HUGHESVILLE — The Charles County Animal Care Center is looking for a foster home for Bingo, a 2-year-old, 20-pound Jack Russell-type dog who staff say is struggling with shelter life but comes alive the moment he leaves his kennel.
“The shelter has him feeling a little overwhelmed, but once he’s out of his kennel, he’s ready to roll,” the center wrote in a Facebook post Sunday afternoon that had drawn 49 shares by Monday. Toys and treats get an enthusiastic response, staff said, and what Bingo needs most is “a chance to relax and show off his true personality.”
The center is asking for a foster rather than an adopter for now. The goal is to let Bingo decompress outside the shelter so staff can learn who he really is before matching him with a permanent home. All foster supplies are provided; the shelter asks only that volunteers “bring the love.”
Anyone interested can email ccaccfoster@charlescountymd.gov to start the process. The shelter will walk prospective fosters through the requirements and answer questions about the commitment.
Small, high-energy terriers like Bingo often fare poorly in a kennel setting, where noise and confinement can make an otherwise friendly dog appear anxious or shut down. Foster placement is the standard remedy: a few weeks in a quiet home typically gives shelter staff a far better read on a dog’s house manners, energy level and compatibility with children or other pets than any kennel evaluation can.
The county shelter has leaned on its foster network repeatedly this year. It put out calls for under-socialized kittens in May and for five more in June, and fostering is one of five ways the county lists for residents to support the center, alongside adopting, volunteering, donating and sharing adoptable animals online.
The Charles County Animal Care Center, the county-run successor to the Tri-County Animal Shelter, is at 6707 Animal Shelter Road in Hughesville and can be reached at 301-932-1713. Current adoptable animals are posted on the center’s county webpage and Facebook page.
