This story was updated Friday at 9:30 a.m. with comments from Maryland State Sen. Ronald Young's office. A bill that would have placed an animal abuser’s photo and address on a registry for 10 years did not survive during this session of the Maryland General Assembly, according to a national lobbying group for pet stores. The House Judiciary Committee voted against House Bill 1020 bill on March 20 and the companion Senate bill failed to advance from the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, according to the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, which was lobbying against passage of the bill. …

Counties and cities across Maryland are grappling with a chronic issue: how to deal with feral cats. Feral cats, different than domesticated animals, are wild and can’t be handled by humans. On the streets, they form into packs or colonies, precipitating complaints to animal control officials about yowling, defecation on lawns and fighting, to name a few. Some animal advocates are asking cities, including the City of Laurel, to consider an alternative to euthanizing animals that can't be adopted as pets: trapping, neutering and releasing them, a practice referred to as TNR. “This is a real …

Pet stores would have to reveal more about the origins of the puppies they sell and reimburse customers for vet costs if a sold puppy becomes ill, according to legislation being considered in the Maryland House of Delegates this month. The legislation comes following a controversy in Columbia regarding a new pet store, Charm City Puppies, which opened in January and sells luxury pet goods, as well as puppies. Animal shelters advocates and other groups raised concerns about the store, saying plenty of shelter animals need homes, and pet store animals often come from puppy mills. Charm City …