Howard County Animal Control and Adoption Center Start an adoption application

A municipal animal control shelter in Columbia, Maryland, taking in homeless cats and dogs and placing them in adoptive homes. It serves Howard County, Maryland. Visiting hours: Tue-Sat 10am-4pm; closed Sunday and Monday. Closes at 3pm on the last Friday of the month for a staff meeting. Adoption fees: Fee amounts are not published. All dogs, cats, and rabbits are spayed or neutered before adoption and receive all age-appropriate vaccines. Fees may be waived for veterans.

Hours Tue-Sat 10am-4pm; closed Sunday and Monday. Closes at 3pm on the last Friday of the month for a staff meeting.
Areas served Howard County, Maryland
Adopting

Fees, requirements & process

Fee amounts are not published. All dogs, cats, and rabbits are spayed or neutered before adoption and receive all age-appropriate vaccines. Fees may be waived for veterans.

How it works

Visit during opening hours to meet available cats, or contact Howard County Animal Control and Adoption Center through https://www.howardcountymd.gov/police/animal-control first to check which cats are currently available.

Location

Find Howard County Animal Control and Adoption Center

The area

Howard County at a glance

Population 336,328
Housing units 125,286
Est. households with a cat 38,862

Estimated by applying the AVMA's 2024 national cat-ownership rate (32.1% of households) to the county's real household count from the Census Bureau — a national rate applied locally, not a local survey. Population and housing figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is there an adoption fee?

Fee amounts are not published. All dogs, cats, and rabbits are spayed or neutered before adoption and receive age-appropriate vaccines. Fees may be waived for veterans.

What are your hours?

Tuesday-Saturday 10am-4pm, closed Sunday and Monday. Closes at 3pm on the last Friday of the month for a staff meeting.

Get involved

Support Howard County Animal Control and Adoption Center

Surrendering a cat

Contact Howard County Animal Control and Adoption Center through https://www.howardcountymd.gov/police/animal-control to ask about surrendering a cat. Intake policies change with shelter capacity, so check before bringing an animal in.

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