The Humane Society of Harford County said it needs an additional $500,000 from the county to cover its deficit, but former volunteers and community members say additional funding should not be granted to the nonprofit shelter without more accountability.

“My main issues are that funds should be approved contingent upon county government oversight,” said Pamela Cobo, a shelter volunteer from 2016 to 2023. “There needs to be somebody away from the shelter that is looking at the money.”

Cobo was one of five speakers to address council members during its first public hearing on the fiscal 2026 county budget Wednesday night. Three other speakers voiced concerns regarding accountability and treatment of animals and volunteers at the shelter.

Speakers, some of whom oversee other animal rescue organizations, claimed the shelter has stopped working with local animal rescues and dismissed volunteers for voicing concerns with the shelter’s operations.

“These terminations have impacted the care of shelter dogs, specifically, these dogs are not getting out of their kennel for walks or much-needed socialization,” Cobo said. “I do not feel comfortable having my taxpayer money going to an organization that is not doing what is in the best interest of the animals in their care.”

During the shelter’s budget hearing before the County Council on April 28, Executive Director Amanda Hickman said volunteers are “wonderful and essential” but that “their standards compared to shelter standards may be different” and that volunteers consistently raise concerns about the shelter’s operations.

Shelter officials did not respond to a request for comment.

Amid the rising concerns and the request for more money, Jane Robinson, of Shadow Cats, a nonprofit that offers clinic services for cats, said it does not make sense to allocate more funding to the shelter when it seems to be reducing services.

“What is going on in our humane society? They have requested $500,000 more and if you’re cutting off rescues, why should we give them more money?” Robinson said at the hearing. “We don’t know what’s going on and they aren’t giving any answers but yet our county government is giving them money every year because we have no other shelter.”

Hickman said during the shelter’s April 28 hearing that the request for a $500,000 budget increase stems from two consecutive years of being flat funded by the county government while costs increased by more than 25%.

County Executive Bob Cassilly proposed an additional $150,000 for the shelter in his fiscal 2026 budget for a total allocation of $1.3 million — breaking the two-year streak of flat funding. Despite the increase, shelter officials said they still need additional revenue to cover their growing operating expenses.

“While we are deeply appreciative of the county’s recommendation of an increase of $150,000, our current trajectory is unsustainable,” Hickman said.

Hickman and the shelter’s board president, George Heidelmaier, said they are unsure why the public is being critical and that they have addressed each issue that has arisen.

“We’ve addressed every single issue that has been out there, and it seems like once we do, something else pops up,” Heidelmaier said during the April hearing. “If we are wrong, you learn from your mistakes and we are more than willing to identify any mistakes we have made and correct them going forward. However, we don’t believe there are any things we are doing wrong.”

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