The Mid Shore’s original pet photo contest is back! Talbot Humane’s 4th annual photo calendar contest, Petparazzi, offers pet lovers the opportunity to enter their dogs, cats, or other small companion animals in a photo competition while raising funds for the shelter’s animal care and community outreach services.

Participants may enter their pets online beginning June 15 until the contest ends on August 17. Using email and social media, entrants urge their family, friends, and co-workers to “vote” with their dollars for their pet on the contest website. The top dogs, cats, and other companion animals who receive the most votes in their respective categories at the end of the contest will be featured as a Pet of the Month in the 2023 Talbot Humane Petparazzi Calendar. The pet who raises the most funds overall in the voting will also appear on the cover of the calendar. The entry fee of $30 is considered a tax-deductible donation to Talbot Humane and includes a copy of the 2023 calendar with each entry. Pets entered in the contest are not limited to Talbot Humane alumni, or even to Talbot County; all pets are welcome!

In its first three years, through the generous support of our community, the Petparrazzi calendar contest raised over $55,000 for the animals of Talbot Humane and community outreach. For more information, or to enter your pet in the contest starting June 15, visit https://www.gogophotocontest.com/talbothumane2023

Great thanks to our sponsors: 

Imagine your dog is a Houdini and slips under your fence. You search high and low with no sign- for days, weeks, months. You all but give up. You assume the worst has occurred that your beloved pet has been stolen, or even worse, injured or died. What happened is shortly after your dog escaped a good Samaritan saw your dog, picked him up, and assuming he wasn’t wanted or was mistreated just kept him. They chose not to report him or surrender him to the local shelter.  

Unfortunately, this scenario is not uncommon.  

Professional Animal Workers of Maryland (PAWS), the state association of shelters and animal control authorities wants communities across Maryland to know it is imperative, and in most jurisdictions required, for citizens to report a found animal to the local animal control authority. “We are seeing an increase in these cases across the state,” shares PAWS president and director of Talbot Humane Patty Crankshaw-Quimby “cases where animals are missing for months and only by chance are they reunited with the owner when the animal gets loose again and ends up at a shelter or happens to be scanned at a veterinary hospital or clinic.”   

The intent is usually for good. But the fact is, in Maryland and many other states animals are considered property. To harbor an animal found on the streets and not report to animal control or the local shelter could constitute theft, not to mention cause unintended heartache for the families missing these pets. “Often it is assumed the animal is neglected or abused” says Robin Catlett, PAWS secretary and Administrator at Anne Arundel County Animal Care & Control. “When in fact the animal may have a medical problem, been lost for a significant period, or any other reason that may leave an animal appearing uncared-for.”  

Conversely, citizens should report lost pets at once. Animals often never have to enter the shelter system because they can be reunited in the field by neighbors or animal control officers. As shelters across the state often struggle with space, the community reporting lost and found pets at once helps these reunions happen outside of our walls. 

As county regulations vary across the state, PAWS is considering introducing legislation in 2023 to make it a state law that any stray found in Maryland must be reported to the shelter/animal control authority in that area within 24 hours or face penalties. “Our goal is to keep pets and families together. The heartbreak of losing a pet is something all animal lovers should understand. Shelters are here to support pet owners and protect animals. We need the community’s help in doing so, “shares Quimby. 

Talbot Humane’s Spring Yard Sale returns this year. Come shop or sell!  Sale will take place directly next to Talbot Humane in the former Sts Peter and Paul student parking lot. All to help the animals of the Midshore! 

If you wish to rent a spot- $20 per parking space. You bring your tables and supplies. Set up by 7:30A. 

Sale starts at 8A NO EARLY BIRDS PLEASE 

If you would like to rent a spot, go to https://hipaa.jotform.com/pattycquimby/talbot-humane-yard-sale-spot-reserv

April 10-16th is National Animal Control Appreciation Week. The Work of our animal control officers is too often forgotten. They are the boots-on-the-ground warriors on the front lines of protection our animals and providing assistance to pet owners and beyond. If you see Officer Gonzalez or Phillips this month, please thank them for all they do for the animals and our community. 

This April Officer Gonzalez celebrates 19 years of service to the animals and citizens of Talbot County.

Like most of us who enter the field of Animal Control, we “thought” we knew what it was all about. Officer Gonzalez quickly learned there is so much more than simply picking up stray animals on country roads.

The job of animal control in our county goes beyond stray animals and barking complaints. Our officers are charged with enforcing not only the county ordinance but the state anticruelty laws as they apply to animals. In his 19 years Valentin has seen it all. Dogfighting, hoarding, abject cruelty and neglect. But he has also been a part of the change. “We would see the same people every year. We would seize their pets due to failure to provide proper care, or they would surrender them to the shelter, and then they would just get more. When we started looking at educating our community instead of punishing them for what they did not know, the animals and people both benefited.” shares Valentin.

Indeed Valentin has been a part of the shift in attitude and improvement in treatment of the animals within our community. In his first years we had 3 officers that were continuously out investigating acts of cruelty and neglect. We were seeing almost 2,000 animals annually enter our care. Now, we see very few true cruelty cases in our county, and the number of animals entering our care has dropped by half.

Officer Gonzalez is a huge part of the success of Talbot County Animal Control and Talbot Humane. If you see him on the road, please thank him for his commitment. He is the Cat’s Pajamas!

A lifelong animal lover, Kelsey and her family have been a gift to Talbot Humane. In 2019 they adopted a new family member – a big goofy brindle boy then named “Spoink”. Following she and her step daughters joined our volunteer force also engaging her youth ministry in helping the animals of our community.

This winter they stepped into a new role- foster family.

When Ellie and her 10 puppies arrived at Talbot Humane in January, all 11 were in poor condition. Once out of the woods our team put out a call for foster homes. 5 families each took in a pair of pups. 6 weeks is a long time to not fall in love and then have to give them back- this is what makes our fosters so special. The Spiker family lugged 2 puppies with them everywhere- including church! This love and commitment helped social and find loving homes! Kelsey shared a beautiful post about fostering on social media, the following is a portion: “…Was it hard to drop them off? Yes. But much more joy, love & laughter was experienced than we would have had without them. It was our gift to someone else’s family. We need more joy, love, laughter, and gifts to others in this world.”

We wish to thank all of our amazing foster families for the love, time and heart they give to those who need them most. Shout out to our other puppy foster families: Rhonda Stinchcomb, Jenna Green, Caitlin Coutu, and The Bentz’s.

If you would like to learn more about fostering contact our Foster Coordinator JP Hooker today, or Submit your application here: Foster Application

UNLEASHED is returning for our 10th year of helping ordinary people do extraordinary things for themselves and the animals of our community! In the past 10 years we have helped several hundred local friends reach personal goals and raised almost $500,000 for the animals!

This year our official season will begin on August 13, 2022 with 1 mile. Our race this year will be the Richmond Half Marathon on November 12, 2022.

Additionally be on the look out for more information on fun ways for EVERYONE to get moving with Talbot Humane in honor of our 90th and 10th anniversaries- who wants to join a walking or running challenge for the animals???

According to the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy (NCPPSP), less than 2 percent of lost cats and only 15 to 20 percent of lost dogs are returned to their owners. This is a sad statistic, but it’s true. Your dog and cat cannot tell us their name, address or phone number- that is without your help! 

Talbot Humane wants to increase the chances of reunited lost pets and owners.  One safe and effective way to provide identification is through having your pet microchipped.  In recognition of Pet Identification Week which is the 3rd week of April each year, Talbot Humane will be offering microchipping of your dog, cat or ferret for only $1 for the entire month of April. This includes the registration of your chip and an identification tag.  Now when was the last time you purchased ANYTHING for $1?  

Even if your cat doesn’t go outside, or your dog is always on a leash, accidents happen. Make sure all of your pets are properly identified so they can get home to you in the event of an unforeseen emergency.  

To make an appointment, please call 410-822-0107 during office hours. Appointments for chipping are generally scheduled between noon-4P Monday-Saturday. 

We are THRILLED to be returning to Oxford Maryland for Oxford Day again after a 2 year COVID hiatus. We will be encouraging the community to come out and Strut Your Mutt to help animals in need on the midshore. We have in person and virtual options this year too!

Go to https://talbotcohumane.networkforgood.com/events/41000-oxford-day-2022-strut-your-mutt to register today! 

Same day registration will also be available for $25.

When: Saturday April 23, 2022 Oxford Day

Where: The Pin Cushion as you enter Oxford , MD on the left

Time: The Blessing of the Animals will be at 8:25A and the walk will follow directly after

For more information or to reserve your lanes please visit the

Tidewater Rotary Website

today!