UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — Animal rescuers scrambled to beat a Wednesday evening deadline for taking custody of at least eight dogs scheduled for euthanization at the Prince George's County Animal Services Facility and Adoption Center. It's the second time in a week that volunteers from D.C.-based Laila's Legacy Animal Rescue have saved a group of dogs, according to the group's co-founder, Ashe Anthony.
Anthony said it's a recurring crisis that is happening more often because of Prince George's County's 22-year-old pit bull ban. The ban prohibits the county from allowing so-called "Bully Breed" dogs to be adopted by county residents. The result is that rescuers must come to take the dogs out of the county for adoption or fostering.
"If they come through the shelter, they are not immediately euthanized, but they're not allowed to leave the shelter unless they are going into another county or another state," Anthony said.
The ban creates an obstacle to quick adoptions that can lead to overcrowding at the shelter, according to Anthony.
Laila's Legacy is among the rescue organizations trying to take as many of the Prince George's dogs as possible.
In a written statement, the county’s animal services division acknowledged the work of rescue organizations.
"Our staff has worked tirelessly to try to have all healthy animals in our care rescued," wrote county spokesperson Linda Lowe in a statement to WUSA9. "In the last weeks, we have continued communicating with our partners to help get animals out of the facility we can no longer keep in our care. The community has risen to the challenge, partnering with our committed ASD staff. In the last week, 14 of 14 dogs went into homes from one call for assistance, and during another week, eight of eight. This response has been amazing, and we continue to work with our community to find the best homes for the animals who have landed in the County's care."
Despite the response from rescuers, the shelter here is taking in more animals than it can save, according to an annual report from Best Friends, a national animal welfare organization.
In the most recent year reported, Prince George’s County was forced to euthanize more than 40% of the nearly 3,574 dogs entering the facility.
The county council voted to keep the pit bull ban in place when they took up the issue in October 2023.
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