prizes provided by CBS Radio. Our adoptable dogs and tours of our adoption center were popular. Our guests purchased delicious food from some of Baltimore's best food trucks. We thank Souper Freak, The Gypsy Queen Cafe, GrrChe - Gourmet Grilled Cheese, Iced Gems Creations, Kooper's Chowhound Burger Wagon and South Carolina BBQ & Catering for participating and Bud/Bud Light, The Wine Source and CBS Radio for their support. The event raised more than $6,000 for the animals!

2013 Pet Calendar Contest

Enter a photo of your pet in our 2013 Pet Calendar. Through March 16, the entry fee is $30 per photo. After March 16, the entry fee is $40 per photo. A maximum of 350 photos will be accepted through June 8. A free calendar is provided for each entry. Additional calendars are $15.90 each. Proceeds benefit the homeless and needy animals in our community.

The 2013 Pet Calendar will be a full-color wall calendar similar to our 2012 edition, which is pictured here. It will be released in the fall of 2012. Some of the best photos will be selected for the cover and Pet-of-the-Month pages. All submitted photos will appear in the calendar.

Photographs must be of animals, no people, and must be in color. Horizontal photos are preferred. Digital photos must have a resolution of 300 ppi or higher.

To enter, go to our online calendar contest entry page. Digital photos can be emailed to petcalendar@mdspca.org. Please mail other photos to the Maryland SPCA, Pet Calendar, 3300 Falls Road, Baltimore, MD 21211.

All entered photos will appear in the calendar, but be sure to submit your best, because only the most captivating, unique and high resolution pictures will be selected for the cover and Pet-of-the-Month pages. For more information, email petcalendar@mdspca.org or call 410-235-8826, ext. 133.

2011 Accomplishments

2011 was a busy year at the Maryland SPCA. We saved the lives of thousands of animals and assisted thousands of people, in keeping with our mission to improve the lives of pets and people in the community. Below are some highlights.

We spayed and neutered nearly 9,000 animals. The Maryland SPCA continues to be the state leader in providing spay/neuter services.
We opened the Morton Gorn Center for Animal Adoption and completed renovations on our old facility.
We adopted out, reunited with owners and sent to rescue more than 3,000 animals, including Berkeley who is pictured right. There is no time limit for an animal to stay with us, and every healthy animal is saved.
We transported more than 1,000 animals from our alliance partner Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) to the MD SPCA.
We collected 9,000 pounds of dry pet food and 10,000 cans of wet food for Kibble Connection, which provides pet food to local Meals on Wheels clients.
Our foster parents cared for 618 animals! This is a record number for our organization.

Our 2011 accomplishments would not have been possible without our hard-working staff, dedicated volunteers and generous donors. We also thank the following veterinarians who provided free or reduced-price services in 2011: Dr. Berry at The Village Vet, Dr. Burbelo at Boston Street Animal Hospital, Dr. Everhart at Swan Harbor, Dr. Firomonti at Towson Veterinary Hospital, the veterinarians at Pet+E.R. and Dr. Zumpano at Pikesville Animal Hospital. Thank you to all!!! We look forward to saving the lives of more animals in 2012.

Maryland SPCA Coming Home Video

In October, we ran a television and radio campaign to promote pet adoptions and to encourage support of our work on behalf of animals. We have many people to thank for their work on the campaign, the highlight of which is the above 30-second promotional video. We thank everyone involved who made the video possible. IMRE, a Baltimore-based marketing agency, directed and produced the spot. IMRE team members, led by Dave Imre, were Erin Hampton, Ben Myers, Mark Eber, Craig Strydom, Chris Denny and Katy Funk. Peter Mullett directed the photography. Nicholas Donnelly was the assistant camera operator. Serious Grip & Electric provided lighting and equipment. Cerebral Lounge handled post production. Sally Thorner narrated the video. Clean Cuts provided original music. Barb Clapp and Colleen Riopko of Clapp Communications put the video on television and radio. We are grateful to human and canine actors in the video and the artists who helped make them look good. Lauren Girard and her dog Paige amazed us with their talent. Stella von Kessler and our own Vincent Jennings, Adoption Counselor, also starred in the video. Halle von Kessler styled our stars and oversaw their wardrobe. Lorraine Boushell did their makeup.

Kibble Connection

The Maryland SPCA collects donations for Kibble Connection, a program that provides pet food to local Meals on Wheels clients. Kibble Connection is possible through a unique partnership among the Maryland SPCA, Community Support Services for the Deaf and Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland. The Maryland SPCA collects pet food and kitty litter donations from the public and delivers it to Community Support Services for the Deaf. Community Support Services for the Deaf packages the food for Meals on Wheels clients. Meal on Wheels picks up and delivers the food to their clients.

In these hard economic times, some Meals on Wheels clients were sharing their meals with their pets and not getting enough to eat. Kibble Connection helps ensure that Meals on Wheels clients and their pets maintain good nutrition. WBAL featured Kibble Connection in a newscast.

For Kibble Connection, the Maryland SPCA accepts pet food in unopened containers or bags. Please bring donations to our adoption center during business hours. For more information, contact Amanda at 410-235-8826, ext. 107.

Maryland SPCA Statement on Violence Toward Animals

Sadly, there have been some recent cases of horrible violence against animals in our community.

There is a link between animal abuse and violence toward people.

Violence in a community should not be tolerated, period. No one wants any kind of violence in his neighborhood. We must care about our whole community and what happens to all of our citizens.

The Maryland SPCA has supported rewards to convict the perpetrators of these awful crimes. And, these are, indeed, crimes. Animal cruelty is a felony in Maryland. Because animal abusers often escalate their crimes to humans over time, taking this crime seriously is important for the entire community. If you know about abuse in your community, call 911. Get involved in your community. Baltimore police are here to keep us all safe. Support proper resources for our police and animal control officers by sending this letter to the Mayor.

‘The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.’ Gandhi

What You Can Do to Stop Cruelty Toward Animals

Read what you can do to stop cruelty and about the Maryland SPCA's anti-cruelty programs.

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