05-12-2023 MAW - Flipbook - Page 6
6 Baltimore Sun Media | Friday, May 12, 2023
Humane Society of Harford County’s new Hometown Heroes
and Pets for Patriots programs help military personnel adopt animals
Bringing pets, patriots together
By Katia Parks
“Gizmo”lays in the lap of Layla Smith. Layla’s mother, Marine Corps veteran Michelle
Jojola-Smith, received the cat through the Humane Society of Harford County. The animal
shelter provides comfort to area veterans through two programs that pair vets with pets:
Hometown Heroes and Pets for Patriots. COURTESY PHOTOS
The Humane Society of Harford County
is waiving adoption fees for all active,
reserve or veteran military personnel, and
public safety members in the community.
“We feel like it’s the least we can do
for all the brave men and women in the
county,” said Humane Society of Harford
County’s Marketing &
Development Manager
Erin Long. “Pets provided
emotional support, and we
want to make it affordable
for them.”
The Hometown Heroes
program waives pet adoption fees for all active or
veteran military personnel,
police officers, firefighters, paramedics, or EMTs
with a current valid ID or
other proof of employment.
Animals adopted by Hometown Heroes must be 1 year
old or older.
Michelle Jojola-Smith,
44, of Havre De Grace,
served in Marine Corps
security guard detachments in the Dominican Republic and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania,
from 1997 to 2002. She adopted a 1-year-old
cat through the program.
“There’s no fee, so that helps out a lot,”
said Smith. “The service at the Humane
Society was absolutely great. They
single-handedly walked me and my children through the doors. We met all the cats,
picked the one we wanted and took it home
that day. It took maybe an hour. Gizmo was
what we wanted and we got him. He’s been
a joy.”
Military personnel at any stage of their
careers are also eligible to apply for the Pets
for Patriots program.
The Humane Society of Harford County
Inc. and Pets for Patriots, Inc. joined forces
to give active, disabled and retired military
service members and their families the gift
of a pet’s unconditional love, while providing dogs and cats with a second chance at
life. Service men and women interested
in the program must first apply through
Pets for Patriots and provide proof of
their military service. Approval typically
takes one or two business
days, after which the military member can visit the
Humane Society for assistance in choosing a new pet
friend, according to a news
release. The program offers
a 20% adoption discount.
Eligible adoptions must
meet one of the following
criteria:
Dogs or cats 2 years old
and older.
Dogs 40 pounds or larger,
regardless of age.
Special needs dogs and
cats.
“Our goal is to help our
adoption partners re-home
harder-to-place pets that
still have years of love and life to give,”
Beth Zimmerman, founder and executive
director of Pets for Patriots, said in a news
release. “Companion pets are known to
provide real physical and emotional benefits to their guardians, including those
suffering from post-combat stress, depression, isolation or physical disability. We’re
delighted to work with The Humane Society of Harford County to give these at-risk
pets a second chance at life and, in so doing,
to enhance the lives of veterans living in the
community.”
For more information on how to adopt
a pet from the Humane Society of Harford
County, visit harfordshelter.org/animals/
military-discounts.
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND BY THE NUMBERS
$6.5B
$12B
$2.4B
Economic Impact
In Contracting Awards
in Small Business Awards
Sources: City of Aberdeen, Aberdeen Proving Ground
$653M
To Harford County Small
Businesses
160+
Defense Contractors
21,000+
Military, Civilian &
Contractor Employees