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Queen Anne's County expands animal services programs and integrates animal control
Summary
Chief Kelly Baker said Queen Anne's County Animal Services has broadened services — including free TNR surgeries, a pet pantry, foster and hospice care, volunteer programs and a 2024 mascot partnership program — and integrated animal control into the department to boost outreach and mobile services.
Kelly Baker, chief of animal services and animal control for Queen Anne's County, described the department's mission as "to improve the human animal bond," and outlined a range of resident-facing programs that county officials say aim to keep pets in homes and reduce shelter intake.
Baker told hosts on The Open Agenda podcast that Animal Services provides day-to-day operations including adoptions, intakes and outreach, and that the department fields calls to help residents avoid surrendering pets by offering behavioral advice and follow-up through an in-house behaviorist. "The main point of what we exist for is to improve the human animal bond," Baker said.
The department runs a trap-neuter-release (TNR) program launched in 2022 for community and feral cats; Baker said the shelter performed as many as 298 TNR surgeries in 2024. Residents can rent traps for $25 and the county covers the cost of the surgeries, Baker said, a model she characterized as saving the county money by lowering long-term shelter intake.
Animal Services also operates a pet pantry, established around 2022, that distributes donated pet food and litter to county residents in need. Baker said staff advertised the pantry ahead of a winter ice storm and, together with animal control staff, arranged mobile deliveries so households and pets could receive food and medications when roads were impassable.
Volunteer and foster programs are a significant part of the department's work, officials said. Mason Law, volunteer and outreach coordinator, described flexible volunteer roles ranging from "cat cuddlers" and dog walkers to donation sorting and filing. Law said the volunteer minimum age is 12; volunteers under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Baker described the foster program and a Silver Tales hospice program launched in 2023 that places senior animals in lifelong foster homes while the shelter covers medical costs. The department also runs enrichment programs, such as doggy day trips and occasional "slumber parties," and has expanded volunteer-led training for dog walking tied to behaviorist protocols.
As of July 1 (year not specified in the recording), Baker said animal control was formally merged into Animal Services. She described the transition as "seamless," noting animal control officers now support events, in-school safety education and mobile delivery for the pet pantry because they are already in the field.
Outreach includes social media (Law said Facebook remains the primary channel), pop-up adoption events at local businesses and a fall "Fur Festival." Baker also highlighted a mascot program launched in 2024 that pairs adoptable animals with local businesses for promotion; she said about 20 businesses have partnered so far.
Residents who want to volunteer should complete an application on the shelter website or at the shelter, officials said. For donations, the shelter accepts blankets, towels and large comforters for kennel use; an exterior drop bin is available when the shelter is closed. For more information and updates, officials directed listeners to qac.org and the county's social channels.
