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Frederick County Humane Society
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As director of the Frederick County Humane Society, Connie Graf has spent the last decade helping area residents and their pets.
The 112-year-old nonprofit’s mission is “to advocate for animal welfare in the community, and provide affordable services, resources and programs to help responsible pet owners keep their pets healthy, happy and in lifelong homes.”
Graf emphasizes that the humane society isn’t affiliated with the county’s animal shelter and does not accept pets for surrender or offer pets for adoption. The humane society is a private entity that receives no city, state or federal funding; it relies exclusively on grants and private donations for its operating expenses.
FCHS does share resources and work with the county’s animal shelter to promote animal adoptions, though.
Graf previously worked for the National Humane Education Society and loves her current position because she knows “we make a difference in the lives of people and their animals,” she said.
In 2022, FCHS covered more than $100,000 in veterinary bills, attended to 251 emergency cases, and spayed or neutered 521 pets.
FCHS offers a variety of community programs, including pet-related seminars that teach children and adults how to treat and care for animals. The Well-Care Assistance Program offers a voucher to those with limited incomes that can be used at participating veterinary offices for basic pet care. A Quick Fix Cat Clinic is provided each February and September for reduced prices on neuters, spays and rabies vaccinations. The Unsung K9 Hero Project secures donations to support local law enforcement agencies with expenses for their working dogs. Recently, Graf said, the project funded the purchase of cat and dog oxygen masks to be carried in all Frederick County ambulances. FCHS helps to administer other programs funded by local families, as well. They include the Shanklin Fund for Seniors, which helps pet owners who are 65 years or older and on a limited income, by paying expenses for annual veterinarian wellness visits; and the Wolfe Military Assistance Program, for current and recently separated military families who need assistance for their pets. Pictured from left: Mark Hughes, Danielle Lewis, Connie Graf, Eileen Weber
