EASTON — During a presentation to the Talbot County Council Tuesday, Talbot Humane’s executive director Patty Crankshaw-Quimby reminded the community of the services the shelter provides for animals and pet owners, along with providing updates on the shelter’s capacity.
Talbot Humane is a nonprofit animal shelter in Easton which works to rescue neglected and abused animals, place animals into homes through adoption, reunite lost pets with owners and reduce pet overpopulation through spay and neuter services.
One of Talbot Humane’s lesser-known offerings is their intervention and retention service, which works to try to keep pets in their original homes and reduce the number of shelter admissions.
“We’re seeing more surrenders because of housing issues because of the lift on the moratorium on evictions,” Crankshaw-Quimby said. “So we’re seeing other problems, but it’s not just people tired of pets.”
Talbot Humane hopes to help pet owners with common issues, such as an inability to afford acute medical care, litter box issues, inappropriate barking, destructive behavior, some food and supply issues and socialization problems.
The shelter offers assistance to owners going through difficult life circumstances who may need help with feeding and caring for their pets for a short period of time. Talbot Humane also offers a pet pantry to help owners considering surrendering their pets because they’re unable to afford pet food.
Council member Corey Pack also commended Talbot Humane for making sure local food banks included pet food, an issue some pet owners have struggled with over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our intervention program has really been life-changing for animals here on the Mid-Shore,” she said.
Over the past two years, Crankshaw-Quimby estimates that about 200 animals haven’t entered the shelter over the last two years due to the intervention program’s availability.
However, Crankshaw-Quimby also pointed out that Talbot Humane has seen an increase in complaints of cruelty and neglect — a trend that’s been seen across the area and country, she said.
“The concerns of mental health, domestic changes from the pandemic and stressors are all theories on why this is happening,” she said.
Survey information from the Humane Society showed that 71% of domestic violence victims reported that their abuser targeted pets. Another study on families being investigated for child abuse revealed that pet abuse occurred in 88 percent of the families under supervision for physically abusing their children.
Talbot Humane recently took custody of two Talbot County dogs which were …….