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Animal services urges funding for five care attendants as shelter strain deepens
Summary
Montgomery County Office of Animal Services told the council budget committee that chronic overcrowding and rising owner surrenders require funding for five animal care attendants; staff proposed placing the request on the reconciliation list and suggested a two‑tranche approach (3 then 2) to increase the chance of partial approval.
The Office of Animal Services warned the council budget committee on Thursday that the county shelter is operating at roughly 125% capacity and that rising owner surrenders have pushed staff to the limit, prompting a request to place five animal care attendant positions on the reconciliation list.
Director Harfield told the committee the department is routinely over capacity and that animals at the shelter are often caged about 23 hours a day. The director described staff "moral injury" tied to having to euthanize animals when there is no capacity for care and said the…
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