Baltimore’s only open-admission animal shelter says unprecedented number of surrenders tied to rise in evictions

BALTIMORE -- The only open-admission animal shelter in Baltimore City has taken an unprecedented number of animals in 2023.

Staff at Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter say the restart of evictions, following a few years of respite due to pandemic rental assistance and eviction moratoriums, is a leading factor in the increase.

“Evictions not happening was a very huge help. I think that’s a lot of the rebound we’re seeing now,” Director of Veterinary Medicine Bobbie Mammato said. “We have a lot of people who are now homeless that will surrender their animals, and animal control brings in a lot of animals from evictions where people left them behind.”