Q: What should I do about nuisance animals?
A: In most cases nothing. Simply seeing animals, wild, feral or domestic does not always warrant action. If they are wild or feral, we do not suggest you try to capture or handle them and in the case of wild animals it is almost always illegal for you to do so.

• Not all young, wildlife is orphaned. In most cases, mom and sometimes dad too is close by. If the baby animal is in no immediate danger, it is best to leave it where it is and check on it every 15 minutes to half hour, FROM A DISTANCE. What will likely happen is that you will see a parent come back and care for the baby.
• If the animal is in distress, appears hurt or sick, or is acting oddly, call Animal Control at 410.638.3505.

Q: People in my neighborhood do not contain their pets and they wander into my yard. How do I keep other people’s pets off my property?
A: If you know where or to whom the animal belongs, simply talking with the pet owner is a good first step to resolving a problem.

• If you have tried to no avail to speak with the pet owner, HSHC will gladly try to help by discussing the problem with the pet owner to bring about a humane resolution.

Q: I live on a farm and people from the development next door let their dogs run. They sometimes come onto my property and chase my livestock.
A: This is a serious issue and one where an ounce of prevention is truly the best rule. If you feel your livestock is in danger, please do not wait, call Animal Control at 410.638.3505.

• To avoid the risk of future harm to your livestock, we also suggest speaking with the owner of the dog or with the homeowner’s association if you do not know where the dog belongs. HSHC will help you do this or act as mediator to resolve the problem

Q: There are so many cats in my neighborhood. They seem to come from the farm, empty field, neighborhood, etc. How do I keep them off my property?
A: Very often free roaming cats belong to your neighbors. Please address the problem with them to try to resolve the issue as compassionately as possible for all involved.

• If you have tried this, or if you do not know to whom the cat belongs, HSHC would be happy to provide you with suggested deterrents and humane resolutions to the problem.
• HSHC does not offer traps for rent, as we do not advocate trapping cats, except where an active TNR project is occurring. Very often trapped cats belong to someone. In some cases they may be strays, but most are not. Unfortunately, many pet owners do not begin missing or searching for their lost cats for many days. This may result in tragedy for both if the cat is trapped and brought to a shelter. Please seek compassionate alternatives to trapping.