When Sara Schepis recently visited the Humane Society of Harford County, she planned to bring a puppy home.
But she and a friend with her were so upset by the condition of the shelter that they left empty-handed.
“I was bawling my eyes out,” Schepis? friend, Katie Robinette-Lasley, said.
While both women insist that the staff does not mistreat the animals, they were appalled by the condition of the facility.
“They are obviously trying to do the right thing for the animals, but the building needs a lot of work,” Schepis said.
Officials with the Humane Society agreed that the society needs a new building.
The nonprofit group?s executive director, Tammy Zaluzney, said the shelter has been located in a Fallston farmhouse for more than 50 years, but there is no funding to build a new shelter.
“We would need 3 to 4 million dollars,” Zaluzney said.
The Humane Society has an annual budget of $790,000. It receives $375,000 annually as part of a contract with Harford County Animal Control. The shelter takes in 6,000 animals annually, brought in by Animal Control and local residents who can no longer care for their pets.
WJZ-TV, which has a news partnership with The Examiner, reported last summer that the shelter lacked air conditioning, and that the temperature in the facility was “unbearable.”
Zaluzney acknowledged that the facility has no air conditioning ? or even an electrical system that could support air conditioning. During the summer, the staff tries to alleviate the heat with fans and setting up pools outside for the dogs to play in. The shelter has never lost an animal due to heat-related problems, she said.
There are no plans in the works for a new facility. In fact, there is not even a capital campaign to raise funds.
But Zaluzney said donations are always welcome.
For more information or to find out how you can help ? the shelter needs everything from volunteers to supplies ? go to the organization?s Web site at www.harfordshelter.org.
