The SPCA of Anne Arundel County provides humane care and adoption services for homeless animals in central Maryland. In 1934 civic leader Albert H.
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The SPCA of Anne Arundel County was founded in 1920. Originally a society created to deal with the problem of stray dogs overwhelming the Eastport section of Annapolis, the SPCA has grown through the years to become the modern animal welfare organization of today. McCarthyAlbert H. McCarthy was asked by the community to take over the presidency of the struggling, young organization. A strong force
for animal welfare, he laid the foundations for the SPCA that were to see it through the decades ahead. The SPCA handled dog licensing and enforcement from 1936 to 1966, operating a fleet of up to six ambulances that were dispatched throughout the county to retrieve injured animals. The first shelter building opened in 1947. The shelter in 1947It now houses our administrative offices, the spay and neuter clinic, and meeting spaces for activities such as volunteer orientation and dog obedience classes. In 1966 the county animal control division was established. Today Animal Control responds to calls in the county and picks up stray animals as well as investigating cruelty complaints. The SPCA takes in all voluntarily surrendered animals, providing shelter, medical care and adoption services. In 1974 the SPCA became one of the pioneers for low cost spay and neuter services. Peg Howard, a singular volunteer, donor, and board member, built and equipped our first spay and neuter clinic with her own money, making an extraordinary gift to the SPCA and the community. The current animal shelter, the Mary E. Parker Shelter, opened in 1986. Very modern for its time, the new shelter provided air conditioning, flexible runs, medical isolation rooms, and other updated facilities. Today the SPCA is a vibrant animal welfare organization. With our new online adoption application, starting the adoption process is easier than ever!
08/16/2025
Behold the before and after of SPCA alum Remix 💖 He won us over with his cuteness at the shelter but he is truly shining in his new home. Thank you to his forever family for choosing adoption and showering him with the love he deserves 🏠🐾❤️
Remix has many friends at the shelter waiting for their Happy Tale. If you are ready to open your heart and home to a rescue animal or would like to foster, visit our website any time of day or stop by one of our SPCA of Anne Arundel County locations!
Main Shelter viewing: Tuesday through Sunday 11am to 4pm
Paws at the Mall Retail and Viewing: Tuesday to Saturday 11am-5pm and Sundays 12pm-4pm.
Petco @ Waugh Chapel Towne Centre (Cats only) Daily 9am-9pm (Sundays 10am-9pm)
As the kids head back to school, whether local or away, the house suddenly becomes quieter. New routines develop around school schedules, sports, and other activities that don't necessarily include the family pet. Your fur-babies may not be used to being left alone during the day and/or having a change in their routine. It may confuse them and leave them feeling abandoned. Start now to acclimate your pet to the pending changes, easing the transition. Take the time to let them know they are still a valued family member.
08/15/2025
Thanks to all that came out to our Summer Nights: Read at the Shelter this week! The sign up was full and the cats and dogs were soothed, calmed and entertained 📖🐾♥️
It was especially nice to get feedback from readers that have noticed improvements among some of our dogs since last month. The dogs were more settled and listening to what readers had to say. This is what it’s all about! Your time, your caring and your voice make a difference! We look forward to seeing our repeat readers and hope to see new faces too!
It's no secret that our staff and volunteers can't wait for Happy Tale updates! Seeing our rescue animals go from surrendered to loved in a forever home is what it's all about. Today it's Stella that steals our hearts all over again. Thank you for choosing adoption Jen ❤️🐾🏠
"Hello! I hope this message finds you well. I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt appreciation for the incredible detail and dedication your organization and staff put into the adoption process.
We adopted Dotty, who we now call Stella, just over a week ago and having her home has been such a joy—she loves her toys, naps, laying in the sun, and going for car rides. We feel so lucky to have her in our lives! Thank you once again for everything. Jen"
‼️ ❤️
08/15/2025
🐶🌊 Don’t Miss the Splash!
The 2025 Puppy Plunge is just around the corner — Sunday, August 24th at Camp Letts in Edgewater! 🏖
Bring your pup for a day of swimming, contests (like the Puppy Pie Eating Contest!), vendors, food trucks, music, and tail-wagging fun — all to support the SPCA of Anne Arundel County.
Graul's Market-Annapolis & Cape St. Claire Spoiled Rotten Dogs, Inc Bark Busters Home Dog Training USA Greater Annapolis Veterinary Hospital EBB Creative Marketing - Erin Brooke Bogan Severn River Animal Hospital Mosquito Joe Dogwood Acres Pet Retreat Perfect Pet Resort HarborQue
Send a message to learn more
08/15/2025
Piper is the easiest and sweetest girl but somehow has been with us for so long with little adoption interest ❤️🩹
At 8.5 years old Piper would love to spend her senior years in her forever home, just lounging around and hanging out with her people. She is so gentle, smart and loving, she patiently waits at her kennel with a big smile on her face every day and doing her little ‘tippy tappies’ in anticipation for her daily walk. She leashes up easily, stepping into her harness (smart girl), does her business right away when outside and is a gentle walker. She listens to commands and knows sit, paw and down! She takes treats gently (when she wants too, she can be picky and sometimes isn’t even in the mood for treats 😂) and leans in for pets gently as well….but yet despite all this, somehow she has been with us for 2+ years.
It’s obvious that Piper gets stressed in her kennel due to the commotion of dog room but is so calm and relaxed as soon as she’s outside. She’s very smart and spunky but craves her very own human companion who will love all these things about her and provide her with a relaxing home to call her own 🏡
If you’re looking for a mellow/easygoing girl that will easily adjust to your life, please consider Piper! She has so much to offer her forever person and has been overlooked for far too long!
🐾Please note that Piper must be the only animal in the home and would do best with kids over the age of 13 🐾
To learn more about Piper use this link to check out her bio:
Adoptable Bella and her fellow poets welcome you to a night of wine, wags, words and delectable tidbits! Bay Ridge Wine & Spirits and the Annapolis Poet Laureate are hosting an evening that supports the SPCA and the literary animal lover in you. This is a dog friendly venue so your pup is welcome to enjoy a night out as well. Tickets are limited. Register today at the link below 🐕🍷📖
🐾 Note: This image is AI-generated for fun and illustrative purposes. Our real adoptable pups may look and act a little different — and they’re even better in person! Visit us online to find your perfect match: aacspca.org.
08/13/2025
Riviera Beach Library joined forces with our Outreach Team last weekend for a feline fantastic "Caturday" 🐈😸🐈⬛
Cat lovers of all ages checked out the SPCA information table and enjoyed a Cat Care Class. The focus was kitten and adult cat care, how to meet cat's needs and what makes cats happy. Cat Crafts were enjoyed by all ages as humans waited their turn to interact with adoptable kitties Georgie, Paul, Wendy, Pan and Tinkerbell. It's safe to say these kitties are friendly. They welcomed greetings from humans for over two hours! SPCA mascot "Paws" was on hand too for photo ops, hugs and playing with cat wands created by very talented participants.
Topping this all off . . . the team at Rivera Beach Library collected donations for an entire week before the event for our volunteers to take back to the shelter! This was truly a Cat-tastic Caturday event enjoyed by adults, kids, kitties, library staff and SPCA volunteers 😺❤️😸
Hercules 👏🏻 Hercules 👏🏻Hercules 👏🏻 . . . No Nutty Professor here! SPCA alum Beau (formerly Hercules) is all about the toys, tv and the comforts of home. His forever family is happy to share his Happy Tale and we are so happy they chose adoption 🏠🐾❤️
"Beau (Hercules), is adjusting beautifully to his new home! He can’t decide which toys to play with although it is looking like Lamb chop is a favorite. He is intrigued by animals on the TV 😄, loves tummy rubs, laying in the sun and is very suspicious of ceiling fans. He is a fetch pro and loves playing fetch with our 8 year old daughter. Our 4 year old is still warming up to him, however Beau would like to sleep in bed with him 😆. We are in love with him and he has completed our family! ❤️
- Lucy, Cliff, Nora and Oliver"
‼️ ❤️
08/13/2025
Sweet senior Deuce is so ready for a family to call his own, he is potty trained, can be left alone for hours outside of the crate and loves to cuddle! 🥰
Deuce is perfect! This big, sweet guy walks well on leash, loves chilling on the couch with you, and knows how to play fetch with his stuffies. Deuce is house trained & can be fully trusted alone; he also sleeps through the night and doesn’t even snore! While Deuce would prefer to be the king of his own castle and not have any other dogs, cats, or kids in the house, he is not usually reactive around unfamiliar dogs when out and about and walks well with many known dogs. Hiking/sniffing along the trails is a favorite pastime followed by playing in the yard and then napping. He’s very affectionate and loves his people; get ready for kisses! Deuce came to us as an owner surrender due to his previous owner falling on hard times, so he already knows a wide variety of commands and is good at making himself right at home. He is also great in the car. If you’re interested in meeting Deuce, apply at the SPCA of Anne Arundel County!
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The SPCA of Anne Arundel County (AACSPCA) is the largest and oldest animal welfare organization in Anne Arundel County. We provide shelter and humane care for homeless animals in need and work as advocates for animal welfare in our community. At the AACSPCA, there is no time limit placed on how long an animal is available for adoption. We embrace animals in need – regardless of age, breed, or physical condition – and provide them with the care they deserve for as long as it takes us to find them a home. As a result of our efforts, and your support, in 2014, we achieved a record high life-saving rate of 98 percent – one of the highest in this country – a remarkable achievement as we accept animals others turn away.
Our History
The SPCA of Anne Arundel County was founded in 1920. Originally a society created to deal with the problem of stray dogs overwhelming the Eastport section of Annapolis, the SPCA has grown through the years to become the modern animal welfare organization it is today.
In 1934, civic leader Albert H. McCarthy was asked by the community to take over the presidency of the struggling, young organization. A strong force for animal welfare, he laid the foundations for the SPCA that were to see it through the decades ahead. The SPCA handled dog licensing and enforcement from 1936 to 1966, operating a fleet of up to six ambulances that were dispatched throughout the county to retrieve injured animals. The first shelter building opened in 1947. It now houses our administrative offices, the spay and neuter clinic, and meeting spaces for activities such as our volunteer orientations.
In 1966, the county animal control division was established. Today Animal Control responds to calls in the county and picks up stray animals as well as investigating cruelty complaints. The SPCA takes in all voluntarily surrendered animals, then provides shelter, medical care, and adoption services.
In 1974, the SPCA became one of the pioneers for low cost spay and neuter services. Peg Howard, a singular volunteer, donor, and board member, built and equipped our first spay and neuter clinic with her own money, making an extraordinary gift to the SPCA and the community. The current animal shelter, the Mary E. Parker Shelter, opened in 1986. Very modern for its time, the new shelter provided air conditioning, flexible runs, medical isolation rooms, and other updated facilities.
Today the SPCA is a vibrant animal welfare organization.
Our Mission
The mission of the AACSPCA shall be to serve as the leading private nonprofit organization within Anne Arundel County which exists to protect companion animals from acts of cruelty and neglect.
To promote humane care and concern for the animals by educating the public and by working to end pet overpopulation.
To provide shelter and rehabilitation to companion animals in need.
To work for the passage and enforcement of laws which promote and provide for the humane treatment of companion animals.
