The main phone number for Montgomery County animal control is 301-279-8000, the police non-emergency line, which handles strays, bites, cruelty reports, injured animals, and other field complaints.1Montgomery County, Maryland. Animal Emergencies For shelter business, adoptions, licensing, and lost-pet reports, call the Animal Services and Adoption Center at 240-773-5900. If a dog is attacking a person or another animal right now, call 911.
Which Number to Call
Montgomery County splits animal calls between two lines, and picking the right one gets you to the right people faster.
Call 301-279-8000 to report:1Montgomery County, Maryland. Animal Emergencies
- A sick, injured, or apparently abandoned animal
- A stray roaming the neighborhood
- Animal neglect or cruelty
- An animal in distress from severe weather
- An animal bite or attack that is not actively happening
- Nuisance issues like persistent barking or owners not cleaning up after pets
- An animal caught in a county-issued trap
Call 240-773-5900 for:
- Pet adoptions and shelter inquiries
- Pet licensing questions
- Reporting a lost pet
- Following up on a complaint you already filed
- Rabies vaccination clinics
- Questions about the Animal Matters Hearing Board
Dial 911 if a bite or attack is in progress or a person is in immediate danger. The non-emergency line specifically routes in-progress attacks to emergency dispatch.
For non-urgent service requests, including reporting a lost or found pet, you can also reach the county through MC311 by dialing 311.2Montgomery County, Maryland. Reporting a Lost or Found Pet – MC311
Shelter Location and Hours
The Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center is at 7315 Muncaster Mill Road, Derwood, MD 20855. It is open six days a week, but the daily schedule can shift. Call 240-773-5900 to confirm the hours for the day you plan to visit before you make the trip.
What to Tell the Dispatcher
When you call 301-279-8000, give the dispatcher concrete detail. It changes how urgently an officer is sent and what they bring.
Start with the exact location. A street address works best; a nearby intersection or landmark is enough for a stray you spotted while driving. Describe the animal: size, color, breed if you can tell, and whether it is wearing a collar or tags. Then describe the behavior. A limping dog lying in a ditch gets a different response than one lunging at pedestrians. Note visible injuries, foaming at the mouth, or anything that suggests rabies.
For cruelty or neglect, documentation matters. Write down specific dates and times of what you saw, and note anyone else who witnessed it and would be willing to talk to an officer. Photos or video taken from a place where you are legally allowed to stand support your complaint, but do not trespass onto private property to gather evidence. Officers take reports more seriously when credible witnesses are willing to follow through and, if it comes to it, testify.
What Happens After the Call
Dispatchers triage by risk. An animal actively threatening someone, or one that is seriously injured, gets priority over a stray cat in a parking lot. High-priority calls draw an officer relatively quickly. Routine complaints like barking or an at-large dog can take several hours, especially on busy days.
When the officer arrives, they assess the scene and decide what to do. Depending on the situation, that may mean a verbal warning, a civil citation, or taking the animal into custody and transporting it to the shelter on Muncaster Mill Road. The encounter goes into a central database for legal tracking. You should get a follow-up call or notification confirming what action was taken and whether anything is needed from you.
Reclaiming a Pet From the Shelter
If your dog or cat was picked up as a stray or impounded for a violation, you will need to pay fees and prove ownership before the shelter releases the animal. Impound fees escalate: $25 for a first offense, $50 for a second, and $75 for a third or later pickup. Boarding runs $10 per day for dogs and $5 per day for cats. Animals held for quarantine or with special medical needs cost more, at $15 per day for dogs and $10 for cats.3Montgomery County, Maryland. Animal Control and Anti-Cruelty Laws
Bring documentation. Veterinary records, microchip registration, and photos of you with the animal are commonly accepted. If the pet was not licensed or vaccinated when it was picked up, expect to resolve those requirements before you take the animal home.
Reporting Bites and Rabies Exposure
Maryland law requires every dog, cat, and ferret four months old or older to be vaccinated against rabies.4Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Health General 18-318 Animal Services investigates all reported bites. Report bites and possible rabies exposures, including bat sightings inside your home, by calling 301-279-8000.1Montgomery County, Maryland. Animal Emergencies The animal involved in a bite is typically quarantined for observation, at the higher quarantine boarding rate.3Montgomery County, Maryland. Animal Control and Anti-Cruelty Laws
Wildlife Calls
Montgomery County animal control handles domestic animals: dogs, cats, ferrets, livestock, and similar pets. Wildlife jurisdiction is different. The county will generally respond to a wild animal that poses an immediate safety threat, such as a potentially rabid raccoon in a residential area. Ongoing wildlife management, including trapping, relocation, and rehabilitation, falls under the Maryland Department of Natural Resources rather than the county.
If you find injured wildlife and want it rehabilitated, you will need a licensed wildlife rehabilitator permitted through the state. County animal control can sometimes help with initial retrieval, but longer-term care and release operates under state permits. Call 301-279-8000 for a wild animal that seems sick, aggressive, or dangerous, and the dispatcher will point you to the right resource.
Service Animals
Federal law limits what animal control can do with a legitimate service animal. Under the ADA, a service animal is a dog individually trained to perform tasks for a person with a disability. Emotional support animals do not qualify.5ADA.gov. ADA Requirements – Service Animals
An officer can require removal of a service dog in only two situations: the dog is out of control and the handler is not taking effective action, or the dog is not housebroken. Staff cannot demand medical documentation, ID cards, or proof of training. Even if the dog must be removed, the handler must still be offered access to services without the animal present.5ADA.gov. ADA Requirements – Service Animals Miniature horses individually trained to perform tasks also receive ADA protection, though facilities may consider size and whether the space can reasonably accommodate the animal.