Prince George's County shelter seeks homes for two Springer Spaniel puppies

Prince George’s County Animal Services is trying to place two 6-month-old English Springer Spaniel puppies, Sloane and Myrtle, while its Animal Services Facility & Adoption Center in Upper Marlboro is at full capacity. The overcrowding has sharpened the county’s push to move dogs into homes, especially larger dogs and seniors that can linger in the kennels.

Sloane is a female black-and-white Springer Spaniel, about 25 pounds now and expected to grow into a medium-sized dog at 26 to 60 pounds. Her shelter ID is A570368. County staff describe the pups as shy but sweet, and say they need patient homes that can handle leash training and socialization. Myrtle, the second puppy, is also 6 months old and is being offered through the same shelter system that is working to clear space for the steady stream of incoming animals.

The pressure is not new. County officials have said the shelter has been moving hundreds of pets out each month through adoptions, fostering and rescue partners, but it still takes in more animals than it can comfortably house. In March, local reporting said dogs at the shelter were at risk of euthanasia because of overcrowding, a stark sign of how tight the space has become when adoptions slow and intake continues.

The adoption process runs through the Animal Services Facility & Adoption Center at 3750 Brown Station Rd., Upper Marlboro, MD 20772. Applications must be submitted in person. Public hours are Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Prince George’s County Animal Services says residents from inside the county, elsewhere in the region and out of state may adopt.

Before leaving the facility, adopted pets are spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped. Standard dog adoption fees are based on weight, starting at $230 for dogs 0 to 20 pounds and dropping to $0 for dogs 81 pounds and up, with fees subject to change.

The county is also trying to keep animals out of the shelter in the first place. Its Nibbles Nook Pet Pantry is held onsite on the first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. for county residents, with proof of residency required. Approved households can receive up to two one-gallon bags of dry food and four cans of wet food per pet, and the county also offers low-cost spay/neuter and vaccination programs. Every dog, cat and ferret over 4 months old and in the county for 30 days must have a county license, another piece of the local safety net as the shelter works to make room.