The Montgomery County Humane Society (MCHS) in Rockville, Maryland, is a non-profit animal welfare organization that has provided animal sheltering services for Montgomery County for over 40 years. Our funds to operate the Montgomery County Animal Shelter are provided under a grant from the Montgomery County Government and from private donations.
We shelter over 10,500 animals and service the animal-related needs of approximately 100,000 people yearly. Many of the services provided are mandated by grant contract and others are mandated by care and concern for the animals in our care.
The combined partnership of county and private funds has resulted in a nationally recognized program that boasts a 71% adoption rate, one of the highest in the country. We have been certified by the Humane Society of the United States and the American Humane Association, both national humane organizations. Directors of other municipalities and from as far away as Japan and Holland have visited and called the Montgomery County Animal Shelter to learn about our programs. We have been on the cutting edge of humane animal work and are constantly striving to grow.
Montgomery County Humane Society can only continue to operate with your help. Please visit our website or call us to see how you can help.
Please visit us to see our shelter animals
14645 Rothgeb Dr., Rockville
Visiting Hours: Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri 12:00 to 7:00pm
CLOSED WEDNESDAYS
Saturday & Sunday 12:00 to 5:00 pm
CHECK OUT OUR CALENDAR OF EVENTS AT
www.mchumane.org
Schedule is subject to change.
Washington Post’s Montgomery Weekly Animal Watch column
also prints our schedule on Thursday
In adopting a pet from an animal shelter, you accomplish something remarkable: you literally save a life. MCHS takes pride in its adoption program, through which nearly 3,500 pets each year obtain new beginnings in life. Whether unwanted by its previous owner or picked up as a stray and never claimed, each animal has suffered the fear and misery of being homeless. This is why the MCHS makes every effort to ensure that pets are placed only in good homes where they will be wanted, looked after, and loved for the rest of their lives. We appreciate your patience during our adoption process, which may take 3-5 days in order to ensure that each animal goes only to a home that truly wants it.
The purpose of our adoption program is to place an animal in a responsible home where it will:
Receive veterinary care when needed
Not add to the pet overpopulation problem
Be controlled so it will not roam free in the neighborhood
Be happy with its owner and vice versa
ADOPTION PROCESS:
WE ARE LIMITED TO LOCAL ADOPTIONS IN THE MD/DC/VA AREA.
The adoption process begins when you visit the animals at the shelter or in foster care. If an animal is in foster care, please contact the foster volunteer for more information and to set up a time to visit.
Once you have visited with the animal(s) you are interested in adopting, you fill out an application for adoption. A staff member will contact you within a few days of filing your application in order to set up a home visit. If your application is approved following your visit, you may come to the shelter to pick up your pet.
Our Standards for Adoption:
1. Adopters will allow for a minimum of 30 days as an
adjustment period for the animal to adjust to his new
environment and family.
2. Animals will be placed with adults to be kept as
companion animals. Adopters must be at least 18 years of age. Identification is required to adopt any pet. All adults living in the household must agree to the selection of the chosen pet.
3. Adopted animals are to be accepted as family members,
receiving proper nourishment, medical care and attention. Continuous outdoor confinement is not acceptable. Dogs may not sleep outside.
4. All animals must be spayed or neutered. A mature animal must be spayed/neutered within 30 days of adoption. Juvenile animals must be spayed/neutered at five months of age. All neutering fees must be paid in full at the time of adoption. Montgomery County residents are welcome to use the low-cost spay-neuter program. At the discretion of the staff, some animals may be shuttled directly to a local veterinary clinic for spaying or neutering.
5. We discourage the adoption of puppies or kittens into homes with very young children.
6. We will not place puppies into homes where no one is home during the day. Young animals need special attention and care in order to become properly trained and socialized.
7. All dogs must be kept from roaming free. Dogs should never be left unattended in a yard. Chaining is not acceptable. Dogs will not be placed in homes where they will be allowed to run at large. A MCHS representative may visit your residence to confirm proper confinement requirements.
8. All cats must be kept as indoor pets. Cats live longer, safer, happier and healthier lives when kept indoors with their human companions.
9. Animals cannot be adopted as gifts. Animals shall not be given or away or sold to another individual; they must be returned to the shelter if the adopter can no longer keep and care for the animal properly.
10. All animals must have collars with owner identification tags, rabies and license tags. If your animal is lost, a tag may be the only way to have your pet returned to you.
11. All animals must be examined by a veterinarian within five days of adoption. In the event an animal is sick at the time of adoption, you may be required to see a veterinarian immediately. If the veterinarian?s exam
indicates that the animal has a serious illness, the shelter
should be notified immediately.
12. Permission of the landlord is required of persons living in rental property. The landlord or rental agency will be notified personally.
We are conveniently located at 14645 Rothgeb Drive in Rockville. Rothgeb Drive comes into East Gude Drive, between Rockville Pike/Frederick Road (Route 355) and Norbeck Road (Route 28). On East Gude from Route 355, make a left turn at the 5th light, which is Rothgeb Dr; on East Gude from Route 28, make a right turn at the 2nd light, which is Rothgeb Dr. Bear left at the fork along Rothgeb, and our shelter is on the right side of Rothgeb.
For basic information about our shelter, hours, programs, and services, please call our 24-hour recording: 240-773-5054. Visiting Hours: Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri 12:00 to 7:00pm Saturday & Sunday 12:00 to 5:00 pm (CLOSED WEDNESDAYS )
