Last year Talbot Humane hit a fabulous milestone. Between our low cost spay/neuter services, online re-homing assistance and our intervention and retention program (this includes but is not limited to the pet pantry, assistance with urgent pet needs and supplies), we directly served more than 1,500 community pets in 2018. During this same calendar year, our open admission shelter saw the lowest intake of shelter animals in more than two decades. The connection is direct and positive. Our mission of reducing acts of cruelty and neglect, providing resources and education to the public, helping every treatable and adoptable pet find a forever home and keeping pets in the care of loving owners is one step closer every day. This is in large part because of you.

I don’t think when the photo of the bag of puppies left on the side of a Talbot County road ran in the Star Democrat on November 5, 1948, anyone ever imagined a day when puppies rarely entered our care at Talbot Humane and the number of kittens is lowered each year. But, thanks to aggressive spay/neuter programming over the past 20 years and a community that is educated on how to help our neighborhood animals we are there.  

After more than 16 months of work with the Talbot County Animal Control Board, local citizens and Talbot County business owners, in April 2019 the Talbot County Council approved updates to our local animal control ordinance. These updates will ensure animals have more humane treatment in Talbot County. Prohibiting dogs from living their lives on tethers and requiring special care for animals during times of extreme weather will help prevent suffering. The new licensing and inspection component will require those who profit from training, boarding, and breeding as well as rescue organizations to fulfill a minimum standard of care for the animals in their charge. These changes happened because of your voices speaking up for the animals who need us most.

We have come far in the 87 years Talbot Humane (formerly Talbot County Humane Society) has been a presence in our community. But we still have so much to do. We are thankful for our humane community, and with your help we look forward to seeing what the next 80 years holds for the animals and people we serve.

For the animals,

Patty Crankshaw-Quimby