What You Can Do To Help

Please sign our support letter for the establishment of a short term holding shelter to be presented at the May 3rd budget meeting. Please sign and return to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or mail to PO Box 116, Bowie Md 20719.

On May 3rd the Bowie City Council will meet to discuss the upcoming budget, including the proposal for the establishment of a short term animal shelter in the City of Bowie.

We need your help in lobbying our council members and the Mayor. Please plan to attend the May 3rd budget hearing and bring all of your friends, family members and neighbors. The meeting will be held at 8pm, City Hall 2614 Kenhill Drive.

Why Does Bowie Need A Shelter?

Bowie CLAW is advocating for the creation of a small, local "holding shelter," not a large, long-term (full-scale) facility like the one [they have] at the County level. The aim is to have this small facility equipped to hold animals a short period of time (a few days). This would benefit Bowie citizens because:

• More than 50% of Bowie households have pets (cat or dog). A small, local facility allows more time for citizens who have lost their pets to locate and retrieve them. Legally, the County has the discretion to hold a lost pet for 3 to 5 business days. If an individual is out of town on business, or a family is out of town, for example, on a long (week or more) vacation, 5 days could pass between the time the individual or the family leaves and returns.
• A small holding facility in Bowie would provide a convenience to residents. Depending on where in Bowie you live, travel to the County facility could take at least half an hour. For senior residents, this is a long trip - and many of them don't even drive. If citizens subscribe to the Bowie Pet Alert, they are notified immediately and could easily get their pet home safely.
• A small facility also would prevent lost pets from being exposed to potential and some life threatening diseases (such as kennel cough or upper respiratory problems, Parvo virus, and/or Leukemia in cats) and reduce the stress of being placed in a large facility (such as County's) with so many other stressed and sometimes sick animals.

For animals whose owners are not located, the facility also would have these benefits:

• It would give CLAW and other animal welfare groups more time to identify potential rescue groups and foster homes for the stray pet.
• By having more time to place the pet, we will reduce the number of animals that County must care for. This gives the animals at County and the stray pets found in Bowie an additional opportunity for a long and healthy life.

CLAW has explored several other options, including space with local vets, kennels and foster homes. But the reality is, without a holding place, your lost pet ends up with every other lost pet and stray in the County. Local veterinarians cannot hold these pets because of liability and cost. Further, a foster program cannot legally be established until we have a place to hold the pet for a few days for "observation." A small, short-term holding shelter is the only answer.

Many people have contacted us for assistance in placing animals and advocating for other animal welfare causes. Although CLAW would love to assist and be involved in many of these efforts, at this point in time the mission that our members came out to support is the establishment of a shelter. Ideally, in the near future, CLAW can be involved in many activities (education, micro chipping, etc.) as we work toward advocating for the health and welfare of our pets. But our first step is to see to the establishment of a small shelter. Once we have a central location in Bowie for our lost and stray pets, these other worthy ideas will grow organically.

If you have any questions or want to be involved in our efforts, please contact us via our website, www.BowieCLAW.org, email us a This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or call Tara Kelley-Baker at 301-352-3405. Again, we welcome your questions and your support!

Tara Kelley-Baker
President, Bowie CLAW

PAS (Pet assistance and Support) Program

Bowie CLAW launched a new program in April, 2009 called the PAS (Pet Assistance and Support) Program. The purpose of this program is to help the citizens of Bowie who are responsible pet owners but due to job loss, pay cuts, rising utility costs are struggling to feed their pets amid a challenging economy.

Bowie CLAW is working in partnership with the Interfaith Food Pantry where our information about the program is posted and the qualifications for assistance are consistent with those that the food pantry already has in place.

We are currently helping 33 pets and the number of calls we receive is steadily growing every week. For many pet owners, some of whom are elderly, the assistance they receive from the PAS Program has enabled them to keep their pets instead of making the heartbreaking decision of surrendering them to the shelter which is already overcrowded. For many, their pet is the only family they have.

Qualified citizens receive support for three months and then their situation is re-evaluated to determine whether continued assistance is needed. In addition to pet food, Bowie CLAW has taken this program a few steps further. In some cases, we are assisting families with spay/neuter, vaccinations as well has veterinary care if their animals are sick. When necessary, we are also helping them with transportation to and from the veterinary hospital. In return for our assistance, we ask them to pay a few dollars if they can but more importantly, we ask that they "pay it forward" and help someone else in need.

If you would like to help this important cause, you may mail your tax deductible donation to Bowie CLAW, PO box 116, Bowie MD 20719, or use Pay Pal on our website. Please mark your donation "PAS program". We will also graciously accept gift cards from Pet Smart or Petco or if you prefer, you can drop off your donations of canned cat or dog food, dry cat or dog food, kitty litter, treats and toys at drop off sites located at the following locations:

Long and Foster Real Estate
Market Place Shopping Center
3228 Superior Lane
Bowie, MD 20715

Old Town Pet Grooming
Hilltop Plaza (Rear)
6838 Race Track Rd
Bowie, MD 20715

Prime Care Animal Hospital
750 Rt.3 South, Ste 12
Gambrills, MD 21054
For directions call 410-923-7387

DAV
8205 Laurel-Bowie Road,
Omaha Beach No.7
Bowie, MD 20715

Bowie Senior Center
14900 Health Center Drive
Bowie, MD 20715

(Elks)
1509 Defense Highway
BPOE No. 2309
Gambrills, MD 21054

WOW U Salon
6000 Laurel Bowie Road
Suite 108
Bowie, MD 20715

Crunchies
2421 Crofton Lane
Crofton, MD 21114

Bowie Library
15210 Annapolis Road
Bowie, MD 20715

Please help and give anything you can. You will be surprised at how much a couple cans of food can help keep a family and their pet together. For some, their pet is the only family they have.

Thank you for your continued support.

Click here to view Program Mission, Rationale, and Policies for Eligibility, Enrollment, and Services.

Sign Up For Bowie Pet Alert