Almost every week (with the occasional break), the Prince George’s County Animal Shelter releases a euthanasia list on Wednesday, calling on the public to act quickly to save lives.

But the current schedule makes that nearly impossible.

• Saturday hours are limited to 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM, despite this being one of the busiest days for potential adopters.
• The shelter is closed Sunday and Monday.
• The euthanasia deadline is 6:00 PM Tuesday.
• Animals are euthanized Wednesday morning.

This is not just inefficient - it is costing lives. The public is given urgency, but not access.

Many people work during the week. Weekends - (especially Sundays) are when families, adopters, and fosters are actually available. Yet the shelter is closed during this critical window. By the time it reopens Tuesday, there are only hours left to act.

At the same time, Saturday - arguably the most important day for adoptions - is restricted to a short schedule (10:00am-4:00pm) that limits turnout and lifesaving opportunities.

This structure creates a bottleneck where intention exists, but opportunity does not.

This challenge is not unique to Prince George’s County. A 2025 national survey by Shelter Animals Count found that most government and private animal shelters are open for adoptions fewer than 45 hours per week, typically between 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM, with Sundays and evenings remaining underused. Those are precisely the times when many working families are finally available to visit a shelter. Prince George’s County has an opportunity to lead by aligning its operating hours with when the public is actually able to adopt, foster, and save lives.

We are calling for immediate, practical changes:

1. Open the shelter on Sundays and Mondays to give the public meaningful access during critical decision windows.
2. Shift closure days to midweek (such as Thursday or Friday), when public demand is generally lower.
3. Expand Saturday hours by keeping the current 10:00 AM opening but extending closing time until 7:00 PM to better reflect peak community availability.
4. Increase staffing on high-traffic days to support adoptions, fosters, volunteers, and rescue coordination.
   Why this matters

This is not about asking for more than what is reasonable. It is about aligning shelter operations with when the public can actually show up.

Right now, the system creates urgency without opportunity.

With practical scheduling adjustments, more animals would have a fair chance to be seen, chosen, and saved.

Add your voice! 

We urge Prince George’s County officials and Animal Services leadership to reevaluate current operating hours and implement changes that reflect both community availability and the urgency of euthanasia timelines.

Lives depend on access.  Access depends on these decisions.

Thank you for standing with us to create a more accessible, effective, and lifesaving shelter system for both animals and our community.